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Although it is said to have been led by the Marquis of Branford, half of it is the property of the crown and the other half is the property of the nobles who were loyal to the crown.

So, along with the royal flag, flags symbolizing each family fluttered everywhere.

Everyone's heart was filled with awe at its grandeur.

"Wow, wow. Are you really giving me all of this?"

Belinda felt happy, but also a little sad.

How hard it has been for Ferdium so far, how great would it have been if they had supported us like this earlier?

I don't know much about the complex political relationships, but I could tell that Ferdium had risen to a more important position than before.

It was all thanks to Giselle, so as someone who taught him, I was so proud.

'Oh my, our master has really grown up well.'

Rosalind, who was staying at the Crow Mansion, also came out of the castle to see Giselle off.

There was a strange look of disappointment on her face.

"Take care, Baron. Take care of your health."

"Yes, I hope you are doing well too. I hope you are doing well with the cosmetics sales."

"Okay. When do you plan on coming back to the capital?"

"The person who will collect the money will come and go frequently, but I don't know when he will come in person. Well, I will take my leave now. Please make sure to settle the account properly."

'Is there nothing you can talk about with me other than money?'

Rosalind pouted her lips in disappointment.

But Giselle didn't care at all how she reacted.

The only thought in his head was to return quickly.

He looked around at the people and shouted loudly.

"Didn't you miss anything? We have a lot of luggage this time, so make sure to pack well."

"Yes! I'm ready!"

"Okay, then let's go!"

At Giselle's signal, the carts began to move slowly, one by one.

Caw! Caw!

The crows circled in the distant sky, regretting their parting.

Still, no one followed me, as if I didn't want to leave the house.

Rosalind watched Giselle's back as she left, lost in thought.

'Is the Fenris Estate really that good? What kind of place is it…?'

She didn't leave the place for a long time, until the departing Giselle became a dot and was out of sight.

* * *

"The weather is getting warmer, so we should prepare to go to the northern fortress."

At Zwalter's words, General Homer nodded.

"Yes, it is time for the barbarians to start moving."

The two were drinking tea and talking about the future political situation.

Their expressions were more peaceful than ever.

Suddenly, Zwalter thought of his son and smiled faintly.

"I heard he went to sell cosmetics, but he's been in the capital for quite some time. I hope he uses this opportunity to build up his network. He hasn't had any friends since he was little."

"That's because he has a dirty temper… … Ahem, hasn't the Archduke grown up a lot? Even though it's hard to see the faces of high-ranking nobles, he must have made some friends his own age."

"Right? Even though it was a poor estate, he must have made some friends since he became the lord at that age."

Homer shook his head with a slight frown.

"The problem is that he went there to sell things like a merchant. The children of the nobles in the capital have strong pride, so it is possible that he only made friends with worthless people."

"Ahem, I told you not to go like that, but you insisted."

"Listen to what kind of friends he has, and if they are not good enough, give them a good scolding. For a noble, isn't it important who he hangs out with?"

Zwalter nodded with a solemn expression.

"Don't worry. He's been making money and has become more arrogant lately, but isn't he still lacking in experience? If he makes bad friends, I'll make sure to give him a good beating."

"Hahaha, of course. Since the war, there have been some aspects of the Archduke's behavior that have been overlooked, so I think this would be a good opportunity to give him a stern lesson."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

My mind was at ease as the territory was running smoothly.

Although they are still poor, they are much better off than before they received the Runestones.

They had decided to receive food from Jiselle, so for those who had been living a difficult life, this was a blessing in disguise.

"Well, I hope there wasn't an accident in the capital. It's really unsettling."

"No way. Don't you know the power of the capital's nobles? Even the most unruly of arch-duke wouldn't have caused trouble there."

"But that's because he's someone you never know where he'll end up."

"Oh, don't worry. It was my first time in the capital, so I was too shy to do anything."

"Hmm, I see… … Well, I guess that guy has his own thoughts, so he must have been careful."

Cardenia was a place that left one breathless with wonder just by looking at it.

Zwalter was also so amazed when he first visited the capital that he couldn't close his mouth.

I thought that no matter how bad-tempered Jiselle was, she wouldn't have been able to set it up carelessly on her first trip.

"Okay, then let's regroup as soon as Randolph returns."

"Okay, I see. It's nice that that noisy guy isn't here, but I guess he'll be back soon."

Randolph, who had gone to train the mercenaries, was also unable to return because Giselle had not returned.

So, Ferdium, where only cultured and well-mannered people remain, cannot help but be peaceful and quiet.

The two smiled again as they drank tea elegantly.

Hoping that this peace will last a long time.

At that moment, the sound of urgent footsteps came closer and closer.

Bam!

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"My lord! We're in trouble!"

The man who roughly opened the door and came in was Albert, the finance officer of the estate.

For him, who was always cool and composed, to see him in such a disarray must have meant that something very big had happened.

Zwalter jumped up and picked up the sword he had placed next to him.

"Have the barbarians already moved? If so, quickly gather troops and support the northern fortress… … ."

"No, that's not it!"

Albert shook his head and shouted. Zwalter asked back in confusion.

"Then did a monster pop out from the forest of demons?"

Albert shakes his head again.

"Elena didn't bring her boyfriend, did she?"

"I would rather have it be like that."

"Then what is it! Tell me quickly!"

"The Archduke… … ."

"Giselle? Why did Giselle go to the capital?"

Albert cried out with a pale face.

"They say there was an altercation with the Marquis of Branford in the capital!"

Zwalter thought for a moment whether he had heard wrong, then laughed vainly.

"Brandfood? Was there such a Marquis? I guess it's been a long time since I've been to the capital."

"No. The Marquis of Branford."

"Branford?"

"Branford! The Minister of the Household!"

Zwalter blinked silently and smiled awkwardly.

"Really… … that Marquis of Branford? Are you kidding?"

Albert kept his mouth shut and shook his head again.

dump.

Zwalter's face turned pale and he just sat down.

Homer asked urgently instead of the distraught Zwalter.

"What are you talking about! Tell me more!"

"It is said that the Archduke was imprisoned after picking a fight with the Marquis of Branford."

"No, didn't the Archduke go out to do business? Why did he suddenly start a fight with the Marquis of Branford? He's not someone you can meet just because you want to!"

"I don't know about that either."

Zwalter couldn't believe Albert's words.

"Is that confirmed information? It's not just a rumor?"

"I also heard it from a merchant who came to the territory. Don't we have any informants in the capital?"

"Then it's just a rumor?"

"Merchants and travelers from other regions have told the same story. Even if the rumors have gained substance, the fact that there was a dispute seems real."

Zwalter sighed deeply. That damned Giselle would have been more than capable of doing that.

"Phew… … ."

As the two took turns sighing, Albert spoke urging them on.

"We must find a way. If we continue like this, the Archduke's head will be blown off."

Homer jumped up and shouted in annoyance.

"What kind of method! If the rumor had spread to this point, we would all be dead already! I knew it would happen since you always act so fearlessly!"

"Still, if the Northern Margraves weren't completely determined to fight back, they might have saved the life of at least one Archduke."

Zwalter's mind snapped to his senses at Albert's words. If what he said was true, there was still a chance.

No matter how much of a troublemaker he is, he is the son of the lord and the successor to this place. I couldn't just leave him to die.

Zwalter opened his mouth with an anxious look on his face.

"Let us first prepare a grand gift and send an envoy to the capital. We have no choice but to ask for forgiveness for our son's rudeness."

Homer also nodded in agreement.

"How about asking for leniency by saying that he is a person with a strange mentality? Let's say that he sometimes has fits like that. Let's say that it's not intentional."

"Yes, we should do that. He is my son, but honestly, he is crazy. Anyway, rumors about him being crazy have spread all over the capital."

The three people moved busily.

After gathering the vassals and discussing countermeasures, he wrote a letter of apology and gathered all the money he had.

It was when the vassals gathered in Daejeon to discuss who to send as an envoy.

The soldier guarding the gate came in urgently and shouted.

"The army is approaching the castle!"

"What? What kind of military is this all of a sudden?"

Zwalter and his vassals were shocked.

No messenger came from the checkpoint at the border of the territory.

That means either they pushed it out in an instant with force or they took a detour by another route.

Zwalter jumped up from his seat and scolded the soldier.

"Did you check the flag? Where did the troops come from!"

"Th, that's… … there are too many flags… … ."

"There are so many flags… … Are you saying that they are the Allied Forces?"

"The size of the force was relatively small for that."

Homer asked, his hands trembling.

"So, which family's flag was flying?"

"With the royal standard in the forefront, the Marquis of Branford, the Marquis of Macquarie, the Earls of Norton, the Earls of Aylesburgh, the Earls of Boyer, and the Earls of Bromson… ."

"… … ."

All the names that appear are nobles who have some power in the kingdom.

Zwalter's legs gave out and he slumped into his chair.

"They are all pro-Prince nobles. If there is even a royal banner, it must have been the Marquis of Branford who moved the soldiers. It seems like that bastard Giselle has really messed up."

"Uh, what should I do?"

Homer asked, stamping his feet, but Zwalter did not answer.

If they demand an apology and payment for the damage to their reputation through violent protests, just listen.

'But what if I try to occupy this place?'

You wouldn't volunteer for such a tiresome task just because you got into an argument with your son, but you have to be prepared for the worst.

Although it is not common, there were frequent cases of people taking over other people's lands under various pretexts and handing them over to the nobles they supported.

'Something like this suddenly happened… … This is difficult.'

It is a time when stationing troops only on the border of a territory can be a pretext for war.

But, without any such process, the royal family and high-ranking nobles' army suddenly appeared in front of the castle?

This was really out of the ordinary.

After hearing the bad news, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure when this situation occurred.

Zwalter, who had been thinking for a moment, made up his mind and spoke in a heavy tone.

"Gather the soldiers."

"My Lord, surely… … ."

Zwalter ground his teeth as he grabbed his sword at Homer's worried tone.

"We don't have money, do we? Don't we have pride?"

'Neither.'

Homer lowered his head, refuting inwardly.

"If the Archduke is captured, it could be dangerous. No matter how much of a loser he is, shouldn't we keep him alive? He is the heir to the family!"

"Let's hear the story first. If you take that guy hostage and want an apology, we'll compensate you, but if you use that as an excuse to force us and persecute us, we'll fight."

"Oh, I understand."

All the vassals bowed their heads at Zwalter's determined gaze.

"We can start negotiations right away, so the vassals of the General Headquarters should follow."

At those words, some of the vassals' faces hardened.

If a battle suddenly breaks out, it will be difficult for me to even protect myself.

However, it is not possible to refuse when the lord asks you to come out.

Everyone had no choice but to follow along, groaning.

Ding ding ding ding!

The bell rang to summon the soldiers.

The soldiers staying in the castle were confused by the sudden call-up, but they prepared for battle.

Kuuung!

The gate opened and Zwalter, fully armed, mounted his horse.

Following him, the soldiers moved slowly towards the troops approaching Perdium.