Chapter 76: War Tax

The pitiful aspect of defensive warfare lies in the fact that even if you win, you often gain nothing. Unlike offensive wars where the victor can plunder the loser's resources or force them to pay for their defeat, defensive wars often result in victory without any tangible benefits.

In history, defensive wars have led to internal conflicts, causing the political entity to crumble after the war. Whether the Earl of Anen Valley, Eamond Osborn, truly won in the recent conflict with the Hafdans remains uncertain.

From the perspective of the local nobility, they successfully repelled the Hafdans' invasion, forcing them to leave the northern border, which could be considered a victory. On the other hand, from the Hafdans' viewpoint, they crossed the mountains into the south, looted extensively, withdrew the majority of their forces safely, and achieved their strategic goals by disrupting the local production and life order. Undoubtedly, they were the true victors.

Regardless of who emerged victorious, the nobles in the western part of the Earl's domain were undeniably the losers. After the Hafdans withdrew, Earl Eamond Osborn was immediately summoned by the Regent Duke of the North, Cyrus Belros, to the Duke's castle, where he received a harsh reprimand.

To maintain the Earl's dignity, the entire process took place in the Regent's study, and the content of their conversation remains unknown. However, judging by Earl Osborn's expression when he left the room, the discussion was likely far from pleasant.

Upon returning to his domain with a darkened face, Earl Osborn promptly sent letters to his vassals. The letters explicitly stated that despite the invasion during the spring planting season, this year's various taxes were still due on time. He urged his vassals to overcome difficulties and not delay payments; otherwise, he would have to exercise his authority as the Earl.

This announcement stirred up a storm, especially among the nobles in the western part of the Earl's domain, who reacted vehemently. Many nobles in the western territories suffered significant losses during the Hafdans' invasion. Regardless of the severity of their losses, they believed that, after the Hafdans left, there should be ample time for everyone to recuperate and recover.

Faced with an external invasion, the Earl provided no support during the conflict and offered no assistance post-war to help expedite the recovery of their territories. Instead, he insisted that these victimized nobles pay their usual taxes on time. This was simply unacceptable.

To make matters worse, not only were they required to pay their taxes on time, but the Earl also demanded an additional war tax from his vassals to prepare for the possibility of another Hafdans invasion in the coming year.

News of the tax increase dumbfounded all the nobles. How could this be? Instead of providing time for post-war recovery, the Earl was intensifying exploitation. Requiring the payment of last year's land taxes without allowing the local populace any room to breathe, and now an additional war tax on top of that – was this not cutting off the nobles' livelihoods?

An outrageous situation indeed!

From the Earl's perspective, compared to previous years, the Regent Duke's pressure on the battlefield had increased. In response to the heightened Hafdans invasion, the Regent had to correspondingly increase military investments; otherwise, the next year's war could be even more brutal.

The orders from the Regent were directly placed on the Earl's desk. As a local Earl, Eamond Osborn had already performed poorly in the face of the Hafdans' invasion. If he failed to collect the taxes this time, his fate was all too predictable.

Objectively speaking, for the past few decades, when the Hafdans invaded the Duke's direct territories, the Regent led the army alone and repelled the enemy without making any additional demands on the Earls. Almost all the pressure was borne by the Regent alone.

This time, the intensity of the Hafdans' attack increased, and the Regent couldn't bear the pressure alone. As vassals, they indeed had an obligation to provide assistance. Coupled with his previous dismal performance in the war, Osborn urgently needed a success to demonstrate his usefulness to both the Duke and the Regent.

Therefore, he couldn't escape the tax collection order this time; he had to face it head-on, even if it meant biting the bullet.

However, what good was it if he, as an Earl, had made up his mind alone? His vassals weren't buying it! Of course, Osborn was well aware of the difficulties his vassals were facing. He had investigated thoroughly, and in many areas of the western territories, especially in the northwest, the losses were devastating. Even the city of Wendemir, a significant urban center, was completely destroyed. The city turned into ruins, and citizens either died or fled. The entire administrative region of Wendemir ceased to exist. The future of Wendemir, whether to rebuild or allocate the land to nearby nobles, remained unknown. A large portion of the western territories lacked the conditions to execute the tax collection plan.

But while he understood the vassals' predicament, who would understand his difficulties? The order was there, and if it wasn't executed, someone had to bear the responsibility.

In the end, Osborn decided that in most areas of the western part of the Earl's domain, nobles only needed to pay taxes according to last year's rates. They wouldn't be burdened with the additional war tax; he and other nobles from the eastern part of the Earl's domain would find a way to handle it.

At first glance, the Earl seemed kind and reasonable, understanding the need to alleviate the pressure on the disaster-stricken areas. However, this decision led to dissatisfaction among the nobles in the eastern part of the domain.

Initially, they had minimal losses during the Hafdans' invasion since the Hafdans didn't cross the central pass, posing no threat to the eastern territories. Therefore, the nobles in the east mostly maintained their normal production rhythm.

However, no losses didn't mean they were willing to bear additional responsibilities for their colleagues. They argued that, as peers with the same titles—Barons and Knights—why should they bear the burden for others? Misfortune struck, and you were robbed by the Hafdans, so you don't have to pay the war tax. I was fortunate enough not to be robbed, yet I have to pay, including your share? Where's the justice in that?

All being vassals under the Earl, they argued, who was nobler than whom? They all had equal responsibilities and obligations. If you feel exploited, why not renounce your title and responsibilities? If you don't want to do that, then stop dreaming about avoiding your duties.

With such thoughts, the nobles in the east quickly reached a unanimous consensus: they would not bear the war tax obligation of the western nobles, not even a single coin more. If the Earl couldn't fulfill his duty, he could dip into his own pocket to make up the shortfall.

It sounded easy, but in the entire western part of the Earl's domain, with dozens of large and small noble families, the war tax to be paid had not been precisely calculated yet, but it would likely reach several hundred Kingdom gold coins. Where would Osborn get that kind of money? Could gold coins be conjured out of thin air?