Countermeasures

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Duke Kent had an urge to tear the report he was holding into pieces. Who allowed Grayman to make so much money?

He looked up at the porcelain vase on the table and was about to smash it on the floor.

But his hand hovered in the air for a long time before he awkwardly set the vase back in its place.

Maltz called in the intelligence officer again and instructed him to gather his trusted subordinates in the hall while dismissing everyone else.

Soon after, the trusted aides arrived, including Emerson Wilde. Duke Kent's son was absent due to his involvement in many matters, such as reorganizing the army and recruiting new soldiers, which kept him constantly on the move.

Duke Kent shared the current predicament with his aides.

"We must find a weapon capable of countering the fire crossbows and thunder hammers. With our numerical advantage, we could overwhelm them."

However, this was easier said than done. The existing bows and crossbows did not match the range or power of the two weapons mentioned. Everyone was deep in thought, struggling to come up with a good solution.

"Uncle Kent, I have an idea, though I'm not sure if it's feasible."

Emerson suddenly spoke up, and Maltz responded as if seeing a glimmer of hope in the darkness: "Oh? Tell us more!"

"Have you heard of the longbow?"

"The longbow? We have those too!"

"I'm not referring to ordinary longbows, but rather to a much larger and longer type."

Emerson demonstrated with his hands, explaining to the people in the study.

"This type of longbow is about 1.5 to 2 meters long and made from yew wood, although elm and oak can also be used. However, yew wood is preferred because it is strong, durable, and flexible, allowing for a greater draw."

"Its range can reach 200 to 300 meters, which can match the fire crossbows of the Aldens. Moreover, it is very powerful. It can penetrate leather, padded armor, and fabric at around 220 to 260 meters. It can pierce through chain mail, and plate armor or scale armor can withstand it. But at a distance of 100 meters or less, even plate armor cannot resist it; at 50 meters, the longbow's arrows are practically unstoppable."

Emerson's description impressed everyone. This weapon sounded terrifying.

"Really? Emerson, is the 'longbow' really that powerful?"

Emerson pondered briefly, "Uh… I've heard this from others, so there might be some exaggeration, but the longbow's power is definitely significant."

Maltz Kent made a decisive statement: "In any case, we must give it a try. Do you know how to make these bows? Or where to buy them?"

"I don't know how to make them, but I do know where to buy them. However, Uncle Kent, just buying them isn't enough. Training soldiers to use the longbows is not easy; it requires years of rigorous training to become a qualified longbowman."

"Is there a solution for this?"

"Mercenaries."

"Mercenaries?"

"Yes, Uncle Kent. Hire longbowmen, preferably from large mercenary companies."

Maltz Kent narrowed his eyes. He was aware of mercenaries, who were active in areas frequently troubled by war. They could be either individuals or part of large groups, some of which could grow to significant sizes and have combat abilities comparable to a powerful lord's army.

However, most mercenaries had very poor morals and lacked honor, often engaging in banditry. While local soldiers recruited from the territory might still have some sense of local loyalty, mercenaries, being complete outsiders, had no such constraints.

Of course, Maltz Kent did not consider this aspect. His only concern was the cost of hiring mercenaries, which would surely be high.

But if he could defeat the opposing lord alliance and annex their lands and wealth, especially that of Paul Grayman, the returns would far outweigh the cost.

The Duke slammed the table and declared, "Excellent, little Emerson. This is exactly what I need—both the weapons and the soldiers."

Emerson puffed out his chest, "If Uncle Kent agrees, I'm willing to go and contact various mercenary companies."

Maltz agreed, "Alright, you handle this. The price can be negotiated, but we need to gather enough troops."

Emerson reminded him, "But this will take time. Before the mercenaries arrive, we need to find a way to keep Grayman's forces at bay. Although his troops have currently stalled, we cannot be sure they won't resume their advance."

The Duke sighed, "Yes, that is indeed an urgent issue."

The intelligence officer, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "My lord, leave this matter to us."

"What is your solution?"

The intelligence officer smiled slightly, "Earl Grayman has made his territory quite prosperous this past year, but he doesn't realize that he's sitting on two volcanic hotspots. Though these are small now, they are bound to erupt eventually."

The Duke motioned for him to continue.

"The report mentioned a new salt production method developed by the Aldens, which can produce salt quickly and in large quantities. On the surface, this seems like a good thing, but…"

"But what?"

"There are many salt farmers along the coast who rely on traditional salt production methods. They cannot compete with the new method's cost, and salt merchants no longer purchase from them, causing the salt farmers to almost lose their livelihoods. If we…"

Before he could finish, someone in the room exclaimed, "I know what you're suggesting! This is a terrible idea! Duke Kent, we must not use this method."

The speaker was a vassal of the Kent family, who spoke with righteous indignation: "Although we are at war with Grayman, we are still nobles. Inciting commoners to rebel against their own lord is unacceptable."

Other noble aides also chimed in:

"Yes, this is simply outrageous!"

"Utterly rebellious!"

The intelligence officer fell silent, unable to understand the nobles' reasoning, even though the situation was dire.

Duke Kent waved his hand in frustration, "Alright, we'll discuss this matter later. Do you have any other ideas?"

Several people offered suggestions, but Maltz found them all unfeasible.

"Emerson will contact the mercenary groups skilled in using longbows. We'll train a new army and do our best to hold off the Aldens until the mercenaries arrive."

The Duke made the final decision.

Everyone left, except for the intelligence officer, who remained.

"What about the second 'volcano' you mentioned earlier?"

The intelligence officer's eyes lit up as he whispered, "The countryside."

"What is happening in the countryside?"

"After repelling the pirates, Earl Grayman implemented a decree for 'land consolidation,' which aims to better utilize land by swapping and consolidating scattered plots owned by landlords and self-farming peasants."

"This decree sounds good."

"Yes, the decree itself is good. However, many people in the countryside have underreported their land area to avoid taxes, and many have seized public land due to poor management. As you know, this phenomenon is persistent."

Maltz Kent sighed and gestured for the officer to continue.

"During the consolidation process, the first step is to inspect and measure the actual land area…"

"And the land quality varies, so no matter how hard we try to maintain fairness, some will feel they are at a disadvantage."

"Therefore, we can make a big issue out of this."

After the intelligence officer finished, Maltz Kent fell silent in deep thought for a long time before finally saying, "You may go now."

After the officer left, the Duke's study was enveloped in silence.

(The End of Chapter)

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