Ten days ago.
Lawrence's fell in chaos.
"The Martell family turned down our offer."
" The same goes for the Bartra family. Even though they said they would accept building and distribution network they've always asked for, they said they couldn't help with this matter. 'Lord' It actually very difficult to get help from those around us due to the pressure from the Barco family."
bang!
"Damn guys."
At the report of the vassals, Viscount Lawrence couldn't contain his anger and hit the table.( TN note here vassal is stated to the person serving under Lawrence )
Before the conflict with Barco.
The Martell and Bartras family head where flattering him to establish a connection with Lawrence.
Lawrence's fertile lands gave him power in the northeast region, and Viscount Lawrence was maintaining an amicable relationship with them.
So he remembered the relationship between them from back then and asked them for help, but the head of the two families, who always flattered Viscount Lawrence, showed a cold attitude towards him as they where some kind of forgotten enemy.
He understood now, lately there is rumors circulated around the northeast area.
Rumors that if there is a force that intervening in the dispute between Lawrence and Barco, then Barco will surely retaliate after Lawrence's fall.
Everyone knew that it was a rumor that was intentionally spread by Barco, but it was intentional, so the other family had no choice and didn't provide any helping hand toward Lawrence.
Barco blocked the possibility of an alliance.
Now that probation period of one week before the war would start was left, Viscount Lawrence felt there was no hope left for them.
"Did you get a call from Golden Bank?"
" Yes Lord. As you said you would consider a land-secured loan, but it seems unlikely that the review will be completed within a week. Golden Bank is not a neutral force. Since they invested a large amount in the Barco family, they seem to have decided that it is more beneficial to empower the Barco family rather than us."
Sigh.
Dizziness has strucked Viscount Lawrence.
[ Golden Bank, it power is not limited to only Cairo Kingdom, but a power that boasts enormous capital power that affects the entire continent.
Their home base is said to be in one of the two empires, the Valhalla Empire.
In fact, they are a force that puts a neutral position as the number one value, but in a problem in which their interests are at stake as it is now, they openly favor the side that has the most advantage.
In war between Barco and Lawrence, the odds were high for Barco, so for Golden Bank it was better to side with Barco rather than invest in both. ]
"Are you saying that there is no answer form anyone at all?"
For last few weeks.
Viscount Lawrence ran all over the place to solve upcoming crises.
The breakup with Dmitry put Lawrence in a corner, and in order to somehow survive, he met with different people, which he had good relationships with them before.
And among them, contact with Golden Bank was an attempt, even though he knew it would fail.
' If only I could borrow money, I was going to hire mercenaries like the Barco family ', but the foxes of Golden Bank did not do business with him that could cause them to lose money.
Viscount Lawrence was stuck on a dead end road.
After a week, Barco will launch an attack, and Lawrence will not be able to withstand their attack.
' If only I could have somehow calmed Dmitry's heart. '
Dmitry, their presence was at top in the north east region.
Even when he was preparing to marry his daughter in Dmitry, he wondered if all problems would be resolved, but due to his daughter mistake Dimitry has turned there back on him.
The real power in the northeast area is Barco and Dmitry.
As both families became hostile, Lawrence became a loner.
It was very cumbersome situation for him.
A woman sitting at the far end of the conference room said cautiously, even when thought vassals couldn't have guts even to open their mouths.
Father. Can I say something?"
She was Lawrence's golden jade leaf, Flora Lawrence.( TN -- i think author is being sarcastic here why he discribing her in these long name, may be i don't know, what you guys think)
Roman Dmitry.
Starting with the meeting with him, the realm of common sense that made up Flora's world completely collapsed.
'My judgment was wrong. I had a biased view of Roman Dmitry, and the real nerd was me, not him.'
Roman's actions, was very shocking for her.
At first, she only thought that Roman had done all the things with someone help, but as time went on, she learned what had really happened in detail.
Roman killed Ben Miles, leader of the Blood Fang, in front of many people.
It was done entirely done by Roman alone, and what was even more shocking for her was the cause of Roman's action.
The purpose to deal with the Blood Fang was because they harassed the residents of Dmitry's territory.
And knowing that Lawrence's response was insufficient, he was bold enough to take a drastic action to bring punishment for them.
After knowing what had really happened Flora felt ashamed.
Although Dmitry's eldest son was said to be an idiot, he did something for Dmitry people, buy putting himself into danger.
If she could have power to turn back time. At least, the extreme choice of breaking up, which disturbed the relationship between Dmitry's and Lawrence, would have been avoided.
'I was stupid. Choosing to break up the marriage without taking any measures, was a choice that led the family to the path of destruction.'
Once upon a time.
There was a time when she thought, she was smart.
After completing the advanced course of the academy with good grades, seeing her father smiling brightly at her, she thought that she was a good daughter.
But she didn't know then.
The fact that she studied something while receiving the support of her family in the first place did not know anything about the world enough.
Outside the gate Lawrence, Barco was standing there as a wild predator.
With drooling and fierce teeth, they didn't care what Flora's life was like.
The breaking of marriage between them was announced to the public.
Flora locked herself in her room.
Although the fact that marriage should still be done with the person she loves has not changed, she did not dare to face her father's face in the dire reality of having to pay the price of romance.
Because of her mistake, her father went to beg for help every day.
The lights in the family conference room never went out, and when the meeting was over, she couldn't even dare to approach the vassals who where walking out with their dead faces and tell them to cheer up.
For Flora Lawrence, it was a harsh time for her, who always saw good things and experienced only good things.
She sometimes groans in night.
She had a fever in the middle of the night, and waked up due to nightmare and cold sweat was formed on her body.
In Flora's mind, ahe was thinking about Roman.
'How could he have done such a thing?'
By his strength alone.
In a situation where no one expected anything from Roman, Roman boldly came into action.
It was great to look up to, aside from the fact that such a thing is possible.
It was from then on.
Roman started appearing in Flora's dream, and her heart changed little by little while dreaming of Roman appearance.
Then one day.
Flora made a decision.
"Let's not turn away from reality, Flora. If no one helps us. Just as Roman Dmitry defeated the Blood Fang himself, we must find a way to solve the problem ourselves."
From than on Flora started to visit library
With her hair tied up so she could move comfortably, she went to Lawrence's library and grabbed a few books.
The type of book was just right for now she thought.
It was a military law book describes about war.
In the metting room Flora said, "We are now in a corner. Barco cut off the help around us, and the difference in power is obvious. So from my opinion that we should preserve at least a little of the family's land, and we should not surrender, because I don't think it will do any better."
"Why do you think so? Rather than killing innocent soldiers, surrender may be the option for everyone."
Viscount Lawrence asked.
Seeing the questionable look coming toward her, Flora looked at him and said camly.
"Barco borrowed money from the Golden Bank using the connections of the central government. Rumor has it that the loan process was conducted without collateral, so a loan without collateral would inevitably have a high interest rate. this war. Barco is not a business that only benefits. In order for both the borrower Barco and the lender Golden Bank to obtain a satisfactory profit, the land will be completely torn apart after the capture of Lawrence. Half will go to Barco, and other half will go to Golden Bank."
The attendants looked uncomfortable.
It was a cruel remark, but no one denied that because it was a reality.
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
"There is only one way. death-defying war. That is the only way we can survive."
"It's a fight. Was that really the best thing you said?"
Viscount Lawrence showed a disappointing reaction, because Flora's remarks raised his expectations.
He thought that the ability to accurately see through the situation would tell him an extraordinary way, but in the end, it was within his common sense.
Anyone will firstly think about it.
However, Flora took a different approach from others.
"It's not just about holding on. Give up farming this year and set fire to the fields. And we'll keep as much food with us so we can survive for long. We just have to keep going until winter comes."
"Can we survive until winter?"
Yes. Barco borrowed a large sum of money for this war. Although they used the central government's connections to make loans without collateral, in fact, the Golden Bank was not a force that could put pressure on them with only the central government's connections. They are a huge force that affects the entire continent. If the war does not end quickly and time continues, the Barco family will have no choice but to face pressure from other. The larger the loan, the higher the interest. That's the only weakness we can attack. Mercenaries run with money, and that money comes from the Golden Bank. When winter comes, unfavorable for siege warfare, they are bound to wither themselves."
"Huh!"
"There was such a way!"
The vassals of the family admired Flora's comment.
At first they seemed puzzled, but the more Flora spoke, the more they fell in love with her argument.
It made sense.
This is was race against time for them.
Since Barco's power has a limited time, there was a sufficient chance of winning if they endured the time.
Viscount Lawrence thought 'When did my daughter grow up?'
He looked at his daughter with a complicated expression.
His only daughter.
Because of these she was raised very carefully and provided with every thing.
And when the case of Dmitry happened.
Viscount Lawrence thought that he had raised her daughter too immaturely.
But.
The truth was different.
When faced with the situation of a crises falling on Lawrence, Flora showed her true face.
'You must have suffered because of your incompetent father.'
Flora's wrinkled face.
No matter how much he suffered, a shadow appeared on his face, which was of his daughter Flora.
He never wanted to see such a lovely daughter collapsed because of the Barco family.
Viscount Lawrence said.
"Flora is right. The Barco family is not a force that we cannot handle with the power of the family itself. So, prepare for a deadly fight right now. We will hold out and persevere, and we will pass on the Lawrence family."
Viscount Lawrence made a decision, He will not surrender
I will not raise the white flag.
It was the Lawrence family's judgment that they would fight and endure to the end, even if the wall collapsed and they were to die.
a week after that.
Finally the day, when the deceiving battle will start, that Barco foretold had dawned upon them.