A tense atmosphere has engulfed the entire town for the past week. Currently, only a few people are in the town square, as all the establishments near the square are closed and unwilling to temporarily open their stores.
In the middle of the square, a four-meter-high wooden structure can be seen. It is an execution stage that was built by the carpenter not long ago under the order of the lord.
Two corpses, belonging to Maria and Robert, can be seen on the stage by many people passing through the square. The rotting smell permeates the entire square as they have been left there for a week. In front of the stage, there is a notice board telling a story of adultery titled 'Maria the Cheater'.
The lord also provides copies of the story for the public to take, and thanks to the papers, the cost was greatly reduced which in effect, made the story become accessible to people.
Also, despite not having public schools yet, the literacy rate in Bideford has increased a little bit, causing the townspeople to have no difficulty reading the story.
In the meantime, commerce activities have been temporarily relocated near the foothill, close to the Ryntum mansion. The decision to move the businesses was prompted by the disturbing and pervasive stench emanating from the decaying corpses on the execution stage.
Recognizing the impact it had on the townspeople, the local authorities made the necessary arrangements to ensure that trade and economic activities could continue uninterrupted.
While trading in the temporary market, people couldn't help but talk about the execution that took place last week.
Bideford has been the centre of attention in the kingdom for quite some time now. It started with the invention of paper and escalated to the assassination of the count's youngest son.
However, none of it can compare to the scandal this time. The news about the event shook the entire kingdom. The details of the story were released to the public by the Ryntum family.
Josephine even helps spread the news at the tea party. Whichever tea party or banquet she attends, many noblewomen congratulate her and inquire about the stories.
Many nobles speculate that the war will break out but they are not confident that Ryntum can win against Gyalcakes.
The one who is most affected is the Gyalcakes family. This incident has tarnished their reputation to the point where the woman from Gyalcakes was synonymous with adultery.
All of Maria's sisters were divorced by their husbands and the child they had with Gyalcakes woman was not acknowledged. Some nobles advise their son to not marry the Gyalcakes.
During dinner, Richard told his family about this, and Riz laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes.
The most awkward one at dinner is probably Rachel.
She is basically alone now and everybody treats her as nonexistent. Some of the servants were even caught gossiping with each other, saying that she is not a lord's child.
Rachel could only ignore it.
"Poor that old man, the connection that he tries so hard to build for years was destroyed by the act of his own daughter," says Richard.
"He will probably take advantage of this incident to fight against us. Are we just going to wait and defend?" Riz asked, considering the fact that there are just over twenty thousand people in Bideford.
"We will fight and conquer. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you warfare tactics," said Richard. In his mind, he had already decided to make Riz his successor.
....
That night, Riz started designing the siege weapon, the trebuchet. This weapon dominated the battlefield from the twelfth century until the emergence of gunpowder.
In addition, he had plans to make a crossbow, but he abandoned that idea. It would be better to focus on directly making guns in the future.
If he were to consider conscripting all the adult and teenage boys in Bideford, the most he could gather would probably get would be ten thousand people.
However, he didn't think his father would use all the men he had at his disposal.
Considering that his father wants to conquer the cities in Gyalcakes, people alone are not enough.
In his opinion, the most resource-consuming part of war is the siege. If he wants to reduce the resources needed, he needs to end the battle quickly.
The trebuchet will play a vital role in this upcoming war. There are many types of trebuchets, and the one that Riz is planning to make is a counterweight trebuchet.
A trebuchet operates under a simple principle. The trebuchet is cocked and the counterweight is increased. When the trebuchet is fired, the counterweight falls, converting the potential energy of the system into a combination of kinetic and potential energy.
....
The next day, he meets Arnold and Goban to discuss the trebuchet. He urges them to produce the trebuchet as soon as possible. He also needs to train a team to operate the machine.
"I have to say, kid, your idea is as crazy as always," comments Arnold.
"Now I feel confident that Bideford will win this war", Goban added.
"Can you help me contact a stonemason you know? I need a lot of stone as ammunition for this machine."
"Don't worry kid, I know some people"
Riz returned to the mansion to learn about warfare from his father. They estimated that the war would occur in one or two months, leaving them short of time. The only positive aspect is that they have the right to initiate the war.
Moreover, Richard not only taught his son but also engaged in discussions about the strategy for the upcoming war.
....
The situation between Gyalcakes and Bideford is deteriorating as each day passes.
Andrew, who was sent by the president of Cerdeauxia, has arrived at Napuna. He requested an audience with the king.
After several days of waiting, the king finally agreed to meet him.
"Envoy Andrew, I heard that you are in a hurry to meet with me. What can I do for you?" the king asks, sensing that he might have an idea of what the envoy wants.
The prime minister has already investigated Riz's identity. Basically, most of the upper-ranking nobles are aware of it.
Almost all of them have the intention to arrange a marriage between Riz and their daughters. Given the royal bloodline, no noble would pass up such an opportunity.
"Please forgive me for this sudden meeting, Your Majesty. I am here to deliver an order from the president, requesting that Your Majesty hand over Rizieri Ryntum to us," Andrew asks with an assertive tone.
"If I refuse?" Nicholas I ask. He feels a tinge of anger towards the envoy's audacious demands.
"We will break the alliance with your kingdom and block your access to the sea in the east," Andrew threatened the king.
Nicholas I contemplated for a moment, thinking, 'Matthew must be on edge right now.'
The envoy speaks the truth. If Cerdeauxia blocks their port, the only way to access the east would be through the Port City of Caushilbo in the northeast.
However, the merchant ship would need to pass through Mackerton Island, which is under Barlia's rule, or take a detour to the south, significantly increasing the distance.
This is an evident weakness of Bagyarosia. Despite having a long coastline in the north, they are effectively blocked by other nations.
"Okay, I agree. But on the condition that Bagyarosia's merchants are exempt from import tax and port tax," Nicholas I laid a condition to the envoy. Internally, he viewed this as an opportunity to exploit their desperation.
"I need to discuss this matter with the president first," Andrew replied. The condition was too significant for him to decide alone. He promptly left the audience hall.
"Your Majesty, I am sure that Count Ryntum will never agree to that," Wendell spoke after seeing Andrew leave.
"I know, but I need to prioritize the kingdom. Sighhh...," Nicholas I said helplessly.
"Wendall, go and spread rumours in Cerdeauxia that their royal bloodline still exists," Nicholas I commanded.
Wendall understood Nicholas I's intention. He realized that the king wanted to create unrest within Cerdeauxia.