Translator: Cinder Translations
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In late July, the second phase of the Usurper War in the Northwest Bay came to an end. On the western front, the situation publicly returned to how it was at the beginning of the war. The strategic stronghold of Biddeburg remained occupied by the Kent family, but pressure from two other battlefronts prevented the Duke's army, which had just recaptured Biddeburg, from advancing further. Of the two other battlefronts, the town of Emden, with the help of Bailan Castle's solid defenses, had temporarily thwarted the Alden army. However, on the other front—the upper Wes Lake region—the situation was dire for the Duke's forces. The entire northern area of the Duke's direct territories had almost completely fallen, and the Alden army was stationed at the border of the Duke's lands. If not for needing to rest after a recent major battle, they would have already marched directly toward Sente City.
The Duke's army, commanded by Fergus and Emerson, repeatedly attempted to push the Alden army back to the river, but all efforts ended in failure. After failing in direct confrontations, they finally identified a weakness in the Alden army—a lack of cavalry, which is a highly mobile force.
They then dispatched light cavalry units to harass the rear of the Alden army, destroying supply stations, assassinating newly appointed officials, and ambushing small detachments, leaving the Alden forces exhausted from trying to respond.
It was impossible to quickly train a cavalry force, and due to threats on the western front, allies couldn't provide effective support in this area. They could only rely on Alden's strong infantry advantage.
The issuance of war bonds alleviated the urgent financial needs of Alden Town, and a new conscription plan was initiated, with enlistment notices delivered to households across the region.
To increase the enthusiasm of young men to join the army and also pave the way for the eventual complete abolition of serfdom, Paul planned to issue a decree: Soldiers from serf families who served in the Alden army would be granted freedom after their service. However, after being persuaded by the members of the Council of State, the decree was not implemented. Their reasoning was that this policy might cause landowners to lose a large amount of free labor, which would likely create obstacles during the recruitment process.
Paul had no choice but to look for another opportunity and focus on the current war for now.
Four provisional infantry battalions were formed and trained day and night near Alden Town. Due to production issues, only half of the soldiers were issued muskets, while the other half had to use spears and bows.
Even under such circumstances, the General Staff did not relax their training standards for formations and tactics, nor did they lower their strict requirements for internal affairs. The higher-ups didn't expect every soldier to be elite; they just needed them to understand commands like advance, retreat, left turn, and right turn, and not retreat on their own without orders.
Discipline was the first priority for the Alden army.
During this period, aside from a few small skirmishes, neither side made any major moves. The bombardment of Bailan Castle by the First and Third Battalions also ceased.
What Paul did not expect was that Maltz Kent sent an envoy, proposing peace talks to the coalition forces. He hoped to return to the pre-war status quo—in his eyes, not demanding compensation or territorial concessions was already a significant concession and a show of good faith.
The coalition forces had mixed reactions. The Melken and Johnston families seemed somewhat tempted, while the Parker family firmly opposed the peace talks.
The Grayman and Ganard families proposed that if the war were to end, Maltz Kent would have to acknowledge their occupation of northern Emden. As for the Carter family's lands occupied during Operation Overlord, they were willing to give up on them since they would just become an isolated enclave.
Naturally, this proposal was flatly rejected by Sente City. After all, Emden was the Duke's homeland, and there was no way they could casually give it away—not even an inch.
Thus, the Grayman and Ganard families also joined the ranks of those opposing a ceasefire. Having just issued a large number of bonds, if they gained nothing from the war, they would be left with a mountain of debt for nothing.
As a result, the peace talks naturally fell through.
In the coalition forces, the most resolute opposition to a ceasefire came from Earl Parker. This puzzled Paul. Was the determination to defeat the usurper Maltz Kent really just out of a commitment to noble traditions and honor?
He privately sought advice from Chief of Staff Old Ford.
"Oh, it's not strange at all. The conflict between the Parker and Kent families has deep roots," Chief Ford said as he stroked his graying beard, recounting the long-standing enmity between the two families.
"The Parker family, like the Grayman family, are direct vassals of the royal family—'direct vassals' referring to the lords personally enfeoffed by the Rodney family before and after they claimed the crown. On the other hand, the Fraule family and its numerous subordinates are native lords of the Northwest Bay. Not just in Northwest Bay, but throughout the kingdom, there are many such lords with titles of various origins. Some of them even trace their nobility back to the ancient Bela Empire. In those chaotic early days of the dynasty, some cooperated with the Rodney family out of self-interest, while others were conquered and forced to pledge allegiance."
"The Parker family was the first direct vassal of the royal family enfeoffed in Northwest Bay. This family represents the King's authority in this land. The Fraule family, on the other hand, is also technically a vassal of the royal family. But when the Northwest Duke comes into conflict with the King, out of a sense of loyalty, the Fraules cannot openly speak for themselves. Instead, they need someone else to voice their concerns and rally their subordinates. That's where the Kent family, a branch of the Fraule family, comes in."
"That's why the Parker family, representing the royal family, and the Kent family, representing local lordly interests, have been at odds, clashing numerous times over the generations. Each side has blood on their hands from the other's family members. However, with the Fraule family's covert support as the largest family in Northwest Bay, the Kent family has always maintained the upper hand over the Parker family."
"So it's a blood feud," Paul mused. "That means I'm also a direct vassal of the royal family, then."
He then asked, "Aren't the Kent family afraid of royal retribution?"
Chief Ford shook his head and replied, "In theory, His Majesty the King is the sovereign of all Aldor, and everyone within the kingdom is his subject. But in practice, there's an unwritten rule: 'The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal.' The King could, of course, invoke his sovereign authority to force the Northwest Duke to punish his vassals or even take direct action. But such rule-breaking measures should be used sparingly, unless the Kent family publicly humiliates the royal family or launches a rebellion."
Paul muttered, "The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal?"
Old Ford nodded. "Yes, the last time Maltz Kent led troops south to join Princess Catherine's rebellion-suppression army, he did so under the banner of the Northwest Duke's vassal."
After hearing Chief Fort's explanation, Paul silently made up his mind: in his own territory, he would not allow such a messy feudal system to exist.
(End of the Chapter)
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