Translator: Cinder Translations
...
The conference for distributing the spoils of victory lasted for a full two weeks.
After the usurper war, the ruling order centered around Fraule Kent in the Northwest Bay was shattered. Five powerful earls now formed the new core of the Northwest Bay: Alden of the Grayman family, Byerldine of the Ganard family, Lanaka of the Parker family, Portley of the Heller family, and Stanlo of the Melken family.
Especially Alden, who experienced a complete turnaround. It was common knowledge among the well-informed that Alden's contribution to the victory over Maltz Kent was more than half of the total effort. As for the other lords, they seemed to have mainly played a role in containing Jaius.
Therefore, at this conference, Paul Grayman's words carried the most weight. Moreover, Alden's troops were constantly training outside, with drills involving guns on odd days and cannons on even days, without any rest.
The first agenda was the allocation of the duke position. According to customary law, it was a natural thing for the Duke's position to pass to Henry Fraule, the younger brother of the late Duke Fraule. However, someone emerged to oppose this. Morley Melken, who had gathered a group of nobles to support the late duke's cousin for the position. This cousin had been traveling around the territories to gain support for the allied forces after Maltz's usurpation.
Unfortunately, this cousin's younger brother had been thrown into prison by Paul for being Maltz's guest during the war.
"Brothers on opposite sides, there's a suspicion of opportunism!" Other figures, led by Parker and Paul, firmly opposed this.
The dispute over the duke's succession took three days, and in the end, the faction supporting Henry prevailed. After a brief ceremony, Henry Fraule officially became the new Duke of the Northwest.
With the duke position resolved, Alden and Byerldine jointly demanded the lands of Emden, previously under the Kent family's control. They did not seek to inherit the title of Earl of Emden, but instead wanted the lands under that title to be placed under the management of Alden's administration.
As for Emden's vassal lords, they could retain their territories after paying a compensation, but their internal and external affairs would be subject to the guidance of the administration. In reality, this was a form of vassalage, though the Grayman family lacked the power to formally appoint vassals.
Aside from this,
Alden's demands were met with a mix of support and opposition.
Supporters saw the rise of this new powerful force as an opportunity to secure their position, and since Emden was already under Alden's control, Paul's demands were seen as a mere formality.
Opponents wanted to curb Alden's further growth, as Emden and its vassal territories were among the most valuable lands in the Northwest Bay. If Grayman gained this territory, their strength would double.
In the end, Paul made a concession. He promised to share half of the Kent family's remaining wealth and the compensation from the vassal lords with everyone.
This concession earned him the support of the majority. For the less resolute opponents, receiving financial benefits was preferable to having no stake in the already occupied Emden.
With no further demands from Paul, the outcome was the result of extensive negotiations in the administration. Emden (including its vassal territories) was larger in both area and population than Alden and Byerldine combined, and the current administration's capacity was sufficient to manage it for some time.
Moreover, making too many demands could isolate them from other lords. The tangible benefits Alden received were already the greatest among the victors. The Kent family, as the cause of the war, had their title and land rightfully stripped, but the other lords who supported Maltz during the conflict were in a different situation. They either acted out of alliance obligations or vassal loyalty.
Due to the various norms of the noble class in this era, the punishment for these losers would not be too harsh. Titles would generally be retained, and lands would not be completely confiscated. However, exorbitant compensations demanded by the victors were unavoidable.
The remaining conference discussions centered on compensation and land redistribution. Paul, having secured an entire territory of Emden and half of the Fraule family's treasury as promised by Henry, was content and simply observed the arguments while lending support to Parker and Heller as needed.
Henry Fraule, now the Duke, was very grateful to Paul. Though the concession of half the treasury was painful, Paul's support helped him secure the title and retain much intangible wealth, such as public support.
After Alden's troops entered the ducal territory, they maintained order without any looting or plundering. They paid market prices for supplies and maintained peace in the city of Sente. When local thugs and black-market forces tried to stir trouble, Alden's army took on the task of restoring and maintaining order.
This army employed a shockingly effective method: criminals were tied in front of cannons and executed with a loud blast. This method became notoriously feared and was called "Cannon Execution."
Alden's troops would organize large public viewings of executions, announcing the crimes, evidence, and verdicts, known as "public trials."
Though the execution process was nerve-wracking, the public cheered as they saw the criminals meet a gruesome end, which also deterred potential wrongdoers.
This army was truly unique, and Alden's performance changed Henry's perception of military forces.
In contrast, the armies of other lords adhered more to Henry's old impressions of military conduct. Since departing from Biddeburg, they had been robbing and extorting civilians and surrendered enemy lords.
Upon entering the ducal territory, if these troops tried to follow their usual practices, Henry Fraule, whether before or after officially becoming duke, would have been powerless to stop them due to the victors' privileges.
It was only because Alden's army was maintaining order that these so-called armies, which were essentially bandits, dared not act recklessly.
The title of Grayman Earl became well-known among the people of the ducal territory of Manda.
Such a distinguished army, hired by Duke Henry Fraule, also enhanced Henry's reputation, increasing his legitimacy as the new duke.
(End of the Chapter)
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