As dusk settled, the tranquility of the castle was shattered by the arrival of an urgent letter.
The Skull Society had launched a rebellion in Dardil City, slaughtering numerous nobles, including Viscount Alphonse. Count Pierce, the governor of the southeastern province, was enraged and issued a decree to summon the province's nobility to suppress the uprising.
The repercussions of poor communication became evident at this moment. Although the rebellion had occurred over a month ago, the Koslow family remained completely unaware. The summons had already reached their hands, yet Baron Redman knew nothing of the frontline situation and could only passively comply with the orders.
Even without intelligence, the severity of the situation was clear. If it were a mere ordinary rebellion, the surrounding lords would have quickly crushed it together, without the need for a province-wide conscription.
A barony was required to muster five hundred troops; the last time such a large-scale mobilization occurred was during the orc invasion a century ago, and that was with ample preparation beforehand. Now, issuing such orders seemed, to Reallu, like a sign that Count Pierce had lost his mind due to the collapsing situation.
An army isn't stronger just because it's larger. An army of five hundred untrained serfs is far less effective than the castle's guard. Especially when only three days were given to prepare, the greatest blunder of all. Regardless of other concerns, weapons, armor, and provisions needed to be prepared, right?
This kind of obligatory conscription, where the higher-ups don't even bother to provide food, forcing everyone to supply their own provisions, was sure to stir up resentment among the people.
"The situation is dire, Reallu, what do you think about this conscription?" Baron Redman asked, clearly troubled.
With his two eldest sons absent and facing a difficult situation, he had no choice but to rely on Reallu, who seemed to have some military talent. As for the other people of the territory, unfortunately, Baron Redman was a traditional noble who didn't have the habit of consulting commoners.
"Father, the situation is still unclear, and it's not wise to commit the family's main forces to this battle. The conscription only requires five hundred troops, so let's draft five hundred young men, give them some basic training, and fulfill the conscription order for now," Reallu replied cautiously.
Despite having only a small guard of a few dozen men, this was the result of Baron Redman's decades-long accumulation of resources. If this force were to be lost, it would take a decade or more to recover. In contrast, a serf army was far less valuable; even if hundreds were lost, it wouldn't shake the foundation of their rule.
For nobles, war isn't always a bad thing; it can at least reduce surplus population.
"Hmm, Dardil City is one of the largest cities in the southeastern province, and the local nobility there aren't weak. For them to be wiped out by the rebels indicates that this is no ordinary matter. Unfortunately, I received the news too late. If I had prepared earlier, trained an elite force, perhaps you could have earned a noble title out of this," Baron Redman said with regret.
The opportunity had presented itself, but without adequate preparation, it couldn't be seized—a tragic situation, indeed. Of course, this was merely a lament. Even if Baron Redman were given the chance, he might not have been able to act on it.
After all, the Koslow family was already established; though their position wasn't entirely secure, they were reluctant to take such a drastic gamble.
"Father, there's no need to be disheartened. Opportunities are never lacking in this world, and even if there aren't any, we can create them. The key lies in strength. I'm sure many are eyeing this rebellion. For the rebels to have grown so quickly, there must be someone pulling the strings from behind. Given our strength, even if we achieve great success on the battlefield, at most we'll receive one or two knight's fiefs. Count Pierce doesn't have a very good reputation, and it won't be easy to rise under his banner," Reallu said with a cold smile.
Though he had never personally slaughtered pigs, he had seen them being butchered.
The rebellion had been ongoing for over a month, yet no one had organized forces to suppress it, and the news hadn't even spread. If Count Pierce hadn't deliberately allowed this to happen, it would be impossible. The old saying goes, "An innocent man harbors a treasure, and it becomes his crime." The inheritance left by the childless nobles had clearly been targeted long ago. However, constrained by the rules of the game, there was no way for the big fish to devour the small fish outright. The rebellion launched by the Skull Society was just a timely coincidence, providing these people with the opportunity they needed. Given this context, how could Reallu dare to snatch food from the tiger's mouth?
"You don't have faith in Count Pierce?" Baron Redman asked, puzzled.
After months of observation, he had already realized that Reallu was not an ordinary person. As for his previous mediocrity, Baron Redman believed it was an intentional act to avoid standing out. After all, Reallu was only the third son, and if he showed too much talent, not only would his stepmother find it hard to tolerate him, but even the eldest son might become jealous.
Now that he was about to go out and establish his own path, these concerns were no longer relevant, and it was only natural for him to display his talents and compete for family resources.
Whether his father's assumptions were correct or not, Reallu's influence in the household had indeed increased recently. The fact that he could discuss matters late into the night with Baron Redman was proof of this.
"The people are disillusioned, and the troops are hard to command. Count Pierce's plan seems perfect on the surface, skillfully using others as tools, leaving no evidence behind. But in the world of nobility, who needs evidence? The simplest logic: whoever benefits the most is the mastermind. Even if he manages to seize the most desirable spoils this time, as one of the kingdom's twelve great feudal lords, how much more strength can he really gain? To incur the animosity of the nobles under his command for such petty gains is utterly foolish. It's worth noting that many of the wiped-out nobles were his vassals. I wouldn't dare to serve under such a lord," Reallu said mockingly.
When it came to debating, he was a professional. In his younger days as an internet warrior, he could argue against anything and find a multitude of reasons to do so. Now, his goal was simple—to convince Baron Redman to go through the motions in the upcoming war. Although it might seem a bit unscrupulous, it was safe!
After all, their family wasn't directly under Count Pierce's authority; they had no obligation to risk their lives for him. Even if they complied with the conscription, they still had a great deal of autonomy.
"I understand, I'll consider it further," Baron Redman said hesitantly.
Regardless of what kind of person Count Pierce was or what might happen to him in the future, for now, he was still the ruler of the southeastern province. It would take a great deal of courage to openly defy him. Unless there was a collective resistance from the minor nobles, any individual who stood out would likely be the first to suffer.
"Father, how about I lead the troops this time? You can oversee the territory, and if something goes wrong, there will still be room to maneuver. After all, the conscription is so rushed that most won't have time to prepare. As long as we give the serfs some basic training and make the troops look presentable, we can blend into the larger force and get through this," Reallu said, feigning confidence.