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Johan shivered. He had underestimated them without much thought, but they had been diligently preparing even in these aspects.
It was indeed true. The more the lower nobility refused to swear loyalty or rebelled, the more Johan would have to rely on the power of the order.
He had been wondering how the order had been successful while using the power of violent looters or mercenaries, but now it made sense.
The intangible power built by the order was something a mere knight couldn’t overlook.
“But are you planning to break ties with the order?”
“No. I actually like the order.”
Both wizards chuckled at that. It was a statement made without true conviction.
Johan felt aggrieved.
“I know the temple is helpful in governance, and I don’t intend to reject its power. But if I become too dependent, it’ll be impossible to break free later.”
“It’s rare to find someone who thinks like you even before receiving a fiefdom. Usually, people just gratefully accept it and loyally serve.”
“Why, it seems good. Knights should be like this. Better than recklessly rampaging like a dumb bull.”
Caenerna defended Johan. From her perspective, having seen Cardirian and his knights, it was very refreshing and impressive for Johan to make such statements.
It’s evidence that knights can also act delicately and consider political implications!
“I have a good idea.”
Caenerna said, clapping her hands.
“This method should be enough to repay a debt. It seems deserving of recognition.”
“Let’s hear it and then I’ll consider. But weren’t you the one who said to ask for a favor when I need it? Is that the debt you’re talking about?”
“Ah, forget what I just said.”
“?”
“The person currently acting as the representative for Count Coolia is his wife, right? Her name was. . .”
“Iselia of the Bluea family.”
“Right. Just capture that woman, force her into marriage, then find a suitable excuse to strip her of her title, and eliminate her children.”
When a feudal lord who was trained and had the appropriate skills ruled a fiefdom, it was fine. However, if that feudal lord died, his wife or husband became in a very precarious situation.
If there was a family to support them, they would receive some help, but if that was not the case, all sorts of scum would covet the fiefdom.
Young and ambitious knights or relatives of the feudal lord often did this. Once they intervened, they could solve the remaining political problems with time.
“Hmm. . .”
“What? Are you dissatisfied?”
“It’s a bit much to kill a child.”
“. . .Then send her to a monastery. No, really, is that the only reason?”
Suetlg also nodded in admiration at Caenerna’s words.
“You must have learned to think this way from working under the Emperor.”
“. . .Are we going to fight now?”
“Caenerna. I’ll apologize for him, so please don’t be angry.”
Caenerna looked at Johan with a surprised expression. He never thought he would hear an apology from Johan’s mouth.
“No, I wasn’t mocking you. It was really an unexpected method. Isn’t it okay? The dissatisfaction of the lower nobles will be much less, and even if they show dissatisfaction, their grounds will be weak. And in my opinion, if you stay there for 10 years. . . no, 5 years, those who will show dissatisfaction will disappear.”
“Are you praising me too much?”
“Well, I think it’s plausible.”
Suetlg highly regarded Johan’s ability as a ruler. He was definitely not someone who would solve everything with force, like an ignorant knight.
“Rather, shouldn’t we first worry about how to conquer it, rather than managing it afterwards?”
Caenerna asked Johan. Honestly, such concerns could be addressed later. The fiefdom was not even in their hands yet.
“The support of the order is crucial, Johan. Honestly, it’s hard to conquer with just that. Soon after, support will come from right next door.”
Johan nodded. The order had provided better support than Johan expected.
A recruitment permit granted in the name of the Pope and a new family flag blessed by the Pope himself. The nonexistent Yeats family suddenly became a family with a holy symbol.
Inserting legendary or holy figures into the upper lineage of a family tree is something everyone does, but who would have thought the order would do it directly?
Including mercenaries from the northern and central parts of the peninsula and a thousand dwarf mercenaries. Taking into account the additional troops to be recruited, the total force almost reached 5,000 to 6,000.
Johan added two things to this. One was the support of the republic, and the other was appointing Bishop Biagione to the diocese in Coolia.
The former was accepted by the bishops, but the latter surprised them.
━𝐒𝐢𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. . .
━𝐍𝐨. 𝐁𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡.
Johan stubbornly insisted on these conditions.
The reason Johan was so determined to bring in Bishop Biagione was simple. He was a bishop under Johan’s control and at the same time, someone who could take the hatred of the order on his behalf.
If Johan’s actions went astray, who would the order suspect?
“Are you confident?”
“Somewhat.”
“Even if they were soldiers of Count Coolia’s side, they did not exceed a few hundred. There were no variables except for the possibility of support from other nobles of the Emperor faction in the southwest.”
“When do we depart?”
“Right after we get a response from Count Coolia’s proxy.”
After more than a month and a half, a message arrived from the count’s domain. It was a reply that they would not respond to the order’s trial request.
The order vehemently criticized this and caused a stir. Simultaneously, Johan declared a punitive expedition, holding the flag granted by the order.
The mercenary captains gathered in the room realized the truth belatedly and felt devastated. From the beginning, the supreme commander had been decided.
Some mercenary captains were angry or felt unjust, but it couldn’t be helped. It was something the order had prepared from the beginning. They were not reckless enough to defy the authority of the order.
They silently followed behind Johan.
🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸
𝔞ẇ̇ᴇ𝔟𝘴𝕥𝘰𝔯𝕚𝕖ṡ.ċ̇𝚘𝐦
“The siblings of the Asada family were happy to send a letter.”
“They really are pathetic.”
Upon hearing the news of the scandal, the original count’s relatives seemed thrilled. They were misunderstanding Johan’s army.
They thought he was heading south to return the countship to them.
Johan sent a letter himself, kindly. It was sweet and gentle.
The order and Johan were expecting a lot from them, and the siblings were overjoyed at the suggestion to join hands with the order instead of the corrupt Emperor.
“Sir Marco. Is your fiefdom in the south as well? Is it alright?”
“No, it’s not my fiefdom, it belongs to Marquis Crucho.”
Claiming a fiefdom as his own was dangerous for an illegitimate son. Marco denied it in horror, but Johan didn’t seem to care much.
“It’s all the same. Anyway, you might have to fight against the Marquis’s family, is that okay?”