Chapter 236: Come on! Kill me now!

"Master? You’re the one they sent as envoy?"

"I heard the young master had won a great victory, so I came running."

He was an old man with a full head of white hair, but his frame had a solidness to it—the kind that comes from a lifetime of training. The envoy Count Euz had dispatched was Fried’s martial arts master and the general who led the count’s elite troops.

I remembered crossing paths with him a few times at the Rosenheim garrison. Fried had been quite anxious upon hearing that Count Euz was sending an envoy, but the moment he saw his master’s face, he lit up.

General Alexander was apparently from the fallen Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) and had settled in Euz after passing through Italy. Having personally commanded the Euz army in the great war twenty years ago, he was a thoroughly seasoned veteran.

"When I heard the Count of Basel had invaded Euz by way of Baschurten, I was worried. But the young master has defended the territory so admirably that this old retainer could close his eyes in peace."

"What are you talking about? You’re still in fine health!"

The hatred and madness that had soaked Fried’s eyes seemed to be fading, and the Fried I knew was returning. It was a good thing I had secretly sent that letter to Count Euz. Broken brakes can be repaired.

Fried had been accelerating down a dangerous road. No matter how treacherous those families were, burning their territories to the ground could provoke serious backlash from the other nobles.

The best outcome was for Count Euz to replace the vassal families through proper procedure. Letting grudges fester to the point of ignoring all such procedure and forcing things through would only amount to Fried tightening a noose around his own neck.

The reason Count Euz had hurriedly sent the master with the most influence over Fried was precisely to stop this reckless behavior. Fried hadn’t crossed the line yet, so the situation could still be salvaged.

Censure from noble society is a terrifying thing.

Just look at the Count of Baschurten, branded a lecher. Isn’t that proof enough?

"Now that you’ve captured Baron Valent and Baron Hildrant, secure their surrenders. Once the Boeven barony is subdued, Euz will finally be safe."

"...Secure their surrenders?"

"His lordship has decided that once the war ends, all titles and rights will be stripped from the families that rebelled."

"Stripping their titles... Didn’t the other nobles object?"

"He promised land and profits to the handful who did."

Fried’s expression turned distinctly sour. This threw a wrench into his plan to sweep through the three territories. What if Fried torched land that had been promised to other nobles without authorization?

He would only be creating another Baron Valent and his faction all over again.

General Alexander drove in the final nail with a gentle smile at the troubled Fried.

"His lordship said he intends to grant the young master one of the three territories."

"He’s granting me land? Father is?"

"You defended Euz, so he has acknowledged your capability. He also said you should now gain experience by governing a territory of your own. All of this is thanks to the young master’s achievements."

"..."

Fried’s expression changed completely. It was rare for an heir to be given his own territory. Most land worth granting belonged to vassals, but this affair had created vacancies.

"And this old man will finally receive his reward for a lifetime of devotion."

"Don’t tell me, Master—you’re also getting land..."

"His lordship will decide after the war ends."

Benjamin and I looked at each other. It was a truly masterful move. Count Euz had no intention of forgiving the vassal families that rebelled, and he planned to reclaim their fiefs.

And by appointing Fried, along with other landless nobles who had served loyally for years, as new vassals, the count was infusing fresh blood. With that, plunder vanished from Fried’s mind.

Count Euz had reined in Fried’s rampage with a reward certain to win his heart and leave no room for resentment. I couldn’t help but marvel at his stratagem.

"With this, the heir of Euz no longer needs to obsess over plunder."

"Count Euz resolved the problem quite neatly."

"It’s a relief we no longer need to stain our hands with blood."

Benjamin, who had been the most distressed about Fried’s plan to massacre civilians rather than soldiers, looked visibly brighter, as if a weight had been lifted. I felt the same.

"I hear you hired a thousand mercenaries. That must be to attack the territories that haven’t surrendered, or Baschurten, yes? This old man is genuinely impressed by the young master’s foresight. Ho ho ho."

"...That’s right. The levies weren’t enough for an assault, so I had no choice but to hire mercenaries. It was at my own expense, so I had to take on debt with the Medici Bank."

"Going into debt for the sake of Euz... truly, the young master is a worthy heir. I will explain things well to his lordship and help see that your debt is repaid."

The mercenaries who were supposed to plunder and burn the three territories suddenly found themselves at the vanguard of an invasion of Baschurten. The biggest reason was that while the Western Lords’ Army had taken Basel, they still hadn’t captured Baschurten.

Was Count Euz aiming to kill two birds with one stone?

It was a good thing I had described the situation in detail in my letter.

So this was how they were steering Fried into cleaning up Baschurten? It might not have been Count Euz alone; perhaps the other princes had put their heads together as well. The deft way they were controlling things was remarkable.

Fried hurriedly broke up the meeting, saying he needed to discuss the contracts with the mercenaries in detail. His attendants rushed off after him, leaving only General Alexander and us in the room.

"Just like last time, Euz finds itself indebted to the Lord of Feuzen once again."

"I’m just glad you arrived in time. Something irreversible very nearly happened."

"His lordship said he never imagined the young master’s grudge ran that deep."

That had been Count Euz’s greatest miscalculation.

He had hoped Fried would pursue profit rationally, but innocent commoners had very nearly suffered terribly. So the count settled the matter by expelling all the vassal families.

Sensing something odd in our conversation, Benjamin asked me,

"My lord, did you contact the count?"

"Yes. I had no choice but to send him a letter."

"Well done! I don’t know why I never thought of that!"

Granting Fried a territory so he’d harbor no resentment, thereby making plunder impossible... that alone was no small feat. It was a stratagem I never would have come up with myself. This world really is no pushover.

"His lordship has promised separate rewards for you two as well, so you will be compensated generously. So please, assist Euz for the time being. I will stay by the young master’s side to keep him from straying."

With General Alexander’s arrival, the disorderly mercenary force pulled together as one. General Bertrand would defend Euz Castle with five hundred levies. However, the cancellation of the plunder plan created a problem.

Some of the northern mercenary companies, which had been promised the right to live off the land, started causing trouble. Fried worried the matter would leak to the outside, and in the end he could only smooth things over by paying them even more money.

"..."

Baron Valent, already humiliated at having been dragged from Feuzen all the way to the Meriant garrison, suffered every indignity at the hands of Fried, who pressured him to sign the surrender document lying before him.

His situation was arguably better than that of Baron Hildrant, who had endured beatings and torture, but Baron Valent knew this would mean the end of his family, so naturally he could only hesitate.

"If you refuse to surrender officially, that’s fine too. I’ll just march into Valent and execute your entire clan. Father would probably look the other way for that much, don’t you think?"

"Kill me instead! Better to die a baron than to surrender!"

Slamming his fist on the table, Baron Valent refused to surrender. Fried shot up from his seat as well, and the two traded shouts and curses, jabbing fingers at each other. As the atmosphere turned truly vicious, Alexander stepped in to mediate.

"Restrain yourself, young master. You need only promise the baron safe passage out of Euz."

"Master, any other man, maybe—but this one I have to kill!"

"Yes, kill me! Kill me as Baron Valent!"

"Halt’s Maul! You think I won’t?"

Alexander knocked Fried’s hand aside as he lunged for the baron’s neck, holding him back. What a circus of a negotiation. Baron Hildrant, who had signed the surrender document early on, watched them listlessly with a face that seemed to have aged decades.