249 – Siege of Gryfino Castle (3)
Baron Spiegelmann took me straight to his office.
Then, as soon as the door closed, he came towards me with a harsh force that made me feel like he was going to grab me by the collar and started cursing me.
“You bastard, you bastard! I heard that the pigs of the Reich Empire like to eat sausages through their backs, but their mouths only know things that are dirtier than excrement. “A dirty bastard, a devil worse than a heretic.”
I was momentarily surprised by the outpouring of verbal abuse that, if I had heard it under any other circumstances, would have made me pull out my sword and challenge him to a duel, but I wasn’t angry.
In fact, hearing these words from the enemy was the best reward a commander could receive, so it actually felt good.
“Thank you for the compliment. After today’s meeting, I have to brag to my family. “Okay, could you please write down what you said just now?”
“Do you have any hobbies that make you feel like you are being sold on by a man? “I never would have thought that Captain Jaeger was a homos*xual worse than a heretic.”
“Even though I look like this, I am a person who likes women enough to have four wives. However, no matter what country’s academy it is, I was taught that it is a great compliment to be criticized by an enemy who is cornered. Haven’t you just confessed that you’re in such a corner that there’s nothing you can say to me other than swearing? So it’s an honor for the family.”
As soon as Spiegelman heard what I said, he must have been so angry that his face turned red and then started to burn.
I ignored him, shrugged his shoulders, and spoke threateningly.
“The reason I came here is to advise you, the mayor of Gryffino Castle, to surrender unconditionally. “Are you willing to surrender?”
“How could I, as the head of the honorable Baron Spiegelmann family who serves His Majesty the Grand Duke of Warsaw, surrender to an enemy nation? And because of your mistake, all the serfs and citizens in our castle are truly resenting the Reich Empire. So, Captain Jaeger, after you leave this castle, as long as you incite their hatred towards the empire, we can fight again.”
As he said, if we fuel the anger of the people who lost all their property to the Reich Empire, the morale of those in this castle who can fight will be restored.
From noble mtl dot com
If you think about common sense, if the person who burned everything said, ‘If you surrender, I will save your life,’ how many people would believe that?
With just a little stimulation, their thoughts will change like this.
‘If we’re going to die anyway, let’s take at least one Reich Empire bastard as a comrade to the underworld.’
If all the soldiers and citizens fighting in this castle fight with that kind of determination, it is as clear as day that our troops will suffer enormous losses.
And looking at the Baron’s eyes, expression, posture, and voice, it seems like he is truly prepared to die here…
When negotiating with this gentleman, threatening him with death if you don’t surrender won’t have any effect. Let’s use a different strategy.
“It is useless to threaten to kill someone who is ready to die. Okay, so let’s change the story a bit. Mayor Spiegelman, you already know. “The fact is that His Majesty the Grand Duke of Warsaw used it as a way to throw away Grypino Castle and all its people.”
“He did not abandon you. However, for the victory of the Grand Duchy, everyone at Gryffino Castle, including me, follows His Majesty’s orders and defends the castle. Well, the best thing is for you to step away on your own.”
“You are truly crazy to serve such a foolish archduke even though you know he has been abandoned. But if you die like that, what’s left?”
In fact, such questions are meaningless to nobles who risk their lives.
This is because those who are born as nobles are thoroughly educated to live for honor rather than life.
There are many cases of people committing suicide by hanging rather than losing their honor and living a miserable life.
“Honor remains.”
So, if you want to appease a nobleman like this, you just have to destroy his reputation.
“Dying for the person who abandoned you may seem nice on the outside, but in reality, it is nothing more than a dog’s death. In addition, your name was not in the bribe ledger I obtained last time, but the officials belonging to Gryffino Castle were very corrupt. If I were the archduke, I don’t think I would even trust you. If you didn’t trust me so much, would you have planted a division here that protects the western coast under your influence and prayed for it to die? “If the Archduke had thought of you at all, he would have ordered you to take the soldiers and families from Griffino Castle and join the main army.”
As an administrator, he will also understand the truth of what I said.
If the Archduke had given Baron Spiegelmann’s position even the slightest consideration, he would have taken out all of the troops from Griffino Castle, including him, in order to gather even a little more troops and stage a revolution.
However, until now, they must have been trying to avert their eyes due to the nobles’ unique sense of honor and duty.
The devil named Peter Yeager appears there and even tempts you, saying, “Wouldn’t you be upset if you were so unfairly purged by the enemy’s sword?”, Which would drive you crazy.
“But what is the result? Even though I couldn’t find any evidence of your guilt, there were many corrupt officials under his command, so I can only see the Archduke’s prejudiced view that Mayor Spiegelmann was also corrupt. There he dies protecting this huge castle along with nearly 150,000 other citizens. Your honor will remain, but what if you feel sorry for your family? Even under these circumstances, would you be willing to die for the Archduke?”
I could see his emotions fluctuating as if what I said sounded plausible.
After that, he pulled out his sword and looked at his wielding force as if he was going to kill me right now and shouted.
“…….You heretic Satan!”
Seeing him spitting out abusive language like that, it seems like he is getting angry because his hidden emotions are stimulated unconsciously.
Now, that nobleman will also begin to feel the fear of death that he has been trying so hard to suppress.
I guess they are trying to cover it up somehow by getting angry like that.
“I’ll give you a chance.”
Spiegelman immediately perked up his ears at my words.
“If you open the gate now, I will save you and your family. In addition, all the people will survive and be able to return to their daily lives. In addition, I will use all my authority as commander of the expeditionary force to ensure that this city is restored as quickly as possible.”
“…….”
“For your information, one of my wives is a princess. In addition, my other father-in-law is the Marshal of the Imperial Army. So, if I petition you, you will be able to live comfortably with your wife and receive a pension for opening the gates and surrendering. Also, if you have a son, you will be guaranteed the same opportunity as other nobles to become an administrator at the Imperial Academy.”
With my sole authority as commander of the expeditionary force, I can at least save the lives of Spiegelman and his family.
Also, if you succeed in securing Gryfino Castle, you can use it as a supply base for supplies used in this Warsaw expedition.
If that happens, the rear supply unit will focus on rebuilding around this city in order to carry out future expeditions.
Also, what if you write a petition with a little effort?
Spiegelmann will receive a pension in return for handing over a huge city of over 150,000 people without shedding a drop of blood, but he will also receive the title of formal baron and a fiefdom elsewhere.
Because this is something that should be given without my recommendation or petition.
“In addition, you will be able to receive the honor that your current lord, the Archduke of Warsaw, will give to all of the buried Baron Spiegelmann family. The form may be a little different, but isn’t it more important to enjoy life than to be honored in death? “This will be the same for your people.”
With those words, Spiegelman looked at me with the eyes of someone who has given up everything and said,
“I will open the gate immediately.”
“Let’s go together.”
The two of us went outside that way, and Baron Spiegelmann walked around the entire castle and advised everyone, ‘If you are going to die, seek the light in the Reich Empire.’
When Spiegelman, the only spiritual support, broke, the castle gate opened faster than expected.
And then I went into his office with Spiegelman, Laura, and Anya.
“As you know, if you are on our side, wouldn’t it be of great help to the future of the Spiegelman family to help the empire as much as possible?”
Spiegelman responded to my words with a voice full of doubt.
“Yes.”
“So, please write me several letters. About a few hundred pieces. “You know what it’s about, right?”
“…… Rather than being innocently purged by the crazy Archduke, would you rather come to the Reich Empire and live a comfortable retirement with me?”
It is said that once a person is defeated, the second time is very easy.
I never thought he would have no hesitation in writing a letter that could be a fatal blow to the Archduke of Warsaw, who had been loyal to him only a few dozen minutes ago.
Thinking like that, looking at Spiegelmann’s expression, his face clearly showed the sense of betrayal and disappointment he felt towards the Archduke.
No, if it was because of his intense anger at having his innocent self vomited, it would be more correct to say that he realized the truth rather than being broken.
“Let me stamp it with my seal and yours and send it to the army under the Archduke.”
The Archduke has already become so excited about cutting, that no corrupt officer will be stabbed and turn to us upon seeing this.
But now the Archduke is seriously ill with a suspicious disease because of the ledger I sent him…
Now that the fighting is in full swing, he will suppress it at all costs, but after the war is over, he may escape reality by claiming that his defeat was due to ‘traitors’.
Then the military of the Grand Duchy will be ruined, and the empire will be safe from now on.