55 – Catching the Tail (3)
Lashio took the rolled up map and spread it on the table.
It was similar to the one in the Lord’s Castle of the County of Gouda, but the center was moved a little further to the east.
In the center was the Barony of Gilan, and the thick lines representing the roads extended to six territories in all directions.
Of course, there were roads connecting each territory, but Barony Gilan was the only one where you could go to all the territories at once.
The great lord certainly had a reason to secure the Barony of Gilan.
If we leave the Barony of Gilan as a reliable ally, the six territories connected to the Barony will not be able to attack us carelessly.
The moment the private soldiers emerge to attack us, Baron Gilan will rob the empty house.
Of course, if two of the six territories form an alliance, they can come back and rob Baron Gilan, who went to rob the empty house, but that is not easy.
Just looking at the road, it looks like there is a huge time disadvantage for carrying out such an operation.
“If you continue east from the Barony, you will come across a territory. This is the County of Tregel.”
The place the Baron pointed to was a fairly large city center.
As a county, it has a large population and a very good location. In effect, it is seen as a gateway to the heart of the kingdom.”
“What assets does the territory possess?”
“First of all, it is adjacent to a tributary mountain range extending from the Murai Mountains in the background and has a small river. The surrounding area is flat, so it is farmed and the forest is thick, so it is rich in various resources. There is also a mine that produces iron ore. … This isn’t very profitable, so don’t worry about it.”
“Hmm…”
Lyana crossed her arms under her chest and studied her map.
“Cultivated land and forests are similar to any other territory… There are mines that are not profitable… The only advantage is that it is a county territory and it is a flat land further to the east.”
“It’s good to be normal, Chamberlain.”
“Of course, that’s true. It’s easy to rule and there’s nothing to worry about. If there are mountains and rivers, it will be advantageous to defend… So what will the economic structure be like?”
Baron Gilan explained in response to Liana’s question.
“They seem to be self-sufficient in basic things and make some money through trade between the central and eastern parts of the kingdom. Other than that, there’s nothing special.”
“Hmm. Is that so? What is the size of the military?”
“There are a lot of them. Because the location is so good, there are many places to target here and there. The cavalry is quite famous.”
Liana looked back at me.
Cavalry are people who fight on horseback. There is no big problem.
When she nodded, she continued to ask.
“There is nothing particularly bad. But the problem will be after the territory is taken. Please explain about Count Tregel and the atmosphere of the castle.”
“Count Tregel is a typical hard-core nobleman who inherited the territory from his predecessors and rules it. He is a warlike character and does not avoid fighting, so he has protected the territory until now.”
“What about public sentiment?”
“Well, I’m not sure about that, but at least it doesn’t seem like it’s at the level of causing an uprising.”
“So you’re saying it will prevent you from starving to death.”
“Well, that’s the way it is. In fact, almost all lords are like that. It’s the same in the County of Tregel.”
Then the Baron looked at me with a meaningful smile.
“I honestly don’t know about the relationship with the vassals. The seven fiefdoms gathered here are busy watching each other and fighting each other.”
“I see…”
“Recent rumors say that there is some commotion within the territory. Please check that out.”
Liana finished her sentence by slowly nodding her head.
“What do you think, Count? I don’t think it would be bad under these conditions.”
Lashio looked at me and asked.
“Yes, it’s okay. Thank you for the recommendation. I’ll discuss it with my vassals.”
* * * * *
As soon as she left her lord’s castle, Lyanna opened her mouth.
“How do you feel, my lord?”
“How about you?”
“It’s obvious. They’re planning to use us to penetrate the east.”
I walked quietly and waited for her next words.
“The fact that the cavalry is famous means that there are many well-trained cavalry, but how many infantry can fight against the cavalry on the plains? It seems that the territories here can no longer go east because they are blocked by the Tregel territory. “
“I see. Just as they put this baronial territory as their hinterland to protect the back, Lashio also wants to place us at the front.”
“That’s right. I’m trying to get him to fight instead. If we break through the county territory, it’s good, and even if we fail, there’s no loss. He’s already gained enough just by becoming a baron thanks to us.”
Liana continued speaking as she quietly crossed her arms around me.
“Even when we took over the County of Tregel, the benefits were enormous. The territory with which we signed a mutual defense treaty now controls the eastern gateway.”
“Hmm. So does that mean we will be used in reverse?”
“No? That’s not true. Because the moment we take the County of Tregel, the Barony of Gilan will come under our control.”
“I guess that’s because the Murai Mountains are blocked to the west and I have a cavalry unit to the east, right?”
“That’s right. That’s probably why they’re encouraging us to attack the Count of Tregel today. It’s clear that they’re being pressured by the Count whether they know it or not.”
“Then, attacking the County of Tregel fits the interests of both Lashio and us to some extent. If Lashio doesn’t think of anything else along the way.”
“No matter how smart I pretend to be, I can’t do much in the face of overwhelming power. If anything, I can just kill you, right?”
She asked as she looked at Liana, who casually told her about the murder.
“Liana.”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure you used to be a saint?”
“Of course. What else can a woman using divine power do other than being a saint?”
Liana’s eyes widened as if she was saying something so obvious.
Well… Is that really true…
Seeing the beautiful Liana smiling as she clung to my arm, I smiled too.
* * * * *
Instead of going to Tregel right away, I decided to take some time off for a few days.
Although there were only a few residents of the territory, they still had to be taken care of so that they could live here, and the vassals also needed some rest.
Wolfert spent most of his time serving the great lord.
Keita received her salary in advance from me and went around her baronial territory, where she seemed to purchase various personal items.
I don’t know exactly what I’m doing.
Lyana took care of the wyvern’s eggs, and she and I discussed what to do next.
“Oh, it’s really too much, my lord.”
After putting on her mancala for the third time in a row, Liana leaned back on the back of her chair and sighed.
Liana, who was robbed of a total of three silver coins, one for each piece, finally said she couldn’t do it anymore and that she was just getting out of the wind, so she went out.
Even though she always loses miserably, what kind of arrogance does Liana have that she always gives me the slightest advantage?
Keita, who had just finished organizing Mancala’s boards and beads, entered the inn and our eyes met.
“What are you doing, my lord?”
“I just played Mancala with Liana. I won three games in a row, so I went away.”
“Oh, really? Then would you like to try it with me?”
Keita showed curiosity and sat down on the chair across from her.
“Do you know how to say mancala?”
“Of course!”
Nikeita’s eyes sparkled as she laid out the mancala she was about to put back on the table.
“hehehehe… It’s been a really long time… Has it been 500 years…?”
“hahahaha. That’s right.”
* * * * *
After completely losing five rounds, I just held my tongue.
No matter how beginner you are, a wizard is still a wizard.
You can’t become a wizard if you have a bad mind.
We black dragons instinctively know how to use basic magic, but humans are different.
The body capable of operating magical power is innate, but understanding and handling it is purely a matter of intelligence.
However, magic power is a very mysterious force of nature that cannot be understood by the average mind.
For a wizard like that, it’s funny that I beat Mancala.
“This is my first time losing to Mancala, Keita. Of course, the only time I played was with Liana.”
“hehehe. I’ll have to try it with the Chamberlain later.”
Keita smiled as he swept up five silver coins.
“Liana loses to me all the time so she could probably win easily.”
“Is that so? Then I guess I’ll have to bet money when I talk to the Chamberlain too.”
Keita hummed as she took her money and went up to her guest room.
* * * * *
The great lord often came back to his senses.
Every time I did that, I confirmed that this was the Barony of Gilan and that the rear was guarded through a contract for the hinterland.
“That’s great, Erga. If it’s like this, we’ll be able to secure a new territory in no time.”
“Baron Gilan recommends the County of Tregel. What do you think?”
“Country of Tregel… It probably refers to the eastern gate guarded by the cavalry, right?”
“Yes. He said so.”
The great lord smiled and nodded his head.
“It’s not bad. Tregel is a stable territory with a good location and scale. It would be good to get it if possible.”
“I’ll try. I don’t know how it will turn out.”
“Using the organization would probably be of great help.”
“Organization? Are you talking about vassals?”
In response to my question, the great lord slowly shook his head.
“Not that organization, but the organization. A gangster.”
“Yes? A gangster?”