I'm not a lord

Chapter 204 Giving Lynn an Irresistible Price
Duke Herman of the Valley was unaware of how many diplomatic envoys had arrived in Three Rivers or were on their way there.

But he knew that with Lynn taking over Three Rivers, the newly crowned Earl would inevitably become a hot commodity.

A newly risen earl who occupies a vast territory and has a powerful army, and is still young and unmarried, is extremely rare in this era.

More importantly, it seems that Earl Lynn of White River rose through the ranks from being a bandit leader.

His rise to power relied primarily on his own military strength, rather than a complex network of noble relationships, which made him stand out as exceptionally pure in the faction-ridden North.

His background, if not a blank sheet of paper, is at least a simple painting with limited color.

This is why he was able to occupy the White River Territory without any scruples, and then take over the Three Rivers City with lightning speed, completely disregarding the Duke of the Swamp, one of the three great dukes.

Although Lynn's letter was very brief, only stating that he had defeated Earl Blackwood with overwhelming force and then occupied Three Rivers City.

But the Duke of the Valley was able to conjure up a magnificent and stirring war scene in his mind based on just a few lines.

"This isn't a bandit leader, he's a hungry eagle! Haha, well done! Absolutely brilliant!"

Due to various factors, Hermann never personally commanded a war that could be used as a topic of conversation in his life.

Although he received a formal knightly education in his youth, as the first in line to the dukedom, he obviously did not need to risk his life on the battlefield.

Upon reaching adulthood and inheriting the family territory, he was troubled by various worries within the territory and the court.

Maintaining the mess that was the Duchy of the Valley was already exhausting him.

Moreover, the duchy has not seen any large-scale wars in recent years.

The daily conflicts on the border were too small to be resolved by the local lords themselves, and it was not his place as the duke to get involved.

Last autumn, Hermann finally managed to assemble an army of over a thousand men to invade the Marsh Duchy, but it turned into an extremely boring battle of village raiding and castle siege.

To put it bluntly, it's just going to the countryside to loot the dilapidated houses of old farmers, or staring blankly at the castle with its high walls and deep moats, which is really not very interesting.

Now, Lynn has almost completely annihilated Count Blackwood's three hundred cavalry in the field, and even killed Duke of the Marsh's brother-in-law.

This is tantamount to removing one of the Duke of the Marsh's arms, and the rather thick one at that.

Lynn's outstanding performance on the battlefield completely fulfilled all of Herman's fantasies, which were fueled by his advanced age and delusions of grandeur.

He sat on the sofa in his study, stroking the letter paper, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the words "annihilate three hundred cavalrymen" and "slay the Earl of Black Shirt." The image of the thrilling cavalry charge under the blood-red morning sun already appeared before his eyes.

Herman only regretted that he was not Lynn and could personally cut off Count Blackfurter's head!
After a long daydream, he put down the letter and impatiently called out to the servant at the door:
"Go and fetch Kalebo, and quickly! I need to see him now!"

The servant's hurried footsteps gradually faded into the distance, while Hermann rose and paced anxiously by the window.

Within a short fifteen minutes, he had conceived a complete 'flawless' plan in his mind.

The first priority, of course, is to establish a strong diplomatic relationship with Lynn and then bind them together through marriage.

Then, in close cooperation with Lynn, the Bastard King, and the Duke of Meadow, they completely annihilated their arch-enemy, the Duke of Swamp.

Later on, with the help of Lynn's elite army, they can gradually eliminate the traitors and rebels within the duchy, especially typical representatives like Earl Mirror Iron.

In this way, Herman could gain a super powerful ally, prevent his mortal enemy, the Duke of the Marshland, from unifying the North, and even restore the Duke's authority and complete the centralization of control over his family's territories.

It's a win-win-win situation!

As for the feasibility of this plan, Hermann considered the best-case scenario from the very beginning.

After all, he was the first high-ranking nobleman to recognize the title of Earl of Lynn, even a month or two earlier than the illegitimate king.

From his personal perspective, his relationship with Lynn was more than just close; it was even closer than that of brothers from the same parents!

Moreover, he is the Duke of the Vale, a top noble family in the North with a history of nearly two hundred years.

Logically speaking, Lynn would not be able to refuse the olive branch he was extending!

Before long, Caleb, led by his attendants, quickly arrived at the study on the third floor of the castle.

Caleb was completely baffled by the Duke's sudden summons.

His primary job was as a court messenger, responsible for contacting nobles across the country and conveying orders from the court on behalf of the Duke.

However, since the missions were not available every day, he also had to organize and compile documents in the castle, often working late into the night.

Finding a suitable job is difficult these days. Although it's tiring and often involves overtime and business trips, the pay is decent, so Kalebo has no complaints.

Upon seeing the chubby Caleb, Duke Herman of the Valley beamed with delight, pointing to the sofa and saying:
"You're here! Sit down, please sit down!"

Caleb was flattered; he couldn't understand why the Duke was suddenly being so enthusiastic towards him.

He was just an ordinary court official, not yet promoted to court advisor, and did not deserve such treatment from the duke.

Could today be my super lucky day for promotion?
The prayers that had been offered for years without interruption finally reached the ears of the Trinity.

Caleb first bowed to the Duke, then sat down cautiously with a mix of trepidation and excitement, deliberately only sitting on one side of his buttocks, keeping his posture as low as possible, for fear that the promotion he was about to receive would slip away.

Unexpectedly, the Duke didn't mention the promotion at all. Instead, he plopped down opposite Calybo and slammed a letter in front of him:
"Look at this letter, look quickly!"

"I'll take a look right now."

Kalebo immediately took the letter, glanced at it twice, and then his eyes widened. "My lord, is this...is this true? Earl Lynn of White River has conquered Three Rivers City?"

It's no wonder that Kalebo couldn't believe it.

He passed through Three Rivers City many times. This city had been built over a century, with high walls, thick moats, and two natural defenses: the White River and the Still River. It was a formidable city in the entire Northern Kingdom.

There are 300 militiamen stationed in the city, and the citizens can mobilize thousands of armed men in a matter of minutes. In addition, there are people and troops in the suburbs. Even if seven or eight thousand troops besiege it, it would be difficult to take this waterway hub in a short time.

Kalebo remembered clearly that when he arrived in White River Territory in May, Lynn had only recently unified White River Territory and had just begun a trade war with Three Rivers City.

It hasn't even been two months yet, how come they suddenly took over Sanhe City?
As for the task Lynn entrusted to him, Caleb had not forgotten it and kept it in mind.

Unfortunately, Lynn was too unknown in the North, and none of the monastery graduates were willing to serve this suddenly emerging earl.

Kalebo wrote to several schools but didn't receive a definite reply.

Now, Lynn has two noble titles bestowed by the royal family, has acquired a large territory including Three Rivers City, and has a powerful army under his command capable of conquering fortified cities.

Kalebo estimated that he wouldn't even need to recommend anyone further; unemployed intellectuals from all over the North would flock to White River Territory. The Duke of the Valley, upon hearing this, flew into a rage, loudly retorting, "Of course it's true! The envoy is in the castle, and the envelope bears the sealing wax stamp of the Three Rivers City Council. How could it be fake?"

These days, sending a letter over a long distance is extremely difficult. If the messenger doesn't have some ability and connections, the letter will never reach the Duke's hands.

In addition to anti-counterfeiting measures such as sealing wax and monograms, forging letters is by no means easy.

The Duke of the Main Valley had already decided in his heart that this matter was true, and even if it was false, it had to be true!

Kalebo carefully examined the color of the letter and even sniffed the parchment: "Yes, sir, it is indeed genuine. It is parchment used exclusively by the Sanhe City Council, and the sealing wax is also fine."

At this time, parchment was entirely handmade by artisans.

Due to factors such as sheep breed, craftsmanship, and tanning materials used, parchment produced in different regions will have subtle differences, including smell and texture.

These distinctions can also be used to differentiate between genuine and counterfeit letters.

Duke Herman of the Valley's expression softened slightly. He leaned back, crossed his legs, and asked, "You're an expert in diplomacy, what's your opinion on this matter?"

"Sir, this is undoubtedly a tremendous boon for us."

Once Kalebo started talking, he went on and on.

In summary, it is advantageous to our side but disadvantageous to our arch-enemy, the Duke of the Swamp.

Hermann, growing impatient, tapped the table with his heel to interrupt Kalebo's incessant chatter and asked bluntly, "So, what do you think we should do next?"

It's no wonder that Kalebo was so excited; he was already tied to the Duke of the Valley's shabby ship and couldn't escape even if he wanted to.

The situation was getting worse day by day. Either the Duke of the Swamp broke through the royal army, or the Duke of the Swamp persuaded many cities to surrender.

Now, the situation in the North has finally taken a major turn in his favor, how could he not be moved to tears?
Of course, "tears welling up" is a bit of an exaggeration. Kalebo wiped away a few tear stains from the corners of his eyes and analyzed seriously:
"My lord, I believe we should immediately form a strong military alliance with Lynn and agree to jointly attack the central area of ​​the Marsh Duchy."

Simply spread the good news from Three Rivers City throughout the territory, and nobles from all over should be willing to answer your call.

By autumn, you will have at least 1,500 soldiers under your command, and the Earl of Shirakawa will be able to mobilize at least 1,000 soldiers.

The royal envoy has already gone to Wolf's Lair, and the army of the Grassland Duke will fight alongside you. Even if you cannot break through Golden Deer Fortress, you can at least sweep through the entire Marshland Duchy.

As for the Crown Territory, there has been no news recently, but no news is good news, which means that Lothair still has not been able to conquer Amber Harbor!
Now that it's the rainy season, his army can't besiege Amber Harbor for long and will have to withdraw. This is your best opportunity!

Kalebo has been engaged in diplomatic work for more than 20 years, so he has considerable experience and skill.

In a very short time, he succinctly analyzed the situation in the North and came up with a set of highly feasible diplomatic and military countermeasures.

The Crown Territory has now become a quagmire, teeming with bandits who disappear without a trace.

With the three forces now working together, and Lothair suffering setbacks at Amber Harbor, it's the perfect opportunity to raid his stronghold.

Kalebo believed his strategy was flawless, but Duke Herman of the Valley shook his head after hearing it: "No, it's not enough."

"What do you mean?"

Hermann said decisively, "A military alliance with Lynn alone is far from enough; I must arrange a marriage between us!"

"A marriage alliance? But what about Lynn's background?"

Before Kalebo could finish speaking, Hermann abruptly sat up and interrupted him:
"His background is not the issue! Even if he was a bandit leader before, so what? At least he is now the Earl of White River, recognized by both Maurice and me, and his army can protect this title. The key is the army, the strength, not his background!"

Origin? In the current Northern Kingdom, what use is origin?

Isn't Hermann one of the three dukes? Who among the counts below him cares about him?

He has suffered countless setbacks in the past half of his life, and finally he has come to a complete understanding.

Noble titles are only somewhat useful, not very useful.

The money and the military are the most tangible things.

Kalebo's words had already made it very clear that Herman had to beg and plead to cobble together an army of 1,500.

But Lynn had at least a thousand troops under his command, and they were professional troops with explosive combat power.

If we only consider strength, who is the duke?

After suffering relentless beatings from the arrogant nobles, the traditional aristocrat Hermann finally completed a shift in his understanding.

However, Kalebo, this diplomatic expert, was still bound by so-called feudal etiquette.

Herman then shouted, "I'm giving you a task. You must set off for Three Rivers City today and persuade Lynn to agree to a marriage alliance with me!"

Amidst the Duke of the Valley's near-roaring outburst, Kalebo awoke as if from a dream. His eyes widened, and he asked with a slightly bewildered expression, "So, who is Lynn's marriage partner?"

Hermann answered without hesitation, "She is my eldest daughter!"

"You...you want to marry your eldest daughter to Lynn?" Caleb was once again dumbfounded.

Marrying off a daughter is tantamount to giving away the claim to the territory.

If the Duke of the Valley were to die without an heir, Lynn could then claim the ducal title through this marriage.

Herman retorted, "What, is that not allowed? I remember Lynn was supposed to be unmarried?"

It took Kalebo a while to sort out his thoughts before he slowly replied, "Yes, he should be unmarried."

“Even if he’s already married, I can persuade him to divorce his wife and marry my daughter, because he absolutely cannot refuse my terms!” Herman gave an extremely confident smile.

Kalebo naturally understood the reason behind it.

Hermann is over thirty-five years old, but his wife has never given birth to a son, only three daughters.

In other words, the Duchy of the Valley is already facing the risk of extinction.

Whoever marries his eldest daughter may one day gain the claim to the entire Valley Duchy.

That afternoon, Caleb embarked on a new journey with the Duke's handwritten letter and a portrait of a girl.

(End of this chapter)