I'm not a lord

Chapter 217 The End of the Rainy Season, the Prelude to War

In early August, as the rainy season drew to a close, the traditional war season on the continent of Dievas was approaching, and all the major powers in the northern region began to stir.

From Lynn's Western Suburban Palace to the Duke of the Valley's White Eagle Castle, from King Maurice's Amber Harbor to the Duke of the Meadows' Gray Wolf Castle, from the Duke of the Marsh's Thoth Castle to the Earl of Mirror Iron's Iron Castle
The envoys frequently visited the power centers of various factions, either forming alliances or engaging in secret collusion.

Tens of thousands of soldiers began to assemble, ready to rush to hell at any moment.

Just as the drizzle was falling, a trial was being held in Three Rivers, a city located in the heart of the North.

Mayor Jürgen, Bishop Rothegi, and other former city officials who were detained at the end of June have finally faced their reckoning.

Sanhe City has two traditional execution grounds.

Located outside the South Gate, this was a place primarily used for executions by hanging, usually for criminals of low political status. After the execution, the bodies would be hung on the side of the South Gate for citizens and passersby to view.

The remaining one is located in the market square, mainly used for executing political prisoners. It is usually only used every few years, and it was also the execution site this time.

Throughout history and across the world, execution grounds have always seemed to be inextricably linked to vegetable markets.

The main reason is that these places have a large flow of people, which makes it easy to deter the public through public executions, while also providing a rare entertainment option for more people.

For ordinary citizens, the grand trial of the mayor and bishop, among other important figures, is not something they can witness every year.

Such a grand celebration naturally attracted a large number of citizens to come and watch, and various stalls were set up around the square, selling snacks or various daily necessities.

The interrogation lasted for two whole days. The newly appointed mayor, Leon, made his first public appearance before the entire city and personally interrogated more than 150 people involved in the case.

In terms of power alone, the mayor of an autonomous city is not much different from a lord, as both are in charge of politics, military affairs, the judiciary, and diplomacy.

In peacetime, the mayor handles government affairs and interrogates criminals; in wartime, he commands troops and concludes treaties. These important responsibilities all fall on his shoulders.

However, when faced with major issues, the mayor needs to consult with the city council, and the mayor's term is only two years, with little chance of being re-elected.

Lynn did not attend to provide guidance for this crucial trial.

He appears to be uninvolved.

In reality, the trial documents in Leon's possession had all been approved by the secretariat in advance, and all the property confiscated from the criminals' homes had been sent to Lynn's western suburban palace.

Although Sanhe City is nominally still an autonomous city, all power is firmly in Lynn's hands.

He could directly appoint the mayor, half of the militia captains served him, and he could control all the handicraft guilds in the city.

Of course, making citizens feel that they still have the right to self-governance can also be considered a kind of 'self-governance'.

After the trial concluded, Leon stood on the execution platform and solemnly read out the verdict:
"In the name of the just and impartial Earl Lynn of White River, this case is hereby tried. Jürgen, former mayor of Three Rivers City, you are accused of four major crimes: aiding and abetting treason, conspiracy to subvert the government, embezzlement and bribery, and abuse of power, as well as nine minor crimes. For all these crimes, you are sentenced to death by beheading!"

The crime of aiding and abetting treason refers to Jürgen assisting the Duke of the Marsh, who was a treason publicly declared by the royal family.

The crime of conspiracy to subvert the city was derived from this, referring to Jürgen conspiring with the Duke of the Marsh to undermine the city's self-government system.

Both charges are supported by correspondence between Jürgen and the Duke of the Marsh, making the evidence conclusive.

As for the crimes of embezzlement and bribery and abuse of power, there is no need to elaborate too much, as these two crimes are all too common.

Jürgen, who was on trial, knelt before Leon. The once high-ranking mayor was disheveled, wearing only a pair of tattered shorts, and his body was covered in bruises from being whipped.

Even on his deathbed, Jürgen glared fiercely at Leon with bloodshot eyes, his voice already hoarse as he roared:

"Leon, what right do you, a black market dealer, have to be mayor? It's all because you colluded with Lynn! You're the one who plotted to overthrow the government! You're the one who should be on the guillotine!"

Leon didn't speak, but lowered his head and coldly scrutinized Jürgen.

Those indifferent eyes seemed to say: Yes, I did it all, but so what?

Leon's fate was already inextricably linked with Lynn's.

As long as Lynn's power remains strong, Leon will not fall, and may even be re-elected as mayor.

"Take him away, next one!"

Leon was pressed for time and had a heavy workload, so he didn't have time to waste with Jürgen. He still had more than a dozen serious criminals, including Bishop Rothegi, waiting for him to deliver their sentences.

That afternoon, Jürgen and Rotterje, along with several former city councilors, were taken back to the execution platform.

The sentencing took as long as the winter in the North, but the execution of the beheading took only a moment.

The beheading was Leon's final act of mercy for these losers in the struggle; there was no pain, and they didn't need to be hung outside the south gate to be scorned by the crowd.

As the executioner loosened the ropes, the guillotine fell, and the head rolled to the ground.

From that day on, Sanhe City entered a new era for Leon.

Ultimately, it was still Lynn's era.

Just as the dust settled completely in Three Rivers City, Lynn was receiving the royal envoy, Earl Brun, in the palace.

Lord Brun had previously visited Three Rivers and also went to River Marsh County to bestow upon Lynn the royal title and scepter.

After leaving Three Rivers, Count Brun visited the White Eagle Castle of the Duke of the Valley and the Wolf Castle of the Duke of the Meadows.

It was at Canglang Fortress that he met the envoy sent by Lynn to Canglang Fortress.

Upon learning that Three Rivers City had changed hands, Earl Brun quickly bid farewell to Duke Meadow and boarded a boat to travel down the Still River, braving the storms of the rainy season to return to Three Rivers City as fast as possible.

During his journey, Earl Brun learned that the Duke of the Marshland had retreated from Amber Harbor and that His Majesty the King was safe and sound.

The series of good news filled him with joy, but also left him feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

No, how come everything suddenly got better?

With the fall of Three Rivers and the defense of Amber Harbor, won't the Duke of the Marsh be completely finished?
Could it be that His Majesty Maurice is truly divinely aided?
When he arrived in Sanhe City, he had finally calmed down a bit and presented a complete plan to the esteemed Earl of Baihe.

“My lord, I knew all along that someone as brave and wise as you would surely be able to take that damned city of Three Rivers. When I passed through the city, I even witnessed the trial being held there. That damned Jürgen is finally dead! He colluded with that traitor Lothair; he should have died long ago!”

The Earl of Brunn immediately showered him with flattery upon their meeting.

He felt incredibly relieved to witness Jürgen's beheading in the market square.

Who told you to collude with the Duke of the Swamp? Who told you to dare give me, a royal envoy, a cold shoulder? Your contempt for me is the same as your contempt for the King. Serves you right, haha!

However, Lynn also didn't give the King a friendly look in front of Earl Brun.

But is that the same thing?
Lynn is a loyal subject of the royal family, but he is just a bit impatient and headstrong. He also commands a powerful army, so we must be more tolerant of him!

"Enough with the nonsense, I'm very busy."

Lynn, however, was too lazy to pay attention to Earl Brun's flattery. He picked up a newly delivered document from the table and prepared to ask him to leave.

Lynn knew all the information that Earl Brun possessed, and he also knew information that Brun didn't possess. After occupying Three Rivers, Lynn's intelligence network was fully deployed throughout the North, thanks to the city's merchant groups and the newly formed diplomatic team.

He already knew that the Duke of Meadows was ready to launch a military campaign and would invade the western border of the Marsh Duchy as soon as the rainy season ended.

Although it was described as a large-scale invasion, the total force was estimated to be only two or three thousand men.

The Grassland Duchy has the smallest population of the three duchies, and its land is the most barren, consisting of either sparse grasslands or desolate sandy areas. People can barely make a living by raising livestock.

Because of the poverty of the land and the people, the people of Grassland Territory are extremely fierce. Many of the lower-ranking knights also work as thieves and bandits, and the leading Grassland Duke is even called the 'Bandit Duke'.

In the past, every autumn, the bandit duke would seek out the other two dukes for their money, and the border between the three families was often the stage for dramatic cavalry chases.

In recent years, the Marshland Dukes have become extremely powerful, and the Bandit Dukes have been robbing the Marshland Dukedom.

However, the Duke of the Marshland had built a large number of castles along the western border, making raiding them quite difficult.

Even if it's difficult, we still have to fight for it. With the meager output on our territory, how can we survive if we don't fight for it?

This autumn, as usual, the Marsh Duke will send troops to plunder the Marshland Duchy. He has notified Lynn and the Valley Duke in advance, preparing for a joint operation by the three to pull off a big heist, hoping to force that son of a bitch, Marshland Duke Lothair, back from the Crownlands.

If neither of us can become kings, neither can you, kid!

It was more in the interest of the two dukes for the illegitimate son Maurice, who lacked prestige, to remain king.

In addition, Lynn also knew that Lothair had not completely retreated.

This guy is currently reorganizing his army in Thoth City, and his next move will most likely be to besiege Amber Harbor again, launching a second siege battle.

Of course, the possibility that he might continue to retreat westward cannot be ruled out.

According to a secret report sent by the grain merchant Marcel, the Duke of the Marshland apparently sent an envoy to Mirror Iron Territory and was received by the Earl of Mirror Iron.

The two sides may reach a cooperative relationship in diplomatic or military matters.

At that time, the Duke of the Marshland will be able to detour through Mirror Ironhold and return to his most loyal Golden Stag.

However, there is another possibility: the Duke of the Swamp might choose to launch a full-scale attack on Three Rivers and White River Territory to completely wipe out Lynn, the 'rebel' who is giving him a headache.

If you ask me what I'm afraid of, Lynn is actually a little afraid. He's afraid that the war will spread to the core area of ​​the territory and delay its development and construction.

Moreover, the Duke of the Swamp boasts an army of 50,000. With such a terrifying scale, who wouldn't be afraid?

Lynn estimated that, after removing any excess, the army assembled in Tot should be between ten thousand and twenty thousand.

But this is also an extremely alarming number.

It should be noted that Lynn's army of combat-ready numbers only numbered a little over three thousand, and the newly recruited thousand soldiers had only just begun training in White Bear County. They would not be able to join the battle until at least next spring.

With the strong defenses of Sanhe City, they can hold out for a while, but in a decisive battle in the open field, the disparity in troop strength between the two sides is too great, making it difficult to win.

As for the Duke of the Valley and the Earl of Mirror Iron south of the River Tranquility, Lynn is currently too lazy to bother with them and doesn't have much free time to care.

Having learned of Count Mirror Iron's general ambitions, Lynn no longer expected the Duke of the Valley to provide much assistance.

As long as the blood from their fight doesn't splatter on him, it's fine.

Count Mirror Iron's goal should be to replace the Duke of the Valley.

The chaotic times fueled the ambition of such an ambitious man.

Once the rainy season ends, Earl of Mirror Iron will most likely march west to attack other nobles within the same duchy.

The North is already chaotic enough; it will only get more chaotic from here on out.

Every territory, every city, every nobleman, every knight, and even every peasant will be involved; no one can escape this rapidly spreading vortex.

An era of unprecedented chaos and warfare is about to begin in the North.

Count Brun didn't know much about the above information, but he still shamelessly said, "Your Excellency, I have a plan, and I would be very grateful if you would listen to my explanation."

Lynn waved his hand impatiently: "There's no need to listen. In my opinion, you should hurry back to Amber Harbor. The Duke of the Swamp will soon besiege Amber Harbor again."

Brun asked, puzzled, "But didn't the Duke of the Marsh just suffer a defeat?"

Lynn pulled a letter from the pile of documents beside him and tossed it to Earl Brun.

Brun hurriedly took the letter, unfolded it, and his expression immediately changed drastically: "How...how is this possible? Where did Lothair get so many troops?"

After reading the letter, he knelt down immediately: "My Lord, please help the King. You certainly don't want to see Lothair wear the crown, do you? You know the difficulties the King is facing. Now, only you can help him!"

Count Brune was now in a panic.

His original plan was to persuade the other two dukes to join forces to attack Golden Deer Castle, forcing the Duke of the Marsh to return to its aid.

King Maurice, on the other hand, could lead his army to follow and continuously reclaim lost territory.

At that time, Lynn will send troops from Three Rivers City to join forces with Morris to attack the Duke of the Marshland and completely destroy him on the banks of the Quiet River.

But the Duke of the Marshland not only did not return, he was even able to gather an even larger army to try to besiege Amber Harbor again.

This is completely off-script!

Count Brun's plan thus failed, and he could only hope that Lynn could help Maurice, since Lynn was currently the closest 'loyalist force' to Amber Harbor.

But he didn't have a definite idea of ​​how to do it.

“The king is in trouble, and so am I. You should go back to Amber Harbor. I will make my own decision.” Lynn looked at Earl Brun with a hint of pity.

In the North, where dukes rebelled against kings and earls against dukes, loyalty had become a rare commodity.

At this critical juncture, the Earl of Brune was still deeply concerned about his illegitimate son Maurice and went to great lengths to help him, which can be described as loyalty.

But Lynn also had his own plans.

It would be unwise to wage war against the Duke of the Marshland to the east; the best direction for expansion remains westward.

Once the passage to Turbulent County is opened, the richest heartland of the Marsh Duchy will be within his grasp, and Lynn will be able to convert more of his gains into future war potential.

The strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" is a very simple principle. Only by truly threatening Golden Deer Fortress can the Duke of the Marsh be forced to withdraw his troops.

From Lynn's perspective, it's better for Maurice to remain king than for the Duke of the Marsh to be crowned king.

After the distraught Earl Brun left, Lynn immediately summoned his generals.

He was also waiting for the rain to stop.

(End of this chapter)