I'm not a lord

Chapter 232 The Dream of Two Kings (4K Paying Off Debts)
Count Brune had just returned to the palace from the front lines of the city walls when he was immediately dragged away by King Maurice.

The latter, seated on the throne, asked impatiently:

"What's the situation on the other side of the city wall?"

"Your Majesty, just like the past two days, the situation is dangerous but still under control. Mayor Neil and councilors are directing the battle from the city walls, and Lothair outside the city cannot break into Amber Harbor."

Upon his return from his mission, Earl Brun was promoted by Maurice to the Council of Kings, becoming a pivotal figure in the court.

This can be considered a reward for his months of travel and for 'persuading' various forces to attack the Marshland Duchy.

Of course, this reward, like his eloquence, is utterly useless.

The Royal Council is nominally the highest authority after the King, but the members are currently discussing only one topic every day: how to defend Amber Harbor.
Even a nobleman like the Earl of Brun, who has no land, can attend the Imperial Council, which shows how low the prestige of the Imperial Council is now.

There's no point in these so-called important officials discussing it back and forth.

They had no power, no money, and no soldiers; they could only rely on Neil's city council and the small number of volunteers who came from the south.

"It's good that you're alright. As long as we can hold on, we have a chance to turn the tide." Morris visibly relaxed.

Even now, he's still dreaming of turning things around, which is really quite laughable.

Anyone with eyes could see that Maurice was doomed.

Since the Duke of the Marsh launched his second siege, the number of court officials in the palace has been decreasing every day.

As the intensity of the war escalated dramatically, officials fled at an increasingly rapid pace.

The docks and waterways of Amber Harbor have not been cut off, so anyone with the ability can make a smuggling trip out of the city.

In a few more days, there might not even be enough people to hold a full imperial council meeting.

However, the city council has imposed strict controls on the docks and departing ships in order to prevent a large-scale exodus of the city's population.

Earl Brun offered a friendly reminder: "Your Majesty, the problem with the city walls is secondary. The person you should be most wary of right now is Otto in the southern border."

Bren has made similar points several times recently.

Since being promoted to the Imperial Council, he has visited the city walls and various military camps almost every day, and thus has a deep understanding of the various forces involved in defending the city.

The citizens' high morale and fighting spirit stem from the most basic need: to defend their homeland.

They feared a repeat of the tragedy that befell Cologne in Amber Harbor.

The mercenaries and volunteers from the southern border were all fighting for money.

The former receive a base salary plus commission, and they have the right to share half of the spoils.

Although the latter does not have a base salary, they can enjoy the full amount of the spoils.

In the past few days, the volunteers have made a fortune. The large amount of armor and weapons they captured on the city wall can be converted into cash on the spot, and the profits are substantial.

Ultimately, these three armed forces are fighting for themselves, not for the so-called king.

They currently share a common goal with the king and are willing to gather under the royal banner.

However, if Otto III had landed in the North by ship, the situation would have been very different.

Otto commands a powerful army and can assist the citizens in protecting the city.

He was also the de facto king of Rui, wielding considerable influence over the mercenaries and volunteers from the south.

Once he arrives, Amber Harbor might change hands instantly.

Count Brune belonged to the group of people who had the ability to escape, but he had a close personal relationship with Maurice and was willing to stay with the king until the end.

Upon hearing this, Maurice chuckled: "Otto? Haha, don't worry, he only started assembling ships and troops last month. It won't be until at least next year that he can actually send troops. At least next year, do you understand?"

Count Brun disagreed, reiterating, "Your Majesty, I believe we should still maintain necessary precautions against Otto."

"Of course I'll be wary of him, you don't need to remind me!" Maurice's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted angrily.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the anger on his face receded like the tide, and his voice softened quickly. "I'm sorry, Bren, I've been a bit emotionally unstable lately. I'd like to be alone for a while."

Brun sighed softly, bowed, and turned to leave the palace hall.

His friend was driven to madness by the immense pressure, and he was powerless to do anything about it.

This is a psychological problem, and it cannot be cured by doctors.

As the sound of Brune's footsteps faded into the distance, the bastard king instantly collapsed onto his throne.

He clenched his right fist and repeatedly pounded his forehead, muttering in pain, "Stop, stop, please stop."

Lately, Morris has been experiencing frequent headaches, as if someone is drilling holes in his head with a hammer and chisel.

Not only does it hurt, but a piercing noise like a cat scratching also echoes in my mind.

He was in unbearable pain, the kind of heart-wrenching agony that comes from knowing the situation was heading towards the worst possible outcome, yet being powerless to do anything about it.

As the pain gradually subsided, Maurice rose from his throne in a daze and, supported by his trusted attendants, returned to his bedchamber.

His wife and two sons had been waiting at the dining table for a long time.

But upon seeing these three closest relatives, Maurice was filled with rage:

"It's all because of you, all because of you! I never wanted to be king, you forced me to wear the crown! Are you satisfied now? Queen, Crown Prince, Prince! Are these titles enough to satisfy you?"

Morris's statement is not untrue.

From the beginning, he knew that the crown was entangled with thorns, and therefore he resisted it.

However, with the 'strong support' of local dignitaries and the constant encouragement of his relatives, he eventually donned the crown and attempted to restore the glory of the Urenius family.

As for now, he has gradually gone mad, his heart filled with almost all negative emotions such as tension, regret, anger, fear, frustration, and pain.

Could Maurice not see his own predicament? Of course he could.

It is precisely because he can see it that he wishes he could not.

Faced with Maurice's fury, his wife and two sons dared not utter a sound.

The lunch ended hastily as well.

Morris casually stuffed some food into his mouth and went back to his bedroom for a nap.

Lying in bed, he closed his eyes and began to dream. His pained expression gradually eased, and a sweet smile even appeared on his lips.

In his dream, he was the all-powerful King of the North, with even the three great dukes forced to grovel before him, licking his toes for forgiveness. While King Maurice of the North was daydreaming, King Otto of Rui was just beginning his lunch.

The Crown was the royal flagship that King Otto III of Rui built with great effort after ascending to the throne.

At this moment, on the port side of the Crown's deck, there was an exquisitely crafted oak square table.

The dishes on the table had been mostly eaten.

Otto leaned back at the table, holding a crystal wine glass, admiring the calm, azure sea with a contented expression.

Ever since he learned that his father-in-law was old and childless, he had his eye on the crown of the North and had begun planning it long ago.

However, the competition in the South was too fierce, and in order to protect his homeland, he could only deploy a very limited number of troops to the North. Therefore, after his father-in-law died, he did not rush to take action, but instead tried to obtain the throne through diplomatic means.

After diplomatic efforts failed, he began to observe the situation from a wait-and-see perspective.

Last summer, when Otto learned that the Duke of the Marshland had rebelled, he realized that his opportunity had come.

If the Duke of the Swamp and Maurice fight to a draw, he can then step in and clean up the mess.

If one side wins a decisive victory, he won't lose out, since the throne of the Kingdom of Rui will still be firmly in his hands.

It's simply that they can't unite the two kingdoms.

At the beginning of this year, the Duke of the Marshland won a great victory north of Cologne and then advanced on Amber Harbor.

Otto believed the situation in the North was settled and was prepared to give up the fight for the Northern Crown.

But then he heard that the Duke of the Marshland had failed in his siege and had withdrawn his troops.

This greatly excited Otto, who then began preparations to invade the North.

The second siege launched by the Duke of the Marshland forced him to accelerate his war preparations.

Fearing he wouldn't make it in time, he only managed to gather a little over four thousand people before hastily setting off.

Otto was looking at the sea, but his wife Sofia was looking at him, saying, "I still think the force is too small and the risk is too high."

Sofia is the daughter of the former King of the North and his first wife. She is more than ten years older than her sister Chloris and is currently a mother of three.

As the source of her husband's legitimacy in the North, she was required to accompany him on this expedition, while their three children remained in the Kingdom of Rui.

If something were to happen to her and her husband, her eldest son would still be able to inherit Rui's crown.

"What's there to be afraid of? Fishermen by the sea all know that the bigger the wind and waves, the higher the price of fish."

Otto dismissed it, took a sip of his drink, and then said, "We're going to take over a kingdom; there's no way we won't face risks."

Although Otto appeared relaxed and carefree in front of his wife, it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous.

He had only four thousand soldiers under his command, but he was facing a vast kingdom with millions of people.

But Otto felt he had a good chance of winning, and a pretty good chance at that.

If he can take Amber Harbor and integrate the various forces in the city, he can use the capital as a fulcrum to influence the entire Northern Kingdom.

Moreover, Otto could mobilize far more than just these troops.

Before setting off, he reached an agreement with several coastal municipalities and even tried to contact some councilors in Amber Harbor by carrier pigeon.

If the city council stands with him, he can land in Amber Harbor without hindrance and quickly take over the entire harbor.

Sofia's assessment was: "Your plan is too crude, and your pre-war preparations are seriously inadequate. If you could wait until next spring to send troops, the success rate would be much higher."

Otto shook his head and replied, "I don't think that bastard will last until next spring. If nothing else changes, that lion Lothair will take over Amber Harbor before the first snow falls."

In Otto's eyes, the Duke of the Marshland was his greatest rival in the North.

Otto both feared and envied the court cavalry under Lothair's command.

In terms of population size alone, the Kingdom of Rui is larger than the Kingdom of the North.

Krui also faced the problem of the division of power among the nobility; Otto III had fewer troops that he could mobilize at any time than the Duke of the Marsh.

His expedition to the north was accompanied by four thousand troops, mostly nobles from various regions who were looking to make a fortune, as well as a number of mercenaries.

He left the vast majority of his trusted troops in the homeland to protect the capital and his heir.

Sofia picked up her wine glass, moistened her throat with red wine, and then questioned:

"But have you considered that your army might cause great panic in Amber Harbor and trigger conflict between the bastards and the city council? Perhaps before you even arrive, Amber Harbor will have already fallen into Lothair's hands. What will you do then?"

Otto rose and walked to the ship's railing, gripping it with both hands. The gentle sea breeze ruffled his shoulder-length blond hair, and a slight smile played on his lips.

"So what? Of course I've considered these risks, but I can't let the risks be too great and make me hesitate. I am Otto of Rui!"

After saying that, he turned his head and asked, "Do you remember? Sophia, the name of the first King of the North?"

“I remember, he was also called Otto, Otto Urenius.” Sophia would never forget her ancestor’s name.

"Actually, I changed my name after I ascended the throne, because I also wanted to become a king as great as Otto." As he spoke, Otto suddenly released the railing, spread his arms, and tried to embrace the boundless sea.
“Sophia, you don’t need to doubt me. I am sailing on the ocean that Otto once sailed. I will conquer the lands he once conquered. I will wear the crown he once wore and hold the scepter he once possessed. Then I will be greater than him! Because I will build an empire belonging to the Rui people, a powerful empire that spans the Boundary Mountains!”

Otto had a well-known nickname in the South: the "Poet King," because he would often write poetry on a whim.

Today, he was once again inspired to write poetry and boldly declared that he would be crowned Emperor of the Rui people.

Can we say he's daydreaming? It's hard to say.

Otto has the strength and the right to claim the throne. If he can successfully land at Amber Harbor, he will become a strong contender for the crown of the North.

While Otto III was composing a poem in the wind, Duke Lothair of the Marsh was giving his generals a pep talk.

"Don't worry about the losses. Once you take Amber Harbor, you'll have everything. You, you, and you—you'll all become earls this month, as long as you can breach that damned wall!"

After several days of fierce siege, the four thousand palace cavalry suffered over a thousand casualties.

Given the medical conditions of that time, those who died in the siege could basically be considered as having died in battle.

Given this casualty ratio, if it were open field fighting outside the city, there would have been small-scale desertions among the soldiers.

To appease his generals and soldiers, Lothair had to make increasingly grandiose promises, and nearly half of the wealth he had previously plundered was given away.

By evening, they still hadn't managed to capture the city walls, so Lothair had no choice but to call a retreat and fight again the next day.

That evening, Earl of Coldwind and Arno, the leader of the Power Mercenary Group, arrived together, bringing with them the latest news about the assassination attempt on Lynn.

(End of this chapter)