I'm not a lord

Chapter 272 You Can't Stop Me from Moving Towards a Better Person
Valley Duchy, White Eagle Castle.

Duke Herman sat withered in the empty, silent hall. He was thin, and his once handsome face was as withered as the leaves of a winter tree.

The crushing defeat at Xiyanling seemed to have completely ripped the soul from his body.

There's not much to say about the course of the war.

Originally, the army he hastily assembled was disorganized and its combat effectiveness varied greatly; only the few hundred dukes' personal guards under his command were somewhat elite.

The opposing Earl of Mirror Iron not only had a strong army and a superior terrain, but also carried the momentum of a great victory.

The two sides met unexpectedly in the valley in early winter and fought a skirmish in which neither side was fully prepared.

The outcome was obvious, and the war itself was rather uneventful.

It was nothing more than Herman attacking and then typing GG, that's all.

But he had no choice but to fight. Given the nature of the noble cavalry, charging forward offered a slim chance of survival, while turning back would only allow them to be overtaken and gradually eroded by the enemy. It was better to close his eyes and take the risk.

After the defeat, Duke Herman of the Valley fled the battlefield under the desperate escort of more than a hundred guards. He fled back to White Eagle Castle in a panic, and the military equipment and supplies that he had emptied his coffers for all ended up in the hands of Earl Mirror Iron.

Now, Hermann is trapped in his isolated city.

Count Mirror Iron, however, advanced triumphantly, with cities, monasteries, and noble territories along the way surrendering without resistance. He may soon reach White Eagle Castle.

After fleeing back to his stronghold, Hermann did reflect on his overly aggressive strategy.

But as he reviewed the situation, he realized he had no choice.

Count Mirror Iron is openly rebelling and has even captured the neighboring Siamese territory. If his arrogance is not curbed, the minor and middle nobles in the duchy will gradually side with him.

If Hermann remains entrenched in White Eagle Castle, he will effectively lose his authority and dignity as duke by next spring.

In the warlike North, no nobleman would pledge allegiance to a cowardly duke.

While some nobles were still willing to send troops to attack Count Mirror Iron, Hermann had no choice but to conscript them for a desperate last stand.

This crushing defeat simply brought the outcome forward by three or four months; it made no fundamental difference.

And what if we win?
Even if the probability is extremely low, what if it happens?
Before the cards are actually dealt, desperate gamblers always fantasize about winning and frantically bet all their chips.

Hermann likely had this mindset.

Just then, he heard a series of crisp footsteps coming from the doorway. Looking up, he saw his wife leading their two daughters slowly toward him.

Hermann's wife was the daughter of an earl in the territory, whose father was one of the few earls willing to pledge allegiance to the duke.

In that brutal battle in the valley, the lady's count father died on the battlefield, and all the family's elites perished.

The lady led her two daughters to Herman, then released them, bent down and gently embraced her husband, wanting to bring him as much warmth and confidence as possible.

“My lord, please pull yourself together. White Eagle Fortress is still in your hands, and you still have knights under your command who are willing to fight for you. You are still my proudest Duke of the Valley.”

The couple's relationship was considered exemplary in the territory.

Although Herman occasionally sought solace with lovers, he never brought them back to the palace.

He sought a lover purely to have a son, and his relationship with his wife within the palace remained harmonious.

The only regret was that his wife did not give birth to a legitimate heir for him, but only two daughters.

Feeling the warmth of his wife's body, Herman finally regained some color in his face.

He hugged his wife tightly, burying his head in her warm embrace, and murmured:

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I am the only duke in the valley. No one can completely defeat me. The honor of the family will always protect me."

After the crushing defeat, most of the officials in the palace had fled, and some of the royal guard knights also left without saying goodbye during the night.

Seeing his supporters scatter as the tree fell, Hermann felt utterly hopeless, and only his closest relatives could offer him any warmth.

The eldest daughter, Hela, and her younger sister, Heidi, looked at their parents embracing each other in silence.

Although the two adults were still putting on a brave front, everyone in the castle understood that this was the biggest crisis the Valley family had faced in two hundred years, and the slightest mistake could lead to the annihilation of their nation and clan.

Given the autonomy of the three dukes in the North, it is not an exaggeration to call their territories duchies.

Of the sisters, the eldest, Hela, saw it most clearly: her father had almost no hope of turning the tide. He could either run away or stay and hold out until he died.

According to the latest intelligence from the east, Count Mirror Iron has assembled an army of over five thousand men.

Most of the defeated nobles joined his cause, and the opportunists in their territories also flocked to him, pledging allegiance to him.

How many troops are currently stationed at White Eagle Fortress?

Leaving aside conscripts who have not received professional military training, there are fewer than three hundred truly combat-ready professional soldiers.

With such a terrifying disparity in troop strength, coupled with a vast difference in morale, it was impossible to know how to fight this battle; even a desperate defense might not be enough to hold it.

After cuddling with his wife for a while, Duke Herman of the Valley finally let go of her, and then he smiled and beckoned to his two daughters: "Come here, let me hug you."

Soon, both daughters were sitting in Herman's lap, one on each of his thighs. They almost couldn't sit down, but thanks to his martial arts skills, he had enough strength to support them.

"Hela, it's been years since I last hugged you. Before I knew it, you've grown into a beautiful young woman."

"And Heidi, you're getting cuter and cuter."

Holding his two beautiful daughters, Herman felt much better.

Hela looked at her father, who was so close to her, and wanted to say something but swallowed it all back. In the end, she just leaned on her father's shoulder and sighed softly.

Twelve-year-old Heidi didn't know how to hide her emotions and sat in her father's lap, silently shedding tears.

After a long silence, Herman spoke first: "Pack your bags and leave White Eagle Castle first thing tomorrow morning."

After saying that, he put his daughters down.

But the next second, little Heidi threw herself back into her father's arms and asked eagerly, "And what about you, Father?"

Hermann gently stroked his daughter's head, his voice filled with tenderness: "I am the Duke, I must stay, I must protect the family's honor."

Family honor is not something that can be inherited from birth, but rather something that each generation of family members must defend with their blood and courage.

Since its construction, White Eagle Castle has never been breached by foreign enemies, and Hermann does not want this glorious tradition to end in his hands.

He vowed to defend this fortified castle built atop the mountain to the death.

If this castle was destined to fall, he would have died in battle before then.

The wife did not object to her husband's decision. She hugged her eldest daughter, Hela, and asked, feigning composure, "Then where should we go?"

Hermann replied without hesitation, “Go west, to Wolf Fortress on the plains, Samuel will protect you.”

Samuel was the Duke of Meadows's real name. He and Herman were both dukes and had recently become allies, obligated to protect each other's families. Although Samuel was infamous as a notorious bandit duke.

But if Herman truly died for his country, this bandit duke would surely take good care of his widow and orphans.

In fact, there are two directions to escape from after leaving White Eagle Fortress.

To the west lies Samuel's Wolfsbane, to the east lies Three Rivers of Lynn, and Golden Deer Castle to the north is not even considered.

Because of the Count of Mirror Iron's affair, Herman already harbored a grudge against Lynn, who was allied with the Count of Mirror Iron, so he naturally couldn't let his wife and daughters escape to Three Rivers.

Moreover, Lynn's scandalous affairs have been all over the place lately, and the messengers returning from Three Rivers City have all embellished the story.

Herman, of course, could not push his daughters into a 'fire pit'.

But just then, the eldest daughter, Hela, broke free from her mother's embrace and questioned, "Father, why aren't we going to Sanhe City?"

"Why go to Three Rivers City? Are you still thinking about that Lynn?" Herman's eyes widened instantly, and his tone became serious.

Hela wasn't afraid of Herman's murderous gaze at all, and replied in rapid succession: "Father, you know best about Lynn's strength. He recently conquered the entire Turbulent County, and the number and quality of his troops far exceed those of Earl of Mirror Iron."

"If—and I mean if—something really happens to you, I still have a chance to use Lynn's power to avenge you!"

Hermann flew into a rage. Holding his youngest daughter in his arms, he abruptly stood up from the ducal throne: "You heartless daughter, you've been hoping for my death, haven't you?"

Hela stood tall and proudly retorted with reason and evidence: "Father, you misunderstand. What I mean is that Three Rivers City is a better choice than Wolf Fortress. Even if we really have to escape, we should escape to Three Rivers City. The grasslands are too barren. With Samuel's strength, he can only protect us, but he cannot avenge us!"

But Herman completely ignored all of that and simply asked, "So, you're still thinking about marrying Lynn, are you?"

Hela retorted again, "Why can't I marry Lynn? He's unmarried, and so am I. He's an earl, and I'm a duke's daughter. Am I not good enough for him?"

Because Lynn intentionally kept the news under wraps, the outside world is currently unaware that Chloris is hiding in White River Territory.

Most of the Northern nobles believed that the former princess had fled to the Southern Lands with her illegitimate son, Maurice.

Since Chloris's family was in the Southern Territory, it was reasonable for her to flee back there; there was no reason for her to stay in the increasingly turbulent Northern Territory.

Hermann's tone grew increasingly heated, almost roaring: "This isn't about whether you're good enough or not. He never intended to marry you. Can't you see that? He only wants to maintain his alliance with Vasa. They're both shameless, greedy, and ambitious!"

He's a duke, after all; he has that much insight.

He had already figured out Lynn's attitude.

But Hela saw further ahead than her father. She calmly replied, "Father, the situation is subject to change. Once Lynn and Vasa have each taken control of the lands on either side of the River Stillness, a conflict will inevitably break out between them. The future of the North can only accommodate one king."

“No, I won’t allow you to go to Three Rivers City.” Herman shook his head firmly and looked at his wife, instructing her, “You must keep a close eye on Hela for me and make sure you bring her to Wolf Fortress.”

But Herman never expected that his wife would 'betray' him at this crucial moment.

The Duchess slowly replied, "My lord, Hela is already a young woman, and she is well past the age of marriage. If what she says is true, perhaps going to Three Rivers City is the best choice."

Hela is already eighteen years old this year, which is almost considered an old maid in the North where people usually marry young.

But there was really nothing that could be done; Hermann simply couldn't produce a son.
The right to inherit the territory rests with Hela; whoever marries her will gain the claim to the Vale Duchy.

That is why Hermann hesitated to make a decision to marry off his daughter.

"You, you all... are you planning a rebellion?"

Herman stared in disbelief at his wife and eldest daughter, feeling as if he had been betrayed in the most vicious way.

As soon as he finished speaking, his youngest daughter, Heidi, said softly in his arms, "Father, please allow my sister to be willful just this once."

"How come you've turned bad too?" Herman looked down at the leaky little cotton-padded jacket in his arms, and his vision went black. He almost fell over on the spot.

No, what kind of magic does Lynn possess? Hela has never even seen him, yet he's determined to run to Three Rivers City.

His wife and youngest daughter, who were usually gentle, joined Hela in causing trouble.

How can one live like this?
Herman thought the world had gone mad and become something he couldn't understand.

But in reality, Hela had secretly worked on her mother and sister, persuading them to speak up for her.

The messenger sent by Lynn is still on his way, some distance from White Eagle Keep.

Hela was mainly impressed by his amazing strength and believed that he had a better chance of winning the final crown, and could also avenge her father.

But in Herman's eyes, Hela was just a foolish daughter who was determined to follow the blond-haired ghost.

Lynn was not only a womanizer and lecher, but also ungrateful and a greedy wolf who would abandon everything for profit.

How can you find happiness with a man like that?
“Father, Samuel’s eldest son is already married. If I go to Wolf’s Keep, he will just marry me off to his incompetent younger son. Lynn, on the other hand, is still unmarried. You can’t stop me from going to someone better.”

Hela's final words sealed the victory.

Herman sat back on his throne, closing his eyes in anguish: "Fine, go. I won't interfere with you anymore."

Lynn had no idea that Hela from the distant White Eagle Fortress was rushing toward him.

Starting in December, he devoted himself entirely to training troops.

Of the nearly ten thousand soldiers in the entire territory, half were newly recruited. If these new recruits were not rigorously trained, they would only be a hindrance on the battlefield.

Furthermore, future wars in the North will be even more brutal.

After completing their reorganization, all local forces will prioritize reorganizing their armies, and subsequent wars will severely test the organization and equipment levels of their troops.

"loyalty!"

Inside the military camp in Kawanuma Prefecture, as Lynn, draped in a black cloak, walked past the ranks of soldiers, the thousand new recruits under the command of the fifth brother, Andrei, were already able to shout slogans in unison and loudly.

Even amidst the raging snowstorm, these new recruits were still able to stand tall and march forward in formation.

After the inspection, Lynn and Andrei sat down for a drink in the barracks. He praised, "Fifth brother, these new recruits are doing well. They've only been training for less than two weeks and they're already quite capable."

Andrei took a small sip of the warm mead and replied cheerfully, "These new recruits are all very good, and their loyalty to Big Brother is genuine. Right now in the North, where is there a more reassuring homeland than White River Territory? Even if it's just to protect their homeland, they'll fight tooth and nail on the battlefield!"

These new recruits were all selected from the best of the best, and Lao Wu found the training very comfortable.

Moreover, most of the new recruits were refugees who had witnessed true hell in the Crown Territory and cherished the peaceful and beautiful life they had now.

It's important to know that Lynn provided these refugees and their families with free food and shelter, and even granted them the status of free citizens.

To repay their lord's kindness, these soldiers trained with extra effort.

Just as the two were enjoying lunch with some wine, the clerk Victor, covered in snow, strode into the military camp.

"My lord, the decisive battle in the Crown Territory has concluded."

(End of this chapter)