I'm not a lord

Chapter 275 A Letter from Otto III
"It seems that Hermann is determined to defend White Eagle Castle even at the cost of his life."

In the Foreign Ministry building of River Marsh County Castle, Lynn sat by the fireplace, looking at the Duke of the Valley's handwritten letter, feeling a little sentimental.

Although his relationship with the Duke of the Valley has deteriorated rapidly in recent months, diplomatic exchanges between the two sides have never been interrupted, nor have they deteriorated to a stage of complete hostility.

Furthermore, the Duke of the Valley had been trying to make Lynn his son-in-law, and had even sent envoys to fawn over Lynn repeatedly.

Lynn rejected him, but due to practical considerations, he refused.

Now, seeing Herman's intention to perish with the family castle, Lynn was somewhat moved.

In fact, he made his first fortune in the Valley Duchy.

It was precisely because the successive dukes of the Valley failed to consolidate their power that his bandit gang was able to grow and thrive in that chaotic 'fertile land'.

Lynn's brothers were all recruited from the duchy.

When he took control of the White River Territory, Herman became the first Northern nobleman to recognize his earldom.

The two sides reached an agreement on some political issues and also agreed to jointly send troops to besiege Lord Lothair, the Duke of the Marsh.

Later, when his territory lacked talent, he thought of this half-brother again. He poached the diplomatic expert Kalebo from the Duchy of the Valley and recruited a group of outstanding young talents.

It can be said that without Hermann and the Valley Duchy, there would be no glory for Lynn and White River Territory today.

Now that Herman has decided to die, Lynn should feel sorry for him, both emotionally and rationally.

Foreign Minister Kalebo sat beside Lynn, staring at the flickering flames in the fireplace, and sighed deeply:
"The Duke of the Valley has always been a strong-willed person, but he is like someone trapped in a dark maze with no way out, and even if he bumps his head and bleeds, he still can't find a way out."

Caleb had worked in the court of the Duke of the Valley for many years and knew his former employer’s character well.

Duke Herman of the Valley was undoubtedly a nobleman with ambition, dreams, and a certain degree of initiative.

At the same time, he wasn't too bad to the officials in the palace, except that he didn't pay them high salaries and was a bit stingy.

However, the family fortune he inherited from his father was rather poor, and his personal abilities were not particularly outstanding. In addition, his enemies were too powerful, which led to his current predicament.

Seeing his former employer in a hopeless situation, Caleb would undoubtedly feel deeply saddened.

According to the letter, White Eagle Castle is most likely under heavy siege at this moment, and if Herman is unwilling to surrender, then he will have no choice but to perish with his family castle.

Of course, as grieving as he was, Caleb wouldn't be foolish enough to ask Lynn to send troops to rescue White Eagle Fortress.

The journey from Baihe Territory to Baiying Fort is long, and it is currently winter, which is not a favorable time for sending troops, so it is really too far away to reach them.

Moreover, Kalebo knew very well that Lynn's next expansion direction was the Crown Territory in the east and the Marshland Duchy in the west, and it was impossible for him to completely antagonize Earl Mirror Iron in the south at this time.

Lynn put down the letter, looked at Kalebo, and asked, "Herman not only entrusted his two daughters to me, but his wife also came with him. Do you think I should grant them political asylum?"

Previously, he had sent envoys to invite Hermann and his family to seek refuge in Rivers.

This might annoy Count Mirror Iron, but it wouldn't cause the two sides to completely break off relations.

After all, Lynn didn't send troops to interfere with Count Mirror Iron's conquest of the Valley Duchy; he merely took in a destitute nobleman who had lost his territory.

He stood on the side of morality and justice; Earl Mirror Iron was the despicable traitor who betrayed his lord, and there was no reason or excuse to criticize him.

Herman hasn't come yet, but he's entrusted his wife and two daughters to him. He's already in Turbulent County and will be arriving in Three Rivers City soon.

This gave Lynn a bit of a headache.

He had assumed Herman would seek refuge with the Duke of the Meadows in the west, but to his surprise, Herman entrusted his entire family to him.

Taking in people will inevitably cause some controversy.

Lynn has no shortage of scandalous stories right now. Once he takes in this mother and her two daughters, the bards and drunkards from all over the world will probably make up some more unspeakable gossip about him.

Herman's eldest daughter, Hela, even wrote several love letters to Lynn, making it clear that she would only marry Lynn.

If we really put her into the territory, the castle in the River Marsh County will be quite lively.

If we don't take them in, we'd be betraying the Duke of the Valley's sincerity and trust.

Moreover, Lynn did indeed owe Herman some favors.

Leaving aside distant issues, regarding the forced poaching of Kalebo, he has yet to provide any explanation.

Kalebo could read Lynn's mind, and he cautiously suggested, "My lord, in my opinion, you should grant them political asylum. Herman has no legitimate male heir. When you go south to reclaim the Valley Duchy, his daughters will be the best claimant."

Of course, Kalebo knew about the existence of the former dynasty's princess Chloris, but Lynn hadn't married her yet, had he?
As long as this marriage doesn't happen, Miss Hela still has a chance, right?
It's worth noting that Caleb had acted as Herman's lobbyist and tried to arrange Lynn and Hela's marriage.

He's just going back to his old ways.

As an accomplished diplomat, Kalebo was well aware of the importance of the Dijkstra, and he quickly added, "Even if you don't need the claim to the Duchy of the Valley, you cannot allow the right to claim it to fall into the hands of others."

Lynn chuckled and said, “I will take them in, but I can’t marry Herman’s eldest daughter for the time being. You know, Vasa in the south is very sensitive, and I have to take care of his feelings right now.”

The alliance between Lynn and Earl Vasa of the Mirror Iron is quite fragile, and any uncertainty could cause the alliance to collapse instantly.

Once Vasa has taken control of the duchy, he might even ask Lynn for Herman's wife and two daughters.

No matter how you look at it, he was a traitor who betrayed his lord and needed to be legitimized.

However, Maurice, the rightful king of the North, had already fled to the South and could not be exonerated in the name of the king.

Lynn completed his magnificent transformation from bandit to earl by receiving two titles from the royal family.

Given Vasa's current age, the best way for him to clear his name is to marry Herman's widow or daughter and become the legitimate ruler of the Valley Duchy.

Alternatively, he could wait until Otto in the east was officially crowned King in the North, and then ask Otto for a dukedom.

But this would be tantamount to bowing down to Otto, becoming a vassal of the invaders, and completely isolating oneself from all the nobles of the North.

Given Vasa's burgeoning ambitions, he shouldn't make such a foolish choice that would lower his status. Lynn anticipates a period of back-and-forth between him and Vasa next year.

Upon hearing this, Kalebo immediately replied, "Your Excellency has considered things more comprehensively than I have."

"You'll take charge of this matter. Once they arrive, temporarily house them at the imperial palace in the western suburbs." With that, Lynn got up to leave.

“Yes, I understand.” Caleb smiled knowingly and rose to see Lynn off as well.

The castle in Kawanuma Prefecture has been renovated over several months, increasing its size several times over.

The main addition was a ring of office buildings around the castle, such as the three-story building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lynn left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, surrounded by his guards, passed through the castle gates and arrived at the most central castle area.

The fortress, which could originally accommodate hundreds of troops, was reduced in size. The corner towers on the east and west sides of the fortress were expanded, and more living areas were added.

Girls offered as tribute by the barbarian tribes, maids of lovers, family members of guards, and the service personnel needed to take care of these people all lived in the expanded corner tower.

Now Lynn's entourage has grown increasingly large, and the expanded castle is beginning to struggle to keep up.

He walked to the center of the castle grounds and looked around at the layout of the entire castle, feeling that this former baron's castle was becoming increasingly cramped.

However, next year is not a good time for large-scale construction. A large amount of land and people are waiting for Lynn to conquer. Resources and manpower in the territory should be tilted towards the military field as much as possible. There is really no manpower available to further expand the castle.

The expansion of the main castle was by no means an easy task.

In the past, with the manpower and resources of a baronial territory, it would take at least ten years to build a castle, and for territories with weaker economic strength, it could take more than twenty years.

The castle in Kawanuma Prefecture has reached its capacity limit. Further expansion or demolition and reconstruction would not make much difference, and would even be more time-consuming and laborious.

The main reason is that the White River Territory was originally just six scattered baronies, lacking a ready-made large castle that met the status and needs of an earl.

During dinner, Lynn and her closest female companions naturally started talking about accommodation.

Leah took a small sip of red wine, her tone tinged with a hint of resentment: "With more and more followers around you, my lord, this castle is indeed becoming a bit crowded."

After Chloris moved into the castle, Leah undoubtedly became the biggest loser.

The former dynasty's little princess not only usurped her position but also occupied many of Lynn's nights, which hurt Lydia deeply, yet she was powerless to do anything about it.

Chloris was not only exceptionally beautiful and of noble birth, but also incredibly shrewd. Within just two weeks of moving into the castle, she had earned the unwavering loyalty of the maids and cooks, and managed the entire castle with remarkable efficiency.

She even learned a lot of commonly used Wilderness language and could chat and laugh with blue-haired girls like Mira and Millie in Wilderness language.

Faced with an opponent of this caliber, Leah didn't even know how to resist. She was like the Duke of the Valley in the south, who had been utterly defeated on the battlefield and could only defend the last 'castle'.

As Lynn had previously promised, Leah has custody and educational rights over her son Albert.

In her understanding, Lynn did not seem to have much prejudice or discrimination against illegitimate children.

If Chloris fails to give birth to a son after marriage, Alberto will most likely inherit the territory, which is basically Leah's last hope.

Chloris could hear the resentment in Leah's voice, but she didn't care. She slowly cut the tender lamb chops on her plate, her beautiful eyes always fixed on her man.

"The castle in Kawanuma Prefecture is, after all, a baronial-level castle, which is not enough to accommodate the earl's court and retinue. Moreover, you will soon receive a higher-level title, so perhaps you should consider moving to a different residence."

Chloris's words naturally contained a deeper meaning.

With Otto decisively defeating the Duke of the Marsh, the time had quietly come for Lynn to marry her.

If Lynn were to officially marry her, she could even declare herself King of the North.

Given the king's status and position, the size of his court officials and personal guards would inevitably continue to expand. How could this small riverine county castle possibly accommodate so many people?
Lynn had finished eating the food on his plate, put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with a towel, and said:
"This is a real headache. Kawanuma Prefecture has a very advantageous geographical location. In the future, my main enemy will be Otto, and perhaps also Vasa to the south. It would be more beneficial to expand outwards if I were to be stationed here permanently."

Kawanuma Prefecture is located at the southern end of Shirakawa Territory, adjacent to Mikawa Castle. It has access to the Shizuku River and the Shirakawa River, two main waterways, and can also monitor and protect the city nearby. The granaries built here can also provide a continuous supply of military supplies for the war.

Lynn's permanent presence here allows him to maximize the territory's war potential while also protecting it from enemies from the east and south.

As Yagna enjoyed her favorite pickled meat soup, she took a sip and said, "There used to be an earl's castle in Turbulent County, but it was demolished by the Duke of the Marsh. Otherwise, it would have been a suitable alternative."

She had served as a lady-in-waiting in the court of the Duke of the Marshland and was quite familiar with the situation on the territory.

Whenever the Duke of the Marshland took control of a territory, the first thing he would do was to demolish the largest castle on the territory and build some smaller castles in key locations or strategic places, and send court knights to serve as the castle lords.

This can reduce the risk of rebellion in the territory and also strengthen control over it.

Over the past few decades, the Duke of the Marshland has demolished most of the earl castles on his territory, allowing only his closest relative, the Earl of Blackwood, to retain the large castles on his land.

Lynn will indeed conquer the Blackwood Earl's territory in the future, but that place is too remote, and he can't just live deep in the mountains.

Yagna then suggested, "How about we move there once you've conquered Golden Deer Castle? That castle can hold four or five thousand cavalrymen, and it's located on an island in the middle of Golden Deer Lake, making it virtually impossible to breach except during winter."

Jagna had spent two years in that castle and was very familiar with the area around Golden Deer Castle.

Golden Deer Fortress is indeed a good place. Its terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is surrounded by fertile farmland for hundreds of kilometers. It is undoubtedly a land of plenty.

That is why the first Duke of the Marsh chose Golden Deer Castle as his residence.

Lynn immediately shook his head: "That place is too far from the Crown Territory, it's not suitable."

After eliminating most of the options, he realized that he really could only continue expanding the castle in Kawanuma County.

Or perhaps after conquering part of the Crown Territory, we can move our residence to the east?

A few days later, the wives and daughters of Duke Herman of the Valley quietly moved into the western suburban palace.

Lynn, on the other hand, received a handwritten letter from Otto III.

(End of this chapter)