I'm not a lord

Chapter 281 It's about both physical and emotional connection.
Although the death of the Duke of the Swamp is likely a foregone conclusion, Lynn still finds it hard to believe that the strongest duke in the North has left the stage so easily.

The main problem is that Lothair's death was too sudden and too fantastical.

River Bend Castle was his stronghold in the Crown Territory, where he had been operating for over a year.

This castle was a renowned and fortified stronghold in the North, and he was accompanied by hundreds of elite court cavalry.

According to intelligence reports, the rebels breached the castle through a coordinated attack from within and without, and ultimately surrounded and killed the cornered Lothair in the castle grounds.

But this whole thing seems incredibly strange.

Logically speaking, given Lothair's control over the court cavalry, River Bend should not have been breached by the rebels.

The so-called rebels were nothing more than mercenaries or bandits he recruited in the Crown Territory.

How could such a ragtag army break through the fortified castle guarded by the palace cavalry?

Lynn, anyway, didn't believe it.

Moreover, the intelligence provided to Lynn came from a group of court cavalry who had escaped from River Bend.

The Duke of the Marshland was eventually surrounded and killed in the fortress. What happened to his court cavalry?
Were you so busy running away?

Or perhaps Lothair has incurred the wrath of the people in the Crown Territory, to the point that even his most loyal army has betrayed him?

That afternoon, Lynn arrived in the western suburbs of the southern part of the River Marsh County.

He happened to be going to inspect the military camp in the western suburbs anyway, so he decided to meet these 'deserters' in person.

"Your Excellency Earl of White River, I am Earl Wolf of the Court from Golden Deer Castle, and I am the company commander of this cavalry unit. Thank you for your assistance and charity. Without the shelter and food you provided, the biting cold wind would surely have taken the lives of half of the soldiers."

In the main hall of the palace in the western suburbs, Wolf bowed deeply to Lynn, his tone extremely sincere.

Behind him, more than ten young officers saluted in unison.

This force consisted of over a hundred cavalrymen who hurried along the frozen Jinghe River from east to west. They were surrounded by the cavalry of the second brother, Hugh, as soon as they entered the territory of Sanhe City.

They didn't struggle; they simply laid down their weapons and surrendered.

Having traveled more than 200 kilometers against the wind and snow, these cavalrymen were exhausted, and their provisions were almost gone.

They were in dire straits along the way, as the noble castles and manors along the route were unwilling to receive them.

Come to think of it, which force would dare to casually receive more than a hundred fully armed cavalrymen?

Aren't you afraid of turning the tables?
Therefore, they could only camp in the snow and eat some hard, dry rations, and many soldiers and warhorses froze to death along the way.

Normally, given the erratic nature of these cavalrymen, they would have already started indiscriminate looting.

Unfortunately, it is winter now, and the village roads are really difficult to travel on. Only the main road next to the Jing River is barely passable for horses, so there is no way to steal a horse.

Upon arriving at the military camp in the western suburbs, they were finally able to enjoy a long-awaited bowl of hot porridge, and their mounts were also carefully cared for.

Therefore, although Lynn and the Marshland Duchy were still at war, the cavalrymen were grateful for the Earl of White River's hospitality.

As far as Lynn knew, the basic combat unit of the court cavalry was the 'lancer squad'.

Each lance squad consisted of three to five men, only one of whom was a heavily armored knight, while the rest were squires or mounted crossbowmen.

All three types of troops are capable of fighting on horseback, so they can be collectively referred to as cavalry.

In other words, even at its peak, the 4,000 court cavalry only comprised about 1,000 heavy cavalrymen.

Count Mirror Iron's two thousand cavalry also adopted a similar organization, with only five or six hundred men who could be considered heavy cavalry.

This system evolved from the traditional feudal knightly system, and the captain of the lance corps was similar to a knight with his own territory.

The captain's squires and crossbowmen need to be recruited by himself, and there is a certain personal dependency relationship between the two parties.

The Duke of the Swamp would pay the captain's wages, who would then distribute them to the squires and crossbowmen below him.

Lynn's cavalry completely abandoned this awkward half-new, half-old model.

In his cavalry unit, heavy cavalry were simply heavy cavalry, without any attendants or crossbowmen, and only carried out single assault or sweeping missions.

This is the only way to maximize the impact of heavy cavalry.

Under the Duke of the Marsh, ten cavalry units were organized into a platoon, and one hundred cavalry units into a company.

Wolf claimed to be a company commander, so he should normally command a force of about five hundred men, making him a high-ranking officer under the Duke of the Swamp.

That is why he was able to obtain the title of 'Court Earl'.

Lynn leaned back in the main seat covered with a black bearskin, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so officers below the stage before settling on Wolf, and he began to speak:
"Wolf, right? Tell me everything that happened at River Bend, the more details the better, don't hide anything, if you still want to go back to Golden Stag."

“As you wish.” Wolf raised his head and told everything he knew without reservation.

There's really no point in hiding this. Even if he didn't say anything, Lynn could find someone to investigate and find out that the rebels are still in River Bend.

Besides, Lothair is dead, and Wolf has no reason to offend Count White River, who holds his fate in his hands, for the sake of a dead man.

Through the court count's description, Lynn finally understood the ins and outs of the rebellion. He tapped his right index finger rhythmically on the armrest of his chair, his brow furrowed slightly, and asked:

"So, it turns out that the mercenary leader Arno colluded with the nobles of the royal domain to launch a rebellion both inside and outside the castle?"

Wolf nodded, his face showing disgust. "Yes, sir, Arno and the nobles have betrayed the Duke. They are a bunch of shameless scoundrels."

Lynn's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he demanded, "And what about you? Where were you that night? And where were those officers behind you?"

Wolf was taken aback, then lowered his head and replied, "We were stationed at the east gate of the castle when the rebels attacked us from both inside and outside. They had more than a thousand men, and we had not received orders from the Duke, so we could only guard the city gate."

He then raised his head, his right hand unconsciously pressing against his chest, his tone very firm, “My lord, you need not doubt our loyalty to the Duke. I and the squad leaders behind me can swear that we have never betrayed the Duke, not before, and not now.”

A mocking smile appeared on Lynn's lips, and then he asked, "Then why are you here? And I see that none of you are injured, so it doesn't seem like you've been through a big battle."

Wolf paused for a moment, then softened his tone: "The rebels only surrounded the city gates, but did not launch a fierce attack. At the same time, the battle inside the castle ended very quickly. I had just gathered the cavalry when I received news of the Duke's death."

The rebel leader, Arno, came to the city walls with the Duke's head and promised us that he would let us leave as long as we did not seek revenge.

Before he could finish speaking, a young squad leader behind him suddenly stepped forward, looked up at Lynn and pleaded, "Sir, we have been wandering outside for more than a year, and our only wish is to go home."

Seeing someone take the lead, another squad leader stepped forward: "Sir, please believe us, we are by no means despicable traitors." Betrayal is a very serious accusation in the North.

The core social bond in the North is the "feudal contract," where vassals are required to swear allegiance to their lord and promise not to harm the lord's body, honor, property, or rights, in return for the lord's protection and fiefdoms.

Therefore, betraying one's lord is considered a fundamental breach of the contract and one of the most serious "felonies".

Although the court cavalry had partially shed the characteristics of feudal contracts, these generals were still essentially 'vassals' of the Marsh Duke.

If they were to bear such charges, even if they were not sentenced to death, their reputation and status would be completely jeopardized.

Of course, the North has long since fallen into a new era of 'collapse of etiquette and morality'.

Lord Lothair, Duke of the Marsh, led a rebellion against King Maurice, breaking the treaty.

Count Mirror Iron followed closely behind, and by this time the Duke of Lordsvald was besieged in White Eagle Castle.

In a way, Lynn did violate the feudal contract. He entered the Northern stage as the Baron of White Bear Territory, a position that was a vassal of the Duke of the Swamplands.

However, the collapse of the North has only just begun. Although a few important figures have already scoffed at feudal contracts, the common people still value so-called reputation and integrity.

Wolf and his officers were absolutely unwilling to be branded as 'traitors'.

Looking at the pleading in these people's eyes, Lynn understood everything.

They may not have betrayed the Duke of the Marsh; they may have simply acted as bystanders during the rebellion.

After a moment's thought, Lynn said to the crowd below, "Save these words to persuade Laszlo. I have no intention of judging you."

László is the eldest son of the Duke of the Marsh and is stationed at Golden Deer Castle in his father's place. He should not have received news of his father's death yet.

When he meets Wolf and the other officers, his expression will be quite interesting.

Wolf didn't have time to think about how to persuade Laszlo, because he understood Lynn's implied meaning, and his face lit up with joy, his voice trembling with excitement: "Sir, are you... are you going to let us leave?"

“If you want to serve me, you can stay,” Lynn smiled and countered, “but I think you’d rather embrace your wives and children right now, wouldn’t you?”

Upon hearing that Lynn was going to let them go, Wolf and the other officers' legs went weak.

They bowed deeply in gratitude, almost kneeling before Lynn.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

"You are the most elegant nobleman I have ever met!"

The palace cavalry that escaped from Hewanbao numbered about five hundred, and due to insufficient military supplies, they had to march in separate groups.

Wolf led his group to Three Rivers City with the idea of ​​trying their luck. They believed that even if they were captured, they might be able to pay a ransom to be released. As long as they could have a bowl of hot porridge, saving their lives was the priority.

Unexpectedly, Lynn didn't even need their ransom and just let them go home for free.

How could they not be overjoyed and grateful?
Lynn then kept his promise and provided the cavalry with a batch of rations and hay, though he charged for them.

The price is about three times higher than the market price, which is quite fair.

He also gave these cavalrymen a pass, which would allow them to pass through the Tuanliu County where the third brother was stationed.

"My lord, isn't it a bit too easy to let them go like this?"

Victor truly couldn't understand Lynn's actions.

Killing those who surrender is indeed inappropriate, but isn't imprisonment another option?
When nobles fought each other, imprisoning the opposing nobles in exchange for ransom was a common option.

Lynn smiled and replied, "Releasing them will only benefit me. Think about it, and you'll understand in the future."

Letting these hundred-plus cavalrymen go was a decision he made after careful consideration.

His next major conquest target was the core region of the Marsh Duchy west of Turbulent County.

This region comprises several counties and noble territories, all of which are relatively densely populated and prosperous areas.

Lynn not only wanted to conquer the region militarily, but also to win the hearts and minds of the people as much as possible.

In short, he wanted to appeal to both the body and the heart.

Releasing these cavalrymen is the first step in showing compassion.

They were already weak enough, and besides, there were only about a hundred people. Letting them go wouldn't cause much trouble. On the contrary, it would spread Lynn's generosity and kindness.

For the next few days, Lynn stayed at the western suburban palace.

He frequently summoned military commanders and craftsmen from the city's foundry guild, mainly to establish a system of honorary titles.

When spring comes next year, a group of Northern nobles will surely take the initiative to surrender to Lynn.

He needed to develop a feasible system of nobility in advance to appease the nobles who were willing to hand over their people, territories, and armies.

To put it bluntly, it's just giving them an empty title and providing them with some financial compensation.

However, before bestowing titles upon the nobles from other regions, Lynn would certainly have to take care of his own generals first; he couldn't afford to be biased and show favoritism towards outsiders.

Linus, the guild leader of the foundry, had already received Lynn's orders and had drawn up a complete set of design drawings.

"Sir, these are the badges and waist buckles I designed. They will be engraved with the corresponding names and titles. I have also made the molds."

The honorary nobles under Lynn's command will receive silver or gold badges and waist buckles according to their rank.

Since he couldn't provide these nobles with land, he naturally had to offer them more honorary compensation.

In addition to badges and waist buckles, the blacksmithing guild has also forged a batch of custom longswords and saddles, all of which are highly prestigious.

Lynn took the blueprints and examined them carefully before replying, "Very good, let's proceed with this plan. I will be holding the conferment ceremony in two days."

Two days later, under clear skies, Lynn officially held the first conferment ceremony for the White River Territory in the square of the Western Suburbs County Palace.

His two brothers, Hugo, Jan, Joseph, and Andrei, all received the title of honorary baron.

A group of outstanding mid-level officers, led by Lucas and Lesek, were awarded the title of Honorary Knight.

(End of this chapter)