I'm not a lord

Chapter 312 The End of the Duke of the Valley

With the permission of Count Vasa of the Mirror Iron, Caleb crossed the layers of blockade and returned to the White Eagle Castle he knew so well.

He went to great lengths to enter the city, first shouting repeatedly from under the city wall, which was more than ten meters high, before finally finding an officer who recognized him.

The officer then informed the Duke of the Valley before dropping a rope to pull him into the castle.

In the hall of White Eagle Castle, Kalebo met the emaciated Hermann.

The former number one figure in the Valley Territory is now completely unrecognizable; he slumps in a high-backed chair, like a silent skeleton.

In contrast, Kalebo, adopted in Baihe, is chubby and healthy, enjoying the warmth of love and family, and exudes a healthy aura.

“Your Excellency Duke of the Valley, I have come across rivers and mountains on the orders of Earl of White River, just to express my respect and reverence to you.”

Although Kalebo was once a court official in the Valley Territory, he is now on a mission to White Eagle Castle on Lynn's orders, and naturally must abide by the corresponding diplomatic etiquette.

But his voice choked with emotion, clearly unable to bear seeing his former employer in such a wretched state.

"Duke?"

Hermann, leaning back in his high-backed chair, wore a mocking expression. He chuckled, "Calibor, have you ever seen a duke who only owns one castle? That title is too heavy for me to bear now."

White Eagle Fortress has no shortage of food or drinking water. The reason Hermann has fallen to this state is purely because he was overwhelmed by enormous external pressure.

More than half a year has passed since Count Mirror Iron began the siege, and Herman has not received any reinforcements during this time, which shows that the entire Valley Territory has sided with Vasa, the traitor.

Hermann is now desperately defending a castle that is destined to be breached; the day the castle falls will be the day he dies.

When he first started defending the city, he was supported by so-called noble dignity and family honor.

As time went by, the pillar supporting his heart had begun to break.

Not only him, but most of his personal guards were the same.

Right now, the few hundred people in the city are just hanging on by a thread, habitually resisting the enemy.

It's not an exaggeration to call them living dead.

Perhaps next month, or even next week, most of the soldiers will completely lose the will to resist and allow the enemy to storm the castle.

Kalebo raised his head, looked at the dejected Herman, and replied firmly, "In my eyes, you will always be the most honorable duke of the Valley Territory, not that traitor outside the city."

Hermann raised his eyelids, glanced at Kalebo standing below the stage, and asked weakly, "You came here just to give me this cheap encouragement?"

Last year, Hermann was still thinking of living and dying with White Eagle Fortress, but after enduring more than half a year of torment, he longed to live more than ever before.

If possible, he certainly hoped that Lynn, who was behind Kalebo, could give him a hand.

But this is obviously unrealistic. Lynn and Vasa have long been allies. How could he risk breaking the alliance to save him?
Herman calculated the time and guessed that Lynn should be busy conquering the Swamp Territory and wouldn't have the troops to go south to the Valley Territory.

"Sir, regarding this matter..."

Before Kalebo could finish speaking, Herman raised his hand to interrupt him, saying, "Stop. I won't make things difficult for you. I know you're here on behalf of Lynn to visit that traitor outside the castle. You're just thinking of some old friendships, so you're taking the opportunity to visit me at White Eagle Castle."

"..." Caleb opened his mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent.

"Let's not talk about these embarrassing topics anymore. Tell me what happened in the North. I heard that that bastard Lothair is dead? Is that true?" Herman's smile returned, but this time it was genuine joy.

His first feud with Lothair dates back to when he was seventeen or eighteen, when he went to Amber Harbor to pay homage to the king on behalf of his father, and had many disagreements with Lothair in the capital.

After the two inherited their respective territories, and armed conflicts frequently broke out in the border areas, the enmity between them grew even stronger, almost to the point of no return.

Last year, when Lothair besieged Amber Harbor twice, Herman thought that his arch-enemy would really become the Lord of the North, and he was heartbroken because of it.

Later, White Eagle Fortress was besieged by rebels, and Vasa cut off all communication channels to White Eagle Fortress, making it difficult for Herman to obtain news from the outside world in real time.

He only learned of Lothair's death by capturing enemy soldiers during the siege.

Because of this, Hermann even slaughtered two precious goats in the days that followed to celebrate this rare good news with his guards.

“It is indeed true. Duke Lothair of the Marshland died in a rebellion at River Bend.” Kalebo recounted the details of the rebellion.

Upon hearing this, Hermann's eyes lit up, and even his pale face regained some color. He slapped the armrest and exclaimed, "Great! Great! This is wonderful! We should drink to celebrate!"

At his command, a maid quickly brought over a wine bottle and wine glasses.

White Eagle Fortress was built on a cliff, so there were no wells. The garrison relied mainly on various kinds of alcoholic beverages in the warehouse for drinking water.

Herman tilted his head back and downed the entire glass of wine in one gulp, a trail of scarlet liquid uncontrollably oozing from the corner of his mouth, making him look like a vampire living deep in an ancient castle.

"Nothing could be more gratifying than dying after Lothair!" Hermann finished one glass but still wasn't satisfied, so he poured himself another.

He then raised his glass to Callebo, saying, "Have a drink too, and join me in the merriment!"

Kalebo, a seasoned diplomat, was naturally not bothered by the small amount of alcohol and downed it headfirst.

After they finished their first round of drinks, Herman's face turned completely red, and he asked again, "Where's Lynn? He should have taken Oakshire by now, right? Has he clashed with the Golden Deer army?"

"Not long ago, the Earl of White River utterly crushed the army of Golden Deer Castle on the banks of the Sami River, and killed Anna and Laszlo on the spot. He is now marching towards Golden Deer Castle." Caleb spoke of this with a proud look on his face.

On the day of the decisive battle, he followed Lynn, which is practically equivalent to him participating in the war.

Herman was stunned for a long time before he recovered.

"You mean, Lynn not only won the war, but also killed Anna and Laszlo?"

Hermann's face was filled with disbelief; these two events had a huge psychological impact on him.

The next second, he actually dragged his weak body to his feet and began dancing wildly in the ancient castle hall, muttering:

"Good, even better! I can't wait to see Lothair's tormented face in hell. Hehe, he's only been dead for a short time, and his son and wife are already down there to join him. That sounds even more delightful than the song of a lark!"

Kalebo watched Herman descend into madness but didn't try to stop him. He knew Herman was under immense psychological pressure and it was good for him to find an outlet to vent.

Herman spun around twice, then suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower back and quickly slumped back into the high-backed chair.

After catching his breath, he finally calmed down and looked up to ask, "By the way, where is my daughter? Lynn should be married to her by now, right? My daughter is a duchess now? Will my future grandson inherit the Swamp Territory?" Herman's greatest concern was always his wife and two biological daughters, especially his eldest daughter Hela, who was intelligent and beautiful.

"The Earl of White River is not yet officially married." Kalebo dared not say too much about this, as he had obtained Lynn's permission in advance to reveal any information he could.

As for the marriage, Caleb personally believes that Lynn will eventually marry the former dynasty's princess Chloris, rather than Hela, the daughter of the Duke of the Valley.

The claim to the entire Northern Kingdom is clearly far more valuable than the claim to a mere duchy.

"What kind of wife does Lynn want? Can't the ducal declaration sway him? Or is he waiting for the right opportunity?"

Herman paid no heed to Kalebo's presence. He muttered to himself, then suddenly realized, "That's it! Because of Otto, this cunning kid doesn't want to offend Vasa yet. When he wants to turn against Vasa in the future, he'll definitely marry Hela!"

What else could Kalebo say? He could only nod and offer Hermann some comfort.

Herman immediately smiled and generously said, "Yes, go back and tell Count White River that I know his difficulties. He can marry Hela whenever he wants, and I won't make things difficult for him."

He's already dreaming big; the mere thought of his grandson inheriting his mortal enemy's swamp territory fills him with immense joy.

After chatting for a while, Kalebo shifted the topic to the two invading armies from the south.

He couldn't offer Herman any promises or help on Lynn's behalf, but within his power, he could at least let his former employer know what was going on outside.

Herman was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this: "You mean the Southerners have already reached Mirror Iron Territory? Why hasn't Vasa withdrawn his troops yet? Doesn't he want the family castle anymore?"

This was almost the best news that Caleb brought to Hermann.

Heaven have mercy, the dignified Duke of the North actually hopes that invaders from the South will help him out of his predicament.

The last person to think this way was Anna and Laszlo of Golden Deer Castle.

Kalebo shook his head and slowly replied, "He will not withdraw his troops until he takes your White Eagle Fortress, and even the loss of Iron Fortress will not shake him in the slightest."

"That damned traitor!" Herman gritted his teeth, but then sighed deeply, "So be it, White Eagle Fortress won't last much longer either. Once I'm dead, Vasa can put aside his worries and fight the Southerners with all his might, buying more time for my son-in-law."

Kalebo, unable to bear it any longer, reminded him, "My lord, you actually have another path to take."

"You just want to persuade me to open the city gates, don't you? Forget it. I can't surrender to a traitor. Besides, where would I go after I surrender? Go to Lynn? Would he be happy to see the Duke of the Valley alive?"

Hermann did long to live, but he was also well aware that he was now nothing more than a burden that everyone disliked.

His death might be more useful to his daughter and more beneficial to the overall situation in the North.

With his death, the claim to the Valley Territory would automatically fall to his daughter, Hela.

He was a man of the old era; the three great duchies of the past were destined to decline, and there was no longer a suitable place for him in the new North.

Moreover, his health had deteriorated drastically, and he did not want to lie in a hospital bed and prolong his life, which was no different from death.
It was dusk when Kalebo left White Eagle Castle. He looked back at the white-gold castle bathed in the afterglow, his eyes filled with melancholy and sorrow.

He knew that today would be the last time he saw the Duke of the Valley.

That evening, Caleb returned to Vasa's camp and, on behalf of Lynn, discussed a new supplementary agreement with Count Mirror Iron.

According to this agreement, Lynn will not be able to claim the Valley Territory in Hela's name in the future, and should fully respect the Vasa's rule over the Valley Territory.

Vasa will continue to maintain a "divided rule" with Lynn, with neither interfering in the other's internal affairs, while jointly resisting invaders from the southern border in foreign policy.

In the economic sphere, Lynn will sell large quantities of grain and alcohol to Vasa at a fair price, while Vasa will offer various minerals in return, with both parties getting what they need.

The following morning, after the formal signing of the written agreement, Vasa couldn't help but ask again, "Can't we discuss the sale of the bronze cannons a little more?"

“This isn’t about money, and there’s no need to continue negotiating.” Kalebo remained adamant on this point.

The bronze mortar is currently a top secret in White River Territory. Apart from Lynn, only a few core craftsmen know the casting process and alloy formula of the mortar.

The gunpowder formula was in the hands of a village head in Baixiong County, who was also the manager of the only gunpowder workshop in the territory.

Meanwhile, the two commanders from the southern border were also negotiating.

The negotiations took place in a small mountain castle in Mirror Iron Territory.

Count Reiner abandoned his main force of 8,000 men and led only a dozen or so personal guards to negotiate with Count Harvey in his territory.

Harvey's attitude towards this uninvited guest was very tough. He slammed his hand on a simple map of the North on the table and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"We clearly agreed before the expedition that you would be responsible for the area north of the Jinghe River and I would be responsible for the area south of the Jinghe River. It was even certified by His Majesty's bet. But now you don't dare to attack Sanhe City. Instead, you come to my territory to plunder supplies. Reiner, you've crossed the line!"

Harvey's more than 10,000 troops have now poured into Mirror Iron Territory, conquered many small castles, and occupied almost half of Mirror Iron Territory.

However, he did not receive much food or supplies from his territory.

Count Vasa of Mirror Iron was well-prepared, evacuating as many people and supplies as possible, and burning anything that couldn't be evacuated.

In any case, the main business of this Mirror Iron Territory is the mining and smelting of iron ore, and agricultural output is not much, so it is easy to retreat.

Harvey's more than 10,000 men were still hungry, but Reiner suddenly led 8,000 men across the river to steal his food, which naturally aroused his resentment and dissatisfaction.

If he hadn't restrained his troops out of consideration for past friendships, the two invading armies from the south might have already broken out into a small-scale civil war.

Reiner looked down at the map and said with a wry smile, "I was forced into this situation. The defense system built by Earl Lynn of the White River was too tight. I could hardly even cross the White River. I had no choice but to detour through Mirror Iron Territory."

Harvey knew that arguing wouldn't solve the problem, and he didn't want a military conflict between the two armies.

Seeing that Reiner was sincere, Harvey asked kindly, "So what do you plan to do next? Cross the river to attack the western suburbs? That place is indeed rich, but I'm afraid it won't be easy to fight there."

"To be honest, I'm a bit lost too. If we want to attack Xijiao County, we still have to cross the Jing River to the north. We don't have many boats, and crossing the river will be too difficult." Reiner is basically in a state of confusion right now.

He knew that the western suburbs were equally difficult to conquer, but his more than 10,000 men consumed a massive amount of grain every day.

The military rations he had plundered from the Crown Territory were almost gone, and he needed to find a place to solve the problem first.

Harvey suddenly grinned and replied, "I do have a plan, but it depends on whether you're willing to listen."

(End of this chapter)