I'm not a lord

Chapter 378 Lynn is influencing the entire continent
"The intelligence must be fake. Something must have gone wrong. It's only been a few days! How could River Bend Fort have been breached so quickly? This is impossible!"

Otto instinctively dismissed the urgent military intelligence sent from the front lines.

He was having a candlelight dinner with two young and beautiful lovers. He always maintained a charming image in front of women, but tonight he was unusually unable to control his rage.

The middle-aged king, who bore the weight of two thrones, stood by the dining table and roared to the sky: "Schultz betrayed me! He surrendered to the Northerners! It must be him! I will kill all his relatives!"

The two young lovers dared not ask or say anything; they could only put down their cutlery, lower their heads, and pretend not to see anything.

But soon, they heard the crisp sound of wine glasses and plates falling to the ground one after another.

Otto, feeling frustrated, decided to become a desktop cleanup master.

After a long clattering and clanging, until all the plates and glasses in his sight were smashed, the knot in his heart finally loosened a little.

Then, without looking back, Otto walked toward the door, leaving his two lovers with a curt remark: "I have urgent business to attend to. Tell the kitchen to prepare another dinner."

About half an hour later, in a conference room in Dawa town, several generals who had received the news gathered and met Otto III, whose face was ashen.

"You've all heard about the situation at River Bend Fort. We may have already lost the castle, the five thousand soldiers inside, and most likely, a reliable, brave, and upright general."

After calming down, Otto had basically given up on his illusions.

Emergency military situations may go wrong, but it is also unlikely that emergency military situations will go wrong.

As time went on, he also obtained more detailed information about the Battle of River Bend.

All signs indicate that River Bend has indeed fallen into Lynn's hands.

That castle, along with everything within it, no longer belongs to Otto.

Several core generals exchanged glances, and a middle-aged general spoke first: "Your Majesty, please accept our condolences. However, Count Schulz has always had good luck on the battlefield, and we firmly believe that he will continue to fight for you."

Count Schulz was experienced and steady, but he rarely acted arrogantly due to his age. He was also quite nice to people and had always been well-liked in the military.

He will most likely meet with misfortune this time, and his generals will feel more or less sorry for him.

Even if a few generals had clashed with him in the past, they would put aside their past grievances and sincerely hope that he could escape alive.

After all, everyone came from the Kingdom of Rui in the southern border and shared a common goal, so it was only natural to stick together closely in a foreign land.

Otto sighed with a sorrowful expression, "I have been praying for him for almost an hour. He is a role model for the court nobles and a friend I can truly trust. Of course, I also hope that he can come back to my side, but alas..."

The generals then chimed in with their own words, offering a great deal of reassurance.

It seems no one remembers that it was Otto who listened to Arno's advice and forcibly ordered Count Schulz to stay and guard River Bend Castle.

If it weren't for that incident, the poor count would probably still be alive and kicking right now.

Incidentally, all the generals present were from the Southern Territory and were Otto's staunch confidants; those who joined later, like Arno, were not allowed to attend such small-scale internal meetings.

After Otto's expression softened slightly, he looked around at the generals on both sides and spoke again: "The River Bend incident has already happened, and there is no point in regretting it now. What we should be considering now is how to completely defeat Lynn, who has invaded the Crown Territory. I would like to hear your opinions on this."

As Otto finished speaking, the conference room fell into a deathly silence. The generals looked at each other, none of them able to utter a word.

A few weeks earlier, these generals would have been vying to show off their military skills to Otto in hopes of promotion, just like Count Tristan.

This young court count is now the commander of the 'Southern Army,' leading more than 20,000 soldiers, a force even larger than that of King Otto.

But now, no one dares to speak out.

The main reason was that Lynn was too fierce and valiant, and the generals were not confident of victory.

Forget about being certain of victory; some people have even started to have second thoughts and miss the warmth of the Southern Territory.

They thought they were coming to the North to make a fortune and enjoy themselves, and also to have a taste of 'beating up cavemen', but they never expected Lynn to bring out new weapons that were beyond their comprehension.

Isn't this right?

What are we doing here? Is this still the North?

Isn't the level of handicrafts in the North far behind that in the South?

Isn't this a harsh, cold country where glass can't be fired and wool can't be woven?

How could Lynn win naval and siege battles one after another with his incredibly powerful cannons, shattering the North's most powerful fleet and the most fortified castles?
Faced with the brutal reality, the noble generals from the South finally abandoned their contempt for the North and began to confront this powerful enemy.

The more they learned about Lynn, the more terrified they became.

There are too many mysteries surrounding this person. Mysteries are the unknown, and the unknown creates fear.

Looking at the room full of silent generals, Otto's face darkened with anger. He slammed his hand on the long table and demanded, "Why isn't anyone saying anything? Have you all become mute?"

Otto then looked at the second general on his right and called him by name: "Model, you always have a keen eye for military strategy. Now stop hiding your thoughts and speak them out."

The young court baron named Model initially looked surprised, then he pushed back his chair and slowly rose, first nodding to the assembled generals, then looking at Otto and replying:
"Your Majesty, if we want to completely defeat Lynn, we only have one way to go now, which is to completely crush his army on the battlefield, and then cross the White River and completely destroy his White River territory."

That territory was where he first rose to power; gunpowder, cannons, and plate armor were all invented there. Most of the barbarians he recruited also lived there. The White River Territory was as important to him as the Crown of Rui was to you.

Model is in his thirties with standard Rui blond hair, but his appearance is very ordinary. If you were to replace his expensive black woolen coat with coarse linen clothes and throw him into a field, he would look like any middle-aged serf you could find anywhere in Rui.

As for the advice he gave, it was like the old farmer's method of cultivating strip fields—it had some value, but not much.

Otto stared intently at the young baron, raising his voice slightly: "Model, could you elaborate a bit more? For example, how should we defeat Lynn's army, especially the 20,000 soldiers he has deployed near River Bend?"

Left with no other option, Model had to grit his teeth and continue his analysis:
"Your Majesty, with our current forces, it is almost impossible to defeat Lynn. However, Earl Tristan is leading more than 20,000 soldiers to Dawa Town. Once we join forces with the Southern Army, we can advance westward and seek an opportunity to fight Lynn in a decisive battle."

Although we have lost most of our ships, we still have a numerical advantage on land, and artillery is not as effective in land warfare, so we still have a good chance of defeating him.

Model's strategy was still not very valuable; it was nothing more than marching westward to find Lynn's main force for a strategic decisive battle.

This seems unworthy of Otto's high praise for him.

But Model is now in a situation where even a skilled cook cannot make a meal without ingredients.

With the destruction of the Amber Harbor fleet and the fall of River Bend, Otto had essentially lost the strategic initiative.

Lynn is now in a position where he can either continue his offensive and territorial expansion, or retreat and rely on River Bend for a defensive counterattack; how the battle is fought depends entirely on his mood.

Although Otto still had more than 30,000 troops, he lost the efficient water supply route and could only rely on a few military food storage points for passive defense.

Of course, Otto could continue to launch attacks, but the risks would be extremely high.

Just as Model had suggested, let the soldiers carry their own food for the better part of a month, and then head west to fight Lynn in a decisive battle.

If the battle is lost, it basically means the entire army is wiped out.

Moreover, Lynn could have avoided the battle altogether, or followed suit and left a force at River Bend for Otto to attack the walls.

Otto has neither cannons nor warships. How can he attack a fortified fortress located on an island in the middle of the river?

Once his army shows signs of fatigue, Lynn can launch a pincer attack from all sides, and his fate will inevitably be one of near-death.

"I understand, please sit down."

Otto did not make things difficult for Model. His military expertise was not low, and he was certainly aware of the predicament he was in.

Although Model didn't say it explicitly, Otto understood that the generals were actually somewhat afraid of Lynn.

Even he himself has developed a certain degree of 'Lynn phobia'.

The victory at River Bend, achieved in less than a week, was too impressive. Otto felt a chill when he thought of Lynn, his strongest enemy in the North. But there was no escaping this war. Was he really going to hand over the North's throne and Crownlands, which he had so painstakingly acquired?
Upon realizing this, a worried expression appeared on Otto's face.

A general offered timely words of comfort: "Your Majesty, you need not blame yourself for this. The fall of River Bend was mainly due to Neil's fault. He made a mistake in commanding the fleet, which allowed Lynn to take control of the Tranquil River waterway."

These words immediately resonated with the generals present, and even Model echoed, "Yes, Your Majesty, it's all because of the naval battle that Neil lost. He clearly had the most powerful fleet in the North, yet he couldn't even hold out for half a day. If it weren't for his defeat, River Bend would never have been breached by Lynn."

Instead of admitting your own mistakes, it's better to look for problems in others.

Neil was not only a Northerner, but he was also confirmed to have died on the battlefield.

It's easy to blame a dead person, which has a bit of a hellish joke feel to it.

The generals helped Otto shift the blame, placing all the blame on Neil.

However, this does not solve any problems.

Otto was inwardly suffering, unable to voice his grievances, as there were some issues he couldn't even consult his trusted generals about.

For example, the issue of military pay.

Last year, he still relied on Neil as an intermediary to borrow a high-interest loan from a businessman to pay the army's salaries.

The money is now long gone, but the end of the war is still a long way off.

Otto originally intended to support his army by plundering wealth through war, but after two months of fighting, he not only failed to earn a single silver coin, but also lost a third of the Crown Territory.

Even if he wanted to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates to fill the hole, the merchants would probably be unwilling to lend him money again.

If we consider Otto's Northern Kingdom as a publicly listed company, its stock is currently on the verge of a major collapse. The entire internet is filled with scandals and negative news about the company, while rival companies are aggressively encroaching on market share, causing the stock price to plummet and hit the daily limit down repeatedly.

In this situation, which investor would dare to make any further investment?
The only way to turn the tide is to win a major victory.

And it can't be delayed; it has to be done as soon as possible. If it's any later, his soldiers will spontaneously solve the problem of their pay, for example, by looting the Crown Territory on the spot.

Of course, Otto didn't only receive bad news.

He lost 5,000 soldiers at River Bend Fortress, which indirectly saved him a large sum of money in military and food expenses.
After the military meeting, Otto dragged his tired body back to his bedroom.

He was holding his beautiful, voluptuous lover in bed, but his body, for the first time ever, showed no reaction.

Otto ended up having a sleepless night and only managed to drift off to sleep at the crack of dawn the next day.

But just as he fell asleep, he heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

Along with the sound of footsteps came an urgent military intelligence report, as sharp as a bolt from the blue.

"Your Majesty, the bastard Maurice is making a big move in the Southern Territory!"

Otto was instantly wide awake, as if he were sitting up in shock from a terminal illness, and he sprang up directly off the pillow.

"Maurice? What's he doing in the South?"

Maurice, the bastard king who hastily fled from Amber Harbor to the South two years ago.

After arriving in the southern border, he sought refuge with Otto's mortal enemy, Francis VII of the Kingdom of Dawn.

For the past year or so, Morris has been recruiting soldiers in the Kingdom of Dawn, but has not taken any other action.

Now, news has reached the North that he is reportedly recruiting large ships capable of crossing the sea, seemingly preparing to lead his army back to the North.

After hearing the military report, Otto was almost laughing in anger. He sat on the bed and commented, "This Maurice, when he was running away, he was as cowardly as a mouse, but now he's suddenly become bold. It seems that François has invested a lot of money in him."

Although Maurice still holds the title of King of the North, no one regards him as a true king, and he cannot possibly have the same powerful appeal as Otto in the South.

Given Maurice's status and influence in the South, he would need to spend a great deal of money to recruit troops or procure ships.

This money could only be provided by François.

Clearly, these two knew that Otto was not making good progress in the North, which is why they decided to launch a sneak attack from behind.

However, Otto was well aware of his old rival François's little scheme.

François's support for Maurice's counterattack in the North was a pretense; his real intention was to use Maurice's name to attract Otto's attention.

If Otto really transfers the remaining troops of the Kingdom of Rui to the north, then François will definitely turn around and attack Rui.

Regardless, the war in the North has indeed affected the situation in the South.

As Otto becomes increasingly bogged down in the quagmire of the North, more Southern powers will inevitably set their sights on him, potentially escalating into a massive war that sweeps across the entire continent.

But after a night of reflection, Otto had begun to regain his composure and calmness.

He got out of bed and quickly wrote a letter to his wife Sophia, who remained in the south, and to the high-ranking official, Earl Meissen.

He then washed and changed his clothes, summoned several trusted generals again, and announced his final decision:
"Once Tristan arrives in Darva, I will seek an opportunity to fight Lynn! This time, I will not run away, and I will definitely defeat him completely!"

Otto prematurely announced his victory and attempted to inspire his generals to regain their morale.

Indeed, Otto knew he couldn't delay any longer; success or failure hinged on this moment.

If Lynn is indeed invincible, then he can simply abandon everything in the North and return to the South.

Anyway, he has two crowns and the Rui Kingdom as a fallback option, so the North is not everything to him.

Otto then summoned Arnaud and gave the following order:

“I have two letters to deliver to Duke Vasa of the Valley and Duke Samuel of the Meadows. Send some capable messengers to deliver them to them on my behalf.”

In order to defeat Lynn, Otto even considered using the local forces in the North.

He didn't believe that Vasa and Samuel would stand by and watch Lynn unify the North.

It should be noted that Lynn was originally a bandit, and the policies he implemented on his territory were completely contrary to the traditional aristocratic system.

Otto intends to preach the "Lynn threat" to the two men and incite them to betray Lynn.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will arrange for someone to do it immediately." Arno was not surprised by this order.

In the past two years, he had already helped Otto contact these two native nobles of the North.

However, the situation back then was very different from now, and Vasa and Samuel were more inclined to ally with Lynn to fight against Otto.

Now the situation has changed drastically. Lynn is about to become invincible in the North, and Arno is hoping that the two of them can change their attitude.

The messenger quickly set off, carrying Otto's handwritten letter to Iron Fortress and Wolf Fortress.

A few days later, Vasa, who was reorganizing his troops in Iron Fortress, received the latest military intelligence from River Bend Fortress.

"How enviable! Why is it that only Lynn gets to own cannons?"

Vasa envied Lynn's cannons more than Riverbend, the fortified city in the North.

If he had possessed artillery, he wouldn't have wasted half a year at White Eagle Fortress, nor would he have lost thousands of elite soldiers in the siege.

Vasa's brother Damian then clamored, "Brother, Lynn has already captured Iron Fortress, Otto has fled in panic like a clown, and most of the army of Luyuan Territory has also retreated eastward. This is the perfect opportunity for us to conquer Luyuan Territory! Any later, and that territory will belong to Lynn!"

"Yes, we can't delay any longer. You stay here and guard Iron Fortress for me, and I will personally go to conquer Luyuan Territory!" Vasa finally made up his mind to participate in this final battle for the Northern Crown.

(End of this chapter)