Chapter 23

From the day the war council ended, Clyris left Ironwood City. Taking Alice, Freya, and a team of researchers, she moved into the temporary barracks in the Factory District.

The next day, when they were led into the massive workshop, even though Charlo had described it to her, Clyris couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

Hundreds of ordinary workers stood at designated stations. They worked with methodical, rhythmic efficiency, processing the component delivered by the person before them and passing it to the next.

It was like a flowing river of steel and cloth. Each part was completed in sequence, culminating at the end of the line as a finished product.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your workstations are arranged over here." The supervisor guiding them led the mages to a different section. Unlike the metalworking area, this section was dominated by female workers seated at sewing machines, stitching military uniforms with rapid precision.

"Once the workers finish sewing the uniforms, we need you to engrave the Protective Runes onto them! How you distribute the work is up to you. I must attend to other matters!" The supervisor finished his briefing and hurried away.

"Alright, everyone." Clyris clapped her hands, drawing the attention of the mages. "In the work ahead, I will be responsible for the Core Runes. Alice, Freya, you and the Third-Rank mages will handle the Secondary Runes. Everyone else will take care of the Auxiliary Runes! Any problems?"

"No problem, Miss Clyris!" Alice responded promptly.

"Then let us begin!" Freya pumped her small fist, brimming with energy. "I shall assist my Compatriot with all my might!"

__________

Iron Lion Keep. The stronghold of Viscount Baroque, ruler of the Iron Lion Territory.

Tonight, the keep was ablaze with lights. Servants hurried back and forth, attending to the guests.

Music drifted through the halls as Viscount Baroque gathered with four other Viscounts for a feast.

"Gentlemen, I called everyone here today to settle the distribution of spoils!" Viscount Baroque raised his wine glass. "Only when the profits are clear can we march with confidence!"

"Of course!" one Viscount replied. "I will contribute two Knight Squads and two thousand auxiliaries! Led by two Fifth-Rank Knights! Don't you dare shortchange me, Viscount Baroque!"

"Naturally, Viscount Rick!" Baroque laughed heartily. "You won't be shortchanged, rest assured!"

"Then I will contribute the same force as Viscount Rick!"

"Me too!"

"And I!"

The remaining three Viscounts did their mental calculations and decided to match Rick's contribution.

"Haha! Then I cannot show weakness!" Baroque waved his large hand expansively. "I will contribute three Knight Squads and three Fifth-Rank Knights! Plus three thousand auxiliaries!"

The four other Viscounts exchanged glances, shocked. It seemed Baroque was determined to devour Charlo completely.

As fellow frontier Viscounts who had interacted for decades, they knew each other's strength intimately.

As established noble houses, the Viscounts themselves were typically Sixth-Rank Knights. Their subordinates usually included six or seven Fifth-Rank Knights and twenty to thirty Fourth-Rank Knights. As for their standing armies, they could field four or five standard hundred-man Knight Squads.

Baroque was committing half his military strength in one go. Considering he needed at least two squads to patrol and garrison his own lands, he was essentially gambling with his entire mobile force.

"Viscount Baroque, I must remind you," one Viscount spoke up cautiously. "We are here to divide Viscount Charlo's wealth, not to kill him! Remember, no matter what happens, his surname is still Rose!"

Generally, only the eldest son inherited the title and surname. Younger sons who were granted new fiefs were usually stripped of the family name and forced to establish a new house.

However, over the centuries, available land had become scarce. Furthermore, powerful families didn't want their influence diluted. A second son was still a son and a potential asset. Thus, nobles often sent younger sons to serve in Knight Orders, allowing them to retain their surname and a sliver of inheritance rights.

When the old head of the house retired, the new head would "hire" these brothers back, reintegrating them as pillars of the family's power.

This rule, of course, excluded bastards, who were denied the surname from birth.

Charlo de Rose, although enfeoffed with a new territory, was the son of Earl Saxe de Rose of Iron Rose. He retained the name. This meant that even if their robbery succeeded, they could not kill him. They could only strip him of his land and send him back to his father.

"...Damn it!" Baroque remembered this fact and slammed his fist on the table. "Why does he get to keep the Iron Rose name?!"

"Earl Iron Rose and Earl Sharp Sword petitioned together. Plus, his youthful talent was praised by the Emperor himself. Naturally, he gets special treatment!" Viscount Rick said calmly, setting down his glass.

The House of Sharp Sword was a staunch ally of Iron Rose through marriage. Charlo’s mother was the daughter of the previous Earl Sharp Sword.

Furthermore, the current Earl Sharp Sword's daughter was engaged to Charlo's older brother, Drake.

Facing the pressure of two Imperial Earls and the tacit approval of the Emperor, Charlo’s status was unassailable.

"It doesn't matter!" Baroque took a huge gulp of wine. "Our action is supported by Earl Esther, the Warden of the Border! Those two Earls in the Capital have long arms, but they cannot reach the Eastern Border. Out here, what Earl Esther says goes!"

"For this harvest, after deducting Earl Esther's share, I want thirty percent of the remainder!" Baroque finally extended three fingers.

"So the four of us split the remaining seventy percent?" another Viscount asked, his tone unfriendly.

"Why don't we just split it equally among the five of us?" Viscount Rick interjected smoothly. "Viscount Baroque, we are all contributing roughly the same force. With the Barons below us, we will have twenty Knight Squads. We are hitting a tiny Charlo. He has only managed Ironwood for a few years. Does he even have a single Knight Squad? Didn't you see him using commoners against the demons?"

"Exactly! An equal split is best, Viscount Baroque! That way, if pressure comes from the Capital, we all share the burden with you!"

"But I am the initiator..." Baroque hesitated. "Surely I should get at least twenty-five percent..."

"Baroque!" Rick shouted. "We came here to share the risk with you! If you persist with this greed, then let us disperse! We will go home and wait for Charlo to swallow us one by one! At that point, I’ll take my family assets and defect to him—maybe I can even keep some of my wealth!"

"This..." Baroque calmed down instantly.

Although he had the support of Earl Esther, Charlo was untouchable personally. Earl Esther only wanted a quick profit; he didn't want to offend two Capital Earls permanently.

Once Charlo was sent back home, he would inevitably seek revenge. If the five Border Viscounts stood united, they had nothing to fear. But if their alliance fractured, Charlo would find a gap. And while the others might survive, Baroque—as the ringleader—would certainly die.

As for why he dared to attack at all... counterintuitively, the Empire encouraged minor landed nobles to annex each other.

It was like raising gu. Let the minor nobles slaughter each other until the strongest survive.

Eventually, the survivors would become Landed Earls directly loyal to the Emperor. This strengthened the royal authority while diluting the power of the Four Grand Dukes.

The Court Dukes in the capital had no land, so the Emperor didn't fear them. But the Four Grand Dukes were essentially kings in their own domains, holding absolute military, economic, and political power.

To prevent the Grand Dukes from consolidating their borders into impregnable fortresses, the Emperor encouraged constant infighting among the lesser nobles. War caused destruction. As long as the minor lords were fighting, the Grand Dukes couldn't effectively develop their regions.

And once a "Gu King" emerged as an Earl, the Grand Duke could no longer interfere, as only the Emperor could appoint Earls and above. These new Earls became the Emperor's nails driven into the Grand Dukes' territories.

Thus, Baroque's action was supported not only by Earl Esther but also permitted by Archduke Fokk de Landon of the East. This was the source of his confidence.

But confidence required strength. If the alliance broke, Charlo might one day reach High Rank and assassinate him personally.

After weighing the pros and cons, Baroque finally relented.

"Fine... we split it equally!"