Boshni seemed to understand and said, “I get it. So, the hero plays the role of a knight for a while, and with his prestige and abilities, he could soon become a king, couldn’t he?”
Howard smiled wryly and replied, “If we follow your theory, that might indeed be possible.”
The conversation with Boshni made Howard realize the potential problems his rapid ascent might cause.
In the story, the hero is someone else, and the reader has an objective viewpoint, able to make clear judgments.
But in Howard’s own life, as he’s living it firsthand, it’s much harder for him to see himself objectively.
Howard nodded solemnly and thanked Boshni, “Thank you, I now understand the situation I’m in.”
Afterward, Howard left the library. In the afternoon, a messenger from Duke Jiakai arrived, and Howard received him.
This messenger was the Duke’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had come to improve relations with Howard.
Reflecting on his time in the library, Howard was acutely aware that he was a thorn in Duke Jiakai’s side.
Thus, he instructed his staff to treat the Duke’s envoy with great hospitality. However, as Howard was about to leave, the envoy called out to him, “My Lord Earl, the Duke treats each of his vassals well and shows concern for each one. As far as I know, you are not yet married. The Duke asked me to inquire about your plans for marriage.”
Howard informed the envoy of his engagement to Catherine. The envoy, satisfied, remarked, “It would be better if it were sooner.”
Howard, slightly troubled, replied, “There’s no helping it. After the engagement, it takes a while before the marriage can officially take place.”
Understanding the situation, the envoy said, “Alright, I understand. Oh, and should you wish to leave, please feel free to do so.”
After leaving, Howard felt perplexed about the diplomat’s apparent interest in his marital plans.
Coincidentally, he ran into Anna, who seemed normal as if their previous conversation had never happened.
Howard shared the incident with Anna, to which she speculated, “Perhaps Duke Jiakai genuinely wishes you well.”
Later, Howard visited the blacksmith workshop and discussed the matter with Nora.
Nora opined, “It seems Duke Jiakai might be intimidated by your rapid rise and wants you to marry quickly. Getting married might settle you down and prevent you from challenging his position.”
Howard found her reasoning plausible.
While at the workshop, he inquired about their recent work productivity.
Nora responded, “Ever since you became an earl, they’ve been working extra hard. We’ve truly achieved voluntary labor without misusing materials, and both the quantity and quality of our output have increased significantly. They’ve begun to take pride in the title of ‘Earl’s Personal Blacksmiths,’ feeling honored and a sense of belonging.”
Pleased with this positive development, Howard briefly inquired about other matters around the castle before leaving.
At the training grounds, Resarite was energetically training the soldiers.
Howard informed him, “I’ve given Portia the temporary position of Chief of Spies.” .
Resarite approvingly remarked, “He deserves it.”
Surprised by his high regard, Howard asked, “Do you think so highly of him?”
Resarite laughed heartily, “I’m not sure about spying, but I believe he’s capable in battle.”
Observing the soldiers on the training ground, Howard asked, “How is the training going?”
Resarite replied, “The pike units are fully trained, but the sword and shield infantry need a bit more time. The remaining archers are fine, practicing daily at the range. The light infantry’s equipment has been distributed, and training the cavalry is a top priority.”
Howard, particularly interested in the pike units, inquired, “If we have enough men in the pike units, can they withstand a cavalry charge?”
Resarite explained, “No, they can’t. Even though our pike units are stronger than the typical city guards, in terms of morale and battlefield response, they still can’t stop a cavalry charge. The high status of cavalry and knights on this continent is due to their unstoppable combat prowess.”
Howard then asked about the total number of soldiers in the castle.
“There are 1200 men, which is full capacity. To increase the numbers, we’d need to expand the castle,” Resarite said.
Howard gasped, “Expanding will cost a lot, won’t it?”
Resarite chuckled, “Not too expensive. I estimate the initial expansion would only cost around 90 gold coins.”
Shaking his head, Howard responded, “I don’t have that much. Even with the castle and city taxes, I only have 75 gold coins on hand, and over 50 of those came from trading pearls from Kenfa Village. Tax revenue is just over 20 gold coins. I need to be careful with spending.”
Resarite suggested, “Why not collect feudal taxes from us, your vassals? We can pay you a monthly amount.”
Howard’s eyes lit up, “Right, why didn’t I think of that before!”
Subsequently, Howard instructed his Seal Minister, Bosiden, to draft a document regarding the collection of taxes from all his vassals.
He then ordered Bosiden to ensure every vassal was informed about this new mandate.
As an earl, Howard’s vassals included Baron Hof, Mayor Karlondo, and knights like Anna, Margaret, Resarite, Bosiden, Vettel, Alonso, and Kaido.
However, the knights under Baron Hof’s command were not Howard’s concern.
In this world, a vassal’s vassals are not one’s own.
Hof’s knights owed their loyalty to Hof, not Howard, and had no direct interaction with him.
Only those knights directly under Howard were his to command.
This hierarchical structure could be likened to a large corporation with several parallel subsidiaries.
Each subsidiary, in turn, had its own leadership and chain of command.
However, there was a significant difference from the corporate model: in the realm of nobility, interactions were strictly between corresponding ranks, and there was no overarching authority that encompassed all levels.
For example, in a corporate setting, a CEO could directly scrutinize the accounts of a manager several levels down the hierarchy.
But in this feudal world, even an emperor couldn’t intervene in the affairs of a minor noble within the empire if there was no direct relationship.
This exemplifies the feudal principle of “a vassal’s vassal is not my vassal.”
This feudal system, at first glance, seems to have a loophole: if assigning a baron meant also distributing knights, why not just appoint knights as the smallest noble unit and keep all territories under direct control?
This way, one could maximally utilize all resources and maintain control at the highest level.
However, there’s a countermeasure to this approach: each superior noble has a designated number of direct vassals.
Employing the “all-knight vassal” strategy would exceed this number, violating the rules.
Conversely, one must strategically plan the number of direct vassals to not exceed the limit and comply with the regulations.
A month later, Howard collected territorial taxes from Kenfa Village, Pitz Village, Nok Castle, and Fernsouth Castle, as well as feudal taxes from his major vassals.
During this process, a minor incident occurred: Kaido lost his temper again.
Golan, disappointed and feeling that Kaido was tarnishing the Indigo Bloom Family’s reputation, initiated a rebellion.
Kaido was upset because the promised fief had not yet been delivered, yet he was required to pay monthly feudal taxes, leading to a sense of unfairness and anger.
When Golan advised Kaido to be patient, Kaido assaulted him.
Golan, feeling his loyalty was met with ingratitude, rallied other soldiers and mid-level personnel dissatisfied with Kaido, eventually imprisoning him.
As for Flandre’s safety, there were no concerns.
Golan sent Flandre back to Howard’s side, ensuring her protection amidst the turmoil.
Fast forwarding to the present, Flandre had been living in Pitz Village for about four or five days.
Howard had invited her to stay in the castle several times, but she expressed her preference for the village’s ambiance. 𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮
With no other choice, Howard had to send many maids to assist her.
Now with funds in hand, Howard had amassed 30 gold coins from the monthly feudal taxes of the various lords, adding to his existing 75 gold coins, totaling 105 gold coins.
He allocated 90 gold coins to Vettel, instructing the Finance Minister to oversee the expansion of the military facilities, emphasizing the need for swift completion.
Golan’s rebellion was peculiar.
After imprisoning Kaido, he didn’t demand the transfer of the knight title of Windhaven Village to himself, instead keeping Kaido detained.
The envoy from Windhaven Village visited Fernsouth Castle only once, conveying that Golan had no intention of seizing the Indigo Bloom Family’s territory.
He requested Howard to be patient, giving Windhaven Village some time to properly discipline the current head of the Indigo Bloom Family.
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