I was once again back in that room where the meeting was taking place.
Some of the knights and nobles from various factions had already left for home, and the number of people gathered had decreased.
“I’m sorry for calling you all together suddenly. In fact, I just received a letter from the royal family.”
Father said this and threw two letters onto the table in the center so everyone could see.
The seals had already been broken, indicating that Father had read them.
“Which faction is it from?”
The question came from one of the barons of a faction.
“It’s from the Crown Prince’s faction.”
Currently, our country is in the midst of a civil war, and the struggle for the throne is unfolding.
This situation arose because the king passed away without naming a successor.
The factions have split between the Duke faction, which is the king’s brother, and the Crown Prince faction, which is led by his son. This division has caused a prolonged period of turmoil in the kingdom. Even though both factions refer to themselves as the royal family, it can be considered a statement to confirm their legitimacy.
Ah, I suppose our Duchy of Baltia is also part of the royal family. Its origin traces back to the king’s brother. The right of succession is extremely low, though.
Now, back to the topic.
“This letter is addressed to me and the Duchy of Baltia. It’s an invitation to a party held by the Crown Prince’s faction in the New Year.”
Why is it sent to me…? Ah, I see. By sending it to the duchy as well, it’s a way of showing respect to the higher-ranking nobles, right?
“…Isn’t this a trap to lure out the Earl who has taken over the Duchy of Baltia and Lord Ainzich and eliminate them?”
When one of the knights proposed this, the others nodded in agreement.
“It’s not impossible, but… I don’t think so.”
As Father dismissed the suggestion, everyone leaned in, eager to hear the reasoning.
“If they were angry about the takeover of the duchy, they would have intervened for a ceasefire much earlier.”
“I see.”
“That’s true.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Father’s explanation.
Well, that makes sense. In fact, the royal family might have been hoping for the unification of the Silria region after cutting ties. The previous Duchy of Baltia was quite famous for having a tyrant.
“…However, this could make the New Year dangerous.”
“A siege…”
“Yes. Since we are inviting the Earl, the royal family will likely negotiate with the surrounding noble families to ensure safe passage. There’s a possibility they might attack while the Earl is absent…”
Father and the faction’s knights and nobles all wore troubled expressions.
“…I have a proposal.”
“What is it, Ain?”
As I prepared to propose, everyone turned to look at me.
With only tough-looking men around, I felt as if I had been brought into a yakuza office, making me quite nervous, but I steeled myself and began to speak.
“Let’s spread a rumor. That the royal family has acknowledged Earl Vywarl’s pacification of the Silria region and will grant him a promotion.”
“…Will that really hold them back?”
The question came from one of the nobles.
Instead of answering him alone, I began to address everyone.
“The nobles attempting to form a siege are all relatively minor houses, but there are various types of nobility among them. Some still pledge loyalty to the royal family as it was in the past. Although some fear our power, it is also a reaction to the takeover of the duchy. By spreading the rumor that the royal family will grant a promotion, it implies that they have accepted the matter of the duchy.”
Father pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Some of them may lose the justification to attack.”
“Yes. And if they still try to invade, they will fear that they might make the royal family their enemy.”
Disrupting their coordination with this rumor is similar to the earlier idea of spreading the rumor about a marriage alliance, but above all, it carries the fear of potentially turning the royal family into an enemy.
Since they are all minor noble houses, they find themselves with us in front and the royal family behind.
This would leave them in a difficult position.
“Interesting. Let’s go with that plan. We might even consider genuinely working towards the promotion.”
It seemed Father liked the idea, and the meeting concluded with a decided course of action.
I’m relieved; I was so tense.
