Subsequently, Portwan’s decision underwent a drastic 180 degree turn.

He immediately resolved to withdraw from the conspiracy hatched by Count Mibo.

This shift effectively left Count Mibo’s plot lacking the critical mass of conspiratorial force needed to confront their opponents.

The complete reasoning behind Portwan’s decision remained a mystery to Howard, yet he surmised it was undoubtedly linked to a realization that the rise of Gokasu Barony would be detrimental to Portwan’s own interests, prompting his withdrawal from the scheme.

Indeed, Portwan’s considerations were straightforward.

Not being of noble birth, he couldn’t pass on his city to his children.

His perspective was simple: any chaos could jeopardize his financial avenues.

For Portwan, Wislot was beyond his control, but the gold he amassed as mayor was indisputably his, untouchable by anyone else.

Recognizing that Gokasu Barony held no relevance for him, Portwan was naturally inclined to oppose Count Mibo’s ambitions to expand his influence.

Howard and Nora exited the grandeur of Portwan’s mayoral building, stepping into a bustling street scene.

Even though it was night, the streets were still crowded.

Vendors in both main streets and alleys came out for the night market, their voices contributing to a symphony of conversations, laughter, and haggling that ensured the night in Wislot would be anything but tranquil.

Having successfully navigated the challenging decision of whether to support Hof or Mibo, Howard felt a refreshing clarity of mind and body.

The situation had now simplified.

Mibo’s conspiracy was thwarted, and Hof’s title remained secure.

Then there was the matter of Hof’s counterstrike against Mibo, to which Howard planned to respond opportunistically.

The decision was arduous, and even Howard found himself wavering more than once.

Ultimately, it wasn’t so much that Howard chose Hof, but rather Portwan’s reaction that guided Howard’s actions.

Howard had revealed the truth to Portwan, but did not persuade him to abandon Mibo’s plot.

It was Portwan’s own decision to distance himself from Mibo, a choice independent of Howard.

Howard remained the loyal vassal, a true knight.

It was Portwan who deviated from the plan, and Mibo could not justifiably place blame on Howard.

Strolling through the city, Nora and Howard both wore relaxed smiles.

Nora spoke to Howard, “Lord Howard, it seems we have finally resolved the matter between Mibo and Hof. We needn’t worry about Hof for now, but Mibo’s conspiratorial scheme is certainly foiled.”

Howard shrugged nonchalantly, “Yes, indeed. It appears my journey to Wislot was well-timed. Portwan is a smart man who momentarily lost his bearings in the face of interests. A reminder from me was all it took for him to withdraw from the plot.”

“Now I can relax, and perhaps it’s time to think about earning another title. After all, I’ve heard that Catherine’s father is quite concerned about her marriage prospects. We should hasten our plans.”

Nora kicked a pebble on the roadside playfully, teasing, “Hasten in what way? Are you suggesting we should get married too?”

Howard was taken aback, turning his head to the right to see Nora playfully kicking stones along the road, her demeanor transformed into one of innocence and joy, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.

Before Howard could speak, Nora suddenly pulled a face at him and teased, “I’m just kidding! Who would want to marry you?”

With a light laugh, Howard responded in a carefree manner, “I know, and the one I plan to marry is Catherine. When I said we need to hasten, I meant in terms of rising through the ranks, and that indeed needs to be quickened.”

Upon returning to Castle Fernsouth, Howard and Nora found Bosiden there and promptly involved him in their discussion, which centered on how to ascend the ranks more rapidly.

Bosiden commented, “My lord, I haven’t been to other lords’ domains to create claims lately, so currently you don’t have any claims. Without claims, we can’t wage war. And without war, it’s difficult to acquire lands.”

Nora mockingly chided Howard, “If we knew it would be this challenging, we should have just joined forces with Mibo and taken down Hof. Maybe Mibo would have been pleased enough to grant you a barony in Gokasu Barony.”

Howard, ignoring Nora’s playful provocation and knowing her temperamental nature, focused instead on Bosiden.

After a moment of contemplation, Bosiden suggested, “My lord, if you wish to deploy troops, it’s not impossible. My current task as the Seal Bearer is to win over Resarite, right? ”

“But in my interactions with Resarite these past days, I’ve noticed he holds a very high regard for you, my lord. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to continue courting Resarite. Instead, I could go to Count Mibo and create a claim there. Once we have a claim, you can then muster your forces.”

Nora continued her biting sarcasm, “What good are claims? Does having them guarantee victory in war? Look at Zoron, who also took the initiative to attack. What was the outcome? Still a failure.”

“And then there’s Blima, who also declared war on you, my lord. What happened to him? His title was seized, and he was reduced to a commoner. ”

“We only have the forces of a single barony, while Count Mibo, nominally still the lord of Nok, commands much more. Once war breaks out, it’s not just Mibo’s troops; Hof’s and Portwan’s forces will all come to Mibo’s aid. Facing an army several times our size, can we really win?”

Bosiden, now a noble himself, could have reprimanded Nora for her comments, but he didn’t.

The reason was that Nora’s words echoed his own concerns.

Bosiden’s strength lay in diplomacy; he excelled in many areas, but not in leading armies.

After some thought, Howard decided to summon Resarite.

Resarite was training soldiers daily at Castle Fernsouth, where Howard had prepared a fine room for him.

However, being a noble with his own lands, Howard couldn’t be sure if Resarite was currently at the castle.

After all, Resarite had his own domain to oversee, and Howard couldn’t force him to stay at Castle Fernsouth.

When Bosiden returned, he brought Resarite with him, who appeared to be staying at Castle Fernsouth that day.

Eagerly, Howard spread a map on the strategy board and pointed to the locations of various baronies for Resarite, asking, “Resarite, you are an expert in warfare.

Help me see—if I were to go to war directly against Mibo, with his troops plus those of Hof and Portwan, could we still prevail?”

Resarite spoke with confidence, “My lord, I won’t make bold claims about siege warfare; that’s a matter of sheer numbers. But in a field battle, I assure you, our army will certainly not lose to Mibo’s forces!”

Howard prompted Resarite to elaborate.

Resarite explained, “Listen, my lord. Mibo’s soldiers are indeed formidable, conscripted from military castles, and I’ve heard that Mibo has equipped them well, enhancing their combat effectiveness.”

“However, Hof’s troops are insufficient in number. Hof previously borrowed gold coins equivalent to three years of taxes from merchants and hastily assembled mercenaries to attack Castle Fernsouth. Not only did they fail to seize the castle, but they also suffered heavy losses in both troops and finances.”

“Hof can’t even afford to replenish his castle’s garrison now; in truth, he hardly has any soldiers left. As for Portwan’s forces, they’re even less of a concern. Portwan is merely a mayor, commanding a group of city guards armed with long spears.”

“It’s one thing for these guards to casually patrol the city streets maintaining order, but to expect them to stand against soldiers pulled from military fortresses? They would crumble upon contact.”

“I’d say the fighting capability of city guards is only slightly better than that of conscripts from the outlying villages. In a real battle, they’d likely be the first to flee.”

Howard, listening to Resarite, understood that they could indeed wage this war.

He also gleaned insight into why Count Mibo previously aimed to usurp Hof’s title; it turned out Hof was perceived as an easy target due to his lack of soldiers. 𝑖𝘦.𝒸𝘰𝑚

That very night, Howard made the decisive choice to directly confront Mibo.

He immediately instructed Bosiden to head towards Mibo’s domain to fabricate a claim, and at the same time, he gave Resarite some gold coins to procure reasonably good quality weapons and armor from the market for the soldiers.

As for the blacksmiths under Howard’s command, they had been diligently delivering finished products over the past days, fulfilling their responsibilities commendably.

Since these blacksmiths were not paid, working under a gentleman’s agreement to provide Howard with weapons and armor, Howard felt it inappropriate to press them for additional efforts, such as crafting extra iron swords.

So, he refrained from issuing such orders.

Once the plan was settled, Resarite was brimming with ambitious zeal, visibly excited by the prospect.

Bosiden, on the other hand, maintained an inscrutable calmness, his emotions unreadable.

As for Nora, just before leaving, she inquired of Howard, “Oh, by the way, my lord, what about Boshni from Yami Village? Now that she’s at the court, she ought to be assigned some duties.”

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