Howard hadn’t anticipated Anna’s move. In a swift reaction, he shifted his shield to the left, deflecting Anna’s one-handed sword. Then, advancing with a right step forward, he pointed his sword at Anna’s neck as she lay on the ground. Howard emerged victorious.

In a deep and grandiose castle, a Duke stood at the highest point, gazing into the distance, holding a goblet in his hand. The goblet was filled with wine from the Bordeaux region, a favorite of the Duke’s. As a Duke, his hobby was to stand at the highest point of his castle, overlooking the grounds and the distant hills. The castle was beautiful, but it hadn’t been renovated for a long time, and some areas were starting to show problems.

His chancellor approached in the castle, informing him that there was a leak somewhere inside and requested funds for repairs. The Duke, irritable, downed his wine in one gulp and said, “Why come to me with this? Go to my son; he’s the finance minister. Ask him for the money.”

Hesitantly, the chancellor replied, “I did approach Lanvin earlier, but he refused to allocate the funds.”

The Duke arrogantly waved his hand, and a nearby maid poured him more wine. He asked, “Why? Does he plan to rebel? I’m not dead yet, and he’s already disregarding me?”

The chancellor, not daring to agree with such a statement, offered an alternative explanation, “Perhaps he’s recently encountered some difficulties with the finances. Maybe you should look into it, my lord.”

The Duke scoffed and descended from the highest point of the castle, discontentedly muttering, “I’ll have a serious talk with this unworthy son. I appointed him as the finance minister. How is he repaying me?”

When the Duke encountered his son, Lanvin, the Earl, was busy instructing his staff to audit the accounts. The Duke entered the accounting room with a sullen face, but remained silent. Observing his son’s earnest search for the root of their financial issues, the Duke, intent on testing his son, left the room just as grimly as he had entered.

Earl Lanvin, seemingly oblivious to his father’s presence earlier, was actually quite aware. He had deliberately kept his eyes on the ledger and his fingers flipping through the pages, fearing to face his father directly. Lanvin hadn’t embezzled any funds; he had always managed the Duke’s accounts with strict propriety. However, Lanvin’s financial acumen was lacking. Despite his current state of tension and his rapid perusal of the accounts as if to enhance efficiency, he was unable to identify the real issues. All he could do was to review the same ledgers repeatedly, hoping to find something he had missed.

After going through the accounts once more, Lanvin still failed to detect any fiscal irregularities within his capabilities. His heart sank at the thought of the potential consequences, which he found unbearable. The position of finance minister had been a request to his father, who had reluctantly granted it. Lanvin knew he lacked the financial expertise necessary for the role; many others were more qualified than him in this aspect.

He had accepted his father’s appointment with a silent vow to meticulously manage his father’s finances. Yet now, it seemed he had utterly failed. The responsibility he had so eagerly sought was turning into a profound challenge, leaving him overwhelmed and unsure of how to rectify the situation.

Inside the accounting room, a scribe suggested to Lanvin, “My lord, why not consult Osborne? He was the former finance minister here and is well-acquainted with all these matters.”

Lanvin’s expression soured as he turned to the scribe, “What are you suggesting? That I should seek advice on work matters from my predecessor? Wouldn’t that be an outright admission that he is more capable than I am?”

The scribe spread his hands and said, “I don’t wish to say this, my lord, but we have been searching for discrepancies in these ledgers for quite some time now and still can’t pinpoint where the issue lies. The records that led to the substantial drain from the treasury are hidden within these entries, but we can’t seem to detect them.”

Lanvin hung his head low and walked towards the room’s entrance. He didn’t want his father’s finances to actually run into trouble. However, Lanvin was also a seasoned noble. As he approached the doorway, he lifted his head back to its usual stature, striving to maintain an appearance of unflappability even in the face of adversity, akin to being composed even if Mount Tai were to crumble before him.

Lanvin sought out Osborne, a baron who served directly under his father. When Lanvin approached Osborne for advice, Osborne feigned ignorance and deafness. Lanvin’s patience began to wear thin, but he restrained his voice and said, “Can we stop this nonsense? I admit it was wrong of me to usurp your position as finance minister, and I apologize for that. But now, you need to help me straighten out these accounts.”

Osborne, gazing at a flowerpot, responded to Lanvin, “How could I dare to cause trouble for the Earl? You are an Earl, and I am but a Baron. I understand the hierarchy.”

“I just apologized, didn’t I?” Lanvin said, frustration rising.

Still, Osborne remained obstinate, “And didn’t I just say? I can’t accept your apology.”

Lanvin, clenching his fist, struck the stone wall and said to Osborne, “If you won’t help me, someone else will. You may have superior financial skills, but I’m sure I can find someone even more capable.”

Osborne walked away down the path, retorting, “As you wish.”

Meanwhile, at Fernsouth Castle, Howard inquired about Mibo’s recent activities. Portia informed Howard that after Mibo took control of the Gokasu region, he stripped several knights under the Hof faction of their titles, while Mambaton, who was loyal to Hof, pledged allegiance to Mibo instead.

Howard, thinking he had misheard, asked Portia, “What? The wavering knights under Hof were stripped of their titles, but Mambaton, who was loyal to Hof, was kept? Did I hear that correctly? It sounds like you got it backwards.”

Portia explained to Howard that the knights of the Gokasu region had initially accepted the change in their lordship quite readily. They believed that whatever happened at the higher levels of nobility didn’t really affect them. However, Mibo, having been an Earl for a long time, had his own understanding of rulership.

Using his methods, combined with the prestige of his ducal relatives, Mibo made it excruciating for the knights when they received the documents revoking their titles. There seemed to be no reason for Mibo to strip these knights of their titles, yet he was adept at scheming. He first united all the knights under a conspiratorial resolution and issued an ultimatum to one of them. That knight was the first to surrender, reducing himself to a commoner.

Then, Mibo stirred discontent among the vassals, leading them to verbally attack each other. Soon, the Gokasu nobility turned into informers, exposing each other’s secrets. Mibo collected this information but didn’t use it immediately. He again employed the tactic of collective persuasion to revoke another knight’s title.

After this, the remaining knights believed that Mibo was threatening their interests. They began to band together, preparing to oppose Mibo. That’s when Mibo’s previously gathered intelligence came into play. He used the various pieces of evidence they had exposed about each other to strip the remaining knights of their titles.

This time, the knights refused to comply, choosing to resist. But Mibo didn’t even need to call on his relatives for help; he alone dealt with these knights, revoking their titles. Mibo’s acquisition of so many titles was a recognition of his past mistakes.

Howard asked with appropriate interest, “What mistakes? Are you referring to errors in the feudal structure?” 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜

Portia nodded, “Exactly. This time, Mibo revoked the titles of many knights, but he hasn’t granted any of these titles to others. Even though his direct domain has now exceeded the standard, he still hasn’t knighted anyone.”

Howard, resting his chin on his hand, mused, “Interesting.”

Portia continued, “As for the last knight, that would be Mambaton. He is famously loyal, having been the noble who provided the most troops and fought most valiantly for Hof. But Mibo seems to appreciate him, and has been hesitant to act against Mambaton.”

Howard commented, “It’s of little consequence. Mibo’s trouble lies with his ducal relatives. I’ve already experienced his own level of competence.”

After finishing her report, Portia prepared to leave, but Howard, struck by a sudden thought, said, “Withdraw our spy network from Gokasu. Mibo’s affairs are no longer the most critical issue.”

Portia, puzzled, responded, “But sir, Mibo is currently a significant threat to you.”

Howard instructed, “Redirect your espionage efforts towards the duke who is Mibo’s relative. The key to the entire situation now lies with Mibo’s ducal relative.”

Portia acknowledged and left. Howard then relayed these matters to Nora, casually remarking, “After becoming an Earl, there are more things to focus on. I can no longer concentrate solely on my superiors. The current situation demands a greater emphasis on diplomacy.”

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