A month later, the fleet returning from the New World docked at Luka, unloading a vast cargo.

Meanwhile, Edward made his move against the Duke of Florence.

Howard dispatched troops directly.

Resarite, for his part, showed no sign of rebellion, claiming his earlier remarks were just a sleepy blunder, which Howard took with a grain of salt.

He didn’t care whether it was true or not; as long as Resarite didn’t revolt, he remained a valued vassal.

Howard assigned Resarite the position of a commander, with the soldiers under his command.

Ten days later, in the territory of the Earl of Florence, Ferald’s diplomatic minister met with Howard.

Howard offered the minister a glass of water, a gesture of basic courtesy.

The minister from Ferald began, “Noble, brave, and wise Duke Howard, first, please allow me to extend my highest respects to you. My lord, the Duke of Florence, has long admired your reputation and often speaks of your valiant figure on the battlefield in his court.” “My lord does not wish to engage in combat with such a respected adversary. Kind Duke Howard, please withdraw from this war. In return, my lord will reveal to you the location of a gold mine in Nok territory.”

Vettel stood silently, and Howard glanced at him.

Vettel shook his head.

Howard responded, “A gold mine in Nok territory? If that’s true, how come I, the Earl of Nok, am unaware of it?”

The diplomatic minister attempted to show Howard the exact location on a map, but Howard hastily gestured to Golan to stop him, saying, “No, no, no, put away your map. I’ve already made a promise to Edward, and I cannot withdraw from this battle. Keep your goodwill, I cannot accept it.”

Another ten days passed, and the Florence Castle was breached.

Edward discovered a large amount of gold that Ferald had not managed to evacuate in time.

This gold was stored in deliberately aged boxes, covered with a thick layer of misleading dust.

However, Edward’s Briar Brigade, a mercenary group, was not only skilled in combat but also had a keen eye and methods for treasure hunting.

Desai, the deputy leader of the Briar Brigade, pushed open a door that seemed long sealed and immediately sensed something amiss.

The spotty cobwebs were clearly not naturally formed.

He instructed his men to open each box, uncovering a staggering treasure.

There was a significant quantity of gold, and among the findings was a set of silver-plated armor, worth a fortune. .𝒎

Desai, eager to make a mark in front of Edward, bypassed the Briar Brigade’s main leader and directly reported the spoils to Edward.

Consequently, Edward, in a mix of boasting and sharing, informed Howard about the discovery.

Upon hearing this, Howard suggested, “Try that silver-plated armor on. If it fits, you should wear it.”

Edward agreed and then distributed most of the gold to the mercenaries of the Briar Brigade, keeping only a small portion for himself.

He also presented Howard with 10 kilograms of gold.

The war was drawing to a close, but some final tasks remained.

Taking a break from the affairs in Florence, Howard traveled to Lagusa to see Catherine, leaving his troops under Resarite’s command to continue their advance.

Catherine was delighted to see Howard, greeting him with a kiss before leading him to stroll through the market of Lagusa.

They both disguised themselves, appearing like bankrupt paupers seeking refuge.

Looking in the mirror, Howard laughed wryly, “Is it really necessary to go to such lengths? Wouldn’t a simple disguise to conceal our identity suffice? Do we have to look this miserable?”

Catherine, wrapping her arms around Howard’s neck, replied playfully, “If we’re going to do it, we might as well go all out.”

Howard felt resigned to the situation.

The pair moved through the streets on foot, blending in with the common folk.

They walked on the muddy roads, which were wet and slippery from recent rain, making their journey challenging.

Howard whispered to Catherine, “It seems necessary to invest in repairing these roads.”

Catherine agreed, and Howard continued, “What do you think would be better: laying large stone slabs or paving the entire path with crushed stones and then rolling it flat?”

Catherine giggled, “You’re not the Chancellor or the Finance Minister; you don’t need to worry about municipal matters. Just give the orders.”

Howard, with a sense of righteousness, said, “How can that be right? If the superiors know nothing, won’t they be fooled by their subordinates? The subordinates might disregard them, embezzle funds, and engage in corruption. That’s certainly not the action of a good lord!”

Catherine looked at Howard with affection, “Our Duke still cares about the welfare of the people.”

Howard replied earnestly, “Don’t be like that, I’m serious.”

Just then, a troop of cavalry, accompanied by the clip-clop of horse hooves, passed by Howard and Catherine from behind, splattering mud onto Catherine’s clothes and face.

Catherine, infuriated, raised her voice and called out to the cavalry’s retreating backs, “Don’t you have eyes when you ride? Do you realize you’ve splattered mud on me?”

The lead rider of the cavalry unit maneuvered his horse to turn around, and the rest of the riders followed suit, circling back towards Howard and Catherine.

In just a couple of seconds, they found themselves surrounded by the cavalry.

The man in charge, wearing a blue high military cap, apologized to Catherine, “I’m sorry, madam. My men and I were in a hurry and failed to notice the road condition. We’ve inadvertently splattered mud on you and are willing to offer our apologies.”

Catherine was taken aback, having expected a hostile response but instead receiving an apology.

Howard looked at the man with appreciation and asked, “An army that doesn’t bully the people is exemplary. What’s your name? Are you part of the troops directly under Duke Howard in Lagusa?”

The man replied amiably, “I am an officer, currently en route to the battlefield. However, I am not part of Duke Howard’s direct troops. My father always taught us not to oppress the people and to treat them well, as they are the foundation of our cause. My name is Cotler, the son of Earl Resarite.”

Howard’s mouth curved into a smile, but he didn’t laugh out loud, his teeth clenched together in an odd expression.

Catherine, unaware of the prior conversation between Howard and Resarite, pinched Howard’s arm and said, “What’s the matter? Cotler is Resarite’s son, and Resarite is an earl under your command. Isn’t that a good thing? Why don’t you seem happy?”

Howard, feeling somewhat helpless, replied, “I’m not unhappy.”

Cotler and his cavalry, overhearing the couple’s conversation, exchanged glances in disbelief.

Tentatively, Cotler asked Catherine, “Madam, are you…?”

Catherine revealed their identities and then wiped their faces a bit cleaner.

The cavalry dismounted and knelt in respect.

After Howard and Catherine returned to Lagusa, bathed, and changed into clean clothes, Howard chided Catherine for revealing their identities so soon.

Catherine defended her action as being opportunistic based on the situation.

Howard felt a sense of regret.

He did not immediately reward Cotler with any honor; the Resarite family was becoming increasingly enigmatic to him.

Cotler had shown exemplary conduct, and under normal circumstances, Howard would have likely granted him an additional title on the spot.

However, following Resarite’s recent proposal, Howard hesitated to bestow any title upon Cotler, fearing it might be a trap.

Seeing Howard’s troubled expression, Catherine asked, “Is there something wrong with Cotler? I sensed something odd in your behavior towards him.”

Howard then confided in Catherine about the entire situation.

Catherine pondered for a moment and said, “You should check what titles Cotler holds under his father.”

Howard, puzzled, replied, “What does that have to do with me? Even if he has a title, it’s under Resarite, not a loyalty to me.”

Catherine chided gently, “No, that’s not what I mean. You could give him a knight’s title or a baronetcy. That way, even if he is under Resarite, he might still be grateful to you.”

Howard turned to leave, saying, “Catherine, it seems you don’t quite understand. A vassal’s vassal is not my vassal. I cannot directly grant a title to a vassal’s vassal without bypassing Resarite. I suggest you learn more about the rules of nobility.”

Five or six days later, the conflict concluded.

Earl Edward gained the title of Duke of Florence, not only by occupying the earldom of Florence directly but also by securing the loyalty of the other earls in the territory.

𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝑜𝑚