Chapter 151: The Five Nobles
The Quordenze Allied Forces……. Isn't this what Father truly wanted?”
I wanted to see my father's reaction, so I started with the conclusion.
But my father neither said it was right nor wrong, but he accepted the answer with his eyes fixed on me.
Continue.
His arm his moved slowly and his outstretched hand his was lowered.
If he only gave the answer but he left out the process, it would be a “No.” It was like an arithmetic test.It was like an arithmetic test.
I decided to continue my story while thinking about the order in which I was going to tell it in my head.
I continued, thinking about the order in my head. “Considering the time of year, the birth of Grand Duke Mirendorva was probably the decisive factor…….
My mother had told me when we returned from the royal capital that the hottest topic among the kingdom's aristocracy was the Milendorva family, which had risen from duke to grand duke.
I heard about this from my mother after the Battle of Nambonan City, but the actual promotion to the rank of duke must have taken place earlier than that.
My father, who frequently exchanged letters with my mother in the capital, no doubt knew about it earlier than I did.
A kingdom knighthood doesn't mean much, does it?”
My father said this, but it seemed more like a platitude to make it easier for me to talk than a rebuttal.
The knighthoods don't mean much,” He said.
As my father said, in the Kingdom of Levios, which, unlike the Zincaen Empire, is more independent and self-reliant, the rise and fall of titles does not have much meaning.
In some ways, the Kingdom of Levioth is similar to the United Nations on the Earth in the previous generation.
Of course, some aristocratic families are more powerful than others, so although they are equal, they are by no means equal.
The Levios family went to the trouble of preparing a title beyond the five existing titles, the grand dukedom. What thought went into it?”
Since I had no idea how to answer my father, I bought time by speaking in a relaxed tone.
I was not thinking of how to answer my father, so I took my time to speak in a relaxed manner.
The Levios family had received an unexpected counterattack from the Mirendorva family, which they thought they could easily crush if push came to shove.
If they took more time, they might be able to push back with their strength, but that would mean that the civil war would continue.
With the continent shaken by the strange disease caused by the magical beast Elsinia, they could not afford to stay in a petty internal conflict forever.
If, despite the emergency situation, the civil war with the Mirendorva family is given priority, the nobles of the kingdom will finally give up on the Levios family.
The Levios family needed to reach a truce at any cost.
If they could not take leadership here, the kingdom itself would sink into the torrent of history.
This was tantamount to a declaration of defeat.
Even though the first Duke of Mirendorva had spoken ill of them, the Levios royal family had started the civil war by making a false accusation.
And yet, the result of the civil war was the elevation of the Mirendorva family to the title. It was like advertising the Levios family's defeat both at home and abroad.
The House of Levios issued terms of peace that would have destroyed its own reputation.
The Levios family accepted the terms of peace that would have destroyed their own reputation.
The Levios family chose to support the truce and the shaky kingdom despite the unbearable humiliation they were subjected to.
I have no respect for the royal family, but I would like to learn from their actions to protect their interests in spite of the hardship they were going through.
And the Levios understood that with this content, they would surely be able to make peace.
Until the arrival of Princess Orsian, the Milendorva family had been losing ground.
There was no way that the Milendorvas, a newly emerging power in the easternmost part of the continent, where there were many unexplored areas, could win against the Levios. The difference in strength was too great.
Fortunately, Princess Orsian was able to turn the war situation around in one fell swoop, but even that could not last for long.
Even if they embraced the eastern nobles and established the Millendorva Kingdom, the easternmost part of the continent is a cul-de-sac, and sooner or later they will clash with the Levios Kingdom.
And the longer it takes, the worse it will be for the Mirendorva family. If the Levios family were to settle the current strange disease scandal, the country established by the Mirendorva family would be easily crushed.
In the first place, the Mirendorva territory is adjacent to the Levios territory.
It is quite natural for him to remain in the kingdom as the Grand Duke of Mirendorva and exert his power there.
Of course, he would have to negotiate not only for the title but also for compensation, but he could not make such a strong claim before remaining in the kingdom.
Thus, in a sense, the peace was concluded as the Levios family had hoped.
The Levios family was, in a sense, in line with their wishes.
My father did not deny my explanation.
I was worried that I might have misunderstood the situation based on the common sense of a former Japanese, so I was glad that I was able to confirm his answer.
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth again.
The Levios family has found it difficult to go against the will of the Mirendorva family.
Even though we have made peace, the Levios family cannot afford to disrespect the Millendorva family. Considering the maintenance of the kingdom, a recurrence of civil war was to be avoided at all costs.
Moreover, the Millendorvas have not yet abandoned the cities in Levios territory that they captured in a counterattack.
The presence of Princess Orsian, who has crossed the defense line of the Great River and attacked forcefully, is nothing but a threat to the Levios family.
The Levios family will eventually want to take back its territory.
The Levios family will eventually want to regain their territory, and it is necessary to keep an eye on those cities to make sure they are not confirmed as Millendorva territory, and to try to avoid a sour atmosphere.
As the Mirendorva family becomes more influential, the eastern nobility will naturally gain momentum.
The Grand Duke of Mirendorva is like the unifier and leader of the eastern nobility.
The rule that when the boss is strong, even his henchmen get on top of him is the same everywhere in the world.
Now, it is the Quardenze family that is in trouble.
The Quardenze family does not get along well with the nobles of the eastern part of the kingdom.
The Quardenze family does not get along with the eastern nobility.
Apart from that, there are also the great nobles who sent out reinforcements to stop the invasion by Princess Orsian.
For the Levios family, this is also a trump card against the Mirendorva family, so they cannot be ignored.
In other words, the Quardenze family's influence has decreased in relative terms.
What should the Kuordenze family do at ……?
If their voice has gone down, they need to raise it.
We need to nail the Levios family, and furthermore, we need to nail the Kingdom's nobility so that they don't take us lightly.”
And that is the answer to the homework question.
That nail is the Nambonan Urban War. The number of nobles in the allied forces would be somewhat excessive for an attack on a city with only …… Commoners. Even if it is the child's first battle.
That allied army of nobles had somehow been renamed the Quardenze Allied Army.
The name of the army is the “United Army of Nobles” In the western part of the kingdom, but the name “Quardenze” Is just a political smell.
If the name spread in the busy city of Nambonan, it would resonate throughout the kingdom through human voices.
I heard that Father extended an invitation to the neighboring noble families to join him in his first campaign His, but his real purpose His was to flush out the noble families that follow the Quordentse family, wasn't it?”
My father had issued an invitation to the neighboring noble families, saying that there was an affordable war partner called Nambonan City and that your son would be welcome to join the first battle.
I still remember my father's strange, evil look on his face when I asked him why he had taken the trouble to extend such an invitation.
I thought there must be some kind of aristocratic plot stirring in the air, but at the time I did not understand the reason for it.
But now I understand the reason.
I think that the aim was to cut off the noble families who refused or gave ambiguous answers to the invitations, accept the noble families who gave good answers, and appeal to the world as the Quardenze faction both at home and abroad.
Of course, there would be aristocratic families that only have children who have already made their first move.
For those families, I think my father had another means of forcing them to make a decision.
The Quardenze family can unite the western nobility ……. Good checks and balances.”
You know what happens when you despise the West, don't you? The western aristocracy is ready to make the Kuordentse family the boss.
…… This was the message of the Battle of Nambonan City to the royal city and to the nobles of the kingdom.
The spread of a strange disease, the peace of civil war, the birth of the Grand Duke, and the social gathering scheduled for next spring.
The Battle of Nambonan City was the perfect time to put a check on the kingdom, which was on the verge of an imbalance of power.
The Levios family also did something similar.
Immediately after the peace, the Levios family called together the noble families with which they had close ties and sent the kingdom's army to the misty lands in the northern part of the continent.
This northern expedition, which triggered the downfall of Eve and Rave's lives, was in essence a political performance to show that the power of the House of Levios was alive and well.
In the Land of Mists, there are basically only barbarians of slave ancestry living, so there is little worry of a return attack.
Even if they do encounter them, they are only half-mature demonic beasts born in small- and medium-sized fields. There is no chance of encountering a mature demonic beast that was born in a large field, so it is a safe and secure Expedition.
''This was necessary to maintain the kingdom, wasn't it? The collapse of the Levios Kingdom is something the Quardenze family must avoid. …… At least for now.”
The Kingdom of Levios is very important to the Quardenze family, which has an enemy in the west, the old Voivostra.
Thanks to this, they can turn their attention to the west with little concern for the defenses in the east.
If the Levios Kingdom were to collapse, it would be necessary to strengthen vigilance to the east, which would have a major impact on the invasion of the former Vojstra.
Worst of all, it is not certain that the former Voestra's trickery will turn the former kingdom's nobles against it, leaving it with enemies on both the east and west sides.
The Kingdom of Levios is an essential element in the Quardenze family's war plans.
This case is like a seesaw.
Since the great nobles other than the Quardenzes had added weight, we too had to increase the weight of the “Quardenze Allied Forces” To keep the level.
Even if the Levios family, which is the board of the seesaw, is having a hard time with this, it should not be a concern.
If things go badly, I have a feeling that the very foundation of the seesaw itself may collapse under the weight, but it will take some time before it breaks, so I would like to level the old voestra at the earliest possible opportunity.
As I finished, my father relaxed and let out a relieved breath.
I guess I don't have to worry about socializing in …… King's Landing,” He said.
Apparently, I had received a round of applause.
If you know that much, then you know how to behave in King's Landing in the spring, don't you?”
'As a member of the Quardenze family, of course, but also as a leader of the western nobility, I am expected to behave …… And…'
That's right.
It means that I need to be dignified while socializing so that the West doesn't get nipped in the bud.
So far I haven't been out of the Quordenze territory much.
My father must have wanted to know in advance that I had the social skills and political judgment not to be pushed around in the scheming and scheming city of King's Landing.
That is why this is the time to collect his homeworkhis.
It is significant that he was able to show …… So much behavior. Thanks to that, we were able to suppress the aristocratic family needed for the Quardenze family,…… Kukkuk.”
My father spills the words as if talking to himself and smiles. Apparently, the overtime has paid off in some way.
He takes another gulp of sake and exhales a breath that reeks of alcohol.
The various factions that have existed in the shadows of the great tree of the House of Levi are finally coming out into the open. The weak nobles will be forced to choose which faction they want to join. …… One wrong move and the country could easily split.”
I also picked up a tumbler and quenched my throat with the amber liquor.
My father looked at me as if to check my drinking habits and then opened his mouth again.
The kingdom is now divided into five parts. The kingdom is now divided into five parts: the royal family, the eastern part, the western part, the southern part, and the northern part.
The vast Kingdom of Levios has a large number of aristocratic families.
However, as one might expect from a large tree, people tend to follow those with power, and there are facts in each region.
The Kingdom of Levios is not a monolithic state with a strong center of power, as Japanese people of the previous generation may have imagined. Dependent on the Levios royal family. Therefore, each noble family has to pay attention to the most powerful noble family in the region.
As my father said, five noble families have strong power in the current Levios Kingdom.
Note that the east, west, south, north, and south are the approximate locations as seen from the royal capital.
The Quardentze family, a western noble family, is not included, but the northern and southern noble families seem to be more northwest or southwest, but the locations are simply shown as east, west, south, and north, perhaps for the sake of simplicity .
The first problem that will arise when the kingdom is split is the relationship between these two houses, the northern and southern.
The Northern …… House of Aterahan?
The Aterahan family is the head of the northern nobility.
The Aterahan family is the head of the northern nobility, a noble family whose territory consists of rugged mountains and is based in basins scattered throughout the land.
Although gold and silver cannot be extracted from this mountainous region, it is said that iron, copper, and other practical resources, as well as a wide variety of stones, can be extracted.
The quality of the stone produced in the Aterahan region is so good that it is known throughout the continent as “Aterahan stone.
It is said that stone from the Aterahan region was used in the Korupa Cathedral in the Holy City of Maguauset, which was built about 500 years ago.
Considering the distance between the Aterahan region and St. Navempos, it would have been a major project to transport the stone, but the fact that it was realized shows the power of the Zesu Church of the Holy High Church at that time.
The Aterahan family, a royal noble family, has a history of only about 100 years.
Originally, the family name was different, but it was changed to Aterahan after the unification of the Aterahan region.
The characteristic of the Aterahan family as a noble family is the strength of its military.
Despite the mountainous terrain of the Aterahan territory, the number of fields is large. The northern part of the territory is adjacent to the Land of Mists, and on rare occasions, mature demonic beasts may cross the great river and attack.
The Aterahan army, which is constantly forced to be aware of the battle, is highly skilled, and because of the need to act quickly, the armies in each part of the territory often move independently, and their mobility is off the charts.
They …… Or perhaps it would be better to say “They” Since the head of the Aterahan family is of female descent.
They stopped mature magical beasts from attacking the kingdom at the water's edge and proud themselves on being the guardians of the land.
Based on their record of defeating them, the Aterahan army is said to be the best force in the Kingdom of Levios.
In fact, it was the Aterahan army that came as reinforcements in response to the Levios family's request that stopped the Mirendorva army and Princess Orcian as they approached the royal capital across the great river.
Princess Orcian broke through the battle lines several times in single combat, but was forced to halt her advance at the mercy of the skillful military tactics of the Aterahan army.
The Aterahans are another force that the Kuordenze should be wary of.
Relations with the Kuordenze family are not bad, but they are not good either.
Since they have increased their voice by providing reinforcements, we must make sure that we do not turn them to the enemy side.
After all, the kingdom now tends to be biased toward the east and the north.
Also, I don't know what the Zeldmitra family will do, even though they are on friendly terms with us.
The Zeldmitra family is the boss of the nobility in the southern part of the kingdom.
It is said that the Zeldomitra family opened the door to the era of the rise of the nobility after the Zethusian High Priesthood had gained absolute power.
In the past, the center of the continent was the Holy City of Maguaussee, the home of the Zesuit Order.
The closer to the Holy City, the more developed and populated the city was. At the time, the Levios territory was nothing more than a shantytown.
However, the situation changed drastically with the war for the papal throne of Navempos, which began about 200 years ago. The cities closer to the Holy City were adversely affected by the war.
Cities that had been peaceful and urbanized fell as if they were flipping over a deck of cards.
Looking at the current kingdom, the Levios, Mirendorva, Aterahan, and Quardenze families, the noble families with fiefdoms far from the Holy City are the most powerful, and the noble families with fiefdoms in the northern part of the kingdom are more powerful.
In such a situation, the Zeldmitra family, which exists in the southernmost part of the kingdom, is so powerful that it is said to be one of the five most powerful noble families in the kingdom.
This is because the head of the Zeldmitra family at the time of the war was an exceptional hero.
The head of the Zeldmitra family at that time saw the prolonged turbulent times and decided to distance himself from the Holy High Society.
When I learned about this in my history study, I thought it was too ordinary an idea, but at that time, it was quite a novel and innovative idea to manage a fiefdom without the involvement of priests.
It is said that the legitimate son of the Levios family, who later became the first king of the Levios Kingdom, was deeply impressed by this idea and decided the path that the Levios family should take.
In a sense, the Zeldmitra family was the catalyst for the birth of the Levios Kingdom.
After the founding of the kingdom, when the Zeldmitra family expressed their intention to join the kingdom, the first king welcomed them with open arms.
While protecting their backs with the shield of the kingdom, the Zeldmitra family attacked and annexed the war-torn southern territories.
Although often overshadowed by expansionism, the Zerdomitra family was a good government when it came to governing the common people.
No land can be protected without its people,” Said the head of the Zerdomitra family at the time, and it has become a family motto as well.
The priests and the aristocrats were very coercive toward the commoners, and their policies were enough to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Perhaps, though, there is also a calculating element to this. The strategy was to improve their reputation and strengthen their territory by accepting refugees from the ravaged Holy City and its surrounding areas.
Even now, Zeldmietra seems to be continuing to pursue a policy that is friendly to the people, and it enjoys a high level of support from the people.
If it is friendly to the people, it would be even better if it stopped its expansionism, but there are reasons why this is not possible.
There are many areas of land in Zeldmitra territory that are still in ruins due to the warfare of the Sei Koukai.
Because it has accepted contamination by mature magical beasts, there is a large amount of land that cannot be touched until it is naturally purified.
In years when the weather is unfavorable, famines are not uncommon.
In addition, like the Mirendorva and Aterahan families, it was not blessed with mineral resources, and no special products were heard of.
It is also a territory that is always pregnant with the possibility that it will fall at once if the people leave.
The two territories in the Kingdom of Levios that produce a lot of food are Levios and our own Quardensee territory, but this one is closer to Levios.
For this reason, when famine occurs in Zeldmitra, they sometimes lend food to each other, and they have a friendly relationship.
Eastern nobility, Grand Dukes of Millendorva.
Western nobility, the Marquisate of Kuordentse.
Southern nobility, the Marquises of Zeldmitra.
The northern nobility, the Atelahan marquises.
And in the center, the Royal House of Levios.
These five are the most influential noble families in the Levios Kingdom, the Five Great Noble Families of the Kingdom.
According to the earthworms, the Zeldmitra family has not yet managed to unite all the facts.
The earthworms.
It is the secret language of the intelligence agency that exists in the Quardenze family.
Perhaps it is the culture of the Eluo continent, but the earthworm is considered to be a member of the snake family, an immature snake.
The coat of arms of the Kuordenze family is based on the motif of a snake entwined with a crossed spear and the spray of a great river.
The snake is the symbol of the Kuordenze family.
An earthworm serving the serpent. It is said to mean a companion of the snake that lurks in the earth and gathers information.
Normally, only the head of the family knows of its existence, but I happened to find out about it by chance.
When I tried to create a NINJA-like agent in the pioneering association, the earthworm approached me.
I'm sorry,” He said, “But we already have such a thing.
I see.
How do you think the Quardenze family should operate, Wilk?”
The father, who had finished collecting his homework, was probably in a chatty mood when he broached the subject, but since it was a political matter, he could n't carelessly reply.
I was trying to figure out if I should take advantage of the Zeldmietra family's confusion and increase the Quardenze faction in the south.
I wondered if I should casually help the Zeldmitra family consolidate their faction.
Oh?”
The father had said just a few moments earlier that the Quardenze family had all the nobles it needed in its hands his.
The best way to do this is to use a good friend to help you. There is no point in needlessly expanding the number of facts.
If they increase in number, the western aristocracy will be reduced to a mere crowd.
Besides, it would be better not to worsen the relationship with the Zeldmietra family by trying to reach out to them.
And I had another plan.
Now that the Quardenzes have consolidated the western part of the country, if the Zeldmietras want to increase their faction, they will inevitably look to the north. If the Aterahan and Zel'Dmitra families become bitter in the process of creating factions, the Quardenze family could act as a coordinator between the two families.
If this works, at worst, even if the kingdom is divided, we can reduce the danger in the east by having the Aterahan and Zeldmitra families engage in a standoff.
I am sorry for the two warring families, but as the Quordentse Wilk, I have to put the Quordentse family first.
If the southern part of the kingdom is not united to it, that could well be the starting point for the dissolution of the kingdom. The most desirable thing for the Quardenzes right now is to maintain the kingdom.
While the eastern, northern, and western regions are increasing their influence one after another, it is not good that the southern region is lagging behind because of slow factional adjustment.
It is necessary to maintain the kingdom with a sense of tension among the five great nobles.
My father nodded his head in satisfaction at my thoughts and pointed a bottle of sake at me.
That seemed to be the end of the serious talk, and the next thing my father said was, “Recently Fanny has been showing her best side of her and has become more feminine.
I was so shocked at the difference that I almost shook my head.
I don't know what he was talking about, though.
