The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 77

“Hey, shrimp, what did you say earlier? Something about how the Northeastern guys don’t have any balls, so they can’t fight?”

“Yeah. It’s actually you Central bastards who don’t have any balls.”

Without hesitation, the Janstrick Mercenary Group, who received orders from Joan on Si-on’s behalf, rushed head-on at the soldiers of the Bettisect family and the mercenaries they had brought along.

As a result, only two of them ended up with fractures, while the rest suffered minor injuries.

Meanwhile, they knocked down all the enemy soldiers and mercenaries.

One of those who had mocked the Janstrick Mercenaries about their lack of balls actually lost his own.

Physically ruptured.

“Hey, guards! Tie these bastards up and throw them all in jail!”

“Yes, sir!”

In comparison to the Janstrick Mercenaries, who had occasionally bought them meals and drinks and treated them humanely, the ones who had just been beaten down had treated the guards like mere servants.

Therefore, the guards eagerly followed the orders.

Thud!

“Argh!”

“Look at this bastard’s pale skin. Are you really a mercenary? Or are you some kind of prostitute?”

“You bastards! Walk faster!”

The August guards, venting their accumulated frustration, threw the beaten men into the jail.

Thus, the various factions vying for power in the August Estate had their desires promptly extinguished upon clashing with one another.

However, the sparks generated by this clash scattered far and wide.

Of course, those who had stirred up the conflict had no idea that the flames would reach them.

* * *

The military is a money-eating beast.

That’s because it’s a group that contributes little to production.

Money is spent on raising it, money is spent on maintaining it, and money is spent on moving it from one place to another.

Therefore, the forces that had set out from the Si-on Duchy for a confrontation with the Pamel Count’s family cost a considerable sum.

…Or at least that’s what the Pamel Count’s estate, along with other estates and nobles, would have thought.

But that was only because they didn’t know much about the Si-on Duchy.

“What? You think it cost an absurd amount of money to deploy over a thousand troops? Pfft! You sure know how to joke.”

“Listen carefully. From the beginning, the budget for our military in the Si-on Duchy has always been enormous. It’s simply massive. So whether the troops are just stationed at their bases or sent off to war, there isn’t much additional cost.”

“In other words, for other estates, deploying a large force like this would incur expenses, but for us, it’s not. In fact, we’ve profited. PROFIT!”

It might sound like a miraculous argument, but upon closer inspection, it held some truth.

The Si-on Duchy had a regular army of 3,000 soldiers, including the guards who protected the cities, counties, and towns.

Most small to mid-sized estates in the Kingdom of Obla usually maintained a standing force of around a hundred soldiers.

Even large estates with many vassals rarely operated a standing army of over a thousand troops.

The reason was simple: a group that contributed virtually nothing to production consumed vast, and continuous, amounts of money.

Moreover, there were only three estates in the kingdom with populations exceeding 100,000, and even if every able-bodied person from child to elder were put to work, maintaining a standing army of a thousand troops was near impossible.

Well, unless someone decided to recklessly increase the numbers without caring about the quality of the army and ruin the estate in their generation, it wasn’t feasible.

However, the Si-on Duchy was different.

After the Founding Patriarch had laid the foundation, and with the long and arduous efforts of his son and grandson over three generations, the population of the Si-on Duchy had surpassed 200,000.

They had succeeded in achieving the remarkable feat of maintaining a standing army consisting of roughly 1.5% of the total population.

A crucial factor in this success was the Duchy’s spiderweb-like administrative structure and the annual census, which was on a completely different level compared to other estates.

By accurately grasping the population and taxable households, the Duchy could collect taxes more efficiently and plan their spending.

As a result, they were able to maintain a standing army without compromising the estate’s productive population.

Thanks to the stable upkeep of the regular army, even though the Duchy’s annual military budget was massive, when they deployed a thousand troops for war, like this time, there were no additional costs incurred for their movement.

“How about it? Pretty simple to calculate, right?”

“Uh… yes, it is.”

However, this system was unique to the Si-on Duchy, and other estate nobles not only couldn’t imitate it, but they struggled to even understand it.

For this reason…

When news of a disturbance in the August Estate, a neighboring (and rival) estate to the Si-on Duchy, spread, most people assumed that the Si-on Duchy would only divert a portion of their forces and return the main force to the Duchy, since it was a ‘money-eating beast.’

But it didn’t take long for them to realize just how utterly wrong they were.

* * *

“What, what? Sarina is dead? She was murdered right in front of other nobles at the August Castle?”

The Bettisect family, the maternal family of Sarina Veratti, Baron August’s second wife, was in an uproar.

Though they were just another small, minor estate, they had solid internal strength thanks to being located along the Su-un River, which connected the central and southern regions of the Kingdom of Obla.

With goods flowing through the area, they also had a considerable number of mercenaries under their employment, giving them some influence.

Now, their lord’s sister, married into the August family, had suddenly died.

And right in the middle of the lord’s office, in front of multiple witnesses.

“Raaagh!”

The Baron Veratti of the mid-south, who dreamed of being the strongest, roared.

The one who wanted to be the ultimate boss let out a terrifying cry.

However, his retainers weren’t like frightened minions of some two-headed dragon, and they knew full well that Baron Veratti wasn’t the king of the mid-south. So they didn’t flee.

“Summon the mercenaries immediately! Gather every mercenary working in my estate! I’ll kill them! I’ll kill them all!”

Baron Veratti had already been in a foul mood due to his nephew Anserman being stripped of his right to inherit the August lordship, and the precarious position of his sister within the family.

The news of her death only added fuel to the fire.

“What are you all standing around for? Get out there and gather the forces! I’ll personally lead the expedition!”

The Baron Veratti, whose eyes blazed with rage as though he was ready to burn everything to the ground, appeared like a malicious god of destruction.

At that moment, he seemed like a terrifying monarch who had descended to bring ruin upon the world.

“My lord.”

One brave soul dared to step forward in the face of this fearsome wrath.

“What is it?”

“It seems that 1,200 regular troops from the Si-on Duchy have headed straight for the August Estate.”

“…What?”

“They claim that Lady Sarina framed and ousted the royal family’s and Si-on Duchy’s appointed lord’s proxy, and they intend to hold her accountable for it.

Given the severity of the situation, they might even dispatch additional forces, and they’ve stated they won’t overlook anyone else involved in this incident.

Lastly, the King’s secretary is overseeing the investigation, and since your wife’s family is already confirmed to be at fault, a royal punishment will soon follow.”

Flash!

Throughout all cultures and races, the proof of a hero is always the Sword of Light.

Thus, the nobles of the Veratti estate, who just moments ago were no different from commoners, witnessed the Sword of Light that their fellow had drawn.

The name of that Sword of Light was the combined power of the Si-on Duchy and the royal family.

“…If she got married, she’s no longer part of this family. She may be my sister, but how could she commit such a reckless act!? It’s all our father’s fault for spoiling that girl too much!”

The Baron Veratti, though not the ultimate boss, was a cold-hearted man with a sharp mind.

If he gathered all the mercenaries active in the Veratti estate and conscripted all the young men in the region, he could probably muster around 3,000 to 4,000 troops.

Hiring and arming all of them and sending them south, far from the estate?

Within a year, Veratti would be ruined. Therefore, Baron Veratti himself would also be ruined.

– Dead sister <<<<<< My estate.

This was an obvious conclusion.

“I heard that the Si-on Duchy went through a major upheaval and is now governed by Hender and the deputies. What does Lord Hender like? Shouldn’t we send him a gift that he’ll truly appreciate?”

Baron Veratti, who still dreamed of becoming the ultimate boss and living for a long time, made a very wise decision.

The Si-on Duchy, whose eyes were still rolling with fury, was far too terrifying.

* * *

“Those crazy bastards… They really want to die, don’t they.”

Yonas, who usually maintained a dignified demeanor, spat on the ground in fury, his eyes blazing, whenever something related to the Si-on Duchy or the Founding Patriarch came up.

He had just heard the news that Baron Veratti had flown into a rage and attempted to gather an army, and he was truly livid.

“Calm down, brother. In any case, didn’t they immediately come to their senses and send an apology letter along with gifts?”

Piotr, who had arrived in the August Estate after being sent by Yonas on Si-on’s orders, tried to comfort the Hender, Yonas.

“Hmph. If they had filled the letter with empty excuses and incoherent ramblings, I would have sent the army straight to them. But at least they put some sincerity into the gift. It seems they’re not entirely clueless.”

Seeing the wagons filled with Veratti’s estate’s specialties and silver coins, Yonas’s expression softened slightly.

“You’re right. This definitely shows their intention to apologize, and it also preserves the dignity of our Ducal family.”

“To survive, people will do anything. I’ve heard from Grandfather that the Bettisect family is nearing its end.”

Just like during the post-war negotiations with Boris Pamel, the royal secretary, Joan Tever, was remarkably competent.

Joan had personally rescued Jenna Olrot and requested an emergency dispatch from the Information Guild, sending a report to the royal capital within three days.

The report, which had been delivered swiftly and discreetly, reached the king directly, and the king’s response took only another three days.

The content of the response was:

Within fifteen days, the royal army from the kingdom’s direct territory closest to the Bettisect family would begin moving, and the Bettisect family would be held accountable for the unauthorized intimidation and attempted occupation of the August Estate, a vassal of the royal family.

“If it weren’t for Grandfather’s decision, Veratti would have faced the same fate, don’t you think? Of course, the Baron probably doesn’t know that, but he should have realized that we operate with a solid set of principles. He was lucky to have avoided them.”

“Hah! Where did you learn all this?”

“What? Isn’t it just common sense if you think about it?”

“What? Good grief…”

Piotr tilted his head, questioning, while Yonas could only let out a small chuckle.

He himself had spent years under the late Gede, gaining experience here and there, barely managing to handle things. Yet this kid, barely in his twenties, already possessed such insight.

‘He’s almost too talented to be just a knight.’

True to the promise made when Si-on first brought him in, Piotr was placed under Swordmaster Blaho.

With his excellent physique, diligent training, and unparalleled real-world experience compared to others his age, Piotr had deeply impressed Blaho.

Training and sparring with the Swordmaster daily, Piotr’s skills were improving rapidly.

However, Yonas felt that Piotr’s other talents were somewhat being wasted.

Especially now, after becoming the Hender of the Si-on Duchy.

“As always… I’m sure he has his reasons for making such decisions.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing. Anyway, where’s Master Blaho?”

“He went with Lord Friel and, uh, Lord Sminov—no, wait, Lord Vodka—to meet with Grandfather.”

“Huh? Those three? That’s quite an unusual combination.”

“Right? Well, I’m sure there’s something specific he wants to talk to them about.”

“Yeah…”

Yonas nodded quietly.

But as the Hender of the Si-on Ducal family, he couldn’t shake an ominous feeling.

And that feeling turned out to be right.