The Count’s Youngest Son Is A Player - Chapter 140
Episode 140:
Buzz, buzz.
The central hall of Count Ashton Castle was crowded with people for the first time in a long time.
“I wonder if something bad has happened to the head of the family by calling us together like this…”
“Oh, don’t even say such ominous words. “The atmosphere is already not good.”
“I don’t know if they have revealed the identity of the unpleasant guys who attacked the castle.”
“Ah… what on earth were the knights and soldiers doing until the count’s heart was attacked?”
Gathered in the central hall were the influential people currently in the castle, including blood relatives of the Ashton family residing at Cornford Castle, officials with official positions, and surrounding lords who rushed to hear the news.
What brought them together was the temporary leadership made up of Baron Carlo, the leader of the Silver Bear Knights, Baron DeWine, who was the head of the guard, Weyron, the chief knight of the Golden Bear Knights, and Philip, the leader of the First Knights and Raoul’s representative.
The reason they gathered influential figures from the territory was for a meeting on a certain issue.
Floating.
A small drum sounded and the four leaders mentioned above came in and took their seats on the podium.
“Please pay attention. “The reason we have gathered you all today is to hear your opinions on a certain agenda.”
Waylon stood up as the representative and spoke.
“How is the matriarch’s condition?”
“When will the central army that left the castle return?”
“Has there been any contact from the Count?”
“Who on earth are those who attacked Naeseong?”
“Were the kidnapped people rescued?”
The nobles of the castle who had not yet received detailed information began to ask questions, and the hall became noisy.
In particular, the fact that the inner castle was attacked by someone and the blood relatives of influential people were kidnapped also instilled anxiety in other nobles living at Cornford Castle.
Bang bang bang.
Waylon slammed the gavel on the desk to get attention.
“First, let me briefly explain the current situation.”
He said that although the Count had not come to his senses, he was currently receiving treatment.
They also delivered news that the troops who had left the castle were quickly retreating and that the attackers had been repelled and were in pursuit.
“Currently, the central army on standby inside the castle is thoroughly protecting the inner castle, and the guards are also reliably maintaining security in the outer castle. “Please don’t worry too much and follow the leadership’s instructions.”
Even with Waylon’s words, the excitement did not subside easily.
This is because the situation in the castle was too chaotic to just believe what he said.
“Then what is the reason for this convening today? “You’re not planning on conscripting even a private soldier, are you?”
“Nonsense. “How can you give up your military service when thugs are running rampant?”
“We are not in a situation where there is a shortage of troops…” Since
there were many mouths, there was also a lot of noise. Weyron frowned slightly and brought up the main idea.
“It’s not a war and there is no forced requisition! “Today’s agenda is a different matter.”
Then, a magic screen unfolded on the wall on one side of the podium, and a document was projected.
“Is that…?”
“Is it a letter?”
While people were checking the magic screen, Weyron spoke again.
“This is the magic message that arrived just yesterday evening.”
A fairly long passage followed, and people checking the content began to make various expressions.
When the screen passed several times and the final page and signature finally appeared, the room suddenly became noisy.
“Oh my god, Viscount Jayden?”
“The traitor who betrayed his family more than ten years ago has come back now and what kind of face he has!”
“No, you’re the head of the family’s older brother, right? “That makes a lot of sense.”
“Isn’t this something that should be welcomed? “It’s good news that the main family’s power is increasing.”
A magic expert who caused an uproar among the audience.
It was something Viscount Jayden had sent.
In summary, the contents were as follows.
-He left his family and wandered to another place. But he never forgot his family.
-I have been training knights and soldiers in the hope that they will one day help the family, but I heard that the family is also experiencing difficulties due to an unprecedented situation called the Gate Incident.
-While staying in the capital and looking for a way to help the family, I heard that the head of the family was in critical condition.
-I was also shocked by the news that my family was attacked by outsiders, and I can no longer turn a blind eye to the family’s crisis.
-I’m heading to the county with the knights and soldiers I’ve trained so far, so I hope they can work together to overcome the family’s crisis.
bang!
The white-haired old man got up from his seat and shouted.
“You wrote a lot of bullshit! How dare this dirty traitor set foot on this land again? “I can never forgive!”
He was Baron Jerrod of Ashton. He was a blood relative similar to the uncle of the head of the family, Earl Melvin, and was currently serving as the senator of the Ashton family.
“That’s right! How much damage did the family suffer because of what he did? “I can’t admit that I’m coming back proudly now!”
When Viscount Jayden left the family, he sold the land he had received from the previous earl to the Marquess of McNeil, and in order to get the land located in the middle of the earldom back, the earl family had to make huge financial losses and concessions.
In addition, the family’s power was lowered by stealing young knights trained by the count family at the time, and many people lost their lives due to their inability to properly respond to the monster wave that followed.
Among the count’s blood relatives, some of them were older and many had lost brothers or subordinates in the uproar, and the senator, Baron Jerrod, was one of them.
“But is there really a need to cling to the past like that?”
There was someone who suddenly raised his voice, and he was quite young, around 30 years old.
“Obsessed? “This is a story about a traitor, Baron Isaac!”
“That’s what I mean. To be honest, it is true that Viscount Jayden’s actions have caused harm to his family, but since he disposed of his own territory, there is no legal problem, right? “In a crisis like this, there is no need for us to be the first to reject someone who comes to help our family!”
“Such a crazy bastard! “How dare you say something like that when you know what he did?”
“Please don’t swear. In the first place, the problems that arose due to succession should be addressed to the former Count, so why should the surrounding fiefdoms care? “In situations like this, we need to think about the future of the count family from a forward-looking and triumphant perspective.”
“What an ungrateful bastard! How much grace has been bestowed upon you by the earl’s family, so you say such absurd things! “Do you have the confidence to shout like that in front of the head of the family who appointed you as lord?”
“It is precisely such outdated ideas that are eating away at the count family. Aren’t we repeating old bad habits because we are so biased by our emotions that we can’t make rational decisions? “Am I wrong?”
“what? You want to give it a try? “This young guy with no blood on his head!”
The elders, led by Baron Jarod, and the young nobles, led by Baron Isaac, began to quarrel.
A small fight broke out in the conference room, and even knights had to be mobilized to calm the two groups down.
The Earl of Ashton was not just one family.
The Earl of Ashton, who was granted the status of Margrave, was granted many privileges by the royal family in order to protect the kingdom from the Monster Forest, the western territory of the kingdom.
For example, the territories in the southwestern part of the kingdom, centered on the count’s territory, paid taxes to the count rather than the royal family, and instead of paying only about 1/10th of that amount to the royal family, the count had to raise its own troops and protect the border.
In addition, when land near Geumyeok was developed, it was incorporated into the territory of the county without royal permission, and it also had the authority to appoint a lord.
So, the count family had so many vassal families that it could be called a small kingdom, and its territory combined was almost the size of the Korean Peninsula.
As such, within the count family, there were fights between noble families over various interests, and factions were divided depending on each person’s position.
As the dozens of nobles gathered at the conference hall were gathered separately according to their own interests, there were often cases where arguments broke out like this.
Bang bang bang!
“Actually, the matter regarding Viscount Jayden is a matter for the Count or the Count’s representative to decide. But the situation is urgent. According to the scouts, we have already received word that Viscount Jayden and a group of surrounding lords who sympathize with him will arrive at Cornford Castle tomorrow.”
The atmosphere in the audience became cold at Chief Knight Waylon’s words.
Although the document stated that he would lead troops to the territory, the time and method were not specified.
In general, if you wanted to lead troops to visit another territory, you had to go through basic procedures, and it was natural that this would take a considerable amount of time.
However, those who had just heard the news could not help but be surprised that he had appeared with troops just a day away.
“This is ridiculous! “How did you not notice until you got this close?”
“Such a ruthless person! How dare you bring troops into the county without permission?”
Naturally, senior nobles who value tradition and formality erupted in anger, and those belonging to the military also frowned.
Then Baron Isaac asked.
“Was there any armed conflict or looting?”
“There is no such news.”
“hmm. “Who do you mean by a group of sympathetic lords?”
“It is said that some lords to the east of the Earldom have made way for Viscount Jayden and are heading to Cornford Castle together.”
“Then what’s the problem? It’s not like you’re forcing the way in. Doesn’t the fact that there was no conflict mean that the Viscount will not be hostile to us?”
It seemed that Baron Isaac was trying to maintain his position that Viscount Jayden should be accepted.
And there seemed to be quite a few people in the hall who sympathized with him, each raising their voice.
“Wouldn’t it be okay to accept it and talk again when the Count returns?”
“It is not the attitude of a prestigious family to turn a deaf ear to someone who comes to help. “Isn’t it right that we should talk to each other in person since we are of the same clan?”
As the hall began to become noisy again, there was someone watching closely, and that was Philip.
‘As expected, what the Master said was correct.’
His cool eyes scanned the faces of several people. There were some blood relatives who were raising their voices, including Baron Isaac.
In the first place, it was not an issue worthy of holding such an extraordinary general meeting. Nevertheless, the reason I created this place was because there was something I wanted to confirm.
Floating.
When Philip made a gesture, a drum sounded and the audience became quiet.
“I understand your opinions. However, I have just been in touch with the Deputy Count, so I will pass on his instructions.”
Several nobles were seen shaking at Philip’s words. But soon everyone’s eyes turned to the magic screen.
“Everyone at Cornford Castle, I apologize for the delay in contacting you. “This is Dillon, the Count’s representative.”
There, the image of Dylan standing in the barracks was reflected.
A real-time connection was established through a magic crystal ball.
“I would like to express my gratitude to everyone at the castle who is faithfully carrying out their duties despite the chaotic situation. In addition, I will convey some of the decisions made at the meeting. First, from this time onwards, all gates of Cornford Castle will be closed and entry and exit will be restricted. Second, Chief Weyron is appointed as the temporary commander of Cornford Castle, and the castle’s troops are ordered to follow his instructions. “This will remain in effect until the Commander-in-Chief or your unit arrives at the castle, and we inform you in advance that any violation of this will be punished in accordance with wartime military law.”
Just like that, Dylan’s video ended and the meeting ended with the nobles murmuring.
Even though he was not in the castle, the order was given by a legitimate authority, so there was no one foolish enough to raise a different opinion.
However, the eyes of some people leaving the central hall looked unusual.
‘Hmm. Will it actually move as expected?’
Philip coldly looked at their backs and walked off somewhere.
(Continued in the next part)