The messenger sent by Jeffrey rode for a long time and finally came to Locke Manor, where he met in the courtyard of the manor his own monarch's feudal lord, the ruler of the entire Duchy of Bemessy.

"Dear Duke, I bring greetings from Lord Jeffrey." When Phoebe saw the depressed Duke of Bemessi, he quickly knelt down on one knee and saluted the noble nobleman.

"Oh, you're Jeffrey's retainer?" The Duke of Bemessi, wearing a rich cloak, had been persuading Sir Wayne to revoke the barony, but the knight of the Locke family had been unable to make a decision on his honor.

Looking at Duke Bemessi's outstretched hand, Phoebe hurriedly held the duke's right hand, bowed her head and kissed the ruby ring on the duke's hand, kissing etiquette is the highest respect for the great nobles.

"Is there anything you're here for?" The Duke of Bemessi was pleased with Phoebe's obedience, and after he had finished the kissing ceremony, he sat down on a chaise longue in the courtyard and leaned back to Phoebe and asked.

"My master has a matter that needs your ruling, Lord Fengjun." Phoebe hurriedly said to Duke Bemessi.

"Say it." The Duke of Bemessi leaned on the chaise longue made of expensive redwood wood, looking at the young nobleman in front of him, but he was thinking about the intention of the envoy sent by the relatives, knowing that if it were not for Jeffrey's huge and intertwined family, the Duke of Jeffrey's land would still be very interested, compared to the manor and village of the Locke family, Jeffrey's fertile fields and dense forests are the coveted territory.

"There are fugitives in my master's land." Phoebe said loudly to the duke.

"Is that what happened? If there are fugitive slaves, just hire a pursuer. When the Duke of Bemessi heard this, he simply scoffed, and he still came to him for such a trivial matter, and the relatives really lived more and more.

"No, Lord Duke, those fugitive slaves are under the protection of other lords, so my lord wants your fair verdict." Phoebe continued.

"That's the problem." Duke Bemessi frowned slightly, he felt very troublesome in his heart, the serfs in the territory between the lords fled, if they fled into someone else's territory, if the local lord insisted on refusing to return it, unless he paid for ransom or a big fight, and this was a very troublesome matter, there was no room for compromise at all.

"Yes, the second son of the Locke family, the lord of Glinton, who does not care about the honor of the nobles, has taken in my master's fugitive slaves privately, as a vassal of Lord Duke, Lord Jeffrey hopes that you can deal with it fairly." Phoebe said to Duke Bemessi.

"You mean Glinton." When the Duke of Bemessi heard that it was about Greenton, he sat up from his chaise longue and asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's Lord Grinton, and Bruce who killed Lord James." Phoebe was overjoyed when she saw the Duke's reaction, but she didn't expect the Duke to be so interested in the lord of Glinton, and at the same time, the news of James's death had just begun to spread in the region, and various rumors spread among the lords and nobles.

Sir Wayne sat in the lord's hall of the manor, under the dome, ten columns supported the house, between the columns were sculptures of the patriarchs of the Locke family, and Sir sat on the steps under the lord's throne, the sword in his hand resting on his shoulder.

"Ping-pong." Suddenly, the door to the hall was pushed open, and the Duke of Bemessi strode in, he looked at Sir Wayne sitting on the steps, and the other party just looked up at the Duke, Sir Wayne's expression seemed to be pained, and he was struggling with some kind of mind.

"Sir Wayne, it's time to make a decision." Duke Bemessi looked at Sir Wayne and said loudly to him.

"Lord Duke, I've never been able to figure out why you had to make me a baron?" Sir Wayne sighed, and he stood up and asked Duke Bemothy.

"If I did, would you be declared the new Baron of Cumberland?" Duke Bermessi crossed his waist and said to Sir Wayne.

"Of course, I have to at least figure out my situation, and not be pushed on the barbecue in a muddle." Sir Wayne held the sword in its scabbard to his shoulder, and the eerie gem on the sword glowed with starlight.

"The Locke family is the strongest force in the Cumberland region, they have been the most important family in the region for hundreds of years, but the Cumberland region was not a vassal of the Principality of Bemessi in the past, and even in history it was in a state of hostility with my family." Duke Bemessi nodded, ready to be open and honest with Sir Wayne.

"But that's in the past, at least a hundred years." Sir Wayne put his sword down and said, leaning on his saber.

"That's right, but don't forget that Cumberland has divided my direct territory in two, and the Duchy of Bemesy is a narrow land sandwiched between several major forces, if I can't control Cumberland in my hands, once the competition with other dukes begins, this worry may cause my family to perish." The voice of Duke Bemessi echoed through the halls, he had come here as a duke, originally to win over the Locke family.

"But Lord James has always trusted you." Sir Wayne's face became solemn, and he said to the Duke.

"That's right, I also planned to give James more favors to win him over, but now that he's dead, he can't do anything about himself." Duke Bemessi shook his head and cursed James for his stupidity as he spoke.

"So you want me to be a baron now?"

"Yes, you can't let the Locke family become the ruler of Cumberland anymore, and you have been in control of most of the Locke family's army, so you are undoubtedly the best candidate to be a baron, how about it? How about ruling hand in hand with me? The Duke of Bemothy stared at Sir Wayne like an eagle, and he did not believe that anyone could resist the temptation of titles, land, and money.

"I see, then it's time to gather the army." Sir Wayne smacked his mouth, and he paused with the saber in his hand, which slammed against the floor with a crisp sound.

"That's right, it's easy to get the army together." Duke Bemessey looked appreciative, he was very happy with Sir Wayne's choice, as long as the Locke family was completely wiped out, then the whole of Cumberland would gradually fall into his hands.

"It's just that I heard that an envoy visited the manor today and met with you, what is it?" As Sir Wayne walked out of the hall, he suddenly turned to the Duke of Bemessey.

"Oh, it's just a lord who wants me to make a decision, a small thing that doesn't seem obvious." The Duke of Bemessi did not tell Sir Wayne about the escape, he wanted to keep a hand for himself.

The horn sounded in Locke Manor, it was Sir Wayne gathering his army, after the battle of Grinton, there were only 25 sergeants and 14 light cavalry left in the entire manor, and most of the number was lost.

"Lord Duke, we have already bribed some of the sergeants according to your orders, and if anyone dares to object, the people who cooperate with us can suppress it together." The knight of the Duke of Bemessi's personal guard quietly came to his side and whispered a few words into his ear.

"Well done." The Duke of Bemessi was dressed in a splendid aristocratic attire, his hair scattered, ready to pluck the fruits of his long-planned work.

"Boom, boom~~." Although they had suffered a setback in a battle, the sergeants of Locke Manor were well-trained, and after a period of recuperation, they regained their former self-confidence.

The sergeants wore iron helmets and leather armor, and held large shields and spears in their hands, arranged in two neat formations. The hussars held spears in their hands, wore woollen felt hats and coarse linen clothes.

Sir Wayne walked out in full gear under the service of his squire, his close companion's sword at his waist, and when he appeared before the sergeants, the sergeants straightened their backs and did not squint.

"Jazz." The Duke of Bemosy looked at the heavily armed Sir Wayne and felt a little amused in his heart, this knight was too timid, but he still nodded politely and slightly.

"Lord Duke." Sir Wayne's face was serious, and he put his hand on the edge of his helmet and gave a military salute to the Duke.