Chapter 041: The Duke's Banquet (Part II)

Characters in this chapter: Duke Kesto Michod, Count Lance Trier, Count Jon Dylanya, Ellene, and Mark. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

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"The Vigians from the Eastern Continent have endured many hardships and hardships, and have endured severe cold and hardships to cross the treacherous and long desperate mountains to reach the continent of Calradia. These Virgians, who were not afraid of the bitter cold, acquiesced in the settlement of the area east of the Kudan River by logging wood, mining, hunting, and fishing. ”

"As a result of the increasing taxes imposed by the later rulers of the Empire, the Vygians of the Snow Plains were the first to split away from the ruling center of the Empire. Several Virginian lords were dissatisfied with the Emperor's rule and privately organized a united state, Virginia. This includes the 'Vigia Plateau', and the present-day cities of Kudan and Kulau, which are actually some bitter cold places. - Except for the Frost City of Zhivadine, with the exception of that. ”

Duke Michod looked up from the top of his glass, sat up straight, his elbows resting on the armrests, his fingers crossed, and his deep voice seemed to have the sound of metal rubbing.

The guests were apparently amazed that Duke Michod would start talking about history, and they immediately began to talk about it.

Whether it was a nobleman, a knight, or a gladiator, everyone was talking nonsense and asking for details from people who didn't know anything like themselves.

Whether it was the guests or the voices they made, this was called power! The host simply explained the history of the Virginians, and the atmosphere of the hall was set off in this way.

Alleyne has always maintained a keen interest in the history of the continent of Calradia, and the history of the Virginians that Duke Michod has just told has been studied by him when he was nine years old.

During his years in Sagecherburg, he learned a great deal about history from the amiable Maester Luwin. The Duke of Michod is not wrong about the history of Virginia.

The Virgians at that time were bound by blood to form many tribes of various sizes, perhaps occasionally in conflict, but basically united.

As the Callard Empire gradually declined, the Empire began to oppress the Virgians.

Due to the abundance of iron ore beneath the vast snowfields on the banks of the Kudan River, the empire began to forcibly recruit Vigia men to mine and increase taxes.

When these regions declared their independence from the Empire, the Emperor was furious and sent a powerful army to suppress them.

The Virgians were hunters of the old woods, relying on forests and frozen rivers to ambush the Imperial army during the harsh winters.

The bloody Vigians used their familiarity with the terrain and their skilful archery skills to counter the Empire's formidable cavalry.

The Imperial army suffered heavy casualties, and because the battle line was too long, medicine and food could not be supplied in time, and the Imperial army was forced to retreat by the Virginians.

The main reason for the Empire's defeat was that the snowy terrain was not suitable for large-scale cavalry warfare.

After nearly a hundred years of struggle, the powerless Empire finally relented and made the snowfields north of the 'Kurau River' a permanent territory of the Virgian people.

The nobles of the empire did not think that the cold land was of great strategic significance, and the dim-witted king actually recognized the independence of the eastern principality of Vegia, but demanded that Veggia must be a vassal to the empire, and recognize it as a part of the empire, and pay annual tribute to the hides and timber in the mountains.

The Virgians also paid a heavy price for the war, so they gladly accepted such conditions.

In this way, the Kingdom of Virgia became legitimized, but at that time, it was still a vassal state of the Kallad Empire.

"The city of Zhivading was originally built by our ancestors for decades to protect the people of Svadia from the cold. However, the Vigians took advantage of the invasion of Calradia by the northern barbarians of the Nords, and this group of snowfield bandits forcibly took the city of Zhivading for themselves. Duke Michod's voice echoed through the hall.

The facts of history were not as true as the Duke of Michord himself had stated, and Alleyne remembered every piece of history that Maester Ruwen had told him.

The Empire, which had been attacked from behind, sent a secret letter to the Vygia chieftain, hoping that the Viggians would stab the Nords in the back, and on the condition that the Empire would give the prosperous city of Zhivadin to Vegia.

The empire also promised to officially recognize the Virginians' ownership of the entire Northeast Snowy Fields. The leader of Virginia, who had always lived in the bitter cold, naturally agreed to the tempting conditions.

But Alleyne couldn't figure out why Duke Michord would tell such a lie in front of his vassals and knights at such a solemn celebratory dinner.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall became silent. The owners of the castle no longer simply recounted the history, but used fiery rhetoric to criticize their friendly neighbors.

"These greedy snow leopards, they even want to take the whole rich Dehrim region into their pockets. Count Lance Trier, in a cold tone, was the first to break the silence of the shock.

"We're here because we have a responsibility. We know that we need to protect women and children, protect our wheat and olives, protect all who don't have the power to protect themselves. Count Tyr continued, his blue eyes scanning the crowd. "So countless lads have come here to fight alongside us, and all we have to do is take back the city of Zhivadine from the Vigians. ”

The Count of Tyre was the lord of Tyreburg, which was located in the northeastern part of the region of Dehrim, about fifty leagues away from the royal city of Zhivadine in the kingdom of Virginia.

As the northeastern gateway to the Dehrim region, the garrison in Tilburg is maintained at 5,000 troops all year round. And all of them are well-equipped and well-trained elite soldiers.

The Earl of Tyre was a middle-aged man in his forties and the most powerful of the five earl lords under Duke de Herim's command who were loyal to him.

Without the permission of the castle's owner, Count Tyre would not have been able to utter a fierce rhetoric about the capture of Zhivadine. This is a violation of the peace treaty signed between King Harlaus and King Yarogerk.

In other words, the words of the Count of Tyre were actually the meaning of Duke Michord. It's just that the owner is cautious and doesn't want to say it himself.

The hall, which had been silent before, became noisy again at once, at the instigation of the Count of Tyre.

The voices of the knights, eager to prove their abilities and thinking of gaining honor and title by war, drowned out all the voices in the hall.

Some of the noble lords also seemed to smell the smell of war from the words of the Earl of Tyre, and they asked for orders to lead their armies to take the lead for their feudal lords.

Alleyne also noticed that even some of the gladiators who sat at the table with him were banging on the table, wanting to join the army of the castle's owner.

What began as a joyous celebratory dinner has turned into a loyal gathering of noble lords and knights who swear allegiance to their masters.

"I will not swing my sword off my country, never!"

Mark's voice rang in Aren's ears, and if Mark wasn't sitting next to him, he couldn't hear what he was saying at all.

"This war has nothing to do with us," Alleyne assured him. "We were only hired to exterminate the bandits in the Chaos Forest, and we did not promise Duke Michod to fight for him. ”

Count Durrenya, who was sitting at the head of the Duke to the left of him, suddenly stood up. "As Count Tyr said, we must retake the city of Zhivadine from the snowfield bandits!"

"The great armies of the Virgians are gathering in the north to engage the Nords," said Count Dylanya in a determined voice. "And this is the perfect time for us to take the city of Zhivading in one fell swoop. ”

"King Haraus signed a peace treaty with King Yarogerk," said Duke Michod on the high platform in a flat tone. "If we send troops rashly, we will be against the will of the king. ”

"A peace treaty like this," the Count of Tyre noted. "Our King Haraus doesn't know how many times he has signed, but still hasn't stopped the Kujits from harassing our border villages. ”

"It's just a piece of waste paper!" echoed Earl Dylanya.

"My lord, we are not rushing to the army. Count Tyre stressed again. "But Tyrk was besieged, and we went to the rescue, and it was the Vigians who had to send troops to the city of Živadin. ”

An earl lord actually told such an outrageous lie in front of everyone in the hall. It seems that it is imperative for the Duke of Michord to send troops to the city of Zhivadin.

Of all the noble lords, knights, and gladiators in the hall, no one dared to question the words of Count Tyre. Because behind the Count of Tyre is the owner of this castle, the Duke of Michaud.

The whole thing went as far as Duke Michod had expected. Next, as long as he gives an order, all the people in the hall will become the sword in his hand and go to the battlefield for him.

Duke Michod suddenly got up and gave the order: "Gather the army tomorrow and send troops to the city of Rivading!"

It takes at least half a month or so for the noble lord to gather an army. Alleyne thought to himself. It seems that the army of the lords under the command of Duke Michod has already been assembled.

After the feast, Alleyne and the others retrieved their respective weapons from the guards and strode in the direction of the tavern.

From the beginning to the end, Ellen didn't even say a word to the duke, there was only a ceremonial eye contact between them,

Drum returned to the hotel where he was staying, and Serena, as a new member of the Iron Will, naturally followed Ellen back to the tavern with them. (To be continued.) )