Riz's letter arrives at Tetherswest in the span time of five days. As soon as Count Tetherswest gets wind of it, he ordered the letter to be brought over to his office immediately.
He impatiently opens the sealed letter from his future son-in-law full of expectation on his face.
The count then read the three-page long letter line by line. Riz took a great length to write a typical letter from a noble to build Count Tetherswest's expectations higher. It starts with a paragraph of pleasantries, asking for his and his wife's well-being, informing him about his daughter before moving to the main point.
As he proceeds, his face begins to scowl. The pleasantries and kind words gradually faded. The letter took a 180-degree turn. Without any regard for the reader's age or health status, the young king poured his soul into writing the letter full of rude words and mockery.
The count honestly didn't expect the always bored and absent-looking kid to get mad to this extent.
'That brat must have found my request to be preposterous. I can feel his efforts in writing this insulting letter. Each word he wrote is unique and sounds foreign to me. My heart bleeds every time I read it. I would believe him if he said he invented new words just to insult me.'
Riz ends his letter with one peculiar sentence that attracts his attention.
[There is only one noble family in my kingdom and they're the royal family.]
Based on this sentence, he knows that his request has been totally rejected. It indirectly tells him to not ever make such a request again.
He leans back on his chair. His brain was trying to organize the next step he should take.
His wife, Fiona abruptly barged into the room.
She takes a quick glance at the table, one opens the letter and another one remains unsealed. As for the senders, she already knows.
"Are you not going to read that letter?" She asked with curiosity.
"Huh?" He looked at the letter she meant, "Pftt...No, I don't have to read to know its content." The count scornfully replies.
Fiona begins to probe, "If you heed his call, he might elevate your current status. The fact that he sends a letter to you means that he is in a desperate situation. At the moment, not many are able to help him. I'm sure he will appreciate your help once you step in."
The count laughed, "Him? Do you really think he would trust me? I don't think so. He is heartless enough to leave his mother behind, I am sure he is more than willing to throw me away once I no longer have any use. He brought upon this predicament by himself, therefore, let him solve it."
Fiona chuckled in amusement, "Well, we might truly lose our nobility this time. I can't count on my hand how many times Tetherswest ignores Napuna's order."
He merely scoffed, "Humph, then let him take our noble status. Does he think we're weak? We are strong enough to stand on our own."
"Leaving his matter aside, what is the response from your beloved son-in-law?"
Hearing her question, the count's face becomes sullen. Riz doesn't fit the title of 'beloved' at all. Not after such a letter was sent to him, his future father-in-law.
Fiona already receives an obvious answer to her question just by looking at her husband's expression. "No good, huh?"
He sighs, "That brat said his kingdom doesn't need any noble family. He doesn't see my offer as appealing as I made it. Even if we wanted to join in, he wouldn't accept it. He said it'll be a hassle on his side. Not to mention, he demands you retrieve your spy team in Bideford. Their number keeps increasing and if the trend continues, he has no choice but to hunt them."
Fiona clicked her tongue, "As I thought, he is aware of it. What are you going to do next? Leaning to the other side?"
Count shook his head, "I don't want to be under such a king. I think we should go on our own path. What'd you think?"
"Hmm... That's a reasonable move. The current political situation is unstable. Nobody knows what kind of fiasco King Niall is going to be. The future of Bagyarosia is bleak at best. Considering our territorial location, we'll fall faster if we go under Napuna."
"Then, it's decided! From today, Tetherswest County will become the Grand Duchy of Tetherswest." The count happily said.
"But, how about those pests? Will they make a noise?" The pests Fiona mentioned are referred to as minor nobles under them.
"Pests? Most died in the capital before they could suck up to the new king. As for the rest of them, I don't think they'll pose any threat to us. Just to be safe, I'll send soldiers to knock on their doors."
"It looks like you've been thinking this through. You're no longer a muscle-headed man. I'm proud of you." Fiona proudly said to her husband. She closely approached her husband from behind and hugged him. Under her unceasing guidance, she manages to educate him in politics.
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom Unfortunately, Count Tetherswest doesn't buy it. "Stop with those fake tears, it's out of your character. Now, go. I have many letters to write."
At the end of October, news about the Grand Duchy of Tetherswest broke out. It causes mixed reactions among the minor nobles across the region.
Up until now, many minor nobles thought that Bagyarosia still has hope for recovery even after the tragic incident of Napuna. A big kingdom is more intimidating to other nations and can protect them, the small fry. All hope was pinned onto the new king, Niall II.
To their despair, their hope ceased to exist. Another new sovereignty rose from the fragmented Bagyarosia. Minor nobles who always had a wait-and-see attitude had to find a way to survive on their own.
The once agricultural powerhouse falls to the point of no return and the reunification of Bagyarosia seems to be a distant dream.
....
Caushilbo Mansion, Caushilbo.
"Preposterous!! How does he think he is? Every single one of them is ungrateful. Without Napuna, their ancestors won't have a noble status." Niall threw a crumbled paper on the ground. Out of all people, the one that reacts the most naturally is the new King Niall II.
He was truly enraged. These actions of theirs signify how little they thought of him.
It has not been a month since his coronation and all the territories he left with is Caushilbo County which he forcefully took over.
"Philip! Where are you? Philip!!" He shouts from his room.
"I'm here, Your Majesty."
"Prepare the soldiers, we're going to destroy the House of Tetherswest and recover our territory!!"
Philip was shocked, he protest against the order in instant. "Your Majesty, please don't make a hasty decision."
"What?!! Are you going to let them be?" Niall cast a blazing glare at his prime minister.
"That's not what I meant. At present, our soldiers are busy suppressing the opposition group led by the rogue knight of Caushilbo. They're the loyal soldiers of the already dead count. These knights believe that you're responsible for the death of the count. We simply don't have enough manpower to go against The Iron Wall of Bagyarosia."
"It's almost a month! Why is this problem not over yet?! How incompetent can you be?!" Niall lashed out at Philip.
Despite all of those words, Philip remains calm and collected, "I'm trying my best. Our investigation team believes they have a mole inside that supplies them with intelligence."
"I don't care what your excuses are, I want you to settle it as soon as possible."
"Worry not, Your Majesty."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter