144fury
144Either choice (two-person choice)) (2)
Roman took a sip of tea..
When I put down the teacup, savoring the bitter taste, Lucas, who was standing across from me, reported his findings..
“It is as my lord expected. After moving the Black Moon and leaking information, it appears that Earl Douglas contacted the Northeast Association and announced his intention to go to war. Considering that they are actually inciting the northern lords to gather troops, it does not seem to be a problem that will end with a simple emotional response..”
“The Beast of the North is an extreme character. Even if I responded emotionally, I won't go back on what I said once I said it..”
devising a plan.
Roman found the right person.
By absorbing Black Moon into Hao Moon, information related to slush funds was obtained, and the relationship between Earl Douglas and the Northeast Association had attractive elements..
From then on, Roman let his imagination run wild in his head..
At a time when it was necessary to organize the ranking of the northeastern region, we thought about how to utilize this in various directions..
The moment I met Dmitry's peasants.
Roman's plan was complete..
The scattered pieces of the puzzle became one, and Roman came up with a picture that would destroy the Northeast Association..
‘There was nothing said or done that was not included in the plan..’
Provocation at a social party.
I intentionally made an offensive statement in front of everyone, and I knew that Viscount Conrad would be upset..
Hao Wen's report revealed his inclinations..
He was proud of being a member of the 'Northeast Association', so there was no way he could tolerate the outrageous remarks made by someone like the eldest son of a nobleman..
Understand people's tendencies.
Viscount Conrad is a key figure in the Northeast Association, and his inclinations are bound to have a great influence on the decisions of the Association..
from beginning to end.
It unfolded as expected..
As Viscount Conrad reacted to the provocation, the discord between the Northeast Association and Dmitry arose, and the moment Roman declared the contest, the Northeast Association naturally stepped into a trap..
It was the same with the Earl of Douglas..
If the Northeastern Association had bowed low from the beginning, Earl Douglas would have had a reason to quell the anger, but in his attempt to gain an advantage, he ended up worsening the situation..
do they know?
The fact that one person's tendency is sinking the Northeast Association into the abyss of despair as time goes by..
Roman said.
“So far, things have gone according to plan. However, when Viscount Conrad is cornered, unlike Earl Douglas, he is not the type of person to rush in without looking back. That's probably why he apologized to me at the frat party and didn't raise his voice after the convention. It will be the same this time too. If Earl Douglas comes out strong, there is a high probability that he will put aside his pride and raise the white flag first..”
It was obvious.
Strong and weak).
He was a typical type of nobleman..
The opponent was a northern beast, but he didn't have the courage to fight with a red face until the end..
so that.
“From now on, spread the word as planned. So that spilled water cannot be picked up again. No matter what methods the Northeast Association uses to defuse the situation, create a situation in which Earl Douglas's anger will not subside. Only when they are pushed into a corner from which they can no longer escape will they be able to let go of their modest pride..”
“All right.”
suddenly.
Lucas felt sorry for the other person..
Like a snake tightening its leash more and more.
Roman's plan did not allow the opponent any chance to escape..
* * *
The rumor started from something trivial..
Douglas Estate.
The merchant there spoke in a sighing voice while handing the goods to the customer..
“I probably won't be able to do business properly for a while..”
“what does that mean?”
“What do you mean? I receive supplies from the northeastern region, and the atmosphere between Count Douglas and the Northeastern Association is very unfavorable this time. At first, I thought it was a simple feud, but the Northeastern Alliance is preparing to attack the Douglas Territory by sweeping away all war supplies. So, I have to close the business for a while. You can't receive deliveries, and you can't do business during the war, right??”
“……Is that really true??”
The customer was very surprised.
war news.
It was not a story worthy of being passed over, and as soon as he returned home, he told his family everything he had heard..
The wife, who heard what her husband said, relayed the news to the women around her, and the women also told their families with serious expressions that Douglas was in danger..
Did they say that a horse without feet can travel a thousand miles?.
The rumor, which started from something very trivial, quickly began to spread throughout Douglas..
That wasn't all.
The servants working at Douglas Castle spread rumors in a quiet voice while working..
“I heard from one of Conrad's servants that Viscount Conrad was very angry when he contacted Count Douglas. I heard there was an uproar and all the furniture was smashed. This isn't a sure thing, but it looks like he's plotting some kind of revenge on Count Douglas..”
“Viscount Conrad is a very snake-like person. He may outwardly laugh and try to solve the problem, but he will definitely seek revenge on Count Douglas. Otherwise, there would be no way for rumors to spread that the Northeast Association is calling up troops. I hear he's planning to crush Count Douglas. We're here and we're not caught up in a war for no reason.?”
what the servants said.
Normally it's no big deal.
But while the rumor was spreading throughout Douglas, the chatter of the servants could not be overlooked..
The rumor spread quickly.
At first, it was just a rumor predicting war..
At some point, rumors began to circulate that the Northeastern Association had ill will towards the Earl of Douglas..
The merchant who started the rumor.
The servants who sparked the rumor.
They all belonged to Hao Wen..
lower gate).
These are people living at the bottom of life..
People didn't consider them important, but every word they said eventually shaped public opinion..
And the rumor that spread like that.
Kwaang!
“What dare you do to me?! Issue a conscription order immediately! I would have accepted it if he had admitted his mistake and showed his attitude, but if he goes around saying things like that, he needs to be punished accordingly. In the name of the Douglas family. I will never forgive these rat bastards..”
beast of the north.
he exploded.
* * *
Immediately after first contacting the Earl of Douglas..
After a long debate, the Northeast Association reached a conclusion..
“There is nothing to be gained from war with the Earl of Douglas. In a situation where we are competing with Dmitry for power in the northeastern region, we cannot handle the aftermath if we lose our troops in a war. Isn’t Roman Dmitry a very warlike person? Even if you bow to Earl Douglas and incur financial losses, you need to conserve your strength to prepare for the danger lurking before his eyes..”
“If so, just wait a few days and contact us. Still, don’t you have at least some self-esteem??”
If the other person gets angry and immediately turns away.
The Northeast Association will look ridiculous..
So I waited.
The Northeast Association could not even imagine that malicious rumors would spread in those few days..
“Count Douglas! That's a frame-up! What a war! The Northeast Association has no intention of going to war, and is even considering financial compensation to ask for forgiveness for this incident. So please calm down your anger. The rumors spreading around are completely different from our true feelings..”
beyond the screen.
I saw the face of Earl Douglas..
Viscount Conrad tried to explain in an urgent voice, but Earl Douglas had already blocked his ears..
[It's different from the truth? Viscount Conrad. Do you think I'm blind? Everyone in the world is saying that the Northeast Association is engaging in modifications. Otherwise, there is no smoke coming out of the chimney, and you are doing something that is making people scared and preparing for war..]
The medicine has risen sharply..
The sight of the other person making excuses as if it was nothing really upset Count Douglas..
[I didn't like you guys from the beginning. I thought that if they were bat-like guys who only wanted to gain profit, they might show their teeth to me at any moment. The reason I contacted you was not to compromise with you. So, throw away that pretentious face. Because the day you and I meet face to face, I will trample on your face and make it so you can no longer smile..]
widely-
communication was cut off.
It was a declaration of war.
The Northeast Association's feet are on fire..
I wanted to stop the war somehow, but if Earl Douglas said this, war was inevitable..
a nobleman said.
“This is a big deal. The Earl of Douglas is not one to spout lies, and rumor has it that he is trying to attract northern lords. We can never win with our own strength. If war is unavoidable, we must somehow have the power to overwhelm them..”
“Central government! Let's contact them!”
there was no way.
It would be great to receive help from surrounding nobles like Earl Douglas, but due to the discord with Dmitri, there was no way anyone except the Northeast Association would help..
Then the only solution was to bring in external forces..
Although my last contact wasn't a very good memory, I contacted Count Fabius with the feeling of grasping at straws..
[Yeah yeah. I understand the difficult situation, but the central government cannot get involved in such matters. And didn’t the Northeast Association do anything wrong? If you made a mistake first, don't leave the responsibility to others to fix it..]
Since last contact.
Count Fabius' reaction was like a cold wind blowing..
Viscount Conrad, who had cut off communication due to his actions clearly drawing a line, looked back at the nobles with a speechless expression on his face..
“……It's done. We can't avoid war now.”
I was at a loss.
I felt depressed as the escape route was completely blocked..
War with the Earl of Douglas.
I don't think the Northeastern Federation will be defeated unconditionally, but there were too many things lost in that war..
Everyone said nothing..
They worked hard to solve the problem somehow, but reality did not give them any hope..
It was then.
“My lord! Roman Dmitry has requested to be contacted.!”
signalman's words.
For a moment, the attention of the nobles was focused..
* * *
Reason for contact?
It was obvious.
The intention is probably to ridicule the Northeast Association..
Although he did not want to be contacted, Viscount Konrad received the contact with a feeling of desperation..
[I heard you're having trouble with the Earl of Douglas. Could you please explain the situation??]
Roman's question.
It was unexpected.
In a calm voice, Viscount Conrad unconsciously expressed his frustration..
“I have nothing to say to the Dmitry family, but the people of the Northeast Association, including me, owed a debt to Barko. However, Count Douglas arbitrarily made a move to embezzle the Barco family's slush funds, and we discovered it and took our share. That's it. Earl Douglas, who later learned the truth, declared war, saying it was our fault, even though he was at fault first. We feel unfair. If they had disclosed the slush funds fairly and distributed them appropriately, there would never have been any embezzlement of the slush funds..”
I'm not looking for sympathy.
The opponent is Roman Dmitry..
They knew they wouldn't understand, so they just expressed their frustration out of frustration..
however.
[So what do you plan on doing? We can't just stand by and watch the northern forces move into the northeastern region..]
Moment.
I saw Roman.
Roman's words.
What does it mean?.
“……Are you saying you will help us??”
[That depends on the attitude of the Northeastern Association. What I can say for sure is that no matter what our relationship is, Dmitry has no intention of standing by and watching what is happening in the northeast..]
That means.
It was a completely different development than expected and something the Northeastern Association could not have imagined..
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