Imperial Throne

Chapter 20: Faction Standpoints

The outbreak of war came faster than Yam had anticipated.

On the third day after the Lord of White Mountain Territory received Count Shuvaric's urgent order, before he could even finish assembling his troops, news arrived that Red River Territory had lost two villages in quick succession.

The most troublesome part was that these two villages were situated precisely between Red River City and the border of White Mountain Territory. This meant that if the Lord of White Mountain Territory wanted to reinforce Red River City, he would first have to reclaim these two villages.

However, it was evident to everyone that by the time White Mountain Territory received this news, the allied forces of Gem Territory, Forest Territory, and Red Soil Territory had already occupied a significant portion of Red River Territory.

They even had enough strength to station troops along the border to prevent reinforcements from White Mountain Territory from arriving.

What concerned the Knight Commander of the Bole Family the most was that if White Mountain Territory intervened at this point, it could potentially lead to a full-scale war.

But White Mountain Territory had no choice.

Therefore, the two knights from the Bole Family had to lead their troops to the front lines first, entering Red River Territory to engage in combat, while the Baron of White Mountain Territory departed two days later.

Two Bloodline Knights, accompanied by fifty militiamen recruited from their fief, set out for the front lines.

Two days later, the Lord of White Mountain Territory also began his march towards Red River Territory, bringing along two hundred private soldiers and a batch of provisions.

This was Yam's first time witnessing a war between Bloodline Nobles.

Yet, he still had many questions.

The only thing that brought Yam some comfort was that he had finally managed to bring his mother to White Forest Castle.

After Giggs arranged for someone to treat Yam's mother, although she remained thin, her overall vitality had noticeably improved.

She no longer appeared as frail as before, and there was a newfound sense of liveliness about her.

Currently, White Forest Castle was under the control of Giggs, and as Giggs's sworn knight, Yam's status naturally rose accordingly.

Even the seasoned Bloodline Knight Nika had to pause and show deference when she encountered Yam.

After all, her loyalty lay with the Bole Family, not solely with Giggs. Therefore, with Giggs holding the authority as acting lord, her position as someone not in Giggs's inner circle was naturally lower than Yam's.

This was the first time Yam truly felt the changes that came with status.

He clearly remembered that in White Forest Castle, whether it was the Knight Commander of the Bole Family or the other two Bloodline Knights, while they weren't hostile towards him when the Lord of White Mountain Territory was present, they also didn't show much kindness, maintaining a polite distance.

But now, with the Lord of White Mountain Territory gone and Giggs officially taking over the management of White Forest Castle, White Mountain City, and the entire White Mountain Territory, Nika's attitude towards him had changed significantly.

However, Yam didn't alter his behavior towards others because of this.

Nonetheless, he noticed that Giggs didn't seem particularly happy.

"I thought you'd be happier," Yam said.

"Why?" Giggs looked puzzled at Yam's question. "Just because I'm the acting lord now?"

Yam nodded.

"Precisely because I'm the acting lord, I'm more anxious," Giggs shook his head. "I've never experienced war before..."

"Neither have I," Yam suddenly said.

This statement caught Giggs off guard, but it unexpectedly eased his mood. "Haha, then this is our first time together."

"Although I feel there's something off about that statement..." Yam shrugged. "But yes, you could say that."

"Hey," Giggs chuckled. "I'm actually very nervous and troubled right now... White Mountain Territory isn't wealthy, as you know, and my father took almost all the troops with him, leaving the territory more vulnerable than ever."

White Mountain Territory had always been relatively poor, so the Bole Family couldn't afford to maintain many private soldiers.

Moreover, due to the Lord's benevolent governance, there was no practice of conscripting serfs. Thus, the two hundred private soldiers constituted the entirety of the Lord's armed forces.

This time, when sending troops to support Red River Territory, the Lord brought all his private soldiers.

Currently, the defense of White Forest Castle was handled by the twenty militiamen Nika brought from her fief village and fifteen militiamen requisitioned from Bole Village. As for the security of White Mountain City, it had been handed over to the guards and servants of wealthy merchants in the city.

Regarding the twenty-member militia from Fisher Village, for some unknown reason, they hadn't been mobilized or assigned any duties.

Therefore, at present, the entire defensive force of White Mountain Territory amounted to just fifty-five militiamen.

Giggs's statement that White Mountain Territory was more vulnerable than ever wasn't mere modesty.

"I don't quite understand why we have to support Red River Territory," Yam said, puzzled. "Knowing the disparity in strength, wouldn't it be wiser to refrain from intervening?"

"Because of faction standpoints."

Before Giggs could respond, Lily's voice rang out.

"Miss Lily," Yam turned around to see Lily entering through the door and immediately greeted her.

Lily nodded slightly in acknowledgment before continuing her explanation. "A hundred years ago, the territories of Forest, Red Soil, Red River, Gem, White Mountain, and Bayor all belonged to Count Bourbon's fief, collectively known as Bourbon Territory. Even the distant Withered Wood Forest and the adjacent Eaglehead Mountains were part of Bourbon Territory."

"But after the fall of the Bourbon Family, these territories plunged into chaos for a long time. It wasn't until later, due to various faction standpoints and affiliations, that a relatively stable state was reestablished. However, this stability only applied to higher-level matters. In reality, minor conflicts between the territorial families never ceased."

"So, White Mountain Territory and Red River Territory are aligned with Count Shuvaric?" Yam wasn't slow-witted; he just hadn't yet adapted to the identity of a Bloodline Noble.

After Lily's explanation and recalling the Lord of White Mountain Territory's frequent mentions of Count Shuvaric, he began to understand.

"And Red Soil Territory, Forest Territory, and Gem Territory belong to the opposing faction?"

"Strictly speaking, only Gem Territory," Lily said. "Behind the Baron of Gem Territory stands Marquis Visen Kasein. His relationship with Count Shuvaric isn't good, and there have been significant frictions between them. However, due to their high ranks, it's inconvenient for them to handle matters personally. Therefore, conflicts are often delegated to baronial families like ours, as this helps contain the impact within a manageable scope."

"What about Forest Territory and Red Soil Territory?"

"These two are viscountcies. They belong to the same faction as Marquis Visen Kasein, being part of the royal family, but their standpoints might not necessarily align," Lily's face showed concern.

"Logically, Viscount Forest and Viscount Red Soil shouldn't get involved in the conflict between Red River Territory and Gem Territory. If they do, it would represent the royal family's will, potentially escalating the conflict to a matter between the royal family and the Southern Duke."

Although Yam didn't fully grasp the intricacies, he managed to make some identity-based deductions.

It seemed that the relationship between the Tyrella royal family and the Southern Duke wasn't particularly good.

Count Shuvaric and Marquis Visen Kasein had their differences, often allowing their subordinate barons to clash.

The war between Red River Territory and Gem Territory was a result of Count Shuvaric and Marquis Visen Kasein's mutual indulgence.

However, since these two territories were evenly matched, a swift victory was unlikely, keeping the conflict within the control of these two influential figures.

Viscount Forest and Viscount Red Soil weren't subordinates of Marquis Visen Kasein but belonged to the same faction.

Their involvement in the war made it impossible for Red River Territory to withstand the three-pronged attack, necessitating a call for reinforcements.

As a neighboring territory and a subordinate of Count Shuvaric, White Mountain Territory was naturally required by Count Shuvaric to support Red River Territory, even secretly dispatching three Bloodline Knights for assistance.

"If Count Shuvaric can send people for secret support, then Marquis Visen Kasein can do the same, right?" Yam suddenly asked.

"That's precisely our concern," Giggs sighed, finally voicing his earlier unease.

"We don't understand why Viscount Forest and Viscount Red Soil suddenly joined this war. But since there's no response from the Duke, it indicates that this isn't an issue between the royal family and the duke, so the duke is unlikely to take any action or make any statements."

"But because of Count Shuvaric's involvement, it gives Marquis Visen Kasein an excuse. If Count Shuvaric can send support, why can't Marquis Visen Kasein?"

Upon hearing this, Yam finally understood.

"This is a war destined to be lost!"

Lily and Giggs both looked grim.

Even they were aware of the situation; how could their father not be?

But what could they do?

The order to send reinforcements came from Count Shuvaric; they had no choice.

It was evident that Red River Territory couldn't be saved, but Count Shuvaric couldn't remain silent and allow its loss, as that would severely damage his authority.

Therefore, he dispatched three Bloodline Knights under the guise of White Mountain Territory's reinforcements to secretly support Red River Territory.

However, since the excuse was provided by White Mountain Territory, it meant that White Mountain Territory was also dragged into the war. The siblings' real concern was that the war might spread to White Mountain Territory.

Lily said solemnly, "So the way to break this deadlock is to find out why Viscount Forest and Viscount Red Soil joined this war."