Words Must Not Be Spoken Carelessly

Hudson had been forced into stepping forward to fight for the right to lead troops. With war imminent, there was no way for him to avoid it.

If he tried to run away at a time like this, he would most likely be intercepted on the road and forcibly conscripted into the army as cannon fodder.

Though they had not spent much time together, Hudson had gained some understanding of Baron Redman. His political ability could barely be considered passable, while his military competence was an utter mess.

Based on an analysis of his past battles, Hudson came to a conclusion: he was a "knight" with decent luck.

The reason he had survived until now, aside from his own considerable strength, was mainly because all the enemies he encountered had been on roughly the same level. Everyone picked a time, struck a pose, and charged forward with their underlings.

Strategy and tactics simply did not exist. Hudson guessed those concepts were not even in the Baron's vocabulary.

There was nothing to sneer at. Everyone played the same way these days. It was all genuine head-on fighting, with very little trickery involved.

Clearly, this was extremely unfriendly to Hudson. If he followed his father onto the battlefield, he would probably have no choice but to charge in and fight with real blades.

As a rookie knight, Hudson was not prepared to fight people to the death. In his eyes, so-called noble honor was empty; only his life truly belonged to him.

Even if they really had to fight, the underlings had to go first. Everyone was a rabble anyway. As long as they were just a little stronger than the Rebel Army, that would be enough.

The burden of suppressing the rebellion was better left to his teammates. He could follow along when things were going well, and if they lost, he merely needed to run faster than the others.

It would be enough to make himself known among the nobles and let them recognize his face. If he could pick up a little military merit along the way, that would be a huge profit.

Crisis and opportunity went hand in hand, but the risks of trying to rise to the top in one leap were simply too great. Hudson knew his own limits and felt that a weakling like him could not handle it.

Reality proved that Hudson had still been thinking too simply. If Baron Redman were so easy to fool, he would have been played to death long ago.

There was no shortage of fools among noble children, but unless such fools came from exceptionally powerful families with patrons to protect them, most did not survive long.

They appeared simple and straightforward on the battlefield because that was the overall social climate. With the environment like that, how could individuals remain unaffected?

In the end, Baron Redman lavishly praised his performance. As for Hudson's request to personally lead troops into battle, the Baron neither refused nor agreed.

Back in his room, Hudson was already in despair. Words could deceive, but the body was often honest. Baron Redman's words sounded pleasant enough, yet the expression between his brows plainly revealed deep distrust.

Thinking about it, that made sense. A sixteen-year-old brat suddenly asking to lead troops into battle alone—what parent could possibly feel at ease?

Especially when he wanted to take five hundred able-bodied young men to the battlefield. The Coslo Family was not wealthy enough to pay such costly tuition.

Most importantly, their enemy this time was the Rebel Army, which slaughtered nobles as easily as dogs. They knew nothing of the rules of the game between nobles, much less could anyone expect them to follow those rules.

Late at night, Baron Redman lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time. Their earlier conversation had clearly shaken him deeply.

Having spent half his life in noble circles, he knew very well how much darkness lay behind that glittering and glamorous class. For the sake of profit, there was nothing they would not do.

But if Hudson's deduction was correct, how should he conduct himself now?

At the end of the day, the Coslo Family was still too weak. They had many members scattered across various places, which could only deter small and middling nobles of the same rank. Against great nobles, they were simply insignificant.

"Am I really supposed to hold back?"

That seemed to go against the spirit of knighthood.

In all his previous wars, he had never done such a thing. Within a hundred miles, who did not know of Baron Redman's bravery?

He did not want to damage his reputation, nor did he want to become cannon fodder. Caught between the two, Baron Redman spent the night sleepless.

The next day, news of the conscription had already spread through the castle. Both the servants and the castle guards joined in the discussions.

Lesur was not among them. Ever since he had failed to obtain the Life Essence, he had been in a terrible state, leaving the Baroness worried as well.

"Lesur, try to take it in stride. Your father is in a difficult position too. This matter has had too great an impact, so he must make some kind of gesture. Otherwise..."

Before the Baroness could finish, Lesur interrupted her in embarrassed fury. "Enough! Isn't it all just to give those little bastards an explanation?

Was the earlier punishment not enough? Do they have to kill me?

We are all members of the Coslo Family. Why should I be beneath them?

Just because I was born later?

Not only was I forced farther down the line of succession, but even resources have to come to me later. This is far too unfair!

This is simply..."

The nearly roaring complaints were ones the Baroness had heard countless times. But those were the rules, and they were not something she could change.

Even though she knew Baron Redman treated his sons equally, and that her own children had even received more care because of her influence at his bedside, she still could not accept it.

No matter how hard she tried, she could not alter the order of inheritance. That meant the Barony's estate was destined to have nothing to do with her sons.

She had originally accepted reality, but seeing Lesur's miserable state once again stirred the resentment in her heart.

Perhaps her anger had gotten the better of her, or perhaps she hated that he had failed to live up to expectations. The Baroness stepped forward and slapped Lesur hard across the face, then snapped:

"Shut up, Lesur!

How many times have I told you that words must not be spoken carelessly? If your father heard what you just said, you would be thrown out of the family this very moment.

You are not even a knight yet. If you are expelled from the family, you will no longer be a noble.

Do you want to keep company with the lowborn outside, struggling at the bottom for the rest of your life without ever seeing a shred of hope..."

Resentment was resentment, but the Baroness understood even better how hard-won noble status was. No matter how much she spoiled her son, she knew some things could not be said lightly.

"Hmph!

Even if that is so... how much better is my current situation?

He would rather give the Life Essence to an outsider than to me, his own son. Can I still expect him to get another portion for me afterward?

Even if he wants to, I am afraid he lacks the ability. That bastard Hudson has already been forced to wait a year, so there is even less hope for us.

According to custom, after fulfilling the Empire's obligations, the Barony can only exchange for one portion of Life Essence every ten years."

The moment the words left his mouth and he saw the Baroness's expression change drastically, Lesur suddenly realized he had done something foolish again.

He was not his mother's only son. Besides him, she still had two younger sons.

Hudson was about to go out and make his own way. After that, the struggle for resources would fall to the three brothers. The Baroness loved them all equally—could she still support him unconditionally?