"Hmm? Cough, cough, cough~
What did you say?"
Count Mori stared blankly at Havent.
Startled by Count Mori's intense reaction, Havent said softly,
"I read about it in a book. You send your son over to fool the ruler.
Then the ruler thinks everything is fine, but the one who sent his son secretly builds up his strength. On some fine day, he swears an oath and smashes his wine cup.
By the time the ruler realizes what is happening, their army is already at the gates, and that son dies horribly.
I'm still so young. I haven't even taken a trip on a whim yet. It'd be such a pity to die now~"
After listening to Havent's quiet rambling, the two exchanged a glance before bursting into earth-shaking laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Kevin! Kevin! This kid, this kid really has quite the imagination."
Count Hailan even walked directly behind Havent and smacked the back of his head.
"Hahahahahaha~ We nobles have our dignity. How could we do something that disgraces the spirit of chivalry?
Read fewer of those storybooks written by bards. You spend all day doing nothing proper."
Havent rubbed the back of his head, which now throbbed with pain, and silently grumbled,
Two bumpkins. What the hell would you know? This stuff was all the rage in my last world.
Count Mori laughed for a long while before finally stopping.
"It isn't as complicated as you think. All right, let's get serious. You probably understand what this is all about now."
Who wasn't serious?
He silently scorned that lecherous, balding, gloomy old man.
"I mostly get it. Ever since the Empire was founded, the Church kept expanding its influence and nearly became the boss. Then our big brother gave it a good snipe.
After that, through the efforts of two generations of big brothers, he became the top dog in Ingis again. But then the Sleeping King who inherited such a great situation got his head turned and trusted the Church. The Church's ambition to rise to power came back to life.
Then the southern lords got bought off, our current big brother's position became unstable, and we in the Northern Frontier remained fiercely loyal to him and refused to let him step down.
Isn't that how it is? I know this plot."
Count Mori scratched the beard on his chin. He felt that Havent's meaning was correct, but somehow it sounded rather strange.
"Mm, more or less. That is the current situation. Though things appear calm on the surface for now,
the Empire has actually split into three factions: the Royalist Faction made up of us and the central lords; the eastern, western, and neutral factions;
and the Church faction in the south. The lords in the southwest are currently showing signs of leaning toward the Church faction.
According to intelligence sent back from the Imperial Capital, three-fifths of the southwestern lords have accepted various forms of aid from the Church."
It was nearly one in the morning. Baiman City had fallen completely silent, with no sound besides the occasional bark of a dog.
"So what are you planning to do? Why do I feel like we don't have much ability to resist?
Look at the Church. It has money when it wants money, people when it wants people. Tsk, tsk, what a perfect big brother it would make...
Ow! Why did you hit me again?"
Havent turned and glared furiously at Count Hailan, who had once again slapped the back of his head.
Count Hailan ignored Havent's murderous glare, stretching out his large hand to ruthlessly ruffle Havent's hair several times.
"Son, beneath all good things lurk deadly dangers. Just wait until you become someone with no freedom at all, no thoughts of your own, and whose most important task every day is praying to a god."
Havent irritably pushed the old man's hand away. It felt nice, but touching was forbidden.
"I was just joking. How could I really think the Church was good? That Aurelion looks like he's smiling all the time, but he's obviously no good person."
Havent absolutely loathed that Dawn Guard leader who had pestered him for no reason. With a face that pretty, it would be a waste if he did not become a gigolo.
"You already know what the scouts just reported. Although the Church of Death has gone to the border of the Orc Empire, there are still large numbers of undead ghouls remaining within our territory.
Your father and I discussed it. We plan to use this Church of Death crisis in the Northern Frontier as an opportunity to pull back part of the troops stationed at the Armor Defense Line."
"Aren't the troops on rotation already supposed to be returning? We're pulling back even more?"
Count Mori chuckled, then said coldly,
"Eighty percent of our forces are stationed at the Armor Defense Line. For all these decades, we people of the Northern Frontier have borne far too much.
If we use only the forces remaining in our territory for the cleanup, we will likely pay a terrible price.
Now we will give those southern lords two choices: either provide money, or send soldiers to garrison the Armor Defense Line."
Listening to Count Mori's explanation, Havent asked in some confusion,
"The Armor Defense Line is so far from the southern lords. Would they care?"
At that moment, Count Hailan walked to the window and opened it a crack. The deep night of October in the Northern Frontier was bitterly cold, and the wind blowing through the gap made Havent shiver involuntarily.
"It isn't far at all. A cavalry force fleeing at full speed could reach Anfumo Province from the Armor Defense Line in at most a month."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
He did not quite understand. They had just been talking about demanding money, so why had the topic suddenly changed?
"The Orc Empire's southward invasions used to happen once every five years. Over the past twenty years, they became once every three years. And in the last five years, they have already come three times."
As he said this, Havent seemed to see tears gathering at the corners of the elderly Count Mori's eyes.
"Too many children of the Northern Frontier have died, and they are dying faster and faster.
By incomplete estimates, around six territories have been reduced to ashes this time. The populations of those six territories combined were about one hundred ninety thousand.
And every time we resist the orcs' southern invasion, ten to twenty thousand of our soldiers are killed or wounded."
Hearing those numbers, Havent felt a wave of pain rise in his heart. Looking at his father standing by the window, he could somehow sense a deep sadness in him.
"So, child, you need to go to the Imperial Capital. Marquis Charlton has returned from the Armor Defense Line.
You will need to deliver a letter to His Majesty. As long as you give that letter to His Majesty, His Majesty will naturally know what to do.
Of course, aside from that, if you are willing, you can also help Kubant in the Imperial Capital. He has had a very hard time holding things together there alone."
"Kubant?"
A look of guilt appeared on Count Mori's face.
"My son. He has been in the Imperial Capital by himself for five years now. He is three years older than you."
"Oh~ I see."
Havent secretly sized up Count Mori. The old man seemed to be over twenty years older than his father.
Damn! Still going strong at that age!
"What do you need me to help him with?"
"We adults have adult conflicts, and you children have your own conflicts.
The struggles among nobles begin in childhood. If you overpower the other noble heirs of your generation while you are young, you will have a natural advantage over them once you grow up.
In recent years, there have not been many outstanding young people from the Northern Frontier. The nobles of the Northern Frontier have also changed frequently, and the Northern Frontier has been burdened by the Armor Defense Line.
As a result, support for the children has become increasingly insufficient. Many children could not endure the pressure from the offspring of nobles from other regions in the Imperial Capital and returned in despair.
Then, within a few years, they were buried at the Armor Defense Line.
Uncle Mori has seen your intelligence. If you go to the Imperial Capital and can help Kubant, then help him. He is a stubborn child who has suffered greatly for the honor of the Northern Frontier."
Before you continue