Moonlight Like Water (2)

Chapter Sixteen: Moonlight Like Water (2)

Miss Windsor really was beautiful, especially those large eyes that seemed almost able to speak. At that moment, she was like a drowning person grasping at a straw floating on the water. Her desperate yet hopeful gaze was fixed tightly on Lorist.

Even though Lorist had lived two lifetimes and had seen countless beauties in his previous life, this frail girl before him somehow made his heart skip a beat. He was dazed for a moment, then swallowed audibly and awkwardly looked away from those unsettling eyes. "M-Miss, i-if you don't mind, I-I can help you. I can a-analyze the Windsor Family's predicament and see if there's anything we can do..."

Miss Windsor naturally didn't mind. Fatty Shi promptly handed her a glass of water. "Here, have some water first. Look how anxious you are—you're even stammering."

Lorist downed half the glass in one go and took a moment to compose himself. Looking at Miss Windsor, wrapped in a blanket and as frail as a willow in the wind, he remembered that she hadn't eaten or drunk anything since last night and felt a pang of pity. He brewed a cup of hot tea and placed it on the table, then gestured for Fatty Shi to get some cake, biscuits, or other snacks.

Pointing at the blanket wrapped around the girl, Lorist smiled gently. "Miss, have something warm to drink first, then eat a little to regain your strength. We can talk afterward, all right?"

When Lorist had pulled the young miss out of Moon Lake last night, she hadn't swallowed any water. She had merely fainted from exhaustion and emotional strain. Though Lorist and Fatty Shi had feasted their eyes, neither had the nerve to change her wet clothes. They had no choice but to place two braziers in front of and behind her and roast her together with her clothes. In the end, afraid she might catch cold, they wrapped her in a blanket.

Only then did Miss Windsor realize her predicament. She pulled the blanket tightly around herself and nodded, her face faintly flushed. After eating and drinking her fill, the girl borrowed the small washroom in Fatty Shi's office and washed and tidied herself up. When she appeared before Lorist and Fatty Shi in the new female cadet uniform Fatty Shi had brought her, radiant and refreshed, the two men couldn't help being dazzled by her beauty.

Lorist froze for a moment before quickly recovering. He noticed the corners of the girl's mouth curving up slightly. Clearly, she was secretly pleased that her beauty had shocked Lorist and Fatty Shi.

Lorist picked up a blank sheet of parchment and began giving the big-eyed girl and the curious Fatty Shi a lesson in tactical analysis. "Based on the information Fatty gathered, I'll analyze the Windsor Family's current predicament. Miss, please add anything I miss."

Predicament One: The Windsor Family lost its territory because of the war. Its former lands had now been divided among four neighboring lords, while the original garrison and local administrators had all been dismissed or forced to leave. Even Madam Winsor and the young master had been driven out. This showed that the new lords didn't want the Windsor Family to retain any influence in its former territory.

Predicament Two: None of the nobles of the Kingdom of Chigda were willing to lend a hand to the Windsor Family, which had suffered such injustice. Even the Grand Duke the Windsor Family had originally sought refuge with was no exception. Although, according to the kingdom's laws, that territory belonged to the Windsor Family, the nobles had already tacitly accepted the four new lords' division of the land. No one was willing to speak up for justice.

Predicament Three: Because Viscount Windsor had died heroically in battle, the family had lost its head—the person capable of leading the family. All that remained were a widow, an orphan, and a pampered young miss. The young master, who could inherit the family business, was only seven years old and still in his ignorant years. Any expectations for him had to be placed in the distant future. As for Madam Winsor, she was currently worrying over which knight or lord had planted the seed in her belly. Supposedly, the list of suspects had already reached forty or fifty, so she couldn't be counted on for the time being either. As for the young miss, Lorist glanced at the girl who hadn't awakened Battle Qi. Ahem, never mind. Let's skip that.

"She's my stepmother, not my birth mother. I'm the only one who can make decisions for the Windsor Family now." The girl's face flushed crimson, a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

After the explanation, Lorist and Fatty Shi finally understood that Madam Winsor had originally been a widowed baroness. She had met Viscount Windsor and entered into a relationship with him. Afterward, when she became pregnant with the young master, the viscount married her as his second wife. She had lived at the estate in the royal capital ever since. It wasn't until Miss Windsor's mother died three years ago that she had returned to the territory with the young master. She wasn't even thirty-five yet.

No wonder. When Fatty Shi had first heard that Madam Winsor had become pregnant at the military camp, he had mocked the knights and lords, wondering just how desperate they must be. By his estimate, Madam Winsor had to be over forty. To think they wouldn't even spare such an old woman—those men really were indiscriminate in their hunger. So Madam Winsor wasn't even thirty-five. Well, that made it somewhat understandable.

The emotionally agitated girl had no idea that the two men present had long since lost focus. Their minds had wandered into filthy imaginings about Madam Winsor's blissful life at the military camp. The two even exchanged a knowing glance and secretly snickered.

The big-eyed girl was declaring the Windsor Family's battle cry. "...I absolutely won't allow them to trample on the Windsor Family's dignity like this. We'll definitely take back our territory. I'll never forgive those people who stood by and watched either. If I ever get the chance, I won't let them off..."

Fatty Shi picked up the sheet of parchment listing the Windsor Family's predicaments and lightly flicked it, interrupting the girl's impassioned speech. "According to this paper, the Windsor Family is clearly beyond saving. It'll take at least ten years for the young master to grow up. By then, it'll be hard to say whether anyone in that former territory will even remember the Windsor Family. In fact, many illustrious noble families have declined and vanished in exactly this way. Losing its territory and lacking a family head—those two fatal weaknesses alone are enough to doom the Windsor Family forever. I think you should look on the bright side, Miss. After all, your family still owns a residence and two shops in Molent City. That's enough to keep you fed and clothed."

Lorist knew Fatty Shi was telling the truth.

Miss Windsor knew it too. She simply stood there, stunned. Then tears began spilling from those eyes that seemed able to speak. She stood silently, her shoulders trembling, utterly heartbroken...

Lorist couldn't bear to watch. He let out a long sigh, stood, found a white towel, and handed it to her. "Actually, there is another way for the Windsor Family to reclaim its territory..."

The sobbing stopped abruptly. The girl, her eyes blurred with tears, asked in surprise, "Really?"

Fatty Shi suspiciously examined the parchment in his hand. "Impossible..."

Lorist picked up another blank sheet of parchment and a dip pen and began writing rapidly. One, personnel. Two, spies. Three, targets. Four, logistics. Five, support.

Pointing at the five terms written on the parchment, Lorist began explaining to the bewildered girl and Fatty Shi. "One, personnel. Although Viscount Windsor died in battle, not all of his former subordinates were wiped out. They had instead become scattered across the surrounding towns and villages. For example, Madam Winsor and the young master were able to travel all the way to Molent City safely because a former Garrison Captain and several attendants guarded them along the way. The Windsor Family cannot simply give a few gold coins to the people who remain loyal and dismiss them. It must not abandon them. It must organize them, send them into the former territory, and have them continue gathering and contacting the scattered troops."

"Gathering these people means the Windsor Family will possess a reliable military force. It can raise the banner of resistance against the new lords and let people know that the Windsor Family hasn't abandoned its territory and hasn't surrendered. As long as a resistance force led by the Windsor Family exists in the former territory, the Windsor Family won't be forgotten."

"However, the people sent to organize the resistance must be bold, careful, and prudent. It would be even better if they had some prestige among Viscount Windsor's former subordinates, and they also need enough power to protect themselves. Of course, most important is their loyalty to the Windsor Family. Miss, does the Windsor Family have anyone like that?"

The girl thought for a moment before nodding. "I think Uncle Som would do. He's our family's knight and a Silver Two-star rank warrior. He's always been in charge of the cavalry escort and was my father's most trusted subordinate. During this war, he was seriously wounded in battle before my father died. My father sent his entire family to the estate in the royal capital for treatment, allowing them to fortunately evade the new lords' purge of the Windsor Family's forces in the former territory. One of the attendants who escorted Mother and my younger brother here brought me a letter from him. It said that his injuries had improved, though he still couldn't ride a horse. He'll come to Molent City to find us in another month or two. Oh, Uncle Som's daughter, Rina, is still my personal maid."

"Excellent. Based on what you've said, Knight Som is indeed the most suitable candidate to lead the resistance. Next, let's discuss the second point: spies." Lorist glanced at the girl and Fatty Shi, who seemed somewhat unconvinced, and asked, "Do you know what spies are?"

"I do." The girl hurriedly answered, "Aren't they people who gather information for the lord? They wander around taverns all day, watching for strangers who appear in the territory. They report every move of the people to the lord in exchange for a meager reward."

Fatty Shi nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same view.

Lorist shook his head. "That's not what I mean. Those people are too obvious. Tavern owners, maids, servants, blacksmiths, fishermen, farmers, tailors, and guards are the best candidates for spies. Only people like them can become the all-seeing eyes of the former territory, watching the new lord's every move. They could even find out exactly what he ate for dinner..."

"But what use is knowing what the new lord had for dinner? Ah! You're not planning to poison him, are you..." The girl first asked weakly, then seemed to realize something, her face turning pale.

Fatty Shi, however, suddenly understood. "Exactly. If all these people become our spies, then what could possibly escape us? No matter what measures or arrangements the other side makes, we'll be able to respond calmly."

Lorist looked at the big-eyed girl, who still hadn't understood the situation, and felt a toothache coming on. "Miss, did you hear what Fatty said? Think about it. If all these people become the Windsor Family's eyes, then we'll receive advance warning of anything the new lord plans to do against the resistance. We can withdraw first and keep the new lord from finding the resistance, making him run himself ragged. That's how the resistance can grow increasingly powerful and create a greater and greater impact."

The girl nodded with a flushed face to show that she understood.

Lorist continued. "The former subordinates we gather, as well as the former garrison soldiers and administrative officials who belonged to the Windsor Family's local forces but were dismissed and forced to leave, can all become candidates for the Windsor Family's spies. Choose those who remain loyal to the Windsor Family and make them the resistance's eyes. Have them watch the new lord's every move and identify suitable targets for the resistance to strike a fatal blow."

"Third, targets. The purpose of establishing a resistance isn't to attack cities and seize fortresses. The resistance must be small and elite so that it can stay flexible and react quickly. Its targets won't be the new lord's castle or the garrison, but tax collectors, local administrators, spies, checkpoints, transport caravans, warehouses, and the like. Making the new lord blind and deaf, unable to effectively rule the territory—that is the resistance's purpose. It's like a duel: one wound on the east, another on the west, constant blood loss. No matter how strong a person is, he won't last long."

"Fourth, logistics. To maintain the resistance's long-term combat capability, we must establish safe and secret camps where the fighters can receive sufficient supplies and time to rest. The Windsor Family must also provide them with weapons and equipment, fine wine and food, and even women. There must be more than one such camp. Establish several in case the resistance needs to relocate quickly during an emergency."

"Five, support. Establishing a resistance isn't as simple as sending people out. The Windsor Family must continually provide manpower to the resistance to ensure that it remains under the family's control. The best method is to recruit Silver Rank mercenaries and have them join the resistance through short-term missions. After they complete several raids, their remaining mission fees can be settled and paid. This has two benefits. First, it ensures that the resistance has enough force to overwhelm its targets. Second, it reduces the resistance's own casualties."

"If we persist for several years, the resistance's existence will become a nightmare for the new lords. They'll regret dividing up the Windsor Family's territory. When the new lords begin to regard the Windsor Family's former lands as something tasteless to eat yet too wasteful to discard, the Windsor Family can have someone mediate and offer to stop the resistance in exchange for returning the territory, while also compensating the new lords with some wealth. I believe there's a good chance they'll agree to return the territory to the Windsor Family." Lorist gave his final summary.

"So it can actually be done this way..." Fatty Shi fell into thought.

The girl's eyes lit up, filled with joy.

"However, this approach has two drawbacks." Lorist poured cold water on her enthusiasm. "First, because the resistance exists, the new lords will brutally suppress the Windsor Family's former territory, and the people's livelihoods will be devastated. Even if the Windsor Family manages to reclaim the territory, it will need enormous financial resources and a great deal of time to restore and rebuild it. Second, after reclaiming the territory, the Windsor Family will face the hostility of the neighboring lords. It will have to establish an elite army to defend its lands, which will also require tremendous wealth and resources. So whether it's the five points written here or the aftermath, they all share one prerequisite: gold coins. Lots of gold coins. I estimate it'll require more than a thousand gold coins per year."

More than a thousand gold coins a year was indeed a huge sum. Lorist had only just been hired by the academy as a swordsmanship instructor, and his monthly salary was three Gold Fude. Fatty Shi, as the acting captain of the academy's Enforcement Department, currently earned five Gold Fude a month. Yet in the eyes of most residents of Molent City, they were already genuine high-income earners. Before meeting Lorist, the Madoff family, who had run a snack stall outside the academy, earned five or six large silver coins a month. That was enough to keep their family of five fed and clothed, with even a little left over in savings.

The question was, did the Windsor Family currently have the wealth and ability to reclaim its territory?