Two days after the distress letter arrived, Intelligence Director Cecil placed the intelligence concerning Bairdin's situation, along with his own analysis, on the Earl's desk.
After reading it, Paul's brows drew tightly together. It seemed that his friend had truly fallen into dire straits. He had already been placed under house arrest, and was merely waiting for those traitors to divide the spoils before choosing a suitable day to engineer an "accident," just like his unfortunate old father.
Cecil asked, "My lord, if you wish to rescue Earl Ganard, I'll send everyone I can mobilize to Bairdin and do my best to uncover those traitors' background."
Paul rubbed his chin. "Whether to rescue him is something I still need to discuss with everyone. But there's no harm in gathering intelligence early. Send people there first."
Half a day later, Paul summoned the senior military and civil officials to the Lord's Manor and showed them the distress letter from Mellon Garnard.
Although it was not common for vassals to scheme against and overthrow their lord, it was hardly unheard of. It was said that the Kent Family of another neighboring country—Emden—had obtained its earldom through somewhat improper means. Thus, no one present showed much surprise.
As everyone passed the letter around, the Earl sitting at the head of the table felt uneasy. If my reforms in the future conflict with the interests of these people, will they join forces to kill me?
Just as he was letting his imagination run wild, Chief Steward Ford spoke up. "How do you intend to handle this letter?"
Paul replied, "Cecil has already sent people to Bairdin to investigate those traitors. But I haven't decided whether to immediately rescue Mellon, or how we should go about it if we do. That's why I wanted to