Mount & Blade: King's Ambition - The Decision, Part One

Still, when it came to settling fights, the process was simple enough.

First, they looked at what had started the trouble, then who had thrown the first punch, and finally determined who was at fault and how responsible each side was based on those two factors.

Though this method was not entirely fair, it at least ensured that nothing went too badly wrong.

Of course, the rich were always in the right—or at least, that was how the officials in the Public Security Office saw it.

There was, however, another unspoken factor: the identities and status of the people involved.

If a couple of commoners got into a spat, a little scare was usually enough to settle things.

Both sides would get an equal share of the blame, pay a fine, and be on their way.

Anyone who dared refuse to pay might find themselves spending a few days in the dungeon.

But if both sides were powerful, wealthy, and influential, it was best to keep your distance, lest you invite trouble.

This time, for instance, the trouble was on a much larger scale: a massive brawl involving thousands of people, the likes of which had never been seen before.

In sparsely populated places like Southern Wilderness County and the Barren Land, this wouldn't even be called a brawl—it would count as a battle.

One side consisted of the subordinates of a provincial governor; the other was a local power bloc.

When an outsider and a local strongman clashed, stepping in to resolve the matter was nowhere near as easy as it sounded.

Earl Elliot was the sort who would ride ostentatiously through the royal palace. But he had done so to show King Ferdinand his loyalty, making it clear that he was willing to be a steadfast, solitary subject.