Strictly speaking, without the Grand Duke of Stantin's recognition, all the territories currently controlled by the lords of the Stantin Duchy were illegal holdings.
By that standard, more than eighty percent of Count Wellen's territory was actually held illegally.
Count Wellen had originally been only a minor lord. He had seized his current territories from other lords. This had always been an unspoken rule in the Stantin Duchy: whoever was stronger and managed to take the land owned it. No one had ever questioned it.
Now, however, the Grand Duke of Stantin had suddenly announced that he was granting part of Lord Wellen's territory to Xu Yi.
Legally speaking, there was nothing wrong with this, because the Grand Duke of Stantin had the right to grant any territory within the Stantin Duchy.
In practice, though, doing so was tantamount to slapping Count Wellen in the face.
Granting this vast stretch of territory to Xu Yi was also a blatant attempt to drive a wedge between Xu Yi and Count Wellen.
The crucial point was that territory was extremely important to every noble on the Sains Continent. One could even say that the size of a noble's territory represented everything about them.
The Grand Duke of Stantin's move was an open scheme. He was plainly throwing out bait for Xu Yi and Count Wellen to fight over.
If Xu Yi and Count Wellen really fell out over this territory, it would play right into the Grand Duke of Stantin's hands.
The most important reason Count Wellen had become so powerful was the strong support he had received from the Xinfei Merchant Guild. Falling out with the guild and losing its support would deal him a fatal blow.
In that case, Count Wellen, who had already become a serious threat to the