Chapter 230: The Troubles of Adulthood

“It is one thing to deal with just the Evil God Church. Contacting the Barbarians from the North has already crossed the line. After all, the countries on the Western Continent do not count them as part of the Human Alliance. Moreover, due to religious differences, the Church of the Good Alliance will not stop us from making a big deal out of this. But since the other side is also human, it is not easy to claim the moral high ground on such grounds on the Western Continent. Who would have thought those guys would go even further and get the Dragons involved? Isn’t that an open reason for us to be unbound?” Viscount Bolerum looked much more relaxed. He deliberately showed contempt for the enemy in his words. It seemed that during the past few months, he had been pushed to the limit by the enemy’s crushing and aggressive tactics.

Knight Val said regretfully, “But we can only protect ourselves for now. There is not enough evidence yet to show that the Kingdom of Lucia is directly related to the previous dragon attacks on the city. Even the incident in Brandenburg was blamed on the Barbarians from the North. Otherwise, the previous matters would not have been settled so easily.”

“Since the restrictions on the Knight Order have been partially lifted, we need to carefully replan the next steps.” Viscount Bolerum said while stroking his chin, occasionally pulling out a stray beard hair.

“Are you planning to play a game of mutual deterrence? Our Knight Order cannot actively step onto Lucia’s soil. Even if we are chasing retreating soldiers, we can only enter within a range of 20 miles. With such restrictions, no one likes the feeling of being tied up when fighting.” Knight Val spoke quite unhappily about his guess for the future development. “So do you think it would be better to use this as a deterrent to make them afraid to act? After all, if a standoff begins, they will definitely be the first to collapse since they will have to use large numbers of ordinary armies. Perhaps this choice is the best in your heart! But as a Knight, I do not feel happy about such a move!”

Stung by Knight Val’s sharp words, Viscount Bolerum did not know how to answer for a moment. After a long silence, Viscount Bolerum finally said earnestly, “According to George, this is called ‘subduing the enemy without fighting’, which is one of the most advanced war tactics. And most importantly, it can effectively reduce our losses. Do you really want to see our young men from the Duchy of Nohan die on the battlefield? If we really fight against a big power like the Kingdom of Lucia, even if we win, our losses will not be small!”

“My Lord, don’t you think you are becoming less like a Knight and more like those civil officials we once despised? Although losses must be considered in war, we cannot give up eliminating potential threats just because we fear losses. Facing a strong enemy, we must move forward bravely. This is the spirit of Nohan. Otherwise, we could not have maintained a Knight Order with the strength of a single country until now.” Although Knight Val was not roaring, his tone became quite heavy.

If the relationship between the two was just a normal Lord and Knight, Knight Val’s behavior would have been considered inappropriate. But given his identity as the National Knight of the Duchy, it could not be considered an overstep.

The profession of a Knight, defined by combat and protection, must never retreat just because the enemy is strong. It is precisely because of this spirit being passed down and the morning flower watered with the blood of the Northern Barbarians that we finally have a bountiful harvest.

Young Knights grow up generation after generation through such tempering of iron and blood, sharpened in storms and rain. Their travels after becoming adults are an extension built on this solid foundation. A broadened vision allows them to understand themselves more clearly, and a solid basic skill set ensures they will not get lost in the tempting world due to allure.

This is the foundation that guarantees Nohan as a Knight Kingdom. Although Viscount Bolerum’s recent thoughts did not shake this foundation, they set a bad precedent. No wonder Knight Val reacted that way.

Humans are all lazy by nature, and the fear of death and failure is rooted deep in the soul. A comfortable and easy life can make people relax their pursuit of power. Compared with the hard training of the body and the difficult tempering of the spirit, a free and easy lifestyle is more appealing to young people. Corruption happens quickly, but seeking redemption and returning to the right path is extremely difficult.

Originally, the five Knight Orders that appeared when the Empire fell have now dwindled, and only the “North Wind Knight Order” of the Duchy of Nohan remains organized. The rest have disappeared into the river of history like the wind. So, the Western Continent Convention signed during the previous human civil war, which forbade the use of Knight Orders, now only restricts the Duchy of Nohan.

The agreement that was meant to maintain humanity’s status on the Continent has long lost its original purpose. Because besides the Duchy of Nohan, let alone the other four Knight Orders, most countries cannot even gather the basic number of Knights needed to form a Knight Order on their own.

Even the Kingdom of Lucia is likely no exception. Of course, every country hides many of its own methods. Given the vast territory, abundant resources, and large population of the Kingdom of Lucia, they might not be completely unable to gather enough Knights of the Black Lead Rank. However, they would never be able to fill all the mid-to-high-level positions no matter how hard they try.

Just from this point, one can see the long-term vision of the ancestors who founded the Duchy of Nohan. As the guardian of the gateway between Western Continent civilization and the Northern Barbarians, this is not only a responsibility but also an opportunity. The constant local wars provide training opportunities, which is the guarantee of the Duchy of Nohan’s long-lasting prosperity. Just think about the weak military power of the southern countries; the gap between them is hard to describe in words!

“You are right! But the current situation is difficult!” Viscount Bolerum, who had been leaning back in his chair for a long time, finally blurted out, “If we could eliminate a large number of the Kingdom of Lucia’s armies within the Duchy of Nohan after the war starts, that would be great. Otherwise, those guys who haven’t learned enough lessons might raise their ambitions again in a few years.”

“But as long as the enemy commander is not a fool, they should not be so reckless as to lead a large army onto our soil right at the start of the war! Instead of hoping for that, I would rather hope that the Kingdom of Lucia causes another incident like the previous Black Dragon attack. That would completely unbind our Knight Order. Then we could show those guys who keep causing trouble behind our backs what a Knight’s iron hooves are made of.” By the end of his speech, Knight Val, who had always maintained a gentle and elegant image, began to grit his teeth.

From this, it can actually be seen that the one under pressure is far from just Viscount Bolerum. Even a peerless powerhouse like Knight Val becomes quite anxious in this hidden war where he cannot exert much force and can only passively respond to moves.

“Isolde, you might have forgotten one thing. Hard bones like the Duchy of Nohan are not a good target! What the Kingdom of Lucia truly wants to annex is the Kingdom of Coruz in the South. Do not misunderstand because of their recent actions targeting the Duchy of Nohan.” Seeing that Knight Val’s thoughts seemed to have gone astray, Viscount Bolerum immediately corrected him comprehensively. “If there is no formal alliance with the Kingdom of Coruz to fully intervene in the war, then my previous proposal for a standoff is probably the best solution. This should constrain the Kingdom of Lucia’s military actions to a considerable extent. Such a threat can make them station a significant portion of their troops along the border with us. From another angle, it reduces the pressure faced by the Kingdom of Coruz.”

“What! I almost forgot their most likely choice because of the Kingdom of Lucia’s recent behavior. But they are putting in so much effort to cause trouble for us; surely it is not just for intimidation, right?” Knight Val suddenly remembered something from Viscount Bolerum’s words but came up with a new question.

“Intimidating us is just one aspect. They want to intimidate not us nobles, but the lower-class Commoners. Once the hearts of these Commoners become unsettled, their goal is achieved. Because the methods they secretly arranged can use this fear to incite the Commoners to start a riot. Fortunately, they miscalculated our strength and did not realize that even ordinary Commoners of the Duchy of Nohan can face threats and fight back.” Viscount Bolerum then told Knight Val about the speculation he and George had discussed together.

In the world before George traveled, this was a completely overused tactic. Some terrorists and their supporters called it asymmetric warfare. However, the cultists in this world are far inferior to their counterparts in the other world. Of course, this is also greatly related to the differences in the external environment. So, the father and son, exchanging ideas through unique contact channels, combined the wisdom and insights of both worlds and immediately deduced the fundamental purpose of these methods.

Knight Val had a good brain; he immediately drew inferences from one instance to another. “So, the previous actions in Brandenburg were mainly to drain the strength of the Duchy of Nohan. This way, they can prevent us from providing effective help in their war against the Kingdom of Coruz. And if the Brandenburg Fortress really falls, the panic brought by the hordes of Barbarians moving south cannot be compared to what those cultists can do. If they are unlucky, it might indeed cause a large-scale riot. If their goal is achieved, the Duchy of Nohan will probably have to spend the next few years cleaning up the mess. Even if they fight to the death on the southern front, we will not have the energy to participate!”

Speaking of this, even in the hot dog days, Knight Val felt a chill run down his back. Some periods look harmless on the surface because they often appear as independent cases. But once they are all connected, they might weave a terrifying conspiracy net. Once this net tightens, even a powerhouse like Knight Val would scratch his head in frustration.

If things really reached that point, the only response for the Duchy of Nohan besides following the enemy’s plan would be to forcibly overturn the table. Of course, the Duchy of Nohan would not make such a choice unless absolutely necessary.

“Moreover, if the Duchy of Nohan’s performance in those conspiracies falls far below the Kingdom of Lucia’s previous expectations, then they might temporarily let the Kingdom of Coruz go and turn their target to us.” Viscount Bolerum first sighed.

Then he straightened up with a bitter smile and patted Knight Val on the shoulder. “So, whether it was a coincidence or fate’s arrangement, Isolde, your performance in Brandenburg really intimidated those sneaky guys from the Kingdom of Lucia. That is why they kept making such wrong moves later on. Like the attack on our Bolerum Territory, which clearly had a revenge purpose, but also gave us an opportunity. Now the Kingdom of Lucia is somewhat stuck between a rock and a hard place, isn’t it?”

“That really sounds dangerous!” Knight Val suddenly thought of something, and his face turned quite grim.

Viscount Bolerum immediately understood what Knight Val was referring to: “You mean those White Dragons we met in Brandenburg?”

Knight Val said with some lingering fear: “Yes! What else could it be? If I had not been in Brandenburg, that fortress, which ranks among the top three on the Western Continent, would have truly fallen. In such intense battles, the influence of the White Dragon’s Dragon’s Dread was too great. Moreover, the combat power of the Legendary White Dragon and its offspring in the fierce north wind could completely suppress all the Knights there at that time.”

“Doesn’t this show that fate is on our side?” To ease the overly tense atmosphere, Viscount Bolerum made a slight joke.

“But we cannot entrust everything to good luck!” Knight Val clenched his fist. “Now I finally understand the meaning of George’s previous words. On the intelligence network, we are at an absolute disadvantage compared to the Kingdom of Lucia. This asymmetric intelligence gathering makes us, although not blind or deaf, always react half a beat slower. Even their previous sabotage and attacks, we could not effectively retaliate against.”

This feeling of having strength but nowhere to use it is absolutely unbearable. Especially for someone like Val, who was almost used to solving all problems with his own strength.

“In fact, the Duchy has already started working on this. However, we are too far behind, and catching up to the network the Kingdom of Lucia has built is not an easy task!” After shaking his head slightly, Viscount Bolerum encouraged Knight Val. “Although building an intelligence network inside the Kingdom of Lucia is too difficult and cannot be achieved in the short term, we have cleaned up almost all the intelligence networks the Kingdom of Lucia originally set up within the Duchy of Nohan. In the future, if they want to do anything, it will not be as easy as before.”

“If that is really the case, that would be great. But the specific effect is not clear yet. I think after the old network was destroyed, the Kingdom of Lucia will definitely continue to weave a new one. Our contest with them will probably last until the war truly ends! But we don’t even know when the fighting will start. The psychological pressure during such a long period is completely uncertain!” Realizing he might have said something wrong, Knight Val immediately defended himself. “Of course, I do not doubt your efforts, but in terms of comprehensive national power, the gap between the Duchy of Nohan and the Kingdom of Lucia is too huge. This cannot be made up by individual ability alone!”

“No! You missed the most important point. That is, the location of this contest is on the territory of the Duchy of Nohan. Here we have an unprecedented home-field advantage. Of course, this is not because we are familiar with the terrain like in war, but because here we are the legitimate government. This not only gives us an advantage in name, but we can freely use administrative means to conduct a net-like investigation. Plus, our interaction with the Commoner class over these hundreds of years has been much more harmonious than other countries. This is a very important mass base. If used reasonably, we can be absolutely dominant in clearing out enemy spies.” Viscount Bolerum shook his finger and said matter-of-factly.

“Maybe you are right!” Knight Val suddenly changed the subject. “Or maybe I should say, George’s idea is right!”

“Why are you looking at me with that look? I have no intention of hiding this from you.” Viscount Bolerum glared at Knight Val and then said with great relief. “Having such a son makes me feel much more relaxed! Although he lacks experience in many areas, his planning is already very perfect. More importantly, he often starts from angles we never thought of. Of course, details still need more people to correct, but this is already enough. Even an experienced adult cannot do as well as him.”

“Yes! It is the era of young people now!” Knight Val showed a very relaxed expression.

Viscount Bolerum raised his wine glass and said: “But I want to give George a relatively stable environment and space to show his skills.”

“Hiren, that guy who doesn’t use his brain, I cannot trust him to be left alone in the war!” Knight Val raised his glass in return.

“Then let the children see the performance of us elders…”