Chapter 255 Doo doo doo doo.
The sound of the hooves of the galloping war horses shook the field as if there had been an earthquake.
Soon, as the flag at the front waved chaotically, nearly 3,000 cavalrymen turned in unison and poured down a shower of quarrels.
Bababababaak.
Dwayne sighed softly as he looked at the sight of Quarel’s rain covering the sky pitch black and creating a swarm of landings at the target location.
“Just the cost of purchasing those 3,000 horses…”
I looked to the side with resentful eyes, but the person who would receive my resentment just turned his gaze to the sky in the distance.
Dwayne added a word with a helpless laugh.
“I’m glad it seems to have some effect.”
A smile appeared on Logan’s lips, and Heinkel and Kaisolon, whose expressions brightened slightly as they saw the crossbow riders lined up after training, turned towards him and bowed their heads.
“As you have seen, I would like to report that the Royal Crossbow Cavalry has been completed.”
At those words, the smile on Logan’s lips grew even brighter.
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work, everyone.”
As Logan patted their shoulders with a satisfied expression, quiet but regular applause could be heard behind him.
They were nobles with a worried look on their faces.
Open training of knights and soldiers continued in the morning, and a demonstration by crossbow cavalry. They were not very pleased with the power shown by the army directly under the royal family.
But one of them had a distinctly different attitude.
“As befits the army that Your Majesty cared about, they are very brave. I will be in good hands, Your Majesty.”
Jacques Juan, a brown-haired man with a stern look, lowered his head with a truly happy expression.
Logan also smiled with a warm expression.
“It’s all thanks to your concern.”
“Haha. What can we do? It’s all thanks to Your Majesty.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Ah. By the way, Your Majesty, I heard a somewhat worrying rumor…”
“Rumor?”
Logan looked at him with puzzled eyes.
“There has been a strange rumor that soldiers’ rations have been decreasing for about a month…”
“Nonsense! Would a so-called earl of a country listen to such nonsense!”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Of course it’s a rumor. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”
The moment Zach met his shaking red eyes, he immediately lowered his head, but underneath his lowered head he was smiling.
As a result of investigating the unexpected number of free food loans, it was confirmed that a large amount of food came from the empire through various routes. That was now cut off, and for the next few months, food was supplied through Esperanza and McLane territory.
‘We even confirmed that it was already finished last month.’
In other words, the foolish king even shook his own base with this one army.
If the king had stayed still, he would have felt anxious.
But this unreasonable public training gave him confidence. It was a fact he personally confirmed that the army’s rations were decreasing day by day.
‘This public exercise is a bluff to put pressure on us. This army is a scarecrow army that only looks good and is not properly supplied.’
The board was all set.
Jacques clenched his fists and appeased the flame of ambition.
Logan looked at him with meaningful eyes as he bowed his head like that.
“Now that the foundation of the royal family has been established, we must also solidify the foundation of the kingdom. All nobles, prepare for the Great War Conference!”
“I will follow your orders!”
Several nobles, including Jacques Juan, smiled meaningfully while the accompanying nobles all bowed their heads.
Three days had passed and a meeting was held in Daejeon, convening all nobles for the first time in a long time under the theme of ‘Direction of State Administration after the Harvest Season’.
* * *
“Are you sure?”
“Today will be the beginning of the history we create.”
To be exact, the history I am creating.
In the center of the noisy crowd, Jacques Juan was smiling and nodding to the nobles who were greeting him.
– Please listen, His Majesty the King.
With a loud voice, the door to the main hall opened and Logan, dressed in armor, walked in.
The king wears his now familiar armor.
The king, who was sitting on the throne, receiving the attention of all the standing nobles, got straight to the point as before.
“Let’s start the meeting right away. First…”
And before he could finish his words, Jacques Juan took a step forward.
“Your Majesty. I will say something from my convictions.”
The swordsman standing next to Logan twitched at that rude behavior, but Jacques Juan held his head high and looked at the king.
Logan smiled at him and allowed him to speak.
“Count Jacques Juan. So, tell me.”
“Thank you for forgiving my rudeness, Your Majesty. However, I think it is important to fulfill past promises before holding a meeting on the new tone of government.”
“Past promise?”
Logan asked back slyly as if he had no idea what he was talking about.
‘Are you going to change your mind?’
Jacques smiled, taking the composure in the king’s expression and tone of voice with embarrassment.
“Yes. I would like you to clearly announce again the tax reduction for the royal family that your Majesty promised.”
“Ah… tax cuts?”
Logan nods as if he finally remembered something.
Jacques and the nobles smiled brightly at him, but what he said next was completely different from their expectations.
“I don’t think so?”
“No, what is that…!”
“your majesty!”
“What do you mean by that?!”
Is it because it was something completely unexpected?
For a moment, there was a commotion in Daejeon.
A slight twitch appeared on Jacques Juan’s face as he stopped.
I didn’t think he would agree so easily, but is this shameless?
Zach opened his mouth again, trying to calm down the ominous feeling that was creeping up on him.
“If the monarch does not keep his promise, what will his subjects trust and follow? I hope you will reconsider.”
“Ah. Of course we have to lower taxes.”
Well then.
A smile appeared on Zach’s face again.
“The people of the kingdom have gone through a lot of hardships over the past year as they have been squeezed by their lords to the point where they cannot live properly.”
At those unexpected words, Zach’s expression hardened strangely and Daejeon became quiet.
‘Who’s who?’
‘Who raised taxes first?’
‘What are you doing now…’
Logan continued speaking in a calm tone in the cold atmosphere.
“So from now on, we will limit the authority of the lord and limit the amount of tax that can be collected from the people to 50%. However, the tax that the royal family collects from nobles will remain at 60% as is.”
Daejeon suddenly became commotion like a market at that explosive remark.
It no longer mattered whether the tax rate was high or low.
“Your Majesty! Those are words that destroy the foundation of feudalism!”
“Your Majesty cannot interfere with the lord’s authority!”
“What a ridiculous statement…!”
Murmur.
Most of the commotion was filled with embarrassment, confusion, and anger toward the king.
The nobles who could be said to be Logan’s close associates, such as Swordsman and Roberts Floyd, were also surprised by the unconventional remarks.
The swordsman seemed to be quite shocked as he pursed his lips, but Roberts, who had been given the title of Prime Minister, stopped Logan with a confused look.
“Your Majesty. Infringing on the authority of a lord is an act that destroys the foundation of the country. No matter how much you are the king…”
“Even if you are the king?”
“…This is an act that turns all nobles into enemies. I am saying this out of loyalty, so please reconsider…”
The nobles of Daejeon, who were emboldened by the fact that even Roberts Floyd, who can be seen as clearly on Logan’s side, came out like that, became more vocal. began to increase.
“Please reconsider!”
“This is ridiculous!”
“No matter how much you depose, you cannot interfere with the lord’s authority!”
For a moment, it felt like all the nobles in Daejeon had become one.
It was a sight that Logan had also expected, but when he actually saw it with his own eyes, he couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
If that’s a good thing.
“Do as your Majesty wishes.”
The teacher standing next to him supported him with a firm smile, as if he had never been embarrassed.
“Now I can guess what you meant. Just tell me in advance.”
“Ridiculous taxes are a sin. Of course, cancer.”
The only thing he could say was that his retainers, including Damian and Dwayne, were by his side and showed their continued support.
The guards, including Eilen and Victor, also gathered in front of Daejeon, wary of the overheated atmosphere among the nobles.
The moment when Logan, who was satisfied with the sight, was about to open his mouth again.
A loud voice erupted from among the excited nobles.
“Stop! Stop! This is the royal palace! Be quiet!”
It sounded like a king’s bodyguard speaking, but the owner of the voice was Jacques Juan, who can now be seen as a representative of the nobility.
Logan’s strange eyes turned towards him, and the eyes of others also turned to him.
Jacques Juan, with a slight smile as if he was enjoying all the attention, spoke calmly.
“Your Majesty. The lord’s authority has been unique since ancient times and cannot be touched even by the king. Do you have any intention of going back on what you said earlier?”
“…No. This is a measure to alleviate the suffering of the people, so I believe any noble who has the will will follow it.”
Words that neither the speaker nor the listener will ever believe.
Jacques Juan’s face became cold at those words.
“As a representative of the nobility of this country, I respectfully reject Your Majesty’s ‘proposal.’ And I will not pay taxes to the royal family until you take back your word and keep your original promise.”
The eyes of most people watching him were shaken by the shocking declaration made in a calm tone.
The nobles gathered here have never directly elected him as their representative. However, in this situation, there were no nobles who could take issue with that statement.
Because right now, the king’s reaction to that statement was more important.
Logan, who was suddenly receiving everyone’s attention again, spoke coldly, paying no heed to the bomb thrown by Jacques Juan.
“Those words are a challenge to the royal family, Count.”
“Your Majesty is the one who crossed the line first. Please follow the duties of a proper monarch!”
Jacques Juan also responded without taking a single step back
: “My will will not change. The nobles who refuse will be governed by the king’s orders.”
The faces of the Daejeon nobles hardened at the words of Logan, who did not back down and drew a line as if declaring, even though it was clear to anyone that they were unreasonable.
“This is unacceptable!”
Unlike before, a voice burst out loud enough to make Daejeon tremble.
“I am officially rejecting Your Majesty’s proposal in order to protect the rights of all nobles in this country.”
Jacques Juan turned around after saying those words.
As he was leaving Daejeon in a relaxed manner, as if enjoying the intense attention, there were voices following behind him.
“I too agree with Count Jacques!”
“Your Excellency. I will follow!”
“Everyone is of the same mind!”
When Count Ivan-Claude Mike Teroda followed Jacques Juan to Daejeon, dozens of small and medium-sized nobles also followed suit. A
collective action that openly expressed their intention to defy orders. What
remains. They could only look at the back with a stiff complexion.
“Your Excellency the Count. Are you really okay with this?”
“If the king uses force…”
Even though people were swept away by the atmosphere, their anxiety could not help but remain.
The nobles looked at the person who instigated this with concern, but Jacques smiled. He declared:
“That can’t be done.”
“Yes?”
“An army that can’t even be supplied is not an army. With the current situation of the royal family, neither the royal army nor McLane or Esperanza can move hastily.”
After cross-checking with the three information guilds, he even confirmed it with his own eyes.
“Everyone, return to the territory and gather the troops. If we join forces and show even a sign of rebellion, the king will have no choice but to kneel down immediately.”
Jacques Juan’s words were full of confidence, and the nobles around him simply nodded at his words.
‘Now my time has come. .’
Jacques Juan clenched his fists at the illusion that the ambition in his heart was coming true before his eyes.
And at that moment.
Logan, who was receiving strange looks from his aides inside Daejeon, slowly opened his mouth with a cruel smile.
“Our current strength is ?”
Heinkel, who was next to him, smiled confidently at those words.
“If you combine the McLane and Esperanza royal forces, it is close to 50% of the kingdom’s total strength in simple numbers.”
It was a confirmation of what I already knew, but that was it. My confidence surged just by saying,
“Okay. That’s perfect.”
“There’s no need to deal with all the nobles, Your Majesty.”
The swordsman added slightly, as if he was worried about the bloody force rising from Logan’s body.
Logan smiled at him and nodded.
“That’s natural . “That’s what I’m saying, Master.”
He then looked around the crowd and declared,
“Prepare the army. Organize everything as soon as we determine what needs to be eliminated as a top priority.”
“Yes. your majesty!”
