Chapter 303 303-Negotiating Peace
Lanvin thought to himself, if it weren't for his father's frequent waging of wars that drained the treasury, how could a duke not afford to hire mercenaries? However, Lanvin felt the rest of his father's reasoning made sense - a small earldom, not one with many cities, couldn't possibly have the economic means to hire mercenaries.
What Ferald and Lanvin were unaware of was a crucial fact: Howard's economy was bolstered by the unique produce he developed! Howard's Earldom of Nok, having only one city and the rest being castles, indeed faced economic strains.
However, Howard anticipated significant income from apple orchards in Kenfa Village and Pitz Village through estimated revenues and deposits.
The high production value of lavender products had boosted the earldom's toll and trade income.
Beyond improving the living standards of his subjects, the meat from clams had enhanced the food reserves of the Earldom of Nok.
Apart from being a food resource, clamshells occasionally yielded pearls.
These pearls were of exquisite quality, representing significant income with just a single find.
With Vettel's exceptional business acumen, these pearls fetched high prices.
This success had a snowball effect, enhancing the reputation and fame of Kenfa Village pearls.
Now, Kenfa Village's pearls were synonymous with the finest in pearls, commanding even higher prices.
It could be said that with the Kenfa Village pearls in his possession, Howard never had to worry about military funds.
On the third night, still without any news from the vanguard, the Duke's attitude shifted.
He grew anxious and, as a precaution, ordered the second and third divisions to halt at Goldfish Snowscape while leading the first division there himself.
The Duke's intention was to consolidate his forces, preventing any further unexpected losses.
By the fourth day, the Duke's troops had all assembled at Goldfish Snowscape.
At the same time, the Duke received a letter from Baron Mibo.
In the letter, Baron Mibo informed Duke Ferald that Howard's army had withdrawn from outside Gokasu Castle, and it appeared they were heading towards Nok Castle.
The Duke thought he understood the situation – he assumed Howard's main force had personally defeated his vanguard.
Lanvin, however, was skeptical, remarking, "Even if the distance between the Baronies of Gokasu and Nok is short, there's still a considerable distance between the castles of the two lands. Even if Howard rushed his troops, it seems implausible for them to have reached Nok Castle so quickly."
This skepticism stemmed from Lanvin's lack of military understanding.
Lanvin himself had poor military skills, resulting in low mobility for his troops.
His reasoning might be applicable to himself, as a commander like Lanvin indeed would not have managed such a feat.
However, Howard's military prowess far exceeded Lanvin's, making possible what Lanvin couldn't achieve.
Moreover, Lanvin was not familiar with the terrain of Nok.
Unknown to most nobility, there was a secluded path between Gokasu Castle and the location where the Swiss Brothers Alliance was stationed.
This path was quite remote and generally unknown to the nobility.
However, Howard, always empathetic towards his people, had learned about this route during a conversation with the villagers.
The Duke, puzzled, mused, "Is Howard not planning to seize Gokasu Castle and instead returning to defend his own territory? That doesn't make sense. He only has the forces of a single earldom; does he dare confront my army of five thousand? He can't defeat my troops; even if he returns, it would be a futile effort. Why would he dare to give up his only chance of victory and instead come back to battle me?"
Lanvin, equally perplexed, made a few attempts to explain but failed to articulate his thoughts clearly, and his suggestions were dismissed by the Duke.
One of the Duke's earl vassals, who had just joined them that day and was unaware of the previous conversation between the Duke and his son, proposed, "If this is the case, it might be possible that Howard has hired mercenaries."
The Duke shook his head, repeating the explanation he had given the day before.
The earl vassal hesitated, then suggested, "Could it be that Howard is making a desperate move, pre-spending future taxes to forcefully hire mercenaries to battle Your Grace?"
The Duke was unsure, responding, "That seems unlikely. Such actions would decrease the favor of his vassals and citizens. And if he pre-spends now, what will he do when he can't collect taxes in the future to cover maintenance costs? Unless he is truly prepared for a do-or-die struggle, it seems improbable."
In reality, Howard hadn't pre-spent any taxes; he had directly used the cash he had on hand to hire mercenaries.
On the fifth day, the Duke's army arrived outside the pass, intending to attack it.
Howard, standing atop the fortress, called out to Duke Ferald, "Your Grace, you won't be able to take this pass. You should give up. Mibo deceived me first; I cannot let him off."
Duke Ferald, infuriated, demanded, "Was it you who defeated my vanguard?"
Howard laughed heartily, "What does it matter if I did? In warfare, do you expect me not to defeat your troops? Should I have stood still for you to attack? Duke Ferald, you are a nobleman of stature. I hope your words reflect some level of wisdom and don't tarnish the reputation of the nobility."
Enraged, the Duke ordered his troops to launch a forceful attack.
Howard raised his hand, and the archers who had been crouching below the parapet stood up, raining arrows into the open space below.
For a moment, arrows fell like rain, causing significant damage to Ferald's light infantry.
However, Ferald's heavy infantry advanced, each soldier carrying a shield.
The shields mitigated much of the damage from the arrows.
Howard noticed the inconsistency in the shields; some looked decent enough, while others were old, rusted, or appeared about to fall apart.
Crucially, the sizes of the shields varied – some were large, others small.
Howard shouted to his archers, "Aim carefully! Target their knees and feet! Some of their shields are too small! We have an opportunity!" The archers then focused on shooting below the shields, targeting the heavy infantry's knees and lower.
Many of the heavy infantry were hit in areas not protected by their shields.
They screamed in agony, unable to advance further.
Ferald's siege towers slowly moved toward the walls.
Ferald cleverly instructed his heavy infantry to take cover behind the folding panels of the siege towers.
As the towers inched forward, those atop were protected from archery fire.
When the towers neared the walls, the panels unfolded, and Ferald's soldiers, with roaring battle cries, charged towards Howard's side.
Howard's archers continued to fire, but as the enemy archers also smartly positioned themselves beside the siege towers for protection and returned fire, the battle intensified.
Howard's archers targeted those on the siege towers, but the enemy now primarily consisted of shield-bearing soldiers, with the remaining unshielded light infantry looking for opportunities to join the assault.
The enemy knights and cavalry joined the fray, the heavily armed knights advancing step by step.
The defense of the fortress was fierce and bloody.
However, since the Swiss Brothers Alliance mercenaries primarily consisted of light and heavy infantry, the lack of cavalry in the defensive battle was not a hindrance but rather a robust auxiliary force.
The battle for the pass was brutal and continued relentlessly until the morning of the fifth day.
Howard led a charge with knights and heavy cavalry from his conscripted soldiers, striking Ferald's army stationed outside the pass and achieving a resounding victory.
The enemy was sent reeling, losing their armor and weapons in disarray.
Howard's knights pursued the retreating enemy, conquering over a dozen of their camps.
Ferald's army was forced to retreat three kilometers away, their morale utterly depleted.
Riding alongside Margaret, Anna laughed and said, "We're going to be famous after this. We might just make it into the history books of Nok."
Margaret, feeling confident, replied to Anna, "I think it's very possible. We've certainly made a name for ourselves this time." She felt a sense of happiness as Anna initiated conversation with her, having been worried about a potential rift between them.
Now, it seemed, Margaret had been concerned over nothing.
After leading the cavalry back to the pass, Howard brought out all his troops.
This time it wasn't just a cavalry charge; he pressed forward with the entire army.
He sent Bosiden to Ferald's new camp in the capacity of a diplomat, urging Ferald to withdraw from the war.
Upon reaching Ferald's camp, and under heavy guard, Bosiden was ushered into the Duke's presence.
Ferald, sitting on a high chair and sipping corn soup, was flanked by his son, Earl Lanvin, and various vassals.
Bosiden addressed Ferald, "Your Grace, I am here on behalf of my lord to extend his highest respects to you." Ferald let out a cold laugh, but feeling the deference Howard had shown him, his expression unconsciously softened.
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