"Fine. We'll ignore his proposal. Let him call a traitor if he wishes. What else can he do besides shout about it?" Conrad declared.
Though it would give Sylas ammunition to use against him, Conrad didn't see it as a significant loss. Other lords occupying Drakenfels territory wouldn't openly denounce him, lest they incriminate themselves.
A few days later, Conrad received a letter from Sylas, following up on the invitation. Conrad didn't reply.
Over the next several days, six more letters arrived, each ignored. When the seventh letter went unanswered, Sylas stopped sending them.
Smirking, Conrad burned the pile of letters in his fireplace.
"He's getting desperate. I didn't think he'd cling to this pitifully," Conrad remarked.
"It seems ignoring the proposal was the right choice," Ervin said.
"Clearly, he wanted to lure into a trap with his fake magnanimity. Now that it's failed, he doesn't know what to do," Conrad scoffed. Sylas's lack of follow-through had caused Conrad to reassess him.
"He's strong, sure, but it seems that's all there is to him. His sches are amateurish."
Just as Conrad was about to relax, a knight burst into the room, panting heavily.
"My lord! We're under attack!"
"As expected. It's the new count's forces, isn't it?" Conrad asked, leaning forward.
The knight shook his head frantically. "No, my lord! There's no sign of the Dragonslayer's banner among the enemy!"
"What? Then who's attacking my lands?" Conrad demanded, his brow furrowed.
"It's the southern minor lords! They've ford an alliance and are attacking from all sides!" the knight exclaid.
"…!"
"What did you just say?" Conrad asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Had he heard that correctly? Who was attacking?
"The southern minor lords? Did I mishear you?"
"No, my lord! It's truly the minor lords!"
"You don't an the barons and lower-ranked nobles, do you?"
"Th-that's correct. Barons, and even so viscounts, are included…"
At the knight's confirmation, Conrad's face turned red with fury, as though the blood rushing to his head might make him collapse.
Ten seconds later, a deafening roar shook the entire office.
"You call that a report?!"
Crash!
With a furious yell, Conrad overturned his desk, sending ink bottles and papers crashing to the floor.
"Barons and viscounts attacking? What am I supposed to do about that?!"
He could understand if it was a rival or even the new count. The forr were powerful enough to rival Conrad, and the latter was a man who had toppled a competitor with impeccable justification and overwhelming force.
But minor lords?
"So what if they've banded together? What difference does it make? We'll just repel them! What's so dire about this situation?!"
It wasn't arrogance. The difference in power between Conrad and the minor lords was overwhelming. His forces and finances alone dwarfed theirs, not to ntion his experienced commanders, standing army, and superior equipnt.
Even with equal numbers, a battle would be child's play. If they dared to attempt a siege, the results would be laughable.
"To think a coalition of a dozen or so barons could frighten anyone! You should be ashad!"
"It's not just a dozen," the knight replied cautiously.
"Oh? Is it twenty, then? Thirty? Or even more?" Conrad asked mockingly.
"Far more, my lord," the knight answered.
Conrad's smug expression faltered. "Wait. More than thirty? There aren't that many lords in the surrounding territories."
"Nevertheless, it's true. We've already identified over thirty banners, and if you include unidentified ones, the total approaches fifty," the knight reported.
"What?!"
For the first ti, Conrad's face betrayed genuine shock. Fifty banners? How was that even possible?
Snapping out of his daze, Conrad barked an order to Ervin.
"There can't possibly be that many lords around here! Find out what's going on, imdiately!"
"Yes, my lord!" Ervin replied, rushing out of the room.
Left alone, Conrad ground his teeth, his thoughts turning to the new count.
"What kind of sche are you pulling now?"
The knight's report likely wasn't entirely false, but Conrad suspected it wasn't the complete truth either. He believed it to be a bluff, an attempt to intimidate him by exaggerating the number of lords rebelling.
"But you've miscalculated. Did you think I'd crumble under such pressure?"
With a scoff, Conrad clenched his fists, determined to repel the attackers and crush the count's ploy. He had no idea how far off the mark his assumptions were.
"My lord," Ervin called hesitantly, returning three days later. His face was dark with worry.
"Well? What did you learn?" Conrad asked.
"Please look at this," Ervin said, handing over a docunt.
"What is it?"
"It's a proclamation from the new count. He's been distributing it to every noble in the south."
"A proclamation? He hasn't even held his official appointnt ceremony, and he's issuing proclamations?" Conrad muttered, puzzled as he began reading.
The contents of the docunt made his eyes widen in disbelief.
"I, Sylas Drakenfels, as the rightful lord of this territory by decree of His Majesty, have learned that Conrad is unlawfully occupying land that belongs to . I attempted to resolve this misunderstanding by inviting him to a eting seven tis, but he refused to respond. Such refusal is an act of greed and defiance of His Majesty's orders…"
The proclamation was lengthy, filled with justifications for Sylas's actions and declarations branding Conrad a traitor. This much, Conrad had expected.
But it was the final part of the proclamation that stunned him.
"Therefore, I hereby declare Conrad Glixbor a traitor. I call upon all nobles to raise their armies, bring the traitor to justice, and elevate their honor. Any noble who defeats the traitor or captures his lands will be granted those territories as their reward. I make this sacred vow as the rightful lord of this land."
"What madness is this?!" Conrad shouted, crumpling the proclamation in his hands.
The truth was now clear. The lords weren't bluffing or part of a sche. They were opportunists, drawn by the promise of land and glory.
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