Chapter 290 - 54: A Fable
Chapter 290: Chapter 54: A Fable
Count Uman had now offended the Northern Faction and betrayed the Southern Faction. He had even voluntarily handed the letter over to Robson, giving Robson yet another piece of leverage against him.
With things having come this far, Robson couldn’t refuse to play along.
After all, they were here to make a deal. The Gauss Clan hadn’t truly become a puppet of Lord Robson’s. And what Count Uman had just offered was already incredibly tempting.
Robson went along with it, stepping forward to help Count Uman to his feet.
"A moment, Viscount."
But just as Robson was about to act, Count Uman raised a hand to stop him.
"I have not yet finished confessing my crimes."
"Oh? And what crimes might those be?"
Robson asked with a smile. ’Bargaining, when you got down to it, was just a turn-based game.’ He, Lord Robson, had made his move. Now it was Count Uman’s turn to state his terms.
"I, Uman, on my own authority, led a great army into Wisley Path, placing fifty thousand soldiers in a hopeless situation."
"According to the laws of the Kingdom, I should be sentenced to death, and my clan stripped of its lands."
"Count Valentino said that you, Viscount, should be the one to decide all that follows. I have come today specifically to submit myself to you for judgment. My only request is that you look after our Gauss Clan in the future, as my younger brother is still young," Uman said, a hint of tragic grandeur in his eyes.
What Count Uman said was true; the Kingdom did have such laws. However, their application was another matter entirely. It was the sort of rule that, if ignored, weighed nothing, but if enforced, could crush you with the weight of a mountain.
This was Count Uman’s way of stating his terms. He was willing to give Robson leverage, help him purge his own internal ranks, and even bow his head in submission, allowing Robson to extend his reach into Ador Province.
But Uman could not, under any circumstances, allow the Gauss Clan to be the sole scapegoat for this defeat.
The losses from the siege had been far too great for both the Northern and Southern Factions.
The siege had lasted roughly five days. Robson received intelligence on the second day, rushed to Feiying Pass on the third, launched a surprise attack on the fourth, and the main battle took place on the fifth.
Although it had only been five days, the armies had been caught by surprise and lacked sufficient food. With tens of thousands of Beastmen in Wisley Path, there was no telling how many noble houses had been completely wiped out.
If only the Southern Faction had suffered, Marquis George might have stepped in to protect the Gauss Clan. The problem was, the Northern Faction had suffered the most casualties.
For the sake of his own reputation, the best they could hope for was that Marquis George wouldn’t actively move against the Gauss Clan.
The letter Robson had sent via the Griffin Knight had made one thing crystal clear: he controlled the narrative of the battle report.
If he had lost the battle, this authority would have been useless. But Robson had won! A complete and utter victory! That made control of the report incredibly powerful.
"I wonder, has Count Uman ever heard of a certain ancient city-state?"
"...one with a general named Uelman?" Robson asked with a smile.
Count Uman shook his head. There had been hundreds of ancient human city-states; who could remember them all? Besides, he suspected this "Uelman" was a complete fabrication on Robson’s part.
"I heard of a city-state called North City, which was plagued by a great number of non-human tribes. This city-state chose two generals to lead them: one named Rosen, and the other, Uelman."
"This General Rosen possessed great strategic vision, while General Uelman was known for his spirit of self-sacrifice."
"General Rosen ordered General Uelman to lead an army out of the city and draw the non-humans’ attack. To fulfill his orders, Uelman did not hesitate to lead his men into grave danger. In the end, the non-humans took the bait, allowing General Rosen to lead his elite troops in a surprise attack."
"Ultimately, through their combined efforts, they successfully defeated the non-humans. I am speaking of North City, of course," Robson said, concluding his little fable.
When Count Uman heard this, his eyes lit up. He stared at Robson’s smiling face, his own expression growing more and more incredulous.
’What an old fox!’ Count Uman had to admit to himself. ’An old fox!’ When it came to politics, he was still far too green.
Uman’s original plan had simply been to persuade Robson to downplay his own disastrous role in the war, hoping to appease the anger of the other nobles.
He never imagined that with just a few words, Robson would flip the script and turn him, Count Uman, into a hero of the Kingdom! For the first time, Uman felt what it was like to be completely outclassed by a contemporary. They were both in their early twenties, so how on earth was Robson this good at the game?
Of course, the plan had its flaws. The nobles of the Northern Faction, for example, would certainly still hold a grudge.
But with this official narrative as a pretext, he could use a combination of benefits, military force, and even pressure from the Kingdom Government to help those with "grudges" get over them—by tearing out their hearts, if necessary.
’I, Count Uman, am a great hero of the Kingdom! What do you people think you’re doing, looking so sour? Can’t you see the bigger picture? Or perhaps... you have a problem with His Majesty the King?’
"Of course, I have other fables I could tell, if..."
"No, no, no, I don’t want to hear them! I mean, this story is excellent."
"Viscount, please, continue the story. After rendering such a great service, surely North City rewarded General Rosen? What rewards did he receive?" Count Uman asked, now getting down to the price.
Robson nodded. ’This one is teachable.’
"The two thousand elite Warriors within North City were handed over to..."
Before Robson could finish, Count Uman interrupted him.
"My lord, North City... after this battle, I’m afraid North City may no longer have two thousand elite Warriors," Count Uman said, his expression pained.
Logically, as a clan poised to become a great noble house, the Gauss Clan shouldn’t be so destitute. But Robson had specified *elite* troops.
The veteran soldiers at Count Uman’s side were his only remaining elites. He had many plans for them in the future and naturally couldn’t just hand them over.
’Is he really in such dire straits?’ Robson glanced at Count Uman in surprise; it didn’t look like an act. Robson nodded and continued.
"Then I must have misremembered. North City gave two thousand Warriors to General Rosen... and then gave General Rosen two thousand households."
"But... Viscount, if General Rosen takes two thousand households, won’t North City become a desolate wasteland?" Count Uman said, looking troubled.
"Don’t be so hasty; I haven’t finished. General Rosen, of course, took this into consideration. So, he only asked for one thousand households. To show its gratitude, North City gifted General Rosen its core technology—its carriage designs—and assigned a dozen artisans to him as well."
"Finally," Robson said, "with the support of the entire populace, the people unanimously elected General Rosen as the City Lord of North City. Every household contributed able-bodied men to form the new North City Defense Army. Under General Rosen’s leadership, the non-human tribes were never able to disturb North City again, and the city flourished."
Count Uman stood frozen, silent for a long moment.
"Viscount, General Rosen became the City Lord, but what about General Uelman? They both performed great deeds. Did the soldiers and citizens of North City simply forget General Uelman?" Count Uman asked.
Robson breathed a quiet sigh of relief. ’That last part was telling Count Uman to accept me as his leader. From now on, Ador Province will have to bear the mark of Lord Robson.’
’Count Uman wants to hold the scepter of power beyond the pass, and Viscount Robson is curious to see if he can wield it himself.’
"They didn’t forget him, of course. In fact, General Uelman continued to serve under Rosen City Lord, becoming the second-in-command of North City."
"Rosen City Lord was primarily responsible for the Nanping District, while General Uelman was responsible for the Beicheng District. Of course, when it came to important matters and military affairs, General Rosen was the undisputed leader."
"It’s just a little fable I made up myself. You know, with the Fengman Clan’s bloodline curse, I may only ever have one child, so they must be educated properly. What do you think of the story, Count Uman?" Robson asked with a smile, looking at the Count who still seemed to be in a daze.
Count Uman slowly nodded.
"Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Your story, Viscount, is filled with love and justice, dedication and sacrifice. Even I have learned a great deal from it."
"I am certain that your daughter or your heir will grow up in an environment steeped in the spirit of chivalry," Count Uman said, not forgetting to applaud as he spoke.
"As long as you like it, Count."
Seeing the two men, whose conversation had just been fraught with tension, now acting like long-lost friends—laughing and talking with their arms around each other’s shoulders—the Wulan Knight was completely baffled.
’Was the fable really that amusing?’