Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 503: Chapter 476: Bruno’s Dissatisfaction and Expectation

After the fall of Watchtower Castle, a series of post-battle issues arose.

For example, guarding prisoners of war, appeasing the civilians, collecting spoils of war, disposing of the dead, and so on.

Fortunately, Placido was willing to surrender. With the help of his knights, it was possible to maintain a stable situation.

That afternoon, after dealing with the battle near Melonika, Ronin returned to the main hall of Watchtower Castle’s fortress and met with Placido.

As a Viscount of the Empire now preparing to surrender to Ronin, he would naturally not retain his title. He would even lose a portion of his power and land as a result.

However, generally speaking, a surrendering noble could still retain some of their status and property through negotiation.

These were the very issues Ronin and Placido were currently discussing.

First of all, Ronin had no intention of immediately granting him a new Noble Title. After all, it was inappropriate to ennoble a surrendered general who had made no new contributions.

Besides, whether Placido had surrendered voluntarily or not, Ronin could have easily taken Watchtower Castle with minimal casualties.

Surrender was not an accomplishment.

Placido knew he couldn’t refute this and could only try to salvage what he could in terms of land, authority, and property.

Ronin, however, was flexible on these points.

If Bruno were to later assign Watchtower Castle to Ronin’s domain, Ronin would appoint Placido as the Governor of Watchtower Castle. Though he would lack a noble’s title, he would still be the administrator of the territory.

Of course, even if Bruno didn’t assign Watchtower Castle to Ronin, he promised to arrange for Placido to govern a town instead.

As for his wealth, besides the fifty percent Placido was required to hand over, Ronin left the other half largely untouched.

Finally, there was the matter of land.

Whether Placido remained at Watchtower Castle or moved to a town in Moonlight Valley, Ronin would only grant him an amount of land commensurate with his power Level and status; he would not cede all the land in a particular area to him.

Control over the land had to remain in Ronin’s hands. This would allow him to maintain overall authority, making it easier to later implement the land policies he had established back in Mountain Forest Town.

The negotiations didn’t last long. Although Placido lost a great deal, he had at least saved his life and secured the future of the Carmen Clan.

And Ronin, for his part, had gained a new subordinate.

In terms of power, Placido was now his strongest subordinate, aside from Ridder, Macken, and Elron.

Of course, there were also Sophia and her four companions, but their relationship with Ronin was more of a partnership than one of subordination.

Before long, one of Garrett’s Griffin Knights arrived with an order: they were to reach the outskirts of Mist City by noon the next day.

"Garrett sure is impatient."

Ronin was somewhat surprised as he looked at the military order in his hand.

While there was something to be said for pressing the advantage, mobilizing the entire front line still required careful consideration. At the very least, one needed to assess each unit’s condition, their losses, and their ability to continue the fight.

It was rare to see someone issue new combat orders as Garrett had, without offering even a moment’s respite.

"My lord, what are our orders? Do we head out immediately?" Ridder asked.

Ronin nodded. "We’re going. Whatever Count Ural is up to in Mist City, we need to find out."

The situation in Mist City was certainly strange. Not only did Ronin not understand it, but even Placido, who had dealt with Count Ural for many years, couldn’t make sense of it.

Still, no matter what the count was planning, Ronin had to go and see for himself.

At the same time, just as a precaution, he had already sent Carlos to summon Sophia, Petro, and Elron from Swamp Town. They were expected to arrive by that evening at the latest.

Ronin planned to have Sophia and Petro join the battle.

Elron would also join the battle, but first, he needed to use his status as a Magic Master to guide the thirteen Mages of Watchtower Castle, since they would all eventually be placed under his command.

「Deep into the night.」

In Golden Feather Palace, Mel, the Minister of intelligence and communications, strode into Bruno’s study.

His Majesty the King was draped in a sleeping robe, lounging lazily in a plush armchair.

"Mel, to what do I owe the pleasure of you disturbing my rest in Golden Feather Palace so late at night? Has something happened?"

Mel came forward, letter in hand, his face wreathed in a smile. "News of victory, Your Majesty! A great victory!"

’A victory?’

Bruno jolted, his drowsiness vanishing in an instant. "The war on the border has started?"

’Even though I said Gushan and Ronin could decide when to start the war, they should have at least sent word beforehand, right?’

"Quick, let me see!"

Bruno immediately took the letters and read them quickly.

There were two letters in total.

The first letter was from his eldest daughter, Sharon, the wife of Count Ibn.

She began by describing how her husband had conquered a heavily fortified enemy fortress, claiming credit for Ibn’s military achievements. She then mentioned the victory across the entire front, and finally, she lavished praise on her younger brother Garrett’s "spot-on" command decisions.

The second letter, from Viscount Willis of Black Jade Bay, was similar—it celebrated their success, detailed the hardships of winning the battle, and praised Garrett.

Their purpose in writing was simple: to report the good news while also reminding His Majesty the King of their loyalty and competence, thereby laying the groundwork for post-war rewards.

Although it was joyous news of victory, Bruno’s expression darkened.

"What is this? Is Garrett the commander of the front line?" he asked.

Mel was taken aback. He was unaware of the contents of Bruno’s original orders. "Is he not, Your Majesty?"

Bruno was about to speak but held his tongue.

’Revealing the truth now would undoubtedly bring great discredit upon my son.’

But regardless, he hadn’t expected Garrett to so brazenly defy his orders and even alter his official decrees.

"That boy!"

Bruno sighed and thought, ’Thankfully, the battle was a victory across the board. It won’t be too late to reprimand him after we take Mist City.’

He contemplated for a long moment before saying to Mel, "Go and draft congratulatory replies to them. You can determine the content yourself."

These sorts of letters followed a fairly standard template, so it wasn’t a difficult task.

After Mel withdrew, Bruno ordered the Guards to summon Broel to the palace posthaste while he began writing new letters to Ronin, Ibn, Gushan, and the others.

Soon, Broel arrived.

"Your Majesty, you summoned me at this late hour. What are your orders?"

Bruno handed him the letter he had just written. "Deliver this to Ronin on the front lines and have him relay my command: after taking Mist City, they are not to advance further into the Empire. Also, have Garrett return to Golden Feather City to see me."

Then he added, "If Garrett still refuses to return, then privately ask Ronin to... figure something out."

Broel had no questions about the first command, but he couldn’t understand the second.

’What could the Crown Prince have done to make His Majesty sound so displeased?’

’In all these years, whenever Bruno mentioned his son, Garrett, it was always with an air of great satisfaction. Nothing like this had ever happened before.’

"Go. If possible, depart tonight."

"Yes!" Broel nodded grimly.

’His Majesty is in such a hurry. It looks like something major has happened.’

Once Bruno was alone in the room, he heaved a heavy sigh.

’That boy... he was always a bit proud and conceited, but at least he used to listen to what I said. Now, he even dares to defy my direct commands.’

He shook his head in resignation.

Bruno had placed high hopes in Garrett since childhood, always grooming him to be his successor. He had even allowed Garrett to preside over certain functions and make decisions.

But that didn’t mean Garrett was allowed to defy his will.

If it were a small matter, he would have let it go, but this incident involved Ronin. Behavior like this would only make the relationship between his son and Ronin worse.

That was an outcome Bruno was desperate to avoid.

’It seems I have to find a way to keep Ronin and Garrett separated.’

Bruno mulled it over for a while and finally decided to bring Garrett back first for a stern talking-to. If his son still wanted to be on the battlefield afterward, he would arrange for him to serve under Ference or Andrea as a front-line supervisor.

That way, Ronin and Garrett could avoid any further contact.

Setting aside this vexing issue, Bruno unfolded a map and looked at the location of Mist City.

His mood now mirrored that of his daughter, Sharon, and Viscount Willis. He believed that with two Proud Sun Knights and a Giant Dragon, plus their combined armies, taking Mist City would be no problem at all.

’That disastrous defeat thirty years ago left my father dejected and dispirited, leading to his early death. Now, I have retaken Mist City. The shame of that crushing defeat can finally be erased from the history of the Oduin Clan!’

’After I make use of Ronin and his forces, rebuilding an empire for the Oduin will be no problem at all!’

What king, upon taking the throne, doesn’t want to expand his territory?

Bruno had to admit that he was filled with a sense of anticipation and excitement.