I’d hoped for an ordinary day, but it turned out to be an incredibly busy and exhausting one. I arrived in Breisburg, reached agreements with each faction, and found Bodo.
Then I gathered the scattered troops to attack the Viscount Neunil family. It’s hard to believe all of that happened in a single day. It certainly felt like far longer.
It was already late afternoon, but that suited the swift strategy I always emphasize. Give the enemy no time to respond: move before word of you does, keep the march silent, and when you strike, strike with everything at once.
Frontinus set it down plainly enough in his Chapter on concealing one’s plans. The old Romans knew what they were about.
Anton, who had risen to the rank of vice commander, shouted energetically.
"All 238 members of the Gale Knights have assembled!"
Barosi and Herto, who led the Hungarian members, were present as well, and the lieutenants stood in formation. Behind them, the rookies and veterans of the Gale Knights awaited orders, each wrapped in his own thoughts.
I had mobilized all my retainers, from Beort and Drek down to Ferke.
They weren’t part of the Gale Knights, but they were practically family.
With the Hungarian mercenary company joining the men recruited from the east, the Gale Knights had grown large enough to rival a regular army. I’d wanted to be more selective, but a force this size was only possible because I’d compromised to some degree.
"Assembling in Breisburg’s Grand Plaza is unprecedented."
"Is there any better place to gather troops?"
"Haha, honestly, it’s a waste of the space."
The Grand Plaza of Breisburg was absurdly vast—so vast that back in my duchy knight days, running laps around it counted as a full training session. Whenever a festival was held, the crowds turned it into a veritable sea of people.
With the Gale Knights assembled, all of Breisburg learned of the military action. Thanks to Mühe releasing the information at just the right moments, the nobles who found out in advance bolted their gates to prevent any mishaps.
That let us avoid unnecessary clashes.
Mühe had added her own flavoring to the information, so the nobles came to believe the warning had come from me, and word spread that they owed their safety to acting on it. She’s a shrewd woman, as befits a merchant who deals in information.
It was a far cry from staying silent as a forest, but the members couldn’t hide their excitement about attacking the Viscount Neunil family. After all, it was a chance to legally claim a wealthy noble’s riches.
The citizens trembled with unease, wondering what on earth was happening, but a judicial official rang the bell in the Grand Plaza and summoned them. Perhaps thanks to the reputation of the Gale Knights as a symbol of justice, many citizens flocked to the square.
Normally, people never approach a gathering of heavily armed soldiers.
The judicial official read out a carefully prepared proclamation.
"Citizens of Breisburg, hear me! The mastermind behind the poisoning of Finance Minister Count Reinfeldt, which recently shook the capital, has been revealed! The Viscount Neunil family plotted to bring down the honored house of the Finance Minister, appointed by His Majesty the grand duke, and conspired with Inspector General Mort to commit this outrageous crime! As the Viscount Neunil family and the Inspector General have refused the Judicial Department’s summons, lawful authority to arrest them has been granted to the Gale Knights and the Capital Sentinel Command! Citizens, do not tremble in fear! Spend this night of rest granted by the Lord in peace, and prepare for another ordinary day tomorrow!"
The moment the Judicial Department’s proclamation was announced, the educated citizens seized eagerly on the new information. They set about interpreting the connection between the Viscount Neunil family and Mort. With that, the legitimacy of the military action was secured.
The citizens would soon be crowding into the taverns to argue it out among themselves.
The problem was that even with the Judicial Department’s proclamation, some factions pushed back. Chief among them was Queen Gwendirente. For a woman who had so actively defended Neunil, this must have been a nightmare.
Since the grand duke had not yet returned, she still held the regency, and she sent the royal palace chamberlain to protest furiously. At this point, protesting was about all they could do.
Naturally, it didn’t make the slightest difference.
Viscount Loewenbert only smiled awkwardly.
Veins bulged on the royal palace chamberlain’s neck.
"This is treason, Baron! Do you truly believe it is justified to drag in even the Capital Sentinel Commander and launch an unauthorized military action in Breisburg?! The royal family will absolutely not stand by and watch!"
"And who speaks for that royal family? The queen? His Majesty the grand duke? Tell me."
"Her Majesty the queen is the lawful regent of Breisburg!"
For now, the regent did hold that role, true enough. But I had been granted full authority over this affair, and I intended to cut cleanly through this stubborn tangle of schemes that stretched all the way back to Schafen.
At my signal, my men seized the chamberlain without difficulty.
As he struggled, demanding to know what this was about, I said quietly,
"The Judicial Department has granted us lawful authority to make arrests, and above all, I hold judicial authority delegated by His Majesty the grand duke himself. Will you still call this treason?"
"Do you think we don’t know that all of this is just you people dragging Neunil down for the sake of your own power?!"
"What a pity. I obey only the orders of His Majesty the grand duke. Escort him out—respectfully."
"Baron! Baron of Rosenheim! You cannot do this! Do not touch Neunil!"
The royal palace chamberlain was dragged away by my men. If he’d been a simple servant of the queen, I would have just thrown him out, but the office of royal palace chamberlain carries the rank of count palatine, so he couldn’t be handled roughly.
Just how deep did the ties between the queen and Neunil run, for her to react like this? But that isn’t my concern. Neunil and Mort will now pay the price.
Even if the lawful regent protests, she cannot turn the tide.
And this was also a warning to the court nobles—a show of force, demonstrating that anyone who attempted what the Viscount Neunil family had attempted would be crushed by the Gale Knights or the Military Department.
"I never imagined the day would come when we’d march into the northwest district."
"Do you want to call it off, even now?"
"Would you listen if I tried to stop you, Baron?"
The northwest district along Neuden Boulevard, home to the royal castle and a dense cluster of high nobles’ mansions, was the oldest part of Breisburg and the stronghold of venerable bloodlines and court politics.
Attacking it was like striking at the very heart of Beren. The only circumstance in which it would ever come under attack was one in which Beren had effectively lost a war.
And yet here I was, the man called Beren’s finest knight and hero, launching a military action in the northwest district. Naturally, noble society was turned upside down. But the justification was too strong for anyone to oppose easily.
On top of that, the Judicial Department’s proclamation had granted us legitimacy.
"I support your plan, Baron, but one thing concerns me. I worry we may be making more enemies than we need to. His Majesty may have delegated this task to you, but it is no small matter."
"I’ve already taken measures for that, though your role is crucial as well, Viscount. While we surround the northwest district, everything depends on your commanding your men so that no harm comes to nobles unconnected to Neunil."
"You make difficult requests as casually as the War Minister’s family does, Baron."
"You are the only general in the duchy capable of that kind of command, Viscount."
To be precise, Viscount Loewenbert was the only supreme commander currently in Breisburg who could control the duchy army. If the soldiers took advantage of the chaos to loot, things would turn truly ugly.
It wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded, but the viscount was a respected commander within the duchy army, so he certainly had the ability to keep the duchy soldiers from stepping out of line.
This battle would end in a one-sided victory for us, so keeping our own side in check was what mattered most. That’s why we held the force to the minimum required: 500 men. The larger the numbers, the harder they were to manage.
"I’ll do my best, but you be careful too, Baron. Commanding urban combat is no easy feat."
"I got plenty of experience with that at Radensdorf. And this is a suppression, not an occupation."
"Hmm. Even with the Judicial Department’s proclamation, some nobles will inevitably turn against us."
"I’m prepared for that. I’ve set up countermeasures, so you needn’t worry."
I have no intention of simply crushing my political enemies indiscriminately. Just as I pulled Beort, Drek, and Ferke out of the mud, I plan to cultivate nobles of decent character and raise them into a faction of my own at court.
It was one of the methods the grand duke had recommended to me.
I’m careful not to be tainted by bad company, but there was still much to learn from the grand duke.
He’s the sort of man who delights in the fact that more court factions mean more for them to fight over. Inducing the nobles to fight one another politically and wear themselves down was the grand duke’s way, so that they’d never even dream of challenging royal authority.
That’s why the nobles of Beren could never unite as one. It was a favorable arrangement for the grand duke, but the flaw was that it left them unable to unite against invasion from outside.
That’s why the eastern lords watched with total indifference while the western lords slugged it out with Burgundy—and why, this time, the western lords threw their weight around however they pleased in an east that was still mired in civil war.
"The looks on the nobles’ faces when we enter the Neuden northwest district should be quite a sight."
"If they have guilty consciences, they’ll be trembling. Viscount, is the duchy army ready?"
"Of course. Per your orders, Baron, our army will encircle the northwest district and the roads leading to the harbor."
"Me, giving orders to you, Viscount? I wouldn’t dare."
Viscount Loewenbert quietly laughed it off. I hold no title in the Military Department, but as a son-in-law of the minister’s family, I carry an unspoken influence. The viscount sometimes treated me as though I were his superior.
That was occasionally embarrassing.