Rose Empire

Chapter 22 - The Curtain Falls

The discussion, or rather negotiation, continued until the early hours of the morning when the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon. In the end, Charlotte relocated eight southern knightly territories to the north.

If a central east-west line were drawn across the entire domain of the Ripple Bay Viscountcy, twelve knightly territories should have been allocated to the southern part of the viscountcy. However, Charlotte only moved the eight southern knightly territories south of the viscount's castle to the north. The Ripple Bay Viscount's castle itself is not located on the central line but is instead situated further south.

Otherwise, the late Sir Paul Martins would not have encroached on lands right up to the edge of the castle.

Selecting locations for the relocated knightly territories did not take much time. However, each speaker had their own hidden agenda, which is why the entire night was spent in deliberation.

After Erik from the south and Ed Adkins from the north both pledged their allegiance to Charlotte, all the southern and northern knights realized that the situation had undergone a significant change. It became clear that they would likely have to swear loyalty to the new viscountess.

Thus, the knights quickly formulated their responses.

The northern knights offered suggestions for the relocation sites, showcasing their wisdom, keen insight, and extensive experience in managing fiefs.

The southern knights presented various reasonable relocation requests, demonstrating their quick wit, proper demeanor, and eloquent rhetoric.

In this process, the relocation of the knightly territories became a secondary matter. The primary concern became how to subtly express a cooperative attitude toward the new liege and how to quickly make a favorable impression on her.

Charlotte also needed to interject occasionally to acknowledge their loyalty and soothe the lingering unease and fear in their hearts. At this moment, she displayed the gentleness and elegance befitting a true noble lady.

Therefore, everyone carefully seized their opportunity to speak, thoughtfully choosing their words. By the time most had spoken, the night had passed.

As dawn broke, many began to yawn. With no additional accommodations for guests in the castle, Charlotte had the servants prepare bread and milk for the knights to eat before they returned home to sleep.

Poor guests, who had come eagerly to attend a banquet, ended up with only bread and milk.

Celine Adkins barely touched the bread and milk. Burdened with worries and a dizzy mind, she rode out with the other northern knights. Only after traveling a considerable distance did she realize her father was not with her. She looked around but could not find him.

"Has anyone seen my father?" Celine asked her companions.

"No, Sir Adkins seems to have been left at the viscountess's castle," one of them replied.

A sense of crisis immediately rose in Celine's heart. Ignoring her companions' calls, she turned her horse around and galloped back to the castle.

Inside the castle, servants were cleaning up the mess left from the previous night's banquet. They carried out mutilated bodies to be buried far away and splashed hot water on the ground to wash away the dried bloodstains. Fortunately, the weather had turned cold, or the stench would have been unbearable.

When Celine returned to the castle, the first thing she saw was a servant pouring out a bucket of dark red, filthy water. The bloody memories of the previous night flooded back, and the young girl's face turned even paler.

After the guests had left, Charlotte was leisurely eating breakfast with Renee.

Renee quietly complained about the dangerous nature of the banquet, pointing out that the knights Charlotte had brought were all sent by José Mellefield. She felt those knights were not yet trustworthy. If the southern and northern knights had truly united in anger and decided to kill Charlotte first, the knights sent by Rosie, who had been compromised, might not have risked their lives to protect her. Charlotte was gambling with her life.

Charlotte responded with noncommittal "hmms" and "ahs," like a schoolchild enduring a parent's scolding.

In truth, Renee was not wrong. The loyalty of the knights sent by José Mellefield was questionable. However, Renee overlooked one thing: in Charlotte's eyes, there was one person she could always trust with her life, and that was Renee herself.

Charlotte believed that even if the one-in-a-million chance occurred if the southern and northern knights joined forces to attack her Renee would protect her and ensure her safe retreat. Renee would undoubtedly do so.

Just as Charlotte was half-heartedly listening to Renee is complaints, someone suddenly rushed in and knelt before Charlotte with such force that Charlotte winced in sympathy for the person's knees.

"You..." Charlotte examined the newcomer. "You're Ed Adkins's daughter."

"Yes," Celine said, her head bowed. "I apologize for my rudeness, Viscountess. Please release my father."

At first, Charlotte was puzzled, but she quickly understood Celine's reasoning the girl thought Charlotte had detained Ed Adkins because of her earlier confrontation in the kitchen.

Charlotte's eyes sparkled with interest, and a mischievous smile appeared on her face. Renee, who knew Charlotte well, understood that whenever her mistress wore such an expression, trouble was sure to follow.

"Why should I accept your apology? Your father must pay the price for your attempt to take me hostage!" Charlotte retorted, staring into Celine's eyes.

Though Celine had a tomboyish appearance and wore a dusty leather armor, Charlotte, with her keen eye, could tell that with a little effort, the girl could be quite pretty.

"I never intended to take you hostage," Celine explained nervously.

"But that's exactly what you did!" Charlotte remained relentless. "I cannot interpret your actions any other way!"

Celine was not skilled in rhetoric. She bit her lip, struggling to find the right words, but in the end, she could only say, "I am responsible for my mistakes. I am willing to accept any punishment, but please spare my father."

"Any punishment at all?"

Even a fool could tell that Charlotte's question was loaded with ill intent, but Celine still nodded, biting her lip.

"Very well," Charlotte said. "I am currently in need of a personal guard. You shall serve as my Hermeo squire."

"A guard?" Celine was surprised. She had expected a harsh punishment, but all she had to do was become a guard?

"Hmm, are you unwilling?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course not!" Celine was delighted. Only a fool would refuse such a light punishment!

To demonstrate her willingness to take responsibility, Celine immediately raised her right hand and swore an oath of loyalty to Charlotte in the name of the Divine Lord.

In the future, Celine Adkins, who would be renowned as the "Silver Sword Maiden," would look back on this moment and feel utterly foolish!

"Excellent," Charlotte nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Renee with a smile. "Renee, take her to bathe and change her clothes. You know what to do."

Renee rolled her eyes, indicating she had no desire to assist her mistress in such matters, but she complied with Charlotte's orders and took Celine to bathe.

As a girl, Celine enjoyed bathing, but she had never imagined that nobles required four or five attendants to assist them, used such comfortable tubs, or added so many fragrant herbs and flowers to the bathwater.

After an elaborate bath, Celine felt light and fragrant.

"Not bad at all. You're quite the beauty," a sweet female voice said, snapping Celine out of her daze.

"V-Viscountess..."

The Viscountess had somehow appeared behind her, startling Celine. She was now dressed only in a thin nightgown provided by the servants after her bath, and she felt somewhat embarrassed.

Charlotte gently lifted Celine's chin with her right hand. Though Celine had short hair, her round face complemented it well, giving her a cute appearance. After the bath, her skin had a soft, rosy glow.

Celine suddenly realized she was in a bedroom, with a freshly made bed nearby. The servants who had bathed her had already left, and now only Charlotte and herself were in the room...

Celine sensed danger and took a panicked step back.

Charlotte, with her hands behind her back, took a step forward, smiling. "Don't you want me to release your father?"

Charlotte's words halted Celine's attempt to flee. If Celine had truly wanted to escape, Charlotte would not have been able to stop her.

"I only swore to be your squire..."

"And isn't that the duty of a personal squire?"

"R-Really?"

"Of course..."

Is this what life as a noble is like...?

Celine felt her worldview being completely overturned.

Taking advantage of the girl's confusion, Charlotte's fingers gently lifted the hem of Celine's nightgown...

The morning light filtered through the half-open lattice window, and the candy-colored lace curtains swayed in the autumn breeze.

It was not until the morning light turned into the midday sun that Charlotte, deep in slumber, was awakened by Renee.

Charlotte habitually raised her arms for Renee to help her dress.

Instead, Renee lightly flicked Charlotte's forehead. "Mistress, you need to bathe first."

Only then did Charlotte feel the stickiness on her body. Pouting, she reluctantly went to bathe.

After her bath, Charlotte changed into clean casual clothes and headed to the newly cleaned reception room as planned.

Renee gently closed the bedroom door, allowing the other exhausted girl to continue sleeping.

In the reception room, Erik Scaramario and Ed Adkins were waiting for Charlotte. That morning, after the other guests had left, Charlotte had specifically asked these two to stay because she had more to discuss with them.

Considering their exhaustion after the all-night discussion, Charlotte had allowed them to nap in the reception room.

"How are you both feeling? Ready to discuss important matters?" Charlotte asked as she sat in an armchair, smiling.

"Thank you for your concern, Viscountess. A short nap has done me good," Erik said.

Ed Adkins replied, "Please speak freely, Viscountess. I've experienced nights without sleep during wartime, so one sleepless night is nothing."

"Winter is approaching. While our region is relatively warm, the tribes in the mountains will surely come down to raid. I plan to establish a territorial guard to defend against them," Charlotte said.

"That's only natural. When Viscount Basilik was alive, we also organized patrols every year," Ed Adkins said.

Erik nodded in agreement.

Both were puzzled. Serving the lord for ninety days a year was a knight's duty, and defending against tribal raids was an annual necessity. Why had Charlotte specifically asked them to stay to discuss this?

"After winter, this territorial guard will not be disbanded but will remain as a permanent force. Members will be required to serve year-round, training in the barracks even during peacetime, with only five days of leave per month."

This statement challenged Ed and Erik's understanding. Both furrowed their brows.

In most nations and regional powers of this world, the concept of a standing army was poorly understood. The city-states of the Sokya Peninsula were famous for their mercenaries, but during wartime, the main force was always the citizen militia soldiers who were civilians in peacetime, training only five days a month. The knights of the Orlan Empire were similar, managing their estates in peacetime and gathering to fight when called upon by their lords.

The Orlan Empire had two renowned units: the Royal Griffon Knights, led by the emperor, and the Eastern Knights, led by the Duke of Blackstone Fortress. Both were standing forces, but they did not break free from the constraint of "knights serving their lords for ninety days a year." Instead, they used a rotation system to ensure a constant force of about three thousand knights.

Thus, Charlotte's demand that knights spend most of the year in the barracks was incomprehensible to Ed and Erik.

"Why do you require this?" Erik asked, puzzled.

Why?

Simply because Charlotte was dissatisfied with the current lax and undisciplined mode of warfare!

How could an army have any real combat effectiveness if its professional soldiers spent most of their time farming or managing other businesses?

Why were the Orlan Empire's Royal Griffon Knights and Eastern Knights so elite? The former had faced the Edessan Empire's army of three hundred thousand, and the latter had nearly penetrated the Edessan Empire's rear. The reason was simple: at the very least, the core officers of these armies remained in the barracks year-round, training and studying warfare. If such a system could significantly enhance an army's effectiveness, how could Charlotte allow her own forces to retain the tradition of "serving ninety days a year"?

Of course, such a rationale directly infringed on the interests of the knightly class, so Charlotte could not openly state it.

"Additionally, I plan to pay each knight serving in the guard three Fols per day," Charlotte said, seemingly changing the subject. "I hope you both will encourage the other knights to join. However, if they find this meager salary unappealing and choose not to join, I will not force them."

Erik and Ed's eyes lit up.

To Charlotte, who had once been worth five million, three Fols per day was insignificant. However, for the impoverished northern knights and even the southern knights who controlled trade routes, not everyone earned three Fols a day.

In fact, a struggling knight's daily living expenses were less than one Fol, and a wealthy baronial family's annual expenditure was only about thirteen hundred Fols.

"Rest assured, this is a good thing. I doubt many knights would rudely refuse such generosity," Erik said.

"If three Fols a day is considered meager, then they truly belong in the dirt," Ed laughed.

Clearly, both interpreted Charlotte's establishment of a standing guard as an attempt to buy loyalty. Previously, knights had never been paid for serving their lords, yet Charlotte was not only offering payment but at such a high rate.

Was this not an attempt to win hearts?

It seemed that after last night's "firmness," the viscountess was now employing a softer approach. Combining firmness with gentleness was the hallmark of noble rule.

After finalizing the main details of the territorial guard, Charlotte asked the two about the tribal raids. José Mellefield took this issue seriously every winter, so Charlotte had no choice but to heighten her vigilance.

However, Erik and Ed were quite relaxed. According to them, the tribes had not launched a large-scale invasion of Ripple Bay Viscountcy for many years. Even when small groups of tribal bandits appeared, they would leave upon seeing the viscountcy's defenses rather than attacking.

In their view, Charlotte only needed to station more patrols along the northern border.

Was defending against the tribes really so simple? Charlotte had her doubts, but having never experienced a tribal invasion herself, she could not directly challenge their experience.

After discussing these matters, Erik and Ed Adkins prepared to take their leave.

However, Charlotte suddenly informed Ed Adkins, "I found your daughter quite agreeable, so I invited her to be my personal squire. She was delighted and has already sworn to serve as my Hermeo guard."

Ed Adkins was stunned. Celine might not know the true meaning of "Hermeos," but as an experienced knight, he did.

"Hermeos" was an ancient term from the Wimbourne Empire era, still used in the Orlan Empire's language. While most people understood it to mean "close attendant," Charlotte's interpretation of it as a personal squire was not incorrect.

However, Ed Adkins knew that in the Orlan Empire's noble system, "Hermeos" carried an additional meaning companion. A companion was a special title, not a noble rank, symbolizing a deep bond and trust between the holder and their lord. The King of Gatu had a group of special knights known as "Companion Knights," renowned for their martial prowess, bravery, and unwavering loyalty.

More importantly, the title of companion was lifelong. Those who accepted it were bound to serve their lord until death.

After a moment of shock, Ed Adkins smiled and bowed to Charlotte. "I never imagined my daughter would have the honor of receiving the Hermeos title from the Mellefield family. This is a great privilege for her."

Ed Adkins's joy was genuine. Though becoming Charlotte's companion meant Celine would be bound to her, Ed believed that Charlotte, as a noble, would eventually marry into a great house, and Celine would follow. That was far better than remaining in this backwater and marrying some poor boy.

Even Erik, who had been silently listening, felt a twinge of envy.

The title of companion was a two-way bond. "You are my friend" not only meant the companion would serve their lord for life but also that the lord would vouch for the companion with their own honor and reputation. If the lord bore the name Mellefield, that endorsement would carry weight across much of the Orlan Empire.

Costa was about the same age as Celine. Could he also become Charlotte's companion?

Erik couldn't help but wonder.

But recalling Costa's tearful performance the previous night, Erik felt that the viscountess's impression of the boy was likely poor. The lad probably had no chance.

Erik sighed with regret.

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