NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 62: Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 62: Calm Before the Storm
Orper began to put his plans into action. Everything seemed perfect in his imagination, but he was unaware that his approach was incredibly foolish. While the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce could indeed hire a grand knight for protection, that was merely for protection and only temporary. It wasn't the same as having a grand knight of their own.
The difference was significant.
Once the Lawrence territory lost its grand knight, the consequences were almost inevitable.
This was different from a pioneering lord.
A pioneering lord wouldn't face major issues as long as they didn't possess a lot of wealth and resources. However, a baron's territory, with its vast lands and abundant resources, couldn't be defended without a grand knight and numerous other knights. Hired grand knights wouldn't suffice.
Of course, Orper wasn't aware of this yet.
He was fully engrossed in the excitement of soon taking over the territory.
This was land.
His own land.
He had nearly given up hope.
But then, to his surprise, the Goddess of Life seemed to have smiled upon him.
An unexpected war, and his father and brother couldn't return.
He had an opportunity.
Faced with this chance, he could hardly contain his joy and even considered sending some gold coins to the lord of the Eagle Ridge.
Of course, this was just a thought.
On the surface, he maintained a facade of anger and sorrow.
He quickly began to take control of the entire Lawrence territory.
Luckily, his father had taken many knights with him, so Orper found it relatively easy to seize control.
Once in control, he set off for Loren City with several knights and a large sum of gold coins.
Despite his foolishness, he understood that the territory was extremely vulnerable. If word got out, it would be doomed.
After seizing control, he needed to quickly bolster their strength.
As planned, he headed to the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce in Loren City.
Three days later.
He arrived swiftly in Loren City.
Without hesitation, Orper spent two thousand gold coins to hire one grand knight and ten official knights from the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce.
Seven days later, Orper returned triumphantly to the territory with his newfound forces.
With a grand knight and ten official knights, Orper's confidence soared.
He immediately notified the two neighboring baronial lords in his father's name.
At the same time, he dispatched a knight to the Eagle Ridge.
The purpose, of course, was not to deliver the ransom.
But to leak information.
Two days later.
Thor received the knight sent by the foolish Orper in the Eagle Ridge.
"It seems your younger son isn't as smart as you, Baron Pape Lawrence," Thor remarked with a smile, handing the letter to Baron Pape Lawrence.
By now, Baron Pape Lawrence had physically recovered, though his life force was suppressed.
This was done by Thor with the help of Neil Morton.
For Neil Morton, such a minor task was not a big deal.
Therefore, when faced with the knight sent by Orper, Thor had the man brought over directly.
Upon hearing Thor's words, Baron Pape Lawrence's heart sank. He knew well what kind of person his younger son was, so he quickly took the letter.
After reading its contents.
"Bang!"
"Idiot!"
"Utterly foolish."
Even with Baron Pape's disposition, he couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
Then came a wave of sorrow.
He never expected.
He couldn't fathom that his younger son would do such a thing.
It was as if he wanted both him and his elder brother to die.
Damn it, Lawrence was the future of their family, a person with potential to become a grand knight.
The sorrow stemmed from realizing his younger son's sheer stupidity.
Without him and Lawrence, the territory couldn't be defended.
In the Northern Province, all lords were like hungry wolves.
Without the power to defend the territory, they were merely lambs.
Anyone with half a brain wouldn't do such a thing. At the very least, he should have ransomed them back to ensure the territory's survival.
"Lord Thor, this is a misunderstanding. That fool doesn't represent the decisions of our Lawrence territory. If you release Lawrence, I'm sure he will provide you with satisfactory compensation."
As anger and sorrow surged, Baron Pape quickly suppressed them. What mattered now wasn't this.
He needed to ensure Thor wouldn't get so angry that he'd kill them all. If that happened, everything would truly be over.
"Baron Pape, you know that's not possible."
"But I won't harm you over a fool's actions. For now, enjoy your stay in the Eagle Ridge."
Thor chuckled and shook his head.
Releasing Lawrence was out of the question; he wasn't a fool.
Nor did he plan to kill Baron Pape and Lawrence over this.
Firstly, there was no need.
Secondly, keeping these two alive would be more beneficial.
Hearing Thor's words, Baron Pape's expression turned bitter.
He could already foresee the fate of his territory, unable to do anything about it.
He gave Thor a deep look before remaining silent.
Thor fell into deep thought.
The situation aligned with his daily information reports.
Orper Lawrence indeed wanted his father and brother dead.
Given this, it was highly likely that other pioneering lords and nobles would unite to attack his territory.
The storm of war was on the horizon.
The Eagle Ridge was about to face its most challenging time.
He would confront the combined forces of other noble lords.
Even though their power was less than that of the Lawrence territory, their combined strength was formidable.
But if he could survive this.
If he could defeat the coalition of noble lords, the rewards would be unprecedented.
He would become the true uncrowned king of the entire Maine Valley.
No one would dare challenge his authority.
If he managed his affairs well, his influence could spread throughout the Maine Valley.
The development of his territory would reach new heights.
Thor's eyes sparkled as he pondered his next steps.
Time passed quietly in this state of anticipation.
The knights sent by Orper in Baron Pape Lawrence's name also reached the other two noble lords.
Upon receiving the letters, the two noble lords were momentarily stunned.