Chapter 403: The Opportunity Given by Kant
That’s right, this was also Kant’s problem.
He did not understand the current situation of Princess Sofia’s old subordinates. This grand knight Ches.h.i.+re actually claimed that he was also an old subordinate who stayed in the Silver Platter Kingdom, which really puzzled Kant.
There was too little information.
Kant could only a.n.a.lyze it by himself through the available information.
Looking at Ches.h.i.+re and the so-called family behind him, he had some thoughts.
In this world, strength was still paramount. The so-called loyalty was still a gimmick of submitting to absolute force. If Kant had absolute military power, then no one would betray him.
Even the loyal va.s.sals of the enemy would have too many scruples when facing the oppression and surrender.
The surrender between the n.o.ble and the n.o.ble was not a humiliation.
It was just a change of country to be a va.s.sal.
The feudal era.
Or it should be called the era of the n.o.ble republic.
Even the king was only the spokesperson of the n.o.ble group, or the chairman of the board.
If this kingdom, or it should be said a company, went bankrupt and was acquired by other companies, the chairman of the board would change, but the directors would still be directors, but the shares in their hands would be diluted and reduced.
But it was still better than losing their lives. The n.o.bles were people who cared about their dignity, and they were willing to continue this kind of life.
This was also the reason why the n.o.ble was the best at the art of compromise.
For example, Princess Sofia’s old subordinates.
The power was falling apart.
Those who were lucky were stationed in the Dukedom of Leo, barely fitting into the n.o.ble circle, such as Baron Dylan.
Those who were unlucky became the water bandits of the Resniston River. They made a living by robbing, kidnapping, and extortion. They were constantly besieged by the river patrol team, and they were risking their lives to make a living.
As for what happened to the old subordinates that were still in the Silver Platter Kingdom, Kant did not know.
That was why he asked Ches.h.i.+re why he was here.
The Dukedom of Leo was good.
But the Silver Platter Kingdom was undoubtedly more prosperous.
Ches.h.i.+re looked hesitant.
But he saw the ten grand knights beside Kant had already put their hands back on the hilts of their swords, he could only lower his head dejectedly. “I am a grand knight sent by the Silver Platter Kingdom, the new prefectural territory, which is also the south bank of the Resniston River. It used to belong to the Dukedom of Leo, Fort Nazaire.” He said it so easily.
However, Borg, who was still kneeling on the ground beside him, suddenly raised his head. His lips trembled, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.
It was clear that when Borg had gone to the Silver Platter Kingdom to discuss business cooperation, he had unintentionally saved this grand knight who had been chased down by a top-tier n.o.ble. Ches.h.i.+re then followed Borg out of grat.i.tude for saving his life.
This story was also listed as the proudest thing in Borg’s life, and was often used as a topic for discussion.
It also attracted the envy of many merchants.
“Very good.” Kant did not care about how Ches.h.i.+re ended up here.
Instead, he nodded at Ches.h.i.+re’s serious answer and said with satisfaction, “Continue. Your cooperation will increase your impression in my heart. I really like everyone to follow the rules.”
“Thank you for your praise, Lord Kant.” Ches.h.i.+re immediately bowed.
“No! It’s not like that!” However, Borg interrupted them. “The lord of Fort Nazaire should be Viscount Taylor.” He raised his head in despair. “You… You’re clearly telling me that… you’ve offended a top-tier n.o.ble!”
Ches.h.i.+re snorted slightly disdainfully at this, “Mr. Borg, please don’t be childish.”
“You…” Borg’s eyes were filled with despair.
He gritted his teeth and gripped his sleeves tightly. However, he did not have any strength left in his body. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He suddenly realized that what he had done was very laughable.
He was just a businessman with a small reputation in the East County City, but his status was still low.
Ches.h.i.+re thought the same, followed Borg was just a disguise.
Ches.h.i.+re bent down slightly, he looked at Kant and continued to report, “Lord, I am a spy sent by Viscount Taylor of the new county to the East County. My intention is to infiltrate the Dukedom of Leo and use the Borg Chamber of Commerce to contact the n.o.bles who are easily buy over and willing to change side to Silver Platter Kingdom.”
“Is the Silver Platter Kingdom planning to invade Dukedom of Leo again?” Kant raised his eyebrows and asked.
“Yes.” Ches.h.i.+re did not hide anything. “Princess Sofia failed in the beginning, but she still left behind a lot of secrets. It’s only been ten years now, and since those secrets have yet to disappear, it’s time to use them again.”
Kant’s lips curled up. “Very interesting.”
“This is the paradise of the powerful.”
Ches.h.i.+re bowed respectfully to Kant and said, “Lord, you are the n.o.ble who is worthy of respect. You are the master that my family used to be loyal to. However, because of the internal suppression of the Silver Platter Kingdom, we lost the support of Princess Sofia. We can only temporarily rely on the others to survive.”
Pausing for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, “But in the end, we can’t gain the trust of others. That’s why I was sent here. To be driven by a lowly merchant, this is simply an insult.”
Borg’s face turned pale as he listened from the side.
In the past, he enjoyed his success and wealth, but all of this was based on the benefits Kant had brought to him.
Even though he had coincidentally obtained the help of a grand knight like Ches.h.i.+re, in reality, it was actually a plot set up by the Silver Platter Kingdom to reconquer the Dukedom of Leo.
If that day really came, then Borg Chamber of Commerce would become Silver Platter Kingdom’s insider.
Even if the Borg family didn’t want to join the Silver Platter Kingdom, they couldn’t do anything about it. When that time came, Ches.h.i.+re, who was once a loyal grand knight, could even take over the Borg Chamber of Commerce.
After all, he was a grand knight. In a world where military power was paramount, he was equal to a superior.
It was obvious just by thinking about it.
Ches.h.i.+re had deigned to become a bodyguard in the Chamber of Commerce. It was simply a humiliation, a disgrace to a grand knight. He would be ridiculed by any n.o.ble who heard of it.
No matter how good his development was, unless Borg could become a real n.o.ble, Ches.h.i.+re would never be able to integrate into the mainstream circle as a grand knight. He would become the object of ridicule by everyone.
Status was the standard of the n.o.ble.
A knight was equivalent to a quasi-n.o.ble.
A grand knight was a complete n.o.ble.
If one did not have real power, he would become a palace n.o.ble. If he made contributions on battlefield, he would be a warrior boor. If he could marry other n.o.bles for decades, he would become a respected new n.o.ble.
The status of a grand knight was actually almost the same as a real baron.
This was an advantage brought by power.
Ches.h.i.+re wanted to use the Borg Chamber of Commerce to complete the infiltration of the Silver Platter Kingdom into the East County.
After all, East County was a semi-independent territory outside of the Dukedom of Leo. As long as they conquered this place, they could directly seal off the Resniston River and South County.
Moreover, in the East County, they could directly attack the North County and South County.
The force in East County could cooperate with the Silver Platter Kingdom to attack the South County.
They had almost formed an encirclement net.
It was very brilliant.
Even Kant couldn’t help but nod, praising the encirclement net strategic plan.
However, this encirclement net was destined to fail. This was because the East County wouldn’t be controlled by Ches.h.i.+re.
Even if he had laid a lot of foundations through Borg Chamber of Commerce, it was still impossible.
Because Kant would not allow it.
The Borg Chamber of Commerce had once been on the verge of bankruptcy. If one thought about it carefully, perhaps it had something to do with the methods of the Silver Platter Kingdom. It even had something to do with some of the East County’s n.o.ble families who acted as fence-sitters.
But since Kant had supported Borg and brought this chamber of commerce back to life. Then it meant that he had invested in this chamber of Commerce, and he was definitely the chairman.
Without the 2,000 great silver coins that Kant had provided, it would be very difficult for the Borg Chamber of Commerce to come back to life.
Even if the Silver Platter Kingdom helped the Chamber of Commerce to rise again from the brink of bankruptcy, Borg might not be the person-in-charge anymore. Even if he were, he would just be a puppet.
“Lord Kant!” Borg had already thought of this at this time.
He was not stupid. He was just blinded by his success.
Now that he thought about it carefully, his rise was too unexpected, and those n.o.bles were too kind to him. It must be known that in the past, those merchants who were even stronger than him would bow and sc.r.a.pe before the n.o.ble.
But he actually became friends with those arrogant n.o.bles!
This was obviously not right.
Looking at Kant, Borg begged sorrowfully, “I know I’m wrong. Please let me be your merchant again. I finally understand that there is a conspiracy. Lord Kant, please, I really made a mistake!”
Even the old butler and personal butler next to him also understood. Their bodies trembled, and their faces were filled with misery.
There was nothing they could do.
They had indeed made a mistake.
However, when Ches.h.i.+re heard their pleas, his expression changed slightly, he bent down and said to Kant, “Lord Kant, these people are just lowly trashes. Please don’t believe them. Since they were able to betray you once, there will be a second time. And I am Princess Sofia’s old subordinate. There are even quite a number of old subordinates left in the Silver Platter Kingdom who are not doing well. I can definitely pull some strings for you and make them return to your side, restoring Princess Sofia’s glory back then.”
“Mm, not bad.” Kant nodded calmly. There was no superfluous expression on his face.
He did not say yes or no.
Instead, he placed his hand on his chin and rubbed it slightly, as if he was thinking.
The current situation was becoming more and more interesting. The East County was becoming more and more complicated.
The Crimson Sect’s development in the dark.
The quarrels between the n.o.ble families.
The infiltration of the Silver Platter Kingdom.
Of course.
Kant’s forces were also infiltrating.
Many forces were intertwined, and even Countess Agatha had become a top n.o.ble in name, but the actual commanding power had been divided among the various forces.
The Crimson Sect had developed and controlled most of the military power of Avilis Castle.
The various n.o.ble families with ulterior motives controlled most of the land.
There was also the Silver Platter Kingdom, which had already placed its hands on those n.o.ble families and began to use highly profitable commercial activities to draw them in and divide them.
The Borg Chamber of Commerce was a typical example.
They had become someone else’s chess piece.
“My aunt has been set up.” Kant couldn’t help but shake his head.
But thinking about it, there was nothing he could do. Countess Agatha, who once had a portion of the military power to support her, lost her power after losing the Gale Mercenary Group and the a.s.sault team.
The Gale Mercenary Group was an elite cavalry team. They were raised in the center of the North County and South County, as well as the East County.
If there was any situation, they could quickly rush back to support her.
Unfortunately, they were all wiped out by Kant including the a.s.sault team.
As long as they successfully controlled Baron Dylan’s Stone Pa.s.s, the table salt trade would fall into her hands.
A steady stream of silver coins would appear in her hands. Whether it was to rope in the n.o.ble families or to create a more elite army, she had the resources. Even if she hired a foreign mercenary group, it would be enough for her to completely control the East County.
However, she did not expect Kant’s strength to be so strong that he could ignore the Dukedom of Leo.
“But it doesn’t matter.”
Kant narrowed his eyes.
He did not have any interest in the regime.
If he really became a king, how to balance the n.o.ble families, feed the commoners, and develop the country would be a headache. After all, the real world was not as good as a city with the help of the system.
People’s thoughts were strange, and the so-called loyalty could change at any time. It was far inferior to the NPCs of the system.
Moreover, they were also living humans after coming to this world.
As long as they controlled the core, Kant would be in an invincible position. No matter how the forces in other parts of the world developed, they would eventually become Kant’s va.s.sals, more like layers of onion-like colonial systems!
“You guys continue to develop here.”
Kant smiled and looked at Borg and Ches.h.i.+re. “I won’t disturb you.”
“Lord Kant!”
Borg, who had been lying limply on the ground, suddenly raised his head as if he had found a straw to cry for help.
“I need you to serve me. It’s that simple. You can do whatever you want with the Silver Platter Kingdom. But in the end, you have to know that I want to seize the final fruit.” Kant knocked on the table and said faintly, “No matter what method you use.”
“Yes…” Borg and Ches.h.i.+re answered with difficulty.
In their hearts, Kant was still unable to compare to the Silver Platter Kingdom.
But Kant saw through their thoughts. “The old king of the Silver Platter Kingdom is about to pa.s.s away. As the eldest son of the first wife, he has always been weak and sickly. So, perhaps I still have the qualifications to inherit the throne.”
“Uh…”
Ches.h.i.+re’s eyes suddenly widened. “Indeed… Indeed!”
Borg looked at Kant in shock. As a merchant, he did not have the ability to come into contact with too many secrets.
Although he knew that Princess Sofia was the princess of the Silver Platter Kingdom, the law of inheritance for a n.o.ble was not something he could understand. Moreover, there would definitely be bloodshed in this.
“That’s what I meant.” Kant stood up.
He turned his head to look at the ten Sarrandian Hors.e.m.e.n beside him and ordered, “You guys can follow me back.”
“Yes!” the Sarrandian Hors.e.m.e.n immediately obeyed.
However, Kant glanced at the ten grand knights beside him and calmly said, “You guys stay here and protect Borg. His safety needs to be protected. Of course, there’s also Mr. Ches.h.i.+re. I don’t think the two of you will mind.”
In the end, he spoke to Borg and Ches.h.i.+re.
“I don’t mind!” the two of them didn’t dare to refuse.
It was obviously a type of surveillance. If they refused now, the consequences would be bad.
Kant didn’t need them to refuse either. These ten grand knights were enough to ma.s.sacre the firm’s powerful military force. After the ma.s.sacre, they probably wouldn’t even close the city gates. They would make the group of killers leave quickly and not dare to block the port.