NOVEL WEB Chapter 203: Side (2)
The leader of this meeting, Chieftain Verta Istvan of the Istvan Tribe, was deep in thought.
“Damn, it was almost like a loaf of bread, nearly baked. Why on earth did that damned Khan Slayer come as the commander of the Northern Army? Ah, damn it all. I don’t know about the others, but that guy is dangerous.”
It just so happened that they received news and a letter that General Yaeger had arrived, while 60 chieftains were gathered for a meeting.
In front of the chieftains, who were murmuring in surprise, he replied, trying his best to appear unfazed.
“Let’s see what the letter says first. We need to know that before we can decide what to do, right?”
“That’s right.”
Saying so, one of the chieftains began to read the letter that had been handed over by a messenger.
“I am General Peter Yaeger, newly appointed as the commander of the Northern Army. The reason for this letter is none other than to inform you that, having been appointed to this position, I will officially hold my inauguration ceremony next week. I would like you all to come and grace the occasion.”
Even though the letter was still being read, all the chieftains started murmuring again, surprised and tense.
“You have to stretch your legs depending on who you’re up against. With any other commander of the Northern Army, we could have backstabbed them and won once or twice. But General Peter Yaeger? Even that bastard Ludwig was no match for him…”
“We just won’t make it. We should be bowing our heads and even licking their feet, acting cute if we have to. Otherwise, we’re as good as dead.”
Meanwhile, Chieftain Istvan lamented the fact that it was Peter Yaeger, of all people, who had been appointed as the new commander at this time.
‘If I lead these bastards to surrender, I’ve already been promised to be made a count of Stockholm in recognition of my power. I can’t let this opportunity go to waste because of that Yaeger bastard.’
Thus, Istvan started to ponder hard on how to switch all 60 tribes present here to Stockholm.
“Also, Anastasia Kerzhit, the chieftain of the White Wolf Tribe and a lieutenant colonel in the Empire’s army, will be attending. She has always maintained a close relationship with you and would like to see you there, so please do come. I will ensure you are treated with the utmost hospitality.”
Having read up to this point, the chieftain reading the letter sighed and quietly set it down.
“The Empire seems quite determined, Chieftain Istvan. What do you plan to do? Honestly, starting with Chieftain Kerzhit, the Empire has provided us with a lot. Thanks to the Empire’s aid, not a single one of our tribespeople starved last winter or this winter. Moreover, next year, my son will receive the benefit of attending the Academy, which is a gateway to becoming a noble of the Reich Empire.”
He didn’t continue further, but everyone present understood the unspoken message from the chieftain who read the letter.
“We 60 would follow you to Stockholm because they offer more generous aid and treatment than what the Empire provides now. But what’s the use if we end up dead?”
For Istvan, this letter also meant the following…
‘If you and the chieftains involved with you come to your senses and return, General Yaeger warns that he will specially forgive the other chieftains except for the instigator, Chieftain Istvan.’
For Istvan, who had gone through countless tumults, this kind of threat felt as natural as eating bread or soup in the morning.
But if the person making this threat was the commander of the Northern Army, especially General Peter Yaeger, who had personally slain the Khan?
Of course, it sent shivers down his spine and made him tremble.
However, Istvan knew well that even pretending to remain calm in such a situation would somewhat increase his chances of survival.
“Yes, the Empire has indeed done a lot for us. Just as you said. Honestly, if asked, I’d be willing to bow three times a day to where Peter Yaeger is. If it weren’t for that man, both you and I would have ended up as meat shields in a fortress on the border of the Stockholm Kingdom or the Swedia Kingdom, or frozen to death in the snow, embracing our tribespeople.”
“He’s come back, hasn’t he? And for this northern region, at that.”
“But let me ask you, or rather, all of you here. Since when have we ever cared so much about loyalty? And even if your child gets admitted to the Academy, let’s not talk about General Yaeger. I mean, that man’s career progression is overwhelmingly faster than even the most talented officers from collateral royal families in the Empire. Do you think your child will be treated equally to the offspring of nobles who have had knight titles in the Empire from the beginning? I don’t think so, Chieftain Kinga.”
Kinga had no rebuttal to that.
“If there’s anything similar between us, the Northern nomads, and the Empire, it’s that one must make military achievements to rise. So, to prevent our tribespeople from being discriminated against, they need to join the army. But let me ask you, Kinga. Why can’t our young tribal men even easily join the army? To speak bluntly, aren’t only those who followed that woman, Kerzhit, and abandoned their territories frowned upon?”
“…Damn. Isn’t it because our tribespeople, as citizens of the Empire, still don’t understand Empire culture well?”
“No, if that were the case, they should honestly be allowed to serve in the Northern Army at least. Don’t you still get it, Kinga? We are being discriminated against. So, while we are grateful to General Peter Yaeger for killing the Khan, to live with better and proper treatment, we need to shift to the Stockholm Kingdom.”
Istvan realized.
The conversation’s momentum and atmosphere were starting to shift in his favor.
Having gauged the atmosphere, he handed out the documents he had received a few days ago from a major of the Stockholm Kingdom, promising titles and lands to everyone except himself.
The chieftains first saw the seal of the Stockholm King, which they had seen occasionally, and could not hide their curiosity.
They eagerly opened and read the documents that needed to be carefully opened.
“This is unbelievable—a document officially granting us knight titles.”
“That’s not all. The document also states that more land will be distributed to us based on our achievements after conquering the North.”
“It’s written here that we will be treated with respect as nobles of the Stockholm Kingdom. This document seems genuine.”
To convince the still doubtful poor souls, Istvan pointed to a pile of boxes covered with cloth, saying,
“Think about it. Honestly, the Empire just barely keeps us alive since we surrendered on our own, giving us the crumbs of bread. But think about it. From the perspective of His Majesty, the King of Stockholm, we are meritorious servants who have offered up the territory of the Reich Empire. So, we will enjoy greater influence, power, and wealth than when we were part of the Empire.”
As he finished speaking, a few chieftains lifted the cloth covering.
Inside the cloth, there were about 60 boxes, each about 40cm in length and width, filled with gold and silver coins.
Although the exact contents couldn’t be verified, each box contained about 1,000 gold coins.
This amount was enough for the minimum annual living expenses of about 1,000 peasant households.
For the chieftains of the North, who were much poorer compared to other regions of the Empire, it was an astoundingly large sum of money that could paralyze their reasoning.
“A few days ago, we received this through Colonel Karphelen, who came from Stockholm. It was directly bestowed by His Majesty, the King of Stockholm. We’ve only expressed our intent to surrender, and yet we were given such a generous reward. Can you imagine what the reward would be like when we offered up our tribes and land to the King of Stockholm by striking the Empire at the right moment?”
While nobles in the Empire or other countries could not easily switch allegiances, the Northern nomadic tribes were always willing to move if it seemed profitable.
Because if things went wrong, they could just ride away on their horses, a tradition that had been established for a long time, so even now, as citizens of the Reich Empire, their mindset hadn’t changed much.
Moreover, Istvan hadn’t told the other chieftains, but there was also a plan to immediately ally with the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and the Stockholm Kingdom as soon as he betrayed the Empire with those 60 chieftains.
“So, you all decide for yourselves. If you plan to come with me, don’t go to the inauguration ceremony called by General Yaeger. If you’re going to shake your tails like cowards at the Empire, then get lost. Think it over well by tomorrow.”
Istvan, for one, wished he could kill right there and then the chieftains who intended to oppose him.
‘If I did such a foolish thing, the others who intend to join me might get scared and leave. This is probably for the best.’
Leaving the assembly place, he muttered to himself, looking up at the sky.
“Damn, the number of those 60 who stay will determine the size of my power. If I could take all 60 Northern tribes, I would be able to exert significant political influence in the Stockholm Kingdom. I wonder how many will leave me…”
Fortunately for him, the next day, only about 20 tribes, a third of the total, had defected from Istvan to the Empire.