Chapter 227: Hmm, Let’s Talk About Morality Later

Clair Bretagne had little trouble subduing the Mostar Castle Knight Order.

Whether it was the Blood Knight Diak, the Green Knight Enzo, or the third captain, after a round of discussions, they all pledged their full support to him in the campaign against the South Seraph territory.

In order to win over the Mostar Castle Knight Order, Clair still allowed them to remain in command of their own group.

Clair was arguably one of the brightest talents of the younger generation in the Fars Empire. Charlot Mecklenburg was not surprised at all that he could handle the Mostar Castle Knight Order with ease.

However, Charlot, after careful consideration, gave this officer a special suggestion: divide the Mostar Castle Knight Order into three, select the best soldiers, and integrate them into the Purple Finch Knight Order, while having Blood Knight Diak and the others recruit new forces to fill the vacancies.

Clair accepted this suggestion. As a result, the Blood Knight Diak, Green Knight Enzo, and the third captain each established their own knight orders, while a group of strong soldiers were transferred into the Purple Finch Knight Order and the Maple Leaf Knight Order.

Viscount Branton’s Purple Finch Knight Order was among the strongest forces on the continent, even more formidable than the private knight orders of many counts.

Julius Axel gave this knight order to Clair Bretagne for many reasons. It was intended to reduce the number of unruly great nobles in the empire and replace them with loyal commanders.

The Purple Finch Knight Order had fought battles so brutal that even their captain had perished, leaving the order with severe casualties and an urgent need for reinforcements.

As for Clair supplementing the Maple Leaf Knight Order, it was because he had personally founded it, holding a special sentiment for this group.

After the division, the Mostar Castle Knight Order ceased to exist, a development that worked greatly to Clair Bretagne’s advantage.

The three captains each gained their own knight orders, which left them quite satisfied. Although Clair took some of their strongest soldiers, the right to recruit more was a substantial gain. During this period, it was relatively easy to gather scattered and defeated soldiers, making recruitment less of a challenge.

After acquiring the Mostar Castle Knight Order, Clair showed less interest in the remaining two knight orders. Both had fought so fiercely that they were reduced to less than 500 soldiers each, mere remnants of their former strength.

Clair stayed in Mostar Castle for seven days, conducting a simple reorganization of his knight orders before deciding to personally lead the Purple Finch, Maple Leaf, and the newly formed knight orders in a surprise attack on the South Seraph territory. He left Charlot Mecklenburg and Anastasia in Behemoth, assigning Charlot a specific task to gather the other two knight orders.

Though Clair did not state it outright, Charlot suspected he had received recommendations about himself from Blood Knight Diak and Green Knight Enzo.

Clearly, Clair had accepted these suggestions.

To be honest, Charlot had no interest in the war in the South Seraph territory.

Being left behind was a relief for him.

Clair’s departure was well-organized and methodical.

Before leaving Mostar Castle, Clair said to Charlot, “Among this group, only Ebner and you are people I truly trust. Ebner will accompany me to the battlefield, so the rear is entrusted to you.”

“Our strategic goal is not to capture the South Seraph territory but to create a stalemate, drawing the Ferranden army’s attention. A stable rear is essential for that.”

“Don’t disappoint me. We’re in this together.”

Charlot smiled slightly and replied, “I will guard the rear for you.”

“You can trust me at any time.”
“You know I’ve always wanted to be part of the Bretagne family.”

Clair Bretagne smiled. His trust in Charlot was rooted in that sentiment; there was no stronger political alliance than marriage. Moreover, the Bretagne family had much to offer Charlot.

Both publicly and privately, Charlot would not betray him.

Beyond interests, Clair admired Charlot as an excellent commander and a good friend—capable, morally upright, and of strong character.

Hmm, morality was a topic for another day.

After seeing Clair off, Charlot returned to Mostar Castle, only to find a message from his diary: Charlot Mecklenburg has obtained temporary dominion over Mostar Castle, fulfilling the conditions for constructing the sixth labyrinth. Mostar Castle will soon be labyrinthified. Please complete eighteen rounds of taxation. During this period, you may not leave this location.

Charlot was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected the Labyrinth of Agmirlas to present such a condition this time.

Perhaps for those in the Old Continent, this was an extraordinarily challenging task—tax collection had always been a significant headache for feudal rulers.

But for someone familiar with the exploitative taxation of post-feudal societies, Charlot had a completely different perspective on burdensome taxes.

Upon returning to Mostar Castle, Charlot convened all the local nobles of the city to discuss the disposition of the duchy’s estate.

With the deaths of two successive dukes, the nobles of Behemoth Principality, though unwilling to accept it, understood that the principality would likely never see another duke. Everyone coveted the inheritance left behind after the principality’s decline.

The ducal mansion was the most luxurious residence in Mostar Castle. For the nobles who valued opulence and indulgence, nothing represented status more than this mansion.

However, no one had previously had the authority to override the opposition of others.

While Clair Bretagne had the status, he belonged to the Bretagne family and maintained a certain level of decorum. He had refrained from handling the matter directly.

As soon as Clair left, Charlot called the nobles together to discuss the estate, subtly signaling that he was acting “under orders” to handle the duchy’s inheritance.

Although Charlot grew up in the Behemoth Principality, his family was based in Seagull City, the third-largest city in the principality, located by the sea. He had studied in Mostar Castle for a few years, attending Leman Academy and the Behemoth National Academy—both located in the city.

Charlot considered himself relatively familiar with Mostar Castle, but even he hadn’t realized how many nobles lived there. Nobles ranked 37th and above were considered lower-tier, while those ranked 24th and above belonged to the unreachable class. Mostar Castle housed over 500 lower-tier nobles and dozens in the unreachable class.

This was, of course, not all. Some nobles from Mostar Castle had fled to Strasbourg or other places, fearing the war.

Nor did this represent the entirety of the Behemoth Principality—these were only the local nobles of Mostar Castle.

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