Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~ - Chapter 137

Chapter 137   Viscount Leah’s Rebellion

In the year 569 of the Unified Calendar, in May—

The Kingdom of Owen, ruled by King Clock, had been engaging in repeated military actions against Duke Chad’s forces, aiming to reclaim the Ferguson region.

As a result, the royal treasury was in dire straits.

Heavy taxes, including temporary levies, were imposed on the nobles and common people under the kingdom’s rule.

“Chancellor, couldn’t we ease the burden on everyone a little?”

“Your Majesty, if we tolerate the independence of the Ferguson region, rebellions may spread to other areas as well. For the dignity of the royal court, we must quickly subdue Duke Chad.”

“Hmm…”

However, despite Chancellor Sauer’s insistence on taking a hardline stance against the Ferguson region, the nobles governing the regions repeatedly petitioned the king.

“Your Majesty, there is nothing for you to worry about. Please sit comfortably on your throne and watch your subjects at work.”

“Is that so? Then, I will leave it to your good judgment, Chancellor.”

“Understood, sire.”

It was Chancellor Sauer, not the king, who primarily decided royal policies.

However, some of the young nobles who had once been part of the Clock faction began to oppose this dictatorship.

As a ruler, traitors had to be dealt with harshly.

Yet, Duke Chad was supported by the trading nation of Garland, making him a difficult opponent to defeat.

◇◇◇◇◇

In mid-June of the year 569 of the Unified Calendar—

This year, the growth of Ishtar wheat was poor, and crop failures were expected in many regions.

“I have a report! Viscount Leah has rebelled!”

“What!?”

“Is that true!?”

The civil officials were unanimously shocked by the sudden report brought by a royal messenger.

To begin with, Viscount Leah’s territory was near the royal capital of Shampur, and more importantly, the Leah family was blood-related to the royal family, the Clock family.

“Immediately issue a suppression order to General Alcock!”

“Yes, sire!”

Though the rebellion was suppressed within ten days, it was an incident that shook the governance of the Owen Alliance Kingdom to its core.

From that point on, reports of small rebellions began arriving at the royal palace every three days, and King Clock’s rule started to show serious cracks in various places.

◇◇◇◇◇

At the same time—

In the Owen Grand Duchy, at the residence of Duchess Ril.

“Your Grace, a messenger has arrived from Viscount Leah.”

“Let him in politely!”

“Yes.”

The visitor was the eldest son of Viscount Leah. This indicated that the news he brought was significant.

“…So, what is the matter?”

“First, I would like to ask for privacy.”

“I see. Everyone, please leave.”

As Ril spoke, the maidens exited the room.

“This should be sufficient.”

“Yes, in fact, my father aims to overthrow the royal family. If that succeeds, we would like Your Grace to become Queen once again.”

“So, you ask for my assistance?”

“…Yes, I would like to request it as soon as possible.”

“Wait a bit longer; I think the timing is too early.”

“Regrettably, due to repeated military duties, my family’s finances are on the brink of collapse. It is the same as death for a noble house like mine to bow to merchants. I wish to die with honor intact.”

“I understand, but wait a little longer.”

Though Ril advised him to wait, the viscount’s eldest son angrily returned home.

“Your Grace, I believe this is a good time to act…”

An elderly butler whispered this to Ril.

“I am waiting for that man to return.”

“Are you referring to Lord Reister? Certainly, if he were here, it would be like giving a demon a metal rod in battle. However, I have heard that he has passed away…”

“Indeed, he was turned to ashes before my eyes. But a magnificent golden dragon, which I have never seen, took that ash and cradled it carefully. He will surely return.”

“…Is that so?”

The elderly butler said this and exited the room.

The golden dragon is a legendary creature that rarely appears before humans. Therefore, while Ril’s statement had some merit, it was hard for the elderly butler, who had not witnessed the event, to believe it.

…Without Lord Reister, a rebellion cannot be launched. This is because, without him, it is uncertain whether the Rillburn Duke House will side with us.

If they side with the royal family, their defeat would be inevitable. For the survival of House Owen, we cannot take such a gamble.

During this time—

The royal family’s security forces faced a shortage of funds, halting the dispatch of soldiers to patrol the local villages. Hearing this, bandits began to run rampant. Moreover, the number of commoners turning to banditry and thievery also increased.

As a result, the security of the Owen Alliance Kingdom deteriorated significantly. Supply wagons were attacked one after another on the highways, causing a stagnation in the logistics of essential goods. Consequently, prices soared, leading to cries of discontent from the people.

“Down with the king!”
“Let us crown a new king!”

It was Viscount Leah who responded to such voices from the commoners. However, while he was a well-known cultural figure, he lacked martial prowess and was brutally defeated by the royal army led by Alcock. His territory was confiscated, resulting in the extinction of a long-standing noble house.

“What should we do?”

Io also lacked martial talent. The old officials, who were the mainstream faction in military affairs, advised Io to observe the situation and take no sides. Consequently, the Rillburn Duke House was not in a position to take military action either.