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Chapter 89 Sacrificing the Pawn to Save the King (6k)

A border marquis might be considered a country bumpkin in the four border regions of the empire, but he's a big shot in the River Bend Province. Therefore, many River Bend nobles came to the investiture ceremony hoping to get to know this new scion of the Faher family.

The Fahre people are notoriously ugly, a fact known to almost everyone in the Land of Plenty. Many fathers even threaten their daughters who don't want to marry by saying, "I'll marry you off to a Fahre family," which has contributed to the overall marriage rate in the Reach Province.

However, Ryan Fahre was a handsome man.

Therefore, many nobles naturally believed that Rein was not the biological son of the old Marquis Fahel, and that the Fahel family was on the verge of extinction.

Such rumors did not affect the investiture ceremony, because the Grand Duke of Marorne knew very well that the old Marquis Fahel was not a kind-hearted old man and would never allow a child without Fahel blood to live in the name of Fahel until now.

Since the Grand Duke did not express his opinion on this matter, even if many nobles made such speculations, they could only keep their doubts to themselves.

At the banquet, Renn was chatting and laughing with the River Bend nobles who came to talk to him.

Although the Fahel family was almost completely wiped out, its overall military strength did not change much... Unfortunately, most of the Fahel people were completely useless, and their deaths only relieved the financial pressure on the Fahel family.

Therefore, the nobles of the fertile lands, especially those in the south, all exchanged a few words with Renn, the newly promoted military noble, which can be considered as expanding their social circles.

After the necessary social interactions were over, Ryan sat down to rest in a corner when he saw Martha walking over with a wine glass in her hand.

"How does it feel to be a rising star?" she asked jokingly.

“It’s alright,” Ryan said casually, then sighed, “Well, I’m getting a little tired of boring social interactions.”

“Me too,” Martha Malone said, covering her mouth with a laugh. “As the daughter of the Grand Duke, I’m always surrounded by River Reach nobles for all sorts of reasons, so I usually don’t attend events with a lot of people.”

“I am truly flattered, madam,” Ryan said, toasting her.

“Tell me, Renn,” Martha asked, taking a sip of her drink, “what did my father ask you about the association yesterday?”

“It seems that it’s because you claim to be an Amazon that he finds it strange and confusing, and since you refuse to communicate with him, he has no choice but to ask me for information.” Renn smiled slightly and said, “As your father, it’s only natural that the Grand Duke is concerned about you.”

Seeing that Martha looked somewhat annoyed, he cleverly changed the subject:
"However, if we set aside the noble status and position of the Grand Duke, he is just an old man who is almost sixty years old and a beneficiary of imperial hegemony. It is hard to expect him to understand this matter. The definition of Amazons is not purely based on blood ties, but rather refers to all the poor wretches who have long been oppressed by the empire."

“Oh my God,” Martha said, unable to contain her emotion. “I have truly never met a man who understands us Amazons better than you. You know, when I talk about this with other male nobles, they either look completely bewildered or just agree with me in a dull and uninteresting way. Sigh, sometimes it makes me wonder if there are any normal men left in this world…”

The two chatted casually, with Martha mostly complaining about how boring married life was for aristocratic ladies, and Ryan chiming in.

“To be honest, I envy you for being able to hold a court position in the capital,” Martha sighed sadly. “Women like me, born into noble families, may seem to have no worries about food and clothing, but in reality, we have no right to choose our own lives. We can’t escape marriage and having children, and we can’t avoid taking care of our families.”

“This is also the implicit oppression of imperial hegemony.” Renn immediately showed a sympathetic expression and said seriously, “The imperial people go out to fight for and enjoy the world, but use so-called marriage obligations to bind the Amazons, keeping them trapped in the prison called family day and night, living a boring life like slaves.”

“Absolutely right!” Martha exclaimed excitedly. “That’s exactly what I wanted to say! Well, I admit that my father does love me very much, but he was born a high and mighty duke and will never understand the plight of the Amazons. I don’t want to get married and have children, and I don’t want my life to be destined to be monotonous and boring from the moment I got engaged until the end of my life is predictable, but I have never had any choice in this regard.”

“Regardless of whether my ancestors had Amazonian blood, my situation is no different from that of the Amazons who were captured by the Empire in ancient times, which is why I call myself an Amazon.”

She started complaining again, saying that although her husband was handsome and rich, he was too controlling and wouldn't even allow her to wear riding breeches to ride a horse, saying, "That's not a lady's boorish activity."

When it came to the other person's family matters, Ryan didn't comment but simply listened quietly until Martha finally finished venting and was called away by her mother.

Raine slowly drank his wine. Not long after, he saw Claudius, the commander of the Nightshade Legion, also walking over with a wine glass in hand.

“Lord Pantoré,” Renn raised his glass in a gesture of greeting, “I never expected to see you here.”

“Haha, it’s not surprising at all,” Claudius said with a smile. “Our Nightshade Legion’s duty is to monitor all potential threats in the River Bend Province, and a newly promoted border marquis is clearly the biggest danger.”

“I am truly flattered, Your Excellency,” Renn said, clinking glasses with him.

“Tell me, Ryan,” Claudius said, taking a sip of his drink. “What did Martha Malone talk about with you so pleasantly just now?”

“Oh, it’s just some stuff related to the Amazon Association.” Ryan shrugged casually. “Don’t worry, it has nothing to do with the Malorne family.”

“I see.” Claudius nodded. “The Amazon Society, that’s the club Her Majesty the Queen established in the capital, right? The members all call themselves Amazons, and I’ve heard of their great reputation.”

“That’s right,” Raine said. “They are dedicated to fighting for the rights of all Amazons.”

Seeing Claudius's cold smile, Renn changed the subject and mocked:

"They are clearly genuine citizens of the Empire, yet they claim to be from an extinct savage tribe. Could there be anything more absurd and ridiculous? I really don't understand what these noble ladies are thinking."

“That’s what fools do,” Claudius said contemptuously. “These women enjoy private salons and parties only because our legions have always guarded this behemoth of an empire, keeping all the terrible dangers at bay. And now they’re destroying the very foundation upon which this empire was built… Do you understand what I mean, Renn?”

“Of course,” Raine said. “The foundation upon which the empire is built today is the civic culture of the capital.”

“That’s absolutely right,” Claudius said approvingly. “Who remembers that at the very beginning of the Second Empire, it was the 70,000-strong citizen army of the capital that conquered the four borders of the empire as we know it today?”

"Only when men actively defend their country and women settle down to marry and have children can our nation grow stronger and thrive. Look at the capital city now! Men don't work or join the army; they're just wasting their time voting. Women don't marry or have children; they've all become ridiculous 'Amazons'!"

"It seems the Nightshade Legion's recruitment efforts in the capital are not going very well," Raine chuckled.

“It’s more than just unsatisfactory,” Claudius chuckled. “In the past, the citizens of the capital were the best source of soldiers for the entire empire, but now we have to resort to recruiting new soldiers from the southern border.”

"Both His Majesties are incredibly wise; it's all the work of certain unscrupulous civil servants," Raine said pointedly.

"Of course, we, the Nightshade Legion, firmly support the wise leadership of the Royal Family," Claudius said coldly. "Those corrupt officials who deceive their superiors are the real culprits who destroyed the civic culture. Damn it, how did the Empire become like this? I think I'll have a few more drinks tonight."

“For the Empire,” Raine clinked glasses with him again, “and for both His Majesties.”

"For the Empire." Claudius downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, then turned to find the waiter to pour him more.

Renn smiled as he watched the slightly tipsy legion commander leave, when he suddenly heard Ellina's soft voice behind him:
"Which of the two completely opposite faces you show to Martha and Claudius is the real you?"

“Neither.” Renn lay comfortably on the soft chair. “Everyone can only see what’s in front of them. Martha is facing a boring married life, but she doesn’t dare to rebel against her father and husband, so she can only vent her resentment on the vague imperial hegemony; Claudius sees the core strength of the empire rapidly weakening, but he doesn’t dare to think about the real reasons for this situation, and can only blame the problem on the weakness and incompetence of the civil service system.”

"Neither of them came seeking help; they just wanted to vent their negative emotions. As a qualified listener, I naturally had to stand on the side of being able to empathize with them, but that doesn't mean that I actually felt the same way."

"So what are you really thinking deep down?" Ellina pressed quickly, her eyes sharpening.

“I don’t really care about any of that,” Renn said lazily, spreading his hands. “I’m not an Amazon, so I don’t care whether the Amazons are suffering or not; I’m not a Legion soldier, so I don’t care whether the central power of the Empire is gradually weakening. In the end, none of this will affect my core interests.”

"Besides, if the White Walkers were to reach the capital one day, both Amazons and Legion soldiers would just become the excrement of the White Walkers."

“A vulgar and disgusting metaphor.” Ellina frowned.

“As long as you understand what I mean,” Raine said slowly. “As long as it helps me fight the White Walkers, I don’t care what their side or stance is.”

“And what about me?” Ellina stared into his eyes. “Are you using the same methods to deceive me?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Ryan laughed. “You’re not worth it for me to do that.”

Ellina was taken aback at first, but quickly understood.

As a caged bird completely controlled by Raine, there is absolutely no possibility of betrayal, therefore Raine does not need to disguise himself to win her support.

Ellina couldn't describe the feeling in her heart. If it were her original self, she should have felt intense anger and humiliation, but she couldn't be sure if she had been subtly influenced by the caged bird. After learning that Rein hadn't lied to her, she felt a sense of relief instead.

After a moment of silence, she wanted to ask something more, but Renn put down his wine glass and stood up gracefully. It turned out that it was Grand Duke Marorne who had arrived.

The investiture ceremony officially began.

Under the watchful eyes of the Reach nobles, Renn knelt on one knee before Grand Duke Malorne and said in a deep voice:

“By virtue of the historical alliance between the Fahr and Marlohn families, Renn Fahr pledges his vassal’s allegiance to you.”

"Based on the historical alliance between the Marorne and Fachel families," the Grand Duke said in a deep voice, "as long as the Fachel people continue to guard the Upper Serpent Mountains, protecting the Fertile Lands and even the entire Reach Province from the invasion of the Savages, the Marorne people will forever recognize the Fachel people's rights over all areas south of the Fertile Lands." "Rain Fachel, I accept your allegiance."

He took the scepter and sword from the servant and solemnly handed them to Renn.

The former symbolizes rule, and the latter symbolizes force. When Raine takes over the scepter and sword, it means that he finally has the power to govern and conscript soldiers in the territory ruled by the Fahre family.

The Grand Duke helped him up and then draped the marquis's four-cornered banner over him, prompting the surrounding Reach nobles to cheer in response.

"Glory belongs to the land of the river bend!"

"Long live Marohne! Long live Fahre!"

Next came the toasting ceremony, where all the nobles present toasted Renn to express their friendship and best wishes to the newly ennobled marquis.

Rennes, of course, welcomed everyone. Before they had even had a few rounds of drinks, a messenger dressed in royal uniform suddenly burst into the hall.

A castle steward had appeared beside the Grand Duke of Malorne, whispering rapidly in his ear.

"The Emperor urgently summons you!" The royal messenger raised his banner and proclaimed, "The newly appointed Marquis Rein Fahre is hereby summoned to the capital to receive his royal investiture!"

The surrounding nobles immediately erupted in an uproar.

According to the traditional aristocratic system, vassals were only responsible to their direct lords, and the emperor had no right to interfere with the grand duke's appointment of his own vassals.

During Emperor Nerva's reign, an additional "approval of investiture" procedure was added. This meant that all vassals, after accepting their lord's appointment, had to travel to the capital to meet with the royal family and request approval. Of course, the vast majority of these were border marquises, as the royal family had no interest in receiving minor nobles below the rank of count.

This also means that if the royal family does not approve of the Grand Duke's appointment, they can interfere by "refusing to approve" it. Although it has no real impact on the fact of the investiture, it will be a great blow to the vassal's reputation. After all, all the nobles will know that this guy has offended the royal family, and his enemies will be able to use this as a pretext to target him.

However, the attitude the royal family is now displaying is as if they are competing with the Grand Duke for Rennes. The investiture ceremony in the Reach was not even completely over when they hurriedly summoned him to the capital for another investiture, which is practically saying, "Young man, don't stay in the Reach, the capital is where you should be."

Grand Duke Malorne remained expressionless. He knew, of course, that the election season in the capital was fast approaching, but he was still quite surprised that the royal family was so eager to summon Renn. Did the royal family have no one else who absolutely needed Renn?

Renn was still holding the authority and sword bestowed by the Grand Duke in his arms, and was draped in the banner symbolizing an earl. He also took the letter handed to him by the royal messenger and began to read it.

He then apologized to the Grand Duke and the Reach nobles present, as he had to rush to the capital to take up his post as soon as possible.

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It was a great honor for a nobleman to be summoned by the royal family to serve as an official in the palace, because it meant that he was favored by the emperor and would have many opportunities for promotion in the future.

Of course, this only applies to nobles within the four borders of the empire.

Nobles in border provinces face a more awkward situation. Since their territories are ultimately located in border provinces, if they choose to develop their careers in the capital, problems inevitably arise in managing their territories.

For example, if a husband works in another city all year round and cannot come home, he may find that his child does not look much like him in many ways when he goes back.

This time, Raine did not intend to leave Dia in Searock City, because managing the entire Faher family was beyond her capabilities.

He calculated the time and figured that Darryl, from the trading fleet, would be returning soon. So he wrote a letter to the raven of High Rock, authorizing his uncle Darryl to reside in Gullburg and act as lord.

You don't need to do anything else, just focus on smuggling.

Raine, accompanied by his maid Dia and three elves who couldn't stay away from him for long, once again embarked on a journey to the capital.

Entering the southern border of the empire from the Riverlands, one can immediately sense a distinct change in the atmosphere among the people. Caravans coming and going, their wagons and horse-drawn coats all bearing the candidates' information, urging everyone to vote for them.

As one of the four border regions, the nobles in the southern part of the empire are different from those in the border provinces. Due to the repeated manipulation of the nobles in the four border regions by successive emperors, they have effectively lost power over the territories inherited from their ancestors. Whether it is administration, justice, taxation, or military affairs, there are corresponding local civil servants responsible for handling these matters. The nobles in the four border regions can only receive a certain amount of income and dividends each year, and can do nothing else.

To regain power, nobles had to find a way to enter the local council and become a local councilor who wielded power—which is why election ads were everywhere.

Of course, besides advertising and propaganda, there was also the Empire's characteristic lobbying and bribery. For example, at the entrance of the post station on the Imperial Avenue, several people had appeared out of nowhere, offering free well water drawn from behind the post station to passersby, shouting, "Please vote for Baron Polva! Please vote for Baron Polva, thank you for your vote!"

Hiring these people doesn't cost much, but it's very effective at winning the favor of passersby, which is a unique feature of this region.

Raine and his men did not stop in any city in the southern region, but instead rode straight to the capital.

Compared to my last visit, the capital city during election season has undergone a complete transformation. Before even reaching the vicinity of the Five Bridges, I saw people setting up stalls along the roadside to distribute free white porridge.

Passersby can see a smiling half-length portrait of a councilor candidate printed on the bottom of the bowl after finishing their congee, along with two large words:
Choose him!

At the Nerva Bridge, countless men in golden robes stood in imposing formation, led by Mager and others, their postures straight and expressions resolute as they welcomed Commander Rein's arrival.

"loyalty!!!!"

The heart-wrenching yet perfectly synchronized shouts drew the attention of all the tourists around them.

Renn quickly dismounted and approached the men in golden robes, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at each of the fine young men's faces. Finally, he choked up and said:
"I'm back. Thanks for all the hard work, brothers."

"It wasn't hard work at all," the captains chimed in. "Commander, we really missed you!"

"With you in charge in the capital, the brothers have a pillar of support and no longer have to worry about anything!"

"I would give my heart to the commander!"

The men in golden robes escorted Renn across the Nerva Bridge, through the city gates, and all the way to the military camp, like a victorious general returning home.

Following the others, Dia couldn't help but sigh:

"I never imagined that Rennes would have such a high reputation here, it's almost like..."

It was just like I was among the lizardmen. Of course, she didn't dare say the second half of that.

When Ryan entered the commander's office, he saw that all the furniture had been replaced. It was clear that the captains had removed all traces left by the previous commander, Raylo Dacros, and recreated the layout of Ryan's office from memory. Even the placement of the quill pen and ink bottle was in his favorite and most comfortable spot.

"You're very kind," Ryan nodded with satisfaction. "Tell me, what happened?"

The captains looked at each other, and it was Mager who spoke up:
"We shouldn't trouble Your Excellency the Commander, but we have indeed encountered a problem recently, and the relevant documents are all here."

Ryan took the document and began to read it carefully.

The document system, established during Rein's tenure as commander, required captains to record their daily patrol activities and archive them for future reference. Otherwise, if another serial murder case were to occur in the South District, it would be extremely unprofessional to not even know what the magic array at the scene looked like.

The problem troubling the captains was this: about a week ago, a thief was caught stealing from a store in the West End. The store owner took him out onto the street and summoned the Gold Robe patrolman.

According to imperial law, theft can only be convicted when the perpetrator is caught red-handed. So the Golden Robe searched her and found the stolen goods from the shop in her arms, thus confirming her guilt. She was then imprisoned in the military camp jail to await trial and prosecution in court.

Then the problem arose because the thief was a registered member of the Amazon Association, which claimed that the man in the golden robe had made indecent advances towards the member during the search and demanded that the man in the golden robe also be prosecuted.

The golden-robed men will certainly deny it. If I'm going to search you, of course I'll touch your body; how does that make me guilty? In previous years, we've always searched suspected thieves directly. Why can't we search you Amazons?
This matter caused quite a stir, and through the Amazon Association's network of contacts, it quickly spread among the aristocratic circles of the capital.

The general opinion among the nobles was quite simple: since the thief was a lady, they should have a woman search her. The thief couldn't escape the charge of theft, and the official in the golden robes responsible for the search would also be held accountable; both sides would be equally punished.

"Are we going to have to bring a woman with us on patrol from now on?" the captains shouted all at once. "This is clearly a deliberate provocation!"

After a moment's thought, Ryan gave a slight, disdainful smile.

It seems someone knows I'm coming back as commander and is deliberately trying to sabotage me!
Supporting the Gold Robes would offend Her Majesty the Queen behind the Amazon Society; but severely punishing the Gold Robes would undoubtedly discourage my brothers who support me.

Good plan, this is forcing me to sacrifice a pawn to save the king.

You dare to scheme against me, Ryan Fahre? I'll find you and kill you.

(End of this chapter)