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Chapter 59 New Era of Pioneering

Marquis Woodrock smiled knowingly, as though already privy to the royal court's plans.

"Perhaps they'll be granted one of the newly designated frontier lands instead," he suggested, his tone brimming with confidence.

Understanding dawned on Charles, and he nodded. A mixture of emotions flitted across his face—though jealousy and apprehension remained, the prospect of House Crassus being assigned a distant, undeveloped territory offered some consolation.

"Ah, that makes sense," Charles said, his tone noticeably lighter.

"Besides, that region has been rife with conflict with the Pamir Empire. Assigning it to a capable leader would be a logical choice," he added, his voice now carrying a note of approval.

"Still, that sounds more like a punishment than a reward. Ha! Not that I'm complaining—fewer competitors for me," Charles quipped with a laugh, masking his mixed feelings of pity and relief at House Crassus's predicament.

Marquis Woodrock chuckled in agreement.

"House Crassus is a rising noble family with little influence in the central court," Charles remarked. "It seems their significant gains from the Crowley territory have irritated the two viscounts. They probably think House Crassus stole what should have been theirs."

Marquis Woodrock nodded in agreement.

"That's likely. The viscounts have strong ties to the central court, so they won't tolerate House Crassus gaining more power. However, with a title promotion and a territory several times larger than their current holdings, they can't outright oppose it."

The viscounts, as long-established noble houses deeply entrenched in central politics, viewed the success of the emerging House Crassus with jealousy and suspicion. Fearing that their influence and power might be diminished, they were likely planning ways to undermine Crassus's growth.

"Those two viscounts are always shrewd political players," Charles continued.

"They won't sit idly by while House Crassus strengthens its position. They'll undoubtedly take measures to curb their influence, whether by applying political pressure through their central connections or by stirring unrest within Crassus's new territory."

The Marquis nodded, his expression grim.

"Indeed. The viscount houses will do whatever it takes to protect their interests. They won't stand by and let Baron Crassus rise to the rank of viscount and wield even greater power."

Charles, too, reflected on the viscounts' complex political maneuvers.

"In the end, this is all about the struggle for power and influence. House Crassus may grow stronger from this opportunity, but they'll face considerable challenges along the way," he said.

Tension hung heavy in the room. Marquis Woodrock, wary of northeastern nobles gaining too much authority, and Charles, uneasy about the rise of new powers, both pondered their next moves.

"Well, at least we can breathe a little easier," the Marquis said finally, breaking the silence. "If they're sent to the frontier, it'll be less of a headache for us. Ha!"

The two men shared a laugh, their earlier tension easing as the room's atmosphere lightened. The elegant study returned to its usual tranquil state.

The next morning, a royal messenger arrived at Crassus Manor.

The morning sunlight gleamed off the high towers of the estate, and the fresh spring breeze swept over the castle walls.

Michael and Baron Crassus stood by the castle gates, awaiting the messenger.

As the gates opened, the royal courier entered, bearing a scroll embossed with the ornate seal of the royal palace.

The atmosphere within the castle grew tense. Servants and guards paused their work to watch the courier, curiosity etched on their faces.

The baron and Michael greeted the messenger and escorted him to the great hall.

With a bow, the courier began to speak.

"Baron Crassus, Sir Michael, I bring an important decree from His Majesty, King Charles V."

Baron Crassus accepted the scroll, broke the seal, and unrolled the parchment. All eyes in the room were fixed on his hands.

Taking a deep breath, the baron read the decree aloud:

"By the order of Charles V, rightful and just king of the Kingdom of Lania, Baron Crassus is hereby elevated to the rank of viscount and tasked with pioneering a new territory in the northern frontier."

A heavy silence descended on the hall.

Then, murmurs began to spread among the assembled retainers, their hushed voices growing louder as the implications sank in. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

"This makes no sense!" one retainer hissed, his face flushed with anger.

"They want us to abandon our current land and move to the frontier? What kind of decree is this?"

Another clenched his fists, his voice trembling with unease.

"Why would the king disregard us and make such a decision?"

As the murmurs turned into a clamor, indignation and fear filled the room.

"This is absurd! Pioneering the frontier is dangerous!" a retainer shouted. His eyes burned with both dread and fury.

"Leave a stable territory to settle in some uncharted wilderness? The title promotion is just sugarcoating—they're trying to rein us in!"

The growing uproar began to unsettle the royal messenger. Sensing the tension, Baron Crassus raised his hand, his voice cutting through the noise.

"Enough! Quiet down!"

The baron's firm tone brought a measure of calm.

"Listen. This isn't all bad news. The new territory we've been granted is five times the size of our current lands. True, it's on the frontier, but with effort and cultivation, it could far surpass what we have now. Haven't we already dealt with constant friction from neighboring lords here?"

His voice carried both authority and reason, momentarily soothing the crowd.

Michael stepped forward to support his father.

"From my perspective, our current territory has little room for further development," Michael began.

"As you know, our barony was once part of a larger earldom, divided among five barons. The boundaries are too tightly packed, and the covenant made during the division prevents us from expanding further. Isn't that correct?"

Several retainers nodded reluctantly, acknowledging the truth in Michael's words.

He paused, giving them time to absorb his argument.

While the new territory promised many dangers and challenges, it also held the potential for growth and prosperity. Considering the ongoing disputes over boundaries with neighboring lords, starting fresh in an unclaimed land might be a wiser course.