Ch.192Central Authority (2)

“…Is this for real?”

Private soldiers have been the qualification and foundation of lords since before the position of king even existed.

And now, as a reward for loyalty, I’m supposed to give up all my private soldiers? Is this seriously what’s being asked?

It’s certainly understandable that the king would be upset that the nobles here did nothing during the height of the rebellion.

However, according to feudal contract, vassals have no obligation to participate in suppressing rebellions against their lord.

If vassals do participate in suppressing a rebellion, the king should be grateful rather than taking it for granted. And the king shouldn’t harbor resentment if vassals don’t participate in suppressing rebellions.

Yet, the king is harboring resentment.

‘There are two main possibilities.’

Either he truly intends to swallow up our private armies, or he’s making an extreme demand first to negotiate for what he really wants.

The latter would be somewhat better, but still not normal.

It’s madness to use private soldiers—the very foundation of lordship—as bargaining chips in negotiations.

I’m fortunate to be participating here as an outsider. If I were one of those nobles, I would be absolutely furious.

“We have endured numerous wars, both internal and external. While external wars may have been unavoidable due to circumstances, having to face internal wars has been… most disappointing.”

“…”

It seems… it’s the former.

I haven’t interacted much with the king on a personal level, so I couldn’t read his expression, but his words were filled with nothing but sincerity.

“Since my ascension as Duke of Burgundy, I’ve faced rebellions from blood relatives blinded by greed, from those who insulted me while disrespecting my mother, from those blinded by immediate gain, and… recently, from those who received kindness with hostility. I wondered, why do such things happen?”

“That is—!”

“Because nobles have the option to resort to force when it suits them.”

Some noble tried to interrupt, sensing what was coming next and attempting to stop the king, but the king ignored him and continued speaking.

When the king first mentioned prohibiting private armies, everyone sensed what was coming and the atmosphere turned cold. But now it’s no longer just cold.

The event has already happened.

The cold atmosphere has rapidly grown heavy, crushing all the nobles in the hall.

“…So, you wish to take away our military power?”

“Take away? That’s misleading. Nobles have private armies because previous kings granted permission for it, isn’t that so? Rather than taking away… yes, it would be more accurate to say I’m reclaiming what was lent.”

…This won’t work. There’s absolutely no reasoning with him.

The king is speaking with complete sincerity, without a trace of falsehood.

To claim that the soldiers belonging to nobles were originally the king’s—the fundamental concept is completely wrong.

“Rest assured, you won’t lose your territories even without private armies.”

How could anyone believe that?

Military force is the last bastion against royal tyranny. Taking it away means eliminating any means to resist tyranny.

The administrative rights of vassals have already been encroached upon, and if they lose military power as well, the nobles will have absolutely nothing left. They’ll literally become mere landowners with large estates.

The nobility, dignity, and honor they enjoyed as aristocrats will vanish in an instant.

“This is absurd! How can you repay our loyalty in remaining neutral during the rebellion like this?!”

“This is tyranny!”

“Private armies are the foundation of a lord’s independence—taking them away is tantamount to breaking the feudal contract!”

‘…All hell is breaking loose.’

Until just moments ago, Lotharing’s nobles had been restraining their emotions to assess the situation, but now that the king’s ambition has been revealed, that’s no longer the case.

About half the nobles are openly displaying their anger before the king, looking ready to take immediate action, while the other half are visibly scowling, silently pressuring the king.

This situation is getting unexpectedly bigger—

*Creeeeak*

“What’s happening?”

“…!”

Just then, the banquet hall door behind the king suddenly opened, and someone in full military attire poked their head through.

Simon.

The king’s sword who commanded the suppression of the rebels.

I thought it strange that he wasn’t present at the banquet, given that even lower nobles were required to attend… Haha, so he was busy with other matters.

‘…This is insane.’

Now I understand why they intimidated and intrigued the nobles to attend the banquet.

It was to completely block any escape route and strangle them.

“Ah… it’s nothing, just a minor disturbance.”

“…Is that so? I apologize for the intrusion, Your Majesty.”

Simon, with narrowed eyes, scanned the nobles in the hall before politely closing the door and leaving.

…How considerate of him, making sure to drive the point home in case anyone might misunderstand.

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“What is it?”

The nobles who were just moments ago expressing their outrage and condemning the king are no longer doing so.

Literally, because their lives are in danger.

If any other monarch had done this, the nobles would have loudly protested about being intimidated, but as everyone knows, His Majesty has not the slightest hesitation about killing nobles.

If the nobles were to loudly protest that they’re being intimidated, His Majesty would simply nod in agreement and put a knife to their throats.

One cannot lie down and invite someone to cut open their belly when facing someone who would truly do it.

“…Do you really need to go this far?”

“That’s… right, without an army, won’t we be exposed to threats from neighboring lords?”

“Indeed, we have our own vassals, and without an army, it would be impossible to manage them.”

The nobles who just moments ago seemed ready for a life-or-death confrontation have noticeably become more courteous.

‘…This isn’t good.’

This isn’t resolution of discontent—it’s forcing courtesy upon the nobles through fear and force.

Courtesy born of fear and force is far more dangerous than simple rudeness.

The former doesn’t breed resentment, but the latter creates grudges through humiliation.

They may bow and flatter the king in the banquet hall now, but once the banquet ends and they return to their territories… rebellion will surely break out.

And that rebellion will be incomparably larger than the recent one.

“Yes, it’s something that must be done eventually, and better for me to finish it in my lifetime than leave it to princes or grandsons.”

“What threat could neighboring lords pose when they too will have no armies?”

“As for your vassals… hmm, that is indeed problematic. I’ll grant you the right to call upon my army if neighboring lords or vassals cause any trouble.”

The king, whether aware of this danger or not, calmly continues his dialogue with the nobles.

Damn it… this can’t end like this.

I’m already in the same boat as the king. If the king falls, the repercussions will hit me directly.

…I have no choice.

It’s a shame, but choosing an option where I can at least eat my fill is better than a path leading to complete death.

“Your Majesty, I wish to make a new oath of loyalty here and now.”

……….

“…Hmm?”

What is this Duke of Aquitaine saying now?

I didn’t even send him an invitation, but allowed him to attend the banquet because he expressed a desire to build a relationship with me, and now he suddenly says he wants to swear loyalty to me.

The Carolingian territories are still politically unstable, so I had no immediate plans to prohibit private armies there…

“Your Majesty, if I offer my army to you, you said we could use your army, did you not?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m embarrassed to admit this, but my army is weak compared to the size of my territory, and I have many enemies nearby. If I could gain your protection by offering my army, it would be a splendid arrangement.”

Ah… I think I understand what he’s saying.

So the Duke of Aquitaine is offering to give up his entire army in exchange for free use of my army.

Hmm… to be honest, I’d like to refuse.

The Duke of Aquitaine has been a good partner, greatly contributing to stabilizing the Carolingian territories, and if all his troops were transferred to me, I would have to handle that stabilization all by myself.

But I can’t refuse. How could I reject someone offering their loyalty to me?

“Very well, your loyalty is truly meaningful and beautiful.”

“Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. And… how should I proceed with offering my army to you?”

“Ah… I apologize, I was too focused on other matters to explain that. Keep only enough soldiers to maintain order in your territory and bring the rest to Dijon. As for the remaining weapons, I’ll pay a good price for all of them.”

What’s with this enthusiasm?

I expected nobles wouldn’t willingly give up their armies, so I planned to use fear, authority, and force to pressure them while offering various compensations, but this Duke of Aquitaine seems desperate to abandon his army.

“I see, thank you for your answer. Also, since I must make a new oath of loyalty while offering my army, and traveling back and forth to my territory would be exhausting, would you permit me to stay in Dijon while my army arrives? I feel burdened, as if I’m consuming Your Majesty’s resources.”

“Haha, it’s fine. Consuming resources? How could I begrudge what I bestow upon my vassals? And I pride myself that Dijon has enough wealth to provide luxury and pleasure to all of you day and night for several months.”

“I gratefully accept Your Majesty’s kindness.”

Truly, this Duke of Aquitaine speaks too beautifully.

I’m not sure if he’s sincere, but ultimately, actions matter more than words. Someone once said that practiced hypocrisy is better than unpracticed virtue… how fitting.