Our Family Has Fallen

Thinking of this, a ruthless glint appeared in Alvin’s eyes as he pointed towards the village’s location.

”It’s right here. If any problems arise, we’ll just blame it on those Barbarians.”

The Baron, of course, saw Alvin’s dilemma. He remained silent until Alvin made his decision, then a smile touched his lips, and he nodded in approval.

Without ambition, one loses everything. As a noble, one must have the courage to move forward.

”There are some things you do not understand, my lord. Strictly speaking, this land is ownerless.”

”Ah?” Alvin couldn’t help but look puzzled.

He had no inheritance rights. To avoid suspicion, they hadn’t trained him in matters of internal governance, even deliberately keeping him away from such affairs.

Thus, Alvin was raised as a Knight, sent to the training grounds from a young age, and had spent more time with his teacher than even with his father.

It was no surprise he was unaware of these circumstances; after all, the Earl’s teachings were a privilege only his Big Brother could enjoy.

”Teacher, is there something particular about this place?”

”You may not know, but this land once belonged to a territory called Hamlet,” the Baron said, tracing a line on the map. ”In fact, this area also belongs to Hamlet. We were originally just a Baron’s Domain adjacent to Hamlet.”

Alvin saw that the demarcated area encompassed nearly two-thirds of Bastia’s territory—the very land he took pride in...

Alvin’s heart was a mix of emotions, but he quickly refocused, listening intently to his teacher’s explanation, afraid of missing a single detail.

”Hamlet Town guarded the Empire’s northwest border. It single-handedly repelled pressure from the Mountain Barbarian Tribe, the Northerners, and the Wastelanders. Its strength was formidable. At the same time, it occupied the junction of two continents and monopolized a prosperous overland trade route. It was even rumored that Hamlet’s Gold Coins could fill the Emperor’s palace.”

”How could such a powerful territory become what it is today?”

The more powerful his teacher described Hamlet, the starker the contrast with its present state, piquing Alvin’s curiosity even further.

”Back then, I was merely a soldier serving Lord Earl, but I heard that the Lord of Hamlet indulged in debauchery and corruption, neglecting his duties and constantly hosting extravagant feasts. Later, it was said that to suppress other nobles in his domain, he killed them all, effectively crippling himself. This led to the territory’s fragmentation and disarray. With such a lord, decline was inevitable.

However, it was precisely Hamlet’s decline that paved the way for Bastia’s rise. Why were we able to defeat the Mountain Barbarian Tribe? It was because we absorbed part of the legacy left by Hamlet’s downfall. The most crucial part wasn’t the land, but the acquisition of soldiers experienced in fighting the Barbarian Tribes. That’s how we won the most important battles and laid the foundation for Bastia.”

At this, the Baron shook his head. It truly is a pity for such a powerful territory, one that could even rival the Emperor, to decline so rapidly. However, he said all this merely as a prelude to his next words.

”Contrast that with our Bastia. Since your ancestors were enfeoffed with this land, they have painstakingly managed it. Generations of effort and centuries of accumulation have led to today’s prosperity. You must take Hamlet as a warning and never become the cause of our family’s decline.”

”Teacher, you shouldn’t be saying these things to me. It’s Big Brother who will inherit the domain. How could the family’s prosperity decline because of me?”

Alvin laughed it off. Is Teacher testing me? If I show any interest in the title, Father will probably know by tomorrow.

The Baron, of course, saw through Alvin’s cautious thoughts and immediately lowered his voice to ask, ”Do you know why the Earl has been indifferent towards such a vast, unclaimed land?”

Alvin looked at Hamlet on the map. Even though a significant portion had been annexed, the remainder was still substantial, not much smaller than present-day Bastia.

If Bastia could fully absorb Hamlet, its power would become incredibly formidable. So why hasn’t it happened?

”Bastia’s strength swelled rapidly after annexing a portion during the chaos, but in doing so, it violated the great taboo among the Nobility: not to wage war against one another. The Earl paid a considerable price to resolve this matter and calm the situation. More importantly, quite a few nobles took similar actions. Those in the surrounding areas had all, to varying degrees, annexed parts of Hamlet’s territory. That’s why the matter eventually died down.

However, if this were to continue, anyone attempting to completely annex Hamlet would face pressure from other powers. Neither the Emperor nor the other nobles wish to see such a behemoth emerge. This reasoning also applies to the Lords of territories surrounding Hamlet, including Bastia. Due to these mutual checks and balances, the land has maintained a superficial stability. Nominally, it remains Hamlet’s territory, but in reality, it has been largely carved up.”

Saying this, the Baron smiled.

”But times are different now. Several of the Empire’s wealthiest Central Provinces have plunged into chaos. War is spreading, diverting the attention of most of the Empire’s major powers. Consequently, fewer eyes are on this land of Hamlet. Regardless of the war’s outcome, it’s certain that the powers within the Empire will undergo a major reshuffle. Last time, we rose by taking advantage of Hamlet’s decline. This time, the Empire’s own decline could very well be our opportunity.”