Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 185: Theory of the Helping Devil

After they’d finished all arrangements and rested for a day, Gawain and Amber set off to leave the Kant territory, while Sir Philip would stay behind for the time being with two other accompanying soldiers —— he had to stay here to supervise the implementation of the various follow-up work, ensuring that everything would be carried out according to Gawain’s orders. He also had to build an emergency center of authority in the Kants’ old castle that had lost its feudal lord to ensure that the ranked Knights, farm managers, and representatives of the different business associations would not sink into chaos.

This was an arduous and tedious job, perhaps difficult to accomplish given Sir Philip’s individual capacity, but Patrick from the affairs advisors and that chief Knight called Wald Peric had sworn that they would lead all Knights and managers to fully cooperate with Philip’s work. Together with Duke Cecil’s grand prestige, as well as the Kant territory’s unprecedented weak state internally, Gawain believed Philip would be able to hold things down.

After all, territory management in this era really didn’t get too complicated —— there weren’t any extremely complex personnel structures, nor were there intricate and ingenious administrative models. The majority of the feudal lord’s daily matters were handled on his behalf by people like butlers and advisors, while the end of the territory was controlled by the various ranked Knights. In other words, as long as these people did not revolt, the order of the territory could be maintained.

After a storm came a calm, the radiance of the huge sun shone down on this land that had broken away from darkness once again. Although the winds from the north were still cold, this chill no longer carried the stifling and uneasy strange auras. Light would dispel the uneasiness in people’s hearts sooner or later, and under this sunlight that hadn’t been seen for days, the carriage with the Cecil Clan’s emblem drove down a pebbled path through the small town that was gradually waking up and headed towards the south.

As Sir Philip and the accompanying soldiers remained in the castle, other than the coachman who was driving the carriage, it was only Gawain and Amber left. The latter opened the panel of the carriage. Watching those Kant residents hurrying in the direction of the castle, she could not help but murmur, “Do you think they would understand what happened?”

Gawain replied indifferently, “They would most likely further process it using their superstitious thinking. The incident that happened in the castle would become even more bizarre and darker by their explanations. But all these don’t matter. They will accept this reality, and subsequently, life will still go on the way it should.”

“Viscount Kant was greatly revered by the people.” Amber pursed her lips. “But now these people suddenly learned that their Viscount had died thirty years ago. It had always been an existence that resembled a spirit governing them… I really don’t know what these people would think.”

“To most people in this era, who the feudal lord is isn’t important. Even an outstanding feudal lord admired by people would hardly leave a deep and permanent impression in the hearts of the bottommost class.” Gawain sighed. “Those you can see in the taverns are all wealthy civilians, but the territory is supported by 80% of the even poorer peasants and serfs, and how many of those people would have the leisure time to think about complicated problems like a change in feudal lords? So, the only answer is — a small group of people would get into a panic but would very soon be assuaged by Patrick and Wald Peric, while the majority would continue living ignorantly and mediocrely, occasionally discussing matters of the previous feudal lord as they drank low-quality private brews in the fields, and before the next farm work arrives, toss everything to the back of their minds.”

Amber watched Gawain. Her brows could not help but knit into a furrow. “When you speak about these matters… you’re always a little frightening, so calm that you’re like an outsider.”

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Yet Gawain only smiled, with no further explanation, but Amber was someone who couldn’t be quiet. She paused for a while and then bubbled out with a new question. “Say… you ought to explain to me now. Why did you reject Patrick’s good intention? This is a chance. Everyone in the Kant territory who has a say is supporting you. You just need to take a step forward… The Kant territory would belong to you! This area is so far from the capital. Even if Francis II learns of this news, all he can do is pinch his nose and tacitly approve this fact…”

Gawain didn’t expect Amber to still be conflicted about this question; even more, he didn’t expect this ultimate disgrace’s brain to actually be able to ponder over such a complicated issue for a long time and not crash. Taking into account that since they were idle now, he responded with a smile, “You really think me accepting Patrick’s invitation then and there was a good idea?”

“Why not? You’re more or less a Duke, a Duke! Is there a problem with taking over a mere viscount’s territory?”

“I’ve said before, the Kant territory is only a small piece of land —— although it is very prosperous, a grain-producing area that was known to all, it’s still a tiny area compared to the two plains on the two sides of the Dark Range and the surrounding vast subsidiary lands. And taking over such a small land would damage my reputation, so it’s not worthwhile —— but that was only said for Patrick’s ears.” Gawain shook his head with a smile. “Have you thought about it? If I accepted the position of Kant territory’s ‘acting feudal lord’, how big of a pressure would it pose to the aristocrat system of the entire southern region?”

Amber was especially honest. “Who would know about this?!”

“There are countless pairs of eyes watching the Cecil Clan, watching what exactly this ancient legend that crawled out of his coffin wants to do in this era, especially our neighbors in the south. Every one of them had entered a state of full alert since the day I resurrected. —— What they worry about is simply their own land because more than 80% of the south’s aristocratic fiefs had been divided from the Cecil Clan’s old property,” Gawain explained unhurriedly. “And in such a circumstance, I visited the Kant territory. In the end, in a mere few days, the Kant territory’s feudal lord and his whole family were all dead. They had yet to have an heir who fulfilled the qualifications. Hence, I turned and became the acting feudal lord of the Kant territory —— in the situation where there was no dispute, the so-called acting feudal lord would become the actual feudal lord before long. How do you think those anxious neighbors would look upon this fact?”

Amber batted her eyes. “…They’re being foolish. You didn’t come targeting the Kant territory’s feudal-lord position. You weren’t the one who killed Viscount Kant either —— he died thirty years ago!”

“But the aristocrats of the south don’t know this truth, or even if they do learn of it in the future, they would refuse to acknowledge it.” Gawain shook his head. “People would refuse to believe what they are unwilling to believe. There’s only a simple cause and effect in their eyes — Gawain Cecil went to the Kant territory, and in the end, he became the feudal lord there. What specifically happened in between these? Who would care?”

“Then you’re just going to be a good person in vain? Moreover, when you left, you’d actually left behind the assets that Viscount Kant gifted you in a private capacity and even told Sir Philip and Patrick to distribute those assets to…” Amber muttered with a look of resentment, but midway through, a change slowly appeared in her tone. She abruptly stopped and then lifted her head to stare at Gawain. “Hold on, then you’re—”

“Patrick invited me to become the Kant territory’s feudal lord. I will definitely reject him. However, soon, everyone would know that Duke Cecil was about to become the protector of every person in the Kant territory.” Gawain leaned on the carriage and switched to a more comfortable position. “The Knights and supervisors in the castle will still get wages. Those wages are provided by Duke Cecil. Those servants in the castle with nowhere to go will still have a way out, and this way is given by Duke Cecil. The civilians of the Kant territory will still receive charcoal to get through the winter, and when they head to the town square to collect these things, the government order stuck on the town square’s bulletin would be signed with Gawain Cecil’s name. But even if all these had happened, I wouldn’t be the feudal lord of the Kant territory.”

Amber did not make a sound, only dazedly watched Gawain go on.

“Then, I will construct an access road from the northern bank of the White River to the Kant territory. This is a part of the New Cecil territory’s northern bank development plan. Before the King’s decree is relayed, the Kant territory and Cecil territory would be connected in reality. Then, I would provide work opportunities for the common people of the Kant territory, allowing them to freely engage in trade and move between the Cecil and Kant territories. Every Kant resident willing to serve the Cecil Clan would receive the same fair treatment as a Cecil resident. Of course, in exchange, they would have to learn the laws of Cecil in this process so as to avoid going against the Cecil territory’s interests. After this, I will lay Magic Webs in the Kant territory, recruit famed scholars and craftsmen to construct and renovate the town’s dated facilities, and strive to spread the Cecil territory’s night-schooling system here too. Every Kant resident would realize that their lives did not become worse with the passing of the old feudal lord. Instead, their lives were improving under the protection of Duke Cecil. And every southern aristocrat would clearly see that Gawain Cecil had never coveted the governing power of the Kant territory. He had merely been selflessly helping his neighbor…”

Amber’s eyes were wide, and she finally choked out after a long while, “Then… if the King really sends a new feudal lord to take over the Kant territory, you—”

“After I’ve done all these, do you think there would still be a place for the new feudal lord?” Gawain asked with a faint smile. “Francis II isn’t a fool. Of course, I have no objections if he insists on sending a person here. —— At the borders, you ought to know how weak the royal court’s control over this area is. An aristocrat of the King’s party could at the most serve as a not too useful spy for Francis II, but he could serve very well as the Cecil Clan’s butler, helping me manage… the Kant area.”

Amber dazedly listened to everything. Only half a minute later did she burst out with her thoughts, “You aristocrats, indeed, your hearts are blacker than anything else…”

“No, my heart isn’t black at all. Everything I do is open and aboveboard. I did not plot against anyone, nor would I take away properties from the hands of any innocent being. Think about it carefully. Have I hurt anyone’s interest in this process? Would anyone live in poverty because of my help? Would anyone go hungry and cold because of all these? Just the contrary, everyone would be benefiting, even that ‘new feudal lord’ whom we don’t know would appear or not. I can also guarantee that he would live a life better than before in the rapidly developing Kant territory, ‘the life of a border aristocrat’ that surpasses all he’d imagined.”

Amber thought carefully for a while and realized that it was indeed as Gawain had said, yet this only made her even more confused and conflicted. “Then what are you going to such great lengths for? Doesn’t the average man do so to harm somebody when he racks his brains and exhaust all schemes so thoroughly? Why are you—”

“I benefited in this whole process too.” Gawain grinned happily. “I was merely unscrupulous in my efforts and racked my brains to let everyone live a good life. ——Helping devil, ever heard of it?”

Amber looked at Gawain doubtfully. “What a nonsensical term. This plan of yours is so thorough that I’m now a little suspicious that you’ve had evil designs about the Kant territory from the very beginning…”

“Come on, all these were last-minute thoughts. —— Otherwise, what could I do? I want to help the people of the Kant territory yet cannot let myself be surrounded by disputes. I can only wind about like that.”

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true!”