Pierre, the prisoner, found that things weren’t as bad as he had imagined.
At least the army in the Graythorn Territory seemed civilized, at least more so than Fang Ge’s army and the Demon Clan’s troops.
Although the prisoners’ movements were restricted, their food, clothing, and daily needs were not too shabby. Pierre did not receive the treatment he had expected, but at least others in White Frost Fortress, including the lowest-ranked soldiers, lived about the same way as him.
In fact, they might have it even a bit better, because those low-ranking soldiers were not professionals and did not need extra shackles to bind them.
These low-ranking soldiers, after talking with the so-called secretary accompanying the army, quickly mingled with the soldiers from Graythorn Territory, which made Pierre feel a bit anxious.
This kind of control over the military ranks was reminiscent of Duke Lars’s initial revival.
“Father…”
Pierre’s eldest son came forward honestly with his younger brother. They had suffered defeat that night so quickly that even now, the situation in White Frost Fortress was unclear about what exactly had happened.
Some said that Emily had long been captured, while later developments were simply the Graythorn army’s schemes. Others claimed that the eldest and second sons of the Laurent Family had hindered the operation, leading to Emily’s failure during the night raid.
Although the soldiers of Graythorn Territory knew who was responsible, the people in White Frost Fortress were unwilling to accept the truth. After all, didn’t that mean they had been completely outwitted by the enemy that night? And didn’t everything said in the fortress become a joke?
The latter explanation not only shifted the blame but also allowed White Frost Fortress to maintain some semblance of dignity.
It wasn’t that White Frost Fortress was incompetent; it was that the eldest and second sons were too foolish. Miss Emily was captured while saving her two brothers.
Miss Emily alone had led a group of her personal guards to breach the military camp of Graythorn Territory. If that night she hadn’t listened to the eldest and second sons and gone out to face the enemy, the Graythorn army should have retreated long ago.
Although those personal guards who had followed Emily and were captured kept claiming: “It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it.”
They could not stop the mouths of these nobles, and soon the second account became the mainstream narrative among the nobility.
Clearly, Pierre’s two sons believed this narrative too, even though regardless of which side was true, both were unable to hold their heads high in front of Pierre.
“Father, it has been a long time since sister has spoken to us. Is it true that she is angry with us?”
The two brothers sidestepped Emily, who had a dark expression, and quietly asked Pierre.
They thought Emily was angry because her two brothers had messed up her important business, but the actual situation was that after Emily heard the second explanation, she was too embarrassed to face anyone.
Pierre did not directly answer his two sons because he didn’t know how to explain it. After all, deep down, Pierre also did not want to spread rumors.
“When we meet with the general later, you two should not say too much; just listen to me.”
The brothers nodded.
Then Pierre led his three children into the military tent. Lauri, who had just rushed to the front line, made a gesture to invite Pierre’s family to sit. Pierre then took his place inside the tent.
Pierre understood that they were going to discuss the aftermath of the surrender.
After some brief pleasantries, Lauri continued, “The Laurent Family is currently the largest noble we have defeated in the Northern Border, and now the Lord Governor needs someone to set an example for the other nobles. Do you understand?”
Setting an example actually meant getting the Laurent Family to lead other great nobles in surrendering.
Before Pierre could speak, Lauri continued to apply pressure, “I believe you understand that there are many other great nobles yet to deal with, and it is not necessary for the Laurent Family to take the lead. Our goal in the Northern Border does not need a stubborn noble.”
“As for the ‘Noble Reform Regulations’ and the ‘Land Distribution Bill,’ don’t even think about negotiating on those points. However, you can make a few minor requests.”
Lauri looked at the three siblings behind Pierre.
“For example, sending your heirs to study at Graywhite Territory.”
Without any formality or pretense, Lauri laid all the conditions on the table, giving Pierre no room for negotiation or thought.
Before the battle, Pierre thought the regulations and bills of Graywhite Territory were simply unreasonable. After the battle, Pierre realized they were still quite reasonable—after all, the others held absolute power yet were still willing to sit down and discuss matters with him.
“The Laurent Family is willing to surrender.”
If before the battle it was merely a matter of feeling unable to reject surrender, agreeing to these demands would mean Pierre was completely aligning himself with them. Sending his heirs to study at Graywhite Territory was obviously a show of hostages.
Pierre felt that merely sighing over the last two days was almost catching up with a lifetime of sighs. However, looking on the bright side, Graywhite Territory was also part of the Lars Family, so he didn’t see it as betraying his family; for now, it could only be viewed as an internal conflict within the Lars Family.
Pierre considered himself loyal; at least so far, he had been one of the nobles who resisted the longest, and he did not feel he had done anything wrong to Doug.
Moreover, Doug had originally taken this position through assassination, and those from the prominent families looked down on him. Since Graywhite Territory was willing to extend a ladder, Pierre had no psychological burden in siding with them.
As for the two bills and regulations, although they were a significant blow to the Laurent Family, the aristocratic families were never short on educated talents. What Graywhite Territory currently lacked most was manpower.
It was pointless to be entangled in lost land and power. It would be better to work on the younger generation of the family to help them reclaim that land and power.
Lauri also breathed a sigh of relief. Although there were still many such great nobles as the Laurent Family to deal with later, Lauri could take his time to persuade them one by one. However, families like the Laurent Family, which were relatively clean underneath, were not common.
At the very least, the Laurent Family seemed more human compared to that group of demons and monsters.
Most importantly, the performance of the Laurent Family had already justified Doug’s actions. They held on for a long time and even managed to succeed in rumors about the night raid against the Graywhite army, which could be considered doing their best. Their surrender was therefore not blameworthy, and rewarding a loyal family like theirs left both sides with nothing to say.
Just as Lauri was preparing to continue discussing the handover matters with Pierre and planned to turn White Frost Fortress into the next military base of Graywhite Territory, Emily, who had been following Pierre, spoke up, “Wait, didn’t you say we could meet some minor requests?”
Lauri nodded, curiously looking at Emily. This young lady could only be praised for her courage; according to Darsi, her theoretical understanding was not bad, but unfortunately, her practical skills left much to be desired.
“Then I request to follow you in military operations!”
“Whatever position Darsi starts from, I will start from the same position.”
Hearing this demand, Lauri was indeed in a dilemma. A noble young lady coming to the military to serve as the lowest-ranked soldier? It seemed more like a punishment and did not reflect Graywhite Territory’s preferential treatment toward the Laurent Family. It was hard to make a decent example unless Emily was continuously promoted.
But that was visibly impossible.
However, Lauri quickly came up with an idea and said, “How about this? Saintess Flora is currently organizing a team to eliminate bandits. You can join the Sisterhood’s bandit elimination team. Darsi started out by familiarizing himself with the terrain and led the troops through the mountains and forests to find and eliminate bandits.”
“What Sisterhood? Sounds weak.”
Emily voiced her complaints, but upon hearing that Darsi also began by eliminating bandits, she nodded and said, “Leave it to me; I can definitely catch some small mountain bandits.”
