Liberty City was a major hub in the Western Territories, boasting fertile soil and a burgeoning population of over 30,000. Located in the heart of the West, it was a mere five-day journey from Sedona City.
A few weeks ago, the Fourth Prince, Liam, had arrived with his forces and taken up residence in the Liberty City Lord's manor. One could only imagine the grim fate that had befallen the city's original lord.
Inside the manor's meeting hall, a council was underway. Everyone who had followed the Fourth Prince to the West was in attendance, including Count George. Liam sat at the head of the table, his face a mask of indifference as he looked down at the dozen or so men before him.
These were his supporters. Notably, there wasn't a single Marquis among them. His former ally, the city's defense commander (a Marquis), had abandoned him the moment he announced his departure from the Royal Capital, switching his allegiance to the First Prince.
His current following consisted mostly of Counts, along with a handful of Viscounts and Barons. Collectively, they provided him with over 2,000 knights. However, many knights had been unwilling to leave their original lands; most were mercenaries rather than lifelong house servants, and their loyalty was tied to their pay.
The burden of feeding and paying these 2,000 men now fell entirely on Liam's shoulders, a fact that weighed heavily on him. In a standard war, one could entice soldiers with promises of land and titles, but in an open rebellion, they required cold, hard coins.
Though his supporters had provided the knights, they were unwilling to foot the bill for their maintenance. Most of these nobles had abandoned their own fiefs to follow the Prince; if he couldn't even feed 2,000 men, his insurrection would crumble before it began. For now, the profits from his perfume business could sustain them, but in a year or so, the staggering cost of wages, fodder, and supplies would drain even his considerable coffers.
Liam frowned slightly. He was beginning to grasp the true difficulty of a rebellion. No wonder the defense commander had deserted him so quickly.
He lowered his head to study the parchment in his hands. It was covered in abstract, cryptic patterns—a copy of the treasure map that Viscounts Scott and Kevin had sent from Sedona City. He had spent his days in Liberty City obsessing over this map. If it were real, he could expand his knightly order to four or five thousand men and march on the capital without fearing the First Prince.
"Do you believe this treasure map is real?" Liam asked, waving the parchment at the room. "What have you discovered?"
He had distributed copies of the map to his followers, tasking them with cross-referencing it with historical records. Several days had passed.
"Your Highness, I have found nothing," Count George was the first to speak. In this atmosphere, the last person to speak was usually the one who bore the brunt of the Prince's frustration.
"Your Highness, I've scoured dozens of volumes. Not a single lead."
"Indeed, we've searched every book we brought with us. There is no record of these landmarks."
"Your Highness, is it possible this map of the Valtoria Kingdom points to a location on the other side of the Mountain Range?"
The room buzzed with excuses and theories, but the consensus was clear: they were clueless. Liam's expression soured; he had pinned high hopes on this discovery.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Enough," Liam slapped the table, waving them off in irritation. "Is there any fresh intelligence from Sedona City?"
"Your Highness, there has been no word from Viscounts Scott and Kevin for seven or eight days. I fear something may have happened to them," Count George said, his eyes narrowing. "I suspect that Lucas, the City Lord of Sedona, may have made a move against them."
Liam's eyes flickered as he looked at George. He knew the Count wanted Lucas dead, but the intelligence he had gathered suggested Lucas was no ordinary lord. Sedona City was thriving, particularly its commerce.
Initially, he had planned to simply seize Sedona City, but he was reconsidering. He didn't want to destroy a golden goose. More importantly, the logistical nightmare of managing his knights had made him realize he was missing a key component: a talented administrator who could coordinate supplies.
To make his rebellion last, he needed someone to handle the back-end—wheat, iron armor, warhorses, salt, and gold. If he just relied on the nobles he had now, they would sit and eat the mountain dry until the knights revolted. Lucas was exactly the kind of talent he needed. As for the perfume? If the man belonged to him, the formula would follow.
"Count George, let us not jump to conclusions. We shall summon Lucas here and ask him ourselves," Liam said calmly.
"Your Highness, I doubt he will come. Scott and Kevin have been there for weeks and couldn't even force him to hand over the perfume formula," George urged. He hated Lucas with a passion; most of his personal knights had been slaughtered by Lucas's men, and he had lost his sons in the process.
"Tell him that I have over 2,000 knights stationed here," Liam said coldly. "He will understand the implications."
He believed that if Lucas was as smart as the reports suggested, he would come to Liberty City. If not, his 2,000 knights could raze Sedona City to the ground in a matter of days.
"But Your Highness..." George tried to protest, realizing the Prince intended to employ Lucas rather than execute him.
"Enough. My mind is made up," Liam interrupted, glancing at the gathered nobles. He didn't want to resort to an outsider, but these aristocrats knew only how to feast and exploit peasants; they were useless at managing military logistics. He was envious of the prosperity of Sedona City and wanted that system for himself.
"As you command," George lowered his head, his face shrouded in shadow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Guards!" Liam barked. "Go to Sedona City immediately and summon Lucas to see me."
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