Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 355: Sheep (1)

As Silas had planned, the Duke has call the opposing lords in private chambers in different time talking with individually.

Each time the duke will ask them what they were individually willing to do for the Duke. 

The situation now is different from the previous situation because of what happens to Lord Robert. 

Everyone heard by now. The machination of Duke Arial plot worked flawlessly and now people are anxious to get on the good side of the Duke.

Those who were first invited made large offers, and their offers were immediately registered in form by the proper officers. 

Each of the lords who followed was emulous of the example of those who had preceded him, and desirous of evincing as much zeal and generosity as they. 

Then, besides, the duke received these vassals with so much condescension and urbanity, and treated them with so much consideration and respect, as greatly to flatter their vanity, and raise them in their own estimation, by exalting their ideas of the importance of the services which they could render in carrying so vast an enterprise to a successful result. 

In a word, the tide turned like a flood in favor of granting liberal supplies to the Duke unreservedly.

The nobles and knights promised freely men, money, arms, provisions—everything, in short, that was required for the venture; and when the work of receiving and registering the offers was completed, and the officers summed up the aggregate amount, Arial found, to his extreme satisfaction, that his wants were abundantly supplied.

But how did all of this happen when they were so opposed to Arial plan about a few weeks ago?

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A FEW WEEKS AGO

For the next few weeks Silas would go to the coalition lords that opposes his lord plan and began his schemes 

He browbeat the lords by hinting by hinting darkly at the duke's capacity for savage reprisals if his will were thwarted. 

All of this said in private rooms, during dinner and breakfast with his clients. Silas, the great orator and persuader could evoke many emotions in one hearts if he wanted to

And the thing he invoked with his words were emotions of fear and anxiety

Fear and anxiety crept inside the heart of the noble lords hearing such scary estimation of Duke Arial character from Lord Silasjosei

They all fear the repercussion of angering such an unpredictable man with a powerful army in his command.

Finishing this first part of the plan, Silas return to Acro with the excuse that he will try to persuade the Duke again.

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ACRO

THE CASTLE OF VERMONTS

There are sounds of footsteps coming from the spiraling staircase, going up, to the tower. He takes his time in walking while thinking something hard. 

Sometimes he smile, sometimes he crunches his forehead.

The pace of the man is neither rushing but nor did he walk slowly. His steps are marked with a definite purpose.

And then the man arrived at his destination, and he prepared himself, his mind began playing all the possibilities, remembering all he should remember, forgetting none of the essential things he needs to say.

He knows how important this is for his lord and as such, mistakes are unforgivable and untolerable. And for this man to not prepare…it is unthinkable.

He will only enter when he is ready. Then taking a deep breath, he knocked the door handle, a door handle shaped to be of a dragon head, the crest of this illustrious family Arrandy.

The door of the library of the Vermont is knocked. 

'Silas, enter.' The voice orders. 

Smiling Silas pushed the unlocked door. The door opens with a creak and the man entered. 

And there is someone waiting inside the library.

Lord Arial Vermont, the Duke of Arrandy and Titled Prince of Aetherland. Arial look toward Silas who bow toward him.

Arial realize today Silas is wearing his robe, a purple robe and Arial notices his blonde hair waved gracefully over his shoulders, his eyes is wistful as ever and he address Arial with the utmost respect. 

The wind from the nearby window brushed past these two men like welcoming chimes, signifying something will happen.

'My lord' Arial waved his hand and said

'Dispense with the formalities. Come. Tell me what you have discovered. What have you heard? What have you seen? What have you felt? What plot you uncovered? What plot you foil?' 

Arial attack him with a barrage of question.

Silas take a seat on one of the chair in the library, while at the same time marveling at the huge libraries that his lord possesses with many books from many different languages from many different seas and parts of the undiscovered world.

He is always amazed every time he is here, in this private library of his lord.

'So tell me' Arial said as he takes his seat. Silas smiles and then said

'That is a lot of question my lord. A lot have been discovered. A lot have been heard, a lot more have been seen. You would have thought that after all this year, I would have been accustomed to the treachery but some people disgust me. Treachery and lies and secret all in good variety my lord on many sides. On foiling them however….I still have no definite way. Give me time, and surely I will find a foolproof plan. Though there are some things I could report to you. On the matter of the letter…I still have no definite answer but on the coalition lords, I could give a few opinions of my own'

'Please do' Arial gesture 

Silas nodded and continued

'The lords are still unsatisfied, and though my persuasion did sway a few lords to your side, many still have ardent objections.'

Arial reflected on this matter. It seems to him, the noble lords have been ensnared by Lord Robert words of fear, the Lord of Auster, a sizeable chunk of land in the southwest of Arrandy. 

That area is still under the region of Arrandy not Aetherland. Lord Robert is an influential lord, and a brave lord, generous and pious, who is also a family that swear fealty to his family. 

However, Lord Robert has gain many allies by his extensive network of family and goodwill he has done to the other noble lords bonded them

He is also famous for forging relations with his neighbor's lords by extending help during time of distress. 

The Vermont's also do this but what the Vermont does is view as a generosity of a high lordly family, an obligation to guard the other houses under him, sometimes it is also viewed as an act of superiority over the other houses, an arrogant but accepted act by the other noble houses, while Lord Robert act is view as an unselfish act of unbounded generosity and charity when his land is not that huge nor bountiful. 

It's like the difference between a rich person giving one gold to a wandering beggar compared to a poor man who lives in a hut giving his rice to share with that same beggar. 

Same act but different in terms of sincerity. 

For the rich man, one gold is nothing. For the poor man the rice might be the most important to him. 

So obviously, the poor man is respected more than the rich man in the story. It is not how much you give, but what is the importance of the thing you give. 

The sincerity of a poor man or the noblesse oblige of the rich? 

Which one resonates more in the heart of people? Surely the poor man would gain support.

This is a matter of delicacy that needs to be handled wisely, Arial decided when he knows his opponent is Lord Robert.