- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 60
Chapter 60: Fools Are Everywhere
At Lawrence’s territory, Renee Black, Baron Pape Lawrence’s wife, was in a state of panic.
Her husband, Baron Pape Lawrence, had led a large number of elite forces from their territory to attack Eagle Territory, but they had not returned. At first, she wasn’t too worried. After all, their Lawrence domain was considered one of the strongest in the entire Maine River Valley. She didn’t believe anything could go wrong.
However, the next morning, a letter from Eagle Territory arrived, and it shattered her calm completely.
“F**k, my God, this can’t be possible!”
Renee Black exclaimed in disbelief.
“Lady Renee Black, there’s nothing impossible about it. Baron Pape Lawrence has been captured by my lord. Please gather the ransom quickly, or else my lord cannot guarantee the baron’s safety,” the knight from Eagle Territory said with a slight smile before turning to leave.
But even as the knight departed, the letter he delivered from Eagle Territory caused a massive uproar in the Lawrence domain.
The entire territory was thrown into chaos.
Inside the castle:
“They’ve gone mad!”
“This is pure madness!”
“Why don’t they just rob us outright?”
“This can’t be happening!”
Renee Black, in her panic, quickly turned back to the letter. But as she read its contents, her eyes widened, and anger surged uncontrollably within her.
What… what had she just read?
The ransom demands: three thousand gold coins for Pape Lawrence, one thousand for Lawrence, five hundred gold coins for each knight, one hundred gold coins for each apprentice knight, in addition to three thousand serfs and two thousand gold coins as war reparations.
It was as if the Goddess of Life herself were mocking her.
By her calculations, even if they sold the entire Lawrence estate to Eagle Territory, it might only barely cover that amount.
“Mother!”
“This is impossible!”
“This is outrageous! Eagle Territory has no intention of releasing Father!” Ope Lawrence, her second son, said as he looked over the letter. But as he finished reading, a gleam appeared in his eyes—not of anger, but of opportunity.
Yes, this was an opportunity.
As the baron’s second son, Ope had no right to inherit the territory, especially since his talents as a knight paled in comparison to his elder brother, Lawrence. Even though his mother was the current baroness, and not Lawrence’s mother, it didn’t change the fact that he stood no chance at inheritance.
Until now, he had no way out of this predicament.
But in this moment, he saw hope.
As long as his father and brother didn’t return, the right to inherit the territory would naturally fall to him.
The idea thrilled him.
“This… this!” Renee Black, shaken by her son’s words, became even more flustered. She wasn’t born a noblewoman—she was the daughter of a merchant who only rose to her current position after Pape Lawrence’s first wife passed away unexpectedly. Faced with such a situation, she had no idea what to do.
“Mother, if they’re not acting in good faith, why should we pay the ransom? The amount is easily worth over ten thousand gold coins!”
Ope Lawrence feigned indignation as he spoke.
“But your father…”
Renee instinctively responded, her voice trembling.
“Father may not even be alive anymore!” Ope countered. “And Mother, if Father and Brother return, I won’t be able to inherit the territory. This might be our only chance.”
Ope’s eyes gleamed as he carefully chose his words.
“You!”
Renee was stunned, her gaze filled with disbelief as she looked at her son.
But after that initial shock, her heart began to race. What Ope was saying made a certain amount of sense—this could indeed be an opportunity.
However, her excitement was short-lived, as reality quickly set in.
“No, it’s impossible. Without your father, the great knight, the territory will quickly descend into chaos. Besides, your father took many of our knights with him. With the current forces we have left, we can’t defend the territory, and the other Lawrence families may seize it from us,” Renee said, regaining her composure as she realized the dangers involved.
The issue was power.
They were merely the offspring of merchants. They didn’t have enough strength to hold onto the territory.
“Mother, you seem to have forgotten that the Habs Trading Company can offer us protection. For just one thousand gold coins, we could hire a great knight to guard the territory for an entire year. Rather than handing over all those gold coins to Eagle Territory, wouldn’t it be better to pay the Habs Trading Company? At least then the lord of the territory won’t be my brother,” Ope said, his eyes glittering with excitement.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that this plan could work.
With a thousand gold coins, they could hire a great knight for a year. If he used three thousand gold coins, they could have protection for three years. During that time, with the resources of the Lawrence domain, he could rebuild their strength.
He had always felt that his lack of progress in knighthood was because his father had given all the resources to his brother. But if he gained access to those resources, he might rapidly break through to becoming a full-fledged knight—or even a great knight. Then the territory would be safe under his control.
At that moment, a dangerous thought formed in his mind.
“This…!” Renee Black’s eyes lit up as she listened to her son.
She had long been concerned about the inheritance of the territory. If Lawrence were to inherit the barony, she could imagine their fate.
At best, they would be given some gold and then cast out.
Having grown accustomed to life as a baroness, Renee could not bear the thought of such an outcome.
This truly seemed like an opportunity.
“Mother, to prevent any complications, we can claim that Eagle Territory controls a large iron mine. Once we spread that rumor and make sure Eagle Territory knows it came from us, there won’t be any further issues,” Ope suggested again.
Renee’s excitement turned to fear as Ope’s plan unfolded. She stood up, her body trembling.
“Ope, you…!” she stammered, looking at her son in disbelief.
“Mother, this is our only chance. If my brother returns, the territory will no longer belong to us,” Ope said seriously, his words cold and calculated.
After a moment of shock, Renee fell silent.
A few moments later…
“Fine!” Renee Black took a deep breath and made her decision.
Even though she knew this would ensure her husband would never return, for the sake of her son and the Lawrence domain, she chose to agree.
With his mother’s consent, Ope sprang into action.
His first task was to travel to Loren City and hire a great knight and several full-fledged knights from the Habs Trading Company.
Only then would it be time to set the rest of his plan in motion.
(End of Chapter)