Pioneer Lord: A Leisurely Imperial Life

Chapter 317 The Council of Light

Chapter 321 The Council of Light

Richard squinted, wondering if he was seeing things.

Viscount of Hongyan, a titled lord.

Baron Yellowstone, vassal.

In a strictly hierarchical society, a lord would never bow to his vassals; this was a rule ingrained in the very bones of the nobility.

At this moment, however, Viscount Red Rock was bowing to Baron Yellowstone, his posture as respectful as a little follower.

--absurd!

Richard frowned, his opinion of the Viscount Red Rock dropping even further.

According to the intelligence provided by Lawrence, Viscount Red Rock belongs to the extravagant lord type, with a pitifully small army, and he can't even muster five knights in his territory.

Most of the taxes collected and grain sold each year were spent on banquets, dances, and luxury goods from the capital.

Lawrence was arrogant to begin with, and when he mentioned Viscount Red Rock, the disdain in his tone could be smelled even in the Eastern Territory.

Now it seems that this person is not only extravagant, but also incompetent. As a lord, Richard has a deep-seated contempt for such a person.

At the city gate, two groups of nobles also noticed the strange phenomenon in the sky.

Twenty unicorn riders swooped down from the clouds, their white tails trailing long trails of light in the twilight. One of them had a storm banner with gold background and black patterns hanging from its tail.

The unrest was visible to the naked eye.

A soldier carrying a red rocky mountain flag broke away from the ranks and charged toward Richard.

It seemed as if they were shouting, wanting to have a conversation.

Richard glanced down at him, ignored him, and turned to Im, saying, "Attack the dam directly."

What the hell are you talking to me about!

Regardless of what the other party wanted to say, Richard planned to get things done first. If they were dissatisfied, he would start a war directly. In any case, the other party's lord was also there and could serve as a witness.

After visiting Hanhai Fortress, he realized that some things require a more magnanimous approach, and when it's time to demonstrate force, you can't tolerate the other party!

Im nodded and led the Imperial Guard straight out.

"attack!"

Twenty Guardian Furies were unleashed from a distance, their transparent blades slicing through the twilight and striking the dam wall with tremendous force.

boom!

Gravel flew everywhere!

The dam is made of stone bricks and is several meters thick. The first wave of attack could only cause the dam to crack slightly.

Let's do it again!

The second wave of attack widened the cracks, and the entire section of the dam began to loosen.

Then, with a deafening roar, the middle section of the dam completely collapsed, and the accumulated river water, like a wild horse, rushed downstream carrying mud, sand, and gravel!

Only then did Richard lead his team to land on the ground, facing the enemy from a distance of several hundred meters.

The city gate was deathly silent!

Viscount Red Rock's face turned deathly pale. He had already recognized who the other party was; the storm-swirling cloud pattern was exactly the same as the one mentioned in the official letter sent by Earl Golden Lion.

But didn't the count say that this viscount was only here to conduct agricultural experiments?

If you want water, you can just say so. It's not like we can't discuss it. Why did you attack without even notifying us or negotiating?

Although Baron Yellowstone's face was so gloomy it could wring water out of it, he was surprisingly calm.

His gaze swept over the unicorns, from their armor to their banners, from their banners to their knights, and finally settled on the storm cloud pattern.

"Walk."

He then uttered a single word and urged his warhorse forward. Viscount Red Rock was momentarily stunned, but quickly followed.

Seeing this, Richard also urged his unicorn forward alone, and soon the three nobles stopped in the open space between them.

Viscount Red Rock forced himself to speak: "Your Excellency Richard, this dam is, after all, property of Yellowstone Territory. Shouldn't you be more careful in doing this...?"

"What should it be?"

Richard interrupted him bluntly: "Are you trying to say that I should have given you a heads-up?"

Viscount Red Rock glanced furtively at Baron Yellowstone, and seeing that the other man didn't react, he reluctantly nodded.

Richard smiled.

"What were you doing three years ago when Huangshi was building the dam? These past few years, Chisha has been dying of thirst; a territory of several thousand people has dwindled to just a few hundred. What were you doing then?"

"As a lord, you didn't say a word when such a big thing happened between your vassals, but now you're trying to play the good guy?"

""

Viscount Hongyan's face turned a deep shade of liver.

Of course he remembers.

Three years ago, Serik knelt in his fountain garden, his forehead hitting the stone slab, and cried that Red Sand Territory was about to be finished.

Please ask him to say a word to Huang Shiling, even just a little bit of water.

What did he say again?

"Yellowstone is also my vassal; you two can settle your own affairs." Then he dismissed Serik.

"Your Excellency Richard, I..."

Viscount Red Rock wanted to explain, but Richard was no longer willing to listen.

"Alright." He waved his hand, not even bothering to look at Viscount Red Rock. "This is none of your business. Go play in the sand!"

Richard valued his aristocratic status and always adhered to etiquette in his words and actions, not wanting to tarnish Chiffon's reputation.

Most of the lords and nobles he has encountered so far have been like this, placing great importance on family honor or survival.

Leaving aside the high-ranking nobles like Frost, Golden Lion, and Wolves, even barons like those from Thorn and Ashvalley would never do anything to damage their family's image.

Even after a serious conflict with Houston Cold Mountain, Richard still gave him the respect he deserved.

The Earl of Hanhai did the same. After severely injuring his chief guard, he also served him wine, displaying impeccable aristocratic etiquette.

It was only the disgrace of the nobility, like Viscount Red Rock, who didn't care about the family's reputation, that made Li feel disgusted if he talked to him for even a few minutes!

Viscount Hongyan's face turned ashen!

He was an imperial viscount no matter what, yet the other party showed him no basic respect and didn't even treat him like a human being. He wanted to put on airs and get angry, but he had no anger to vent, so he could only silently retreat to the side.

Upon hearing this, Baron Yellowstone spoke, his tone icy and chilling: "Viscount Chiffon is, after all, a renowned sage of the North. Isn't it going too far to humiliate a viscount like this?"

Richard chuckled.

"Since I am a wise man, it means that it is absolutely right for me to humiliate a fool like him, isn't it?"

Baron Yellowstone's lips twitched; he couldn't accept this logic.

Richard, too lazy to waste any more time on pleasantries, looked the other man straight in the eye and cut to the chase: "You're from the Holy See, aren't you?"

"I never expected this! Under the Empire's restrictions, you still dare to play like this. This scale and this audacity are truly worthy of an organization that dares to challenge the Empire."

It's no secret within the Papacy that there are numerous factions within its upper echelons. The Pope's faction controls the priests, while the Inquisition controls heresy; these two lines are clearly defined.

Besides that, there's another hidden mountain, which is also the largest and most complex within the Papacy...

—The Council of Light!

The predecessor of the council was the Bright Merchant Guild, which was responsible for the secular affairs of the Papacy, including trading goods, managing industries, and dealing with lords.

Later, the empire realized something was wrong; some council members had secretly used various means to make themselves noble lords.

The land was purchased with money from the Vatican, the people were recruited with the help of the Vatican, and even the army was secretly supported by the Vatican.

Just like the Blackwater Territory where the Snow Rabbit Clan had stayed for a period of time, it was clearly a spy planted by the Holy See within the Empire.

So the royal family stepped in.

First, it was stipulated that the initial fiefdom of a baron could not exceed one hundred square kilometers, and that of a viscount could not exceed one thousand. Later, it was stipulated that titles of earl and above could only be granted after the king personally went to the capital to be reviewed by the royal family.

Finally, trusted confidants were placed in the four major realms, such as the Golden Lion and the Purple Crystal, who served as the eyes and ears of the royal family.

After a series of combined measures, the expansion momentum of the Papacy was finally curbed. In other words, even if they could become nobles, most of them would only be barons at the most basic level.

But suppressing something doesn't mean eliminating it. People like Baron Yellowstone are seeds that the Vatican has planted in the soil of the stars. They are usually silent, but they will sprout when it is crucial.

Richard had guessed the other party's identity from the beginning, which is why he ordered Im to attack the dam directly and humiliate Viscount Red Rock to the extreme, leaving no room for negotiation.

The biggest problem now is that we don't know if the other party belongs to that so-called Holy War Alliance.