Lord of Caldera - Chapter 313

Chapter 313: Chapter 313 Berlione Fall
“They may call it a coalition of minor lords, but most of the banners belong to landless nobles or those from fallen families. While some landholding nobles have joined, they’re few and far between,” Ervin explained.

“Of course. If every noble involved had land, there wouldn’t be enough space in the south to accommodate them all,” Conrad muttered bitterly.

Land. It was the ultimate prize for any noble. Taxes alone would attract swarms of opportunists, but land was an entirely different matter.

“I could understand if he offered a portion, but to give away everything? The new count has lost his mind!” Conrad spat.

“…”

Neither Ervin nor the knights in the room could argue. Sylas’s proposal was shockingly bold, even reckless.

“Not just limited tax rights, but entire territories…”

“No wonder everyone’s flocking to him. Even I might have done the same.”

For any noble, owning land was the ultimate goal—a near-infinite well of resources and power. While Conrad looked down on barons, he knew countless nobles would risk their lives for such an opportunity.

To rule a territory as its rightful lord and enjoy stable income—what a sweet temptation it was. The problem lay in the difficulty of becoming a landed noble.

“All land in the empire belongs to the Emperor. Only the Emperor can bestow it, and if a lord’s lineage ends, the land reverts to the Imperial Crown.”

This meant that to become a landed noble, one had to either gain the Emperor’s approval or receive a grant from an imperial-appointed lord.

The first was nearly impossible unless one performed feats akin to saving the crown prince or founding the empire itself. The second wasn’t much easier.

“Are you mad? Why would I give my tax-generating land to someone else? Maybe to my own bloodline, but no one else!”

No sane lord would willingly give up even a single inch of their land. They’d sooner pay several years’ worth of taxes upfront than part with their primary source of wealth.

Thus, opportunities to gain land were exceedingly rare unless under extraordinary circumstances. Sylas’s proclamation created exactly such an extraordinary situation.

“Damn it! Now every opportunist will swarm here!” Conrad fumed.

“My lord, what will you do?” Ervin asked cautiously.

“What do you mean, ‘what will I do’? What am I supposed to do in this situation?”

“Perhaps now would be a good time to send a letter to the new count…”

“Silence!” Conrad roared, silencing Ervin with a glare. To bow his head just because the situation had turned unfavorable would only make him a laughingstock.

“No letters! Order the commanders at every fortress to prepare for a siege!”

The sheer number of attackers was certainly troubling. But they were a rabble—lacking siege weapons or any experience in siege warfare.

“Hold out for six months—just six months! They’ll grow weary and collapse on their own!” Conrad declared.

No matter how high their morale or fervor, reality would eventually bring them down. Conrad estimated six months was all it would take for them to crumble.

But he didn’t even last half a month before shocking news arrived.

“My lord! Berlione has fallen to the enemy!”

“…What?”

Conrad was speechless. Berlione was one of his five cities, boasting the strongest walls and the largest standing garrison. And it had fallen in less than a month?

“How? The enemy doesn’t even have siege weapons!” Conrad demanded.

“That’s because… the new count…”

The knight stammered, glancing nervously at Conrad. When the explanation finally came, Conrad collapsed into his chair, his legs giving out beneath him.

“Push forward! The first to scale the wall will earn 100 gold coins!”

“Hold the line! They’re nothing but an inexperienced rabble—strong only in spirit!”

“Waaaaaah!”

Conrad’s earlier prediction had initially proven accurate. The coalition forces, though aggressive, lacked experience.

Their attacks were limited to placing ladders and attempting to scale the walls—a strategy that only resulted in heavy casualties.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

As their numbers dwindled, the coalition commanders hastily called for a withdrawal. The skirmishes were short-lived, merely probing the defenses before retreating at the first sign of difficulty.

This approach, while useful for gauging enemy strength in a brief engagement, was disastrous for a prolonged siege.

“They’re retreating! The victory is ours!”

“Fools! They’re all bluster and no substance!”

Repeated failures sapped the coalition’s morale, while the defenders grew increasingly confident. Each failed assault only solidified their advantage.

“Damn it! What’s the plan now?”

“Do you expect me to keep fighting? A third of my forces are already dead!”

“And do you think you’re the only one losing men? My losses are just as great!”

“Ridiculous! You barely brought a few dozen soldiers—do you even call that an army?”

“What did you just say?!”

Infighting began to plague the coalition. Most of the nobles had joined with hopes of easy rewards, treating their forces as precious assets not to be squandered.

They had assumed a swift victory, expecting to recoup their losses with land grants. Now, with success increasingly uncertain, doubts crept in.

“Damn it. Was I too greedy? If this continues, I’ll only suffer losses.”

“The costs of this war are bleeding me dry. Bankruptcy looms.”

“Should I cut my losses and leave? But the prize is so tempting…”

A stalemate had set in, leaving the nobles indecisive. The allure of rewards clashed with their fear of mounting losses.

“What does Baron Kaspar think?” one noble asked, passing the burden of decision.

As the nominal leader of the coalition, Kaspar—chosen at Sylas’s insistence—responded with a faint smile.

“Fortunately, I bring good news,” Kaspar announced.

“Good news? What is it?”

“The count will arrive here tomorrow.”

The nobles’ faces twisted with skepticism. What difference would that make? A high-ranking official without troops showing up to meddle would only make things worse.

Seeing their reactions, Kaspar added with a knowing smile, “He will be bringing a highly effective siege artifact.”

“…!”

The nobles’ expressions immediately changed. If that were true, they finally had a breakthrough in this stalemate.