Conspiracy by the Riverbank
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
The moon hung high in the sky as a man wrapped in a cloak silently strolled along the banks of the Wes River. He watched the tranquil waters flow quietly as he walked, occasionally glancing back at the dim lights of Alden Town, which were slowly fading into the distance.
He gradually approached a shallow area, where a large stone caught his eye, embedded at the junction of land and water, half on land and half in the river.
Sitting on the stone was another man, holding a fishing rod and intently waiting for a fish to bite. It was indeed a good spot for fishing.
The cloaked man moved closer to the stone. Though large, the stone was not very high, so he stepped on smaller stones nearby and sat down beside the fisherman.
The cloaked man asked, "How many fish have you caught today?"
The fisherman waved his hand and sighed deeply. "Hey, don't mention it; I haven't caught a single one. I did reel in a turtle, though, which I had to throw back."
Then the two fell silent. The fisherman continued to wait for a fish to bite, while the cloaked man stared blankly at the moon's reflection on the water.
After an unknown amount of time, the cloaked man finally spoke up, "Have you finalized everything on your side?"
The fisherman nodded. "It's all settled."
"Then I'll go back and notify the old fellows. By the way, could you give me more details? Oh, I'm not doubting your abilities, but it's always good to have another perspective."
"There's nothing to hide; we're in the same boat now. Next month, the garrison in Alden Town will head to Emden for training, coinciding with the local militia gathering for drills. We'll take advantage of the militia's uprising."
"Militia? Can't you recruit a decent army and find an excuse from above to leave a unit behind?"
"It's not as simple as you think. The higher-ups control the standing army very tightly. As of now, I can't command even a single soldier."
The fisherman shook his fishing rod, mockingly saying, "Really? Back home, everyone thinks you've become a high official under the lord."
The cloaked man ignored his sarcasm and calmly replied, "The structure of the Alden army is quite complex, with a clear division of responsibilities. It's not something that can be explained in just a few sentences. Moreover, regular army personnel are not easily swayed... they are harder to incite than militia members who are unfamiliar with the military regulations."
"Fine!" The fisherman shrugged. "As long as you can complete your part of the task."
"What about your side?"
"Everything's arranged."
"I must remind you!" The cloaked man said seriously. "You must take my advice seriously and seize the communication base at the first opportunity."
"Don't worry! I'll pass your reminder along!"
The fisherman made a gesture indicating everything was fine, though it was unclear if he truly absorbed the warning.
The cloaked man expressed his concern, "If you let the Earl slip from your control, he will immediately be able to summon his loyal armies from various regions. The small flame we kindle here will quickly be extinguished."
"Haha!" The fisherman chuckled softly. "Don't worry; the old fellows have secured powerful external support."
"External support?" The cloaked man was shocked.
"The wealth that Earl Grayman has amassed over the years has attracted many jealous eyes from outside! A nearby lord—I'm not at liberty to disclose his name just yet; you will find out soon enough—along with some vassal lords from Emden, are quite interested in many of the things the Earl possesses."
"You... you actually colluded with outsiders? Aren't you afraid of bringing in hungry wolves?"
"Hungry wolves? Paul Grayman is the real wolf; look at how he exploits us to the bone. Other lords are our righteous rescuers."
"You all... sigh, fine."
The cloaked man sighed in resignation, lowering his head.
"Moreover!" The fisherman continued to persuade him, "With the support of other lords, the issue of the heir can proceed more smoothly. As for how to report this to the Duke of Northwest and the royal family, let that lord handle it."
The cloaked man raised his head. "Speaking of the heir, who have you chosen? You should send him to Alden Town in the next few days."
The fisherman shook his head. "Though the direct line of the Grayman family is thin, the branches have flourished over the past few centuries. Choosing which branch will inherit the territory is quite a headache."
The cloaked man, surprised and angry, said, "It's about to erupt, and you're still dragging your feet on such an important issue? What are you doing? Without an heir, even if we control all aspects of Alden Town, we won't have a formal title. How will we proceed afterward? If there's no new lord in place, those lords friendly with the Earl will immediately suppress us as rebels."
The fisherman smirked. "Precisely because it's an important issue, we need to choose wisely. Who inherits the territory? Of course, whoever promises the most benefits will be the one who inherits. Don't worry; we'll definitely send someone to you before we make a move."
He glanced at the cloaked man and nudged him lightly with his elbow. "I can hear your words are laced with guilt; why is that?"
The cloaked man lowered his head again. Since it was night and he wore a hood, the fisherman couldn't see his expression.
"I... after all, I swore an oath to Earl Grayman."
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" The fisherman chuckled. "You really see yourself as a knight under the Earl?"
"The Earl's expectations of us are even higher than those for knights. To be honest, if it weren't for my family, I would be more than happy to serve Earl Grayman. The Earl... has revealed many things to me that I was previously unaware of. Perhaps you living in the countryside wouldn't know, but throughout Alden... no, even the entire Northwest Bay has undergone incredible changes because of Earl Grayman."
"Oh, I can sense a bit of it; my hometown hasn't had a flood in two years, thanks to Grayman's construction of reservoirs and dams. During dry spells, we can still irrigate using water from the reservoirs. Hey, did you know he even paid wages for the construction of the reservoirs? If you ask me..."
The fisherman scoffed, "What a damn fool... he is a lord, after all."
The cloaked man looked at the fisherman in disbelief, and for a moment, he felt he had made a wrong decision.
He suddenly reached out and grabbed the fisherman's arm tightly.
"Please take my words back. When the time comes, do not let Earl Grayman suffer too much."
"Don't worry!" The fisherman removed his hand with his other hand, sneering, "It's just a moment's affair. Our lord—let me refer to him this last time—won't suffer for long; he will soon return to the embrace of the Lord of Light."
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.