"Duke Fredrick Fornon was one of the most terrifying nobles I ever had the opportunity to meet while striving for hegemony in Dynasties Online."

"He seemed to be a taciturn man with lingering resentment towards the king due to his dismissal, but this resentment never seemed to be directed at the royal family itself." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"If only people picked up on this more, then things may never have turned out the way they did, forever altering the fate of Nathia."

Austyn Florant, Heir to Florisson’s and head of House Florant, a noble house in the Kingdom of Nathia

.....

"All hail his royal majesty Luther of House Kendari, second of his name, king of the Narth and protector of the realm!"

The Nathian royal herald called out, turning Baron Flander Florant’s attention away from his internal contemplation, which one man had caused.

Crown Prince Kodji’s Kendari.

A Prince you do not want to get on the wrong side of, and who, for some reason, seemed to hold a particular disgust for him.

Baron Flander did not know why it was him and not the other NPCs lords that he seemed to hate, despite Flander being a better lord than most in Rahlans faction, with the exception of Fredrick Fornon, the Duke of Qworf, who was respected by everyone mainly for his crucial role in supporting King Luther to the throne, even if their relationship nowadays was more strained.

Even the crown prince, despite him being his most dangerous political opponent, treated the man with respect, and Duke Fredrick treated him exactly the same as he does all royalty, even the second prince, whom he was supporting to take the throne.

It was a loyalty and respect for the royal family that Flander did not expect from him, a man who by all accounts should be one of the nobles most dissatisfied with the king, who disregarded their friendship and forced him out of the centre of power to replace him with Winston Lanwood, though, considering that he primarily joined Prince Rahlans faction due to his unknown conflict with the king, such an attitude Flander was only slightly surprising as the duke seemed not to allow his grudge with the sitting king to affect his loyalty to the royal family.

An admirable point of view if ever there was one.

Baron Flander had only met the man once.

It was as soon as he joined Prince Rahlans faction that he had been ordered to interview the old duke, and he came back with only one impression.

He was terrifying!

As long as the man lived, Flander would not dare to conspire against the kingdom too much lest the man’s ruthless blade cut him down and exterminate his dynasty, forcing him to start again from scratch.

He was entirely worthy of his reputation as a former prime minister and crucial supporting figure for King Luther in his early days, and Flander would never forget the conversation they had as the old duke, who looked as ancient as the white-haired king sitting on the Nathian throne, seemed able to see through his every thought.

.....

"Your grace."

Baron Flander said respectfully, kneeling before Duke Fredrick Fornon, a man over 60 years old with white hair and a long silvery beard, who was nonchalantly sitting on a mahogany high-backed chair, eating an apple.

However, despite the man’s casual demeanour, his bright, light-blue eyes seemed to gaze into Flanders’s very soul.

"Why has a man who seems to care so much about the people under his rule decided to join my princes’ faction?"

Duke Fredrick asked in his old raspy voice, hardened by surviving many untold trials and tribulations that Baron Flander could not possibly imagine having not yet engaged in a life-or-death political struggle.

"Surely the crown prince, who is talented and cares more for the people and strength of the realm, would fit a person of your disposition more, no? Even your own liege is that bastard Winston, a loyal dog of the crown who will bark and bite when asked."

Facing Fredrick’s questions, the last of which caused his voice to be laced with a hatred that Baron Flander did not know was real or fake, left the player Baron stunned.

Of all the topics they could have covered in this conversation, with the universally acknowledged number two and hidden hand of the second Prince Rahlans faction being questioned on his loyalty and his reasons for joining them was not one of them.

And it put Baron Flander on guard, making him question why they would even consider refusing his allegiance when they were in the midst of an ongoing power struggle.

Facing Flander, widened eyes and stunned expression, Duke Fredrick smiled slightly.

"Why are you stunned?"

"Did you assume that just because you have come to pledge allegiance, that we would accept you without hesitation? Without Question?"

Duke Fredrick said in an icy voice, making Baron Flander unconsciously shiver, lost for words as it was clear that unless Duke Fredrick gave the nod, all hope of joining Prince Rahlans faction would be extinguished, such was the man’s influence.

Because being accepted without any question or hesitation was exactly what he assumed.

Even if the NPCs are as intelligent as the players and regular humans, most of them are uneducated. Many players, even now, still despise them, secretly unconsciously believing that just because they could play as the descendants of their first character or create an entirely new dynasty if their original one was destroyed, that it somehow made them superior to mere code.

Many NPC nobles fit into the stereotypical tyrannical or corrupt archetype, and as Prince Rahlans’ faction appeared to be the gathering place of all these people, Baron Flander, as a player, assumed that they would be as incompetent as they were in those stories.

Only to be met by this Duke of Qworf, who was not like that at all.

Instead, the duke’s mind was sharp like a razor, his tiger-like gaze able to suppress the world without needing to say a word.

There were rumours at court, popular among the kingdom’s upper classes, that it was because of Duke Fredrick and his support that Luther was able to take the Nathian throne, and that many of the king’s actions that seemed to indicate he was a wise ruler in the past were in fact suggested by Fredrick who helped to put King Luther II on the Nathian throne.

Suffering under the man’s stifling gaze, now Baron Flander is inclined to believe those rumours.

Maybe that was why, eventually, King Luther II and the duke parted ways.

After all, there is nothing more dangerous to a ruling monarch than a minister overshadowing their lord, as it makes the lord or king worried about their position, especially when that minister also has the military power of a duke and has their territory adjacent to the royal capital, making the dispatch of an army easy.

Worse, the Duchy of Qworf was not weak either; it could be said to be one of the world’s stronger duchies.

Because while Duke Fredrick could not raise as many men as the two grand dukes of Nathia, who reside at the nation’s borders, he can still raise a strong force of 70,000 men if all his vassals heed the call to arms, and he also controls one of the strongest river based fleets in the Kingdom and even the entire southern continent granting him immense wealth due to the trade that flows up and down the Narth River.

It was also why the Duke of Qworf was the most important figure in the second prince’s faction, aside from the second prince himself.

"I believe that supporting the second prince is in my best interest."

Baron Flander said, not daring to lie directly to Duke Fredrick but not giving him the whole truth either.

After all, he couldn’t just say he wanted to gain power and then use the corrupt, ailing Kingdom of Nathia as a stepping stone to founding his own nation, could he!

That would likely just end up with his and his dynasty’s heads on spikes, which, in addition to being a rather uncomfortable macabre sight, would remove all the advantages the young player had gained by joining the game early.

What started as a little hobby and something to enjoy had turned far more serious when he and the rest of the business world realised just how important Dynasties Online would be to their future prosperity.

Because the player behind Baron Flander was no ordinary player, his real-world identity was Austyn Florant, the heir to Florisson’s, a supermarket chain in heavy competition with Emart, which was under the young genius Lee Smith and in recent years, leading to Florisson’s slowly being suppressed and part of their market share taken.

So when he found out from an insider within Emart that Lee Smith was based in the Chavarian Empire while he was based in the Kingdom of Nathia, he was relieved, as it meant that in the short term and even the medium term, he would not have to worry about competing in the game against that talented monster.

"Oh..."

Duke Fredrick said, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"In what way does it benefit you? Rebelling against your liege lord is a serious crime that can lead to the execution of not only yourself but your entire family."

"I hope you understand that treason against the royal family is not the only form of treason in our world."

Duke Fredrick answered, his voice retaining its coldness, for no powerful noble or king likes unruly vassals, as it makes their life so much harder than it needs to be.

Fredrick should know, as he has had to deal with a few of his own unruly vassals over the years, if what Baron Flander had heard was correct, so it is understandable if he had a particular dislike for ambitious lower-ranking nobles like himself.

But Baron Flander did not think that the duke would allow such prejudices to stop him from joining Prince Rahlan’s faction, though he still had to answer carefully.

"Compared to following my liege lord, Marquis Winston Landwood of Vantanor, to support the old king and his chosen successor, I believe that joining his highness Prince Rahlan allows for far more abundant rewards; maybe he would deem my contributions enough to increase my lands and titles."

Baron Flander said, again not lying, because while following his liege lord was the safe option, there would not be as much room for advancement when compared to supporting the new king while rebelling against his liege lord.

Silence followed as Duke Fredrick seemed to slowly digest his words, not moving a muscle, as even his face was a mask of neutral calculation, giving no indication whether his answer was right or wrong in the mind of the formidable duke.

"I see so your motivation is purely land, wealth and power?"

"There are no other reasons?"

The duke asked, taking what appeared to be some sort of parchmented leather-bound notebook out from his chest and writing something down in it, looking at him with a sharp glare that once again sent a shiver down his spine.

"No, your grace."

Baron Flander replied respectfully. Not once since the conversation began had he dared to look into Duke Fredrick’s piercing light-blue eyes, as if they could read his every desire and ambition.

"But why would my reasons for joining you matter?"

Baron Flander asked, finally looking up at the duke for the first time since he entered the duke’s office as the old man stood up and went towards the window that looked out over the sprawling countryside and the golden fields of wheat that stretched out to the River Narth.

"Why something happens and why someone makes a move or takes an action, is always the most important thing to know."

"You may go; I’ll send you a letter of introduction tomorrow."

The old man said dismissively, his voice turning raspy as Duke Fredrick let out a sigh as if he was disappointed with him.

Walking out of the office, which was guarded by a team of plate-armoured knights and personal guards, Baron Flander only had one thing on his mind.

Why did Duke Fredrick seem disappointed in him?

....

"Your majesty, we must call the banners and send troops to reinforce Nartook Fortress to stop the Chavarians’ aggression."

Duke Rober Routen of Ryre said loudly for all of the court to hear as he bowed respectfully to the king, taking Baron Flanders’ mind away from the flood of memories that suddenly came and bringing him back to the important royal court session.

"I agree we must defend Nartook Fortress if it falls, our entire kingdom will be exposed to the invaders."

Another minister echoed, quickly followed by all the others.

This was one of the few times when all the nobles and ministers of the court were of one mind, for none of them wanted Nathia to be annexed by Chavaria and to lose a large portion of their power.

This is because there is a massive difference between being a duke in a kingdom and being a duke in a large empire where there may be 50 or even 60 dukes. To add insult to injury, as a newly added territory and a recently annexed country, it would be hard for them to gain access to the centre of power for decades, likely having to wait as long as the nobles of Nadron or Pluerus did before being trusted enough to gain access to positions in the central government.

As a result, all the nobility are united with one purpose.

To win the war against Chavaria and protect their positions and power.

This included Nathia’s players, especially Baron Flander, who would then have to compete with Lee Smith and the many other powerful player organisations based in the Chavarian Empire, which would have a deeper foundation than he did.

"Duke Routen, as you were the first to suggest calling the banners to help defend the country against invaders.... I assume that means that you will march in full to Nartook Fortress then."

King Luther said with upturned lips as the Duke sighed, knowing he was now trapped into sending his entire army to face the Chavarians instead of just a portion, and, as this was the first time Flander had attended a court session, he spent his time observing the Nathian king closely as the king’s favour would go a long way in allowing him to achieve his ambitions.

"Of course, your majesty, I will set an example for the nobles and send my entire army to help defend against the Tyrannical Chavarians."

Duke Routen said to groans from the nobility as he did not forget to drag all the other nobles along with him into the fires of war, because if he had to send all his men, then he would be damned if he let the others send the minimum needed not to look disloyal while he sent his entire army to die on the swords and spears of the Chavarians.

"Prime Minister, get me numbers on how many troops can be provided by my vassals to help in the war."

King Luther said with finality even if the nobility were reluctant facing 600,000 elite Chavarian troops lead by two grandmaster stratgists left them with little choice but to give their support for the defence of the kingdom otherwise they would likily find themselves not with a king but an emperor and a competent one at that who was far more competent and powerful than the king who allows them a lot of leeway.

Only a fool wouldn’t realise which monarch would better protect their power and interests.

After a few seconds of silence, the crown prince stepped forward.

"Father, I believe that we should send an envoy to the Iravian Confederacy to make an alliance or at the very least remain neutral, otherwise we will find our supply lines and rear attacked!"

"If they side with the Chavarians with an attack from both air and land, even the defences of Nartook Fortress may not be able to be held!"

"We can also send envoys to the nations surrounding Nathia to attack them while a large portion of the Chavarian army sieges Nartook Fortress, which will divert any reinforcements they may send to support their war effort."

"If any can break through, it will lead to the Chavarians retreating."