Chapter 346: Chapter 234: Preconceived Notions? A Blind Spot Discovered

The conference room in Henry’s mansion was brightly lit.

Overhead hung a crystal chandelier—that’s right, a crystal chandelier. It wasn’t fitted with electric lights, but with tallow candles as thick as a man’s forearm.

The conference table was crafted from precious sandalwood, and its rich fragrance filled the air for anyone sitting nearby.

The conference room was also adorned with various valuable oil paintings, all created by some of the world’s most renowned artists. They had acquired significant artistic value over time.

Henry certainly lived up to his reputation as a Lord who loved luxury. The decor in the conference room wasn’t even the most extravagant part of the mansion.

Henry’s army had no money, yet everything in the Count’s mansion was of the highest quality. He had truly spent all his money on appearances rather than substance.

However, Henry would have no more opportunities to enjoy these luxuries. The room now served as a conference hall where Fang Zhen gathered his subordinates to plan their next course of action.

The one who had just spoken was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He had an intelligent face, and it was clear he was of noble birth; his every action and his entire demeanor bore the hallmarks of a noble upbringing and its associated etiquette.

His name was Ottis, and he served as an advisor and aide to Duke Tarrenno.

Duke Tarrenno may have been tyrannical, but to rule a Duchy, one still needed to be capable. Part of that capability involved hiring a considerable number of scholars to provide effective information and advice.

In the Nameless World, a scholar had to possess genuine talent and practical skills to survive. There were no universities offering life-long tenure—in fact, this world had no universities or similar institutions at all. There were only relatively primitive schools of thought that trained scholars through an apprenticeship system.

It was too difficult for these scholars to survive by relying solely on academia. They had to depend on the patronage of the nobility and provide useful services—such as legal, historical, or agricultural consultation, or by serving as private tutors teaching rhetoric, grammar, and oratory—just to make a living in this world.

The man before them, Ottis, was the younger son of a certain nobleman. Unable to inherit the title but naturally intelligent, he had received an excellent scholarly education, eventually becoming an advisor and aide to Duke Tarrenno, for whom he also handled legal and clerical work.

At this moment, Ottis’s face was flushed and he seemed agitated, though it was unclear whether it was from fear or some other emotion.

Fang Zhen looked at Ottis and asked, "You say Balenzuo will invade the Tarrenno Duchy. What evidence do you have to support your claim?"

"As for concrete intelligence, we don’t have any yet," Ottis said. "But based on the logic of the situation, I can deduce that it is a strong possibility."

"To ensure you fully understand my reasoning, Sir, allow me to first briefly explain the current situation in the Kingdom."

"There are four major powers with significant military influence in the Kingdom, as well as one special faction. The four major powers are the Kingdom Army, Duke Sith’s army, the Duke Balenzuo Army, and our own Duke Tarrenno Army. Of course, the latter has now been renamed the Augustus Army."

"Then there is the separate faction, the Tade Church. The church has its own Order Army. Forgive me for saying so, but they have drawn God’s army into secular affairs." Ottis offered a slight nod of apology to Matthew and Agatha.

Matthew and Agatha nodded, not seeming to mind.

Ottis continued, "The current situation in the Kingdom is a standoff between Duke Sith and the Kingdom Army. The Kingdom Army is nominally stronger than Duke Sith’s forces, but only marginally. However, for certain well-known reasons, the Kingdom Army’s chaotic logistics and coordination mean its effective strength is only on par with, or perhaps even slightly weaker than, Duke Sith’s army. The stalemate is maintained entirely thanks to the personal military genius of its Commander-in-Chief, the Count of Rhine."

"Meanwhile, Duke Sith’s army doesn’t dare to make any overly aggressive moves, because both the Balenzuo Duchy and the Tarrenno Duchy border his territory. An overly aggressive push would weaken his defenses and leave an opening for others to exploit."

Fang Zhen nodded slightly.

’So that’s how it is.’ He understood. ’Duke Sith’s army is currently the most combat-effective force, but they can’t defeat the Kingdom Army anytime soon, and they’re afraid that Balenzuo and Tarrenno will attack their lands while they’re occupied.’

"The Tarrenno army is weaker than both Duke Sith’s army and the Kingdom Army, but slightly stronger than the Balenzuo army—though the advantage is minimal. The two duchies share a border and constantly trade blows in skirmishes, with neither gaining the upper hand. And Duke Balenzuo and Duke Tarrenno have both... heh... been consciously or unconsciously helping the Kingdom Army tie down Sith’s forces."

Fang Zhen chuckled.

’How interesting. These Dukes are all undermining each other.’

’The attitudes of Balenzuo and Tarrenno were obvious. They couldn’t let Sith gain an advantage and actually defeat the Kingdom Army, or they would lose their own opportunity. But they also didn’t want a direct conflict with Sith’s forces. If the Kingdom Army gained the upper hand and eliminated Duke Sith, then the two of them would be next.’

’The ideal scenario for them was for Sith and the Kingdom Army to bleed each other dry, allowing Balenzuo and Tarrenno to swoop in and reap the benefits.’

’The problem was, Sith and the Kingdom Army were aware of this strategy, so they refused to take the bait, resulting in a stalemate. To make matters worse, Tarrenno and Balenzuo had their own disagreements and were constantly clashing with each other.’

Fang Zhen now had a bird’s-eye view of the Kingdom’s situation. Overall, the various powers were maintaining a strategic stalemate, a kind of dynamic equilibrium.

"And what about the church’s Order Army?" Fang Zhen asked.