Chapter 253 The Bishop's Visit
"Waste!"
A huge roar echoed in the hall.
The Duke's Mansion in Cent City, where Duke Ferdinand's birthday was originally celebrated, a group of people were gathered inside.
Sitting in the main seat in the hall was the heir of Duke Ferdinand, Count Maltz Kent. Sitting on both sides were vassals of the Kent family and vassals of the former Duke Ferdinand who already regarded Maltz as their master.
At this moment, the earl was staring at a man kneeling at the steps with his eyes wide open - his son Jais Kent.
Jais knelt on the ground with his head down, motionless, bearing his father's anger.
"The reputation of our family will end in your hands!"
Martz Kent was extremely sad. This failure was really an unbearable blow.
How many enemies have suffered from the hard-earned strength of the family heads of previous generations? After arduous efforts, the strength of the Northwest Bay No. 2 family was finally established step by step.
Whenever he recalled the glorious achievements in his family's history, Martz Kent felt a sense of pride.
Now, his son has shattered this pride with his own hands.
An army of more than 8,000 people was beaten to pieces in one battle, and only more than 2,000 people escaped with Jaais. It was too shameful!
How will others see his family in the future? A vase that looks good but breaks at a knock? All kinds of bad descriptions kept emerging in Martz Kent's mind.
"You said there were fire crossbows on the opposite side, and I specially transferred more than 1,500 archers to you. They were archers trained for years, but they were all ruined by you, a waste!"
Martz Kent angrily scolded his son, with an extremely painful expression on his face.
Not only the invisible reputation, but also the real military strength, was ruined by this son. Although this archer unit originally belonged to Duke Ferdinand, as the heir of the Duke and the actual controller of Center City, this unit actually belongs to him.
Unlike ordinary soldiers, this archer unit has to train for two afternoons every week. How can he not feel pain when losing such "elite soldiers"?
Seeing that his uncle was still going to continue scolding, Emerson Wilder, the "royal representative" on the side, quickly stood up and persuaded: "Uncle Kent, no one can predict what will happen on the battlefield. I believe that cousin Jais has reflected deeply. Now that we have suffered a setback, we must not lose our composure."
After Emerson spoke, other people in the hall also persuaded him.
Martz Kent sat back in his seat, took a few breaths, and asked him, "Is there any news from Jingyao?"
Emmerson answered carefully, "It hasn't been reported back yet. The royal family is busy dealing with the rebellion in the south, so they probably can't take care of the things in the northwest."
"Humph! I just hope they can't take care of it. If our 'King' interferes again, I don't know how long it will take to deal with these troublemakers!"
Although he suffered a defeat, the outcome of the war will always depend on the overall strength of both sides. He has absolute confidence in this.
The Earl's mood gradually calmed down, and he regretted his previous loss of composure. He was about to become a duke, and he should not show his emotions.
He said to Jais in a more relaxed tone, "Okay, my child. Just like little Emerson said, no one can predict what will happen on the battlefield. I can tolerate a temporary failure. You get up first!"
Jais stood up and walked to the side silently. When he passed by Emerson, he quietly gave him a grateful look.
"Father, please allow me to gather another group of troops. I must wash away this shame with my own hands!"
"Don't worry, send someone to the other side to investigate the situation first! On the one hand, we need time to think about how to deal with the fire crossbow and thunder hammer. On the other hand, spring plowing is imminent, which is not suitable for fighting."
...
After discussing with a group of vassals and adjourning, Martz Kent welcomed an unexpected guest-Leonard, the Bishop of the Northwest.
This surprised the Earl very much. The Bishop usually stayed in the church to preach and never liked to interact with the nobles. What made him take the initiative to visit?
Could it be? A bad idea came to the Earl's mind. He quickly called a trusted guard and ordered: "Keep an eye on my little friend and our Duke."
Looking at the back of the guard leaving, the Earl comforted himself in his heart: It's okay, I am so cautious on weekdays.
He went to a small reception room and ordered the servant to lead the guest here.
...
Leonard followed the servant into the reception room and saw Martz Kent, who was waiting for him inside.
The Duke's heir stood up and said, "Welcome, welcome. When you, the bishop, come to the door, the whole duke's mansion is bathed in the glory of God."
"My Lord Earl, you are joking. The glory of the Lord of Light always shines on each of us."
Leonard bowed slightly to him. Facing Martz Kent, who was about to become the largest secular lord in the Northwest Bay, even he, the bishop of the region, had to be cautious.
No mistake, one sentence, one content, one book, one bar, one 6, one 9, one book!
The two sat down as host and guest, and Leonard suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Although the other party had a smile on his face and the fireplace was still burning in the reception room, Leonard felt a chill both physically and mentally.
This feeling was even more obvious when he cast his eyes on the Earl.
He had met the man several times before, but this time, when he was in close contact with him, he found that the Earl gave people a very different feeling than before.
What kind of person is this?
A thin face, a well-cut beard, and a calm and graceful temperament, which are no different from ordinary middle-aged nobles.
One thing is surprising, the Earl's face is not ruddy like a healthy person, but as pale as a seriously ill person, but his eyes are indeed bright and energetic, as if they can spit out flames. Just looking at those eyes, no one would doubt that the Earl is an energetic and vibrant person.
It is really strange that such contradictory characteristics appear in the same person.
"My Lord Bishop, what is the matter with you?"
The Earl's question brought Leonard back to his senses, "Oh, sorry."
He considered his words and said slowly, "I am here to bother you this time because I have something to do."
"My Lord Bishop, please speak." Maltz Kent still had a kind tone.
Leonard said his purpose: "I wonder if you can arrange a meeting between me and the Duke?"
"Oh?"
Count Maltz Kent narrowed his eyes.