In the Basement...

It was all for the sake of the territory. When Sonea said this, Kars, the assembled lords, Priest Gilman, and even her mother, Kara, all opened their eyes wide in surprise.

"So you did all this for that purpose? Then why didn't you rely on the Northern Roberk Alliance?"

Kars said they were the ones Sonea should have relied upon, but she scoffed.

"Even if the Roberk Alliance managed to defeat the Demon Army, what were you planning to do afterward? People die when they fight. If the men who work the fields are gone, how will you maintain the territory?"

Sonea looked at the assembled lords with cold disdain.

"Local nobles like us lease farmland to tenant farmers and live off the proceeds. If the number of workers decreases, that directly affects tax revenue. If the people of the territory disappear, who will work the fields? Are you planning to swing farm tools and till the land yourself, Uncle?"

Confronted with the practical problem Sonea had pointed out, Kars and the other local lords looked away.

"In any case, we were able to make good use of the earl's daughter, so the threat of the Demon Army is gone. The question now is what to do next. What are you planning to do, Uncle? Our opponent is an earl's house. They are stronger than we are, you know?"

When Sonea questioned her uncle, Kars grabbed a cup of liquor from the table, drained it in one gulp, and shouted.

"What are you talking about? We have the Church on our side! Isn't that right, Gilman? No matter how powerful an earl's house is, it can't defy the authority of the Church!"...