Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 548: Chapter 521: The War Council and the Six Ministries

Ibn’s proposal quickly silenced the arguments.

After all, a powerful contender for the throne himself had suggested postponing the discussion of who would be king. It was pointless for anyone else to press the issue.

So, the topic of discussion shifted from the throne to the matter of the Noble Commander-in-Chief.

Although Ronin didn’t refuse the position, he had his own ideas on the matter.

"Since you all support me, and the late King’s will indicated that I should lead the nobles, I will not refuse the position of Commander-in-Chief."

Ronin rose to his feet and bowed to the nobles filling the hall.

At this, the banquet hall erupted in thunderous applause. Ibn took a deep breath and clapped along, a smile fixed on his face.

’Whether this crowd genuinely supported him or simply feared his power, the result was the same.’

Ronin waited for a moment, but the applause continued to thunder. He had no choice but to raise his hands and gesture downwards, finally bringing the room to silence.

"I appreciate your trust, but in a kingdom this vast, domestic stability and development are just as important as military operations."

This statement immediately captured everyone’s attention. They were all curious to hear what Ronin would say next. After all, his every word now held the potential for opportunity, the power to reshape the political landscape.

Ronin paused for a moment before laying out his proposal.

"Therefore, I propose that before a new King is enthroned, we establish two new bodies. The first, to oversee military campaigns, will be the ’War Council.’ The second, to ensure the Kingdom’s stability and development, will be the ’Six Ministries.’"

’Weakening the power of the nobles... This was something Ronin had always wanted to do.’

’Though he wasn’t the King, he could use this opportunity to test the waters. Any problems he discovered now would serve as a valuable reference for when he eventually established his own kingdom.’

’After all, there was much he was still uncertain about.’

And at his words, the eyes of everyone in the hall lit up.

Without a doubt, both the War Council and the institution Ronin had named the "Six Ministries" were to be centers of power.

The nobles might not be able to compete for the throne, but they could certainly vie for positions within these two powerful bodies.

Ibn asked intently, "Ronning Duke, please elaborate on your ideas."

Ronin nodded. Just as he was about to continue, a Knight strode in from outside the banquet hall. He hurried to Valgis’s side, bowing low to whisper a few words.

Valgis’s brow furrowed. He looked at Ronin, then to the other nobles, and announced gravely, "My Knight informs me that Ference’s son, Moss Gregor, has led an army to the border of Gistana. It appears the Ferrensburg Duchy has betrayed Oduin and surrendered to Tricia!"

The moment he spoke, the hall erupted into heated discussion.

Some cursed the traitorous Gregor family, others clamored for Ference’s execution, while still others demanded they immediately dispatch troops to the Ferrensburg Duchy and slaughter every last one of the betrayers.

Amid the uproar, Carolina unexpectedly entered, bringing news from the Villa Duchy.

Lurans sighed. "The Villa Duchy has followed in Ferrensburg’s footsteps. Ronin, I must leave the Royal Capital ahead of schedule and head for the border."

’Since Ronin had killed Andrea, the Villa Duchy’s immediate rebellion was predictable.’

’As for the Ferrensburg Duchy... Ference isn’t even dead yet, but his son Moss didn’t even bother to negotiate, leading his troops to attack Gistana directly. He’s certainly in a hurry.’

’Fortunately, Valgis had set up defenses a while ago, so they wouldn’t be caught completely off guard.’

"The war has begun!"

Ronin said in a low, firm voice, "As Allied Commander-in-Chief, I hereby appoint Valgis, Lurans, Ibn, and Gushan as members of the War Council. Together with me, you will be fully responsible for the war effort against all hostile forces!"

These four men, along with Ronin himself, were all nobles with the rank of Kingdom Count or higher. With the exception of Gushan, they each held their own fiefdoms and were formidably powerful.

Hearing Ronin call their names, all of them—except for Lurans—were curious about what this meant.

"I intend for Duke Valgis to lead the Western Nobles in a campaign against Ferrensburg. Marquis Lurans will be responsible for the Villa Duchy. Ibn and Count Gushan will lead the Central Nobles against the Blackthorn Duchy. I, in turn, will lead the nobles from the Golden Feather City region in a direct assault on the Tricia Kingdom and the Honored Duchy!"

In essence, the War Council would oversee military operations on four fronts, reporting their results to Ronin, who would then exercise unified command.

Valgis and the other three men had no objections, especially Ibn.

In his eyes, this was Ronin’s way of indirectly agreeing to the conditions he had proposed at Wushan Manor.

Although he was to share responsibility with Gushan, the latter had never shown any interest in acquiring new territory.

In other words, once they conquered the Blackthorn Duchy, that territory would very likely become the Tolansky Clan’s new Duke’s Domain.

Ibn was the first to state his position. "I have no objection to the Ronning Duke’s arrangement. I would just like to know which of the Central Nobles Count Gushan and I will be leading."

Ronin smiled. "We can discuss the details later; I haven’t finalized the rosters. In principle, I will respect the personal wishes of every noble—you may request which commander you wish to follow. However, in order to balance our forces, I may need to make some adjustments."

Ibn nodded. It seemed this meeting wasn’t going to end anytime soon.

They went on to discuss military operations at length before finally turning to the topic of the "Six Ministries."

This was a topic that held great interest for many of them.