Chapter 349 – Irresponsible Protest

“What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to rebel?”

Seeing all the nobles uniformly raising their hands to oppose the “War of Glory” he valued so deeply, Joni felt his lungs about to explode from rage. He had been busy handling various military arrangements during this period, never expecting these seemingly weak nobles to unite and dare stage a collective protest right before the war was about to begin.

Thinking this, Joni unconsciously tightened his grip on his sword hilt—the War of Glory absolutely must not be disrupted. But… these nobles formed the crucial power center of this kingdom, with several major families even controlling vital grain trade.

For a moment, Joni couldn’t decide what to say next. Strictly speaking, the nobles raising objections now didn’t violate aristocratic protocols. The Maple Leaf Kingdom’s parallel systems of feudalism and absolute monarchy allowed nobles to voice dissent in the Council.

While Joni remained speechless or couldn’t immediately formulate a response, the nobles seized this rare opportunity to express their opinions.

Under the gaze of everyone in the Royal Hall, an elderly noble sitting in the front row tremblingly rose to his feet:

“Lord Zordas, it’s still early morning. If you have time, perhaps you could hear this old man out.”

Unlike many young nobles who trembled under Joni’s furious glare, the old noble leaned on his ornate cane while straightening his posture, even calmly adjusting the tassels on his garment with an air of nonchalance.

Then, the elderly noble spoke unhurriedly:

“Lord Zordas, the invasion our Kingdom suffered three hundred years ago indeed brought grief to all. My own grandfather returned to Tyr’s embrace under Ovakain Acidmaw’s breath. The shame that evil black dragon brought upon us all has never been forgotten, but……”

At this point, the old noble lifted his head to gaze intently at Joni Zordas standing bathed in sunlight:

“…But life must go on, the Kingdom must endure, and our bloodlines must continue. Repeated wars harvest no glory, nor can courage and piety replace bread! Lord Zordas, you are far older than I—before you, this decrepit old man is but a child. So perhaps we cannot comprehend your perspective… But this nation truly cannot bear more wars anymore. Even the wealthiest nobles have exhausted their last family fortunes……”

“Silence…………”

“…………Every noble’s territory has begun to fall barren, with more impoverished commoners becoming displaced………”

“Enough! Hold your tongue, you coward!”

Furious Joni interrupted the old noble’s account. His hair began stirring as if blown by windless air, while the ground beneath his feet instantly cracked apart. At this moment, the enraged Joni resembled an offended lion!

The furious lion slammed his greatsword violently into the ground, then roared at the old noble with an avenger’s fury:”You worthless cowards! Do you not know that our enemies are ravaging our homeland, that despicable invaders now rule our people, that the light of justice is shrouded in darkness, and the Kingdom’s glory has been trampled into the mud? Now, as this sacred war is about to begin, you cowardly fools actually choose to retreat…”

As he spoke, Jiaoni took a fierce step forward, causing the floor tiles in the hall to crack and shatter with a series of sharp pops:

“I—Joni Zordas, Grand General of the Maple Leaf Kingdom—will never allow such a thing to happen in my country! Now, by the King’s authority, I command you to immediately dispatch all your private armies and subjects to join the battle. Mark my words—this is an order! So long as you remain Nobles of the Maple Leaf Kingdom, you will obey this command!”

Jiaoni’s voice trembled with rage, the scar on his face twitching grotesquely as veins bulged. A terrifying aura swept through the Royal Hall, leaving countless Nobles paralyzed with fear, unable to move.

However, the elderly Noble at the forefront remained unshaken by Jiaoni’s roar. His clouded eyes fixed firmly on Jiaoni, he spoke slowly, enunciating each word:

“If you insist on war… then we shall take our families and wealth and leave this country! Therefore, I beg you to rescind this order. Otherwise, the Fadlan family, representing the thirty-three Lords of the Northwind Territory, will voluntarily renounce all titles held within the Maple Leaf Kingdom!”

The old Noble’s voice was low and gravelly, laden with indescribable sorrow and resignation—an almost inconceivable declaration. After all, in the Faerûn Plane, titles were among the most cherished possessions of any family. Even vast treasures and renown could not compare to the honor of a Baron’s title, for it symbolized status and guaranteed the noble lineage of all direct descendants. Unless faced with existential crisis, it was nearly unthinkable for a landed Noble to abandon their title.

Yet here was the old Noble doing exactly that—and he was not alone.

“Duke Kemo requests that Lord Zordas rescind the order. Otherwise, the twenty-six Lords of the Goldleaf Territory will voluntarily renounce all titles in the Maple Leaf Kingdom…”

“And I, the twelve Lords of the East Wheatfield region, declare…”

“I, too, the twenty-eight Lords of Raven Valley…”

After a prolonged silence, one powerful Noble after another, led by the twelve Great Dukes, began threatening Jiaoni with the renunciation of their titles. Their voices brimmed with either resignation or fury, yet ultimately, every Noble present chose this most desperate means to pressure Jiaoni into changing his decision.

This was no mere threat. If Jiaoni refused to reconsider, these Nobles would indeed carry out their vow. With the wealth they had amassed over years of exploiting the people, they could live as wealthy merchants in other lands, even without their titles—a far better fate than perishing with the Maple Leaf Kingdom.Of course, abandoning ancestral foundations and hard-won privileges was truly heartbreaking, but they could no longer meet Jiaoni’s demands. Moreover, the fall of Maple Leaf Kingdom was imminent. Now, many cowardly Nobles were genuinely considering whether to abandon this sinking ship called Maple Leaf Kingdom.

“…Cowards! Cowards! Cowards, all of them… deserters at the critical moment!”

In his fury, Jiaoni gritted his teeth until they creaked. Watching these Nobles resort to such irresponsible resistance at this crucial juncture filled him with both rage and desperation. These Nobles held significant authority, commanded numerous private armies, and controlled vast wealth… Particularly several dukes who governed the trade routes between Maple Leaf Kingdom and the Kikalaka Kingdom. If these Nobles truly went on strike… Maple Leaf Kingdom would face famine this winter.

The mere thought of this filled Jiaoni with immense anxiety. He truly wished to cut down these cowards one by one with his sword, but… he couldn’t do that. After all, Jiaoni was still a “Lawful” Holy Warrior. Even disregarding potential famine, he couldn’t slaughter people merely for “political opposition.”

However… Jiaoni was the only one consumed by anxiety, and he alone was constrained by such scruples.

Just as the Royal Hall was about to fall into silence once more, an icy voice abruptly rang out.

“Ahem… if I may interrupt, gentlemen. If I heard correctly… you wish to stop this war?”

(End of Chapter)