In the castle of Fenk County, Viscount Stalenf was hosting a grand banquet.
Dressed in his most splendid silk formalwear, with three thick gold chains hanging around his neck, he smugly showed off the spoils of his victory to the assembled guests.
"Gentlemen, you've all heard, haven't you? That audacious Workers' Party from Wischeim has bowed its head to me!" he exclaimed, raising his goblet, his face flushed with triumph.
"Not only did they compensate me for my losses, but they're also willing to pay sixty gold coins a year to lease laborers from me! Haha, this is what happens when you cross the Stahrenv family!"
The guests raised their goblets in unison, and the words of flattery were endless.
"Your Lordship is wise and mighty!"
"How could a mere gaggle of mud-caked peasants be your match!"
Viscount Stalenf floated on the waves of flattery, feeling as if he had already become the greatest lord in western Leithanien.
He even began to calculate whether, once the first payment of gold arrived, he should acquire a few more purebred horses or replace all the carpets in the castle with more expensive ones.
However, his good mood did not last long.
Just as the banquet ended, his steward ran in, his face deathly pale.
"My lord, it's terrible! Production at Mine Number Three to the west has plummeted by seventy percent!"
"What?" Viscount Stalenf sobered up instantly. "What happened? Has the vein been exhausted?"
"No... it's not that." The steward wiped away his cold sweat, his voice trembling.
"It's... it's the miners. They're all deliberately slacking off! The rate of tool damage is five times higher than usual, and some are even intentionally causing minor cave-ins just to get out of work!"
"I seized a few of the ringleaders for questioning, and they said... they said they want to be leased to Wischeim too!"
"Bastards!" Viscount Stalenf kicked over a nearby chair. "A pack of worthless peasants who don't know what's good for them! Hang those ringleaders for me! Let's see who dares to slack off now!"
But he had no idea that this was only the beginning.
Over the next half-month, a strange "Wischeim Fever" swept through all of Fenk County.
News from an unknown source claimed that the laborers sent to Wischeim were not only not being abused but were living lives fit for gods.
They only worked eight hours a day, had meat broth and bread at every meal, saw a doctor for free when they were sick, and could even attend literacy classes at night.
This news completely unsettled the hearts of all the common folk in Fenk County.
For a time, laziness, work slowdowns, and sabotage became rampant. Serfs in the manors deliberately trampled crops, and miners in the pits found ways to injure themselves. Everyone tried everything they could think of just to make the overseers despise them, hoping to be put on the list for the next shipment of laborers.
Fenk County's production order was on the verge of collapse.
The output of ore and grain fell off a cliff.
Viscount Stalenf was furious. He hanged dozens of troublemakers, but instead of curbing the deviant trend, his actions only incited even fiercer resistance.
The people no longer feared death, because living in Fenk County was no different from being dead.
But going to Wischeim, even if there was only a sliver of hope, was a gamble worth risking their lives for.
Before the beleaguered Viscount could devise a countermeasure, an unsettling guest arrived uninvited.
It was a representative from a major Victorian merchant guild—"Crossroads Commerce."
This guild controlled more than half of the trade routes in western Leithanien, and there were times when even the Electors had to show them some respect.
The representative was an unusually fat man, always wearing a benign smile, but the sharp glint in his small eyes was enough to send a chill down one's spine.
"Oh~ My dear Viscount." The fat guild master sat across from Viscount Stalenf, slowly slicing the roast meat on his plate.
"Regarding the iron ore supply agreement our guild signed with you, this month, you have fulfilled less than thirty percent of it."
"This has made many of my clients very dissatisfied."
"As you know, in Victoria, reputation is life."
Beads of sweat formed on Viscount Stalenf's forehead. He forced a smile, "Master Guildsman, please rest assured, it's just a few minor problems. I will resolve them shortly…"
"No, no, no, this is not a minor problem." The fat guild master wiped his greasy lips with a napkin, his smile still gentle.
"A stable supply chain is the foundation of commercial cooperation. If Fenk County's productivity cannot be guaranteed, then to protect the interests of our guild, we might just... have to consider supporting a more efficient lord."
Before he had even finished speaking, Viscount Stalenf's face had become ashen.
He understood the guild master's implication.
If he couldn't restore production soon, this powerful merchant guild would not hesitate to abandon him and support one of his rivals, or even find a more obedient puppet from a branch of his own family to replace him.
It was only at this moment that Viscount Stalenf finally understood what a terrible trap he had fallen into.
Cutting the ground out from under him!
That bastard Lacey hadn't used a single soldier, yet he had nearly destroyed the very foundation of his rule!
With that seemingly foolish agreement, he hadn't bought five hundred laborers; he had bought the hearts and minds of all of Fenk County!
"Lacey—!" Viscount Stalenf let out a beast-like roar, sweeping everything off the table onto the floor.
Furious and desperate, he issued one decree after another, forbidding any discussion of Wischeim and prohibiting his subjects from fleeing, on pain of death for the entire family of anyone who tried.
The border guard was tripled, watching his own subjects as if they were thieves.
But it was all too late.
Once the seeds of hope had sprouted, no wall, no matter how high, could contain hearts that yearned for the light.
Every day, people risked their lives trying to cross the border to seek refuge in Wischeim.
Fenk County had become a crumbling prison.
Finally, after a second "friendly" visit from the merchant guild's representative, the utterly cornered Viscount Stalenf deflated like a defeated rooster.
He had no choice but to swallow his pride and once again dispatch an envoy to Wischeim.
…
In the study of the count's residence in Wischeim.
The atmosphere this time was completely different from the last.
Lacey sat in the main seat, with Gertrude and Serafina seated on either side.
The envoy from Fenk County stood in the center of the room, covered in sweat, his posture the very picture of humility.
"Lord... Lacey." The envoy began with difficulty.
"Our Viscount... he admits his previous actions were somewhat reckless."
"He hopes... he hopes to annul the previous labor import agreement. We are willing to compensate you for all your losses, twice over!"
Hearing this, Lacey did not reply, merely tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop.
The room was silent, save for the echoing tap.
The oppressive atmosphere was nearly enough to drive the envoy mad. He fell to his knees with a thud. "I'm begging you, Lord Lacey! Fenk County can't hold on much longer! As long as you agree to annul the agreement, we will accept any terms!"
"Oh? You'll accept anything?" The tapping stopped. Lacey lifted his gaze to the groveling envoy on the floor.
"We'll accept anything!" The envoy nodded in helpless confirmation; Viscount Stalenf had repeated this to him over and over before he left.
Compensation, he could pay any compensation. As long as he could restore Fenk County's industry, he'd be willing to sell his own ass.
"The agreement can be annulled," Lacey said nonchalantly, looking at the terrified envoy.
The envoy was overjoyed at these words, thinking the matter was resolved.
"However!" Lacey's tone shifted. "I have a new condition."
He pushed a previously prepared document in front of the envoy.
The envoy opened it with trembling hands. One glance, and he looked as though he'd been struck by lightning.
It was a document titled The Wischeim-Fenk County Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance.
The agreement was brief.
One: Fenk County and Wischeim shall form a permanent alliance, with both parties refraining from aggression and pursuing common development.
Two: Fenk County must fully open its markets to Wischeim. All goods from Wischeim will enjoy tax-free status within Fenk County's borders.
Three: Fenk County must recognize the Leithanien Workers' Party as a legal organization, guarantee the personal safety and legal rights of the 'Office of Laborer's Rights' established by the Workers' Party within its territory and its members, and permit it to freely recruit members and spread its ideology.
Four…
…
"This... this..." The envoy's lips trembled, unable to speak.
This document, called a treaty of alliance, was in reality nothing short of a treaty signed under duress.
It meant that the ideology and organization of the Workers' Party would legally and justifiably infiltrate every corner of Fenk County without obstruction.
If this was signed, would Fenk County belong to Viscount Stalenf, or would it belong to Lacey?
"You can go back and tell him that he is free to refuse," Lacey said calmly.
"In that case, the labor agreement will remain in effect. I'd be happy to continue leasing all of Fenk County's labor force for fifty gold coins a year until he's a general with no army."
The envoy was utterly despondent.
He knew the Viscount had no choice.
…
Viscount Stalenf, the once-arrogant lord, locked himself in his room for a full day after receiving the agreement.
The next day, an agreement bearing the wax seal of the Stahrenv family crest was sent back to Wischeim.
He had signed it.
The Workers' Party, without deploying a single soldier or shedding a drop of blood, had successfully infiltrated the neighboring territory with its influence.
When the news reached Wischeim, the entire city celebrated.
Gertrude looked at the treaty bearing the Stahrenv family seal, her heart filled with a mix of emotions.
She looked at the calm young man beside her and felt for the first time that the power wielded by her ally was far more terrifying than she had ever imagined.
Lacey explained to those around him: "We only gave the people of Fenk County a choice."
"As it turns out, the will of the people is the most powerful weapon of all."
"This is our way of expansion."
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