manynovel Chapter 242 The Power of Choice
Chapter 242 The Power of Choice
Chapter 242 The Power of Choice
Peggy pushed Pena out of the room.
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut.
Pena knocked on the door: "Little sister, listen to me, this is Father's dying wish. At least let us talk things out."
However, the door did not open, and there was no response from inside.
After a while, Pena finally lost his patience. He sighed and said to Dick:
"You flatter me, Sir Dick. My sister has just turned fourteen. Although she is an adult, she still has the mind of a little girl. In addition, Father is always very busy, so only we older brothers and sisters can keep him company. Therefore, we all spoil her and she has become a little spoiled."
Dick remained expressionless: "It's alright, sir, I don't mind."
Pena shrugged: "In short, this matter cannot be settled today, and I also have to tell my mother that if she approves of the marriage, she will help persuade Peggy."
"But I'm not sure about my mother's attitude. After all, she is the Duke's daughter and sister, and she values status and title more than the rest of our family."
"If she doesn't agree, you must be prepared, Dick, then you will have no chance to become my son-in-law."
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Upon hearing this, Dick immediately bowed:
"I am willing to accept any arrangement."
"Well, the fact that you have this awareness shows that your father didn't misjudge you," Pena patted Dick on the shoulder. "However, as for me, I don't approve of this marriage, so you'd better not get your hopes up too high."
Dick nodded, then followed Pena out of Miss Peggy's door.
After parting ways with Pena, Dick went to Da Ma Ji and officially took over one-third of the troops in the port.
The regular army in Caogang is not large, only 1,200 in total.
It is said that there were even fewer ships more than a decade ago, and it was only after the navigator's ships attacked the harbor that Earl Hubert expanded his army to its current size.
Maintaining an army is a huge expense, and most of the time, the army can only serve a deterrent purpose.
However, this does not mean that the military is dispensable.
On the contrary, they are indispensable.
An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one.
If, at a critical moment, one does not have sufficient troops, the loss will be far more than just military spending.
Dick took over a force of four hundred men.
For a territory that is not very large, four hundred regular soldiers is already a huge number.
Dick remembered counting the number of soldiers in his house with his brothers when he was a child.
Dick always counted sixty-two people, but his brothers could always count eighty or ninety, with the second brother even claiming there were more than two hundred.
Looking back now, he thinks that his brothers must have counted some soldiers repeatedly.
The Buchanan family's territory was much smaller than that of the port.
The cities within the territory are not worthy of being called cities at all; calling them towns would be an overstatement.
Moreover, there is a vast amount of land outside the port that belongs to the Peyton family, some of which is suitable for settlement and is governed by Peyton vassals.
The Buchanan family, however, only possessed a piece of uncultivable wasteland, which they could not even distribute to their descendants.
Therefore, apart from the eldest and second sons who could stay within the territory, the other male children in the family had to go out and make their own way in the world.
But Dick didn't care. He disliked the rigid and soporific governance experience his father had personally taught him, and preferred to swing his wooden sword in the open space.
His dream since childhood was to go out and learn martial arts and become a rider.
Now, Dick's dream has come true.
It was precisely because of these past experiences that Dick understood the importance of the troops he commanded for the city's defense.
This shows that, although Peña Peyton was initially extremely resistant to the document Dick presented and questioned its authenticity,
But for now, they should still trust Dick.
This is undoubtedly thanks to Master Horney; without his help, Pena wouldn't have changed his attitude so quickly.
Dick had two cavalrymen and nine captains under his command.
The two riders seemed to have some reservations about Dick's orders, but Dick could understand; all warriors are competitive.
Dick was like that, and so was the loyal dog; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to go to sea.
Fortunately, Dick was only temporarily in charge of the team. Once Pena officially took over, his military power would be taken back. Dick had only just started managing a team when he encountered setbacks.
Lord Hubert, however, was able to manage a large army perfectly, and Dick was able to appreciate even more just how outstanding the loyal dog's abilities were.
John Justinian said he saw the image of a loyal dog in Dick.
But Dick bet John was mistaken; he had been observing the adults closely and knew how big the gap was between them.
He cannot become the next loyal dog.
No one can.
Dick disbanded the group and stayed alone in the castle.
With the castle gates heavily guarded, Dick, naturally, wouldn't want to cause trouble for his new master at this time, so he insisted on going outside the castle to relax.
But what should he do with the time that follows?
When the loyal dog was still around, Dick would stay by his side until the dog finished its work and was ready to go to bed.
Now that the loyal dog has become a body, Lord Pena may take over the loyal dog's duties, but Dick is not Pena's servant, and he has no reason to disturb him in the study.
Finally, Dick arrived at the training ground and began practicing his swordplay.
Dick simply swung his sword.
There was no practice in the techniques.
He was also not familiar with martial arts techniques.
He never learned the power Anne gave him.
He swung his sword.
He simply swung his sword.
This is the most basic exercise.
But even top-tier fighters like Loyal Dog engage in this kind of training.
Dick wanted to figure out what the benefits of this kind of practice were.
Dick spent several hours in a row at the drill ground and came to some conclusions.
Sword practice may seem simple and tedious, but it can train strength, endurance, patience, and focus.
Dick had some insights.
To become a powerful warrior like a loyal dog, the first thing to do is to eliminate impetuosity.
Dick sheathed his sword. He noticed that the lights in the Earl's study were off, indicating that Lord Pena had gone to rest.
Dick suddenly realized that someone seemed to be watching him.
But this feeling was fleeting.
The gist of it is that he is the knight's mortal enemy, and Dick certainly doesn't think that's a misconception.
However, since the other party was no longer paying attention to him, Dick was also unable to sense the other party's presence.
So he started walking towards his room.
This made Dick realize that he had to be careful.
He used to be a loyal servant, and no one would consider a servant a threat.
But now Dick has become a knight and has been entrusted with important responsibilities by the soon-to-be-appointed lord, making him a target of suspicion.
It was inevitable.
However, as of now, he has no clear enemies, so there is nothing he can do except be more vigilant.
The next day, Dick assembled the soldiers early in the morning and personally drilled them.
The two knights seemed rather disgruntled, as if complaining that they had gotten up far too early.
On Insole Island, Dick learned something from the loyal dog.
Pre-battle drills are essential.
At this critical juncture of power transition in the port, no mishaps can be tolerated.
Dick will naturally follow Lord Hubert's dying wish and wholeheartedly assist Lord Pena.
Therefore, he had to ensure that Lord Pena could successfully ascend to the throne.
Although, in Lord Pena's opinion, it was unlikely that anything would go wrong.
However, Dick had to make sure everything went perfectly.
Therefore, he had to simulate the events unfolding within his territory and practice how to quickly suppress a mutiny.
To ensure the safety of Pena and all members of the Peyton family, and to mitigate the negative impact of the unexpected situation.
Reduce to the minimum.
Dick's consideration was that the first priority should be to seize important strategic locations.
Castle, inner and outer gates, armory, horses of all sizes, docks, city walls—
Then, it's about cutting off the other party's command.
Dick's hypothetical enemy is Instructor Randolph, so Dick must devise the fastest route to take Randolph's head.
When Dick finished his rehearsal, he was surprised to find that the entire morning had already passed.
Dick told himself, "It's not enough. My efficiency is far inferior to that of Lord Hubert."
Lord Hubert can command hundreds of ships to complete a formation drill within two hours.
However, Dick currently only controls four hundred people, a huge gap.
However, we should not rush things.
Being able to remain calm and composed is a prerequisite for Dick to get close to Lord Hubert.
Dick allowed the team to have lunch, but he himself also needed to eat.
He ate the same food as his soldiers, but he did not see the two cavalrymen in the ranks.
Dick deduced that the two of them must have gone to the castle or the harbor for a meal.
As he swallowed the tasteless food, he pondered how to better fulfill his duties.
Dick believed that a training plan was necessary to improve training efficiency.
He had planned to begin that afternoon, but was summoned instead.
Dick followed the crowd and arrived at the Duke's bedroom, knocking on the door before entering.
Mrs. Farah sat on the soft cushions on Lord Hubert's bed.
Lord Pena was also in the room, peeling a green mandarin orange for Mrs. Farah.
Dick stood at the foot of the bed and bowed to the two of them:
"Lord Pena, Mrs. Farah."
Pena turned and gave Dick a wary look, then tossed a piece of fruit peel into the trash can.
"You've finally arrived, Sir. I've already shown Mother those three documents. Regarding the first two arrangements..."
The mother had no objection, except for this third item—"
"Hubert was a man of few words, but he always let his actions speak for themselves."
Mrs. Farah interrupted her son.
"Therefore, all his actions are always well-considered choices. Since he trusts you so much, Sir Dick, there must be a reason for it. So I welcome you to become a valuable advisor to the Peyton family."
Dick immediately knelt on one knee: "Madam, please rest assured, since I have promised Lord Hubert, I will certainly do my duty and shed my blood."
"Rise, Sir, I have no doubt about it; after all, you are the man Hubert chose."
Mrs. Farah said,
"To be honest, you changed him a lot. You were his first servant and the first person he was willing to talk to. I think he must have seen his own reflection in you."
Pena handed the segmented mandarin orange to Farah: "Mother, I disagree with what you said, after all, I am Father's son."
"Both of you brothers want to learn from your father, but neither of you has grasped the essence of his teachings; even I can see that."
As Farah spoke, she turned her head back to Dick's direction.
"In short, Sir, I hope to showcase my talents in Chow Harbor, and the Payton family will not treat you unfairly."
Dick bowed gratefully, then stood silently opposite Farah.
He knew very well that a turning point was about to arrive.
"But—the fact that he would betroth his daughter to his servant was truly beyond my expectations."
Farah said,
"Peggy is my youngest daughter, and I've poured the most care into her. I've told Hubert many times that I hope he can find Peggy a noble husband, but I never expected that he would choose you—."
Pena said, "Mom, if you don't agree, just say so. After all, the engagement is only one-sided right now."
"I really don't want to agree, but I understand Hubert's decision—."
"Cough cough—" Pena choked on a mouthful of juice. "Mom? Understand? What did you say?"
"Your father was my brother's servant, and when I learned that my brother had betrothed me to Hubert, I considered him my enemy."
Mrs. Farah said,
"However, Peña Montero is a stubborn man. He has a gentle side, but once he makes up his mind about something, he becomes more ruthless than a shrew. So even though I threatened to commit suicide, I still couldn't escape the fate of marrying your father."
Pena clicked her tongue in displeasure: "Why are you saying this? In front of your son?"
"But after I married Hubert, I discovered that my marriage was not as unfortunate as I had imagined."
Mrs. Farah ignored her son and continued reminiscing.
"Your father never said a single sweet word to me, but he would often surprise me with his actions."
Even a stagnant pond will ripple if too many stones are thrown in, let alone when I was just a young woman of eighteen or nineteen.
"Only then did I realize that beneath your father's rock-solid exterior lay a tender heart."
"So that's why you fell in love with your father?"
While eating the tangerines that she had originally peeled for her mother, Pena asked a question.
"I never had a romantic relationship with your father, but things might have been different if he had been a few times more handsome."
"Hmph! My father was a famous warrior when he was young. The women who liked him could line up all the way to Kew Gardens."
"When I married him, he was just an obscure baron's son, and I never enjoyed any envious glances from girls my age."
Mrs. Farah said,
"But in any case, I cannot say that my marriage was unhappy, and among the complaints I've heard from noble ladies, my engagement was the happiest—"
At this point, perhaps recalling her husband's death, a few tears slid down Mrs. Farah's cheeks.
Upon seeing this, Pena immediately wiped it away with a handkerchief.
Farah sniffed, forced a smile, and continued:
Therefore, I cannot assert that Peggy made an absolute mistake in marrying you—
"Mother--"
"but!"
Farah interrupted her son, speaking firmly and forcefully.
"I didn't have a choice when I was young, but I want to give my daughter that right."
"Sir Dick, go and speak with Peggy, and then let her decide."