Norton realized that relying solely on his vampire kin for intelligence gathering was not yielding the desired results. Vampires were few in number, and the prevailing sentiment in Sylvania was to keep them united to maximize their strength, thus rejecting the use of vampires as spies. Their disdain and suspicion towards humans also made them less inclined to cultivate human spies. Norton's innovative approach of using smugglers to build a network was unprecedented.
When Norton shared his plan with his mother, Lady Windsor, the true power behind the Kastan estate, she supported him with a nonchalant attitude, which made his operations easier. Using the funds provided by his mother as capital, Norton invested in these smugglers and formed a merchant guild. With spies spread throughout the Border Princes and tax incentives from the Kastan estate, these smugglers increased their earnings significantly. As their leader, Norton naturally took the largest share.
Norton reinvested some of the profits into commercial ventures, sent some to Lady Windsor to demonstrate his capabilities, and funneled a portion into arming his private army—undead troops he had acquired years ago from the Cliff Tomb and now hid in an empty tomb he had found.
To ensure control over the smugglers, Norton regularly supplied them with magically refined psychoactive substances that helped spellcasters meditate and store magic power. For ordinary people, though, these substances were addictive. Norton deceived the smugglers into believing these drugs were crucial to becoming half-undead, making them eagerly consume them. He would then withhold the drugs, making the smugglers suffer withdrawal and realize their necessity. Thus, with benefits from their increased earnings and addiction to the drugs, these smugglers had no choice but to remain loyal and obedient to Norton.
It's worth noting that Norton's claim of being able to transform them into half-undead was a fabrication.
The recent attack on Dekenhof Castle involving two greenskins raised eyebrows. Despite greenskins being widespread in the Old World, they were rare in Sylvania. Sylvania's blockade against the Eastern Wastelands was rigorous, making greenskin infiltration from that direction nearly impossible. Norton believed there was a high likelihood that these greenskins had entered from the Border Princes to the south, prompting him to seek answers from his network of spies.
Upon Norton's command, his well-trained and obedient spies sprang into action. Information first came from smugglers within Sylvania, followed by messages from those in the Border Princes, who hastily sent dispatches. More distant contacts, trading in Tilea or the Sigmar Empire, used vultures provided by Norton to deliver messages swiftly.
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As these pieces of information converged, the situation became clear—an extensive internal war had erupted among greenskin tribes in the southern and southeastern Border Princes. Many orc and goblin clans were decimated, and as a result, weaker greenskin groups, unable to cope, began attacking the Border Princes, indirectly affecting Sylvania to the north.
Why the greenskin tribes had gone to war was unclear, but Norton was indifferent. Chaotic by nature, greenskins needed little reason to fight.
"Hmm... this presents an opportunity," Norton thought, feeling eager. Now thirteen, he would soon be fourteen and allowed to venture out for training. Given his noble status, gaining control of part of the county's military forces wouldn't be difficult. With the Border Princes in turmoil, it seemed an opportune moment.
Unfortunately, convincing his mother, Lady Windsor, to deploy the entire county's forces for an invasion was unlikely. She would probably not support such a venture.
After considering his options, Norton presented the findings to Lady Windsor, leaving it to her judgment. He suspected her response would be to bolster defenses along the southern border to prevent the chaos from spilling into their lands, rather than exploiting the situation. Her cautious and stable governance style did not align with capitalizing on disorder. Over the following days, troop movements within the county confirmed Norton's suspicions.
"This leaves just one last matter," Norton mused to himself at six in the evening, standing outside Annie's door before dinner.
His attire was unusual—a Baroque-style chest plate with bracers, knee guards, and gauntlets, topped with a gray beret adorned with brown feathers, instead of his usual black formal wear and high-collared cloak.
Not waiting for Annie to open the door, he entered directly. As expected, Annie was in her weapon collection room, polishing her weapons and armor.
"Norton?" Annie looked up at her fiancé, surprised and a bit puzzled. Without a word, Norton took her hand and led her downstairs.
"What are you doing?!"
Annie protested, but Norton remained silent, leading her hastily into the underground dueling arena. There, he released her hand, picked up two practice wooden swords from the weapon rack, and tossed one to Annie. Instinctively catching it, she watched as Norton, wielding the sword in his left hand, suddenly swung at her.
Startled, Annie quickly raised her sword to block. Though she was strong, Norton's attack, combined with his downward momentum, forced her back. Her wrist tingled from the impact as she retreated, shouting, "What are you trying to do?!"
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