Chapter 120: The Parrot Mercenaries (Part 3)

Amy: “Huh? I know about that. We learned about it in school.”

What Shirone knew was this:

At a gathering of nobles in the Iron Kingdom, a nobleman named Valthes declared that if anyone could prove they had more courage than him, he would give them his prized vase.

In response, a lower noble named Mus took up the challenge. His method was to simply throw the vase to the ground.

While it seemed like a mere drunken spectacle, it was actually an event that revealed long-festering political tensions.

Shirone: “The Iron Kingdom’s noble system is bicameral. The upper house conveys the king’s will, and the lower house represents the commoners. Thanks to this, the Iron Kingdom has become prosperous, but the conflicts between the nobles have reached a serious level.”

Bringing commoners into politics weakens the authority of the nobles but greatly enriches the nation.

Shirone: “The upper house’s power comes from military strength, and the lower house’s power comes from taxes. In the end, the conflict between the two factions was inevitable. When Mus, a lower noble, acted arrogantly, Valthes was furious. At the time, it was brushed off, but resentment lingered.”

Rian: “But what does that have to do with the Parrot Mercenary Group?”

Shirone: “Three months after the vase incident, a civil war broke out in Mus’s territory. An unknown army invaded. From here on, this is information I heard through family intelligence, but it’s said that Valthes was the one who started the civil war. He hired mercenaries, not his own soldiers, to attack Mus.”

Rian: “Don’t tell me the mercenaries involved were…?”