Rise of Dachwald by Daniel Lawlis

  Chapter 7

  “So,” Fritzer said, addressing the body of nobles, who were seated in a large rectangular formation, “are we in agreement on the issue of military training and rearmament?”

  Freidor stood up. “Rearming could be a good idea. The recent events have demonstrated that we Sodorfians have grown soft. We no longer possess the martial spirit nor the martial talent that we had many years ago. But my concern is that rearmament could have the opposite of its intended effect: It could motivate the Dachwaldians to also begin rearming. For centuries, we have lived in peace. There hasn’t been so much as a skirmish between our two peoples since the Seven Years War. King Duchenwald is a peaceful man, and the evidence gathered by our spies suggests the Dachwaldians have no interest in war and represent no threat. No doubt the Dachwaldians are also watching us, and they probably see ample evidence that we do not have bad intentions towards them. Rearmament could result in a precarious peace that could turn into war at the slightest offense, real or imagined. I support a mild rearmament. Perhaps all nobles should be required to spend several hours a day dedicated to the arts of the sword and archery. That way, next time we’re attacked by a large creature, we’ll be able to defend ourselves. But I do not support any increase in our standing army, although perhaps our reserves could be increased by a small percentage. Remember, any rearmament is going to cost money, and we must first make sure that any such increase in spending is justified by need. That is all.”

  Freidor sat down. For the next several hours, many of the nobles spoke. Some took a more militant stance, others a softer one.