It was drizzling in the sky, and Count Schwartz took his last breath in this cold weather. His death made many people feel relieved. After all, Rudolph did not inherit the title one day, and the regime would not be stable one day. Everyone surrounded the bed and watched Count Schwartz who exhaled his last breath. Stefan walked forward with a serious expression on his face and sang a prayer on his deathbed.

"Regent, oh, long live the Lord No Earl." Taylor turned to Rudolph standing at the end of the bed, and said loudly, and knelt on one knee.

"Long live the Count." The nobles and court officials all knelt down one after another, and they expressed their loyalty to Rudolf, and a new era has arrived.

"God bless!" Rudolph was called by his servant at about three o'clock in the morning of this day. With Jenny's help, he put on his clothes and came to Earl Schwartz's bedroom. He was very complicated about the Earl. He even watched him make a sound of tearing the air from his throat, and he had the urge to turn around and escape. Fortunately, others came one after another to witness the death of the old Earl.

"Congratulations, Count Schwartz." Jenny held the family ring of Count Schwartz who was placed beside him in front of Rudolph. This was a token that represented the status of the Habsburg family. Rudolph sighed and took the ring and put it on his hand.

Stefan looked up at Rudolph, but he did not expect that Count Schwartz would die at this time. Rudolph, who had officially become the earl, would become even more powerful. The vassals would come from their fiefs to swear allegiance to gain the recognition of the new earl's land rule.

"Master Stefan." Suddenly, Rudolph turned around and said to Stefan.

"Sir, Earl." Stefan quickly stood up, maintaining his humble attitude. If Rudolph had not learned through Maxiu's intelligence network that Stefan had defected to Earl Brycegao, he would probably not have suspected this "loyal minister"!

"You are responsible for my father's funeral. It must be grand and decent, in line with the identity of an earl." Rudolf ordered Stefan.

"Yes." Stefan quickly agreed. As a pastor, he should be the presidency, but Rudolph's subsequent words almost surprised him.

"Mr. Stefan, when my father was alive, he gave you many important positions and family honors, so I think you are obliged to pay for his funeral." Rudolph looked at Stefan and said to him.

"What, but?" Stefan opened his eyes wide, and he felt it was incredible. Rudolph died and his father had to pay for the funeral.

"Isn't this the obligation that the vassal should have for his vassal?" Rudolf deliberately expanded the explanation of feudal obligations. In the medieval relationship between vassals and vassals, conventions became many conventions. For example, the vassals wanted to hold a banquet but there was not enough money. As a vassal, you must add money to the monarch to ensure that the monarch completes the banquet. However, this behavior can be done once or twice, and over time, it will cause the vassals to resent.

"Yes, I understand the Count." Stefan could only knock down his teeth and swallow it in his stomach. He could not say no to Rudolph, who had just become the Earl of Schwartz, so he could only nod and agree.

However, he would soon regret his decision, because Rudolph raised the funeral requirements of Earl Schwartz by several levels, not only invited many local nobles and vassals from Schwartz County, but also invited high-ranking people from the surrounding territories to come.

"Sir Earl, are there too many people we invite? I am worried that your father's body will rot if it takes too long." In the hall of the lord, Stefan stood in front of Rudolph, looking at the long names on the parchment paper, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"My father devoted himself to Schwarz County, to His Majesty the King and to the Holy Church. Do you think he is not worthy of such glory?" Rudolf sat on the throne of the lord, and leaned forward at Stefan and said to him.

"Oh no, of course it's not like that." Stefan took a step back. He looked at Ma Xiu, who was standing next to Rudolph and had already placed his hand on the dagger handle at his waist. He cursed in his heart. He made a public promise to complete the funeral of the old Count. If he regretted it, he might soon use this as an excuse to attack him.

"Then let it be! You have to prepare the food for the funeral banquet. Ah, in order to resist the rebellion of the Flagless Brotherhood, my money trunk was empty and I could only run away from the mice." Rudolph slapped his thigh, and he said to Stefan with a helpless and regretful look.

"Really? But my respected Count, I heard that after the appearance of Our Lady in Schwarz County, the church donated a lot!" Stefan felt aroused in his hatred. It was obvious that Rudolph made a great jealous profit with this rotten wooden statue, but now he is called poor in front of him. Isn't this cheating him?

"My dear Lord Stefan, the donations of those devout believers are for the construction of the Church of Our Lady. No one can use them to worship the sacred image of the Virgin, otherwise it would be blasphemy. As a former court priest, don't you know?" Rudolf said to Stefan seriously, and the reason was very good, and Stefan was speechless.

"Sir Earl, what is the purpose of asking Lord Stefan to be responsible for the funeral?" When Stefan left the lord's hall, Maxiu asked in confusion. He originally thought that Rudolph wanted to deliberately make things difficult for Stefan to anger the nobleman, and then took the opportunity to arrest him into the dungeon and question other traitors.

"Do you think he will faithfully complete this glorious task to Lord Stefan?" Rudolph smiled. He thought of Stefan's despair just now, and he couldn't help but feel proud. It seemed that his title of count was indeed a bit important.

"Unless he rebels immediately now, he dare not act without your orders." Matthew said to Rudolph.

"Let your eyeliner keep a close eye on him, and what news is there with Earl Brycegao?" Rudolph deliberately asked Stefan to be in charge of the funeral just to empty his wallet. He didn't have money to see how he hired soldiers and bribed other nobles.

"My people heard that the envoy of Count Brycecourt was scolded by His Majesty the King. It seems that His Majesty the King is on your side." Maxiu told Rudolph the information he received. This happened in public in Frederick's court, so there was no secret. Many nobles said that Frederick made Count Brycecourt look disgrace.

"But why does His Majesty the King stand on my side?" Rudolf was a little puzzled. His father, Earl Schwartz, was a vassal of Frederick, but he was not the most important vassal. Many years later, the Habsburg family might have become famous, but now they are unknown people.

"There is no love for no reason in the world, nor is there no hatred for no reason!" Rudolf believed it deeply.

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Chapter completed!