As he spoke, his words faltered. He looked up at the Earl, unable to continue defending Alvin and forced to go on.
"Only by capturing Alvin first can his identity be used to coerce the rest of the Order of Knights into surrendering. Alvin's status would even leave Baron Lawrence constrained."
"Alas," the Earl sighed upon hearing this, realizing there could be no other reason. "You were right before. I should never have harbored any illusions about Alvin."
For the future of the Bastia Family, he, like other nobles, focused on cultivating his eldest legitimate son. To prevent conflicts among siblings, he had to keep the others out of the public eye. A daughter married into an alliance could stabilize the family, but sons were a different matter. They might be given an estate or farm to live as wealthy landowners, or become Wandering Knights—anything to avoid endangering the heir's position.
