Chapter 447: Chapter 195: A Hero’s Twilight

While Robson thrived on the eastern front, good news also arrived from the central and western fronts.

On the Western Front, the human armies had re-stabilized their lines and recaptured the western mountain regions. They were now beginning to attack the two cities on the front, and a plan to reclaim the thirteen fortresses was on the table.

But what heartened the Franks most was the news from the central front.

According to official reports, Prince Noah of the Frank Kingdom had arrived on the battlefield with his army, with Marquis Oscillate providing rearguard support.

After the Prince joined the fray, the tide turned on the central front. Before the Prince’s valiant charges, the Beastmen were in constant retreat.

Anyone with eyes could see the report’s blatant agenda.

The Prince joins the battle, and the Beastmen are suddenly in retreat. So, why were the Franks getting crushed before the Prince arrived? Could it be a problem with the commander?

Well, let’s see, who was the general commanding the central front before? Oh, it was none other than the renowned Marshal Grantham.

An individual can be wise, but a group of people will most likely devolve into a mob, especially in a country with limited education like the Frank Kingdom.

In no time, Marshal Grantham’s reputation began to sour. He was called obstinate, arrogant, and too conservative in his tactics—lacking the true spirit of the Franks...

People love nothing more than watching a god fall from grace. The higher Marshal Grantham had been praised before, the more viciously he was condemned now.

After Marshal Grantham, the blame extended to the entire merit-based military faction.

Numerous scandals from within the faction were exposed. With few high-ranking officials in the Royal Capital to represent them, they were powerless against the public outrage and could only watch helplessly as their reputations were systematically destroyed.

Of course, this was all still at the level of public rumor; the official Frank Kingdom Government hadn’t taken any action against Marshal Grantham or the merit-based faction.

....

On a high balcony of the Crystal Palace, Louis III was beaming. He listened to his Chancellor, Daniel, report on the war’s progress while gazing out at the bustling Royal Capital.

Compared to his busier days in the past, Louis III looked to have aged a great deal.

Perhaps that is simply human nature. When you have a goal, you dare not lower your guard. But once that goal is fulfilled, the fire in your belly dies down, and you grow old.

This was precisely the state Louis III found himself in.

As a King, frankly, Louis III was unlucky. He was the King of the Frank Kingdom; every day he opened his eyes, he was met with a blizzard of war reports from the front and a Kingdom Government with its hand constantly out for money.

And yet, as the King of the Frank Kingdom, Louis III was also fortunate.

The situation he faced was arguably the best the kingdom had seen since the time of the Knight King—bar none.

After the Knight King, the Beastmen’s power swelled rapidly, surpassing the Frank Kingdom within a single generation. From then on, the tables had turned, with the kingdom on the defensive.

But after centuries of perseverance from the Frank Kingdom, the internal conflicts within the Beastman Empire were finally about to erupt. They were at their breaking point.

Louis III himself had also been dealt a winning hand: a Legendary General in Grantham, a master of stabilization in Marquis Oscillate, and a court of Frankish Nobles who were, frankly, all quite competent.

For all these reasons, the Beastman Empire was beginning to withdraw its forces before it could even breach the Frankish Great Plains.

He, Louis III, would likely go down in history for this, his name ranked alongside the Knight King and the Sun King.

Louis III had even heard recently that his old rival, Beast Emperor Kemel, might be dead. The news brought him joy, but also a profound sense of desolation. Though another report soon followed clarifying that Kemel was not dead, the feeling of bleakness in Louis III’s heart lingered.

His old rival was all but defeated, his own kingdom was flourishing, and his heir was poised to become an enlightened monarch. Grantham, a potential threat to the throne, would soon meet his downfall, and the domestic political situation was incredibly stable.

For Louis III, there was nothing left to strive for. If he did have a remaining ambition, it would be to forge the Frank Kingdom into a great power like Algeria or Tilia, but a nation’s greatness is not built in a single generation.

"Marquis Oscillate has taken Prince Noah to the front, and they have already achieved victory. The Prince is now very popular among the troops and has won the support of the Northern Nobles.

Some nobles from the merit-based faction also wanted to approach the Prince, but it seems they were stopped by the Marshal’s camp..."

Louis III waved his hand dismissively.

"Let Noah handle these matters. I’m getting old; I can’t keep looking out for him forever...

Are there any other matters? I’m feeling a bit tired," said Louis III.

These days, Louis III spent all his time on the balcony. He would gaze out at the Royal Capital, handle state affairs from there, and do little else besides sleep.

Daniel produced one last letter.

"There is one last item, a letter from Count Valentino," said Daniel.

"Oh?"

"Valentino? That name is so familiar..." Louis III rubbed his temples. ’My mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be.’

"General Robson’s fiancée, Your Majesty."

"Ah, yes! Now I remember. You mentioning Robson jogged my memory."

"What is it? What does the girl have to say?" Louis III asked.

Daniel opened the envelope, glanced at the contents, and his eyes immediately bulged.

"This... Your Majesty, this is..."

"What in the world is it? Daniel, I may be old, but have you grown old as well?" Louis III said impatiently.

"Here, Your Majesty. You... you should see for yourself." Daniel held out the envelope.

Louis III took it and read it over.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew silent.

"Your Majesty, should we... reject this proposal? Or should we file it away and hand it over to Prince Noah?" Daniel asked.

"Reject it..."

Louis III looked at the letter, thinking it over carefully. As he mulled it over, he suddenly broke into a smile.

"No, this certainly isn’t Valentino’s idea. I’d wager it came from that Robson fellow," said Louis III.

"That Robson... he’s always got a new trick up his sleeve."

The letter’s contents, penned by Robson but sent in Valentino’s name, proposed a plan to subdue the Beastman Empire by winning over the lesser races.

It detailed all the potential benefits, risks, and crucial points.

"Then, Your Majesty, shall we agree to it?"

"But... doing so would likely damage your prestige," Daniel said.

"Reject it? Why would we reject it?" Louis III laughed.

"You mean to say...?" Daniel asked.

"What they’ve proposed is reasonable."

"Daniel, you don’t understand the Beastman Empire. In that nation, it doesn’t matter who the Sovereign is. They don’t care who is in charge.

Once the Purple-blooded Beastmen fall, there are still countless other types of Beastmen. Any nation built on the Beastman Grassland that wishes to expand will inevitably become our enemy," said Louis III.

Daniel lowered his head. He actually understood this point. Unlike other Frankish Nobles, when Daniel had studied abroad, he hadn’t gone to the Tilia Kingdom or the Algeria Kingdom, but to the Haven Kingdom.

That’s right—the very same nation that traded with the Frankish Northern Nobles.

The Haven Kingdom was nothing like those other feudal states. Its thinking was far more advanced and enlightened; they even put forward the notion that gods didn’t exist. Of course, in this world, such a belief was classified as philosophical idealism.

As a result, Daniel was much more open-minded than others. Deep down, he wasn’t actually all that opposed to the idea.

"This is something we’ll have to do sooner or later. If I don’t do it, Noah will have to.

Rather than let Noah bear the infamy, why not do it myself?" Louis III said with a smile.

He, Louis, was not a King who cared for appearances. ’Face’ only had value when it could be exchanged for something tangible.

Louis III had been aggressively spending his international credibility lately, not just with the Algeria Kingdom, but in many other affairs as well.

Reputation was something he couldn’t take with him to the grave, so if he could use it to do something substantial for the kingdom, why shouldn’t he?

"That Robson... he is not a simple man to deal with..."

"Make the request explicit in your reply. Otherwise, if he’s too worried about protecting his own reputation, he won’t take it seriously."

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