Chapter 449: Chapter 197: The Tiger Race Arrives

The various political maneuverings in the Royal Capital all revolved around the central front, having little to do with Lord Robson.

Perhaps it was because the Tiger Race People were also forced to come against their will, but they dawdled on their march, showing no sense of urgency whatsoever.

This was a great boon for Robson. In just half a month, he had driven out most of the Centaur Tribes on the plains, absorbing all the Gnolls, Kobolds, and goblins they controlled under his, Lord Robson’s, command.

It could even be said that the number of vassal races under Robson’s command now surpassed that of some members of the Royal Family.

Robson scraped together troops from all over, barely managing to gather over ten thousand Warriors deemed worthy of being registered on his Mount & Blade panel.

They included not only Gnolls, but also earth goblins, the Bear Race...

During this time, Robson led them all over to train in battle against the Centaur Clan. This was, first, to eliminate their fear of the Centaurs, and second, to increase the experience levels of the various races.

It had to be said that while the troop types of these lower-tier races were weak, they upgraded correspondingly quickly.

In just half a month, Robson amassed over two thousand assorted Tier-5 troops, with countless more at Tier-4 and Tier-3. Any soldier who so much as grazed a Centaur could be promoted to Tier-2.

Beyond this, Robson discovered something interesting.

The Bloodthirsty Jackal Wolfmen and the Bloodthirsty earth goblins seemed different from the common Gnolls. Their promotion process was more complex, but they were also far more formidable in battle.

Moreover, they had Extraordinary troop trees!

This news thrilled Robson. While the proportion of Bloodthirsty Jackal Wolfmen was low—about one in ten—the total Gnoll population was massive. Numerically speaking, this meant Bloodthirsty Jackal Wolfmen weren’t rare at all.

Originally, Robson had wanted to train up an Extraordinary Gnoll to see what it was capable of.

But time waits for no one. No matter how unwilling the Tiger Race People were, it was now July, and they were gradually arriving on the battlefield.

Just then, another order arrived from the Royal Capital.

.....

Valentino received an imperial decree from the Royal Capital. Overjoyed, she immediately found Robson and handed it to him.

Upon seeing the decree, Robson had a good idea of what Louis III was thinking.

’When a man grows old, he wants to make his final years count. Louis III was exactly that kind of person.’

Every time he thought of this, Robson couldn’t help but reflect that Louis III was actually a capable and proactive Monarch.

’How many monarchs fail to see past their own prestige and end their days in senility? For a true ruler, the only objective is to strengthen the nation; everything else is merely a means to that end.’

After receiving the decree, Robson’s worries mostly vanished. This was personally penned by His Majesty the King. In the future, even after Louis III was gone, Prince Noah couldn’t possibly refuse to acknowledge his own father’s handwritten letter.

With these thoughts in mind, Robson immediately led his motley crew of soldiers surging forward. The entire army numbered between fifty and sixty thousand.

And this was after Robson had culled the old, weak, sick, and disabled.

They marched without stop until they arrived before the Centaur King City.

The moment he arrived at the city, Robson discovered a group of nobles already waiting outside the human encampment.

Robson’s heart sank. He had a good idea of what was happening.

’There are no secrets in this world. These people must have found out long ago.’

Sure enough, when Robson returned to his camp, many nobles were watching him with scrutinizing eyes.

Robson ignored them and walked straight to Bo Yang. All the men Robson had brought from the Western Front were gathered here, forming a clear divide with the other nobles.

’Facts have proven time and again that the men he’d brought from the Western Front were the only ones he could truly rely on.’

To Robson’s surprise, however, Earl Uman was also among them.

"Uman? Surely you’ve heard about my recent exploits on the plains, making a name for myself?" Robson said with a smile.

Earl Uman also smiled and shook his head.

"The Viscount is the commander-in-chief of the army. I follow the commander’s orders to manage our forces. I know nothing of other matters," Earl Uman stated.

’This Earl Uman is quite a slick character.’

Whether he was being sincere or just putting on an act, his words certainly made Robson regard him in a more favorable light.

After all, Earl Uman was in a very awkward position regarding this whole affair.

He couldn’t fully side with Robson, who hadn’t invited him to his private meetings. But he couldn’t side against him either, as Uman knew Robson’s methods and understood he wasn’t one to act recklessly.

Robson clapped Earl Uman on the shoulder.

"Uman, I once thought our principles were at odds and that we would need a period of adjustment. I didn’t realize I was the one who was overthinking things."

"It seems now that you are someone who can be entrusted with great responsibility," Robson said with a smile.

’In this situation, everyone only knew that Lord Robson had gone to the plains to recruit Beastmen. At a time when he was risking universal condemnation, Earl Uman still stood firmly by his side. For the rest of his life, the Earl would be marked as one of Lord Robson’s men.’

’Outside of military matters, Earl Uman was a rare talent in other areas as well.’

Hearing this, Earl Uman’s expression shifted, as he naturally understood the meaning behind Robson’s words.

’He, Uman, had joined midway through and faced several setbacks, but now, he had finally been officially accepted into the inner circle of Robson’s power structure.’

"I don’t have such complex thoughts. I just believe that the Viscount is someone reliable," Earl Uman said with a smile.

Robson didn’t reply, turning instead to Bo Yang, who wore an expression of immense relief.

"Lord Viscount, you’re finally back! These past few days, Earl Uman and I have been nearly buried by all their gossip," Baron Boyang said.

"It’s been hard on you." Robson nodded, patting Bo Yang’s shoulder.

’Leaving Bo Yang to deal with this alone was indeed a bit inconsiderate of me.’

’Bo Yang, after all, was still a green noble. This was another reason Robson was so pleased by Earl Uman’s genuine allegiance.’

’Earl Uman wasn’t much older, but the man was a natural talent. In the future, leaving this sort of stabilization work to him would be the right call.’

After exchanging a few more words, Robson looked toward the group of nobles standing in opposition in the distance.

’Honestly, these guys were a real headache. If they weren’t stationed beyond the pass, Robson couldn’t be bothered with them.’

"Gentlemen, are military affairs not tedious enough for you? What is the meaning of you all waiting here?" Robson demanded.

The crowd, caught off guard by his question, broke into a flurry of whispers and nudges.

Before he arrived, they had all agreed to confront Robson together and demand why he was colluding with the Beastmen.

But that was then, and this was now.

Their previous discussions had been heated and passionate because they had only been facing Earl Uman and Baron Boyang, not the man himself, Robson.

Now, the man himself was here, and with him returned that familiar, oppressive pressure.

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