Chapter 552: Chapter 22: A Belated Victory Banquet

"Marquis, His Highness Prince Noah and his party have arrived."

A Knight galloped up to Marquis Oscillate, dismounted, and reported.

Marquis Oscillate nodded.

Hearing this, the noble lords behind Marquis Oscillate began to look on in eager anticipation.

The last time, matters were urgent. The Marquis had received news of the Marshal’s rebellion and had already begun making arrangements, so some people were absent from their previous meeting.

This time, however, everyone was truly present.

Robson and Prince Noah had spotted Marquis Oscillate in front of Riliman Fortress from a long way off.

With the Marquis personally coming to greet them, they could not, of course, remain on horseback.

For the last mile, the army proceeded on foot.

"His Highness Prince."

The Marquis opened his arms and first embraced Prince Noah.

The two separated, and the Marquis then looked at the Officers behind the prince.

"Prince Noah is truly worthy of being His Majesty’s designated successor."

"Everyone, Prince Noah has just returned victorious from the grasslands, where he slew Beast Emperor Kemel!" the Marquis announced.

The Marquis’s words were like a clap of thunder on a clear day, stunning many of those present.

This was mainly due to the first part: "designated successor."

Marquis Oscillate was a cautious man who had never before explicitly stated his position on the matter of the kingdom’s Crown Prince. This was the first time he had publicly supported Prince Noah.

Hearing this, the Prince’s face lit up with a smile.

Although his position as Crown Prince was unshakable, the more people who acknowledged him, the smoother his future reign would be.

"His Highness Prince..."

"Marquis, you flatter me. What credit do I have?

It was all Earl Robson’s excellent work."

"This time, beyond the pass, Earl Robson not only helped me take care of Kemal, but the fact that our army can now pass through smoothly is also entirely to his credit," said Prince Noah.

The great nobles all nodded in agreement.

Earl Robson’s name had been resounding like thunder recently; there were few who hadn’t heard of him.

If it were merely his outstanding military talent, that would be one thing. But judging from his handling of logistics, Robson was not only a military prodigy but also a skilled administrator.

Moreover, many had already obtained information on Robson from their own children or friends.

Previously, while beyond the pass, Robson had shown a deft touch in dealing with people. Now that his reputation was growing, everyone tacitly agreed that the man also possessed considerable political skill.

Military talent, administrative skill, political savvy, favored by the King, origins in the southern faction...

’This template seems a bit familiar.’

Many people glanced toward Marquis Oscillate, lost in thought.

The Marquis, naturally, noticed their gazes.

To be honest, it wasn’t just them; even Marquis Oscillate himself found Robson’s current niche to be somewhat familiar.

However, Noah and Robson were ultimately different from Louis and him.

Prince Noah would inherit a powerful kingdom, and Robson would not need to be as constrained in his actions as he had been.

"Marquis, His Highness has had a long journey. Let’s head inside first," Earl Lu Wen advised.

"Oh?"

"But of course," the Marquis said with a laugh.

"Come in, everyone. We have long since prepared a banquet."

「...」

Normally, the Franks would not hold a grand banquet during a time of war.

But this time was different. Beast Emperor Kemel was dead.

The significance of this was immense.

It also happened that Prince Noah, having been abroad for so long, lacked sufficient prestige within the kingdom and was in dire need of it.

Thus, the Marquis had received instructions from Louis III.

Because so many people were attending—nearly a hundred high-ranking nobles from various families, plus many mid-tier nobles—

the victory feast was not held in any room, but directly in an open-air encampment.

Marquis Oscillate sat at the head seat, with Prince Noah seated beside him.

No one found this problematic.

After all, Prince Noah was only the Crown Prince, while Oscillate was a statesman famous for many years.

Robson and Valentino were seated together in a spot near the Marquis.

A Frankish banquet had no beautiful dancers or singers; it was simply a matter of drinking and boasting.

Without deliberately dispelling the effects of the alcohol, after a few drinks, Marquis Oscillate’s face was flushed red.

"How things change with time."

"To think that the man who nearly pushed Louis and me to our deaths back then would be slain by our successor generation today," the Marquis said, his face beaming with joy.

They were all Extraordinary, so while they drank, it did not affect their Divine Sense.

Hearing the Marquis speak, everyone quieted down one by one.

"However, Kemel is dead, but the Beastman Empire still lives."

"Because of the heretical cult, the Beastman Empire was not wiped out by the allied forces.

I wonder, does anyone have any thoughts on this?"

As he spoke, the Marquis fixed his gaze on Robson.

Robson frowned.

’What does the Marquis mean by this?’

’Does he want me to lead an army to crush the Beastman Empire?’

’It’s not impossible,’ Robson thought. ’The Marquis only looks young; after years of constant warfare, even with the power of the Golden Ninth Tier, his body is likely not in much better shape than Louis III’s.’

Furthermore, now that Grantham was dead, the issue of convicting those from the military merit faction would certainly become a major political problem.

Louis III was also on his way out. With these two matters combined, it would be difficult for the Marquis to find an opportunity to extricate himself.

’He probably wants to give me a helping hand before he leaves the stage.’

In an instant, many eyes turned to focus on Robson.

The Beastman Empire was crippled. A counter-attack would bring both prestige and merit—a task anyone would want.

Robson’s heart burned with ambition. If he could lead the army to counter-attack the Beastman Empire, the benefits for his faction would be indescribable.

However, seeing the looks in the eyes of those around him...

’My seniority is still a bit lacking.’

’It’s not that I can’t accept the task, but I’d have to do some maneuvering first.’

’The Marquis has probably had too much to drink. He should have discussed something like this with me in private first.’

The Marquis kept looking at him, and it would be inappropriate for Robson not to respond.

"My lord, I believe this matter should be considered at length.

Why don’t we wait until we return to the Royal Capital? Then we can gather several of the kingdom’s generals to discuss this matter together.

What do you think?" Robson asked.

After Robson finished speaking, many people breathed a sigh of relief.

Oscillate smiled.

He hadn’t planned on settling the matter right now, nor could he. Ultimately, he was still a subject. The appointment of a Commander-in-Chief was something Louis III had to decide.

He was only bringing it up now to give everyone a heads-up.

Still, for Robson to be able to resist such a temptation on this kind of occasion...

’I really didn’t misjudge him.’

The Marquis did not mention counter-attacking the Beastman Grassland again, instead turning to a truly important matter.

"Robson, speaking of which, you and Valentino have known each other for two years now, haven’t you?" Marquis Oscillate said with a laugh.

The Countess had also had a bit to drink. Her fair, delicate face was flushed red, and upon hearing the Marquis’s words, she couldn’t help but take Robson’s arm.

"About five hundred and eight days, my lord."

"I remember, the first time I met Valentino, I was escaping from Sunset Fortress, and the Countess saved me," Robson said.

Hearing Robson state the number so clearly, Valentino’s heart was touched.

However, she hadn’t actually been the one to save Robson back then. She had gone to rescue her father’s old subordinates, but by the time she reached the battlefield, the fighting was long over.

Who could have thought that a mundane afternoon and an unintentional decision could lead to such a fateful romance?

The Marquis also smiled and shook his head.

"What a romantic story."

"I remember, Victoria and I also have a romantic story, one that poets still sing about. Back then, people called her Miss Thorn."

Victoria was the Marquis’s wife, a foreign princess and a master of Swordsmanship. She was once very famous, but her name was seldom heard after she married the Marquis.

"Victoria and I were married when we were twenty-two. It’s about time for you two as well."

"I have already discussed it with your father. How about you two get married next month?" the Marquis said.

This was the first public announcement of the wedding. The Marquis was likely thinking of taking advantage of the festive atmosphere to announce it for good luck, and also to use the drunken revelry to rally more people to attend Robson and Valentino’s wedding.

Attending a wedding might just be a brief encounter, but who knew when such a connection might prove useful?

There was also a significance to the month of September.

The wars between the Franks and the Beastmen usually ended in this month, because winter followed.

An end to war naturally called for celebration. In the tales of bards, many heroes and beauties would also marry in this month. Over time, September became the unofficial month for weddings.

September used to be for funerals, as many died in the wars. However, the Franks are an optimistic people. Funerals are generally concentrated in October or on the holy day of the Lord of Dawn, as people believe this allows the deceased to draw closer to the Lord of Dawn.

"I have no objections, of course. But we still need to hear what Valentino thinks," Robson said with a smile.

"I will follow my grandfather’s arrangements," Valentino said, blushing.

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