Chapter 323 – 32. Grand Banquet (3)
It was a few minutes later that Temur, the large warrior, entered the drawing room. The man, who was growing rapidly following the footsteps of his previous life, appeared taller and with more muscles.
In fact, contrary to his appearance, he was young and still in his growth period.
“How are you, Romuald?”
“Look at this guy, has he grown up again since he ate something on his own?”
“It looks like it’s showing. “I’ve been working out with Hoelun a bit.”
The two men laughed and then hugged each other warmly. People who live in cold places like frozen soil and snow fields are usually blunt and do not show their emotions, but when I saw them go beyond handshakes and hug each other with all their might, I could see how strong their friendship was.
“It’s been a while, Warchief.”
“You’ve been on a high level, Renoir court bag.”
Next, Vincent smiled and held out his hand. It was surprising, but it was an unusual treatment for the king’s representative to welcome Temur, who was just a leader of a border nomad, like this. Even the Amman Alliance has the status of a kingdom competing for hegemony on the Western Continent.
But yes, the inner affinity that modern-day Gaul had with the Camargue tribal union was special. He was considered an important political partner, enough to show off that he could show this level of sincerity. There are many reasons, but the relationship was forged through the mediation of a loyalist that the kingdom could never lose.
“Haha, just as Lord Arden said, you seem to have grown bigger than I saw you before. I guess you don’t have a separate business. “How could one not be happy that the young leader leading the kingdom’s alliance is showing off his strength and majesty every day?”
“Thank you for the compliment. “The Camargue Tribal Alliance hopes for a strong alliance with Gaul in the future.”
“It goes without saying, of course. We also hope to continue to have a good relationship with Daeseolwon.”
Leonard, who had been in charge of responding and guiding Temur until just moments before, appeared at the door without saying a word. Then, with a glance towards Rom, he told him to call him again if he had anything to do, and he quietly retreated. He was just about to introduce the head of the royal guard so as not to ruin the mood by interrupting.
“By the way, may I ask who the person next to you is?”
“Wow, my introduction was very late. This body is Jaieu, called Richard Calle. He is one of the knights who serve by his Majesty Alphonse’s side at the Lumière Palace. I have heard of the reputation of the unbending man of the far northern limit. “I am very happy to meet you like this.”
“If it’s Richard Calais, huh…”
It’s not that it’s not, because the audience here boasted of their harmony even though they were meeting each other for the first time.
“This was rude. I assumed that Ilsin was a strong person because his prayers were extraordinary, but I never thought I would meet the captain of the royal guard in a place like this. “I’m worried that I may have intruded into a place I shouldn’t have been in.”
“Well, let’s not talk like that and sit down comfortably. I was just waving my hands when I heard that the Baron had left the warchief alone for a while out of consideration for us. Anyway, what is the relationship between Gaul and Camargue, and they are in unusually separate places?”
“Ah, that’s a wise thing to say!”
Vincent even appeared out of nowhere while the two were chatting politely and even added a hint of praise. It was by no means an action that should be taken lightly by a leading figure in a country, and at the very least, it was a reaction that could only have been achieved with personal goodwill, regardless of the weight of the alliance with the Camargue Tribal Alliance in Gaul.
“After all, loss of a blood oath means death… !”
Naturally, it was quite unfamiliar to Temur. In the case of the royal court baggage who represented the king, I could at least understand that it was because of the friendly nature of his duties, but I couldn’t help but be surprised when even the captain of the guard, who was normally wary of others, welcomed me like an old friend.
“Hmm, it just so happens that one of Romuald’s butlers is the benefactor of a respected elder in our tribal union. I heard that he is now married to him, so I thought I should visit him sometime and say hello. I was able to resolve the issue this time, so I don’t think either of you need to worry.”
“That is perfect news.”
“Anyway, I would like to express my gratitude for your agony.”
“Now, let’s stop saying such rude things between us. Let’s all sit down and have a chat. Neither the warchief nor we visited just to say hello.”
Vincent and Richard offered a seat with a restrained gesture. One person pulled back the chair attached to the table, and the other person gave up the seat with a nice hand gesture. It was very polite.
‘Romuald, why are these guys like this?’
‘… I don’t know either.
It was a while later that the two dumbfounded men learned the inside story. There wasn’t much time left until the festival opened, so Rom, who couldn’t afford to waste time unnecessarily, suddenly asked.
“But Temur, what happened here all of a sudden without any contact?”
“Ah, I saw you in action in the East.”
“Trial by duel?”
Temur, stroking his thick braided beard like a nomad, nodded. Although the situation was a little better than before, the advance team that had left to pioneer the snowy trade route had not yet returned, and a crystal ball capable of remote communication was an obvious luxury item.
In the first place, such strategic materials cannot be easily obtained even if the money is overflowing.
“No, how in the big snow field?”
“It is precisely because of the secret story surrounding it that I came here today.”
“There is no liaison office or crystal sphere for long-distance communication.”
“I did. However, while you were heading east, a guest came from the south and requested a meeting with you. And they gave away strategic materials that ordinary people could not obtain as gifts.”
Rom tilted his head and continued to listen. Meanwhile, the court encyclopedia and the captain of the guard hesitated after hearing Temur’s story. It was an expression of embarrassment.
‘Hmm? There’s something about this.’
It was a change that could not be missed by a seasoned Baron of Dongto. Naturally, he became more focused on the topic and also watched the reactions of the other two people.
“At first I thought it was a gift from you or the Margrave’s wife.”
“But it wasn’t, who was it?”
“Louis, his name was Louis.”
“I don’t have a specific point.”
“I thought that since he was so old and had such a polite attitude, he must have been hired somewhere. Sure enough, he introduced himself as the butler of the Grand Duchy of Southern Tarn. He then said that he had come to propose a deal according to the wishes of the master I serve.”
With a quick glance, Rom, showing off his sharp eyes, once again caught the expression on the faces of Vincent and Richard. Judging from the way they swallowed their saliva or cleared their throats, they were clearly directly or indirectly involved in this situation.
“I heard that Lucien Tarn was kidnapped during the Kingdom of Aragon’s invasion of the south and is currently missing.”
“Albenis Aragorn’s hatred for Gaul is famous even in the Great Snow Plains. But the master Louis the butler spoke of was not the Archduke. It was referring to the woman who was his daughter and the prince’s wife.”
“… Melanie’s sister-in-law?”
Only then was the Baron able to grasp the full picture of what had happened. I realized why the two men who came to the frozen land without warning were embarrassed, and how the situation in Gallia was going recently.
“Although I do not know the genealogy of all of my allies, I do know the family tree of my close friends. The main point of the butler who was serving your sister-in-law was that he wanted to make a deal. A transaction on a scale that could change the landscape of the South in the future.”
“What kind of deal could shake up a region as large as the Tarn Dominion?”
“Mercenary business.”
Bang! Vincent jumped up, hitting the table. As a result, he opened his mouth in excitement even after receiving the attention of both Rom and Temur. Likewise, Richard, who couldn’t help but tremble, continued speaking while exchanging breaths as if they had made a promise.
“Ah, I don’t know if Lord Arden knows, but the Tarn Dominion is currently in the midst of post-war recovery. After the Conquistador of Aragon was swept into the air, Prince Charles, my older brother, was dispatched as governor.”
“I know about that because I heard about it from Marguerite.”
“I have heard rumors that the two of you are not on good terms, but the prince is handling things quite well. Thanks to this, even the devastated autonomous territory is quickly restoring security. However, some within the royal family are of the opinion that his ambition may be somewhat threatening…”
The relationship between Alphonse de Gallia and Charles Dior was surprisingly strong. However, there is an impression on people based on my past, and there is an assessment that the second son of a famous family has a great thirst for power, to the point of engaging in a fierce battle with the eldest son.
“I see, Brother Charles is a man who could easily make the South his political base.”
“Up to that point, we had expected it to some extent. Because the situation was so complicated, there was nothing we could do. It’s a shame, but since the south was literally an autonomous territory, there was no way to control it from the capital right after the archduke was kidnapped.”
But what else could I have done?
“It was a difficult situation for His Majesty Alphonse, who was facing the unholy challenge of the deposed prince and the princess. So, as long as I could somehow influence it, I wasn’t in a position to really calculate what would happen after that. If he is a person like Prince Charles, he is still a person who belongs to the loyalists…”
There was no suitable manpower to replace them.
“Lady Melanie, the former daughter of Grand Duke Tarn, would not have liked such a move. In a way, her husband’s appointment as temporary governor of Nama to my family’s territory and expansion of his territory was an act of hostile takeover and merger.”
In the social circles of this country and Gaul, the southern summer girl has a reputation as a neat and quiet lady. However, she is not so passive and foolish that her family and property, which should have been hers, were taken away by her husband, with whom she had an arranged marriage.
“Huh, well, now it’s the right time. The man named Rui said that he wanted to establish a lasting friendly relationship by hiring the strong warriors in Camarg as mercenaries. Any amount of financial support is possible, so ask me to become an ally so that my master can regain influence within the family.”
Honestly, looking at the offer alone, there was no reason to refuse it. However, Temur explained that the reason he decided to postpone the decision was because he did not know what kind of interest he might have with Rom.
“Well, the great chief has given a great gift to the royal family. In fact, the reason why this body and the royal court came to visit Baron Ardennes is an extension of that situation. Prince Charles may be a royalist, but power inevitably corrupts people.”
“Unless you’re a loyalist like Lord Arden, you can’t help but be concerned. Even if they are half brothers. Moreover, as the news may have reached you both, the West also experienced considerable political upheaval this time.”
Bishop Hu, who announced his official retirement from politics due to illness, announced his guardianship. It was not Dominique Lavelle who now stood as the real power in the West. It was the rose of the wilderness that had once brought down my maternal grandfather.
“A woman who was neither a Catholic nor a pure Gallic native solidified the status of a noble family.”
“Esmeralda Zafiro! The Manusi woman, who identifies herself as a descendant of Aquitaine, has conquered the wilderness and is occupying the Grand Mende. Going one step further, they are carrying out continuous provocations, taking advantage of the chaotic situation in the South. Thanks to this, the prince is out of his mind.”
“The Tarn Dominion is a land as rich as the Duchy of Le Blanc. Even though it was reduced to ashes by Aragorn, its productive capacity is still nothing compared to the dusty West. However, the reason why the fight was able to continue is because the prince had not yet completely taken control of the south and because of the female warrior who participated as the vanguard of the wilderness.”
Rom touched his temple and rolled his head. In short, his younger brother was trying to use the South as a stepping stone to challenge his older brother, who had been his enemy since ancient times. To achieve the ambition of standing proudly as the head of a famous family.
‘The current king, who had difficulty finding talented people due to the political world being divided into factions between the deposed prince and the princess, had no choice but to use the middle ground even though he knew of brother Charles’ ambition. It was still within an acceptable range. However, as unexpected political upheaval occurred not only in the South but also in the West, the royal family’s anxiety increased.’
Nomads are treated worse than low-income people and serfs. What kind of chaos would arise from the sight of a woman who was not even a nobleman or even a native of the country emerging as a powerful person? An era filled with confusion will arrive after a backlash from the oppressed ruling class.
‘Even though things have gotten to this point, the reason you are not bringing your brother back means that there is no alternative to restoring the southern part of the country other than the appointment of Charles Dior. If this country were to lose its influence over other autonomous territories, the loss of national power would be indescribable.’
In reality, the clouds of war had already descended. As Esmeralda of the West suddenly rose to power, Charles Dior must have been greatly stimulated. In the capital, he was worried every day that he might change his mind, and to make matters worse, Melanie Tarn, who could not stand by and watch the downfall of her family, participated in the political struggle.
‘It’s too early to jump to conclusions, but at least at this point, the central government of Gaul has no control over the western and southern regions of all three factions. Normally, sending the army and conquering would have been enough, but with the three siblings persistently keeping each other in check, it was not possible for all of them.’
Moreover, Alvenis of Aragon and Constantina of Rus were in a situation where their eyes were wide open, and they did not know when they would invade again. In a situation like that, how can you trust the troops in the capital to move carelessly?
‘Oh, wait a minute.’
Therefore, there is only one answer.
‘Hey, these bastards… ?’
Lumiere’s invincible knight.
“According to rumors, that female warrior wields an ax like a ghost. Are you saying that even if Baron Arden comes, he won’t be a match for you? After all, she is a strong woman who could not compete with even the Iron-Blooded Empress Constantina, who commands Rus, so it is understandable that she is so confident.”
“Of course we have no doubt in your victory. However, if a fight breaks out in the future, it will be in the form of a great war that goes beyond a civil war rather than a one-on-one duel. Therefore, His Majesty Alphonse appointed you as a duke and arranged for you to be given the title of Invincible Duke and to pacify the northern region.”
“The eastern part of the Duchy of Le Blanc has shared its fate with the northern part by handing over its share of Ouestveda, so it will come naturally. Naturally, the remaining troubles are the Tarn Dominion and the Western Wasteland, both of which are fighting to the death…”
“For now, I just pretended to appease him, and then he sent the Baron in and just banged on me!”
Rom finally realized the royal family’s true intentions. I was able to recognize that the central political world was not claiming to be given a fake duke title because they doubted my loyalty, but that they sincerely hoped that I would be active thanks to such sudden success.
Why? After bouncing on the abacus, the only one I can trust is myself.
“… Please do it, Lord Arden.”
“Let’s do a favor.”
In other words, the king’s message is as follows.
“I am telling you honestly because of the loyalty I have shown so far.”
“Please do something at the national level.”
Please do it.
‘If you don’t do it, you’ll be in big trouble!’
‘No, it’s not a big problem. ‘If the country collapses, that’s it!’
Otherwise, the country will be ruined.
