Chapter 324 – 32. Grand Banquet (4)
Originally, the difference between a loyalist and a loyalist was just a piece of paper. If you contribute without sacrificing your life for the country, there will inevitably come a moment when you encounter an unreasonable reality, and in nine cases out of ten, you will not be able to endure such disparity and will inevitably enter the path of corruption.
Imagine the solemnity of the decision to save the country.
There is no group more difficult to deal with than a person who is intoxicated with the illusion that he or she is just. Such people usually commit contradictory actions in the process of hitting the wall of ordeal. A person holding a sword with the sole intention of protecting the country points the tip of the sword towards the homeland.
Of course, Romuald Arden is an exception. The man who never gave up his loyalty even after facing all kinds of hardships since he was a knight in his past life is why he is here now. By sacrificing the faith he cherished more than his life for the wife he served and his wife.
‘The central political circles, including Madame Lemohan and Alphonse de Gallia, are of no particular interest to me as far as I serve. To begin with, the Northern Margrave Family had not been on good terms with the royal family for generations. If you think about it, the reason why his past life was so difficult was because the royalist faction kept him in check.’
That’s the case if we only discuss personal feelings. To be honest, I felt more like a vindictive person than a good one. As people die of starvation one after another in various places every day, I am still shaken by the memory of even the little products I held in the name of tribute being taken away.
‘It’s a lie if I say I’ve never held a grudge. But after getting a second chance, the invisible things became visible. The fact is that I wasn’t the only one who was distressed by the position I was given. In the end, the king was also afraid.’
Alphonse is not incompetent. Although he gives the impression that he is facing many challenges even after ascending to the throne, he is surprisingly a wise and wise monarch. Even though he is burdened with heavy work, he cares enough for his people to take care of state affairs without saying anything he doesn’t like.
Noblesse oblige!
A nobleman has a duty. This is especially true for royal families. The three siblings, the heirs of Eugene, were fighting over a sense of responsibility, unlike those who were blinded by the desire for power. As a nobleman said, it was a tragedy because he was so sincere that he believed that it could only be done without me.
‘There is no change in my desire to have everything in the world. But my desire now has one caveat. That means I will do it in my own way. I have no desire to rise to a high position like Brother Charles, and I know very well that even if I do, I will only be tired.’
If you want it, have it.
‘I want to protect Oriane’s smile. I want to have fun arguing with Lucienne. Furthermore, I want to chat happily with Françoise. Furthermore, I want to comfort Henrietta warmly. That’s my world. That’s it. There may be more people here, but that’s all the happiness I want to achieve.’
But if you don’t want it, don’t have it.
‘Judging from various circumstances, Alphonse de Gallia is not a bad monarch. Until now, I have never heard a rumor that he enjoys luxury and pleasure. More than anything, I feel a kind of kinship with him.’
Rom’s true loyalty extends only to his wives. However, if it were the Baron of Ardennes’ public loyalty, it would not be wrong to give it to the current king. After organizing his thoughts to some extent, he asked the two guests who were waiting for his answer.
“What exactly does Your Majesty want from me?”
“It is to calm the turmoil in the western continent, including Gaul, and achieve peace like before. Unlike the Crown Prince and the Princess, His Majesty Alphonse does not officially support the war of conquest. “He is someone who tries to resolve conflicts with countries with territorial disputes like Aragon through dialogue.”
“This land suffered a lot because of King Joseph’s diplomatic war. Shamefully, it’s still ongoing. Wasn’t the skirmishes during the reign of the late Majesty Eugene the result of the festering conflict of that time? “There can be no more tragedies like that.”
“It may be presumptuous, but it is also in the same context that the two Aquitaines, who are now closely related to the province, were able to preserve their lives despite numerous political threats. “Because His Majesty Alphonse did not want to harm innocent lives because of blood.”
“There is no one like that. Unlike the deposed prince’s hardliners who believe in radical expansionism, or the princess and Silly faction who are willing to conquer conquest if necessary. “You pursue peace first based on your humanitarian beliefs.”
The world of diplomacy is cruel. In return, Alphonse de Gallia had to suffer from quite a few problems. Even so, he did not spare his body and showed kindness, but as the karma of his previous generation hit him unexpectedly, he had no choice but to feel limited.
“Some people make arrogant and profane remarks about Your Majesty, calling her foolish and weak. But in Vincent Renoir’s view, he is just a ruler who does the best in his power.”
“An idealist is always lonely. Even though His Majesty had the ability to achieve his dream, he had to be frustrated due to unreasonable odds. If he were a normal person, he would have already hit me a few times. “After seeing his steadfast efforts, how could I not offer up my sincere prayers as a subject?”
“Lord Arden, you always took loyalty for granted, right? How about taking this opportunity to look back? A descendant of a famous family who was discriminated against because of his origins in a country full of wildcats and the like, devoted himself silently to the kingdom for several years.”
Richard repeatedly nodded to Vincent’s words. Temur, who was sitting quietly next to him, listened while gently stroking his beard, perhaps because he was intrigued by the way the officials representing the royal family looked at his close friend.
“I have never once heard of you complaining about His Majesty or the nation, as you have lived a life where your daily life involved moving to the firing line in a battlefield full of iron and blood. He gave all the military credit he had earned to his two older brothers, and after one fight ended, he just left to end another fight…”
Rom scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.
‘There are a few unintentional things mixed in, but from what I’ve heard, he really seems like a loyalist…’
What was even more impressive was that the palace bag’s words were not over yet.
“When Archbishop Monet, at the suggestion of the abbess, officially requested a public death for Lord Ardennes. The fact that His Majesty bestowed the title of baron as if he had been waiting for it meant that he was aware of his loyalty, even if it was belated.”
“It’s just an honor.”
“You know that politics doesn’t always go smoothly. Loyalists like you should have been given better rewards, but it was precisely in that context that they were not.”
No matter how royal a person is, he or she is not loyal without a reason. It’s natural to want to be rewarded for your work. However, the knight who had always been treated as a scoundrel becomes a baron and suddenly begins to solve the royal family’s troublesome problems one by one.
“Not anymore. Lord Arden has already earned the right to a position of public trust unprecedented in the history of Gaul. The fact that His Majesty Alphonse wants to enshrine you as an invincible Duke is an expression of trust that even if this country collapses, he trusts and relies on you enough to restore the capital to your land and restart the northern part of the country as the capital.”
“… Yes? Such a thing shouldn’t happen, but what if I were a vassal who was hiding a desire for usurpation?”
“If you really dreamed of a birthmark, you wouldn’t even say that. Besides, there have already been several opportunities. This may sound a bit harsh, but you are just a crazy person. He’s crazy about his loyalty to this country. “You are a fool who only knows Your Majesty.”
The Baron, who seemed to have lost his appetite, started crying awkwardly.
“No, if there is anything I can do for Your Majesty, I will do it…”
“Look at it.”
“We need to provide guidance on what to do in detail before discussing future work…”
Then this time, Richard took the word and came forward. She began her explanation with the skillful attitude of a man commanding the royal guard. As expected, it was so bold and exciting that even Temur, who was listening attentively, was impressed.
“It would be good to start by sorting out the northern part of the hierarchy. When it comes to the rulers of this town, I would pick three lords other than the Margrave, but Baron Lotringen and Baron Brienne, who were representative royalists, are showing impure behavior these days.”
“What exactly is this movement?”
“They are typical traitors. It seemed that His Majesty’s attention was moving away from them and towards the Baron, so they thought it would be difficult to drink the sweet water any longer. Because of that, there are rumors that she is having sex with the Count of Poitiers on a daily basis.”
“Oh, well, I’ve heard some stories recently.”
“Catch only the number of cases that can apply political pressure. We’ll take care of everything after that. If the entire northern part of Gaul comes under the control of the Duke of Ardennes, His Majesty will be able to stretch out his legs and sleep comfortably.”
That was the reason why the Knights of Calais came to the north in large numbers. As the southern and western regions were in turmoil day after day, the royal family’s decision was to first support Rom, who was a clear loyalist, and then consolidate the Northern Territory. I figured that even if I lost both of those areas, I could start over as long as I had Lumiere’s invincible knight.
“If the northern area, based on frozen soil, becomes yours, there is nothing to see about what happens next. Right now, the Duchy of Le Blanc has become a community of fate with this place due to its stake in Ouestveda, so all that remains is to conquer the chaotic southern and western regions one by one.”
“Speaking of which, unless the situation escalates to the extreme, the South will somehow come under central control. I see that Prince Charles’s loyalty is not something to be disregarded that much. Naturally, all you have to do is solve Esmeralda of the West and the female warrior Sansar…”
Suddenly, Temur, who had been watching without participating in the conversation, stood up in surprise. Rom was a little late in realizing his friend’s twists and turns and opened his mouth in a daze. He was very excited and asked in a low and heavy voice, and he touched his forehead with confidence.
“Did you just say Sansar?”
“Oh, yes. There were people called the Order of the Knights of Grandmande that Lord Ardennes briefly taught while assisting Bishop Ravel. It is said that all of them could not defeat a single female warrior with an axe and were annihilated. Her name is Sansar.”
“What’s your nickname? “Have you not heard?”
“I think it was a pretty starry breeze or something…”
“A beautiful sea of stars! “This is the name of my sister who was sold!”
The palace encyclopedia commander, who did not understand what he meant, narrowed his eyes. Soon, with a belated realization, I jumped up, shivering, just like him. He clapped his hands in amazement as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Wow, fuck! Then, if the Warchief just writes a letter and delivers it to his sister, the West can be resolved at once!”
“The Heavenly God helped us! “I must convey this good news to His Majesty Alphonse immediately!”
“Huh? No, wait…”
“Kya, wouldn’t you make a blood pact with this taste? My worries just disappear!”
“Yes, yes! This is my speed! “Your Majesty will definitely be moved when he hears the news!”
The problem, however, is that they loved it so much that they couldn’t tell them the really important thing.
‘Romuald, there’s something I couldn’t tell you because they were so excited.’
‘What is it? I have a somewhat ominous feeling, so maybe I shouldn’t listen to it?’
‘Sansar is a hardliner than Hoelun. When I return to the Great Snow Plain, they will probably try to kill me for forming an alliance with Gaul.’
‘Why are you telling me that?’
‘… Please take care of me.’
‘Hey crazy, are you kidding me!’
‘You can do it.’
‘I won’t! ‘I won’t do it!’
‘Well, I heard you’re pretty.’
‘Please, everyone, stop pestering me… !’
