Chapter 171: Chapter 150: I am a Brick for the Empire
Selas held his tongue. Experience had taught him that if a leader doesn’t bring something up, you don’t ask about it. No matter how curious you were, you had to hold it in.
Though Henry seemed easygoing and didn’t put on airs, there was always a chance.
Henry dismissed Selas and Roland and called Claude over. There were some things he needed to discuss with him.
When Claude entered, Henry could see the worry in his eyes.
"Claude, you look like you have something on your mind."
"Lord Henry, I believe you should consider establishing a line of communication with Westwood Laine. Westwood Laine is no longer just a pile of rocks.
The number of Record Keepers is growing, the judicial, agricultural, and financial departments are gradually being established, and the population of the domain is increasing. This means you can no longer focus solely on military matters and neglect governance as you have in the past."
Henry nodded, but what he said had nothing to do with what Claude was talking about.
"Claude, I need you to take some men to Razekh and deliver this letter to the First Prince of the Northern Lands."
Claude nodded in resignation and left with the letter.
He understood that Henry’s situation was complicated. Unlike other nobles, Henry didn’t have loads of free time to focus on the affairs of his domain.
From the moment he arrived at his fief, Henry had been fighting almost every month. Even when there wasn’t a major campaign, he was training new troops.
’Perhaps, just as Henry said, he really should be focusing his energy on military matters right now.’
Claude left Hobia under the escort of Roland and a squad of Senior Infantry. The city had just endured a grueling siege. Although it had been lifted, trade caravans and some functions of the imperial office had not yet recovered from the period of military administration, so they couldn’t offer courier services.
This made Claude’s mission even more difficult. They would have to find their own way to Razekh.
Over the next ten days, the atmosphere in Hobia grew increasingly strange.
Although the siege was over and they had been victorious, the nobles became more and more cautious, each one staying within their own army camp and refusing to go out. This tense atmosphere made everyone uneasy.
The reason was that the Third Prince had not acted since receiving his orders. The Thirty-Fifth Legion had not moved to reinforce Iyakis, an act that was seen as a provocation against the Emperor.
None of the nobles dared to make a move, afraid of getting caught up in the unfortunate struggle between the father and son.
The nobles began to whisper amongst themselves, speculating about the Third Prince’s next move.
New orders from the imperial capital arrived in Hobia almost daily, all of them ordering the Third Prince to dispatch his troops.
The frequency of these orders revealed the Emperor’s displeasure with the Third Prince and his sense of urgency.
And when the Emperor learned that the Third Prince had, before being ordered, already dispatched the Twenty-Third Legion to reinforce Iyakis on his own authority, his criticism of the Prince was almost merciless.
This attitude caused quite a stir among the nobles in the Hobia region.
The nobles’ days in Hobia became increasingly unsettling. They dared not do anything, fearing that even the smallest action might be interpreted as support for the Third Prince or disloyalty to the Emperor.
Fortunately, the Emperor was not muddled; he was in the prime of his life, a time for forging ahead with great ambition. Those tense days soon came to an end, because new orders from the Emperor were delivered along with his letter of criticism for the Third Prince.
The orders were meticulous, detailing where each noble was to go and what they were to do. Their arrival let all the nobles breathe a sigh of relief.
They still had decades of good living ahead of them and had no desire to be dragged into a power struggle fought without blades.
They began to bustle about, mustering their troops, packing supplies, and arranging their travel to head to their respective destinations as commanded by the Emperor.
As for Henry, his mission was to immediately take his troops to Gasil, board a ship to the major coastal trading city of Shalas in the west, and rendezvous with the pacification force there.
For Henry, this mission was practically a bonus round. He couldn’t say for sure about other things, but to the people of the Empire, he was now a living legend.
Moreover, the Emperor hadn’t mentioned a single word about the reward for defending Hobia or for putting down the rebellion in Shalas. But Henry understood. This time, the Emperor was probably planning to reward him handsomely.
Henry began to summon his officers to discuss marching routes and strategic deployment. At the same time, he waited for Claude’s return.
By his estimation, Claude should be able to return within two days at most.
"Henry, what’s your mission? Where are you headed?"
Henry looked up at Boman, who had just walked into the tent, and said, "To Shalas to put down a rebellion. What about you? What mission did the Dean give you?"
Boman looked relaxed. "My first task is to escort Fass back to his fief. Then, I’m to head north to Tiyaer and fight alongside the First Prince.
To be honest, the Lizardmen are too strong. A single campaign can burn through an entire year’s funds. The training, pensions, and salaries for these soldiers—it all costs Dinars."
Henry nodded. Just as Boman said, most nobles couldn’t afford a large-scale war. Participating in one often meant a year of recovery just to get back on their feet. Some Knights even went bankrupt after a single major campaign.
However, as their liege lord, the Emperor would gift a sum of money to help the bankrupt nobles stay afloat.
Boman raised his eyebrows again and said to Henry, "I’ve already sounded out most of the others. I’ve basically figured out every noble’s mission."
"Oh?"
"I’ve found that any of the Dean’s students have been given very easy missions. It’s either putting down rebellions in the west or fighting alongside the First Prince in the Northern Lands.
But the nobles who aren’t from the academy? They’re basically all being sent near Iyakis to keep fighting the Lizardmen."
Henry pressed his lips together, not sure what to say. The Emperor’s favoritism was practically out in the open. This differential treatment had always been a topic of private discussion among the nobles, but no one dared to complain publicly.
After all, every generation of emperors had maintained strict control over the military. The Emperor’s will was the law of the empire, and any defiance could have severe consequences.
Moreover, the Emperor’s students were usually seen as the future heir’s right-hand men, granting them a very high, albeit unofficial, political status.
"The Dean does treat us well... Boman, when are you planning to leave?"
"In a little while."
Henry was a little surprised. "So soon?"
"Of course. I can’t wait to get out of this sandy place."
"Alright, be careful on the road."
After seeing Boman off, Henry had his army pack up all their supplies except for the pots, bowls, and tents. Everything was loaded onto wagons. As soon as Claude returned, they would depart immediately.
While Henry was waiting, an Attendant of the Third Prince found him.
"Baron Henry, His Highness the Third Prince would like to have dinner with you tonight. It is a private invitation, with no other guests and no political agenda."
The sudden invitation surprised Henry. As for the "no political agenda" part, Henry didn’t believe a word of it.
But after thinking it over, Henry felt there was profit to be made. Perhaps he could get the Third Prince to keep coughing up Gold Coins for him.
’If he can casually reward me with fifty thousand Dinars, there’s definitely more where that came from. As they say, if you’re not earning, you’re losing! And can Henry afford to lose? No way!’
So, Henry accepted the Third Prince’s invitation. The Prince’s Attendant said he would return at nightfall to escort Henry to the banquet.
Henry even, for once, used a whole bucket of water to properly wash himself so he wouldn’t be so dirty. This was the most basic noble etiquette in Caladia.
Night fell, and the Third Prince’s Attendant arrived at Henry’s tent on time. They led Henry through the deserted streets to the Third Prince’s private residence inside the city hall.
Upon entering, the lavish interior of the Third Prince’s residence immediately revealed his noble status and refined taste.
Henry was led to a private dining room where the Third Prince was already waiting.
The absence of any other nobles at their meeting further convinced Henry that there was definitely a special purpose behind this banquet.
The Third Prince welcomed Henry and gestured for him to sit. The table was laden with all sorts of fine foods and wines, demonstrating the importance the Prince placed on this dinner.
Henry politely returned the Third Prince’s greeting and, at the Prince’s lead, the dinner began.
"Baron Henry, I didn’t expect that we would be unable to continue fighting side-by-side. It’s such a pity."
Henry laughed loudly and said, "Your Highness, the Emperor has ordered me to Shalas to quell a rebellion, so of course I must leave. Fulfilling the Emperor’s missions is something every one of us must do."
’Right now, Henry had no particular opinion of the Third Prince. He was just a walking piggy bank.’
’When he had first set out from Westwood Laine, he had thought the Emperor was looking out for the Third Prince by mobilizing reinforcements from all over to support him.’
’Now, it seemed to be a complete political humiliation, designed to strip the Third Prince of all his authority.’
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes and retorted with some embarrassment, "But sometimes, the capital’s understanding of the battlefield is limited. They can make some unreasonable demands, can’t they?"
Henry maintained his smile and said nothing more. He didn’t want to reveal too much without knowing the Third Prince’s true intentions.
As the dinner progressed, the Third Prince gradually revealed his true intentions.
He hoped that Henry would be able to give him a certain degree of support in some future action. In return, he was willing to provide Henry with substantial assistance.
For example, Dinars, weapons, armor, grain, and so on.
"Of course."
"Baron Henry, I believe... huh?"
The Third Prince had been about to continue his persuasion, but he never expected Henry to actually agree, and so decisively!
’I was just talking about the great cause of rebellion, right? Right? And he just agreed, just like that?’
Henry looked at the dumbfounded Third Prince and found it amusing.
’Does making a promise mean I have to follow through? The moment I get to Gasil, everything that happened here tonight will be delivered to the Emperor.’
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