Chapter 172: Chapter 151: The Third Prince is a Good Thing
The Third Prince was instantly overjoyed, lost in the delight of recruiting a valiant noble with immense potential. He didn’t suspect for a moment that Henry might be trying to get something for nothing.
"Baron Henry, this matter is of great importance. Don’t let word of this get out."
Henry smiled, assuring him he wouldn’t tell anyone else.
The Third Prince couldn’t hide his youthful naivete. He excitedly slapped the table and said, "I’ll write a letter right now and have my men deliver two hundred thousand pounds of potato flour, two hundred thousand pounds of pearl rice flour, five thousand spears, one thousand Imperial Vlandian war blades, one thousand Imperial One-Handed Swords, five hundred Traveling Horses, and one hundred sets of light Zha Armor!
Oh, right! I remember you also have the status of Pioneer Nobility, so you must be short on people, right? I’ll contact some serf traders for you and have two thousand people sent your way!
And that fifty thousand Dinars I gave you? Keep it. In fact, I’ll make it an even one hundred thousand! I’ll have everything sent to Westwood Laine Keep!"
Henry: ???
"Uh, Your Highness, this is all a bit much. I haven’t even done anything for you yet."
Henry looked at the ostentatiously wealthy Third Prince before him and actually felt a little unnerved. ’Whose profligate son is this? The moment he gets excited, he gives away a fortune equivalent to that of an average Imperial Viscount?’
Henry had wanted the Third Prince to drop some gold, but he never thought the kid would be such a fountain of wealth! ’Huh? Why am I calling him a kid? I’m only nineteen myself...’
Seeing Henry zone out, the Third Prince thought he had been stunned by his display of wealth.
The Third Prince put on an air of nonchalance and said, "Baron Henry, I don’t care about money. Anyone who knows me knows that. I have seventy-eight Workshops and over five hundred merchant caravans in various places. Dinars are just numbers to me."
At this point, the Third Prince said confidently, "Baron Henry, I know my second brother has used some disgusting tactics against you, and my eldest brother sent you a sum of money... Don’t ask me how I know. What I want to say is, joining my camp will be the best choice you’ll ever make!"
Henry nodded furiously. "You’re absolutely right, Your Highness! From this day forward, I await your command. The moment you raise your banner, I will be by your side!"
"Excellent! Let’s drink!"
The two clinked their glasses. The wine went down smoothly. It was produced in the western coastal city of Galen, and its taste was indeed superb.
"Baron Henry, you’ll be heading to the west coast soon. Don’t worry, within two months, everything I promised will arrive in your fief. I keep my word."
Henry nodded again and again, showing that he believed everything the Third Prince said and was certain the Prince would never lie to him.
The Third Prince was happy with the dinner, Henry was happy, everyone was happy!
Night fell and the stars began to twinkle. Escorted by the Third Prince’s Attendants, Henry slipped back to his own camp without a sound.
After completing their task, the Attendants quickly vanished into the night, as if they had never been there.
Henry walked into his tent, the drunken look on his face vanishing in an instant, replaced by a faint smile.
’Oh, Third Prince, Third Prince, you truly are a generous patron. I never thought I’d get the chance to play both sides like this.’
Having only drunk what amounted to colored water, Henry lay down on his bed and quickly fell asleep. It was a happy night, and he drifted off with a smile.
The next day, Henry’s eyes opened at the crack of dawn. ’Early to bed, early to rise. Such a healthy routine.’
Selas, who was also already up and about in the camp, saw Henry emerge from his tent stretching, and came forward to say, "My lord, Knight Boman’s troops are preparing to depart."
Henry nodded. Many of the nobles were leaving today; nearly half of them would be gone.
The morning desert air was tinged with a chill. The cold of the night had not yet dissipated, and the sun’s rays had yet to touch the sand.
Henry saw Boman’s banner fluttering in the morning breeze and strode toward his camp to bid him farewell.
"Hey, Boman, why are you leaving so early? At least have some breakfast before you go," Henry said, a little sad as he looked at the two fully armed troops ready to depart.
As for why there were two, it was because Fass’s army was leaving with them.
Boman’s face was grim beneath his helmet. "Henry," he said, "I’d advise you to leave quickly too. The more I think about it, the more I feel something is wrong."
The Dean is transferring the Twenty-third and Thirty-fifth Legions away, and now he’s sending us to fight elsewhere. Doesn’t that leave Hobia’s defenses empty?
There’s definitely something fishy going on here. It’s not for us to figure out. All we can do is leave as fast as possible."
Henry drew in a sharp breath. Boman had a point. ’When a man always solves things with his fists, his brain gets rusty if he doesn’t use it.’
"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up. Where’s Fass? Let me see him."
Boman waved a dismissive hand, swung himself onto his horse, and said, "Don’t bother. The herbal medicine has worn off for that kid. Now he’s starting to feel the pain, just whining and whimpering. Pathetic."
Hearing Boman’s description, Henry pictured the scene in his mind and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
"Alright, stay safe. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Henry."
Watching the force that had arrived with nearly two thousand men now leave with fewer than eight hundred was inevitably a sorrowful sight.
When Henry returned to his tent and lifted the flap, he was greeted by an enticing aroma.
He took a closer look and saw a golden-brown pigeon pie and a few exquisite lemon cakes on the table, which surprised him.
’Is this still the desert?’
Seeing Henry enter, Ailia smiled and said, "My lord, since we’re leaving the desert soon anyway, and we can procure supplies elsewhere, I thought we might as well use some of the ingredients we have rather than saving them."
Henry nodded. Ailia was a thoughtful person, always managing his daily life with impeccable order.
"Where did these pigeons come from? I don’t remember us procuring any pigeons."
Ailia replied softly, "When the troops passed through Danustika, I bought a few live pigeons and have been raising them on grain. This morning, I had Orianna help me slaughter a few to make your favorite pigeon pie."
Henry nodded lightly. He rarely went to the logistics area because the soldiers there were "loyal," so he didn’t need to worry about his supplies.
This also meant he wasn’t familiar with such details. Still, he quite enjoyed the little surprise from Ailia.
"Wait, did you use your own money to buy them?"
Ailia nodded. It finally clicked for Henry. No wonder he hadn’t seen a purchase order for pigeons in Claude’s procurement ledger.
"That won’t do. I can’t have you spending your own money. Go to logistics later and get reimbursed for whatever you spent."
Ailia pursed her lips but said nothing, her eyes fixed on Henry’s hands, wanting to see him eat the food.
Henry walked to the table, picked up a piece of lemon cake, and took a small bite. The perfectly balanced sweet and sour flavor spread through his mouth, lifting his spirits even more.
It was truly a wonderful morning. After finishing breakfast, Henry strolled through the camp. He would sometimes stop and watch as Selas, Roland, and other Attendants and officers led the soldiers in their training.
Bain, his arm wrapped in white cloth, couldn’t stand the idleness and was directing a squad of Skilled Infantry in practicing sword slashes and shield defenses.
"Bain, how are you doing?"
Bain turned, and his face broke into a smile when he saw Henry. "My lord, I can move around now."
Henry nodded, staring blankly at the soldiers training before him.
Bain looked at Henry and said, "My lord, these Skilled Infantry are qualified to become Senior Infantry. All they’re missing now is the armor and weapons.
What’s more, I’ve checked the military service records. Some of the Senior Infantry have already participated in ten battles and killed more than ten enemies. They’re qualified to become Legion infantry!
My lord, you need stronger soldiers to fight tougher battles."
Henry felt a pang of frustration at Bain’s words. Of course he wanted to give his soldiers better armor and weapons.
The problem was, he didn’t have any!
Imperial Zha Armor, Imperial Nail-Striped Shoulder Guards, Plank Armor Arm Guards, an Imperial Bronze Nasal Helm with Chainmail, Chain Armor Leggings, a High-Quality Steel Paramain Blade, a Heavy Spear, a Reinforced Kite Shield...
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford a set of this equipment; it was that he couldn’t buy it at all!
This entire set of top-tier Imperial soldier equipment, thanks to rapid advances in forging technology, was being mass-produced, and the market price was only about three thousand seven hundred-some Dinars. It didn’t seem expensive; even a relatively poor noble could grit their teeth and afford a set or two a year.
The problem was, from the moment this equipment left the Workshops, it was in the emperor’s hands.
It was prioritized for Legion soldiers and the Militias of the various Free Cities... Yes, the Militia! This was also a key factor in how the imperial family maintained stability in the regions.
This was why the Empire’s Standing Legions were composed of either Legion infantry or Senior Infantry. The emperor was just too wealthy!
Someone might ask, if the production is so high, wouldn’t there be a significant surplus after so many years?
Ahem, equipment wears out. Each Legion infantryman was issued two sets of equipment. The purpose was so that if a soldier’s armor was heavily damaged in battle but they themselves were largely unharmed, they could immediately get back to fighting.
For other nobles, there were only three ways to obtain such armor and weapons: as a reward from the emperor, as a gift from a kind soul, or by forging it themselves.
Henry stroked his chin, wondering how he could acquire such equipment...
’Wait a minute! Isn’t there a huge sucker just waiting to be fleeced?’
Henry walked off, chuckling to himself, leaving a completely bewildered Bain behind.
’What’s wrong with the lord? It must be the desert climate; it doesn’t agree with him. Thank goodness we’re leaving soon.’
Henry was oblivious to Bain’s thoughts. He was already walking down the streets of Hobia, heading for the city hall.
At this time, the air was filled with a dry scent, and the buildings on either side of the street cast long shadows under the morning sun.
The guards at the city hall were already very familiar with Henry. They didn’t stop him, simply letting him pass.
Henry’s performance on the battlefield was beyond question. No one wanted to make things difficult for themselves.
’If I have to stop, so does your career.’
After entering the city hall, Henry didn’t recklessly seek out the Third Prince directly. Instead, he had a soldier go in to announce him and inform the Prince that he had business with him.
’Princes, you know. They have to keep up appearances.’
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