Chapter 78: Chapter 69: Promotion for Military Merits, Merging Titles
Henry lowered his head, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. ’Who hired this shill?’ he thought. ’They’re certainly loud enough!’
The members of the Senate, observing from the side, turned green. The local noble councils were already treated like child’s play; was the royal family now going to strip the Senate of all its functions?
Everyone began to cheer the title of "His Majesty, the Emperor." This pleased Anikovarest XIII immensely, and the smile on his face grew until he could no longer contain it.
The royal family had gone two successive reigns without waging war. Now, it was time for the royal family to be great again, to claim the title of Emperor.
"Citizens of the Empire, rejoice! Pledge your loyalty to your Emperor! Pledge your loyalty to the Empire you hold so dear!"
"Long live Caladia!"
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
The Emperor raised his arm and waved to the cheering crowd, inciting an even greater wave of enthusiasm. Henry and the others rose to their feet, their expressions growing more respectful as they watched the high-spirited Emperor.
Soon, Henry and the other nobles followed the Emperor into the palace. Their Attendants and adjutants, however, were not qualified to enter.
This was a political banquet, not some casual party thrown by provincial nobles.
The soldiers of the delegation continued to parade the Half-Beastman captives along the various routes of the Royal Capital. By tomorrow, they would be sent to the mines.
The heads of those Half-Beastmen would be piled up outside the Royal Capital to display the power of the royal family... no, the Imperial Capital and the imperial family.
Henry watched the man’s back, marveling at the wealth of the imperial family—the greatest of all noble houses in the empire.
The Emperor’s ceremonial robes were crafted from the finest silk and velvet. Their color was a deep blue, representing royal dignity, and they were embroidered with gold thread patterns, giving them a magnificent yet solemn appearance.
The collar and cuffs of the robes were encrusted with jewels that glittered dazzlingly, showcasing the Emperor’s wealth and prestige.
On his head, he wore a golden crown, set with an enormous gem that symbolized his supreme authority.
Henry’s eyes darted about. ’From this whole getup,’ he thought, ’it’s obvious the Emperor has been planning to make a move against the Senate for a long time. This was just the opportunity he needed.’
"Henry, come here."
The Emperor’s voice rang in Henry’s ear, pulling him from his thoughts. He quickened his pace to catch up, positioning himself just slightly behind the Emperor, but close enough to remain in his peripheral vision.
"Headmaster."
The Emperor nodded with satisfaction. He clearly preferred this form of address, as it felt more intimate.
"I still remember the scene half a year ago, when I granted you your fief after you graduated first in your class. To think that in just six short months, I would be granting you another title."
The Emperor’s tone was gentle, his admiration for Henry unconcealed.
"It is my honor that the Headmaster still remembers this student. It is thanks to the Headmaster’s teachings that I was able to become a worthy noble and Warrior."
"Hmm... Humble, not arrogant. It seems your liberal arts scores weren’t as poor as your teachers claimed."
The two of them chatted and laughed, while behind them, the three Legion Commanders and two other nobles were grinding their teeth in jealousy. They cursed themselves for not having gone to the academy to burnish their own credentials.
The group soon arrived in a rather lavish hall, where many nobles were gathered. Most were the Emperor’s court nobles, but there were also some minor nobles from collateral branches of the imperial family from surrounding areas.
As for the members of the Senate—the established Counts with smaller fiefs in the empire’s interior—they could only hold their noses and stand to the sides. They had merely wanted to force the Emperor to go through the Senate’s enfeoffment process.
But if the Emperor was unwilling... they didn’t dare make trouble.
In the solemn palace hall, the Emperor sat high upon his throne, his grave gaze fixed upon the crowd of Vassals below.
After everyone sang the "Song of the Military Laurels" and the "Song of Lukaron," they all waited in solemn silence for the enfeoffment ceremony to begin.
The Emperor rose, his voice booming as he announced, "Henry Bro, your valor and loyalty have brought glory to the nation. I have decided to consolidate your existing territorial titles and re-ennoble you as a Baron in recognition of your great deeds."
Henry dropped to one knee, an excited expression on his face.
The Emperor then continued, "Furthermore, I shall grant you three plots of land, each the size of a Knight’s fief, surrounding Westwood Laine. They shall be your new domains: Huayinlai Village, Britt Village, and Chaimudi Village."
"I expect you to protect the integrity of the Empire’s territory, treat your subjects with kindness, and fulfill your due obligations."
Upon hearing this, Henry’s smile became even more genuine. ’I fought in two major campaigns back-to-back,’ he thought. ’They couldn’t just give me a title, right?’
Henry bowed solemnly to the Emperor and declared in a serious tone, "I, Baron Henry Bro, Lord of Westwood Laine, will remember humility, honor, sacrifice, valor..."
"As a Vassal, I will maintain absolute loyalty to my Lord, obey my Lord’s commands, protect my Lord’s safety, and do my Lord no harm."
"When my Lord is in need, I will provide military and financial support, including serving in his army and providing funds..."
The Emperor nodded and said, "As your Lord, I swear to provide protection should my Vassal come under external attack, and I shall likewise not infringe upon my Vassal’s honor, person, or property."
Soon, a court noble brought Henry several sheets of parchment. On them were written the contract of fealty between Henry and the Emperor, as well as the legal documents for the transfer of the new fiefs.
Under the watchful eyes of all present, Henry signed each document and stamped them with his noble crest.
Another court noble presented Henry with a tray, upon which lay a new set of imperial robes and two Star of Campaign medals.
Amid the cheers of the crowd, Henry returned to his place and watched as the other two nobles received their rewards from the Emperor.
Minstrels and court painters were off to the side, documenting this moment. The day’s events would be sung in ballads and recorded in paintings.
The other two nobles were only rewarded with some money and some meaningless praise and badges.
The three Legion Commanders also received rewards and commendations in turn. For them, this was a guarantee of their security.
Members of the Senate then came forward one by one. They spoke of Caladia’s history, from its unification to the recent eastern campaign, and formally acknowledged the King’s title as Emperor.
The Emperor was reasonably satisfied with these pragmatic old nobles. As long as they didn’t stand in his way, letting them live out their days in peace was not a problem.
By the time all the ceremonies were complete, it was already afternoon. The Emperor had to return to his chambers to change for the court banquet that evening.
After the Emperor left, the other nobles gathered in small groups, exchanging news and gossip.
Henry found himself surrounded by a throng of court nobles. They were all fawning over him, showering him with so much praise that Henry couldn’t possibly remember it all.
In the chaos, some even secretly slipped small pouches into the gaps of Henry’s armor, catching him completely off guard.
’Seriously, dude? You’re trying to switch allegiances right here in the Emperor’s palace? Why would a perfectly fine court noble want to go suffer on the frontier?’
Henry could only use the excuse of needing to change his armor to escape the encirclement with the help of an Attendant.
He had never been surrounded so tightly, not even on the battlefield against the Half-Beastmen!
