Chapter 215: Chapter 178: The King’s Shock
Louis III was in his palace, holding a cabinet meeting.
The governmental structure of the Frank Kingdom was divided into the Outer Court and the Inner Court. The Outer Court consisted of the Six Ministers, and corresponding to them was the cabinet meeting, which functioned as Louis III’s personal advisory council.
The head of the Outer Court was the Prime Minister, also known as the Foreign Minister. The positions of the Six Ministers included Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Military Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, head of the Inner Court, Chief Justice, and Archbishop.
As for the Inner Court, that was a motley collection of roles.
The current Prime Minister of the Outer Court was Marquis George, but the remaining ministerial seats were mostly held by members of the royal family.
Initially, Marquis Oscillate had served as Prime Minister, a position he earned through his merits during the last southern invasion of the Beastmen.
Later, as the Northern Faction began to regain its strength, Marquis George rose to the highest echelons of the kingdom. Louis III, wanting to fish in troubled waters, had intended for Marquis George to enter the Outer Court and contend for power.
But as it turned out, that old fox Oscillate performed a slick escape, giving up the position of Prime Minister.
After all, serving as Louis III’s Prime Minister was a rather troublesome affair, and Marquis Oscillate had gained very little from his time in office.
With Marquis Oscillate gone, Louis III was left dumbfounded. He now had to single-handedly face Marquis George, the aggressive Northern Faction, and, behind them, Marshal Grantham and the military faction.
Conversely, Marquis Oscillate, having given up the premiership, had been playing all sides and thriving these past few years.
And so, the kingdom’s current political landscape slowly took shape.
"Your Majesty, Marshal Grantham is urging us to transport the Magic Crystal Cannons to the front lines as soon as possible. He says the very safety of the kingdom is at stake."
"The Algeria Kingdom has recently been inquiring about Prince Noah’s current status."
"The Beastmen on the Eastern Front..."
Listening to the reports from his subordinates, Louis III calmly took a sip of water.
It was all just the routine business of the kingdom.
In theory, the Kingdom Government was loyal to the King and had to obey his commands without question.
For the past few years, Louis III had been using this principle to consolidate his own power.
All matters were discussed in the cabinet meetings, ultimately bypassing the Six Ministers of the Outer Court to deal directly with second-tier officials.
In truth, this system had originally been the handiwork of King Louis—Louis III’s grandfather, Louis I.
King Louis had taken things much further than Louis III ever had, but unfortunately, Louis II had ruined it all.
As Louis III sorted through his documents, he suddenly came upon a letter with no engravings whatsoever. His heart skipped a beat.
Engraved letters were a unique cultural practice in the Human Kingdoms. Letters from a family were engraved with their crest, personal letters could have any design, and religious correspondence had to be inscribed with the name of a Saint.
’Who doesn’t use engravings?’
There was only one answer: the military.
The army on the Eastern Front had already been scattered. As for the Central Front, Louis III had no need to worry about it—he couldn’t even if he wanted to.
That left only one possibility: the nobles of the Western Front.
Marquis Oscillate was a man who knew how to do things by the book; military matters were always handled according to the kingdom’s official procedures.
However, Louis III was currently more concerned with another matter than with Marquis Oscillate.
Thermopylae!
In truth, Louis III had known about Prince Noah’s plan for a while. The Prince usually consulted him before taking action. Even when forced to make a snap decision, he would always report back to his father afterward.
The situation at Thermopylae didn’t just affect Prince Noah’s political future. More importantly, it would have a massive impact on the state of the entire kingdom!
If the Beastmen broke through Thermopylae, the nobles who suffered in the ensuing disaster would undoubtedly blame the royal family.
It was always the same. They would dodge and hide when it was time to pay taxes, but if the army’s combat effectiveness was lacking, it was surely the King’s fault! This was true even when the force in question was the Noble Alliance Army.
There was nothing to be done. This was the fate of a king. He who wears the crown must bear its weight.
But an even worse outcome loomed. If this led to a rout on the Central Front—or even just a retreat—the consequences would be immense.
Fighting a war abroad was completely different from fighting one at home!
When that happened, the northern nobles, seeking to protect their own territories, would surely throw their political support behind Marshal Grantham.
This was precisely why Louis III had involved Marquis George when dealing with Grantham previously. Grantham growing stronger was bad for both of them.
At this thought, even Louis III couldn’t help but frown as he tore open the envelope.
Just like Earl Wei Man, Louis III’s eyes went straight to the end of the letter. The moment he saw those few words, he felt his heart nearly stop.
It wasn’t that Louis III lacked composure or was easily flustered. But when faced with a crucial battle that concerned the nation’s survival and involved his own son, anyone would be stirred.
Thermopylae was about the kingdom’s present; Prince Noah’s political renown was about the kingdom’s future.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Battle of Thermopylae would determine the life or death of the kingdom.
The advisors, who had been in the middle of a heated discussion, fell silent the moment they saw Louis III suddenly hold his breath and stare intently.
Few things could make Louis III this tense. Everyone quickly understood what the letter must contain.
Due to Louis III’s obvious favoritism, many people within the Frank Kingdom had placed their bets on Prince Noah.
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