Chapter 218: Chapter 180: Viscount Robertson
Upon seeing Prince Noah, Earl Wei Man immediately dismounted and walked to his side.
"Wei Man Gaoqi pays his respects, Your Highness Prince," Earl Wei Man said, bowing to Prince Noah.
After a day’s journey, Earl Wei Man had finally arrived at the foot of Thermopylae.
Prince Noah gave this arriving army a reception of the highest standard.
After all, Prince Noah had just achieved a "great victory." Now was the crucial moment to win people over. He could use this opportunity to reverse the negative public opinion about him on the Western Front and show everyone that he, Prince Noah, was truly capable.
Having just made Prince Noah bleed a fortune, Robson was in no position to refuse.
Besides, even though Robson would be enfeoffed in the north, it didn’t mean he no longer needed the support of these southern nobles.
On the contrary, during the initial period of establishing his fief, when everything would need to be rebuilt from scratch, he would need investment most.
While he could mooch off Valentino, he couldn’t do so forever—and besides, who would complain about having more support?
Taking this opportunity to get to know these southern-faction nobles and create new opportunities for himself would be a huge advantage for developing his territory in the future.
"Earl, it must have been a hard journey for you all." Prince Noah smiled, dismounted, and walked over to help Earl Wei Man up.
Judging by the look on Prince Noah’s face, he was clearly very pleased with Earl Wei Man’s attitude.
Ordinarily, a prince is of course higher in rank than an earl, but in reality, nobody paid much mind to such rules. Whether they were followed depended on individual decorum, and this was especially true since Prince Noah had caused such a disaster on the Western Front.
Now, Earl Wei Man had immediately dismounted and rushed before Prince Noah’s horse to bow. This showed Prince Noah the utmost respect and also sent a message to the nobles behind them: Prince Noah had now achieved a great service, and it was time for everyone’s attitude to change.
Earl Wei Man was a smart man. After this battle at Thermopylae, as long as Prince Noah didn’t mess up badly, he would likely be next in line for the throne. Now was the perfect time to build a connection.
"This is Sir Robson—oh! I suppose I should call him Viscount Robson now!" Prince Noah said with a laugh, making the introduction.
In truth, Earl Wei Man had known Robson for a while. During the previous arrangements for Sirich City, he had already elevated Robson’s status to the level of a powerful viscount. The Earl had always held Robson in high regard.
Prince Noah’s action was meant to continue boosting Robson’s status.
Knowing someone on your own and being formally introduced by a prince were two completely different things.
The document conferring the new title, sent by Louis III, also contained his assessment of the developing situation.
It could only be said that Louis III and Prince Noah were truly father and son, both on the same wavelength. When Louis III sent his orders, Prince Noah understood what his father wanted to do.
This was also why, even though the fighting at Thermopylae was over, Prince Noah still maintained a mutually supportive attitude toward Robson.
"Viscount Robson, a pleasure! A pleasure!" Earl Wei Man said with a smile, extending his hand.
"Robson Odogin. A pleasure," Robson replied, stepping forward to shake it.
This Earl Wei Man was a prominent figure in the entire southern faction of the Frank Kingdom. Similar to the Guterres Family, the Gaoqi Clan also had its own commerce association, though its scale couldn’t compare to the Guterres Commerce Association.
"Viscount Robson and Prince Noah have performed a great service. I’m sure that in the kingdom’s future, there will certainly be a place for the Odogin Family!" Earl Wei Man said with a laugh.
"Earl, you flatter me. How could my meager achievements possibly compare to those of Lord Feistel?" Robson replied with a wry smile.
Feistel Gaoqi was the ancestor of the Gaoqi Clan. Speaking of which, the Gaoqi Clan was a classic example of a family that started as mercenaries, married a princess in a stunning reversal of fortune, and became great nobles. It was under Feistel that the Gaoqi Clan truly took flight.
Robson had learned about all these intricate feuds and relationships between the families from Valentino and Prince Noah.
Recently, Robson had been cramming on the history of these major families—all their grudges and alliances—as well as the entire past and present of the kingdom.
This knowledge might not seem very useful in a crisis, but in normal situations, it reflected a person’s level of education and their degree of respect for others.
Especially when praising someone.
Clearly, Earl Wei Man was very pleased. If the praise had been directed at him personally, he might have felt a bit awkward. But praising his own illustrious ancestor? That, he wholeheartedly agreed with.
In an era that valued family honor, the accomplishments of one’s ancestors represented the glory and legacy of the entire family.
Robson’s words had greatly satisfied Earl Wei Man’s vanity.
"Viscount Robson, to become a viscount in just one year at such a young age, and now to have won the hand of a beautiful lady... it’s truly enviable," Earl Wei Man praised, his gaze shifting to Valentino behind Robson as he spoke, a smile on his face.
"Uncle," Valentino murmured, blushing as she curtsied.
"I’m sorry. When your parents died, there was nothing we could do," Earl Wei Man said with a sigh.
"They died on campaign, serving the kingdom. That is something to be proud of," Valentino said, shaking her head.
Robson watched them in astonishment. He had only just finished studying the family histories from the era of the Knight King and had no idea about the tangled web of relationships among these nobles.
Robson once again felt the stability of Marquis Oscillate’s power. ’It wouldn’t surprise me if all the major players in the southern faction are related to the Marquis.’
"I hear your fief is in the three northeastern provinces?" Earl Wei Man asked, looking at Robson with a smile.
"I am not privy to such matters. My achievements were only possible with the help of the Marquis and the Prince, and the fief is a reward bestowed by His Majesty.
I don’t care where I am sent. I will go wherever the kingdom needs me," Robson replied with a smile.
"Hahaha, well said! We are nobles of the Frank Kingdom. Wherever the kingdom needs us, that is where we will be!" Earl Wei Man clapped Robson on the shoulder, looking at this rising star of the kingdom who was about to become his nephew-in-law, growing more and more pleased.
Sometimes, military might can’t decide everything. To get things done in an aristocratic country, what you need most is to be well-spoken and know how to handle situations.
Clearly, this Viscount Robson before him was exceptionally skilled in dealing with people. His words had been a great comfort to Earl Wei Man.
The only one who might have felt awkward was Prince Noah. After all, "what the kingdom needs" is not necessarily "what the king needs." This was, in a way, a declaration of allegiance: from now on, Robson Odogin would be following the Marquis’s lead!
Of course, if one’s military power reached a certain level, one could overturn the rules—like Marshal Grantham, for example.
"Speaking of which, by the time you two set out on your own campaign in the future, I might still be here on the front line...
This... I acquired it some time ago from a Magic Artisan in the Tilia Kingdom. It’s a Silver Tier magic weapon. I’ve heard that with the addition of Dragon Blood, it might become Golden Tier. I’m giving it to you.
And this Token. My Gaoqi Clan has some connections in the Royal Capital and the three northeastern provinces. If you need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to use it." Earl Wei Man took a greatsword engraved with Magic Runes from his Space Ring and presented it to Robson.
"Ha, consider these an early wedding gift," Earl Wei Man teased.
Valentino’s face grew even redder, while Robson, without any hesitation, accepted the weapon from Earl Wei Man’s hands.
"In that case, my thanks, Earl," Robson said.
"Hey, you’ll have to change how you address me sooner or later. Why not start calling me ’Uncle’ now?" Earl Wei Man chuckled.
"The military situation is urgent. In the army, even fathers and sons address each other by rank. We cannot break the rules."
As Robson finished speaking, Earl Wei Man seemed to suddenly snap back to business.
"Right, right. Is everyone here now?" Earl Wei Man said, looking around.
"Viscount Fuman, Viscount Leo, Viscount Jufan..."
"Hm? No one’s missing," Earl Wei Man said in surprise. He hadn’t expected that after such a fierce battle, not a single noble of viscount rank or higher had died.
What Earl Wei Man didn’t know was that during the bloody battle at Thermopylae, it was mostly Robson’s Soldiers who had held the line. By the time the Extraordinary ones charged in, the most intense part of the fighting was already over.
"That no one is missing is for the best, of course.
Now! I, Wei Man Gaoqi, in my capacity as the Defender of Sirich and an Earl of the Frank Kingdom, hereby call for a vote! In accordance with the Kingdom’s Laws of Nobility and Article 37 of the Defense Law, I petition to lift the state of military emergency for the defense of Sirich City. The vote begins now!" Earl Wei Man used his Golden Tier power to project his voice far and wide.
Having spoken, Earl Wei Man was the first to raise his hand.
Valentino and Robson followed, and then, before Thermopylae, all the surviving nobles raised their right hands.
"Unanimous! I declare the state of military emergency for Sirich officially lifted!"
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