Chapter 358 358-The Race for the Throne
Boshni was about to continue speaking when Alonso, from the side, caught her eye, silently pleading for her to stop.
Though puzzled, Boshni trusted Alonso and slowly fell silent.
At that moment, Bosiden entered the room, his eyes falling on Boshni, Alonso, and Howard.
A flicker of confusion crossed his face.
"Do you also have matters to report to His Majesty?" he asked Alonso.
Without offering an explanation to Bosiden, Alonso, with Boshni in tow, promptly left the room, carefully closing the door behind them.
Once alone, Howard shared the details with Bosiden, prompting an unexpected laugh.
"Ha! And here I thought Boshni was some wise character," Bosiden exclaimed. "Turns out, she's as narrow-minded as the rest!"
Howard, sipping his coffee, urged Bosiden to elaborate.
"Boshni's approach is nothing but brute force," Bosiden explained. "But what difference would that make us from the cruel Queen Elizabeth of the English Royal Palace?"
Raising his coffee mug, Howard nodded in agreement. "Well said," he remarked.
Bosiden then handed a document to Howard, who began to scrutinize it carefully.
The document detailed the situation of Tyro's gold mines: the current extraction rate of 2 gold coins per month, the workers' wage conditions, and an estimate of the total gold reserves in Tyro.
Howard perused each detail, eventually outlining his policy for the future management of the mines to Bosiden, who listened intently and nodded in agreement, ready to implement the suggested strategies.
Three days later, Howard casually inquired Vettel, "Who do you think should be rewarded with the former imperial territories?"
Vettel's eyes darted around as he pondered a response that would please Howard. "Your Majesty could directly govern them," he suggested, adding, "Serving under Your Majesty is an honor for us vassals."
Howard was pleased by the response but pressed on, asking who should be rewarded if he were to grant such favors.
Vettel touched his right lip thoughtfully before replying, "Neplon has greatly contributed to commanding the army. Perhaps bestowing upon him the title of Duke would be fitting."
Howard acknowledged the suggestion with a nod.
Two days later, Nora arrived with a group of military officers to see Howard.
Surprised but reassured by Golan's report that they were unarmed, Howard gestured for them to enter.
Seated comfortably in the grand imperial palace, once home to many emperors, Howard felt a profound sense of ease.
Upon entering and seeing Howard in that revered seat, Nora felt a twinge of discomfort, thinking him unworthy of such a position.
Yet, she restrained her feelings and addressed Howard, "I know several young and talented officers in the Empire who are willing to train soldiers for Your Majesty's army."
Howard, puzzled, replied, "But currently, I only maintain the Black Army system of the Oungria Kingdom. There isn't any such imperial legion."
A young male officer, around twenty-five years old, stepped forward from behind Nora and addressed Howard, "Your Majesty, if there's no imperial legion, we can certainly establish one. As Your Majesty's territory expands, a single-mode army will not suffice to meet your needs."
Howard inquired, "And who will fund this?"
Nora responded, "The Habsburg family is willing to finance it, as a gesture of goodwill towards Your Majesty and in hopes of preserving our interests within the Empire."
This piqued Howard's interest.
An army without the burden of recruitment costs was an opportunity he was eager to embrace.
Rising from his seat, Howard approached Nora. "Can you represent the Habsburg family? If I recall, the current head of the Habsburgs is Maximilian, isn't it?"
Nora replied coolly, "Maximilian failed to protect Habsburg's territories and is no longer the head of our family."
Howard, tactfully probing further, said, "Then..."
Nora confidently admitted, "Yes, I, Nora, am now the head of the Habsburg family. The terms I proposed are fully within my power to guarantee."
Satisfied, Howard warmly said, "In that case, establish an imperial legion. The officers you've brought can be integrated into its ranks."
At that moment, despite her reluctance to concede, Nora, for the sake of the Habsburg family, requested a dukedom from Howard.
Howard agreed smoothly, without questioning Nora's swift change of heart.
Nora noted Howard's enhanced understanding of nobility, far more profound than in his earlier years.
After Nora and her eight officers paid their respects to Howard and left the court, Neplon, standing nearby, indicated that he had something to discuss.
Howard beckoned him to speak.
As the Minister of Military Affairs, Neplon expressed his concern about the loyalty of Nora's people and wished to exercise control over the new imperial legion.
Howard saw no issue with this and agreed to Neplon's request.
"Handle the specifics as you see fit," Howard instructed. "Additionally, our Oungria Kingdom's Black Army has proven its mettle during Cotler's rebellion. I think it's time to abolish the temporary system. From now on, the Black Army should be fully operational."
"Starting today, begin training the registered conscripts throughout the lands. I want them to become a standing army. Whether at war or not, they should always be soldiers."
Neplon assured Howard that he would take care of it, and Howard had full confidence in him.
A week later, the ennoblement ceremony was held in the capital.
Neplon was made a Duke, Bosiden was awarded two earldoms, Vettel received an earldom and two baronies, Alonso was granted three villages, and Boshni two.
Ness was bestowed an earldom and five villages.
As Howard's territory grew and evolved, he moved the capital to the imperial city.
The title of Emperor, now vacant, sparked a fierce competition among the nations.
Bohemia, Pofalesi, Phrus, Kolone, and the Humborg Kingdom, as well as the ambiguously aligned Nedolan, all declared their intention to vie for the imperial crown.
The decision of who would next wear the imperial crown would be determined by a vote, a testament to the shifting landscape of power and intrigue.
Each kingdom, eager to ascend to the apex of authority, prepared to make their case, knowing well that the future of the empire hung in the balance, shaped by the outcome of this pivotal election.
Although the Ryzet Kingdom was still at war with Lombardy and its entire territory had been overrun, it hadn't been annexed and thus, as an ordinary member of the empire, retained its right to vote.
Ryzet cast its ballot for the Kingdom of Pofalesi.
Mudburg voted for Kolone, Blunrick for Phrus, Hanover for the Humborg Kingdom, Pomerania for Bohemia, Milan for Pofalesi, and Lombardy for Bohemia.
Minster also gave its vote to Bohemia.
Additionally, each candidate voted for themselves.
The tally stood as follows: Kolone with two votes, Phrus with two, Humborg Kingdom with two, Bohemia leading with four, and Pofalesi with three.
Frederick, eager to secure Howard's vote, hoped for his support. Howard initially considered leveraging this as an opportunity to demand Frederick's expulsion of Cotler from Phrus.
However, reflecting on the dynamics of both diplomatic and personal relations, he realized that proposing an outright impossible condition could backfire, potentially angering the other party.
So, Howard coolly analyzed the situation and proposed a different deal: "I'll vote for you if you help me in a future conflict against the Osland Kingdom Empire."
Frederick quickly agreed, leading Howard to allocate his part of the crumbling empire's voting power to Phrus.
Howard was aware that even with his vote, Phrus would only tally three votes in total, still trailing behind Bohemia's four.
He knew that even with his support, Phrus stood little chance of securing the throne.
Indeed, the final count confirmed this. Phrus and the Kingdom of Pofalesi each ended with three votes, unable to surpass Bohemia's four.
Thus, according to the process, Bohemia was poised to ascend to the imperial throne.
However, Frederick of Phrus boldly challenged this outcome by proposing a tournament.
He suggested that since Phrus, Pofalesi, and Bohemia were the only nations with three or more votes, they should each send a noble knight to compete in a series of knightly duels.
The winner would then claim the emperor's title.
This proposition, undeniably disrespectful of the established rules, was met with vehement opposition from Bohemia.
The King of Bohemia flatly refused to participate in the tournament, stating, "I will not partake in a contest devoid of legal merit. The legitimate and legally binding competition has already concluded, and I emerged victorious."
His argument was not only sound but also justified.
Nevertheless, Frederick would not relent, and neither would Bismarck.
In a bold move characteristic of his iron-fisted diplomacy, Bismarck coerced Hanover into changing its allegiance.
Hanover, which had initially voted for another, now cast its vote for Phrus.
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