Chapter 226 - 8: The Marquis’s Support
Chapter 226: Chapter 8: The Marquis’s Support
Just as predicted, when the Beastmen failed to break through at Thermopylae, they changed their offensive strategy.
Obviously, compared to the towering mountains of Thermopylae, the low, flat hills were far more suitable for the Beastmen to deploy their legions and leverage their numerical superiority.
Unfortunately for them, they were now facing Marquis Oscillate—the man who had single-handedly crushed the rampaging Beastman Army thirty years ago.
It could be said that if Prince Noah hadn’t been forced to act, the Beastmen and humans would still be locked in a stalemate along the Somme River.
Wim City was a direct fief of the royal family, historically managed by the King’s Governor.
At this stage of the war, the city had been requisitioned by Marquis Oscillate.
"So, the next phase is mainly defensive. Go back and study up on it," Marquis Oscillate said, looking at Viscount Sriv before him.
The coming battles wouldn’t require much complex maneuvering. It would be a matter of sending men to the fortresses and continuously building defensive fortifications behind them, trading space for time. As long as the Human Alliance Army arrived, everything would turn out fine.
Having reached this point, the Marquis decided to simply hand over the upcoming affairs to Viscount Sriv to handle.
After Prince Noah’s arrival in Wim City these past few days, the Marquis had come to understand the gap between his own offspring and those of Louis III.
Prince Noah had previously used Robson to take Thermopylae, and before that, he’d used the corruption case to bolster his personal authority. This was more than enough to prove that Prince Noah could stand on his own two feet.
Although the Marquis didn’t have high expectations for his own heir, seeing Prince Noah as a gem that set such a high standard made him feel a sense of urgency.
’Conveniently, I won’t be withdrawing from the Western Front just yet. I can use this time to properly train Sriv.’ Oscillate didn’t expect him to reach Prince Noah’s level; that required not just effort, but talent.
But he couldn’t be completely overshadowed by Prince Noah in every aspect. He had to have at least one strength.
"Yes, Father." Viscount Sriv said little, accepting the documents from Marquis Oscillate’s hand.
The Marquis nodded. ’Viscount Sriv is a bit dim, but his character is good, and he understands the rules.’
His other sons had a certain cunning and a proud backbone. But Oscillate knew that his current position couldn’t be maintained with mere clever tricks.
Of course, Viscount Sriv certainly couldn’t hold this position securely either. But Sriv’s saving grace was that he was self-aware. He knew his own capabilities and wouldn’t stir up trouble. The Marquis had chosen Sriv because he was dependable, hoping Sriv could at least preserve the family’s current standing.
In reality, by propping up Viscount Sriv, Marquis Oscillate was signaling to the outside world that the Edward Family had no intention of claiming the leadership of the southern faction for the next generation. As for whether the position went to the Guterres Family, the Gaoqi Clan, or someone else, he couldn’t care less.
By then, Marquis Oscillate would likely be gone anyway.
"Marquis, there’s a letter for you from the Royal Capital."
Just as Marquis Oscillate was about to continue instructing his son, the door opened. His steward entered the room and presented him with a letter.
’The Royal Capital?’
Marquis Oscillate had his suspicions. Calculating the time, Valentino and Robson should have arrived at the Royal Capital by now.
If Robson had any political sense, he should be reporting to his "angel investor" right about now. At the very least, a simple greeting was to be expected.
Oscillate took the letter. Just as he’d expected, the signature on it read "Robson Odogin."
’He’s smart enough,’ Marquis Oscillate thought.
Knowing to send a greeting meant that Robson, at the very least, understood who his greatest supporter was.
In the past, Marquis Oscillate had worried that this boy from a minor noble family might lack political experience, like Grantham, who had run wild throughout the kingdom the moment he achieved some merit.
It seemed his worries had been unnecessary.
"To the esteemed Marquis Edward..."
’Could a person like this truly be nurtured by a minor family?’
If Marquis Oscillate merely thought Robson had some political sense before reading the letter, then after finishing it, he was more than a little astonished.
The letter covered several key points: greetings, expressing concern, the King’s invitation, the marriage to Valentino, his views on the kingdom’s situation, and his own predicament.
It seemed quite ordinary, almost like a common family letter. It barely offered a few words of concern and didn’t even directly state his position.
Though the words expressing concern and his stance were few, Robson had grasped all the key points.
He recounted everything Louis III had said to him, the tasks assigned, the arrangements made, and the methods used to win him over, detailing it all as if he were filing a work report.
To write all this down was to tell Marquis Oscillate that he, Robson, stood firmly on the Marquis’s side. The King? Not even the Lord of Dawn himself could sway him!
As for the marriage to Valentino, that was the bridge of communication between Robson and Marquis Oscillate, their strongest relational tie. Mentioning it could be seen as an expression of loyalty, or as an attempt to foster intimacy.
The later part about the kingdom’s situation was primarily to ask for Marquis Oscillate’s opinion, while mentioning his own predicament was a request for the Marquis’s support.
"Tsk tsk... sigh..."
Marquis Oscillate looked at the letter. He was beginning to suspect that Robson’s body housed the soul of an old monster. The letter was truly written with a high level of skill.
Although Robson and he hadn’t communicated much, this letter was enough to dispel any doubts between them. It also stated his interests and requests with perfect clarity, which was highly conducive to communication and the next stage of their dialogue.
Marquis Oscillate’s thoughts raced. ’Someone like Robson, who can fight and scheme in equal measure, is guaranteed a place in the kingdom’s future political landscape.’
Thinking of this, Marquis Oscillate couldn’t help but look at Viscount Sriv.
If Prince Noah’s excellence was due to the abundant resources the royal family invested in his upbringing, how was it that the second son of a mere Baron from some random place could also be so outstanding?
’Has my parenting really been such a failure?’
Marquis Oscillate was somewhat bewildered.
"To Viscount Robson... never mind. Sriv, you will write a reply for me. Tell him I will dispatch—no, tell him *you* will dispatch a Medium Mage Team to assist with his future territorial development.
Oh, and you can also send some Magic Artisans to be handed over to Viscount Robson.
Tell him that as long as he can secure a firm foothold in the three northeastern provinces, he can make his own decisions regarding matters in the Royal Capital," Marquis Oscillate said, looking at Viscount Sriv.
Viscount Sriv took the letter from Marquis Oscillate’s hands. Judging by his father’s expression, the Marquis must hold this Robson in high regard.
Viscount Sriv looked at the letter but couldn’t discern any hidden meaning. To him, it looked like a letter of correspondence that couldn’t be more ordinary.
"Sigh..." Marquis Oscillate sighed once more.
If Sriv had even a fraction of Viscount Robson’s skill, he certainly wouldn’t be thinking of handing over the top leadership position to someone else.
After all, the Edward Family had reaped considerable benefits from that position over the years.