Chapter 241 - 18: Grain Trade
Chapter 241: Chapter 18: Grain Trade
On January 15th, the Royal Palace was decorated with lanterns and colored banners. Courtiers and socialites from all walks of life in the Frank Kingdom had gathered, and there were even some foreign nobles among them.
All of this was in preparation for the upcoming Frank Kingdom fiefdom ceremony.
The Human World also followed the ancient noble system of the Elf Race. However, compared to the Elf Race, whose class structure was as stagnant as dead water, human society possessed much more vitality.
After all, due to their high birth rates, the Human World had always been enthusiastic about war. Where there was war, there was class mobility, and where there was class mobility, society had vitality.
However, compared to other nations, class mobility in the Frank Kingdom was a bit too frequent. In other kingdoms, a new major noble family might not emerge even in fifty years.
At this moment, Louis III was sitting in the rear hall of the Crystal Palace, looking over the invitations that had arrived from various parties.
"Who came from Algeria?" Louis III asked, turning to Queen Fei beside him.
In the Frank Kingdom, the Queen was not always a mere figurehead. Queen Fei had her own domains to manage, such as court etiquette and the family’s foreign diplomacy.
"They sent an envoy..."
"Considering how important this is for Noah, isn’t that a bit rude?" Queen Fei, unaware that her husband had backstabbed the Algeria Kingdom, grumbled in complaint.
Louis III took a sip of his tea. ’How curious,’ he thought.
Queen Fei had been chosen for Louis III by the previous King of Algeria. This was part of the price Louis III paid for the Algeria Kingdom’s support.
In the very beginning, Queen Fei had been like a spy for the King of Algeria; one could even say she was an official sent over by the Algeria Kingdom.
This was also why Louis III could never keep his pants on.
Unexpectedly, less than ten years after the death of the previous King of Algeria, Theodore III, Queen Fei had already become a true Frank.
"An envoy it is, then."
"Urge Algeria. As long as the war against the Beastmen can end quickly, the Frank Kingdom will, without hesitation, march against the Giant Demon Federation for the sake of the Lord of Dawn," Louis III said.
He had already lost all face anyway, so Louis III no longer cared about his credibility. In the past, upholding his reputation had been profitable; now, abandoning it was also due to a lack of profit.
The situation was what it was. Louis III was betting on the fact that the Algeria Kingdom, after nurturing a plan for several years, wouldn’t resort to any petty tricks.
If they wanted to make a major move without suffering catastrophic losses to their own interests, they would have no choice but to seek the support of the Human World. Given the Algeria Kingdom’s international standing, securing the support of the Human World would require a major power to fully take their side.
The Tilia Kingdom was out of the question, as the other somewhat powerful nations were mostly aligned with Tilia. The only choice for the Algeria Kingdom was the Frank Kingdom.
There was also the Haven Kingdom. However, within the Human World, Haven lacked the Frank Kingdom’s influence. For the Algeria Kingdom, this meant Haven couldn’t initiate a holy war, and without a holy war, they couldn’t gain the Pope’s support.
Louis III had to repel the Beastmen before Marshal Grantham could pull something new. Recently, Marshal Grantham had requested a large number of Magic Crystal Cannons, so he was likely planning another major move.
If Grantham were allowed to build his prestige and authority on the battlefield, the political situation left for Prince Noah would become very uncertain.
After all, the King represented the interests of all nobles. Most of the kingdom’s nobility would not sit idly by and watch a "fast track" for the military merit faction be established. Commoners supplanting nobles, Knights supplanting Viscounts, Viscounts supplanting Counts—for society as a whole, this would be a disaster.
"Your Majesty, all the invited guests have arrived. They are waiting for you to make your appearance," a palace maid said from the side. The Frank Kingdom also had a culture of eunuchs, a tradition inherited from the Third Empire. However, Louis found it disgusting, so the palace was mostly filled with eye-catching palace maids.
"Very well."
Hearing this, Louis III nodded and stood up. Queen Fei adjusted his attire.
...
By the time Robson and Valentino arrived, almost everyone was already there.
It wasn’t that Robson had overslept or anything. Important figures usually arrived last. Following behind Robson were the other two Counts.
The enfeoffment ceremony was held at the Kingdom Altar. The atmosphere here was much more solemn and dignified, surrounded by giant stone statues corresponding to the kingdom’s various sages and ancestors.
After entering, Robson, led by Viscount Jeffrey, found the circle of nobles from the southern faction of the kingdom.
The entire Kingdom Altar was meticulously divided, the circles clearly demarcated: the northern faction, the military merit faction, the southern faction...
This was mainly because everyone present was the first generation of their respective families. Their networks of relationships were still confined to their old circles, with almost no connections between them.
In a hundred years or so, after several generations of intermarriage between the noble families, they would gradually come to see each other as one big family, and from there, the so-called regional factions would slowly form.
Take the current Frank Kingdom, for example. Don’t be fooled by how the major families now present a united front to outsiders. Back in the day, they were all just looking out for themselves. If the Knight King hadn’t been so firm in his methods, and if the Third Empire hadn’t collapsed, the Frank Kingdom might never have even come to be.