Chapter 247 - 20: Eastern Front Army
Chapter 247: Chapter 20: Eastern Front Army
Under the Archbishop’s guidance, Robson completed the entire enfeoffment process.
Next, the Viscounts went up in batches, followed by the Barons, and then the Knights.
His Majesty the King certainly didn’t have the leisure to attend to every single person, after all.
Although Robson’s territory had already been predetermined, the other nobles’ lands were still undecided. They would now choose their territories in order of merit.
To Robson’s surprise, Clichy County, where his own territory was located, had become a sought-after location.
The entire Ehrlichland Province was shaped like a long strip. Its three counties mostly bordered the Beastman Empire. Robson’s chosen territory, Clichy County, also bordered the Demon Beast Mountain Range, whereas Viscount Jeffrey had selected the most inland territory, Sri County.
Logically, Clichy County should have been the more dangerous one.
The reason for this lay in the makeup of the nobles being enfeoffed.
Previously, the entire Western Front had been getting crushed. The only ones with any real accomplishments were largely those with significant connections to Robson, especially the nobles from Qimo Fortress.
That’s right. This time, the nobles from Qimo Fortress, who were a major part of the southern faction, had practically filled up all of Clichy County.
Most of the nobles from Qimo Fortress had witnessed Robson’s rise firsthand and knew what he was capable of.
The Demon Beast Mountain Range was dangerous, but the prospect of having the Viscount’s protection was far more reassuring by comparison.
This was, of course, a favorable development for Robson.
These nobles from Qimo Fortress had long since been won over by Robson, which would naturally make managing them much easier in the future.
’I just don’t know if Marquis Oscillate was behind this, or if it was the royal family.’
There were only two people on the Western Front who could report military achievements directly to the Royal Capital: Prince Noah and Marquis Oscillate.
However, since no one had informed him, Robson decided to feign ignorance. ’This is most likely a political game being played by my superiors, and I’ve somehow reaped an unexpected benefit. Since they haven’t said anything, there’s no need for me to go out of my way to return the favor.’
’I’ll have to be even more careful in the future, though.’
The recent incident with the rumors about him and Count Sriphine had served as a wake-up call for Robson. Public figures might look impressive on the surface, but the backstabbing and hidden dangers were just as prevalent behind the scenes.
He had Marquis Oscillate looking out for him this time, but once he arrived in his own territory, he would be completely on his own.
However, once Robson had dealt with his current affairs and settled into his new territory, it was hard to say at whom those blades and shadows would be aimed.
....
As soon as the enfeoffment ceremony ended, Robson was immediately busy again, finalizing trade agreements with the Guterres Family and several others.
For now, the Kingdom Government was still covering the soldiers’ pay, but in the future, that burden would fall entirely on him.
In a single day, he spent another thousand Gold Coins. This secured a month’s worth of rations for the army, covered maintenance for one company’s iron armor and weapons, and paid for the upkeep of the horses.
He had to admit, iron armor was effective, but maintaining it was exorbitantly expensive. And since this equipment had been captured, it was already battle-worn, which multiplied the maintenance cost several times over, reaching an astonishing one Gold Coin per set.
Robson had no choice. A brand-new set of armor cost ten to twenty Gold Coins, and during wartime, the price was likely even more outrageous.
’Still, using second-hand gear isn’t so bad.’
This was all with the indispensable support of the Fengman Clan. Valentino was able to cover the costs of horse fodder and army rations until they reached his territory. Without her help, his expenses would have been several hundred Gold Coins higher.
It wasn’t impossible to get more support, but that would require Robson and Valentino to return to the Fengman Clan’s territory. If Valentino promised too much while she was here and word got back to the clan, it would be difficult for her to honor those promises.
As mentioned before, while the Fengman Clan appeared to follow Count Valentino’s lead on the surface, in reality, the one they truly feared was Marquis Oscillate.
A look at Valentino’s retinue made it clear. The only ones who constantly remained by her side were Lady Julian and Knight Commander Elon.
Her loyalists were few: essentially, the steward who had raised her and the Fengman Knight Order, the force most loyal to the Patriarch.
The Fengman Clan was one of the top ten noble families in the entire kingdom. They were even famous internationally, as their ancestor was one of the Knight King’s original followers. How could their power base be so small?
For instance, Valentino was unable to mobilize their large-scale Standing Army, Mage Corps, or Priest Corps.
This was why Valentino was so eager to win the support of her father’s former loyalists, to the point where she had personally taken a great risk to rescue Viscount Leo. It was all to build her reputation and gain their support, which would then make it easier for her to reform the clan from within and reclaim full authority.
It couldn’t be helped; the previous Earl Fengman had been dead for only a few months, and everything had happened too suddenly. Valentino’s first priority had been to stabilize the clan’s situation, then quickly fulfill her noble obligations to avoid giving her political enemies an opening.
Now, it seemed her efforts were paying off. Earl Wei Man, Earl Kifri, Marquis Guterres... more and more of their kinsmen were beginning to openly support the marriage between Valentino and Robson. While all this had Marquis Oscillate’s backing, Valentino’s own character and ability were the primary factors.
Now, thanks to Marquis Oscillate’s arrangements, Valentino had an additional asset: her future husband, Robson.
If Robson could quickly establish a foothold in the four northeastern provinces, he would be a great boon to Valentino. If he could then put down deep roots there, Valentino could completely break free of her current predicament, crush all opposition within the Fengman Clan, and take absolute control of the family.
....
He had to admit, it was easy to get used to the life of a noble. Robson was beginning to appreciate the pleasure of having a personal attendant.
Robson woke up early, his internal clock telling him it was around seven. Although an Extraordinary could go for days without sleep, doing so would disrupt the normal operation of his breathing technique.
Sometimes, diligence alone wasn’t enough; the method was also important.
Of course, it also depended on one’s constitution. At this hour, for instance, Valentino would have already changed into her Swordsmanship Uniform and completed her first training set at Fengman Manor.
Once dressed, Robson went downstairs, ready to train with Valentino. He had been taught the Fengman Clan’s unique Swordsmanship after their engagement.
After they finished a routine, Valentino wiped the sweat from her brow with a silk cloth. That’s right—Extraordinaries still sweat. It’s a normal bodily function, though it happens much less frequently once the body is enhanced by Aura.
"Do you think I should invite Count Sriphine and the others?" Valentino asked, still dabbing at her sweat.
"The order from the Kingdom has come down. I’m the Main Commander of the Eastern Front." As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Robson.
"And you are the Vice Commander."
Hearing Valentino’s words, Robson frowned.
To be honest, if it weren’t impossible to refuse, Robson wouldn’t have wanted Valentino to accept the position of Main Commander.
Main Commander. It sounded impressive, but the key issue was that the Kingdom Government wasn’t providing any funding.
The Kingdom’s situation was undeniably tense. On the Western Front, Prince Kase had successfully shifted his strategy and begun to slowly grind his way through the Frank Kingdom’s heavily fortified mountain regions.
No matter how great the defensive advantage of the mountainous terrain, it couldn’t compare to the fortress system along the Somme River. If this continued, the Frank Kingdom would have no choice but to quickly withdraw from the mountains, fall back to the royal domain, and rely on the principle of nobles defending their own lands to hold out against the Beastmen army. Robson even suspected that Marquis Oscillate had returned now simply to avoid taking the blame for the front’s inevitable collapse.
On the central front, Marshal Grantham was once again demanding massive amounts of military hardware. The kingdom’s defense now depended on his whims, and the Minister of War’s residence had become the epicenter of the military faction’s incessant demands.
This meant the Kingdom had no spare funds to help them retake the lost lands in the northeast.
They could either wait for the Human Knight Orders to arrive and steamroll the enemy together, or they could handle it themselves.
Unsurprisingly, everyone would choose the latter. ’Wait for the Human Knight Orders? How long would that take? Not to mention the high mortality rate on the battlefield, do they really think the knight orders sent by the various kingdoms are here on a charity mission?’
It’s easy to invite guests, but hard to send them away—that’s a timeless truth. Besides, it wasn’t even easy for the Frank Kingdom to invite them in the first place.
So, while the Kingdom Government had ostensibly given the positions of Main and Vice Commander to Valentino and Robson, in reality, if you couldn’t control the army’s logistics, no one would pay you any mind.
"Invite them," Robson said after a moment’s thought. "If nothing else, we hold the official titles."
’The title was probably the only useful thing about being the Kingdom’s Main Commander.’
This legitimacy had several aspects: the right to declare war, the authority to decide where to begin the offensive, and the power to set the general terms after a victory. They could at least dictate a few things.
After all, they represented the Kingdom Government, so they had to show it some respect where possible.
Of course, Robson had another consideration. He wanted to make things clear beforehand: those who wanted to follow Lord Robson had to obey his command. If they refused and got into trouble, they shouldn’t come crying to Lord Robson for help.
’These things shouldn’t be underestimated. Political struggles often come down to the details.’
Valentino nodded.
Robson handed the silk cloth to Anna. Gazing at the Long Sword in his hand, he couldn’t help but sigh at how quickly the days of peace had passed.
’I thought I had more than half a month, but in the blink of an eye, it’s time to head back to the battlefield.’
"Let’s continue," Valentino said, standing up.
"I can tell you’ve grasped the basics. With more practice, these moves could save your life one day."
Robson looked at his Mount & Blade Panel.
"[Skill]: Novice. Sifidel City Lord’s Swordsmanship (1099/2000)"
Sifidel City. A power from the era of human city-states, it was now under the control of trolls.
’Talk about a great clan,’ he thought. This style from the Fengman Clan was passed down from the era of human city-states.
"Still daydreaming? Watch my blade!"