Chapter 256 - 26: Rumor
Chapter 256: Chapter 26: Rumor
Of the three armies dispatched to the Eastern Front, Earl Uman was the first to depart, while Count Sriphine was delayed for a long time due to logistical issues.
As for Robson, he ended up being the last to set off.
In the Fengman Clan’s study, Robson was still poring over the materials they had sent him.
It had to be said, the Fengman Clan truly lived up to its reputation as one of the Kingdom’s old, powerful clans.
Robson had only casually mentioned to Valentino that he wanted to learn if there was any information about the lands beyond the pass. He hadn’t held much hope, but to his surprise, Valentino had someone bring him a large chest of notes and books, most of which were records concerning the provinces beyond the pass.
Of course, the information was a mix of truth and fiction. Much of it consisted of unreliable historical legends, difficult to use as solid evidence.
For Robson, the most useful items were the detailed maps.
You have to understand, in the era Robson lived in, there was no internet. Information was an extremely valuable commodity.
"I can’t believe it. Where did you find all this?" Robson said, looking at the map in his hand. At that moment, Valentino was in another corner of the study, reviewing documents.
Of course, Valentino couldn’t possibly study the maps with Robson right now.
After Mr. Elvin’s departure, the administrative work he left behind was more than enough to keep Valentino busy for some time.
"What’s this business with the West Family? Come take a look..." Valentino said, looking at the file in her hands.
Unlike what most people imagined, real governance wasn’t filled with checks on power and elaborate schemes. Real administrative work was often just a series of mundane, everyday tasks.
Plots and schemes were usually the domain of factional struggles. If you had to consider factional politics with every single administrative task, you could bicker forever and end up accomplishing nothing.
Although Valentino had studied the specifics of public administration at King’s College, in practice, she lacked hands-on experience.
At times like these, Valentino would usually ask Robson for his advice.
As it happened, Valentino had discovered that Robson not only had an outstanding talent for military affairs but also possessed unique insights into politics.
Sometimes Valentino even wondered if the top students from King’s College were really no match for a graduate of the Frank Kingdom’s "Garrison University." Robson’s experience was so vast it bordered on illogical.
Of course, she didn’t know that Robson was already well-versed in such matters from his previous life.
Hearing Valentino’s words, Robson was about to get up and take a look, but then there was a knock at the study door.
"Patriarch, there’s someone outside who wishes to see Viscount Robson."
It was Anna’s voice. Ever since arriving at Fengman Castle, Lady Julian and Anna had been responsible for managing Robson and Valentino’s daily lives.
Valentino paused for a moment.
"It’s Viscount Jeffrey."
"You should go see him first, then."
Robson nodded.
...
The visitor was Viscount Jeffrey, and Valentino did not go out to greet him personally.
It wasn’t that they were on bad terms; rather, they were too familiar. Jeffrey had been visiting Robson frequently these past few days. At first, Valentino would treat his visits seriously, but after a while, she stopped paying them much mind.
Robson entered the drawing room to find Viscount Jeffrey sitting on a tiger-skin sofa.
’Sofas existed in this world, too. After all, the human body’s structure wasn’t all that different from my previous life.’
"Cousin, what brings you here today? I recently acquired several ancient texts, probably from the Second Empire Era. Are you interested?" Robson said, sitting down across from Viscount Jeffrey.
Thanks to his prior experience dealing with Mage Falan, Robson was now more than comfortable handling these academic-minded nobles.
"Well... I didn’t come to talk about that this time. Cousin, I have a question. When are we setting out?" Viscount Jeffrey asked.
"Setting out?" Robson frowned upon hearing Viscount Jeffrey’s question.
"Yes, when are we marching beyond the pass to fight?"
"About that... we’ll probably need some more time to prepare. You may not be aware, but according to intelligence from our scouts at the front, the enemy’s main force is massing in Ehrlichland," Robson said.
"Well... I’ve heard a rumor recently, and I’m not sure if it’s true or not," said Viscount Jeffrey.
’Another rumor?’ Robson was inexplicably reminded of the gossip in the Royal Capital about him and Count Sriphine.
"What rumor?" Robson asked.
"They’re saying that you, Cousin, have halted the entire army here because of... you and our other cousin," Viscount Jeffrey said, a hint of embarrassment on his face.
After hearing this, Robson took a calm sip of water.
’They’re not wrong.’
The reason Robson hadn’t departed yet was precisely that he was using his armed forces to help Valentino suppress some of the opposition factions within the city.
One shouldn’t think armed forces are only for rebellions. Maintaining public order and dealing with bandits and wild beasts all required the control of an armed force.
Now that Valentino had taken over internal affairs, no one dared to cause trouble with public security, precisely because Robson’s regular army was still stationed in Fengman City.
Of course, Valentino certainly wouldn’t rely on Robson’s army forever. In fact, she had already appeased several old ministers of the Fengman Clan, and a portion of the clan’s forces from the Central Front were on their way back.
Robson had heard that Marquis Oscillate also had a hand in arranging this matter.
Robson hadn’t inquired about the specific details, but as soon as those troops entered the Fengman Count’s Domain, he could lead his army on the expedition.
Of course, these were all just secondary factors. In truth, the main reason Robson had yet to depart was that he was waiting for a batch of custom-made carriages to be completed.
As Robson had said earlier, reconnaissance by the Fengman Clan’s Griffin Knights and the ground-based Extraordinary Rangers had confirmed that most of the enemy beyond the pass were gathered in Ehrlich Province.
According to Robson’s own thinking, the plan was to hold his position and wait to see how the situation developed.
’After all, two other armies have already set out. If I don’t move, surely that group of Beastmen in Ehrlichland won’t just stay there forever, right?’
Even in the worst-case scenario, if those Beastmen decided to dig in at Ehrlichland and fight him to the death, Robson could be fully prepared.
Robson had specifically sent men to scout the terrain of Ehrlichland, and he also had maps preserved by the Fengman Clan.
Ehrlich Province had once been a major trade route between the Frank Kingdom and the Dwarf Tribes. Its roads were wide and clear, making it perfect for Robson to unleash his "blitz tactics."
Robson had tried it once before on the Western Front, catching the enemy completely off guard. It proved that as long as one had enough carriages and horses, the tactic was viable.
The Beastmen in Ehrlich Province were completely different from those in the other two provinces. Either he wouldn’t act at all, or once he did, Robson had to ensure a flawless, decisive victory in a single strike.
Although the Kingdom Government hadn’t invested much financially in the Eastern Front, it had still provided Griffin Knights and Rangers.
Of course, these weren’t assigned to Robson. They were left behind by the previous commander of the Eastern Front, who was a Prince of the royal family.
While Robson couldn’t track the enemy’s every move at the moment—the Eastern Front was vast, after all—he still had a grasp of their general movements.
The enemy’s two main forces were both concentrated in Ehrlich Province, which left Robson feeling a bit unsure of how to proceed.
Currently, Robson only had seven thousand troops under his command, and half of them belonged to other people. Even including the forces of the other nobles heading to Ehrlich Province, the total number was only around twenty thousand.
The composition of this army was complex, and the quality of its soldiers was uneven.
In fact, one could tell from Robson’s position within the faction that although Marquis Oscillate had made many preparations for Robson’s development in the northeast, the Southern Faction as a whole had not invested heavily in the region.
The force included several Viscounts, a dozen or so Barons, and a large contingent of Knights.
A small investment meant that the quality of the troops under their command was hard to guarantee.
With his current strength, Robson would still need the support of the Fengman Clan to have any confidence in cracking this tough nut.
"So, Cousin, what you’re saying is...?" Viscount Jeffrey asked, looking at Robson.
"Where did you hear these rumors?" Robson asked.
"Where did I hear them?" Viscount Jeffrey hesitated for a moment.
"I heard them in a tavern. The one in North City."
"Then who told you that the other nobles want to march?" Robson asked again.
"The nobles themselves told me," Viscount Jeffrey said, a little confused as to why Robson was asking this question.
Robson nodded. ’As expected. The rumors were probably spread by the administrators in Fengman City. Their goal is to urge me to leave as soon as possible so I’ll stop suppressing them.’
’As for the other nobles wanting to set out, it’s likely that the ones who are about to be granted fiefs in Ehrlichland are getting impatient.’
Of course, if he dug deeper, he could probably uncover more of the inside story.
But Robson had never been one for baseless speculation. For now, it didn’t matter who started the rumors or who wanted him gone.
’It’s bound to be one of the usual groups, and sooner or later, I’ll have to deal with them all.’
The most important thing right now was how to resolve the immediate situation.
"It’s fine. You can go back. I’ll write letters to everyone explaining the situation and that now is not the time to depart. If they’re really determined to leave... I can’t stop them, can I?" Robson said, looking at Viscount Jeffrey.
Ultimately, the reason these rumors were appearing was that the southern nobles didn’t truly accept Robson’s leadership. The one they truly trusted was Marquis Oscillate.
Robson often visited his old friends at Qimo Fortress. They were all level-headed, and besides Claude, none of them were worried about when Robson would deploy his troops.
This was because the nobles of Qimo Fortress had witnessed Robson’s abilities and were completely convinced by him. This respect had bred trust. They believed that no matter when Robson decided to start the war, the moment he gave the word, it would be because he was absolutely certain of victory.
’Crisis... A time of intense danger, but also a time of opportunity.’
This Beastman invasion was, in a way, just such an opportunity. It would allow the nobles of Ehrlichland to witness Robson’s methods firsthand. Once he properly handled the matter, the prestige he gained would naturally be even greater.
However, all of this was predicated on one thing: Robson had to make it clear beforehand that the situation in Ehrlichland was currently dangerous and it was not advisable to go there.
Only by making things clear in advance would Robson ultimately earn gratitude instead of blame.
After all, no matter what, he was still the nominal leader of this faction. If something happened to the group, he would have to bear the responsibility.
Writing a letter to inform everyone was equivalent to issuing a disclaimer.
’He, Robson, had made it perfectly clear that the place was dangerous and not to be entered. If some people insisted on going their own way, who could be blamed? In any case, the blame certainly wouldn’t fall on him, Lord Robson.’
"But let me give you a piece of advice: if some people want to leave, let them. Don’t you get mixed up in it."
"Yes, Cousin."