Chapter 292 - 56: Turmoil in the Royal Capital
Chapter 292: Chapter 56: Turmoil in the Royal Capital
Just as Prince Odoruo received news from the front lines, the situation in the Frankish Royal Capital was also turbulent.
Through the tireless efforts of the Human Council, a preliminary consensus had finally been reached on the international stage.
Due to the complete rout on the Frank Kingdom’s Western Front, it was unanimously agreed that the Frank Kingdom might truly be in difficulty.
Therefore, after extensive political deliberation, the members of the Human Council decided to dispatch an observation team to further assess the Frank Kingdom’s predicament, enabling the council to then proceed with targeted measures.
These were all matters for Louis III to consider; Marquis Oscillate had no such concerns.
For various reasons, Marquis Oscillate still remained within the Royal Capital.
Inside Edward Manor, Marquis Oscillate ordered tea to be served for his visitor, Marquis William.
Looking at the perfectly composed Marquis Oscillate, Marquis William felt a surge of doubt.
"My Lord, have you not heard? Grantham has recently achieved another great victory over by Phoenix Mountain.
He demanded Magic Crystal Cannons from the treasury before, and I never thought they would prove effective so quickly!
How does Grantham’s mind even work? He’s always pulling these inscrutable moves. I hear the Dolan Clan has been cozying up to Grantham lately. The situation doesn’t look good."
Of the Frank Kingdom’s most famous Flying Legions, aside from the three at the very top, the most renowned is the Dolan Flying Team.
Hearing this, Marquis Oscillate’s hand, which was preparing the tea, paused mid-action.
"The Dolan Clan went to see Grantham?
’It seems Leiman’s death hit them hard,’ Marquis Oscillate said."
Earl Leiman, the previous Patriarch of the Dolan Clan, was hailed as a magical genius the likes of which are seen only once a century.
It’s worth mentioning that Earl Leiman was one of Robson’s superiors back at Sunset Fortress. In fact, the Earl had even saved Robson’s life.
And in return, Robson now keeps the Earl’s daughter, Huang Na, by his side.
Earl Leiman had died several months ago, but for a major noble family, the consequences were only just beginning to manifest.
"But they still shouldn’t have gone to see Grantham... The implications are too great..." Marquis William said as he sat down across from Marquis Oscillate.
The Dolan Clan was a truly illustrious house, bearers of the Frankish Standard White Banner. Their ancestor was one of the Knight King’s own adjutants, a figure present in Madar Palace at the very founding of the Frank Kingdom.
In the past, the best Grantham could do was attract some down-on-their-luck minor nobles; even the more prominent minor houses looked upon him unfavorably.
Marshal Grantham is a true upstart. If he had known when to quit while he was ahead, consolidating his position after obtaining the rank of Count, perhaps a century from now the O’Brien family could have produced a figure at the very apex of the kingdom.
Unfortunately, Marshal Grantham lacked the patience for that. He wanted to conquer the Frankish political scene in one fell swoop, and in the process, managed to offend absolutely everyone—with the sole exception of Marquis Oscillate. If the Marquis hadn’t withdrawn in time, Oscillate might have been his enemy as well.
For the Dolan Clan to now approach Marshal Grantham was an unmistakable political signal. It showed the military merit faction was beginning to absorb true great nobles. ’The venerable Dolan Clan has already joined them, so what are the rest of you still waiting for?’
Most critically, the Dolan Clan was part of the Southern faction.
Marquis Oscillate walked to the window, lost in thought.
’Sometimes, Marquis Oscillate truly couldn’t understand what certain people were thinking. Take Marshal Grantham, for instance. His greatest enemies were the Northern faction and the royal family, yet now, in his bid to rally the great nobles, he had set his sights on the one group that held no enmity toward him—the Southern faction.’
’Is it really like the saying goes? When you’re drowning in debt, you stop worrying.’
"The Dolan Clan... Send them a letter. Tell them to be more discreet. Do it in my name." After some thought, Marquis Oscillate decided to lend the Dolan Clan a hand after all.
Seeing that Marquis William was about to say more, Marquis Oscillate turned and walked toward his study.
"You as well. Others may not understand, but surely you can see it? Grantham will never amount to anything. Once reinforcements from the Algeria Kingdom arrive and the Beastmen retreat, what future will he have left?" Marquis Oscillate explained.
Marquis William, of the Guterres Family, was the man Marquis Oscillate had designated as the next leader of the Southern faction.
It wasn’t that Marquis William was so much more capable than Marquis Oscillate’s own sons; Marquis William was already a man of several decades.
Oscillate knew full well that in terms of both connections and experience, Marquis William completely eclipsed his own inexperienced sons.
Reaching the summit for a moment means little. Only those who know when to retreat from the torrent can remain at the summit forever.
As he spoke, Marquis Oscillate rummaged through a chest, pulled out a document, and handed it to Marquis William.
Marquis William gave him a quizzical look before taking the document.
"A bill? What is this?" Marquis William asked, puzzled.
"The Generalcy Bill. It was originally prepared for Grantham... Such a pity, such a shame," Marquis Oscillate sighed.
Hearing this, Marquis William remembered.
Back when Marshal Grantham was being promoted to his rank, the Kingdom had offered him another path.
General of the Kingdom.
Nominally, a Kingdom Marshal could command all the kingdom’s forces in wartime, and in extreme circumstances, could even bypass the King.
A General of the Kingdom, however, lacked this authority; they could only march to war when explicitly empowered by the King. The choice offered to Marshal Grantham back then was to become a national general, with de facto power equal to that of a Marshal.
But Marshal Grantham chose the path of Marshal to make a run for a Marquisate. It was then that he had a complete falling out with the royal family.
"Didn’t Grantham want to rise through military power?" Marquis Oscillate said with a smile.
"So you..."
It was starting to dawn on Marquis William. A cold sweat broke out on his back.
’So, the groundwork had been laid long ago.’ Marquis William remembered clearly: Marquis Oscillate himself had been the one to propose this bill.
At the time, everyone had thought it was an alternative path for Grantham. No one imagined it was actually a dead end designed to be his ruin...
And for the next decade and more, everyone had believed that Marquis Oscillate and Marshal Grantham were the closest of friends.
"It was originally prepared for him. A shame... such a shame.
The moment he chose the military merit faction, he was destined to lose our support. In the end, we simply do not walk the same path," Marquis Oscillate sighed. Marquis William remained silent.
"Then what should we do now?" Marquis William asked, looking at Marquis Oscillate.
"What to do?"
Marquis Oscillate then took out several other letters.
"I have already paved the way. What to do with it is Louis’s affair...
However, it would be perfectly reasonable to use this opportunity to seek some benefits for ourselves," Marquis Oscillate said, handing the letters to Marquis William.
Marquis William took them. They were covered with the names of various generals from the Southern faction.
"Robson?" As Marquis William leafed through the letters, he found the name of a Viscount among a host of Counts.
This Viscount had only been promoted recently, at that.
The letter from Robson contained a report on the recent situation on the Eastern Front.
"Take a look," Marquis Oscillate said with a smile.
This piqued Marquis William’s curiosity. He opened the letter, scanned its contents, and could not help but draw in a sharp breath.
"What do you think?" Marquis Oscillate asked with a smile.
"Audacious... No, brilliant! A military genius! To break the enemy three times in a single night raid!
This style of operating... it has shades of a younger Grantham!" Marquis William exclaimed in admiration as he read the battle report.
Although Robson hadn’t reported the war beyond the pass to the Kingdom Government, he had sent a copy to Marquis Oscillate.
It contained no politically biased content, just a straightforward report of the battle situation.
Who one submitted a battle report to was an art in itself. If Robson had sent it to the Kingdom Government, there would be no room for maneuvering, and Lord Robson would lose out on many potential benefits. But if he told no one at all, and a disaster occurred beyond the pass, then Lord Robson would be shouldering all the responsibility.
Thus, Robson ultimately chose to send the report to Marquis Oscillate.
His intention was also perfectly clear: ’The situation on the Eastern Front is critical, and I’m going to put out the fire. If I fail, I ask that you, honored elder, might see fit to help me, for the sake of your grandson-in-law.’
"Shades of Grantham, you say? Heh. This boy is far more cunning than Grantham ever was," Marquis Oscillate chuckled.
Marquis Oscillate’s opinion of Robson had already been high, but this letter raised it higher still.
This letter should not be underestimated. With this advance notice, Marquis Oscillate could begin making preparations.
Sometimes, even Oscillate wondered how a mere Baron’s son could be so deft and smooth in his operations.
"Brilliant... absolutely brilliant! Ha! With this, we’ve truly established a foothold in the northeast. I wonder what that fellow George will think now?" The further Marquis William read, the more delighted he became.
The latter part of the letter contained not only Robson’s report on the Eastern Front, but also his vision for the future of the lands beyond the pass.
"If he pulls this off, he’ll become a veritable King Beyond the Pass..." Marquis William said bluntly.
"It will be difficult, but... not impossible."
"Grantham has ultimately chosen the wrong target. His priority right now shouldn’t be poaching talent from our Southern faction. It should be consolidating his own power base.
If Robson plays his cards right with this strategy, all the efforts of the military merit faction beyond the pass will have been for naught," Marquis Oscillate said.
"I see. No wonder you’ve been so calm," Marquis William nodded.
Now that he put it that way, William realized it too. Grantham appeared to be achieving great success. In reality, he was just flailing wildly.