Chapter 293 - 57: Outer Joint Army
Chapter 293: Chapter 57: Outer Joint Army
Late at night, on Wayne Mountain.
I have to admit, while those Beastmen weren’t particularly skilled, they certainly knew how to pick a location.
Wayne Mountain was a textbook example of a place that was easy to defend and hard to attack. If the Beastman commander hadn’t suffered a moment of madness and concocted the "brilliant" plan of actively sallying out to meet the enemy beyond the gates, Robson’s victory certainly wouldn’t have been so effortless.
Conveniently, the Beastmen had already built a camp on Wayne Mountain. After a forced march through the night, Robson and his soldiers were in desperate need of rest. So, Robson led his army right in and made themselves at home.
In the midst of his sleep, Robson groggily heard footsteps outside. His instincts as a Golden Tier expert snapped him wide awake in an instant.
A Golden Eighth Tier’s Divine Sense was a significant improvement over that of a Golden Seventh Tier.
By the moonlight, Robson could make out two figures standing outside his tent.
He stepped down from his cot and had a nearby personal guard help him don his armor. Once ready, Robson headed for the tent flap.
"Earl Uman? What brings you here so late?" Robson asked, looking curiously outside. Two men stood there. One was Earl Uman; the other, Robson had never seen before.
But Robson had a pretty good idea who the other man was. ’This must be Viscount Edwin, the one who backstabbed Uman.’
"My apologies for the late-night disturbance, Sir Robson," Earl Uman said, offering a salute.
Robson dispensed with the pleasantries, simply nodding and gesturing for them to enter.
Ever since Robson and Earl Uman had struck their deal, their relationship had begun to warm rapidly.
This was one of the benefits of Robson’s risky night raid.
As for who would have the final say in the outer territories in the future, an answer was already beginning to emerge.
There was no helping it. Strictly speaking, Earl Uman and Robson had started with similar hands. But Earl Uman had played his cards so poorly that after a few blind moves, Robson had completely swept the board.
Now, Lord Robson held so much leverage over Earl Uman that even if the Earl didn’t want to follow him, he no longer had a choice in the matter.
Watching the two of them chatting and laughing so freely, Viscount Edwin, who stood to the side, couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation.
’Did the situation change that fast? When did these two get so chummy?’
After rescuing Earl Uman, Robson had immediately dispatched his forces, riding without rest to save Viscount Edwin as well.
However, out of consideration for Earl Uman, Robson had not taken the initiative to summon the viscount.
For one, the man was a turncoat. For another, he had once been one of Earl Uman’s most trusted followers, only to end up betraying him.
Robson was quite satisfied with the current Earl Uman. He was obedient, and there would be many uses for him in the future. That was why Robson had left the matter of Viscount Edwin entirely in the Earl’s hands.
It seemed that now, the time had come for Earl Uman to present the results.
It was hard to say whether Earl Uman was intentionally dragging things out due to some lingering resentment, or if he and Robson truly had so much to discuss.
After a long while, Earl Uman seemed to suddenly recall the man standing beside him, who was there to plead for forgiveness.
"Oh, right. Look at us, talking on and on, Sir Robson. I almost forgot to introduce you. This is Viscount Edwin. Edwin, this is Sir Robson," Earl Uman said with a smile, addressing them both.
Viscount Edwin was taken aback by Earl Uman’s words.
He called one of them Viscount, the other, Sir. Coupled with the profound respect Earl Uman had shown toward Robson earlier, a bold speculation began to surface in Viscount Edwin’s mind.
’Could this contest for leadership of the outer territories be over before it has even begun?’
Edwin recalled the instructions Earl Uman had given him about how to act toward Robson. ’Looking at it this way,’ he thought, ’it seems entirely possible!’
"This guilty general, Edwin, greets you, Sir Robson," Viscount Edwin said, bowing his head.
Just as Viscount Edwin was about to say more, Earl Uman cut him off.
"Sir Robson, this is Viscount Edwin. Previously, on the battlefield, he engaged in some... ah, questionable actions.
But, Sir Robson, weren’t you the one who said that if we could integrate the military forces of the outer territories, the Beastmen would be nothing to fear?"
"Well, Viscount Edwin here is in complete agreement with your theory. He has deeply reflected on his past failings on the battlefield.
We are in consensus that this was due to the armies not having adequate leadership.
Therefore, Viscount Edwin and I both wish to commit our forces and have you, Sir Robson, lead us in battle," Earl Uman declared.
Viscount Edwin was so stunned by this that he whipped his head around to look at the Earl.
Earl Uman had, in fact, spoken to Edwin previously about Robson’s proposal to combine their military forces.
Because the outer territories directly bordered the Beastman Empire, the two sides had been engaged in a long-term war. Therefore, all the lords needed to contribute soldiers to form a so-called joint army, which would then be handed over to a capable commander.
The members of this military alliance would be obligated to provide mutual aid and submit to a unified command in times of war.
And who would they obey? The commander would, of course, have to be someone of both talent and integrity, a person who already commanded a certain degree of prestige.
This matter could be put to a vote. And everyone should, by all means, not choose Lord Robson just because his military prowess is outstanding, he has never known defeat, he’s backed by Marquis Oscillate, and he single-handedly turned the tide in the outer territories while saving all their lives.
Everything must be fair and impartial, after all.
In truth, such a system had a long history in Frank. Usually, the Governor of a province would undertake this task, and they would be constrained by the provincial assembly.
But what Robson wanted to do was certainly not that simple.
For one thing, Robson was from Ehrlich Province, while Earl Uman was from Ador Province. The only place their territories touched was via a single, dilapidated path.
An inter-provincial organization of this nature would be very difficult for a single provincial assembly to authorize on its own.
When that time came, Robson’s power in the outer territories would be... unimaginable.
Viscount Edwin looked at Earl Uman and understood. He had been roped into this.
If Robson had been from Ador Province, Viscount Edwin wouldn’t have hesitated for a second to raise both hands and pledge his loyalty.
But Robson was from Ehrlichland! Provincial loyalties were a political reality in any world. Robson’s position in Ehrlichland was undoubtedly secure, but his influence in Ador Province was another matter entirely.
If he followed Earl Uman in pledging fealty now, he would be tied to Robson for good, because they would both be ostracized by the other nobles of Ador Province. The only way to eliminate that ostracism would be to make everyone else also bask in the glorious radiance of Lord Robson.
Earl Uman simply gave a bitter smile and said nothing more.
In that instant, Viscount Edwin understood. They had no choice at all. Did he really think Earl Uman was so magnanimous? Not a chance. The Earl was completely under Robson’s thumb. They were facing an opponent on a completely different level; when you can’t outplay the game, you become the one who gets played.
If Viscount Edwin were to disagree now, the charge of deserting the battlefield would be set in stone...
"Oh? Is that really so?" Robson asked with a smile, looking at Viscount Edwin.
Viscount Edwin took a deep breath.
"What the Earl said is true. Frankly, I’ve long grown tired of this current situation where everyone just fights for themselves.
An army needs a wise leader, just as a clan needs a wise Patriarch," Viscount Edwin said.
"I never expected Viscount Edwin to have such a spirit of selfless dedication!
It seems Earl Uman was right. You must truly wish to accomplish something for the kingdom," Robson said with a chuckle.
With that, the second step of his plan for the outer territories was essentially complete.
As for Ehrlich Province, he, Robson, naturally had it firmly in his grasp.
The only remaining problem was Ador Province.
Having only the devastated Gauss Clan struggling to hold on there was certainly not enough.
Originally, Robson had planned to use his control over the official battle report to coerce and entice a few minor nobles into backing Earl Uman. But now, it seemed Uman had found a solution on his own.
For the first time in this new world, Robson truly experienced a feeling from his past life: the people working under him weren’t all wooden puppets. They could actually take initiative and get things done on their own.