Chapter 391 - 139: Storm in the Royal Capital

Chapter 391: Chapter 139: Storm in the Royal Capital

The Royal Capital, Edward Manor.

It was May 1st, and spring had fully arrived in the Royal Capital.

Marquis Oscillate sat in a pavilion, handling official documents.

Although the Marquis did not hold a position in the government, he was still the honorary governor of many southern provinces and held positions in the Kingdom Council and even the Human Council.

This was why the Marquis dared to withdraw from the government. His influence stemmed from his own formidable power.

"Oscillate, take a look at this."

Marquis William having afternoon tea at Edward Manor was practically a fixed routine.

On one hand, it allowed him to learn about the various affairs of the southern faction under Marquis Oscillate’s tutelage. On the other hand, the internal turmoil of the Guterres Family was common knowledge throughout the kingdom.

Marquis Oscillate looked up at the letter in Marquis William’s hand.

He took the letter. It was from the Fengman Clan—or to be more precise, it had been passed from Robson to Valentino, who had then delivered it to Marquis Oscillate.

After reading the entire letter, Oscillate found himself nodding repeatedly.

"Ha! This young man! What a slippery fellow!

I knew he was resourceful when I sent him, but I never expected him to give me such a huge surprise in just two or three days!"

This Robson... he was truly a joy!

The letter, of course, detailed the series of events Robson had orchestrated beyond the pass.

The account was quite comprehensive, summarizing the methods he used to secure the region beyond the pass, as well as his own ideas on the matter.

Of course, Robson made no mention of what he had discovered in the Affleck Domain.

"I didn’t expect him to actually get his hands on a dragon. I bet those fellows in Algeria will be envious now," Marquis William said with a laugh.

Robson was to be a member of the southern faction in the future.

As one of the top leaders of the southern faction, Marquis William naturally wanted as many talented men like Robson as possible—the more, the better.

"But he’s moving so quickly. What are we going to do about Grantham?" Marquis William asked.

According to their original plan, even if Robson moved quickly, it should have taken him until June to consolidate the region beyond the pass.

That was supposed to coincide with the arrival of reinforcements from the Human Alliance, when the Frank Kingdom would begin its counteroffensive.

They never expected Robson to be so capable and resourceful that he’d get the job done in just a few quick moves.

"Heh! You don’t have to tell me. A letter demanding punitive action has already reached my desk."

As he spoke, Marquis Oscillate picked up an envelope from the table.

The envelope had already been opened. On it was a name: Grantham.

Marquis William took the letter and glanced over it.

"How did he find out so quickly?" Marquis William asked, frowning.

It was no wonder Marquis William was puzzled. The Magic Communication Towers beyond the pass had almost all been destroyed by the Beastmen.

Without Magic Communication Towers, the speed of communication in this world was about the same as in Robson’s previous life.

"Who knows," Oscillate said with a smile.

Everyone had their own little tricks. Grantham might not be politically astute, but he had been Marshal for so long; Oscillate refused to believe he didn’t have a few methods of his own.

"So, how do you plan to handle Grantham?" Marquis William asked.

Hearing this, Marquis Oscillate frowned.

He had to admit that while Robson’s success was a delight, it also presented him with a dilemma.

The war was not yet completely over; at the very least, the reinforcements from the Human Alliance had yet to arrive.

If something were to happen on Grantham’s end now, they would have no choice but to replace their marshal.

While no one particularly liked Grantham, nobody was confident they could do a better job than him.

Were they supposed to make Robson give up all the gains he’d made beyond the pass?

That was impossible. The Auric Province was important to the military merit faction, and just as important to its opponents. If they gave it back, wouldn’t that just prove that Grantham was capable of protecting the great nobles of his faction?

Losing a cooked duck that flies away is one thing, but this duck was already in their stomachs.

"Tell Grantham that regarding this matter...

I was completely unaware. The northeast is too far from the south for me to control the situation. Later, I will censure Robson. At a critical time like this, the entire kingdom should be of one mind..."

The first step of the classic four-part strategy: "I know nothing."

The first step to appeasing someone is always to remove yourself from their category of ’enemy’.

Otherwise, even a fool would spot the trickery if they looked at the situation with a guarded heart.

These tactics were classic and cliché, but their greatest advantage was that they worked, especially when you already had the upper hand.

"And that alone will be enough to placate Grantham?" Marquis William asked doubtfully.

"Of course not. Grantham is the type who won’t release the hawk until he sees the rabbit...

Haven’t we been discussing the promotions for generalships recently? Let’s take Glen and Witham off the list this time. We’ll give the positions to the military merit faction."

After speaking, Marquis Oscillate looked at Marquis William.

Marquis William looked stunned for a moment, apparently weighing the pros and cons. After a while, he finally nodded in agreement.

Marquis Oscillate couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

This was precisely why Oscillate kept Marquis William by his side. The man had talent, but sometimes he couldn’t see the bigger picture.

Glen was from the Edward family, while Witham was from the Guterres Family.

Oscillate’s move was a clear case of turning the blade on his own faction—a sacrifice made for the sake of the kingdom, intended to placate Marshal Grantham.

If Marquis William were merely the patriarch of any other great noble family, this hesitation would have been understandable.

But Marquis William was the future leader of the southern faction.

Fortunately, Marquis William had only hesitated; he had not refused.

"In that case, send it to him just like that," Marquis Oscillate said.

"Robson and his people should be on their way by now, shouldn’t they?" Marquis William asked.

Oscillate nodded.

"They should be able to reach the Royal Capital before Prince Noah returns."

The Frank Kingdom had certainly tasted the sweet rewards of marriage alliances.

Years ago, the Frank Kingdom had been rebuilt from ruins precisely because Louis III married a princess from the Algeria Kingdom, thereby receiving substantial financial support.

Now, Prince Noah was exchanging flirtatious glances with a princess from the Algeria Kingdom.

According to previous reports, Prince Noah had managed to secure quite a few promises from the Algeria Kingdom.

The reason Marquis Oscillate had Robson and Valentino hurry over was precisely for the coming shipment of supplies from the Human Alliance...

Sometimes, Oscillate had to admit with a sigh that Louis II truly seemed to have exhausted the Frankish Royal Family’s century of bad luck.

After Louis II’s death, Louis III proved to be a formidable ruler. In just thirty short years, he restored the authority of the crown and rebuilt the Frank Kingdom from ruins.

And now there was Prince Noah who, despite being somewhat lacking in military prowess, was exceptionally gifted in politics.

If the royal family could manage a smooth transition of power, who knew what kind of golden age the Frankish Royal Family would usher in next.