Chapter 393 - 141: The Airship Incident

Chapter 393: Chapter 141: The Airship Incident

It took a while for Robson, who had been stunned, to recover.

’Calling him "uncle" was a great move. Totally worth it!’

’If he had the chance, he wouldn’t mind finding a couple more "uncles," though he doubted the Edward family had that many powerful relatives to spare.’

With Marquis William’s help, it was fair to say that a third of Robson’s mission in the Royal Capital was already complete.

When it came to developing a fief, opinions varied on what was most important. But no matter the theory, commerce always played a part.

Affleck was currently facing this exact situation.

The advantages of Affleck’s territory were its proximity to the Demon Beast Mountain Range and the Beastmen, as well as its iron ore deposits.

In the future, Robson could fully leverage the advantages of his cavalry combat system, go out on raids, and even directly conquer territory from the Beastman Empire. According to the laws of the Frank Kingdom, any land seized from the Beastmen would be legally recognized as his own.

The disadvantages, however, were just as obvious.

It was too remote! Unbelievably remote!

It was located in the far northeastern corner of the kingdom. And while it had resources like demon beasts and iron ore, the immense logistics costs meant it was unlikely to attract any merchant caravans in the early stages. He would have to wait for its reputation to build and slowly spread.

This was bound to be a long process, one that would undoubtedly require significant upfront investment and concessions. It might even cause Lord Robson a good deal of pain for some time.

But now, Marquis William had helped Robson bypass this painful period entirely. Wasn’t it time to have some fun?

He, Lord Robson, would be selling raw materials, and his only expense was labor.

In Affleck, labor costs were paid in merit points, which meant they were practically nonexistent.

After all, the people needed to exchange those points for houses and land, and the cost of those things was not small.

"What happened? Why are you looking like that?"

Robson turned his head. It was Valentino. She had changed into a lilac evening gown and looked as radiant as ever.

"I have a feeling that in that dress, you’re going to steal the show from all the princesses and ladies tonight."

Valentino’s cheeks flushed.

"You sweet talker. We’re running out of time, let’s go."

....

No one would have expected it, but the Crystal Palace, which should have been filled with joy tonight, was instead thick with a suffocating atmosphere.

Louis III had uncharacteristically lost his temper.

"What in the world is going on? What is the status of Noah and Yifulei?" Louis III roared.

Prince Noah and Princess Yifulei were supposed to have been traveling on an airship of the Algerian Royal Family, scheduled to arrive at the Royal Palace this evening.

The problem was, for some unknown reason, the airship had suddenly lost contact an hour ago after crossing the border between the Frank Kingdom and the Christine Duchy.

The airships used by the Algerian Royal Family were not products of the current era. Strictly speaking, they were magical artifacts unearthed through archaeology. The three airships had been in use since the era of city-states, and they were covered in such intricate Magic Runes that even the top Mages of the Tilia Kingdom confessed they couldn’t decipher them.

The airship had a built-in Magic Tower capable of receiving magical communications.

An hour ago, the airship sent out a distress signal, then vanished without a trace.

In the thousand years the airships had been in use, a problem like this had never occurred.

"Your Majesty... The Griffin Corps has already been dispatched. We’ve notified the Holy City, and His Holiness the Pope has ordered the Dragon Knight Order to take flight..."

"To collect Noah’s corpse?" Louis III bellowed.

As a Monarch who excelled at political maneuvering, Louis III was rarely so openly furious.

But he couldn’t help it. This incident was simply too grave.

Prince Noah and Princess Yifulei were central to a century-spanning plan between the Algeria and Frank Kingdoms!

And most critical of all was Prince Noah!

The royal family had invested far too much in him. If anything were to happen to Prince Noah, it would trigger a massive political earthquake in the Frank Kingdom.

Louis III had many children and numerous brothers. The question of who would be Crown Prince, should the position become vacant, was enough to make everyone place their bets.

The Algerian envoy, feeling the heat, wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. If he couldn’t handle this diplomatic catastrophe, it would be enough to ruin him and his family.

"Your Majesty, I’m certain there has been some misunderstanding. The Christine Duchy has always been aligned with the Tilia Kingdom."

"Perhaps they are the ones behind this..."

A classic human tactic: when in doubt, pass the buck.

Unfortunately for him, this time the Algerian envoy had met his match.

Louis III’s ability to expand the royal family’s power amidst a court full of schemers and monsters was a testament to his own prowess.

He saw right through the Algerian envoy’s petty trick.

"This is no time for games! You provided the airship! If so much as a single hair on Noah’s head is harmed, you can forget about getting a single coin of the money we’ve paid you over the years!" Louis III declared.

The Algeria Kingdom had been aiding the Frank Kingdom for a long time, investing an innumerable amount of funds.

If Prince Noah truly came to harm because of that airship, the Frank Kingdom could at least recoup some of its losses.

It was a pitiful sight. Louis III’s most beloved son’s fate was unknown, yet he still had to prioritize the interests of the kingdom.

But there was no other way. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

The envoy’s face fell. He had no doubt that Louis III was capable of carrying out his threat.

"Your Majesty, the Prince’s airship... where is it now?"

A voice broke the silence. It was Marquis Oscillate.

Marquis William, who had just arrived at the Royal Palace, frowned. He seemed to have guessed what Marquis Oscillate was going to say.

"You have a solution?" Louis III asked.

"Perhaps. Does Your Majesty recall the young commander who recently shot to fame?" Oscillate inquired.

"You mean... Robson? What could he possibly do...?" Louis III asked.

Robson’s great victory on the eastern front had caused quite a stir in the Royal Capital.

In the Frank Kingdom, anyone who could kill Beastmen was a hero.

"Your Majesty may not be aware, but waiting for the Holy See’s Flying Dragon Legion will likely be too late."

"However, this Viscount Robertson... is also a Dragon Knight," Oscillate said.

In recommending Robson at this moment, the Marquis naturally had his own calculations.

While Robson’s power was formidable on the eastern front, or beyond the borderlands, his influence within the kingdom as a whole was still too weak.

If he wanted a true seat at the kingdom’s high-stakes table, Robson still had a long way to go.

If Robson could resolve this crisis, both the Frankish Royal Family and the Algerian Royal Family would owe him a massive favor.

The boost to his future political career would be immeasurable.

Moreover, as one of the Frank Kingdom’s major "shareholders," Marquis Oscillate was, at his core, dedicated to the well-being of the kingdom.

The matter of Prince Noah had simply too many implications.

One could even say that if this bomb were to detonate, the fallout would be catastrophic.