Princess Sylvia was coming — what did she want?
"Swade, how many more years until our cattle-and-sheep-for-standard-equipment agreement with the Fisablen family is completed?"
"My lord, we've already completed this year's transactions. Only next year's remain," Swade replied.
Time had flown. It was already the fourth year, and the original agreement spanned five years total. It would be finished next year.
"Has the Fisablen family made any moves these past few years?"
Swade shook his head. "My lord, the Snow Salt Trading Company's largest market for trade with the Fisablen family is in Muyeyuan Province. The governor there is Viscount Christopher, and our family's spies have a thorough understanding of conditions in Muyeyuan Province. But they can't penetrate Eastern Wasteland Province — that's Grand Duke Fisablen's territory. We can only obtain very rough intelligence; nothing more detailed. The family once dispatched a squad of spies disguised as small-time merchants to enter Eastern Wasteland Province, but they were expelled almost immediately.
Over the past few years, what we've gathered is that Grand Duke Fisablen reorganized the two legions under his command and consolidated his garrison forces. The two known legions each consist of forty-six thousand men. Additionally, he restructured three garrison corps, and together with a personal guard corps and a bodyguard battalion at his side, his total military strength has reached over one hundred and thirty-six thousand. Currently, the Fisablen family's military deployment has the three garrison corps stationed in Muyeyuan Province, Eastern Wasteland Province, and the Southern Province respectively.
The Heavenly Wolf Legion in Muyeyuan Province, commanded by Viscount Christopher, and the Roaring Tiger Legion in Eastern Wasteland Province take turns launching raids into the northeastern grasslands. These past few years, they've struck hard against the steppe barbarians. According to reports from the Snow Salt Trading Company's intelligence investigator Wolibert, over the past three years nearly a hundred barbarian tribes have been annihilated, and close to one hundred and fifty thousand barbarians have been captured — the majority of them women and children. Grand Duke Fisablen has married them off to his officers and soldiers as wives and concubines. Reportedly, every squad leader and above has at least one wife and one concubine..."
Lorist straightened up. "How many people total live in the two provinces under the Fisablen family's control, plus the Southern Province?"
"My lord, Eastern Wasteland Province and Muyeyuan Province together seem to have fewer than eight hundred thousand. The Southern Province is devastated — its population is estimated at no more than one hundred and fifty or sixty thousand..."
Lorist stood and paced around the room, stroking his chin. "That's strange. The Fisablen family governs fewer than a million people, yet their soldier-to-civilian ratio is far too high — nearly seven to one. What is Grand Duke Fisablen planning?"
Swade rolled his eyes beside him. "My lord, I should remind you that our family, including Hilowas Island and the Haneabada Archipelago, has a total population of only about one million six hundred thousand — yet our armed forces number close to three hundred thousand."
Lorist waved his hand dismissively. "They can't be compared to our family. Our next targets are the Madras Duchy and the Iblia Kingdom. In my plan, we rest and recover for one more year, then launch a full-scale offensive the year after to annex both countries in one stroke. But we never expected Grand Duke Fisablen to have assembled such a large military force. Has that old fox been keeping his guard up against our family all along? It seems our intelligence efforts will need to shift toward Eastern Wasteland Province."
Princess Sylvia arrived as expected, and true to form, Count Kenes was once again hovering at her side as an eager companion.
After settling her in, Lorist held a grand welcoming banquet for Princess Sylvia.
Having not seen her for several years, Princess Sylvia had blossomed into even greater beauty — like a lily in full bloom, dazzlingly lovely beyond compare. Her charming smile and sparkling eyes were so mesmerizing that even Lorist couldn't meet that pair of dreamlike green emeralds directly...
At the banquet, Princess Sylvia gracefully announced that the purpose of her visit was to arrange another purchase of standard equipment from the
Upon hearing this, Lorist's first thought was that there was a trap. Everyone in the Iblia Kingdom knew that the four great Northern families, with the Norton family at their head, had joined forces to capture Windbury, seized the king — the former
Lorist wasn't afraid of Grand Duke Fisablen setting up any kind of trap. If he really needed to go, he could escape easily even alone. Moreover, as the head of the Norton family and the most powerful Count in the Northland, attending the knight tournament would mean bringing along at least Great Swordmaster Hughes and an entire legion. Even if Grand Duke Fisablen deployed a full legion to surround him, Lorist was confident he could fight his way out.
It was just that Lorist found knight tournaments tedious. He had no interest in joining. To put it bluntly, he believed that if he participated, no knight would be his match — unless Grand Duke Fisablen himself took up arms against him. As a third-tier Great Swordmaster, the Grand Duke might hold his own for a few hundred exchanges. In that case, he'd rather stay in the family's territory and enjoy some peace and quiet. At this moment, Lorist's laziness flared up — he really didn't want to leave the family's territory again next year to go rushing about.
Count Kenes had already sworn up and down that he would definitely attend. But Princess Sylvia paid him no mind, merely offering a perfunctory word of welcome before turning to fix her gaze squarely on Lorist. Lorist could only offer the excuse that if things weren't too busy in the family's territory come May, he would consider attending.
Princess Sylvia was quite dissatisfied with Lorist's answer. She pouted her lips and threw a small tantrum, making the banquet atmosphere awkward. Lorist had no choice but to end the banquet hastily.
As host, Lorist invited Princess Sylvia to his study for a chat afterward — a polite gesture he hadn't expected her to take up. But Princess Sylvia shot him a look and strode toward the study herself, followed by her godmother Great Swordmaster Cindy and the shamelessly persistent Count Kenes. Lorist shrugged and trailed after them.
In the study, Count Kenes was once again rummaging through the liquor cabinet. Great Swordmaster Cindy sat on a sofa in the corner as Swade brewed tea for her. Princess Sylvia stood in front of the desk, cheeks puffed with indignation, her almond eyes narrowed as she glared fiercely at Lorist...
Lorist smiled wryly. A young girl's temper was truly unpredictable. "Your Highness, please don't be angry. Look at all these documents on my desk — they're stacked like a little mountain. I really am swamped with work."
"Hmph!" Princess Sylvia turned her head away, ignoring him.
"Oh, right, Your Highness. Last time I went out, I brought back a gift for you. I hope you'll like it." Lorist played his ultimate card — perhaps a gift could smooth over Princess Sylvia's anger.
In the left drawer of his desk sat five exquisite boxes wrapped in purple silk. The one at the bottom was the largest. Lorist took it out and opened it — inside, nestled on black velvet, was a necklace woven from platinum wire. At its center sat a thumb-sized green emerald, so clear it was crystalline and translucent. Beside the necklace were a pair of matching jade bracelets and a pair of earrings.
It had to be said that women and dragons shared the same fundamental nature — both were drawn to anything that sparkled. The moment the jewelry came out, it captured Princess Sylvia's attention entirely. Even Great Swordmaster Cindy couldn't help but stand up and walk over to admire the exquisite, extraordinary set.
"Heavens, Lorist, where did you get this? It's a priceless heirloom!" Count Kenes exclaimed.
Lorist twitched his nose. How should he explain this? These were his spoils of war — jewelry from the Great Consort of the Haneabada Kingdom. He had four more boxes of similarly precious jewelry in his drawer, but this emerald set was the most valuable, appraised at two hundred thousand gold Fordes. If he hadn't noticed Princess Sylvia's enchanting green eyes, he probably wouldn't have remembered the set sitting in his drawer.
Hmm, he probably shouldn't mention that this emerald jewelry had been taken from the deceased Great Consort. The jewelry in the other four boxes had all been removed from the corpses of other consorts. That was precisely why these sets had been hidden away in his drawer instead of given to his women...
"I looted it," Lorist said. After all, looting a kingdom was still looting.
"Hmm? Do you think I'm an idiot?" Count Kenes was indignant. "What kind of fool would carry jewelry this valuable while traveling? Such pieces are kept in family treasuries as heirlooms, obviously."
"I'm serious, I'm not lying," Lorist said earnestly. "I looted a kingdom."
"Nobody's buying that," Count Kenes said. "You have four more boxes in your drawer — take them all out and let's see."
The jewelry in the four boxes wasn't as complete as the emerald set, but it was still exquisitely crafted and immensely valuable. Count Kenes, Princess Sylvia, and Great Swordmaster Cindy examined everything with undisguised delight.
"Say, brother Lorist, I was wondering..." Count Kenes began hesitantly.
"Fine, pick whichever set you like. Oh, and the same goes for Great Swordmaster Cindy — choose one box, and the jewelry inside is yours. Finders keepers — one set each, fair enough?" Lorist knew exactly what Count Kenes was going to say and decided to be generous. Aside from the emerald set, the jewelry in the other boxes was only worth tens of thousands of gold Fordes each. More importantly, Lorist felt a certain taboo about jewelry taken from the dead — a remnant of his previous life's influence — while Count Kenes and the others couldn't have cared less.
Princess Sylvia hadn't expected Lorist to give her such a precious gift, and such exquisite pieces at that. Her face bloomed into a radiant smile. "Big Brother Lorist, thank you for the gift! I absolutely love this emerald set."
Lorist chuckled. "I'm glad you like it. As long as you're not angry anymore."
Next, Lorist wanted to decline the invitation to the knight tournament in May. Now that Princess Sylvia was in a good mood from receiving the gift was the perfect moment. "Your Highness, I'm worried that there will be a great many matters to attend to in the family's territory next May, so..."
"Big Brother Lorist, I'm already twenty-four years old..." Princess Sylvia said with a hint of shyness.
Huh? Twenty-four — so what? I'm already thirty-four... Lorist didn't catch on at first.
"Oh, last time we met you were only twenty, and now you're already twenty-four. Time really does fly. In the blink of an eye, Your Highness is twenty-four and has already advanced to two-star Gold rank. Truly remarkable talent — I'd say you have a good shot at reaching three-star Gold by thirty." Lorist remarked with admiration.
"Hold a knight tournament — do you understand now, you blockhead!"
"Ow!" Lorist was caught off guard and cried out in pain.
Princess Sylvia stormed out of the study, clutching the box with the emerald jewelry. Great Swordmaster Cindy approached Lorist with a slight smile. "For the past four years, the girl has been sequestered in closed-door cultivation and finally advanced to two-star Gold rank. Grand Duke Fisablen is hosting the knight tournament specifically for her. The girl insisted on coming here herself to invite you. Do you understand now?"
After Great Swordmaster Cindy left the study, Lorist came to his senses and turned to look at Count Kenes, only to see him looking utterly dejected, guzzling wine from a fine bottle.
"What are you looking at? I can't believe Princess Sylvia actually has eyes for a guy like you!" Count Kenes said, his eyes red and his breathing heavy.
"Me...?" Lorist pointed at his own nose in disbelief.
"You, of all people! How could you not pick up on such an obvious hint? The Princess was right — you really are a blockhead..." Count Kenes slumped into the sofa. "I'm better-looking than you, I have a better temperament, and my manners and refinement are superior in every way. So why would the Princess fall for a blockhead like you?"
"Tell you what — I'll give you one hand. Bring ten of you and we'll spar. I guarantee I'll have all ten of you face-down on the ground in three moves." Lorist hopped over to the sofa and reached down to rub his foot. "That girl kicks hard — it really hurts..."
"Deserved. You couldn't even pick up on such an obvious hint. When the Princess said she was already twenty-four, I immediately understood why Grand Duke Fisablen is holding the knight tournament next year."
"Wait — you mean the knight tournament is to find the Princess a husband? Isn't that just a martial arts marriage contest?" Lorist said.
"A martial arts marriage contest? Hmm, that's actually a perfect way to put it. That's exactly what it is." Count Kenes nodded.
Lorist was curious. "Isn't Princess Sylvia Grand Duke Fisablen's precious granddaughter? Would she really have trouble finding a suitable match? Why resort to a knight tournament?"
Count Kenes looked at Lorist with disdain. "I call you a country bumpkin and you really are one. Do you think it's easy for a princess of her standing to find a suitable match? Let me tell you — it's actually harder than our marriages. Though many pursue the Princess, holding every rank under the sun, is rank alone enough? The Iblia Kingdom has several Dukes, but are they worthy of the Princess? They're all merely honorary nobles — even a Prince would be useless...
For someone like Grand Duke Fisablen, finding a match for Princess Sylvia requires careful consideration. The other party's status, the family's strength — at the very least, they must be equals in standing. Otherwise, it would become a laughingstock among the nobility. Given the Princess's status, her most suitable matches would be the heirs of kingdoms and duchies — Princes, or powerful nobles like yourself. Damn it — now that I say it, you really are the most suitable match for the Princess..."
"But... but I'm ten years older than her..." Lorist said.
"What does ten years matter? Do you know how old the Merlein Grand Duke's daughter was when she married the Third Prince? Fourteen years difference!" Count Kenes said.
"The Merlein Grand Duke's daughter and the Third Prince?"
"The three princes of the former Krisen Empire faced the same problem — they couldn't find marriage partners of equal status. The First and Second Princes had poor reputations. Powerful nobles were unwilling to marry into the royal family, while those willing to were of too low a station. So the First and Second Princes fathered illegitimate children abroad and became notorious. When the Third Prince turned thirty, the Merlein Grand Duke's precious daughter had come of age, and the Merlein family was willing to marry into the royal family. That was precisely why the late Emperor named the Third Prince as the Empire's heir. Because of this, the First and Second Princes refused to accept it. In fact, several of the previous Krisen emperors had no empress — they only designated imperial consorts and still inherited the throne..."
"Why are powerful nobles unwilling to marry into the royal family?" Lorist asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Simple. First, after marrying into the royal family, you're ostracized by the noble circles. The royals and powerful nobles are natural adversaries. The royals always want to weaken the nobility, fearing they'll become a threat. Facing an aggressive royal family, the nobles prefer to band together for protection — Baron
"So if Grand Duke Fisablen can't find a match of equal standing for the tournament, what then?" Lorist pressed.
Count Kenes shrugged. "That's actually the easiest scenario to handle. Find a genuinely skilled winner to be the Princess's husband. Low birth wouldn't matter — he'd just need to become a consort of the Fisablen family. Any children the Princess bears would simply carry the Fisablen name."
"So Lorist, whatever you do, don't let down the Princess's feelings for you. You have to attend that knight tournament next May, no matter what. Don't let the Princess end up choosing some random consort!"
...(To be continued.)