Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Early on the morning of August 17th,
Lorist had no choice but to quickly rinse off, change into his formal kingdom noble attire, order Bodfingen to handle the camp's defensive arrangements, and then set out with Reidi, Genorio, and a thousand personal guards toward the White Lion Corps' central district where the Second Prince was stationed.
The Second Prince was most likely looking to display the magnificent military might of the Andinak Kingdom's million-strong army before the Commercial Alliance's envoy. Still ten li away from the White Lion Corps' main camp, they could already see thousand-man formations of the White Lion Corps lined up neatly along both sides of the road, their armor and weapons all brand new—though the soldiers' faces all carried a hint of exhaustion. It seemed the Second Prince had put them through quite an ordeal over the past two days for this show of military prowess before the envoy. This was both etiquette and a display of the kingdom's strength and prestige, so Lorist had nothing to say about it.
The originally rutted and uneven dirt-and-stone road had been leveled and compacted overnight, then topped with a layer of fine, white river sand. That was quite an extravagant gesture—Lorist couldn't imagine where the Second Prince had managed to procure so much sand to blanket ten li of road. Perhaps he had made preparations well in advance.
Ten li of road, covered in white sand, looked like a pristine white ribbon winding across the verdant plains when viewed from a high vantage point. According to the etiquette knowledge Lorist had acquired as a noble, he understood that this was the highest expression of peaceful intentions. Such a road was called the Road of Peace. In the history of the Galentea Continent, there were only seven recorded instances of such a Road of Peace appearing, and the shortest peace agreement achieved through one had lasted no less than twenty years.
It seemed the Second Prince was very eager to reach a peace agreement with the Commercial Alliance—pressuring them with the might of a million-strong army while simultaneously demonstrating his sincerity with the Road of Peace. If this were between two kingdoms, the other party might well be moved into making concessions. Unfortunately, the Second Prince was approaching merchants who prioritized profit above all else from the standpoint of a traditional noble. Whether things would go as he wished remained to be seen.
Soldiers stood guard at the entrance to the Road of Peace, blocking it with wooden barricades. Lorist pulled on his reins and brought his mount to a halt. A centurion of the White Lion Corps rushed over and stammeringly explained to Lorist why the road was closed to passage.
Lorist nodded amiably, pulled on his reins, and steered his horse off toward the wilderness, leading his guards on a detour around to the White Lion Corps' main camp. There was nothing to complain about—the Road of Peace would only open after the envoy had passed through. That was standard protocol, and Lorist wouldn't quibble over such a minor matter. He knew that if he insisted on taking a thousand men down this road, not only would the white sand have been laid for nothing, but he'd also come across as arrogant and overbearing.
Twenty minutes later, the White Lion Corps' main camp appeared before them. Lorist figured the main gate would likely be difficult to get through today as well, so he veered to the side. Sure enough, a small side gate had been opened there, bustling with people coming and going.
As he drew closer, Lorist noticed that even the camp's palisade fence had been thoroughly refurbished. Not only were damaged sections repaired, but the originally uneven tops of the wooden fence had all been trimmed to a uniform level. It seemed the Second Prince had invested considerable effort in these face-saving measures, hoping to present the most pristine military camp possible to the Commercial Alliance's envoy.
If the outside was like this, the inside of the camp naturally went without saying—neatness and cleanliness were the bare minimum. Lorist also noticed a squad of soldiers with fiery red plumes on their helmets patrolling the camp carrying large wooden rods. One poor fellow spat on the ground and was immediately spotted; he was pinned down and given ten strikes on the rear right then and there.
The only thing that clashed with the camp's solemn atmosphere was the colorful flags planted everywhere—countless banners of every size—which made Lorist wonder if he was heading to some kind of garden festival. When he reached the central district, however, he realized that compared to it, the flags outside the camp were an extremely modest decoration.
The Second Prince had clearly lavished enormous effort on the central district's decoration. Setting everything else aside, the wooden palisade alone had been wrapped in massive quantities of silk of various colors, transforming it into a vibrant, multicolored wall resembling a vertical garden adorned with blooming flowers. As for the inside of the central district, the original large and small tents had all been torn down, replaced by a magnificent and lavishly decorated grand palace.
A palace? Lorist blinked and looked more carefully. Just then, a gentle breeze swept across, and with his sharp eyes, Lorist immediately noticed that the entire roof of the palace facing him was gently swaying. Oh—it was still a tent, just a much larger one with walls and a roof painted on the exterior. Without looking closely, one would never have guessed it was merely a facade.
A royal guard stepped forward to greet them. Lorist dismounted, and servants came to take the horse away. Lorist led Reidi and Genorio toward the palace-style tent, while the guards behind him were received and escorted to a designated rest area, all while being briefed on the camp's rules for the day to prevent any accidental disruptions during the reception of the Commercial Alliance's envoy.
Inside the tent, Lorist found that it had been partitioned into a main hall and side halls. Of course, Lorist understood these were all facades, but he was quite curious how the Second Prince had managed to convert the tent into a palace layout in just three days.
The interior was arranged just like a royal palace hall, with a stepped platform at the top covered in a black carpet woven with gold threads. A gleaming golden chair sat upon the carpet—the throne.
The Second Prince was not sitting on the throne. He was standing below the platform, chatting with the nobles. Lorist spotted him from a distance because the Second Prince was wearing a golden crown today, standing out conspicuously among the hatless nobles.
Every noble in the grand hall wore formal noble attire with a sword at their hip. This was a custom left over from the days of the old Krisen Empire—at formal occasions, nobles wore ceremonial dress and carried swords both to display their martial valor and to show they had not forgotten the martial achievements of their ancestors in founding the empire. There was also a private legend that at some point in the empire's history, dueling had been all the rage, and carrying a sword made it convenient to draw and fight on the spot—settling grudges and avenging wrongs right then and there.
When the Second Prince spotted Lorist entering with Reidi and Genorio, he waved from a distance for the three to come over. After approaching and performing the formal greeting, Lorist noticed that the Second Prince's eyes were bloodshot and his expression somewhat tired. He couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, did you not sleep last night? Your complexion doesn't look good at all."
"Is that so?" The Second Prince touched his face and said with a smile, "Knowing that today I can reach a peace agreement with the Commercial Alliance's envoy and fulfill the lifelong dream of unifying the empire, I simply couldn't fall asleep. I haven't closed my eyes for two days. But it's no matter—once today is over, I can rest properly."
No matter what, as a first-rank Sword Saint, going without sleep for three days and two nights was no big deal for the Second Prince. He just looked a bit rough.
Lorist advised, "Your Highness, it's still early. The Commercial Alliance's envoy probably won't arrive for another hour or two. Why not take this time to close your eyes and rest for a bit? If you fall asleep, the guards will naturally wake you when the time comes. And if you can't sleep, it's no matter—a rest of one or two hours will at least improve your complexion and clear up the bloodshot in your eyes..."
The Second Prince was tempted. "Very well, I'll listen to you and go rest for a bit. No need for the envoy to see me with bloodshot eyes and get a bad impression. You all make yourselves at home—just order the servants for whatever you need."
After the Second Prince left, the nobles in the grand hall felt a bit more at ease. They found seats for themselves—some drinking tea, some chatting, and a few exchanging playful words with the serving maids nearby. However, everyone knew there was serious business today, so none of the scandalous scenes Lorist had witnessed on his previous visit came to pass.
Duke Kenmaise appeared seemingly from nowhere alongside Duke Shahin, approached Lorist, and led the three of them to a small room partitioned off next to the main tent. A small table inside was laden with food and fruit juice drinks.
"What are you two doing here? Where's Felim?" Lorist asked.
"That fellow Felim hasn't shown up yet. I brought you here to grab some food first so you don't end up starving while waiting," Duke Kenmaise said.
"How did you know there was food here?" Reidi asked. He had come along with Lorist without having eaten breakfast, and upon seeing so much food on the table, immediately went ahead without ceremony, tore off a roasted lamb leg, and began gnawing on it heartily.
"How did I know there was food here?" Duke Kenmaise said proudly. "I arranged the whole thing. Getting the head chef to prepare some food for me was nothing."
"You mean this palace-style tent was your doing?" Lorist asked in surprise.
"Of course. His Highness wanted to tear down the original tent and put up a simple palace to receive the envoy, but there wasn't enough time for proper construction. Seeing his dilemma, I took on the job on behalf of the Snow Salt Trading Company—we built a composite tent, then hired painters and designers to dress it up as a palace. It was good business—two hundred thousand gold Forde coins in just three days," Duke Kenmaise replied with great relish.
From Duke Kenmaise's expression, it was clear that the Second Prince had been fleeced like a fat sheep once again. But he had only himself to blame for his vanity and love of grand displays—no one could fault Duke Kenmaise for sharpening his blade.
The three ate and drank in the small room for a while. Eventually, Duke Felim arrived, and shortly after, the Grand Duke of Fisablen shamelessly wandered in as well, eating while complaining that Duke Kenmaise hadn't prepared proper wine, making the whole affair far less enjoyable.
After about an hour, as noon approached, a horn sounded from the distance. Everyone perked up—the Commercial Alliance's envoy had finally arrived. They hurriedly straightened their formal attire and headed out of the small room toward the main tent.
The Second Prince was already up. His brief rest had greatly invigorated him—the bloodshot was gone from his eyes and his complexion had improved considerably. He was standing inside the tent, listening to a scout report on the envoy's movements.
The scout reported that the envoy had brought a hundred guards and arrived in a luxurious carriage. They had already entered the Road of Peace paved with white sand and would reach the camp's main gate in approximately twenty minutes.
The Second Prince said happily that everyone should follow him to the camp's main gate to welcome the envoy's arrival.
The Grand Duke of Fisablen stepped forward, arguing that this was inappropriate. After all, as the sovereign of the Andinak Kingdom, how could the Second Prince lower himself to personally greet the envoy? He should be seated high upon the throne, waiting for the envoy to come and pay respects—that was the proper etiquette for nobility and royalty. He went on at considerable length.
The Second Prince humbly accepted the Grand Duke of Fisablen's criticism and, after a moment's thought, proposed that they greet the envoy at the gate of the central district instead, which would also demonstrate his sincerity in wanting to achieve peace.
...an old man carrying a small wooden box.
The tall, thin middle-aged man identified himself as Krillos, a Field Marquis of the Commercial Alliance and vice president of the Twin-Headed Dragon Trading Company, the leading entity among the Six Giants. The old man beside him was his personal attendant, who never left his side.
As the envoy, Krillos's combat force cultivation was at the Gold Rank, though he claimed to practice combat force purely for health and longevity—actual combat and life-or-death battles were something he avoided at all costs. The ornamental sword at his waist was purely decorative; its edge hadn't even been sharpened. His elderly attendant was an ordinary person with no combat force cultivation, responsible for his daily affairs. Krillos self-deprecatingly remarked that he had been born into wealth and pampered since childhood, needing others to handle even the most trivial matters...
It was the hundred guards who put everyone on alert. Among them were four Sword Saints, more than a dozen Gold-rank swordsmen, and the rest all possessed Silver-rank combat force.
The Second Prince was actually quite pleased—the more elite the guards, the higher the envoy Krillos's status. As for worrying about the hundred guards suddenly attacking, that was impossible. Setting everything else aside, there were a dozen Sword Saints from the kingdom alone in this very tent, and the four Sword Saints among the hundred guards certainly knew better than to act rashly.
Standing at the tent's entrance, the Second Prince and envoy Krillos chatted animatedly for quite some time, still not satisfied when they finally paused. The two clasped each other's hands, displaying an air of having found kindred spirits. It was Lorist who finally couldn't stand it anymore, coughing twice to remind them: "Your Highness, perhaps we should go inside the hall first..."
"Right, right, right," the Second Prince came back to his senses and invited Krillos into the main tent, asking if he wanted to bring along the Sword Saints from his guard detail as well.
Krillos laughed: "No need. Let them stay with the rest of the guards. I'll just bring my old attendant in. I'm here to sign a peace agreement, not to fight, so I have every confidence in my personal safety."
The Second Prince was overjoyed and eagerly ushered them inside, ordering his subordinates to prepare a grand banquet in Krillos's honor.
...