Princess Silvia is coming. What's the matter?
"Schneider, how many more years is it going to take for the contract we signed with the Fisablen Family to exchange cattle and sheep for standard equipment to be completed?" The first thing that came to Laurist's mind was whether something had happened to the contract between the two families.
"Sir, we've already completed this year's deal. Only next year's is left," Shihuard replied.
Time passed so quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already the fourth year. The original agreement had a total of five years, and it would be completed the next day.
"What movements has the Fisablen Family made in the past few years?"
Shihuard shook his head. "Sir, the largest trading market between the Snow Salt Chamber of Commerce and the Fisablen Family is in the Muye Plain Province. The governor there is Viscount Christopher. Our family's spies are very familiar with the situation in the Muye Plain Province, but they are unable to penetrate deep into the Eastern Wasteland Province. That is Grand Duke Fisablen's territory. We can only obtain some very rough information and are unable to obtain any more detailed information. The family once sent a team of spies disguised as small merchants to enter the Eastern Wasteland Province, but they were quickly chased out.
In the past few years, the intelligence we have gathered is that Duke Fisablun has reorganized the two legions under his command and integrated the garrison troops. We know that the two legions each have 46,000 soldiers. In addition, he has reorganized three garrison troops. In addition, he has a personal guard troop and an imperial guard troop by his side. His total military strength is more than 136,000 soldiers. Currently, the Fisablen Family's military strength is deployed in three garrison troops, one each in the Muye Plain Province, the Eastern Wasteland Province, and the Southern Province.
The Sky Wolf Army in the Muye Plain Province is commanded by Viscount Christopher, and they take turns to attack the Northeast Prairie with the Eastern Wasteland Province's Tiger's Howl Army. In the past few years, they have dealt a great blow to the grassland barbarians. According to the report sent back by the Snow Salt Chamber of Commerce's intelligence investigator, the number of grassland barbarian tribes that have been annihilated in the past three years has reached close to a hundred, and nearly 150,000 grassland barbarians have been captured. Most of them are women and children. Grand Duke Fisablen has betrothed them to his subordinates as wives and concubines. It is said that all the captains and above have one wife and one concubine … "
Laurist sat up straight. "What is the total population of the two provinces under the Fisablen Family's jurisdiction and the Southern Province?"
"Sir, the Eastern Barren Province and Muye Province seem to have less than 800,000 people. The Southern Province is in ruins, and its population is estimated to be less than 150,000 or 160,000 …"
Leurist stood up, stroked his chin, and paced around the room twice. "Strange, the Fisablon Family has less than a million people under their jurisdiction. The ratio of soldiers to civilians is too high, almost seven to one. What is Grand Duke Fisablen planning? "
Schwald rolled his eyes. "My lord, I have to remind you that our family, including the Syrovas Islands and the Haneabada Archipelago, only has a total population of 1.6 million. However, our family's armed forces are close to 300,000."
Laurist waved his hand, "They can't compare to our family. Our family will be dealing with the Madras Duchy and the Iberian Kingdom next. In my plan, I will rest for another year next year, and the year after that, I will launch an all-out attack and annex these two countries in one go. However, we didn't expect Grand Duke Fisablon to assemble so many armaments. Has this old fox always been vigilant against our family? Looks like we'll have to shift our focus to the Eastern Barren Province from now on. "
Princess Silvia arrived on time, and as expected, Count Kemus was once again accompanying her attentively.
After settling down, Laurist held a grand welcoming banquet for Princess Silvia.
After not seeing her for a few years, Princess Silvia had grown even more beautiful. She was like a blooming lily, bright and beautiful. She smiled sweetly, and even Laurist couldn't look directly into her dreamy emerald green eyes …
During the banquet, Princess Silvia generously expressed that the purpose of her trip was to prepare to purchase standard equipment from the Norton Family again, and she represented Grand Duke Fisablen in extending an invitation to Laurist. Grand Duke Fisablen was preparing to hold a grand Knight Tournament next May in the Iberian Kingdom's capital city, Wintebry City, to select talents for the kingdom. He had specially sent Princess Silvia to invite Count Norton to participate …
When Laurist heard Princess Silvia's words, the first thought in his mind was that there was a trap. Everyone in the Iberian Kingdom knew that the Norton Family, led by the Northern Four Great Families, had jointly attacked Wintebry City and captured the king, who was the former second prince of the Crimson Empire, Iberia. He was then sent to the capital of the Andinac Kingdom to become a sacrificial offering for the death of the third prince. Now that Grand Duke Fisablen had invited Laurist to participate in the Knights Tournament that would be held in the Royal City of Windsor next year, Laurist had to carefully consider whether there was any scheme involved.
Laurist wasn't afraid of Grand Duke Fisablen setting up a trap. If he really wanted to go, he could easily escape alone. Moreover, as the head of the Norton Family and the most powerful Count in the Northern Lands, he would at least bring Swordmaster Seuss and an army if he wanted to participate in the Knight Tournament. Even if Grand Duke Fisablen sent an army to besiege Laurist, he was confident that he could break through.
However, Laurist felt that participating in the Knight Tournament was boring, and he had no interest in participating. To put it bluntly, he believed that no knight would be a match for him if he participated in the tournament, unless Grand Duke Fisablen personally fought him. As a Level 3 Great Swordmaster, he might be able to fight with Laurist for a few hundred rounds. Since that was the case, he might as well stay in his family's territory and enjoy his life. At this moment, Laurist's laziness was acting up, and he really didn't want to leave his family's territory next year.
However, he was currently at a banquet, and Laurist was too embarrassed to directly reject Princess Silvia's invitation, even though Count Kenneth, who was beside him, had already vowed that he would definitely participate. However, Princess Silvia didn't take him to heart. She only politely expressed her welcome, and then turned her head to stare at Laurist. Laurist could only say that if he wasn't busy with his family's territory affairs next May, he would consider participating.
Princess Silvia was very dissatisfied with Laurist's answer. She pouted and threw a small tantrum, causing the atmosphere of the banquet to become a little awkward. Laurist had no choice but to hastily end the banquet.
As the host, Laurist invited Princess Silvia to the study after the banquet ended. This was originally just a polite invitation, but Princess Silvia unexpectedly rolled her eyes at Laurist and led the way to the study. Behind her were her godmother, the Great Swordmaster Sandy, and the thick-skinned Count Kenneth. Laurist shrugged his shoulders and followed.
In the study, Count Kenneth was still searching for treasures in the wine cabinet, while the Great Swordmaster Sandy was sitting on the sofa in the corner, and Shi Huard was making tea for her. Princess Silvia, on the other hand, stood in front of the office table, fuming. Her almond-shaped eyes glared fiercely at Laurist …
Laurist smiled bitterly. The temper of a little girl was really hard to understand. "Your Highness, don't be angry. Look at the mountains of documents on my desk. I'm really busy."
"Hmph!" Princess Silvia turned her head away, ignoring Laurist.
"By the way, Your Highness, I brought you a gift the last time I went out. I hope you like it." Laurist used his ultimate technique. A gift might be able to appease Princess Silvia's anger and dissatisfaction.
There were five exquisite boxes wrapped in purple satin in the drawer on the left side of the office table. The one at the bottom was the largest. Laurist took it out and opened it. Inside was black velvet, and on top of it was a necklace woven with platinum threads. In the center of the necklace was a green jade the size of a thumb. The green was crystal clear. Beside the necklace was a pair of bracelets and earrings made of the same jade.
It had to be said that women and dragons had the same nature. They both liked shiny objects. The jewelry attracted Princess Silvia's attention as soon as he took it out. Even the Great Swordmaster Sandy could not help but stand up and walk to Princess Silvia's side to carefully admire the exquisite jewelry.
"Oh my god, Locke, where did you get this from? It's a priceless treasure that's been passed down from generation to generation!" Earl Kenneth exclaimed.
Laurist sniffled. How should he answer? This was his spoils of war, the jewelry of the First Consort of the Kingdom of Haneabada. There were four boxes of the same quality in his drawer, but this jade jewelry was the most expensive. It was estimated to be worth 200,000 gold fords. If it were not for Princess Silvia's enchanting green eyes, Laurist would not have remembered that he had this jade jewelry in his drawer.
Hmm, it was better not to say that this jade jewelry was taken from the dead First Consort. The jewelry in the four boxes were taken from the corpses of other consorts. Because of this, he hid these pieces of jewelry in the drawer and didn't give them to his women …
"I robbed it," Laurist said. Of course, robbing a kingdom was also a robbery.
"Hmm? Do you think I'm an idiot? " Count Kenneth was furious. "What kind of idiot would bring such expensive jewelry on the road? Such jewelry should be hidden in the family's treasury as a family heirloom."
"It's true, I'm not lying," Laurist said sincerely. "I robbed a kingdom."
"I don't believe you," Count Kenneth said. "There are four more boxes in your drawer. Take them out and have a look."
The jewelry in the four boxes was not as complete as the jade jewelry, but they were still very exquisite and valuable. Earl Kenneth, Princess Sylvia, and the Great Swordmaster Sandy were all cheering in admiration.
"Brother Loke, I think …" Count Kenneth stammered. "Alright, choose whichever one you like.
"Alright, you can choose whichever you like. Oh right, it's the same for Great Swordmaster Sandy. You can choose a box, and the jewelry inside will be yours. Everyone who sees it gets a share. That's fair, right?" Laurist knew what Earl Kenneth was trying to say, so he decided to be generous and give it to him. Besides the jade jewelry, the other jewelry in the boxes were only worth a few tens of thousands of gold fords. Most importantly, Laurist was a little afraid of taking jewelry from the dead. This was still an influence from his previous life, but Count Kenneth and the others didn't care about it.
Princess Silvia didn't expect Laurist to give her such an expensive gift, and it was such a rare one at that. She smiled like a flower, "Brother Loke, thank you for your gift. I really like this jade jewelry."
Laurist laughed, "As long as you like it, it's fine as long as you don't get angry."
Next, Laurist prepared to decline the invitation to the Knight's Tournament next May. While Princess Silvia was in a good mood after receiving the gift, he said, "Yes, Your Highness, I'm worried that there will be a lot of things to do in the family territory next May, so …"
"Brother Loke, I'm already 24 …" Princess Silvia said shyly.
Huh? So what if you're 24? I'm already 34 … Laurist couldn't react in time.
"Oh, you were only 20 the last time we met. You're already 24 now. Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, Your Highness is already 24, and you're even a 2-star Gold. You're really talented. Looks like you'll be able to become a 3-star Gold at 30." Laurist sighed.
Princess Silvia was furious. She fiercely kicked Laurist's foot, "I'll be 25 next year, so my grandfather wants to hold a Knight's Tournament. Do you understand? Blockhead! "
"Ouch!" Laurist was caught off guard and cried out in pain.
Princess Silvia angrily carried the box with the jade jewelry out of the study. Sage Swordmaster came to Laurist's side and smiled, "The little girl has been training in seclusion for the past 4 years and has finally become a 2-star Gold. Duke Fisablun specially organized a Knight's Tournament for her, and the little girl insisted on coming here to invite you to participate. Do you understand?"
Seeing Sage Swordmaster leave the study, Laurist returned to his senses and turned his head to look at Count Kenneth, only to see him hugging a bottle of wine and gulping it down with a dejected expression.
"What are you looking at? I, I didn't think that Princess Silvia would actually take a fancy to a guy like you!" Count Kenneth panted with red eyes.
"I …" Laurist pointed at his own nose in disbelief.
"What me? It's you. Can't you understand such an obvious hint? Her Highness is right. You're just a piece of wood … "Earl Kenneth slumped onto the sofa." I'm obviously more handsome than you, more elegant than you, and more cultured than you. Why would Her Highness like a piece of wood like you? "
"Hey, I'll only use one hand. Let's have a spar with ten of you. I guarantee that all ten of you will be lying on the ground in three moves." Laurist hopped onto the sofa and touched his foot, "This girl's foot is so heavy, it really hurts …"
"You deserve it. You can't even understand such an obvious hint. Her Highness said that she's already 24 years old, so I know why Duke Fisablen is holding the Knight Tournament next year."
"No, you mean to say that the Knight Tournament next year is to find a husband for Her Highness? Isn't this a tournament for a husband? "Laurist said.
"Tournament for a husband? Mm, that's a very clever way of saying it. "Count Kenneth nodded.
Laurist was very curious, "Isn't Princess Silvia the precious granddaughter of Duke Fisablen? Is she afraid of not being able to find a marriage partner? Why is she using the Knight Tournament to find a husband? "
Count Kenneth looked at Laurist with disdain, "If I say you're a country bumpkin, then you're a country bumpkin. Do you think it's so easy for Her Highness to find a marriage partner? Let me tell you, this is actually harder than us getting married. Although there are many people pursuing Her Highness, and there are all kinds of titles, is it enough just based on titles? There are many dukes in the Iberian Kingdom, but are they good enough for the princess? They are all honorary nobles, and even princes are useless …
Just like Duke Fisablen, there are many things to consider if he wants to find a marriage partner for Princess Silvia. The other party's identity, family's strength, and at the very least, it has to be a match. Otherwise, he will become a joke in the circle of nobles. With Her Highness' identity, the most suitable marriage partner for her is the heir of a kingdom, a prince, or a powerful noble like you. F * ck, now that you mention it, you really are the most suitable marriage partner for Her Highness … "
"But, but I'm older than her by ten years …" Laurist said.
"What does it matter if you're older by ten years? Do you know how old Duke Mayrhein's daughter was when she married the third prince? Fourteen! "Count Kenneth said.
"Duke Mayrhein's daughter and the third prince?"
"The previous three princes of the Crisen Empire had the same problem. They couldn't find a marriage partner of equal status. The eldest prince and the second prince didn't have a good reputation, and the powerful nobles weren't willing to marry the royal family. The nobles who were willing to marry the royal family were of low status. That's why the eldest prince and the second prince had an illegitimate child outside, and their reputation was terrible. When the third prince was thirty, Duke Mayrhein's precious daughter grew up and was willing to marry the royal family. That's why the third prince was chosen as the heir of the empire by the previous emperor. That's why the eldest prince and the second prince weren't satisfied. In fact, the previous emperors of the Crisen Empire didn't have an empress, and only had a concubine inherit the throne … "
"Why are the powerful nobles unwilling to marry the royal family?" Laurist was puzzled.
"Simple. Because after marrying the royal family, they would be ostracized by the nobles. After all, the royal family and the powerful nobles were born to oppose each other. The royal family always wanted to reduce the power of the nobles, afraid that they would pose a threat to them. Against the powerful royal family, the nobles liked to band together to protect themselves. Baron Filim's ancestor was an example, and no one wanted to have the same fate. Secondly, the nobles were afraid of the powerful joining forces. If the powerful nobles married the royal family, their power would easily expand, and they would encroach on the interests of other nobles. Thirdly, like Duke Mayrhein, they would be implicated by the royal family. The three kings of the Crisen Empire were fighting for the throne, and the Mayrhein Family had invested most of the family's resources in order to protect the legitimate inheritance of the third prince. Seriously speaking, the Mayrhein Family's power has been greatly reduced, and it's difficult for them to protect themselves … "Earl Kenneth explained in detail.
"Then what should we do if Duke Fisablen can't find a suitable candidate for marriage during the Knight's Tournament?" Laurist asked again.
Earl Kenneth shrugged, "That's actually the best way to deal with it. Find a real winner to marry Her Highness. It doesn't matter if his status is low, as long as he becomes the son-in-law of the Fisablen Family. In the future, all the children Her Highness has will have the surname Fisablen."
"So, Locke, don't let Her Highness down. No matter what, you have to attend the Knight's Tournament next May. Don't let Her Highness find a son-in-law!"
… …
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