Knight: Becoming King of the World

Henry stood up, raised his goblet, and said to the nobles present, "Let us toast to the glory of our great Emperor, the prosperity of the Empire, and our own bravery. Cheers!"

All the nobles rose to their feet, raising their goblets in response.

As Henry’s toast concluded, the atmosphere in the banquet hall reached a new height, and the band’s music grew more spirited.

The sound of clashing goblets was incessant as fine wine flowed like spring water into the nobles’ cups, as if in celebration of the coming Wolf Hunting Festival.

As time passed, the rhythm of the music seemed to grow chaotic... The Knights had been drinking to excess.

Their faces grew flushed, their laughter more unrestrained. Some even began to loudly recount their heroic deeds, their voices echoing through the banquet hall and drowning out the band’s music.

Henry noticed the change, his brow furrowing slightly. As the host, he needed to ensure the banquet’s atmosphere remained lively but orderly.

He shot Tommy a look. Tommy understood at once, quietly signaling for the band to lower their volume while instructing the attendants brought in from the tavern to pour wine for the nobles with more discretion.

Edmund seemed to sense Henry’s intent as well. He set down his goblet, stood, and said, "Fellow Vassals of His Majesty, the great Emperor, tomorrow we participate in the Wolf Hunting Festival—a day to showcase our courage and skill.

Today’s welcome feast is to celebrate our friendship and unity with Baron Henry. We should keep clear heads."

His words had a sobering effect, and some of the Knights who had over-imbibed gradually came to their senses.

They could hardly be blamed. Henry was being far too extravagant, serving them Danustika’s prized Flying Fish Wine!

They began to slow their pace of drinking, refocusing on conversation rather than the simple indulgence of alcohol.

Baron Calvin, though he was practically drooling over such a fine vintage, also understood the importance of moderation. He gently set down his goblet and nodded at Henry.

"Calvin, I’ve prepared a special competition for this year’s Wolf Hunting Festival. I think you’ll like it."

Calvin asked in a booming voice, "Oh? What kind of special competition? Isn’t the Wolf Hunting Festival just a contest of riding and archery?"

Henry spoke mysteriously to the Half-Beastman-like man beside him, "You’ll find out when the time comes. I guarantee it will open your eyes."

Calvin’s broad chest heaved with his breath as he imagined the excitement to come.

"Mighty Baron Henry, I can’t wait to witness this special competition," Calvin’s voice boomed like a bull’s.

As a pure Warrior, Calvin craved any form of combat, especially a fight between strong men. To him, that was the highest honor.

Henry smiled faintly. He knew of Calvin’s passion and ferocity; it was exactly what he needed.

"Rest assured, Calvin. You’re going to love this competition."

The hint of mystery in Henry’s words only piqued Calvin’s curiosity further.

’Just how much will I like it? Enough to haunt my dreams?’

After a moment’s thought, Calvin said, a little sheepishly, "Mighty Baron Henry, I had originally planned to attend the New Year’s festival. I admire strong Warriors, and I was delighted to receive your invitation.

But... because a certain... special noble interfered..."

"Calvin."

Just as Calvin was about to continue, Edmund quickly cut him off.

Henry blinked. ’I see what the problem is,’ he thought. ’It’s that damn Prince I’ve never even met, making trouble again.’

Henry turned his head, let out a soft, confident laugh, and said, "I know a certain someone has made you all overly cautious. But I can tell you with absolute certainty that in the Caladia Empire, only His Majesty, the great Emperor, can command his loyal Vassals."

Before Edmund could react to Henry’s audacious claim, Henry continued in a low voice, "He’s just a Second Prince. Our goals should be larger fiefs, more subjects, and bigger armies.

Edmund, you and I both know the lands are vast. We need to expand. We need war!"

Edmund’s brow furrowed slightly. He could sense the ambition hidden in Henry’s words, but he wasn’t clear on what Henry was actually planning to do.

’Would he need people like us for simple expansion?’

"Baron Henry, you’re the Emperor’s student, the rising star of the eastern frontier. I can understand your ambition... but this is too risky for me. The slightest misstep could bring us unnecessary trouble."

A hint of worry tinged Edmund’s voice. For ordinary nobles like them, the Second Prince’s station was quite high.

He couldn’t disregard a Prince the way Henry did, even if that Prince had no right of succession to the throne.

"Edmund, risk and opportunity always go hand in hand. Think about it: if we win a few battles, how much glory and wealth would that bring us?"

Henry hadn’t tried to exclude Calvin from the conversation, so Calvin heard everything.

"Mighty Baron Henry, I think..."

Henry raised a hand to cut Calvin off. "Don’t think yet. Just listen to what I have to say."

Henry produced a map of the grasslands from his coat. "Edmund, Calvin, look at this map—vast tracts of unclaimed land. To conquer them and develop them requires a great deal of manpower and resources. Or, should I say... money?"

Henry’s finger slid gently across the map. "According to my sources, the southern desert is on lockdown. Why don’t we go and make a small fortune?

The spoils from a single victory far exceed what thousands of serfs can produce in a year of farming! Why do you think my army is so strong? Because of one victory after another!"

A glint flashed in Edmund’s eyes as he began to seriously consider Henry’s plan. He had to admit, Henry’s words had swayed him.

Calvin, growing excited, said, "Baron Henry, I’m willing to hear the details of your plan."

Henry smiled. He wasn’t worried about whether Baron Calvin would become his strong arm.

He was one hundred percent certain that Calvin would become a capable commander under him, one who could hold the front lines. Henry was confident of it.

’Henry even suspected that if he were to pin the medals from his two major battles to his chest right now, Calvin might even offer to pay him for the chance to go to war.’

Henry took a relaxed sip of Flying Fish Wine, glancing at Edmund, who was poring over the map. He knew Edmund was already persuaded, or had at least provisionally accepted his invitation to join the campaign.

"I’ll discuss the plan with you in detail after the Wolf Hunting Festival."

Edmund nodded. He still had his doubts and knew they needed to discuss the details carefully.

’This wasn’t a campaign organized by His Majesty, the great Emperor, but an invitation for a partnership from a fellow noble. It required careful consideration.’

’If any other Baron had proposed such a plan, Edmund would have thrown his drink in the man’s face and mocked him relentlessly.’

’But Henry... he had to admit, his reputation in the eastern grasslands was now a gold standard.’

’The man dared to join a major battle with only a few hundred troops, and he dared to plunder an established Baron clean with only a few thousand soldiers!’

’Terrifying!’

The band’s music grew livelier, and the fine wine and food allowed everyone to lose themselves in the wonderful evening.

This was a feast for entertainment, not politics, so even the Knight’s Squires were allowed to participate. Some held drinking contests while others arm-wrestled, providing a great deal of amusement for the nobles.

At a table toward the back, the conversation between Henry, Edmund, and Calvin went unnoticed by the other Knights.

Henry looked at the quiet and reserved Boras sitting nearby and asked, "Baron Boras, why are you drinking alone? Is the food not to your taste?"

Boras, lost in thought, was startled by Henry’s words. He said apologetically, "My lord Baron, I’ve been pondering something lately. The stars in the sky... do they have lands where there is life? How vast would those lands be? How long can they exist?"

Henry was a bit surprised. ’This man seems better suited for the Royal Capital Knight Academy, perhaps as an astronomer—a less competitive profession. Or he could go to the western coast and take up a career in maritime navigation.’

"The stars represent time and space. No one knows how long they have existed, nor does anyone know when they began, or when they will end."

Boras mumbled to himself for a moment before saying thoughtfully, "Baron Henry, your words are quite profound."

"Hah, what’s so profound about it? The stars are far away, but our swords are close at hand. Only by keeping a firm grip on our weapons do we earn the time to observe the... lives of the stars?"

Henry raised his goblet, and the four men rose to drink together.

"Alright, my friends. Go back and prepare for the Wolf Hunt tomorrow!"