Lord: I Grind EXP with Warband Panel

Early in the morning, Louis III was processing official documents. As the war dragged on, the kingdom’s finances were deteriorating by the day. Though not yet at the point of collapse, the situation was far from optimistic.

They were now at the point of having to seek aid from the southern kingdoms.

Seeking aid was the polite term for it; in reality, it was begging.

"Your Majesty, the Barletto Duchy has agreed to provide aid, and the Algeria Kingdom is still helping us seek more support..." Minister of Foreign Affairs Earl Henry said from the side.

"If we could secure aid from the Tilia Kingdom, our situation might improve significantly," said Earl William.

As he spoke, Earl William’s expression was grim.

With the war at its current stage, the national finances had entered a second, more critical phase. Earl William had been on the verge of retirement when the Beastmen launched their massive southern invasion, plunging the entire kingdom into a state of emergency.

As the current Minister of Finance, Earl William’s suffering was beyond words.

"Yes, for now..."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! An urgent message from the Palace Mages!"

Just as Louis III was about to assign more tasks, a voice cried out from outside the council chamber.

"Let him in," Louis III commanded, his brow furrowed.

Shortly after, a mage clad in a black Mage Robe walked in.

"Your Majesty, we have news from the front."

The mage spoke, then stopped, his gaze shifting to the two ministers.

"Out with it. What is it?" Louis III demanded, his frown deepening.

"The front reports that Prince Noah is besieged in O’Neil Fortress. The fortress has not yet fallen, but all means of communication have been cut off..."

"What? And Marquis Oscillate?" The first to react was not Louis III, but Earl Henry.

In the past, the Frank Kingdom and the Algeria Kingdom had been at odds over the development of the Demon Beast Mountain Range to the east. The conflicts had prevented either side from achieving their desired outcome.

Only in recent years, thanks to the diplomatic breakthrough forged by Prince Noah and Princess Yifulei, had the two sides reached a temporary accord. They agreed to jointly develop parts of the Demon Beast Mountain Range under Prince Noah’s leadership.

This was a major political achievement of Earl Henry’s tenure.

The mage hesitated.

"Speak!" By now, Louis III’s heart was in his throat as he stared anxiously at the messenger mage.

"The Marquis... he led the officers and men of Devil City to attempt a rescue but was defeated... To cover the army’s retreat, the Marquis fell into a coma. His command staff is now in charge," the mage said.

"What?"

"Your Majesty, we cannot allow any harm to come to Prince Noah! All the aid we’re receiving now is thanks to the Algeria Kingdom’s help." The next to speak up, unable to stay seated, was the Minister of Finance, Earl William.

’In a coma?’

’That old fox!’ Louis III cursed Marquis Oscillate in his heart.

"And the Iberian Knight Order?" Louis III asked.

"The report from the front didn’t say."

The lack of an explanation was, in itself, the most telling explanation.

The two large Knight Orders on that front answered only to Oscillate’s command. With Marquis Oscillate now "in a coma," that said it all.

Until Marquis Oscillate "woke up," it was unlikely anyone could mobilize his personal forces.

"Louis! Louis!"

Another voice, a woman’s, came from outside the council chamber. It was the Queen.

Louis III pressed a hand to his forehead.

...

"So, you’re saying we can complete our deployment before the enemy has time to react?" Louis III asked, looking at Marquis George.

He had no choice. The matter was too grave. If he rescued Prince Noah, the Western Front might collapse. If he didn’t, the kingdom’s finances would.

Besides, in his old age, Louis III had grown more sentimental.

If he wanted to save Prince Noah, Louis III had no choice but to bring in Marquis George.

The Northern Nobles hadn’t been particularly friendly toward the royal family in recent years. But with the kingdom in peril—and especially with the Northern Nobles having invested so heavily in the central front—Marquis George couldn’t possibly stand by and watch the Western Front fall apart.

’But this would mean the Crown’s influence within the military would shrink yet again.’

’It couldn’t be helped. I’ll have to trust in the wisdom of future generations. This could be considered Prince Noah drawing on his future military prestige ahead of time.’

’Truthfully, things won’t be so bad. At worst, the situation will revert to how it was when I first took the throne. But unlike that time, Prince Noah will at least be inheriting a royal house with a vast foundation.’

’As long as he doesn’t do anything reckless, there shouldn’t be any major issues.’

Louis III trusted his own judgment. The boy, Noah, was a bit boastful and conceited, but he had no major flaws.

For now, at least, the Prince was still manageable.

"Theoretically, yes," Marquis George agreed with a nod.

To be frank, Marquis George had not wanted to get involved in this mess when he was summoned by the King.

But he had no choice. The crisis was too great, and the King wasn’t about to fix it alone.

For the time being, Marquis George maintained the persona of a loyal and patriotic subject. Besides, his investment in the central front was simply too massive for him to back out now.

In fact, Marquis George should have been relieved. If Louis III had been solely focused on saving his son and acted recklessly, the Marquis would have been left with a disaster on his hands.

The Crown still had its vast, traditional power base to fall back on; Marquis George could not afford such a devastating loss.

"Very well. Send word for Earl Charles to immediately ready the kingdom’s Standing Army. Any troops along the supply route are to make for Devil City at once!" Louis III commanded.

Louis was well aware of his own limited military aptitude. He generally regarded anyone who praised his "military genius" as a mere sycophant.

Although Louis III didn’t believe Marquis George would help him out of loyalty, he did believe the Marquis wouldn’t want his investments in the central front to go to waste.

"Also, have this delivered to Marquis Oscillate," Louis III said, producing a piece of paper.

Emblazoned upon it in large script was the title: The Vischield Act.

It primarily detailed one matter: the "military achievements" of Viscount Vischield...

Since Oscillate had chosen this moment to betray him, Louis III had no reason to hold back.

His long years of quiet rule didn’t mean that he, Louis III, had forgotten how to wield the butcher’s knife.

Of course, if Marquis Oscillate had a change of heart and, under the guidance of the Lord of Dawn, made a miraculous recovery from his "grave illness"...

...then Viscount Vischield’s military record could be considered quite satisfactory.

After all, while on the front lines, the Viscount had made... significant contributions to the kingdom’s birth rate.

As for that political crime, Louis III could afford to be magnanimous, just this once.

But if Marquis Oscillate remained obstinate, refusing to answer the Lord of Dawn’s call...

...then Louis III would have no choice but to be impartial and just.