“It’s us again?” Grant frowned. “We can’t even finish our own wars.”
“This ti it’s different,” Duke Edmund’s gaze swept aningfully over everyone. “After it’s done, the land in the South can be divided.”
At these words, the reception hall fell into a brief silence.
Then ca a cacophony of discussions.
“That’s a good place!”
“It’s much better than our dog-freezing gully here.”
“Has His Majesty finally rembered to compensate us?”
“Ha, compensate? This is clearly making us the knife, to carve up those old guys in the South.”
“But this knife, I’m willing to be!”
“Those good-for-nothings in the South, who can they beat? We’ll still have to bear the brunt.”
“Fight if we must, as long as we can get land, I’ll go to the front lines.”
Laughter, whispers, and toasts gradually intertwined.
Excitent fernted in the air, and even a few originally indifferent nobles’ eyes lit up.
The land in the North was too harsh.
Just preparing firewood and food for winter throughout the year could suffocate a barony.
Every snow disaster, every livestock epidemic, every war, and so on, were realities they had to face.
But the Emperor had spoken: as long as they sent troops, as long as they won.
They could step from this snow-covered frozen land into the scorching sun and fruit-tree forests of the Southern Kingdom.
What did that an?
Lower security expenses, higher taxes, more fertile trade routes, more valuable population...
A fief that could truly be passed down for three generations, providing the family with a good path to survival.
These Northern nobles had long been accustod to fighting in blizzards, relying on war to snatch a living.
Now, with such a tempting offer, how could they not be enticed?
As dusk fell, the banquet concluded in a lively atmosphere.
Nobles left in twos and threes, their laughter and the scent of wine still lingering in the hall.
Louis, however, was kept behind by Duke Edmund.
Only a few lamps remained in the hall, their light warm, and the Duke’s expression was amiable.
“Too many people died in the Battle of Snow Eagle City,” Duke Edmund said, a hint of heaviness in his tone. “Especially the nobles of Snowpeak County suffered heavy losses.”
Louis said nothing, just listened.
“The Firth Family is finished. Most of their territory has been reclaid, and a small portion given to distant relatives. Now, Snowpeak County is without a leader.”
The Duke’s tone shifted, revealing a aningful smile: “I want you to be the Prefect of Snowpeak County.”
Louis was stunned for a mont, his eyes subtly changing.
A Prefect was more than just a title.
It ant he could oversee the military deploynt of the entire Snowpeak County, with the right to mobilize noble knights.
He could also, during tis of war, directly conscript commoners, build defenses, and gather supplies.
It ant he could, on behalf of the Empire, collect taxes from the affiliated villages, towns, and territories within the county, and of course, he could also take a cut for himself.
It also ant he could preside over county councils, diate noble disputes, and act as the arbitrator for the region.
One-third warlord, one-third administrative official, another third like a gang boss, and the rest like a worried neighborhood committee director.
The rights and benefits to be gained were considerable.
Louis was very tempted.
But he also knew this wasn’t purely a reward; he would also have to bear corresponding obligations.
“You know what this ans,” the Duke said. “That place isn’t an empty plot now, it’s a ss.”
“I... am willing to bear this responsibility,” Louis replied softly.
Edmund nodded, then added: “Snowpeak County suffered heavy losses after the war. Many commoners died, and refugees are scattered.
If you have the capacity, you can help them. Of course, all of this is the ss left by those fools from the Firth Family.
I won’t bla you if you can’t do it, but I hope you can.”
Louis was silent for a mont, then nodded: “I ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) already planned to do so.”
Duke Edmund patted Louis, showing approval, but his gaze was a bit too doting.
Louis also sensed that the look was a little strange, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong, only politely nodded in thanks.
However, what he didn’t know was that earlier that afternoon, Edmund had already written a letter and secretly sent it to the Duke Calvin’s residence.
The the of the letter was only two words: marriage alliance.
This was not a sudden whim.
In fact, Edmund had considered the idea of a marriage alliance several months ago.
He had always encouraged his family’s descendants to intermarry with Southern magnates; this had been his tradition and strategy for many years.
After all, the North was cold and harsh, resources were scarce, and if they wanted to secure a future, they had to expand south.
And he himself had long intended to lay the groundwork for the Southern fiefs he might acquire in the future.
Marriage alliance was the most stable way to gain political support.
But this kind of marriage alliance couldn’t be just anyone.
They had to be well-matched in social status, and also possess admirable character and ability.
And now, his only daughter of marriageable age was Emily.
His most beloved youngest daughter, she was intelligent, gentle, and not troubleso.
Although he had once considered marrying her to the heir of a certain duke in the South, the thought of her being sent alone a thousand miles away made him back down.
It wasn’t until the end of the Battle of Qingyu Ridge that the young noble nad “Louis Calvin” erged.
At a young age, he was able to lead a team in raids, set ambushes, and annihilate enemies, single-handedly accelerating the Northern war situation.
And he was also from the direct line of the Calvin Family.
The Calvin Family, also one of the Empire's Eight Great Families, was entrenched in the Southeast Province.
Controlling several important ports and large salt fields of the Empire, it was one of the most senior aristocratic families in the Noble Council.
Lineage, military achievents, ability, prospects...
Louis had everything he should have.
Moreover, this child was not impetuous; he acted with discretion, capable of both humility and decisive action.
This included his responses at the banquet, his asured conversations with people, and his calm, confident deanor when standing in a crowd.
In addition, secret letters from Bond and Gibson ntioned that this person was highly strategic and would surely achieve great things in the future.
Most importantly, Louis’s territory was only a few days’ journey from Frost Halberd City, so even if his daughter suffered grievances, she could return at any ti.
And the Calvin Family, for their own benefit, would most likely agree to this marriage.
Thus, the letter of marriage alliance flew towards the Southeast Province.
...
Duke Calvin woke up promptly at six in the morning, as usual.
He then perford the morning exercises he had maintained for twenty years, incidentally adding bricks and tiles to the family.
After washing and changing, everything in order, he walked into his study with a leisurely pace.
The butler silently presented a new batch of letters piled high like a mountain.
Duke Calvin was flipping through them when he suddenly stopped.
“Hmm?”
He picked out a letter sealed with dark blue wax and written in a strong hand.
“Edmund? Who’s that?”
He squinted at the signature, confirming it wasn’t so third-rate minor noble who had misspelled a na.
He finally determined it was written by Governor of the Northern Territory Duke Edmund.
“That Duke from the North? Why is he suddenly writing to ?”
Although he and Edmund were both patriarchs of the Empire's Eight Great Families, they usually had little to no interaction.
With a head full of questions, he opened the letter.
“Mar-marriage alliance??”
Duke Calvin nearly spat his tea onto the letter.
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