Free Web NovelChapter 141: Chapter 133: Earl Wei Man’s Meeting
After settling matters with Fioro, Robson set out once again with his army.
As if he had opened Pandora’s box, Robson actually encountered many of his own kinsmen along the way.
He met three people with the surname Odogin alone.
Of course, this didn’t mean much. In the southern Frank Kingdom, Odogin was actually a common surname, comparable to something like Smith or Jones in Robson’s previous life.
The Odogin Family behind Robson only had a history of a few hundred years. They were descended from the mercenaries who followed the Knight King’s northern expedition and later rose to the rank of Knight during a southern campaign against the Beastmen.
But the surname Odogin itself had a much longer history, one that could be traced back to a grand duke of the Ventia Empire during the time of the Second Empire.
The collapse of the Second Empire was so complete that not a single member of the Imperial Royal Family survived, and many of the Second Empire’s noble families were wiped out. As a result, the Odogin Family’s claim to legitimacy was never recognized by others. Later, many nobles began to claim they were descendants of the Odogin Family.
After this proliferation, many newly-risen mercenaries also began to call themselves Odogin, gradually leading to the current situation where the name is found everywhere.
Publicly, the truly prestigious houses now are the Atlanteans of the Algeria Kingdom, who inherited the Atlantean line of succession and aim to rebuild the Atlantis Empire.
The Tilia Kingdom claims to have inherited the line of succession from Elanshiri and leads the Philte People in their ambition to rebuild the Elanshiri Empire.
As for the Franks, the Frank Kingdom is strictly speaking a multi-ethnic nation. When the Knight King marched north, he founded it with a group of people who couldn’t make a living in the south.
However, most of these people who couldn’t get by were actually the Vili People—remnants of the Second Empire—who had been ostracized by both the Philte People and the Atlanteans.
It’s just that because the Knight King had once declared himself an Atlantean, and because the Franks were constantly under pressure from the northern Beastmen and had no desire to contend for hegemony, the Frankish Royal Family never claimed to be the legitimate successors to the Ventia Empire.
In short, along this journey, Robson got a taste of what it was like to be a celebrity.
Robson accepted the various gifts as he saw fit. If his relationships with these people weren’t so shallow, he would have even wanted to start recruiting soldiers on the spot. After all, Robson was still short three thousand men.
....
Sirich City truly lived up to its reputation as a major city on the Western Front. Its walls were towering, built of brick and stone, and the entire city’s defensive Magic Array was constantly active.
By the time Robson arrived, Sirich City was already somewhat overcrowded. The legions preparing for the offensive had long since reached the city. After all, not everyone had the backing of Marquis Oscillate like Valentino and Robson did.
A pardon personally issued by the King was a powerful thing indeed.
However, despite the crowds, Valentino had already made all the arrangements, so Robson just had to lead his army into their quarters without any trouble.
Robson also took the time to inspect his shipment of goods with Viscount Fuman.
Viscount Fuman had previously used many of his connections, and although he hadn’t fully completed Robson’s task, he had managed to get most of it done.
Of course, the most important part was the batch of mules and horses that Robson had ordered beforehand. These were Lord Robson’s crucial guarantee for his future escape.
Puzzlingly, Viscount Luke was nowhere to be found. Robson didn’t see a trace of him when he went to take over the delivery.
.....
"My Lord, it appears to be a notice from Earl Wei Man."
Robson was with Viscount Fuman, inspecting the mules and horses purchased from the Gutierrez family and calculating the amount of feed these animals would consume.
As they were talking, Bo Yang walked in, holding a letter.
"Oh?" Robson opened the envelope and saw that it was a letter from Earl Wei Man, requiring all fortress commanders-in-chief to gather in the main hall of Sirich City tonight.
’It’s probably to assign tasks to the various units.’ Robson had arrived late, after all. The troops designated for the offensive had reached Sirich City long ago and were set to depart tomorrow.
According to the latest intelligence from the front-line griffins, the Beastman Camp had been showing signs of activity since the night before last. It looked like they were preparing to cross the river and attack.
Although the Beastmen had started to move, they were too late. Only the slowest-moving troops who had yet to reach Sirich City were affected.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, the enemy didn’t seem intent on stopping them at all costs. Even their harassment consisted of sending small units to intercept, with no elite forces among them.
"It’s a letter from Earl Wei Man. It’s likely about the upcoming mission assignments.
We’ll probably be responsible for the defense of Sirich City, securing a line of retreat for the expeditionary army," Robson explained.
Viscount Fuman nodded.
"I wonder if we’ll be able to rescue His Highness Prince." freёwebnoѵel.com
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Of course, he had to attend the evening council. Not only that, but Robson also brought Fioro and Viscount Fuman with him.
His intention in bringing Viscount Fuman was obvious: to get him acquainted with everyone.
As for bringing Fioro, it was mainly because Robson’s previous self had been a homebody who rarely went out. Fioro was his complete opposite.
Compared to Robson, his second brother was a true social butterfly. He could name practically every friend and relative connected to the Odogin Family. Once Robson left his own territory, he barely recognized anyone.
Earl Wei Man’s meeting had gathered roughly thirty percent of the nobles from the Western Front. Considering that most of the Western Front’s nobility were from southern factions, Robson could actually find quite a few connections among them.
After all, nobles everywhere are one big family, their houses intertwined through centuries of intermarriage.
In the future, when Robson established his new territory, he could seek out the talent and support he needed from this network of connections.
Therefore, Robson deliberately arrived nearly an hour earlier than the time set by Earl Wei Man. Clearly, he wasn’t the only one with this idea.
With Viscount Fuman and Fioro making introductions, everyone quickly identified the recently famous Commander-in-Chief of Qimo Fortress. Many of Robson’s elders were in disbelief when they saw him.
But facts were facts. Just as Robson wanted to expand his network, weren’t those nobles just as eager to curry favor with a fortress commander of such outstanding merit?
The hall was filled with cries of "Uncle!" and "Nephew!" Even those with no blood relation at all would come over to offer a few flattering words.
If not for the fact that everyone was wearing armor with a hand never far from their sword, one might have mistaken the harmonious scene for a family reunion—albeit one with an unusually large number of attendees.
This clamor didn’t last long, ending abruptly with the arrival of Earl Wei Man and Count Valentino. For everyone present, at least, these two figures possessed more than enough authority to command their silence.
