The drunkenness that filled the hall became more intense.
As if it had nothing to do with the confusion, the attendant who was staring at the Grand Duke, tilting his glass as if he were thinking about it, asked a question.
"Do you have any food in mind?"
"Do I have to decide for you one by one?"
Grand Duke put down the empty cup and said grimly.
"The appropriate financial resources for the Crown Prince's mercy should be selected directly by the Northern Noble Alliance."
"If His Highness's grace falls, we will immediately select a suitable candidate."
The head of the Northern Noble Alliance stepped forward as if he had been waiting.
The Emperor's attendant remained silent for a while, caressing his chin. It was a look that weighed the gains and losses of understanding.
"At this time, I cannot give you any confirmation."
"I have no intention of asking for an answer right away. You just need to convey my proposal to His Majesty."
The Grand Duke said gently.
The chief attendant, who had been looking at that relaxed face with disapproval, finally stood up from his seat.
"Good. I will tell His Majesty what the Grand Duke said."
***
It didn't take long for a marriage between the Blesston family's daughter and the Crown Prince to be concluded. The imperial envoy also felt a sense of crisis in the boiling public sentiment of the north.
They immediately sent a messenger to the capital to seek the Emperor's opinion, and it was not long before a positive reply returned.
The Blesston family immediately spread this fact throughout the North. The news that the Empress would be produced in Balto was expected to calm the anger of the Baltic people.
The effect exceeded expectations. As the news of the marriage spread fearfully, the heat of the civil unrest that had been raging all over Balto began to subside. This was also thanks to the Baltic Noble Alliance mobilizing propagandists to stir up public opinion.
Soon after, the Baltons began to accept the news of Lady Blesston and the Crown Prince's engagement as a harbinger of peace. And the air of peace that spread like wildfire isolated the rebels in an instant. The militia had been fighting against the imperial army with weapons, but began to disband one by one.
The only forces left to oppose the Empire were a few areas of the northern outskirt and the army of Bjorn Brodar Heimdall, who was strong in Jotungar.
"This is all thanks to the Grand Duke after he took off his feet."
The second son of the Blesston family, who came to visit his barracks, spoke in a cheerful tone.
Considering that he was about to comfort his old ally, his voice was so cheerful it felt bizarre.
Barcas, who was sitting in front of the brazier and oiling his weapon, glanced up at the man.
The man who led the Northern Alliance army to Jotungar was acting too neatly for a man who had marched hundreds of miles. Barcas's insensitive eyes fell back down as he scanned his shining armor and velvet cloak.
"It looks like you are getting ready for the engagement ceremony, right?"
"So far, so good. Although there was opposition from some nobles, the majority of the central members of the Imperial Central Council seem to accept this marriage positively. As soon as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince returns to the army, a grand engagement ceremony will be held."
The man replied in his characteristic relaxed tone and glanced at the chests piled up near the entrance.
"Are you going to return to the East?"
"As soon as the Northern Alliance arrived, orders were given to Imperial Allied Forces to fall into the rear."
Barcas, who had pushed his smoothly trimmed sword into its sheath, stood up and said.
"We will be encamped near the Jotungar Mountains for the time being, but we will not be going to the front in the future. The remaining rebels are now up to the Northern Alliance."
"There was a condition for Anistair to become a Crown Princess, so it doesn't matter."
The man let out a small sigh and suddenly looked down at him with serious eyes.
"Anyway, thank you again for your efforts to make this marriage a success. Thanks to this, I think the peace treaty will be signed smoothly."
"Greetings. I just decided that it would be beneficial for me, so I pushed it forward."
Barcas, who accepted the company's greeting with a nonchalant attitude, picked up a coat he had taken off and went outside.
Beyond the densely packed barracks and towering railings, he could see a sheer dark gray peak. Looking around the snow-covered ridges and the valleys between them, he soon moved to th outskirts of the garrison.
When he reached the end of the barracks, he saw soldiers from the north setting up camp.
As soon as they established their positions, he was to lead his army to the southern end of the Jatungar Mountains.
There, it will be able to monitor Tarlin and other estates of the Eastern outskirts, and at the same time respond immediately according to the situation in the north. Above all, it takes a little over ten days to get to Kalmor, so he should be able to hear the news of Raedgo Castle more often.
Barcas pulled a keg from his waist with his arm crossed over the fence and soaked his lips with strong wine. He didn't particularly enjoy drinking, but at some point, he started talking about it like a habit.
Feeling the heat that burned his throat run down his esophagus, he let out a long breath.
At that moment, he was wary of the enemy's surprise attack, but he frowned as he spotted a cavalry unit of golden armor pouring down the northwestern slope of the mountain range.
The main force led by the Crown Prince had been ordered to move to the southwestern part of Balto immediately. Why did the person who should be heading to Severon appear here?
He went straight across the barracks and to the checkpoint.
As he passed through the entrance, he saw Gareth Roem Guerta sitting on a golden horse. Barcas swallowed a sigh after seeing his lifelike face. Apparently, he had come a long way to pour out a lot of water.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
He approached the front of the long cavalry and gestured, and the Crown Prince, who jumped off his horse, tilted his head in front of him.
"You look fine."
Dark, dark green eyes slowly swept over him.
Barcas could read in his eyes the anger on the verge of exploding. Gareth, who twisted the corners of his mouth with a fierce smile, added viciously.
"I also wondered what happened to your head from the aftereffect of being pierced by a poisoned sword."
"I'm sorry that I've coused troubled to Your Highness."
Barcas replied dryly. Gareth, who had been staring at him as if he were going to kill him, turned towards the entrance of the checkpoint and snarled.
"Still, there are rumors that the relationship between you and me is not the same as before, so there is no need to add fuel to it. Follow me right away."
Then he went straight across the barracks to the large camp located in the center of the camp. Barcas quietly followed.
When he finally entered the barracks, a large, bronze hand with bulging tendons grabbed his belly. At the same time, the furious bull-like breath poured over his face.
"I don't dare to ask what the hell you were thinking about making such a joke. I will send a petition to His Majesty the Emperor right now against this marriage, and I will forgive you for doing this without permission."
"Sorry, I can't."
Barcas gently took his hand away and replied politely. At that detached attitude, blood gushed up the Crown Prince's bronze neck.
"Are you going to disobey me now?"
"Yes, it is."
Barcas, who adjusted his disheveled clothes, spat out calmly.
"This marriage is a blessing from His Majesty the Emperor. Now, even if I submit a petition, there is a little chance that it will be overturned."
"Don't be funny! This situation itself is a game you made! There are rumors all over the continent of Robiden that you have acted as a matchmaker, but who dares to deceive me!"
"I am certainly the one who proposed the marriage, but the people who approve it are the Imperial Parliament and His Majesty. If this union was judged to be of no benefit to the Empire and Your Highness, the Crown Prince, no matter what I did behind the scenes, it would never come to fruition."
Now, the Crown Prince's face was more than just red, and it was as if it were about to burst.
He kicked the cargo boxes piled up on the side of the barracks with his long, muscular legs and shouted.
"For me? Don't talk nonsense! You just want to end this war as soon as possible! Do you know that you want to go back to the East as soon as possible, where your wife is waiting for you, and I don't know that you are sick?"
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