When the Heavenly Army Arrives, Everything Will Get Better

Henry looked at the ambitious Boman and smiled. "It seems Knight Boman doesn't want to remain just a knight either."

Boman nodded. He had no intention of hiding his ambitions. What knight did not want to become a baron, viscount, or even earl?

More villages, sturdy and secure castles, prosperous cities... a mere knight had no right to possess such things.

"As soon as news of our joint report spreads, those Mercenary Groups will swarm in. We border nobles must tear off a big piece of the meat..."

The two knights around Boman had both died beneath Half-Orc weapons. Their lands had become ownerless territory, and he had coveted them for a long time!

Boman extended his right hand and said sincerely, "We both graduated from the Royal Knight Academy. You and I can join forces and seize a vast territory!"

Henry extended his hand as well. "Join forces."

After Boman left, Henry shook his head. For now, he had no intention whatsoever of cooperating with anyone.

In some ways, he was wealthier than every noble forced into exile here!

The academy scholarships over the past three years, the prize money from Arena matches and Arena Tournaments, the grants bestowed by the King... He could hire several Mercenary Groups at once and form a force of one thousand men to fight for him for three months!

Of course, he would not do that. Money had to be spent where it counted.

Before long, Bain came to find Henry and told him that the room had been prepared, then led him back to rest.

"My lord, this room is even better than the academy dormitory! What are we eating later? I'll go buy it."

"No need to buy anything. Earl John is holding a banquet tonight."

"Really? Hahaha, then I'll have to save room and eat my fill!"

Bain was thrilled to hear there would be a banquet, imagining all the delicious food that might appear. Henry, meanwhile, gazed thoughtfully out the window.

As night fell, Henry brought Bain to the Banquet Hall. Henry was now an Independent Noble, and Bain, as his Knight Attendant, was qualified to attend this small banquet.

The banquet was brilliantly lit. People wore splendid clothing, while conversations and laughter rose and fell throughout the hall. Tallow candles, symbols of wealth, flickered constantly, displaying the earl's prosperity to his guests.

Nobles great and small, noble retainers, Trade Caravan merchants from Audoh, workshop owners, and others all drank merrily here.

Thanks to southern trade routes and maritime trade along the Western Coast, the Empire had gained increasing taxes and goods, greatly elevating the status of merchants.

When Henry and Bain looked at the feast before them, a visual banquet unfolded before their eyes.

The exquisite plating resembled artwork. Colorful ingredients complemented one another, releasing irresistible aromas.

The most eye-catching dish was a roast duck, golden and crispy! Its glossy skin gleamed an enticing amber color, and its fragrance filled the air.

Bain's eyes revealed his longing for the food. Even amid the noise of the Banquet Hall, Henry could hear him swallowing his saliva.

Beside it sat beautifully arranged seafood platters. Lobsters, crabs, shellfish, and other seafood were lined up neatly, their tender flesh glistening enticingly beneath the lights.

Now Henry was dumbfounded. It was hard to imagine just how wealthy Earl John was. How had he managed this?

Seafood on the grasslands? Huh? This place was quite far from either the Western Coast or the Inner Sea between the south and the Desert Region.

The table also held carefully prepared Desserts, such as chocolate cake and fruit tarts.

They looked like exquisite artwork, making one reluctant to take a bite... Hm? Bain?

Just as Henry's attention was drawn to those sweet temptations, he saw that Bain had already started eating.

Oh heavens, Henry truly wanted to whip Bain's backside hard with his boots!

Henry rubbed his forehead helplessly. The boy had been so poor as a beggar when he was young that he could not move whenever he saw good food.

Henry did not mingle with the crowd. His gaze remained fixed on Earl John upon the stage.

At that moment, Earl John stepped onto the stage and began to speak.

Earl John pointed in Henry's direction and loudly declared, "Everyone, I have arranged tonight's banquet to welcome the noble who arrived today—the Lord of West Lyme, the King's fief, Knight Henry Burley!"

Henry gave a noble's salute to those looking at him, and everyone else erupted into enthusiastic cheers.

"At noon today, I held a meeting with some of those present. I immediately sent riders with letters to the surrounding earls, viscounts, and marquises directly under the King. Just now, I received replies from most of them."

Henry and the other nobles whose fiefs had been destroyed all looked toward John, feeling somewhat nervous.

"They have all agreed to our proposal! Tomorrow, I will immediately send riders to report to the Capital, urging the King to issue an order and enact the Temporary Pioneer Act!"

Everyone cheered again. The cheers sounded far more sincere than those that had welcomed Henry earlier.

Baron Sula addressed the crowd. "News of the Foreign Races' raids has likely already reached the King's desk, and our letters requesting aid as his fiefs should arrive soon as well.

Perhaps the moment our jointly submitted letter arrives, the King will immediately activate the Pioneer Act."

The nobles raised their Wine Cups in succession, as if the heavenly army's arrival would immediately allow them to rebuild their fiefs and perhaps even gain more land!

A great many Lesser Nobles nearby had died, while those dukes and marquises directly under the King could not intervene! Those ownerless lands were a piece of meat in their mouths!

Fat, juicy meat!

As for the earls... heh. If they understood politics at all, they would not allow their territories to expand excessively.

Baron Sula smiled. "As long as the Empire's armies from every region arrive, everything will get better!"

Knight Boman walked over to Henry and pointed at Bain, who was still eating constantly. "Is that your Retainer?"

Henry nodded somewhat helplessly. "That's right. When I had just entered the academy, I found him begging on the streets. I pitied him, so I took him in as my Retainer.

Once he could eat regularly, he even grew taller. When I first met him, he was a whole head shorter than me. He has also learned riding, lance work, and swordsmanship quite well. He is a qualified Retainer."

Boman smiled and asked, "Then you should keep an eye on him. He's eating... a little too much."

Henry thanked him, then walked over and kicked Bain.

"Stop eating! Are you trying to stuff yourself to death? Wipe that mouth of yours! Are you planning to eat the plates too?"

Bain hurriedly wiped his mouth. "My lord, hurry and eat. The roasted food here really is different from the Capital's. It tastes amazing."

Henry cautiously tasted the roast duck. He had to admit, the duck skin was roasted remarkably well.

At that moment, a gorgeously dressed lady walked toward the stage, so beautiful that everyone in the hall turned to look.

The lady smiled at everyone. "On behalf of Earl John, I welcome you all. Let the ball begin!"

Sure enough, this banquet was not merely a gathering to welcome Henry. For most Lesser Nobles, it was also a perfect opportunity to make connections.

Henry did not look toward the noblewomen. Instead, he looked at the merchants bowing and scraping nearby...

Although merchants' status had risen greatly, it was still limited. To expand their businesses, they often needed the support of local nobles.

And he now needed a great deal of money, because he had to complete the Overlord Panel's mission!

Although the Overlord Panel mission required Henry to have at least three hundred people when rebuilding his fief, Henry would not be satisfied with that.

Taking advantage of this Pioneering War, if he could not gain enough land and titles to merge them into an earldom, then he would at least strive for a viscountcy, with a barony as the minimum!

And these merchants would be the first group Henry needed to leverage...

Henry smiled as he watched the merchants before him. A faint smile rested on his lips, and the Wine Cup in his hand swayed gently from time to time. His conversation with the merchants displayed nothing but confidence and composure.

After learning that Henry had graduated first in his class from the Royal Knight Academy this year, the merchants could not help sighing inwardly. Nobles who graduated from the Royal Knight Academy truly were elegant.

Social Charm skill: ① Approachable, ③ Same-Sex Favorability activated...

Social Transaction skill: ② Fair Trade activated...

"I had originally planned to buy some Slaves and grain from you after arriving here, hire several teams of construction workers, purchase many weapons and suits of armor, and build up my fief. I did not expect something like this to happen..."

Henry gradually guided the conversation, and the merchants began listening intently, greed flashing in their eyes.

"However, once the Pioneer Act is activated, we may be able to conduct even more business together. I will definitely seize more land and titles. Perhaps I will be elevated to baron? Or even viscount? Hahaha."

The merchants also raised their Wine Cups repeatedly in toast, as though they could already see the promising future Henry had planned for them.

Some old merchants who had fought in the marketplace for years felt that something was off. Henry's terms were essentially an empty promise with no guarantee whatsoever.

But when facing this young, eloquent, elegant, and exceptionally charming knight, they felt that making a friend would not be a bad thing.

As the conversation deepened, Henry gradually revealed bits and pieces of his plans and needs.

The merchants all expressed interest. Wine Cups clinked repeatedly, and intentions of cooperation gradually took shape amid laughter and conversation.

However, these merchants had not been blinded by the promises Henry made.

Nobles were no less cunning and shrewd than merchants. They had to remain vigilant.

Henry cleared his throat and had a banquet attendant refill his Wine Cup with luxurious wine. He said to the merchants, "It is hard to imagine the trust you have placed in me. You all possess virtues of kindness, honesty, fairness, and honor. You are even like nobles yourselves, completely unlike those merchants in the Capital who devour people without leaving even the bones.

Gentlemen, I, Henry Burley, am honored to know you."

The merchants who had reached preliminary cooperation agreements with Henry viewed him even more favorably. He was a young noble willing to respect them, even if he was only a knight.

A knight and a commoner were separated by a mountain impossible to cross.

One grocer raised a Wine Cup to Henry and asked tentatively, "Knight Henry, I am indeed willing to provide you with bulk goods such as grain, meat, and wine, but can you provide part of the deposit?"

Henry burst into laughter, glanced around at the small merchants who had reached agreements with him, and said, "Tomorrow, we can have it notarized at the Imperial Office in the city!"

The moment those words were spoken, the merchants' hanging hearts finally settled, and the atmosphere grew even livelier.

The large merchants, meanwhile, had their eyes darting around, schemes spinning through their minds at incredible speed.

A barony or even viscountcy built from nothing? If they offered political donations to Henry now, perhaps...

Amid the cheerful atmosphere, Henry and the merchants continued discussing the details of their cooperation. They agreed that after signing formal contracts at the Imperial Office tomorrow, they would prepare the supplies and personnel.

As soon as the Pioneer Act was activated, the transactions would begin immediately!

Both sides believed themselves to be the wiser party in this cooperation. Perhaps... the best cooperation was one in which both sides profited, was it not?

This negotiation had been highly successful. In short, Henry was a male lecturer who deeply understood human nature...

Baron Sula and Baron Nurland noticed the crowd's cheers growing louder and louder. Seeing Henry surrounded by admirers, both of them were rather disdainful.

"This young knight is degrading his own dignity, chatting and laughing with those merchants.

Look at the other knights. They are dancing with the noblewomen granted by the earl... Hahaha, look, Knight Rhine dances quite well!"

Sula still preferred Curved Blades and bows, and he loved the thrill of riding a Warhorse across the grasslands, though this time he had been beaten so badly by the Centaur and other Half-Orc armies that he lost his armor and weapons.

Baron Nurland did not respond. Instead, he angrily drank the wine in his cup and looked at Henry with hostility.

Damn it, why are all these people from the Capital like this?!

Baron Nurland looked down on Boman and Fas, and he was likewise filled with inexplicable hostility toward Henry.

You're all so impressive. Everyone loves you!

Nurland had once admired a grassland woman, but she eventually started a family with Boman! Her reason was that Boman had better manners and more captivating conversation...

Damn it! Why?! I'm the baron! Sons of the grasslands should be bold and uninhibited! Sob, sob...

And that Fas fellow flaunted his prowess at every Audoh Arena Tournament organized by Earl John. Every time, the Warrior Nurland invested in either fell to Fas or Boman!

Damn you Capital outsiders! You're too despicable! Sob, sob, you knights are bullying a baron like me! Sob, sob...

No one could refuse a young, strong, courteous knight with elegant manners, especially one who had graduated with distinction from the Royal Knight Academy—unless that person was Baron Nurland.

Earl John stroked his carefully styled beard and looked at Henry with some admiration.

The other knights were busy flirting with noblewomen, while Henry concerned himself with building his fief. Such a man was worth watching.

The banquet continued until late evening. After Earl John departed, everyone dispersed in an orderly manner.

Boman walked over to Henry with a grin and said mischievously, "Henry, that fool Fas was rejected by a woman just now! Hahaha, you cannot imagine how awful his expression was!"

Henry was somewhat helpless, but he asked curiously, "Boman, why are you and Knight Fas always like this? Do you have some kind of grudge?"

Boman's smile gradually vanished, and he explained seriously, "Actually, we have no conflict at all. On the contrary, we have always been good friends."

Good friends? What kind of good friends... Oh, right. Perhaps only good friends could hurt each other like that without drawing blades.

"Sounds like there's a special story between you two."

Boman punched Henry in dissatisfaction and said unhappily, "Hey! Henry! What kind of expression is that? Fas and I are your seniors!"

Henry asked in surprise, "Oh? Knight Fas also graduated from the academy?"

"That's right. He and I were in the same class. We both come from Boros, a Free City near the Capital."

Free Cities were prosperous lands directly controlled by the royal family. Every Free City was the wealthiest place in its region.

"That brat could never beat me when we were kids. After we entered the academy, he kept trying to challenge me. Obviously, I'm the better one. Hahaha!"

Henry understood. So they were childhood rivals.

"See you tomorrow, Henry. Fas and I agreed to go hunting tomorrow afternoon. Do you want to come? I heard wild boars have appeared somewhere outside the city."

"Sure. I haven't stretched my limbs in quite some time either!"

Bain was waiting for Henry outside the Banquet Hall. Henry teased him, "Your face is glowing. Full?"

"I'm full. I feel like I could carry a carriage and run a lap right now."

Henry laughed and shook his head. Bain had always spoken exaggeratedly, but honestly, Bain really was incredibly strong. Henry had even once suspected that Bain was also a transmigrator with cheats.

After returning to the room, he scrubbed his teeth with Tooth Powder. Being young was wonderful; he fell asleep the moment he lay down.

Reached cooperation with more merchants. Experience +33

Your charm has gained recognition from merchants in the Audoh Area. Experience +27

Early the next morning, Henry got up and pulled Bain along for Physical Training, a habit he had retained from the academy.

Exercise could become addictive. The pleasure of feeling every muscle in one's body awaken was impossible to describe.

The moment Henry and Bain stepped out of the house, they encountered Boman and Fas, who were likewise training their bodies.

"Oh-ho, look who's here! It's Knight Henry, the top student of our academy class!" Boman's exaggerated tone was extremely comical, while Fas turned his head away and ignored him.

Henry smiled and shook his head. In this borderland, having childhood friends nearby was a fortunate thing.

"Good morning, Knight Boman. Good morning, Knight Fas."

Fas smiled and nodded. "Good morning. Don't forget that we're going hunting together this afternoon."

Boman patted Fas and laughed. "Today, we'll see who brings back more prey! Let's see if you've improved!"

Henry did not pay much attention to the two men bickering. Instead, he led Bain to a quiet spot and began training.

His schedule was packed today. In the morning, he had to go to the Imperial Office for notarization. In the afternoon, he would go hunting with Boman and Fas. That evening, he also intended to experience Audoh's "local customs."

Busy. Everyone was busy. Being busy was good.