Many nobles were invested alongside them. Caesar IV had been exceptionally generous with his rewards this time, though only when it came to titles.
Aside from Hudson's hereditary grand ducal title, all the titles granted afterward were life peerages.
Anyone with eyes could see that this was meant to placate Hudson over his retirement.
After all, given the long lifespan of a peak powerhouse, the Alpha Empire might collapse while he was still alive.
Such things had happened before in human history. Once contradictions accumulated to a certain point, division was merely a matter of time. Few empires lasted for more than a thousand years.
When dealing with a powerhouse like Hudson, who could remain active for an extraordinarily long time, there was little difference between a life title and a hereditary one.
Even though a grand ducal title was special and normally granted only to royalty, exceptions had to be made when necessary.
Hudson had not attended, so Princess Madelaine became the center of attention. As the king's sister, she had also received the title of Grand Duchess.
Unlike the other princesses, she already possessed fiefs of her own. With the additional status of Grand Duchess, she instantly gained the right to participate in politics.
After a brief moment of surprise, this reward did not cause much of a stir.
The conservatives dominated the court, and Caesar IV urgently needed allies. Compared to outsiders, family was clearly more reliable.
In fact, the proposal to invest Princess Madelaine as Grand Duchess had been raised before, only to be rejected by the conservatives in court.
The reason given at the time was that no reward could surpass Hudson, the Human Marshal.
That rule still applied now.
With so many nobles watching, matters had to be handled according to the rules. This