The Meeting in Progress

"The reason I've called you all here today is quite simple, and I'm sure many of you have already guessed it!"

"Yes, I've received a letter from Count Colt; the Civil War is about to begin, and we must depart immediately!"

After he finished speaking, the once quiet conference room immediately became noisy, with officers of all ranks whispering among themselves, while only a few Regimental Commander remained seated as steady as Mount Tai.

Victor looked around and noticed that many officers had excited looks in their eyes. It seemed that morale was high and everyone was looking forward to this Civil War.

This could be considered a case of being happy to hear of war. Victor is very strict with the army in his territory, and his training and rewards and punishments are among the best of the noble private armies.

The only thing that might restrain the Golden Sunflower Family Army is that these soldiers and officers are relatively inexperienced. Most of their military experience involves the strong bullying the weak, so it's unknown how resilient this army is and whether it can maintain its original fighting strength when facing a strong enemy.

This was something Victor had been worried about all along, since they might have to face such a situation in the upcoming Civil War.

"I hope everything goes well!"

Putting aside his worries, Victor took out a small hammer and gently tapped the table a few times. The sound of the two striking each other wasn't loud, but surprisingly, the entire conference room instantly fell silent.

"Just a few light taps were enough to quiet these arrogant and fierce soldiers down."

Wait, did I really make a sound just now?

The officers, though talking, were clearly keeping their attention focused on Viscount Victor.

Viscount Marcus, sitting to the side of Victor, felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that Victor had a very high reputation in the Golden Sunflower Family's army, but he did not expect it to be this high.

Markut noticed that all the officers present were sitting upright, their backs ramrod straight, and even he couldn't help but straighten his back in response to the atmosphere.

Victor looked at the conference room with satisfaction. The officers in front of him were all promoted by him. Most of them were veterans who had followed him since the days of the Golden Sunflower Territory Private Army, and had been with him for at least three or four years.

"Mahan, how's your right leg? Does it still hurt in the winter?"

Victor spoke to one of the officers behind James.

The officer named Mahan immediately stood up, saluted Victor, and pounded his chest with his right hand, saying excitedly, "Reporting to Your Excellency, thanks to Dr. Isaac's treatment, I haven't felt any pain once this winter!"

People around him laughed, after all, Mahan had been a little too excited when he stood up to answer.

This Detachment Commander, named Mahan, had served Victor for a long time. During the Civil War when the two Marquis were rivals, he fought as Light Cavalry under Victor, but later injured his right leg in a fall from his horse.

When Victor withdrew from the battlefield to Blackwater City, he was also evacuated as a wounded soldier, Victor took good care of him on the return journey.

Because the battlefield situation wasn't handled well back then, and since Victor hadn't yet established a medical squadron, Mahan suffered some aftereffects, and his right leg would ache terribly when the temperature dropped.

Even so, he did not choose to leave the army. Instead, he followed them north and went through many hardships. After Isaac's treatment, his right leg has finally fully recovered. In this expansion, he was officially promoted to Cavalry Detachment Commander. In a sense, he is a model of the Golden Sunflower Dream.

After Victor had Mahan sit down, he greeted the other Detachment Commander, asking about their health or their families. Everyone was happy, and the Viscount even remembered their little things.

Even after they sat down, the officers' faces remained flushed with excitement.

"It seems everyone has been doing quite well lately, which means I'm a competent lord and haven't broken my initial promise."

As soon as Victor finished speaking, an officer immediately responded, "Without you, we wouldn't be where we are today!"

Once someone spoke up, the others began to echo him.

"Yes! If you ask me, Lord Victor is a noble among nobles, and he'll be Count someday!"

"Too young, adults should aspire to be Marquis!"

"No, no, Your Excellency can be a Grand Duke!"

As the discussion grew increasingly heated and the conclusions became more and more outrageous.

Victor quickly struck the hammer again to quiet the entire conference room.

Marcus initially found it quite amusing and watched the spectacle with amusement, but when he heard these officers daring to say that Victor could become Grand Duke, he quickly lowered his head.

He noticed that although the officers were all making a fuss, their expressions were very serious, which meant they probably agreed with the sentiment.

He then looked at James, who was a baron, and the four Regimental Commander, Marvin, Ron, and Santos. Although they remained silent, they did not show any displeasure with the officers' remarks.

Marcus then belatedly realized that all the officers of the Golden Sunflower Family were the same; they only knew Victor, and the others had no respect for the high-ranking nobles, including Grand Duke Mora.

Logically speaking, even the retainers of independent nobles only need to be loyal to their lord, and they can say no even to nobles of higher rank.

But theory is theory. In reality, in this rigidly hierarchical country, noble status still carries significant weight. Even subordinates of other nobles must maintain respect when they see a noble of a higher rank.

However, it is truly rare to see an officer like the Golden Sunflower Territory so openly disdainful of other high-ranking nobles.

Marcus's mind became increasingly agitated, and even his breathing became rapid. Victor, whose hearing had become increasingly acute during this period, noticed Marcus's rapid breathing beside him.

He looked at Marcus with some confusion, wondering why Marcus was acting this way all of a sudden.

Marcus noticed Victor's gaze and immediately lowered his head even further.

Seeing Marcus's actions, Victor decided to ask him later; they had to have a meeting first.

He cleared his throat. "Alright, stop making a fuss. The meeting isn't over yet, stop talking nonsense."

"Saruman, please describe the current state of the territory's army. This will also serve as a demonstration of our preparations for the Civil War!"