The King's Reward
After Master Andrei left, Karl and Charlotte went to a secluded castle.
A brief silence filled the air, carrying a sense of tranquility born from mutual understanding.
Their eyes met involuntarily, as if drawn by some invisible force, and they eventually embraced tightly.
Without a word, they simply felt each other's body temperature and heartbeats. Their rapid breathing gradually calmed down, as if they wanted to pour all the longing they had felt during this time apart into this silent yet powerful embrace.
After a long while, Charlotte stirred slightly, lifting her head from Karl's embrace with a sly yet gentle smile on her face.
"Hey, what are you standing there for?" she said softly, carefully taking out a long, thin scroll wrapped in silk from inside her clothes.
The scroll was exquisitely crafted, even carrying a faint hint of royal incense. "Look at this, I brought it all the way from afar."
Karl took it with some doubt, and could immediately feel the extraordinary material of the scroll as he held it. "What is this?"
"This is His Majesty the Emperor's own Imperial Edict!" Charlotte snatched it, feigning seriousness, but unable to hide the amusement in her eyes. "The heads of the Sauron you captured in your last battle were sent to the Royal Capital, and His Your Majesty was overjoyed, so he has specially bestowed this reward upon you. Come, Lord of Carnford, receive the decree!"
Karl asked in surprise, "Wait, even if there were rewards, shouldn't it be a royal envoy coming to deliver the decree? Why is it you?"
Charlotte crossed her arms, feigning anger. "What? I'm Second-Order Knight officially appointed by the kingdom, am I not qualified to be this envoy? Quickly accept the decree!"
Karl found her feigned authority somewhat amusing, so he reluctantly played along and asked, "Alright, my esteemed messenger, what should I do?"
Charlotte instructed earnestly, "Are you even a nobleman? An envoy carrying the King's Imperial Edict is as if His Your Majesty is present! What should you do before the King? Quickly, kneel on one knee and bow your head to receive the decree!"
Karl smiled helplessly, straightened his clothes as instructed, and solemnly knelt on one knee, bowing his head.
Charlotte looked at Karl kneeling before her, a strange feeling welling up inside her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she were not receiving a decree, but Karl proposing to her.
She quickly composed herself, cleared her throat, and carefully unfurled the scroll, reading in a clear and solemn voice. "In the name of His Majesty King Heinrich XI of the Goldflower Kingdom! Lord Karl von Schmidt of Carnford, receive this decree!"
Karl said, "Lord of Carnford, Karl von Schmidt, respectfully obeys His Majesty's decree."
"Lord Karl von Schmidt of Carnford in the Northern Territory is a man of commendable loyalty and bravery, and exceptional wisdom and strategy. In a time of crisis for the kingdom, he was entrusted with the mission of guarding the frontier. He has repeatedly thwarted the fierce attacks of the Sauron, achieving great victories, enhancing the prestige of our nation, and strengthening the spirit of our army! His meritorious deeds are evident to all, both in the court and among the people!"
"To recognize his achievements and encourage his ambition, Karl von Schmidt is hereby promoted to Baron of the Kingdom, bestowed with the title ' Guardian of the Northern Border,' a hereditary title, and awarded Broomflower Medal of Courage, one hundred bolts of brocade, and ten barrels of fine wine as encouragement."
At this point, Charlotte's voice paused subtly, her volume lowered slightly, and her pace quickened, as if she were somewhat embarrassed:
"However, in recent years, the kingdom has faced numerous difficulties. The Eastern Border is suffering from floods and urgently needs relief, the Northern Territory Border defense need to be reinforced and repaired, and the Royal Capital's provisions and pay also need to be replenished... Although the national treasury is full, expenses are also huge. Therefore, the reward for this capture of the Sauron's head will be temporarily recorded by the finance officer and will be disbursed as soon as the national treasury is more relaxed. I hope you will understand the difficulties of the time, continue your efforts, and make new contributions to the kingdom!"
So be it!
After reading it aloud, Charlotte let out a long sigh of relief, as if she had accomplished a great task. She rolled up the Imperial Edict, looked at Karl was still kneeling on the ground, and said in a light tone, "Alright, Baron Karl, rise! How do you feel?"
Karl stood up, dusted off his knees, smiled, and said, "That's good, truly inspiring. I just didn't expect the bounty to be paid on IOU. His Majesty the Your Majesty actually owes me money."
Charlotte shoved the imperial Imperial Edict into his hand, chiding him, "You should be content! His Your Majesty has already done you a great favor by promoting you to Nobility title, giving you such high praise, and bestowing so many gifts upon you! You should understand the difficulties the country is facing."
She lowered her voice, a hint of pride in it. "Moreover, because of your merit this time, Father has also been rewarded by the King. His Majesty has personally promised that the amount of grain and provisions allocated to Fran City next year will increase, possibly even more than that allocated to Blackstone Pass!"
"Otherwise, do you think the heavy cannon your father gave you this time was just something you could casually pull out of the armory? That's a proper defensive weapon! There aren't many in Fran City."
"Every single one of them is registered, and they're meant to be used to defend the core city walls in a critical moment! Your father went through countless arguments and faced immense pressure to get this cannon for you, finally managing to get it from under the noses of those old officers who were always watching the inventory! You can't take this effort for granted!"
Charlotte said, gently poking Karl's chest, "He knows that you, Carnford, will definitely be surrounded by the Sauron. The walls are strong, but what you need most is this kind of heavy long-range firepower that can deliver the decisive blow."
"It took a lot of manpower and packhorses to transport this cannon here. Father has been supporting you as his most important foothold in the Northern Territory!"
Karl listened to Charlotte's words, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He knew, of course, what a heavy Cannon meant in the Northern Territory at this time. It was not just a weapon, but a strategic level of trust and support.
He looked at Charlotte and said sincerely, "Thank you, Charlotte, thank you for bringing this news in person. Please also convey my gratitude to the Count."
Charlotte smiled brightly and said in a light tone, "No need to thank me. It's a good opportunity for me to get out and about. Well, the Imperial Edict has been delivered, my mission is complete. You, the newly appointed Baron, shouldn't you treat the envoy to a meal?" Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Karl smiled and extended his hand, "Of course, my esteemed messenger, please follow me. We happen to have some fine smoked meat in the castle today."
Outside the castle, the unloading of the cargo convoy was being carried out under Edgar's close supervision.
Because the cargo being transported this time was different from the usual ones, it consisted almost entirely of dangerous goods: a full three thousand kilograms of Black Powder, a heavy Six-pound Cannon and its shells, as well as a batch of armor and weapons. The entire process required extra caution.
Those involved in unloading were all Karl's most trusted personal guards; their movements were slow and meticulous, and no sparks were to be detected.
It wasn't until dusk that all the supplies were safely moved to a designated, dry warehouse away from fire sources.
Considering that it was getting late and the journey was unsafe, Karl persuaded the transport team to stay overnight at the barracks at the foot of the mountain and promised to send Lyon with a cavalry platoon to escort them back to Fran City the next morning.
The transport captain gratefully accepted the offer; with Carnford's elite cavalry escorting them, the safety of the return journey would undoubtedly be greatly enhanced.