In the study deep within the Royal Palace in Crystal Radiance, the crystal chandelier bathed the dark, long table in a gentle glow. King Rodney XVIII sat in a high-backed chair, holding a letter from Lakeheart Town.
The letter had been written by Paul Greiman himself. The handwriting was vigorous and powerful. After reading it word by word, Rodney XVIII's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
Paul expressed his support for the king's decision to enfeoff the Yellow Earth Plain to Hall Duke, calling the move entirely in line with national policy.
There was no questioning between the lines, no opposition, and not even the slightest hint of hesitation.
The king slowly set down the letter, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath. It was as if a boulder had been lifted from his shoulders.
He knew that Paul commanded a powerful army and guarded the northern frontier, serving as the kingdom's first line of defense against the orcs. If Paul grew dissatisfied with the enfeoffment, even if he merely obstructed it in secret, it could trigger unrest along the border and even set off a chain reaction among the nobles.
Now that Paul had offered his clear support, the kingdom's north would become more stable, and the Royal Family's power would be strengthened.
But Rodney XVIII's gaze soon fell back to the end of the letter.
Along with his approval, Paul had made a request. Although Alba had retreated to the grasslands, the threat she posed had not disappeared. He respectfully asked the king to grant him the authority to conscript troops in Aldo's northeastern lands so that he could respond to a possible orc counterattack.
The king's fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop twice as he fell into thought.
The authority to conscript troops was