"My dear Sister Tanasha, you saw it for yourself. That rude fellow is hardly a King of Glory and grace. I think he's nothing but a brash, arrogant Barbarian... He actually left us standing there, completely disregarding the dignity and honor of our Zenit Empire..."
Prince Tolbinsky, trembling with fear, crossed the makeshift bridge made of ropes and planks to the north bank of the Zuli River. As he entered the Chambord City, he continued to speak ill of Sun Fei. Whether it was his initial impression of Sun Fei knocking him and his entourage off their horses, or his later unreasonable act of abandoning the imperial investiture delegation on the riverbank, Tolbinsky was extremely dissatisfied with the King of Chambord City.
In fact, Prince Tolbinsky wasn't the only one harboring such discontent. To the high-ranking knights of the Zenit Empire, their arrival as a investiture delegation from the monarchy in this remote and impoverished region was already a tremendous act of charity for Chambord City. For a mere sixth-rank vassal state's uncrowned King to put on airs and fail to eagerly come out to greet them was an attitude that greatly displeased many. If Princess Tanasha hadn't remained silent, many would have been eager to rush into the palace and teach this impudent King a lesson he would never forget.
" Jimi, the code of chivalry tells us that when we criticize someone for being rude, we should reflect on our own actions."
The soft voice inside the carriage seemed oblivious to her brother's complaints, maintaining its gentle, unhurried tone. As the ambassador representing the Zenit Empire in Chambord City for the investiture of the King, Princess Tanasha, surprisingly disregarded the cold reception the delegation had received earlier. No one knew what the princess was thinking; she remained hidden inside the carriage.
" Prince Highness, Your Highness, our King was seriously wounded in this battle and is therefore unable to personally greet you both. He is very sorry for this, but we have prepared accommodations and a grand banquet for the delegation."
Previously dressed in a rough linen robe, the royal butler, Mr. Best, had changed into a magnificent black robe, making him appear even more elegant and noble. He waited respectfully at the city gate with two servants, and upon seeing the princess's carriage approach, he immediately bowed and explained.
To be honest, the past three or four hours have kept this handsome old man very busy.
The young and impetuous Alexander focused all his attention on caring for his soldiers and subjects, leaving Best to rouse himself to deal with the Zenit Empire's investiture mission. It was he who had arranged for the rapid repair of the broken stone bridge Chambord City. Best's prestige in Chambord City had already plummeted to its lowest point due to the 'absconding with the money' incident, and few were willing to give this cunning and greedy old fox face. But the old fox lived up to his name; he simply said, "If the stone bridge isn't repaired in time, the investiture mission will revoke Alexander's official coronation." Immediately, the soldiers and civilians of Chambord City threw themselves into the bridge repair work with boundless energy. Even some lightly wounded soldiers volunteered to join the project. Soon, countless ropes connected the two sides of the broken bridge, and sturdy wooden planks were laid on top, allowing carriages and knights to pass.
Best was speechless when he saw it.
The whole process was even two hours faster than he had expected. Alexander's prestige in Chambord City was unmatched, far surpassing that of the old King. It seemed that if necessary, these soldiers and civilians would even be willing to die for their King.
"Lead the way."
Upon hearing Best's words, Princess Tanasha's voice, which had remained silent from inside the carriage, finally came through. It was still soft and weak, still utterly cold and indifferent; no one could glean any information from her reply. This princess, the stationmaster of the Zenit Empire, seemed to have always been in the same emotional state, without the slightest change.
Best bowed gracefully and turned to lead the way.
He was used to it; all the way from Saint Petersburg, the capital of the Zenit Empire, this mysterious princess had always maintained this attitude. Best had gone from initial curiosity to complete indifference—he was completely accustomed to it.
The royal investiture mission was housed at the residence of military judge Conca.
Since the military judge Conca had been personally executed by King Alexander for treason, the luxurious and enormous mansion was confiscated and became the property of the Chambord City royal family. Best had previously selected and arranged for a large number of servants to clean the entire mansion thoroughly and even redecorate it slightly. This arrangement satisfied the picky and complaining Prince Tolbinsky and those high-ranking knights.
The royal delegation was accompanied by a large number of servants and maids, so Best didn't have to worry too much about that. However, the handsome old man still used his administrative skills to his advantage. No matter how coldly these high-ranking knights treated him, he remained humble and respectful, never showing the slightest negligence or rudeness.
"Your Highness, Princess and Prince Highness, King Alexander will be holding a victory banquet at the King of Chambord to celebrate the victory in the Battle of Chambord City. It would be our greatest Glory if you could attend the banquet."
As he was about to take his leave, Best extended an invitation in a very courteous manner.
In reality, Sun Fei himself did not intend to invite the royal investiture delegation to the evening banquet. However, in the eyes of the handsome old man Best, this banquet might be a good opportunity to enhance the relationship between the two sides and resolve previous misunderstandings, so he took it upon himself to extend the invitation.
"What? A victory celebration? Ha, he still has the nerve to celebrate? All the black-clad enemies were wiped out outside the city by our cavalry... If it weren't for the timely arrival of the valiant Zenit Empire cavalry, he, the King, would probably already be imprisoned and a deposed monarch! Haha, fine, let me tell you, that foolish King, I will definitely be there. I want to see how that shameless fellow manages to claim credit for others' achievements!"
Upon hearing this, Prince Tolbinsky replied angrily.
The sunset was like blood.
Surrounded by mountains, the Chambord City is bathed in golden light, its tranquility enhanced by the reflection of the flowing river outside, creating a picturesque scene that is captivating and enchanting.
The stone streets in the city were bustling with pedestrians.
Although the defense of the King was won and King Alexander had undertaken much post-battle cleanup, the people of Chambord City still had much to do. Many of the door panels, stones, and heavy objects temporarily dismantled and used as defensive logs and boulders needed to be moved back home. The bodies of fallen soldiers needed to be collected, and the corpses left by the enemy outside and below the city walls needed to be burned to prevent rotting and disease outbreaks. The end of one battle meant the beginning of another arduous undertaking.
No one noticed that new guests had arrived on the streets of the city.
A mysterious woman, her face veiled in black, strolled casually under the protection of a fully armed female knight, while a tall, smiling blond warrior silently followed behind them.
"Your Highness, I didn't expect this small town to be so beautiful. The streets are quite wide and orderly. Although it can't compare to Saint Petersburg, it's quite remarkable for a mere sixth-rank vassal state." The female warrior observed the buildings on both sides of the street with great curiosity. However, when she saw the King palace in the distance, she frowned. "But I bet that King Alexander must be a very greedy and extravagant fellow. Otherwise, why would he build such a magnificent palace for himself?"
" Susan, my opinion is exactly the opposite of yours..."
The mysterious woman in the black veil gently shook her head and slowly said, "Previously, there were rumors in the capital that this King Alexander was a mentally challenged man with the intelligence of a three or four-year-old. Now it seems that this claim is utterly foolish. Look at the common people on the streets. Despite having just experienced a devastating war, some even losing their loved ones, the smiles on their faces are expressions of genuine happiness. Did you hear them greeting each other with shouts of ' Long Live the King!'? Could a foolish King receive such loyal support from the common people? As for that magnificent palace... if you look closely at the color of the stone, it's at least over eighty years old, and it seems to have nothing to do with this King Alexander..."
At this point, the mysterious woman in black veil paused, then said, " Susan, I've suddenly become interested in the celebration banquet tonight. Go back and prepare, and we'll go together tonight."
"Hehe, Your Highness, this seems to be the first time you've been willing to attend such a banquet. I'll immediately inform that steward named Best and have him send someone to pick you up..." The young female swordsman, Susan, seemed a little surprised.
"No need to notify him, we can just go and take a look quietly... Didn't they say that there were no invitations to this banquet, and everyone, whether poor or noble, could attend? We can pretend to be ordinary people," said the mysterious woman in black veils.
"Ha, that's even better. At least we don't have to deal with those annoying noblemen at the banquet, hehe... By the way, Your Highness, what should we do with this pesky guy?" The female swordsman said, pointing to the blond warrior who had been silently following behind the two of them.
"Knight Commander Roman, you will come with us as well." The woman in black veil spoke as if it were a suggestion, but her tone carried an air of undeniable authority.
The blond samurai, who had been smiling, nodded. "It is my honor, Your Highness."
As the Sun sets, night begins to fall.
The city Mars, and the King's Palace in Chambord City was brightly lit. More and more residents began to gather at the King's Palace. In less than half an hour, almost everyone in the castle, except for the soldiers guarding the city walls, appeared in the King's Palace.
The celebratory banquet is about to begin.
I went to see a doctor today, so the update is a little late, as mentioned in the last chapter.
Thank you all for your support. I'll try to update three chapters tomorrow!
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