The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 185: My Ambition
As Henwell travels through the capital's main road, many nobles step aside to clear the path. Some wish to avoid any association with Henwell, while others take heed of Cronin's welcoming party, which bears the duchy's royal flag.
Once Henwell has passed, the onlookers dare to discuss the impressive sight of the elite knights marching in formation. The Lord Iron Guards' equipment is crafted from a modified Greensteel, appearing a deep navy blue, distinct from the bright blue of the Kingdom of Billie. Their cloaks match the armor, with the name "Henwell" embroidered on the shoulder.
Their primary weapon is a lance over three meters long, not made entirely of metal. Instead, it features a shaft of highly resilient wood, wrapped in spiraled Greensteel wire for added strength. Additionally, each knight carries a longsword at their waist, designed for both mounted and foot combat.
However, their secondary weapon isn't the sword but rather two cavalry sabers hung at the front of the saddle. These are specifically designed for cutting down unarmored foes, yet their Greensteel strength makes them effective against armored opponents as well.
Heavy crossbows and bows are also essential, each equipped with six special alloy steel arrows, intended for taking down heavily armored knights—a testament to their costly investment. Each knight's gear costs over two thousand gold coins to produce. If sold, just the weapons and armor alone could fetch tens of thousands of gold coins.
Thus, no one believes that Henwell's knights' equipment is made from some special alloy. Even if made from refined steel, such quality would still cost hundreds of gold coins per set. To outsiders, it appears that Henwell has spent tens of thousands of gold coins on his guards' equipment.
Clearly, Henwell is wealthier and more willing to spend money than they imagined, especially when it concerns his own life. Henwell feels that no amount is too much to invest in his safety.
Henwell estimates that with his more than one hundred Lord Iron Guards, unless the duchy deploys a cavalry formation or heavily armored corps numbering in the thousands, they won't be able to stop him.
As for the Blood Lion Knights, those four thousand or so members are indeed formidable. However, they belong to the entire duchy, not the royal family alone. Nearly four thousand knights of such caliber!
If the royal family had the power to create such a force independently, they would have long since used it to subdue the Noble Alliance.
In reality, this elite force is a collective effort, assembled with contributions from nobles throughout the duchy.
The pro-royal faction, the neutral faction, the Noble Alliance, and various smaller groups all contributed personnel, resources, and funds to create this super-expensive war machine. The duchy can deploy them, but Grand Duke Amir cannot do so unilaterally.
In the recent external conflict, the Blood Lion Knights were stationed to counter the Sunflower Knights of the Kingdom of Billie, preventing them from entering the battlefield.
Meanwhile, another of Billie’s knightly orders was kept in check by the Polar Knights of the Kingdom of Kosen. Mobilizing such a knightly order requires the consent of all high-ranking officials within the duchy.
Thus, deploying the Blood Lion Knights to eliminate Henwell is unrealistic unless he does something that harms everyone's interests, warranting such a drastic response.
Excluding this special force, Silver Peak City has no feasible way to intercept Henwell. Any large-scale military movement would be impossible to conceal from Henwell’s spies, let alone those of other factions. There would be plenty of people eager to warn Henwell.
At this moment, Henwell strides confidently through the capital, assured that he is not in any danger.
As the citizens of the capital witness such a disciplined cavalry unit, they can't help but express their amazement. Even the Blood Lion Knights don't maintain such impeccable formation. In terms of orderliness, the only comparable force is the Iron Wall Guard that Fabio brought into the city earlier.
When someone identifies this as the army from Peace Haven, the crowd marvels at how both knightly lords from the duchy's southwest are truly remarkable figures. Amidst the public's exclamations and discussions, Cronin asks Henwell, "Feeling pretty proud, aren't you?"
Henwell responds calmly, "Proud of what? It's like walking on thin ice! I might look impressive, but one wrong step, and it’s all over for me."
"Sigh... Henwell, you're a talented young man. Though your actions can be extreme, you've contributed to the duchy. Just make peace with the Grand Duke; he won't hold a grudge. You and Arius are like brothers, also are Amir’s juniors. He doesn't want to target you like this."
Henwell sighs in return, "Thank you, old Baron! But you don't understand. The rift between the Grand Duke and me is already there. It's not something an apology can fix."
Cronin doesn't quite grasp this. His loyalty lies with the state, even more so than with the royal family. He views the situation from a vassal's perspective, seeing Henwell's actions as youthful recklessness. But Henwell approaches it from the viewpoint of someone in power.
The conflict between himself and Amir is fundamentally a clash between royal authority and local governance. Unless one side backs down, there's no room for reconciliation.
For Henwell, backing down means giving up his foundation, akin to losing his life. For Grand Duke Amir, conceding would mean acknowledging Henwell's territorial ambitions, which is even worse than the existence of the Noble Alliance. It might even inspire others within the alliance to follow suit.
Therefore, neither side will relent. For now, they both avoid the issue, but both Henwell and Grand Duke Amir understand one thing: the conflict will eventually escalate to an unavoidable point. When that day comes, if neither side yields, the result will be open conflict. Henwell is already preparing for that day.
Just as Cronin is about to continue persuading Henwell, the procession arrives at a grand residence. This place is adjacent to the royal palace and houses prominent figures.
Several influential Counts of the duchy and diplomatic missions from other countries reside here. The security of the residence is handled by the Blood Lion Knights and the royal guards.
Henwell gives Cronin a surprised look. "Why arrange for me to stay here? Isn't this a bit of an over-the-top reception?"
After a moment of silence, Cronin replies, "I originally planned for you to stay at a slightly less prestigious residence. But this was personally instructed by the Grand Duke, for you to stay here."
Gazing at the expansive residence in the distance, Henwell tilts his head, contemplating for a moment. He understands Grand Duke Amir's implication.
Henwell, you have the strength to reach this place, but do you have the courage to stay? In other words, do you have that ambition?
At this moment, the surrounding residences have all taken note of Henwell's arrival, watching to see what choice he will make. Henwell slowly raises his fist, lightly tapping his armor, and smiles in the direction of the royal palace. "Thank you for the Grand Duke's generosity!"
Then, he waves forward, "Simon, lead the team into the residence for rest, and arrange for guard shifts!"
I have this ambition! And I also have the capability to match it!
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Chapter 185: My Ambition
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