Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 978 - 45 Another Hunt (Part 1)

Chapter 978: Chapter 45 Another Hunt (Part 1)

[Empire, Castile Peninsula, Royal Hunting Lodge, Hunting Grounds]

As the grand hunt of the Red River Tribe came to a close beyond the Sheltering Mountains — a thousand miles away on the Castile Peninsula, another hunt was reaching its climax.

Compared with the spectacular scene of thirty thousand hunters sweeping across the wilderness at the sound of the White Lion’s roar on the Red River Tribe’s side, the Empire’s hunt seemed quite modest, employing fewer than a thousand attendants and servants.

However, this impression of modesty was solely due to “comparison.”

For the nobility of Castile, even the annual Ascension Mass was less important than the grand hunt.

Twenty years ago, on the eve of the Empire’s civil war, when the situation was unpredictable and the various princes holding heavy troops remained silent.

It was the nobles of the Castile Peninsula who first openly rallied under the banner of [Henry the Sunfire], charging into the fray during the subsequent war of succession and earning glorious military achievements.

To honor the loyalty and valor of the Castile nobility, once the dust settled on the royal succession, the Royal Family held a grand hunting event on the Castile Peninsula every winter.

Even the Emperor himself would attend the event in person, a commitment he has never once missed in twenty years, never delegated to another.

Hence, every deep winter, nobles from across Castile gathered like migratory fish, donning their most extravagant hunting gear and converging at the Royal Hunting Lodge from all over the peninsula.

Even the landless knights and commoners without the privilege to participate in the hunt would go to great lengths to enter the hunting grounds, eager to catch a glimpse of the Emperor’s true face.

After all, the people of Castile are famous for being brave and robust warriors, but also carry a reputation for being unruly and easily angered.

The geographical location of the Castile Peninsula, far from the Empire’s core, naturally bred a lack of awe for imperial authority among its people.

Thus, during the reign of the Mad King Richard alone, the Castile Peninsula saw no less than seven major and minor rebellions.

After their distinguished service in the war of succession, the pride and arrogance of the Castile nobility grew even more unmanageable.

It was solely thanks to the Emperor’s masterful handling that the Castile faction neither grew too powerful nor lost its balance.

In the twenty years since the new Emperor ascended the throne, not once has the Castile Peninsula seen a rebellion.

Therefore, the grand hunting event is not only an opportunity for the young generation of Castile nobility to showcase their prowess and win the Emperor’s favor but also an important occasion for the Royal Family to maintain the loyalty of the Castile nobility and display their affection and favor.

Especially at a time like this.

When is that?

When the Northern Sea route opens.

Before the conquest of the northern countries, ships from the Empire’s Western Colonies could only dock on the Castile Peninsula, then transport goods like Gold, Silver, slaves, tobacco, and sugar to the Empire by land.

With the growth of trade along the western routes, the shipbuilding industry also thrived on the Castile Peninsula.

The continuous influx of wealth brought unprecedented prosperity to the Castile Peninsula, and the noble Castilians progressively adopted a life of luxury and indulgence.

They built magnificent palaces, bought the most prestigious and spirited Flemish Warhorses, adorned their tables with exquisite Vineta gold and Silverware, and wore only the most lavish Mountain Front Territory twill fabrics.

And underpinning all these expenses was the western trade route.

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Now, the northern lion has been subdued by His Imperial Majesty.

The northern trade route is in the hands of the Emperor, and the two oceans are henceforth connected.

The ships passing through the Narrow Sea no longer have to pay exorbitant transit taxes or risk interception by Norsemen pirates.

The wealth from the Western Colonies no longer requires the incredibly wasteful land transportation but can now be directly shipped to the eastern coast—closer to the heart of the Empire.

The rise of trade routes can bring prosperity, just as their disappearance can lead to decline.

Some far-sighted Castilian nobles have already felt uneasy, and they can’t help but speculate: although the Emperor has granted Castile numerous honors, he rarely admits Castilians into the inner circle of power.

The Castilian nobles, with a gloomy mood, partake in this winter hunt; they are now even more in need of a benevolent gesture from the Emperor.

Yet, there are always those who do not believe in such things.

Inside a tent in the hunting camp, Prince Richard Monta was earnestly pleading with another blond man.

The blond man ignored the Prince, silently strapping on his armor.

The one who could treat the prince like this and treat the prince in such a manner could only be one person in the entire Empire—Earl Harlan, Knight of the Golden Fleece, the Empire’s youngest general, and Prince’s childhood playmate—Harlan’s Siegfried.

Seeing that his persuasion was fruitless, Prince Richard looked at another chestnut-haired man with both anger and urgency, “You’re his deputy! Why don’t you speak up? Farnan!”

“Because it’s useless,” the chestnut-haired man replied calmly: “Your Highness.”

Perhaps no one in the world understands Siegfried better than Farnan, not even Siegfried himself.

So, from the start, Farnan did not attempt to stop him, merely silently assisting Siegfried with his greaves.

Siegfried, tall and handsome, with a noble aura in his well-fitted hunting attire. In contrast, Farnan might not possess outstanding looks, but his efficiency and steadiness inspired trust.

With a stern tone, Prince Richard demanded, “What do you mean by useless? Isn’t he supposed to listen to you the most?”

“Farnan is not wrong, Your Highness,” Siegfried finally spoke, “Please do not trouble him further.”

Seeing that Siegfried had spoken, Prince Richard suppressed his anger, trying to persuade as calmly as possible: “It’s just a show; what will it mean to defeat those Castilians? You no longer have anything to prove. Victory or defeat is meaningless, and failure would only bring shame. Do you really want to fight such a battle?”