Knight: Becoming King of the World

"He’s so lucky. To be made a Count at such a young age... it’s enough to make anyone jealous."

"Yeah, but he’s genuinely skilled. His performance in the battles against the Alien Races on the various borders was seriously impressive."

"Hmph, so what if he’s skilled? Do you think he could’ve gotten this far without connections and a powerful background?" a noble sneered.

The whispers, though quiet, still reached Henry’s ears. ’To escape envy is to be mediocre.’ He wasn’t angry, nor did he pay them any mind.

These young pups, sheltered by their elders, were naturally fearless and dared to say anything—especially the ones from the imperial capital.

Listening to their chatter, he noted there were some objective comments mixed in as well.

Henry shook his head slightly. If nothing unexpected happened, these same people would take the stage in a decade or so and become the empire’s new administrators.

’Each generation is worse than the last. How could a group like this possibly govern the empire well?’

’Huh, then again, I’m pretty young myself.’

Standing in the center of the banquet hall, Henry surveyed his surroundings, a proper smile fixed on his face.

He paid no mind to the gossip of the young nobles. It was merely an outlet for their jealousy and resentment; true power and status couldn’t be shaken by mere words.

However, Henry’s silence didn’t mean their remarks would be ignored.

In a corner of the hall, the faces of several noble patriarchs grew stern. Their sharp gazes swept over the chattering youths before they quickly approached them, hissing reprimands in low voices.

The young men’s expressions shifted from their initial disdain and arrogance to a growing pallor. They realized their words and actions had crossed a line with their elders and might have even brought unseen trouble upon their families.

Soon, these young nobles were forcefully dragged before Henry by their parents.

Some of them were clearly unwilling to bow their heads, infuriating their parents to the point of explosion. But in such a formal setting, the elders couldn’t resort to a good old-fashioned thrashing.

They reprimanded them sternly, then played their trump card: a threat to cut their allowances.

For these young nobles, accustomed to a life of luxury, this was undoubtedly a fatal blow.

’Gods, that’s a death sentence! To keep up appearances, it looks like we have no choice but to bow our heads!’

Under the severe threats from their parents, the young men, who were internally scrambling for excuses, finally relented.

They reluctantly bowed their heads and apologized to Henry. Though they were still resentful at heart, they had to maintain a veneer of courtesy.

Henry watched them, feeling little emotion. Their apologies stemmed more from fear of their parents’ authority than genuine remorse.

Henry accepted their apology. One day, these noble scions would understand that true strength comes not from birthright and background, but from one’s own military might.

The banquet continued. The orchestra’s music grew more cheerful, and fine food and wine continued to flow endlessly. Henry conversed with the various guests, his calm demeanor and elegant conduct winning him more respect and admiration.

The nobles of the imperial capital also found their impression of Henry steadily improving.

’They have no idea what thirty-seven points of Charm can do, do they?’

All banquets must come to an end. The emperor, sensing the time was right, rose to his feet and gestured to Henry. All the nobles ceased their conversations and turned to look at the emperor.

The emperor’s words were filled with praise and expectation for Henry. The nobles followed his lead, raising their glasses in a toast to him.

"Let us toast Count Henry! To his youth and promise, to his courage and fearlessness, to his loyalty and Wisdom!"

"To Count Henry!" the nobles echoed in unison, and the hall erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

Henry stood up and bowed in thanks to the emperor, the other nobles, and the old-timers from the Senate.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty, great Emperor of the Caladian Empire. I will contribute my all to the prosperity and strength of the empire."

The banquet concluded in this harmonious and fervent atmosphere. The nobles began to depart, their compliments to the emperor and congratulations for Henry serving as a perfect finale to the event.

"What is it? Not a fan of banquets?"

Hearing the emperor’s question, Henry shook his head with a smile and explained, "It’s just that whenever a banquet ends, I feel like... something is missing. There’s always this... indescribable feeling."

The emperor burst out laughing. "I get that feeling too. It always seems to end too abruptly, too suddenly, yet there’s nothing else to be done."

Henry glanced at the emperor. He hadn’t expected this old man to share his opinion.

’Heh. A good headmaster and a good student, indeed.’

In the now-empty hall, a quiet stillness lingered after the boisterous celebration. Both the emperor and Henry had a slight flush from the wine.

The emperor’s gaze was profound, as if he were pondering something. "Henry, you’ve mentioned before that you have no interest in the conflict in Battania. What are your plans, then? Do you intend to return directly to your fief, or do you have something else in mind?"

Although the emperor hoped he would focus on governing his territory for the time being, he also understood his student’s character and methods. Henry would never be content with simply maintaining the status quo.

The moment an opportunity presented itself, he would strike with lightning speed.

"Headmaster, I truly don’t intend to get involved in the Battanian conflict, but I won’t be sitting idle either... My fief needs to be developed, but I have other plans as well."

This wasn’t a lie. Henry truly had no desire to get mixed up in such scheming and political intrigue.