Another World Witch Training Manual

129. The soldiers on the border need to be reassured.

His gaze turned to Simien, whose face remained calm, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the staff had turned slightly white. "Simien, your brother went out of the city to appease the army. Although he did not report it beforehand, his intention was for the safety of the kingdom. There is no need to pursue this matter any further."

Simien bowed slightly, his voice devoid of any emotion: "Father is wise. Xinlai's dedication to the kingdom is truly commendable."

These words, spoken by Simeon, carried an air of insincerity, but in front of the king, he had no choice but to put on a show.

Xin Lai was aware of this, of course. He bowed slightly and responded with equal respect, "Second Brother, you flatter me."

Bermelt rose to his feet and paced back and forth in the hall. His steps were unhurried, his leather boots making a dull thud on the marble floor, each step resonating in the hearts of everyone in the hall.

The old king's gaze sometimes fell on Simeon, sometimes swept over Sinlai, and sometimes stared thoughtfully at Fern kneeling on the ground.

"The matter of the Marquis of Tanstin certainly needs to be settled." Bermelt finally stopped, his voice unusually heavy.

"He guarded the border for twelve years, and fought more battles and killed more people than you have ever seen. If his men harbored resentment, there would never be peace on the border."

He turned to the court scribe beside him and ordered in a deep voice, "Draft an edict that, effective immediately, the pay of the border garrison troops will be increased by 30%, with the necessary funds and provisions allocated from the national treasury. The cabinet and the labor unions shall, within three months, produce a plan to improve the living conditions of the families of the border soldiers, and submit it to me for review."

The clerk hurriedly spread out parchment and began to write rapidly.

Bermelt continued, "Draft another letter of reassurance, stating that Marquis Tanstin's loyalty to the kingdom was something we neglected, that we will do our best to compensate the Tanstin family, and that all soldiers will be informed that the Asgardian royal family will never forget their merits and contributions. Send it to the border."

Upon hearing this, Fern slammed his forehead heavily on the marble floor, making a dull thud.

His shoulders trembled slightly, but he clenched his teeth tightly to keep himself from crying out loud.

Sinlai stood aside, a weight finally lifted from his heart. Bermelt's increased pay and promises of improved border conditions were the best possible outcome under the current circumstances.

As for the compensation given to the Tanstin family, it was a clear signal to the 50,000 heavily armored cavalry on the border that the royal family acknowledged the Marquis Tanstin's loyalty and was willing to pay the price for it.

However, Sinley keenly noticed that when Bermilt uttered the words "compensation to the Tanstin family," a barely perceptible shadow flashed in Simeon's eyes.

It was an anger at having one's plans disrupted, which, though well concealed, was crystal clear to Sinlai.

Simeon's original plan was likely to use the Marquis Tanstin's affair to gradually weaken the loyalty of the border troops to the Tanstin family, and then absorb these 50,000 elite troops into his own sphere of influence.

However, once Bermelt's letter of reassurance is issued, it will be tantamount to official confirmation of the Marquis of Tanstin's innocence. In this way, it will be much more difficult for Simeon to manipulate the situation.

As expected, after a brief silence, Simien stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Father is wise; it is indeed urgent to appease the soldiers on the border."

However, I believe that the border troops have been leaderless for too long. It would be best to send someone with sufficient prestige to take charge, in order to maintain military discipline and prevent unrest.

His tone was extremely earnest, as if he were acting entirely out of a sense of public duty to share the burdens of the country: "If Father trusts me, I am willing to go to the border and take command of these 50,000 iron cavalry."

A brief silence fell over the Hall of Radiance once again.

Xinlai's pupils contracted slightly; he hadn't expected Simeon to so directly challenge the king for command of the border troops.

But on second thought, this does fit Simeon's style. He never bothers with roundabout tricks; he prefers to strike at the heart of the matter before his opponent has a chance to defend.

If 50,000 heavily armored cavalry fall into Simeon's hands, he will simultaneously control two major military forces: the Royal Guard and the elite border troops. At that time, no one in Asgard will be able to restrain him.

Sinley's gaze swept quickly across Bermelt's face, catching a fleeting moment of hesitation in her father's eyes.

This gave Sinley peace of mind; although Bermilt relied heavily on Simeon, he wouldn't entrust such an important military force entirely to him.

A prince who is at the height of his power in the court and also commands elite troops on the border is someone that would make it difficult for any king to sleep soundly.

Xinlai took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stood side by side with Simien, bowing respectfully to Bermilt: "Father, I also have a request."

Bermelt's gaze fell on Sinlai, and he raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request permission to go to the border to hone my skills."

Xinlai's voice was calm and firm, echoing in the empty Hall of Radiance. "When Marquis Tanstin was alive, he mentioned to me many times that a true prince should be tempered on the battlefield and on the frontier to become truly virtuous. Now the border troops are going through a special period, and I am willing to go there as a prince to share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, to understand the true situation on the border, and to share the burden with my father."

Almost everyone in the hall was stunned.

Everyone knows that the third prince, Xinlai, has always kept a low profile in the court, never vying for power or influence, and almost never expressing his opinions on matters of state.

Today, not only did he lead Marquis Tanstin's personal guards into the Hall of Glory, disgracing the second prince in front of the king, but he has now even taken the initiative to propose going to the border, which is tantamount to openly challenging Simeon.

Simien's gaze turned cold. He turned to look at Xinlai, a half-smile playing on his lips:

"Third brother, the borderlands are a harsh and cold place, where you have to endure wind and rain, unlike the luxurious life in the capital. If you want to come back before you've even made it through half a month, that would be quite undignified."

"Thank you for your concern, Second Brother." Xin Lai met Ximien's gaze, her smile as calm as ever.

"The safety of the king is in the hands of fate. Second brother is strategizing in the capital, sharing the burden of government affairs with our father. No matter how remote the border is, someone should go there to take care of it. What's wrong with us brothers each doing our own job?"

The two brothers' gazes clashed in the hall, and it seemed as if invisible sparks were crackling in the air.

Bermelt stood before the throne, his gaze shifting back and forth between Sinlai and Simeon.

The court scribe beside him had long since stopped writing, and the entire Radiant Hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The old king had actually been planning this all along.

Simeon's power in the court was growing, and Garund, the rightful crown prince, was unable to handle state affairs due to a sexually transmitted disease, making the balance within the royal family precarious.

By taking the initiative to go to the border at this time, Xinlai was essentially withdrawing from the center of the power struggle in the royal city.