Chapter 45: The Debate at the Banquet (1)

“Brave people of Celt, I am Ferdinand Celt Ansel, commander of the Holy Sword Legion and current supreme commander at the border… Our ancestors defeated the barbaric orc invasions time and again through wisdom and courage. Now it is our turn to go to battle. We will carry on our ancestors’ glory and drive those beasts out of our homeland!”
The young commander raised his right hand, and all the soldiers of the Holy Sword Legion chanted in unison.
“Destroy the beasts! Destroy the beasts!”
The emotions of those in the audience were also stirred, their blood boiling as they joined in the shouts.
When the noise subsided slightly, the commander continued, “Not only our legion, but also His Royal Highness Prince Duri, the second prince of the great Celt Kingdom, has come from the capital to join us in this battle on behalf of our respected king and royal family. Let us all welcome His Royal Highness on behalf of the Holy Sword Legion and all the warriors here!”
After the young general spoke, a handsome blond man in magnificent armor stepped forward from behind him.
This prince was clearly better at inspiring the crowd and setting the mood than the general from the Ansel family. A few words from him caused another wave of cheers among the audience.
However, unlike the noble youths who had come to fight and the easily agitated commoners and soldiers, some were somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of the noble prince. But they quickly realized what was going on.
It was said that their fifteenth king’s health was declining day by day, and both princes were outstanding. The king had not yet decided on an heir, so the situation in the capital was very delicate. Both princes were secretly trying to win over various noble factions. Donald didn’t know much about the situation, but from the well-informed Jesse, he had heard a few snippets. Combined with the current circumstances, he could make some guesses about the prince’s intentions.
What could gain more support from the people of the kingdom than saving its borders from being breached and repelling invading orcs in times of crisis?
As long as he could participate in the entire battle, even if he didn’t contribute much, the ultimate honor would surely belong to this prince. After all, he held the highest status here. Whether they won or lost, it could be said to be under the prince’s leadership. Moreover, the other participants were willing to yield this superficial honor to Prince Duri—so long as they received actual rewards and benefits.

After all, with a prince present, the soldiers’ morale will be even higher, which will greatly influence the outcome of battles! Of course, not all nobles are happy about this, especially those from the faction close to the crown prince. Just by seeing their stiff expressions as they cheered along with the others, one can imagine how uncomfortable they must feel. The pre-battle speeches, the overwhelming presence of the Holy Sword Legion, the young commander’s compelling speeches, and the appearance of the prince greatly impacted the emotions of the common adventurers who came to sign up for battle. Even those who were used to being domineering and eager to show off their skills on the battlefield subdued their temper and reconsidered their strengths and goals. There was no longer any attitude of defiance toward the kingdom’s army. It seems the main purpose of these pre-battle speeches was to suppress those adventurers with loose and undisciplined personalities, so that they would follow orders on the battlefield, thereby strengthening the unity of the human forces and making it easier to confront the orc threat. The nobles, on the other hand, remained relatively calm, as their knowledge far exceeded that of the commoners. Even if they had never seen the Holy Sword Legion firsthand, they had heard rumors about the kingdom’s three strongest military forces. After the speeches, all the legion’s swordsmen dispersed back to their camps. The supreme commander this time, the young general from the Ansel family, walked alongside Prince Duri, with other officers leading the nobles and professionals behind them to the Holy Sword Fortress for dinner. As the main command center of the Celt Kingdom set up at the border to resist the orcs, the Holy Sword Fortress has a history of over 300 years. Originally just a stone-built war fortress, it has been expanded several times and now stands as a huge, elongated structure whose size rivals that of a medium-sized city. Centered around the Holy Sword Fortress, along with several other military outposts located in areas where orcs often invade, it forms a defensive line along the kingdom’s northwestern border. For centuries, it has steadfastly guarded against orc invasions without ever falling. As a military fortress, its architectural style emphasizes durability and strength. Aside from soldiers and some of their families, few commoners live within the fortress, let alone the nobles who each have their own territories.

In this fortress built entirely of dark stones, it’s hard to find any bright colors. Yet the Holy Sword Legion’s headquarters, used as the venue for banquets, was constructed like a royal banquet hall—extremely magnificent, and arguably the only decent noble building in the fortress.

This building wasn’t built by the Ansel family but was expanded upon an existing estate built during King Celt VII’s personal campaign to resist the orc invasion. That’s why it’s so splendid and luxurious.

In the banquet hall, large enough to hold thousands standing, nobles from various factions and powerful professionals took their seats. At the forefront were the young general of the Ansel family and Prince Duri.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re all here with the goal of eliminating these barbaric orcs. Of course, as the Holy Sword Legion guarding the borders, we won’t leave our posts to launch attacks on our own. Since orcs have always invaded in a disorganized manner, this war is prepared for you. Don’t hesitate—go forth and earn glory! The Holy Sword Legion will be your strongest backing!”

With that, the young general Ferdinand raised his glass.

“Let’s drink to the great Kingdom of Celt, to our king, and to defeating the orc invasion!”

…

After delivering his toast, the leader of the Holy Sword Legion declared the banquet officially underway. Normally, the person of highest status should raise a toast first, but since Ferdinand was both the highest military commander and a member of the Ansel family with noble status, it was entirely appropriate for him to do so. The prince, clearly Ferdinand’s cousin, seemed to have a good relationship with him and didn’t want to compete for attention.

Donald, like many nobles, wasn’t surprised by the Holy Sword Legion’s statement. He had already assumed that as the Ansel family’s sword, the Holy Sword Legion wouldn’t take the initiative to attack unless the war was overwhelmingly unfavorable for humanity.

Based on past experience, the combined forces of the many nobles’ private armies, civilian adventurers, and others were enough to deal a severe blow to the invading orcs.

This approach could not only eliminate the orc invasion but also weaken the power of local nobles—something the royal family would welcome.

However, lacking accurate intelligence, he didn’t know that the orcs’ strength this time was somewhat unexpected. Humans didn’t have a numerical advantage; otherwise, he wouldn’t have thought this way.