OBS Chapter 685 Undercurrents at the Banquet
Chapter 685 Undercurrents at the Banquet
A celebratory banquet is underway in the reception room of Wyndam Palace.
As soon as King Midland announced the start of the banquet, melodious music and the clinking of glasses filled the hall.
Numerous nobles, generals, and their ladies, holding wine glasses, moved through the crowd, exchanging pleasantries.
Griffith was left out after the banquet began. The rewards he received that morning had indeed made him famous, but he did not have a noble title. Most of the nobles, dressed in gorgeous clothes, would only glance at him out of the corner of their eyes before looking away. No one was willing to come over and talk to him.
The generals in the army either felt that he had stolen the credit or looked down on his background as a mercenary, and they all treated him coldly, even with obvious hostility.
In addition, he didn't know any influential people in Wyndam, so at this moment he was even more like a transparent person, standing alone in the corner.
But Griffith didn't care at all. He held a glass of wine that hadn't been touched much, leaned against the wall, and scanned the room like a hawk, focusing on a few groups of people in the center of the banquet.
He knew that the liveliness of such occasions was all superficial; the real contest was hidden in the gaps between the crowd, in the eyes and tone of each person.
The first thing that came into his view was the group of people surrounding the king.
Most of them wore exquisite court attire, made of fine fabrics, with intricate patterns embroidered on the collars and cuffs, making it clear at a glance that they were ministers of the court.
Griffiths's gaze swept across the group, and he quickly recognized General Laban.
General Laban was dressed in dark casual clothes, not in military uniform, but he still exuded the competence of a soldier.
He was bowing slightly, listening to what the king was saying, nodding in agreement from time to time.
Griffith knew that most of these court ministers were the king's confidants, and that they had achieved their current positions through the king's promotion. They were the core force of the royal faction.
Then, his gaze shifted to the other side, where Count Yuris was leading a group of people.
Unlike the civil officials around the king, this group of people were mostly dressed in standard military uniforms, some even wearing dark cloaks, exuding a rugged air unique to soldiers, clearly all of them were military generals.
Count Yuris stood in the center of the crowd, his hands behind his back, talking to several generals around him. The generals all bowed their heads slightly, as if listening attentively.
Griffiths could see that Count Uris had a high reputation in the army, and the generals almost always obeyed him.
"This is not good. Has the political landscape in Windam deteriorated to this extent?"
He glanced at the positions of both sides and immediately understood that Windam's court faction had begun to split.
The entire court was clearly divided into two factions: apart from the centrists who were undecided and temporarily observing, one faction was the Kingdom faction led by King Midland, and the other faction was the Military merit faction led by Count Yuris.
Griffiths had previously learned about the roots of this division through the Heldland Voice newspaper.
The King of Midland had no male heir, only a princess, but the Kingdom of Midland had never had a queen before, and this matter was the subject of much discussion in the court and among the people.
Count Yuris is the king's brother. He has a son who is already quite old. Once the king dies, Count Yuris will definitely let his son fight for the throne. Indeed, he holds such a right of succession.
This has led to increasingly deep conflicts between the two factions, to the point where they are almost openly opposed.
Griffith leaned against the wall, quickly assessing the current situation in his mind.
If a military coup were to suddenly occur now, the situation would clearly be more favorable to Count Eurys.
The king had very few troops at his disposal. Apart from a newly formed army that was still being reorganized and whose combat effectiveness had not yet been fully developed, he had almost no usable men.
Count Yuris, on the other hand, truly commands the White Dragon Knights, a force of five thousand men. This unit is the most elite cavalry force in the Kingdom of Midland, with formidable combat power. Coupled with the generals in the court who obey his orders, they have already formed an absolute military advantage over the king.
If a fight really breaks out, the king's side probably won't be able to hold out for long.
Moreover, once a royal civil war breaks out, the attitude of the local nobles is also very clear.
They certainly won't intervene from the start; instead, they'll adopt a wait-and-see approach, guarding their own territory and watching the king and Count Yuris wear each other down.
When both sides are exhausted, they will step in and make various demands on both sides, such as demanding more fiefdoms and greater autonomy. Then, based on their own interests, they will choose to join one side and seize more power and land.
Griffith had seen this trick many times before; those nobles were all as cunning as foxes and would never do a losing business.
Thinking of this, Griffiths frowned slightly.
Count Yuris had always treated him poorly. Although he hadn't explicitly stated it, his previous expressions revealed his deep dislike for him.
In addition, the king's bestowal of honors upon him that morning essentially thrust him into the spotlight, forcing him to completely side with the king.
If he doesn't find a way to change the status quo, he might fall along with the king once Count Eurystra takes action.
The most crucial thing right now is to find a suitable political ally, win over those centrists, and form a new force in order to stand firm in the upcoming storm.
Time ticked by, and Griffith's eyes searched the crowd, trying to find someone he could win over.
There are quite a few centrists, mostly nobles or officials who hold a certain amount of power but do not want to easily take sides.
However, most of these people are deep and cunning, and not easy to see through. To win them over, you must find the right person and the right method.
About an hour later, his gaze settled on a group of people not far away.
The group of people were talking around an elderly man who looked to be around fifty years old. Because they were close enough, Griffiths could hear their conversation clearly.
The old man spoke in a very kind tone, without the slightest air of nobility. Occasionally, he would chat with those around him about everyday matters, such as what his children were learning recently or how the wheat harvest on the estate was this year, creating a very relaxed atmosphere.
The people around him were also very relaxed, unlike when they were in front of the King or Count Yuris. They would occasionally joke with the old man, showing that they respected him very much.
Griffiths' heart skipped a beat; this old man didn't seem like a simple person.
To be able to maintain such an approachable attitude while having so many influential people around him, he must hold a high position in the court and is likely a key figure in a centrist group.
If we can strike up a conversation with him, we might be able to find a breakthrough.
Just as Griffith was carefully observing the group of people, a young man in the crowd suddenly turned around and met Griffith's gaze.
Griffith felt a chill run down his spine and immediately looked away, pretending to look at the paintings hanging on the wall beside him. He knew that in this kind of setting, too much peeking could easily arouse suspicion.
Then, using a decorative mirror hanging on the wall next to him, he discreetly observed the reaction on the other side.
The young man lowered his head, leaned close to the old man's ear, and whispered a few words.
The old man's gaze shifted slightly, and the young man stepped aside so that the old man could clearly see Griffith's direction. The old man looked in the direction the young man indicated, his gaze landing on Griffith with a hint of inquiry. After lingering for a few seconds, he whispered a few words of advice to the young man.
Griffith's heart raced slightly; he knew his observations had been discovered.
However, this might not be a bad thing. At least the other party did not show obvious hostility. He calmed himself down and remained leaning against the wall, waiting for their reaction.
Not long after, the young man walked towards Griffith's direction.
Griffith was facing away from him at that moment. The young man stepped forward, gently patted him on the shoulder, and then said:
"Grandpa Hohenzollern has noticed that you keep looking this way. Let's go over and talk."