Henry didn't mind. He had his army wait outside the city and entered with a small retinue.
Without a morally bankrupt map for navigation, how was Henry supposed to find the city hall? The answer was simple: the tallest, most imposing building flying the King's banner had to be it.
After Henry's party arrived at the city hall, they had to go through a tedious identity verification process before being allowed to proceed.
A junior officer spoke respectfully to Henry, "Sir Knight, your men cannot enter. They must wait here. Count Sebastian Solza is currently presiding over a meeting for the summoned nobility. Will you be attending?"
"Of course. I am one of the summoned nobles."
Soon, the junior officer led him to the conference hall, where... he was met with the sound of a heated argument.
Henry sighed. 'Why do I always run into this kind of situation? Good heavens, where's the decorum of the nobility? Every meeting, every time, they're arguing! So uncivilized!'
A moment later, the officer received confirmation and invited Henry to join the meeting.
As Henry entered the conference hall, the bickering crowd fell silent for a moment. They glanced at him a few times before resuming their squabble.
The hall was filled with Independent Nobles, leaving no room for a minor Knight like Henry to speak. As for the Pioneer Nobility sitting in the back, the landed nobles didn't even consider them to be one of their own.
Count Sebastian nodded to welcome Henry's arrival. Henry scanned the room, spotted Boman and Fass, and went to sit down beside them.
Both Count Sebastian and Henry were Vassals of the King. Although neither held authority over the other, it was proper etiquette for a noble with a lower title to show respect to one with a higher title.
Henry listened silently to the arguments of the Viscounts and Barons, quickly grasping the topic of the meeting.
The purpose of Count Sebastian Solza's assembly was to prepare for a counterattack against the Beastmen. He planned to organize a "Great Hunt" to scout the extent of the Beastmen's activity.
"Count Sebastian Solza, I brought an army of five hundred men! Why can't I be the one to lead the hunt?"
"Have you no shame?! How dare you even ask the Count? Viscount Yiva, you're a Viscount, and you brought five hundred infantrymen? Are you here to freeload?!"
"Count Sebastian, I am Baron Nurulan! I brought thirty Grassland Warriors and thirty tribal Warriors! My forces are as swift as the wind; we will surely make the Beastmen flee in disarray!"
"Sit down! What good are sixty riders?! Count Sebastian, let me go!"
Henry scratched his head, feeling helpless. 'These people... aren't they underestimating the Beastmen a little too much?'
At the same time, Henry began to wonder why a world without Magic would even have creatures like Beastmen.
'Does that make any sense?'
"Henry, how many men did you bring?"
Henry looked at Boman, who had whispered the question beside him, and asked, "What's on your mind? Got an idea?"
"Of course! Me, you, Glen, and Fass—the four of us are all from the Royal Capital Knight Academy. We can totally team up and reap some serious spoils in this battle!"
After listening to Boman's excited explanation of the profits to be gained from the Beastmen, Henry finally understood why everyone's fighting spirit was so high.
First, the eastern border had long suffered under the Beastmen! This was a deep-seated grudge.
Henry was newly appointed and had never been harassed by Beastmen. But it was different for these others; they were driven mad by the Beastmen's raids every year.
As Independent Nobles, they lacked a unified leader and couldn't mount an effective counterattack. But now, the King's Army had arrived, and it was like the dawn of a new day! With the King's Army here, peace would surely be restored!
Second, there were the tantalizing spoils of war!
Beastmen were strong, with taller, more robust bodies and terrifying strength and speed. A lot of people would die. But if there was one thing the empire didn't lack, it was people!
Beastman weapons and armor were much larger than human-sized gear, so capturing one piece was like getting two or even three! As for the serfs who died holding the line... it was a case of "let them suffer, as long as I don't take the blame."
Furthermore, the Beastman tribes possessed vast amounts of gold and silver—a colossal fortune they had either mined themselves or plundered from others.
And then there was the high value of Beastman captives!
Centaurs, Minotaurs, Gnolls, Kobolds, goat-men, and so on—starve them for a few days, and they become excellent miners!
Moreover, the old-money nobles and wealthy merchants from the long-peaceful southern and western regions had... special demands. For example, female Tiger-men, Cat People, and Fox People who fit human standards of beauty fetched extremely high prices.
Finally, the reason everyone was fighting for this mission was because the spots were limited. Count Sebastian couldn't send out too many troops, as it might trigger a full-scale battle prematurely.
Henry was tempted too—not by the female Beastmen, but by the chance to participate in more wars!
During the last incident with the bandits banding together to plunder, his "Total War panel" hadn't reacted at all. It was as if it didn't even consider those bandits to be a real enemy!
This time, in a war against the Beastmen, Henry refused to believe the "Total War panel" would remain unresponsive.
"How many men did you all bring?"
Boman whispered, "I brought two Knight's Squires, one officer, twenty Crossbowmen, and sixty serfs. Fass brought the same.
"Glen's fief wasn't damaged, so this time he brought five Attendants, two officers, ten Heavy Cavalry, thirty Light Cavalry, and two hundred serfs."
Henry asked in surprise, "Senior Glen is that rich?"
Boman pursed his lips. "We were all top of our class. Who are you kidding? Who among us didn't save up a huge sum over the three years? If my fief hadn't been destroyed, I'd be strutting around more arrogantly than those Barons!"
Henry nodded and revealed his own numbers, "One Attendant, one officer, twenty Heavy Cavalry, ten veteran shield-bearing Crossbowmen, ten Skilled Spearmen, and ten Skilled Scouts. Sixty new recruits, and thirty serfs."
Having gotten a clear answer, Boman immediately slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet, drawing the attention of everyone around.
"Count Sebastian! I am Knight Boman! Knight Henry, Knight Glen, Knight Fass, and I are forming a joint force! We are all graduates of the Royal Capital Knight Academy! Together, our army will number over five hundred men! We have sufficient Cavalry and crossbowmen! We are qualified to participate in this hunt!"
Knight Boman's words were like pouring a bucket of oil into a pot of boiling water, instantly setting off a crackling new wave of arguments among the other nobles.
That's right! If one noble's army wasn't strong enough, then three or four could just team up! But on second thought, how could they guarantee that the nobles they allied with weren't just deceitful schemers paying lip service?
Baron Nurulan stared at the four Knights, a nameless rage burning within him.
'Damn it, it's this bunch again! I'll never forgive them for stealing my betrothed! We are sworn enemies! Wherever these people from the Royal Capital Knight Academy go, conflict follows in their wake!'
"Boman! What are you Knights with your ruined fiefs trying to butt in for?!"
Boman instantly flew into a rage. 'Damn it, wasn't your fief destroyed too?'
Boman drew his knightly sword, glaring daggers at Nurulan. "Nurulan! You have insulted my honor as a noble! I challenge you to a duel to the death!"
Henry and Fass also stood up and drew their swords. What Nurulan had just said was a grave offense!
The other nobles, enjoying the drama and eager for it to escalate, began chattering all at once, egging them on.
'Fight, fight!' The Pioneer Nobility, who had come from all over the kingdom, had a predatory glint in their eyes. 'What's the point of just arguing? It would be best if you all died right here and freed up your lands.'
Count Sebastian slammed his fist on the table—BANG! BANG! BANG!—silencing the crowd.
"This meeting is over! As for who will lead the hunt, I will have the orders delivered to your encampments. Now all of you, get out!"
Although Count Sebastian held his title through merit, he was a noble honored by the King himself. More importantly, he was the commander-in-chief of the Autongard army, making him their temporary superior.
Therefore, when Count Sebastian ordered them to leave, the others had no choice but to comply.