Moreover, the emperor had always held nobles from the Knight Academy in high regard. A capable noble like Henry was an absolute treasure.
Nothing bad ever happened to him, and every good thing fell into his lap!
Therefore, these nobles believed there was no harm in getting acquainted with Henry ahead of time.
They came with smiles and various gifts, all trying to make a good impression on Henry.
As this was all rather sudden, the gifts they had on hand weren't as valuable as they would have liked. Simple enough to fix. They'd just have someone send another, better gift later.
After all, you can't go wrong with being overly generous.
They discussed Henry's military exploits and heaped praise on his valor, while also making sure to mention their own family's honor and power, hoping to pique his interest.
Henry remained polite as the nobles tried to cozy up to him. Their intentions were obvious, but it was always better to have one more friend than one more enemy.
