Chapter 533 The Visit of Charles

Chapter 533 The Visit of Charles

?In the course of a year, the Westia Kingdom engaged in wars with several countries and, with minimal losses, gained vast tracts of land.

It became the nation with the largest territorial expansion within the year.

Meanwhile, a region known as Carabby began to witness the emergence of pirates.

These Carabby pirates were ideologists, not aligning themselves with any country.

Regardless of the favorable conditions offered by various nations, they had no intention of joining forces, retaining their ships and crews for piracy.

No matter how stern the warnings from the Fran Kingdom and Porlia Kingdom were, these pirates showed no signs of abandoning their marauding ways.

The Carabby region was affluent, attracting adventurous immigrants from various countries.

Gradually, they were blinded by the allure of wealth, their eyes seeing only gold, devoid of basic respect for life.

Their vessels, originally meant for trade, were all repurposed as pirate ships.

Their storage spaces, initially used for goods, were now filled with gunpowder and cannonballs.

Porlia Kingdom once held one or two islands in the Carabby region, but these were soon destroyed by the pirates, who established their strongholds there.

These pirates were formidable fighters, hardened by a life on the edge, valuing money over their lives.

Their strength, coupled with the distance from the mainland, made every journey time-consuming.

Whether it was the transmission of intelligence or the dispatch of fleets to quell the pirates, there was significant delay, adding to the complexity of dealing with the pirate menace in Carabby.

The Empire granted Oungria Kingdom a unique status of protected independence, meaning if Oungria was attacked, the Empire would directly intervene in the conflict.

However, Howard, now King of Oungria Kingdom, harbored reservations about trusting Nora, given the Empire's performance in the previous war.

Catherine suggested that Howard should personally meet Nora to bridge the gap.

Despite his new responsibilities as king and reluctance to leave the capital Pist, Howard instead embarked on an innovative project in Pist.

He established a grand hotel named Budopist Hotel.

This establishment was a novel concept; many had never seen a state-commissioned hotel, let alone one offering lodging services.

Howard, attentive to his people's needs, assumed the honorary role of Budopist Hotel's manager, significantly boosting its reputation.

While Howard insisted on keeping the prices affordable to avoid financial barriers for the common folk, his foreign minister and Catherine argued for maintaining higher rates.

They reasoned that the hotel should not become a laughingstock across the continent.

It needed to attract upscale clientele initially to establish a perception of luxury, even if there were some initial issues.

After some discussion, Howard made a few concessions.

The waitstaff at the hotel, already displaying signs of anger, stood beside Howard, subtly surrounding the teacher.

Howard gestured to his employees to maintain respect towards the teacher, believing that as long as the study group wasn't overtly problematic or obviously wrong, their educators deserved respect and courteous treatment.

Howard managed a wry smile and said, "Please allow me some time to consider this matter. For now, I invite you, teacher, to dine with us. To show my respect for you, today's meal and drinks are on the house. Please enjoy the services of Budopist Hotel to the fullest."

As the teacher dined, other regular patrons entered the hotel.

Observing the vibrancy of the establishment, the teacher felt pleased with Howard's respect towards him.

Before leaving, he reassured Howard, "There's no rush on this matter."

Initially intending to leave, the teacher was requested by Howard to leave his name and contact information.

With a smile, the teacher introduced himself, "I am Martin, the organizer of this new study group. They call me the founder, but I don't like it. I believe our study group is driven by a love for learning. It wasn't created by me alone, but by the countless individuals who share this passion. Learning is our true purpose."

The patrons of the hotel paused, putting down their cutlery.

Some stared at Martin in amazement, others with skepticism, and some with joy.

Howard inquired, "Mr. Martin, how might I contact you again in the future?"

As Martin left the hotel, he mentioned that he would contact Howard when the time was right.

On another occasion, Charles, the King of Fran Kingdom, visited Pist.

Howard sent people to welcome him along the way.

On the Royal Road, a procession of luxurious and extravagant carriages progressed slowly.

The convoy, comprising seven carriages, was adorned with purple sandalwood and blue-violet floral decorations.

The coachmen were dignified and robust.

The curtains in the carriages, or rather the window drapes, were all embellished with the Capet family's coat of arms.

Against the blue background of the Capet family's colors, they exuded nobility and a clear, distinct aura.

It was an elegance that set them apart from other nobility.

The territorial changes in the Fran Kingdom had been many, largely due to the machinations of the Ing Empire.

Fran Kingdom and Ing Empire were historical adversaries.

Recently, the relationship between Fran Kingdom and the Empire had also deteriorated significantly.

When Howard met Charles, he greeted him with a hug, saying, "Charles, you really are something. When you came to help me that day, I knew you were extraordinary, full of the spirit to aid others. I just didn't expect you to become the King of Fran Kingdom so quickly."

There was a hint of melancholy in Charles's eyes as he replied, "I didn't want this either, but my father's health is failing."

Howard patted Charles's shoulder in consolation.

Opting to walk, Howard was joined by Charles, who also chose to proceed on foot.