Chapter 385: Chapter 248: The Joy of Victory, the Weight of Reality

Fang Zhen gathered his core military officers and close allies, like Matthew, for a short meeting.

Inside the main command tent, which had been hastily erected, Fang Zhen and his retinue were already assembled.

Fang Zhen stood at the head of the group, which included Mansa, Tahar, Agatha, Matthew, Ottis, Keton, and the Mage Maso, who had recently joined their side.

Fang Zhen gathered them around a simple, portable table in the center of the tent. There were no chairs, so everyone remained standing.

Now, inside the command tent, the way these high-ranking officers looked at Fang Zhen had changed completely.

This was especially true for Ottis, Mansa, and Keton. The three of them stared at Fang Zhen in utter astonishment.

It was only natural.

Fang Zhen could guess what they were thinking.

Duke Tarrenno and Duke Balenzuo had been locked in military skirmishes along the border for so long without a decisive outcome, resulting in a protracted stalemate.

And yet, how long had Fang Zhen been in this world?

In less than ten days, Fang Zhen had first killed Duke Tarrenno in a duel, and today, he had effortlessly shattered Duke Balenzuo’s army and forced his soldiers to surrender.

Admittedly, this was partly because Fang Zhen had discovered Duke Balenzuo was a demon and killed him, causing the Balenzuo army’s morale to plummet and leading to their surrender.

But even without that, the war would still have been a stunning victory.

Everyone knew that even if their commander hadn’t single-handedly slain the enemy general, Fang Zhen still would have won this war.

To have achieved such a feat, to have won the war so swiftly... in the heat of battle, it hadn’t fully sunk in. Now, reflecting on it, everyone present was utterly stunned. They felt as if they were dreaming.

Mansa was the first to speak.

The look in his eyes as he gazed at Fang Zhen was one of profound shock.

"I can’t believe it. You actually managed to do it."

"You’ve won the war."

"You have to understand, the armies of Duke Tarrenno and Duke Balenzuo were locked in a stalemate for two or three years!" Mansa said, his voice filled with emotion.

"Indeed." Viscount Keton, standing nearby, felt it even more keenly.

"I originally thought of you as merely a valiant Warrior, perhaps a talented general. I never imagined that in such a short time, you would accomplish what Duke Tarrenno couldn’t manage in several years."

"I was on the front lines of the military conflict between the two Duchies. I know exactly how tenacious the opposing army was and how difficult it was to achieve victory."

"Your victory... it is truly a praiseworthy accomplishment."

Keton, as the Lord of a Viscount’s Domain on the very front lines of the conflict, spoke with sincere admiration.

This Viscount Keton had always seemed quite uncompromising, never mincing words with his original Lord, Quentin. Toward Fang Zhen, however, his attitude was one of genuine conviction.

It wasn’t that Keton was two-faced. Rather, he possessed a proud spirit; he could respect and serve a worthy person, but he would never submit to mediocrity.

But Fang Zhen’s accomplishments were now undeniable, leaving Keton utterly and thoroughly convinced.

Meanwhile, Finn, Tahar, and Agatha also gazed at Fang Zhen with ardent eyes.

They, too, felt a sense of shared glory.

They had chosen a good Lord. Following Lord Fang Zhen, it seemed, was a path with a very promising future.

Fang Zhen’s glory reflected onto them, his subordinates.

At the same time, Matthew felt an even greater sense of honor, as his relationship with Fang Zhen was closer. He was considered a trusted insider.

Fang Zhen observed their reactions and smiled faintly.

’Influence may seem like an abstract concept, but it’s very real. An increase in influence is an increase in status, which in turn is an accumulation of both position and power.’

’And the fastest way to build influence is to win—to win continuously.’

’As long as you win, it doesn’t matter how you do it. You will gain influence.’

Clearly, Fang Zhen’s stature in their eyes had risen dramatically. He now held greater authority and his words carried more weight.

Fang Zhen’s gaze swept over Mansa and the others. "I’ve called you all here today because there is an important matter to discuss."

"The truly important things often boil down to a single objective." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"I need to bring all the armies of the Balenzuo and Tarrenno Duchies under my command. I also need to unify all the nobles of both Duchies and make them focus on one thing and one thing only: how to serve me without ever betraying me."

"Absorbing their armies is merely a smaller, subordinate goal to that end."

"My goal now is to win over these nobles and secure the true allegiance of every soldier in both armies. Do you have any opinions or suggestions?"

Hearing Fang Zhen’s words, everyone present either fell silent or was lost in deep thought.

Fang Zhen scanned the group, waiting to hear what suggestions they might have.

’War is merely an extension of politics,’ he mused. ’Fighting a war for its own sake is meaningless.’

’Right now, both the Balenzuo and Tarrenno Duchies are in a power vacuum. I already have the military advantage; the next step is to secure my political dominion.’

"My Lord, forgive me for being blunt, but what you want to do is impossible to achieve in a short amount of time."

The first person to speak was Mage Mansa.

Mansa had already recovered from his earlier shock.

Although Mansa’s opinion of Fang Zhen had changed, the Elder Mage still seemed unconvinced of his abilities outside the realm of pure military might.