madnovel Chapter 105 Edsac Augustus
Chapter 105 Edsac Augustus
Chapter 105 Edsac Augustus
The next day, Evan and his brother rode in a carriage to the West End, where an officers' club was about to open. Today was the first day of the opening, and Robert, one of the club's donors, naturally had to be there.
Evan went there for two reasons: one was to expand his network, and the other was to be commissioned by Robert to promote the role-playing method.
The officers Robert selected to teach acting techniques were his most loyal subordinates, who had followed him through thick and thin in the South Continent. Robert had taken good care of them over the years, using his influence to help them rise in rank within the military.
But now they have finally hit the ceiling for promotion because they don't understand the role-playing method, so most of them are only Sequence 8 and a few are Sequence 7.
It could be said that they have reached the pinnacle of their abilities, and unless they are promoted again, their military ranks and positions will not be able to rise any higher.
Because of this, these people became somewhat disheartened and depressed, losing all their initial ambition, which Robert noticed and worried about.
He also wanted to help his old subordinates, but he had long ago developed the method of role-playing and demonstrated his talent in digesting potions. He had been found by the royal family while he was in military school and signed an agreement not to spread the method of role-playing, so he had never had a good way to help his old subordinates.
When Robert learned that Evan had developed the method of role-playing and had not signed any agreement to prevent its dissemination, he was overjoyed. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for his old subordinate.
The Southern Continent Officers' Club was not far from Queens District. It only took half an hour to reach the destination by carriage. After getting off the carriage, Evan found that the place was luxuriously decorated, with even a red carpet laid out, which was very similar to the wedding venue in his previous life.
This made Evan wonder to himself if this was the influence of Roselle.
Because it was the opening of an officers' club, all the guests were officers. Robert had changed into his long-unworn major general's uniform, adorned with numerous medals that were dazzling to behold.
Mr. Hope, his personal secretary, also donned a lieutenant colonel's uniform. When they assembled at the villa to depart, Evan, who was dressed as a captain, reacted instinctively and gave him a military salute.
Today, the club is full of stars. But thinking about it, it makes sense. Ever since Emperor Roselle opened up new sea routes and started a wave of colonization, most of the conflicts between the countries of the North Continent have been concentrated in the South Continent. And promotions in the military are naturally based on military merit. So it's understandable that so many generals are attending the opening of the South Continent Officers Club.
Robert went up and greeted many people, exchanging compliments and showing great enthusiasm.
Robert has retired from active duty and is no longer in competition with these military personnel. At the same time, he is doing very well in politics, holding power over military spending audits and intelligence. These generals are also willing to maintain good relations with him.
At the same time, Robert introduced his younger brother to these military bigwigs. As the saying goes, "Many hands make light work," and Evan naturally received a lot of praise, such as being young and promising and having an extraordinary demeanor.
Soon, the truly important figure—Duke Negan—arrived dressed in a naval uniform. Logically speaking, since most of the people in this club were from the army, Duke Negan's presence seemed somewhat out of place. However, considering the support the navy's powerful ships and cannons provided to the army, as well as Duke Negan's influence on the military, his arrival did not seem so abrupt.
Upon seeing the Duke of Negan's arrival, Robert stepped forward to greet him. Regardless of their past grievances, they hadn't truly broken off relations, especially since they had recently reconciled thanks to Earl Hall's mediation.
Robert's proposal to help the navy settle accounts pleased the Duke of Negan, lessening his resentment towards Robert, as it had been a great help to him.
Therefore, the Duke of Negan responded positively to Robert's enthusiasm, dispelling rumors that the two would eventually fall out.
Then, just like the opening ceremony in Evan's previous life, there were speeches from political bigwigs, military bigwigs, the club manager, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony, etc. It was all rather unoriginal and made Evan quite bored.
However, Evan didn't come away empty-handed. The pile of business cards in his pocket were the ones he exchanged during this period. Even if he didn't make any friends, at least he had an acquaintance when he needed to do things at the military base in the future, so he wouldn't be completely clueless at the time.
Just as Evan was getting bored and preparing to leave after completing Robert's instructions, a servant suddenly brought news that the carriage of the third prince, Edsac Augustus, had arrived.
This caused all the officers present to hurriedly stand up from their seats, after all, the Augustan royal family was a thousand-year-old royal family, and its influence on the Kingdom of Rune was profound.
Even political and military heavyweights like Duke Negan and Robert couldn't help but frown, wondering whether Edsack Augustus's sudden arrival was his own idea or His Majesty the King's.
If this was King George III's intention, was it a warning to them? If it was just his personal intention, was it related to the increasingly intense struggle for succession?
Regardless, they could no longer afford to be negligent, so led by Duke Negan, a group of generals went outside to greet the enigmatic Edsac Augustus.
When they arrived outside the club, they were surprised to find that Edsac Augustus was not wearing the royal military uniform.
Instead, he was dressed in ordinary major general's uniform, which left Duke Negan and his men momentarily speechless, unsure how to greet him.
Instead, Prince Edsak Augustus took the initiative to salute them and called out:
"Major General Edsak Augustus of the Fourth Infantry Regiment of the Kingdom of Rune reports to the generals."
It was only then that everyone present remembered that the prince had an honorary military rank. The royal family often adorned princes with honorary ranks to signify their status, but no one had ever taken it seriously. They never expected that Edsac Augustus would actually do it today.
If it was someone of the rank of major general or below, a salute would suffice. But other high-ranking officials were a bit awkward and unsure how to respond. In the end, it was Duke Negan who raised his arm slightly and then quickly ushered them in, thus resolving the awkward situation.
Evan mingled in the crowd, watching Edsack Augustus, who was talking to Duke Negan and other generals about how he was a member of the army and should attend the opening ceremony, and felt that this guy's intentions were as clear as day.
However, he did choose a good time. The surprise attack made Duke Negan and others unsure whether he was representing the king, so they had to go out to greet him, creating the illusion that he had a high prestige in the army.
Moreover, he did not wear the royal military uniform, but introduced himself as a member of the army. Instead of highlighting his royal status, he made a large number of middle and lower-ranking officers feel his approachability and won the favor of many people.
Of course, Evan believes that his ability to win everyone's favor is not only due to this reason, but also largely due to his appearance.
He looked very much like King Henry Augustus I, the fifth king of the Kingdom of Loen and the direct ancestor of the current king, King Yangji III, and naturally inspired goodwill in people.
But Evan's focus was neither on his ulterior motives to "seize the throne" nor on the uproar his sudden attendance at this gathering with its strong military characteristics. Instead, he was thinking about another issue.
Why did George III choose him as a scapegoat for the Great Smog of Backlund?
After arriving in Backlund, Evan inquired about the situation of the adult male heirs of the Third Prince from various sources.
It was discovered that Edsac Augustus was definitely his best successor, far superior to the first in line to the throne—the eldest prince.
Moreover, King George III had praised the third prince on several occasions, leading many to believe that the king favored him as the future heir to the Kingdom of Loen. As a result, they actively sought to attach themselves to him, hoping to reap rich rewards in the future.
Yet this very prince ultimately became George III's discarded son and a scapegoat for the Great Smog of Backlund, leaving Evan with endless speculation.
Stepping onto the platform, at the host's prompting, Edsack Augustus delivered a speech highly praising the contributions of the Southern Continent officers to the Kingdom of Rune. He then presented a check for 10,000 gold pounds to the club and pledged to donate at least 5,000 gold pounds to the club every year thereafter.
This statement quickly drew cheers from the junior and middle-ranking officers below, making Edsack Augustus, the uninvited guest, the center of attention. Reporters squatting below taking pictures quickly pressed the shutter of their cameras, and for a moment the entire club hall was filled with the dazzling and bright flashes of cameras.
Under the direct spotlight, Edsack Augustus displayed his excellent qualities, waving downwards...
He didn't blink once, and smiled the whole time, making sure that reporters wouldn't take a picture of him with his eyes closed.
This impressed Evan, who had just been blinded by the camera flash.
This made Duke Negan and the other bigwigs look rather grim. Today should have been their moment to shine, but Edsack Augustus stole all the limelight in the end. It would be strange if they were in a good mood.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, it was time for everyone to dance and socialize. At that moment, Evan noticed a group of girls swarming in from the side door, led by Mrs. Natasha, Backlund's famous socialite.
Evan spotted Natasha immediately, but he wasn't surprised at all, because her niche in high society was to pimp for nobles and wealthy businessmen, and it would be illogical if she wasn't there in this kind of setting.
What truly surprised Evan was that among the dancers Natasha brought, there was one who looked very familiar to him.