Ch.130Expansion (2)

“Of course, we need to be clear about how to deal with them first.”

“…You mean those who rose up to offer me the crown?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Don’t you know why they want to give you the throne of Caroling?”

What Leclerc is trying to say is simple.

They aren’t truly pledging their loyalty to me. They have their own agenda.

That’s only natural. There’s no way they’d suddenly develop loyalty to a foreign king—one with whom they have no connection and who has been their enemy in several wars—and offer him their country’s throne.

“They probably want independence from Caroling, like Lotharing—no, like the Duchy of Burgundy did… or at least a comparable status. Something along those lines.”

There would be no reason to promote me as king otherwise.

In other words, they want to make me their puppet.

I’m sure there were countless nobles on Earth who suddenly became kings or emperors for similar reasons. In Korean history, there was King Jungjong, who received sudden support from the scholar-officials and became king overnight.

‘I understand their feelings, but… it’s quite annoying.’

If they truly seize the crown and throne to offer to me, I can’t refuse their wishes.

After all, I’m a king, right? If they offer something as significant as a crown, many nobles both domestic and foreign would say I should—no, must—grant them autonomy nearly equivalent to independence.

Of course, I could ignore such opinions if I wanted to, but that would further damage my already poor reputation.

‘…Come to think of it, I still don’t understand. Why do I have such a bad reputation?’

Previously, out of curiosity, I asked Jeanne to discreetly collect what students were saying about me. Within less than a day, she returned with shocking reports.

Outrageous rumors were circulating among both commoners and nobles: that I view noble lives as equal to commoners, that I openly desire other women despite having a queen, that I blackmailed the Holy Emperor to pardon my sins, and so on.

What’s more frustrating is that these rumors aren’t completely false. Punishing nobles equally as commoners when they break the law, desiring other women… well… anyway, since the rumors contain some truth, people seem to find them quite believable—no, they see them as reliable information.

Someone once said that people are more likely to believe 90% lies mixed with 10% truth than 100% lies, and that’s exactly right.

Anyway, I can’t allow my reputation to deteriorate further. Even a king who rules with an iron fist can’t completely ignore his reputation. Even dictators who purge all opposition still engage in some self-glorification, don’t they?

It may be too late, but I need to start caring about my reputation from now on.

“Leclerc, we will intervene in Caroling’s civil war. However, we will not accept help from those who seek to promote me.”

Of course, granting nobles’ wishes and reputation management are, strictly speaking, different issues.

If the premise is that I must grant their wishes if they offer me the crown… then if I win the throne through my own efforts, I don’t have to grant them anything, right?

Originally, I was planning to just watch from the sidelines, but I can’t sit idly by while people try to use me.

“I will prepare the army.”

And as always, Leclerc calmly bows to receive my order, as if he already knew what I would decide.

…Tsk, the more I see Leclerc, the more suspicious he seems. It feels like he’s testing me by knowing what I’ll do but not saying anything.

……….

“What?! This is different from what we agreed!”

“B-but, my lord…”

“Grrr…! Give me that!”

The Duke of Aquitaine, unable to believe the messenger’s words, snatches the letter from his hands to read it himself.

But of course, reading it himself doesn’t change anything.

“Why on earth…?”

He simply cannot understand the situation.

Wasn’t Lotharing supposed to gain the Carolingian throne with minimal cost this way?

Wasn’t it just a matter of sitting comfortably in Dijon and accepting the crown we bring?

‘But… direct intervention?’

This isn’t just support through mercenaries or supplies, but direct intervention by Lotharing.

While this would make winning the civil war incomparably easier, the rewards for our faction would diminish proportionally.

No matter how much we try to assert ourselves after the war, we need a certain stake to have a voice, and that stake will be taken by the massive entity that is the Kingdom of Lotharing.

‘…Could that be his plan?’

It’s entirely plausible.

According to our prior agreement with the King of Lotharing, we would receive Lotharing’s support to win this succession war, offer the throne to Lotharing, and in return, be guaranteed various benefits.

But if Lotharing intervenes directly rather than indirectly… there will inevitably be problems with those guaranteed benefits. After all, we won’t be the only ones shedding blood.

Damn it… Didn’t he say he would only provide weapons, or at worst, dispatch mercenaries? I shouldn’t have trusted the words of that bastard with no proper lineage.

“Treasurer, change our military formation to defensive immediately! With Lotharing’s intervention decided, we must preserve our forces until Lotharing’s army arrives!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Though the Duke inwardly curses Claude, he still does what needs to be done.

With Lotharing’s intervention decided, the strategy of quickly gaining the upper hand in the civil war and consolidating power is no longer useful. There’s no point in unnecessary losses when an easier method is available.

“Have the other nobles in our faction been informed?”

“Unless they’re in some remote area, they should all have received the message by now.”

“Good. Anyone who isn’t foolish enough to misread the situation wouldn’t have been invited to our faction—or rather, wouldn’t have received Lotharing’s proposal in the first place, so they won’t do anything stupid.”

There’s no need to shed more blood.

Demanding a stake after the war because we shed blood? If shedding blood alone were enough to gain a stake, countless nations throughout history wouldn’t have fallen so pathetically.

The most important thing in demanding compensation for bloodshed is not how desperately you fought, but that you maintained your power despite the bloodshed.

To prevent Lotharing from making unreasonable demands after the war, we must preserve our current military strength as much as possible.

……….

“War again…”

“Hmm… I suspected this might happen, and here we are.”

“What’s wrong with you two? Aren’t you happy? I’m thrilled to have another chance to earn military merits.”

“Sigh.”

The reactions among the Lotharing army are varied.

Some are pleased about the war and the opportunity to earn achievements, but most are not.

They aren’t conscripts but professional soldiers who receive salaries, and while they don’t fear combat, recent years have been excessive.

In the past few years, they’ve participated in literally dozens of battles. Even the most battle-hungry warrior would think differently if battles were this frequent.

“What are you all doing? Move quickly!”

“Yes, sir.”

But what can they do? Soldiers must follow orders.

The soldiers move their legs diligently while sighing at the inexperienced officer’s rebuke.

This war will serve as useful practice for the recently established military academy, and these soldiers will be teaching materials for those trainees.

The soldiers are well aware of this fact, making them even more reluctant about this war. Nothing is more frightening than taking orders from inexperienced superiors. A powerful enemy would be preferable.

“I can see the supply depot ahead!”

After marching for a long time, the army reaches Baron Varden’s domain, a foothold established within Caroling about a year ago.

Rumors say that the King of Lotharing sent bandits to slaughter Baron Varden and seize his territory, and the King of Caroling was too weak to respond. The Carolingian rebels were too afraid of Lotharing’s king to say anything.

While most soldiers here know these rumors are false, they can’t deny their plausibility.

The king has done too many questionable things in the past.

They’ve heard this war started because the king was scheming to obtain the Carolingian throne, so rumors about him employing bandits sound believable. After all, the seized barony is now aiding their war effort.

Even if they weren’t actual bandits, he probably used soldiers disguised as bandits.

Most of the soldiers, knights, and even nobles in the army think this as they enter Baron Varden’s domain.