Ch.262To the Edge of the Cliff (2)

Liliane’s appearance alone was enough to pacify the Lotharingians, who possessed a loyalty bordering on fanaticism and were fanaticism incarnate.

Those who had been desperately trying to cross the border to wage holy war against the Kingdom of Andalusia to the south just moments ago became as docile as dogs begging their master for food, and with just a word from Liliane, they turned back the way they came.

The people of the Duchy of Aquitaine, who witnessed this scene from beginning to end, felt a sense of inadequacy about their own power while simultaneously realizing the severity of Lotharingia’s madness, and began preparing countermeasures.

“Thanks to you, my lady, we survived. I’ve benefited many times from having you as my sister-in-law, but never have I felt it as deeply as today.”

“Hehe, I’ll be more than capable of handling whatever you entrust to me in the future.”

“Ah… haha, yes. I’ll be counting on you.”

The Duke of Aquitaine and Liliane observe from atop the castle walls as the soldiers of Aquitaine—specifically, the southern forces that Claude had entrusted to the Duke—handle the aftermath.

However, the atmosphere isn’t particularly pleasant. At least not from the Duke of Aquitaine’s perspective.

‘…Wait, what does she mean by “entrust”?’

The Duke of Aquitaine desperately swallows the words rising in his throat.

From the Duke’s perspective, Liliane’s actions thus far have been completely incomprehensible, and what just happened falls into that category as well.

‘Things worked out well this time so we can gloss over it, but why are you even here in the first place?’

He simply cannot understand.

Princess Liliane doesn’t behave like daughters from other noble families.

She keeps wandering outside, trying to do things, and considers herself equal to her husband.

Of course, he thinks the last point is perfectly reasonable.

She’s not just any noblewoman that you can find anywhere, but the eldest daughter of Claude, the most powerful figure of the era. Her position as the eldest daughter alone gives her standing comparable to a duke, so he doesn’t consider that to be an issue.

The problem lies with the first two points.

Why, as a woman, does she keep leaving the castle to tour the territory, and even try to take on official duties? Can’t she just quietly stay in the castle as a proper duchess should?

“My lady, thanks to you, we survived. Now that things seem to be settled here, shall we go inside and rest?”

“Hmm… No, I think it’s better if I stay here and remain visible until I’m out of their sight. They don’t act rationally, do they?”

—The irrational one is you.

Once again, the Duke of Aquitaine desperately suppresses the words that threaten to escape.

Where in the world is there a princess who wanders around like you—

“Did you say something just now?”

“W-What? What do you mean? I didn’t say anything.”

“Hmm… Never mind, I must have been mistaken.”

…There it is again, this strange feeling.

It’s like the pressure of facing both an empress and an emperor simultaneously.

Her smile is incredibly beautiful, but precisely because it’s such an ideally perfect smile—like something from a painting—it creates an unsettling dissonance.

Indeed, blood will tell… ugh.

“Then I’ll go down and inspect the troops. Something might have happened during the recent clash.”

“Yes, take care.”

“…You too, Princess.”

My son will undoubtedly be tightly bound to her until his dying day.

Sigh… Is this why the previous generation of nobles advised against becoming an imperial in-law, no matter the political benefits?

……….

“How dare you trample on His Majesty of Lotharingia’s goodwill! What nonsense is this!”

“Stop making excuses! You not only rejected His Majesty’s offer to protect you from the corrupt Empire like a worn-out shoe but even insulted him!”

“You madmen! What ruler in the world would accept when you openly threaten that bad things will happen if we don’t become your vassals while claiming to protect us from the Empire’s threat? Stop courting death and surrender, you rioters!”

“Enough with the excuses!! Long live the Emperor!!”

Meanwhile, the militia groups that rushed toward the Kisalpina Peninsula rather than the Empire had a different experience from those who went to the Empire.

While the Empire’s border regions adjacent to Lotharingia had been devastated by war, allowing the militia to exceed their limitations and achieve numerous accomplishments, they couldn’t maintain such momentum in the various states of the Kisalpina Peninsula.

Though small conflicts occurred, there had never been large-scale wars like those between the Holy Empire and the Kingdom of Lotharingia, which left these states with ample resources to counter the militia. Unless there was a significant numerical advantage, there was no way militia troops with only regular military training could match mercenaries and knights who dedicated their lives to combat training.

“Your Majesty, do you really intend to kill them all?”

“Of course we must kill them! They’re barbarian raiders who appeared after hundreds of years, invading without any declaration of war, just to fight!”

“But they are…”

“Enough. If Lotharingia’s bastard king—no, bastard emperor—has any decency, he won’t protest.”

The judgment of the Kisalpina ruler is entirely correct.

It’s unimaginably tragic and rather embarrassing that there exists a ruler who cannot properly control his own people.

How does one manage a country so poorly that its citizens transform into rioters and invade neighboring countries?

Of course, judging by their training level and equipment, they aren’t pure rioters… but that presents its own problems. It well illustrates the character of the bastard emperor who treats human lives as expendable.

“Looking at the battle situation, it should be over before sunset. Since they’re officially designated as rioters and full-scale war with the Lotharingian Empire is impossible, prepare to send a letter of protest— What’s that?”

But the situation begins to take a strange turn.

The ruler, observing the battlefield from the castle wall, notices a cloud of dust in the distance beyond the militia, approaching like waves rolling toward the shore—something not reported beforehand.

And through the gaps in the dust… the shadows of horses are clearly visible.

“Retreat! Send someone immediately to order a retreat!!”

In the ruler’s mind, the notion that these militia are mere rioters has completely vanished.

They’ve received professional training, are armed with above-average quality weapons, and even deploy cavalry—how could these possibly be peasant soldiers or rioters? They’re simply regular troops.

“Hurry! The hill is blocking the view, so they won’t be visible from the battlefield’s low vantage point!!”

“Yes, sir!!”

Of course, these weren’t cavalry operated by the militia but Lotharingian forces who had rushed over upon hearing that the Emperor’s peasants were about to be slaughtered—but such details were irrelevant in the current situation.

What mattered was that cavalry had appeared on the battlefield.

For the small states of the Kisalpina Peninsula, cavalry deployed by a massive empire functioned like a broom sweeping away dust.

Eventually, within a short time, the armies of the small states were completely trampled under the hooves of war horses. With no remaining forces, the ruler decided to surrender and opened the city gates with a heavy heart.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m preparing the altar for His Majesty’s creation— W-What are you doing?!”

“These people became His Majesty’s property the moment they were captured! How dare you harm His Majesty’s property at your discretion! Are you in your right mind?!”

“Ugh…?!”

Here too, the militia had built a guillotine and were about to place the captured ruler’s head in it, but such dishonorable actions were immediately stopped by the Lotharingian army that obeyed orders from above.

Similar scenes were occurring throughout the Kisalpina Peninsula, and eventually, the rulers of Kisalpina, terrified that they would lose everything if they faced Lotharingia’s great army, began to pledge allegiance to Claude first.

………….

“…Pledges of allegiance?”

Letters begging for the opportunity to pledge allegiance are arriving en masse from the rulers of the Kisalpina Peninsula.

No, I don’t particularly want to receive pledges of allegiance… In exchange for minor tributes and prestige, I’ll incur maintenance costs exceeding those tributes, and even introduce unfamiliar political forces into the country. The administrative system I’ve painstakingly built will also be tarnished.

Above all, neighboring countries will become extremely vigilant— No, we’ve already crossed that river, so it doesn’t matter.

“I have no choice but to accept.”

The problem is that these public letters requesting submission have already arrived. While I could have prevented this before it was spoken aloud, now that it’s been publicly stated, I cannot refuse.

Sigh… Since I’ve imprisoned all those who promoted the volunteer army, no one will openly celebrate this as an achievement of the militia, but it’s obvious that everyone will privately consider this the militia’s accomplishment, even if they don’t say it out loud.

…Damn it, I should have followed Chloe’s advice and mobilized troops in advance to forcibly stop this.

“I will prepare the ceremony.”

“Good. However, don’t announce the schedule publicly.”

“As you command.”

It’s not difficult to imagine what people, already feverish with praise and glorification of me, might think and conceive upon witnessing a mass loyalty ceremony.

Rather than witnessing such a spectacle with my own eyes, it’s better to keep it private— Wait, something seems off.

I’m the emperor, so shouldn’t the people be mindful of me, not the other way around?

…Huh?