Ch.64Preparation (4)

“…Um, my lord.”

“Ines, no.”

There was a faint hint of expectation in Ines’s voice, but I cut her off immediately without concern.

I already knew what Ines was going to say after seeing the Holy Emperor’s letter with me.

“Leclerc, the Holy Emperor wants to use me as a mercenary.”

“A mercenary, it must be about the Holy Empire. But the Holy Emperor doesn’t have many cards to play…”

“But the power of this one is strong enough to blow away all other cards. In return, he’s offering to crown me king.”

“…Huh.”

Having quickly grasped the situation, Leclerc let out a short exclamation.

King.

What everyone—from the Duke to his subordinates and vassals—had desperately wanted since Burgundy’s independence from the Carolingian Kingdom.

But Burgundy had never obtained the crown.

Perhaps in ancient times before proper protocols were established, but a king cannot simply be self-proclaimed.

However, if the Holy Emperor recognizes me as king, that changes everything.

[Burgundy has gained enough prestige to call itself a kingdom, and now if it shows devotion to God, no one will be able to dispute that Claude de Burgundy is king.]

‘Burgundy is certainly beyond the level of a mere duchy.’

In terms of land, it’s barely a quarter of the Carolingian Kingdom, but it has already far surpassed an ordinary duchy.

Moreover, the land is fertile with a large population, and due to its proximity to several countries, it gains significant profit from trade.

Now, all Burgundy needs to become a kingdom is legitimacy, and the Holy Emperor is offering to hand it to me directly…

No, since it’s in exchange for something, it’s not exactly being handed to me.

“Hmm…”

Everyone is holding their breath, watching for my reaction.

Despite knowing better than anyone that I shouldn’t accept, Leclerc is hesitating, and Armand, born and raised in Dijon, is wide-eyed and restless.

Ines, as seen earlier, is making a fuss about quickly accepting the Holy Emperor’s offer, and while Chloe is relatively calm as she massages the back of my neck, I can tell from her sweaty hands that she’s quite excited too.

…Huh, it seems “king” is quite a stirring word for people of this era.

“I’m going to decline the Holy Emperor’s offer.”

But not for me.

Become king? So what?

I’m already an independent duke with power no different from a king’s. I don’t see the appeal of becoming one.

Moreover, if I become king, I’ll have to treat my vassals and subjects accordingly, and above all, wouldn’t the protocols become even more complicated?

I’m already enjoying everything I could want, so why should I become king?

“…I thought as much.”

“Ugh…”

As I finish speaking, everyone in the office either hangs their head or sighs in resignation, but they seem less shocked than expected, having likely anticipated my response from my earlier reaction to Ines.

“As you all know, there’s no need to fight the Empire. If we fight, all our preparations so far will be wasted, and it’s very uncertain whether we’ll gain anything.”

“I understand Your Highness’s intentions and reasoning, but… I doubt the elders of House Burgundy will feel the same way.”

Leclerc touches on a sensitive point.

If the Holy Emperor sent such an elaborate letter, this matter has surely already been discussed at the Holy See, which means anyone with connections there could easily find out what was proposed to me.

“The elders of House Burgundy have fought, slandered, criticized, and killed each other, but… they all share the same goal. The glory of House Burgundy.”

“…Yes, I know that well.”

Everyone in House Burgundy has acted in their own way to elevate the family’s glory.

Those actions sometimes led to rebellion when too extreme, but there’s no denying that their ultimate goal was the glory of House Burgundy.

And having a king emerge from House Burgundy would be the greatest glory that no one could deny.

“But isn’t this clearly a trap? Burgundy is right next to the Empire, so if we participate in that mess, Burgundy will be directly hit by the flames of war.”

“To the elders of House Burgundy, those flames would look like the forge fire that creates gold.”

“Tsk.”

Leclerc’s words are quite impertinent, but not wrong.

As evidenced by my uncles’ rebellion, to them—no, to the nobles of this world—war is merely a trifling matter.

It’s problematic whether I agree to the Holy Emperor’s proposal or not. Ugh…

‘Could the Holy Emperor have calculated even this… No, that’s going too far.’

He’s the type who mindlessly sent letters everywhere asking for attacks on the Empire’s heretics. Such a person couldn’t have set such a meticulous trap.

Hmm… In any case, I’m in a difficult situation regardless of which option I choose.

I need to accelerate my plans.

“Leclerc, how are things progressing with Jeanne?”

“Yes, Jeanne, who infiltrated the jointly governed city of Sedan, has already completed taking control of the city. Additionally, people enchanted by Jeanne are spreading beyond the city, increasing their numbers regardless of Burgundian or Imperial affiliation.”

…That’s too fast.

I asked thinking she might have completed the takeover by now, but already people who’ve become heretics are spilling out beyond the city.

I had a feeling there was something mystical about Jeanne when I first saw her… It seems she does have some special ability.

Anyway, if progress is this fast, I can advance my plans more quickly, which is good for me.

And since the Empire is in great turmoil, they might be more willing to accept a more aggressive proposal.

“Send the letter I prepared earlier to the Emperor.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Honestly, it seems too modest compared to the massive event of becoming king, but it should still divert attention somewhat.

As for those still obsessed with kingship… well… I’ll just have to do my best to persuade them.

………

“Your Majesty, Claude of Burgundy has sent a letter.”

“Claude… that bastard duke.”

Damn it… Why is he acting up now after being so quiet all this time?

The Holy Roman Emperor barely restrains himself from saying more as he takes Claude’s letter from the attendant and reads its contents.

[The heresy rampant in the Empire is spreading through the jointly governed Sedan into Burgundian territory. I express my regret to the Holy Roman Emperor for taking no action on this matter, and if the Empire is unable to project effective administrative control over Sedan and its vicinity, for the safety of the Duchy of Burgundy, I will act alone—]

“…Ugh.”

The Emperor, who had been anxious about Burgundy joining this madness, grows pale as he continues reading the letter.

Objectively speaking, while the Duchy of Burgundy is being somewhat unreasonable, its claim is far more rational than the false crusade invading the Empire on absurd pretexts.

No ruler in this world would remain idle when their territory is threatened.

“…Tell me, is it true that the Holy See sent something to Burgundy?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

What’s more troubling is that the Holy See recently made some proposal to Burgundy.

Due to their strained relationship, he couldn’t know the details of the proposal, but it’s certain that there was significant activity.

‘They probably proposed joining the false crusade or pressuring me in a similar way. The reward would likely be Imperial territory, or perhaps a crown.’

If Burgundy also intervenes against the Empire, the Empire will cease to exist as such.

It’s already difficult enough dealing with the false crusade attacking from all sides and internal enemies; the Empire cannot also face the powerful Duchy of Burgundy that once crushed both Carolingia and the Empire. It would mean utter destruction.

How, how should I—wait.

‘Is this… really related to the Holy Emperor’s proposal?’

If the Holy Emperor made some proposal to Burgundy and Burgundy accepted it, there would be no need to send such a detailed letter. They could just invade under the pretext of a crusade like the others.

Moreover, the letter from the Duke of Burgundy makes perfect sense. The “reformists” within my sphere of influence had warned me about extremely radical heretical forces gaining strength in the border region with Burgundy, listening to no one.

If those radical heretics are invading Burgundy and spreading their harmful influence… of course Burgundy would be angry.

Above all, until recently they were suffering from war and rebellion, and didn’t even participate in the crusade due to the aftereffects.

‘But I can’t project administrative control to that area as Burgundy suggests.’

It’s already a struggle just to defend the center. I can’t project administrative control to that remote border city.

If it’s not by the Holy Emperor’s order, I could certainly compromise with Burgundy.

I need to find what Burgundy wants… what they want—huh?

‘What is this…?’

The Emperor, who had been grinding his teeth trying to prevent the calamity of Burgundy’s participation, feels as if struck by a hammer when he reads the lines at the bottom of the letter.

What Burgundy proposed was something that neither the Emperor nor any noble accustomed to feudal order could ever conceive.

[If you are unable to project administrative control over said territory, I would like to propose that Burgundy purchase that territory. Payment would be in the form of gold and silver, grain, weapons, and mercenaries.]

‘Buy the land…?’