Ch.67King (2)

“I shall imprint the glory of the Lotharing Kingdom upon that empire!”

“Sir Simon, we must avoid needless losses.”

“Understood, Your Majesty!”

He clearly didn’t understand at all. Just look at that beaming smile.

Not just Simon, but the entire 10,000-strong Burgund—no, Lotharing army, which is a mercenary force in name only, is excited at the prospect of achieving military feats against the empire.

They’re veterans equipped with various high-quality weapons who have experienced countless battles, so I should try to keep them alive as much as possible… but with their leader behaving like this, that seems like a futile hope.

Should I replace the commander even now…? But Simon is the general designated by Aras as his successor, so it’s rather awkward to replace him at this point.

“…I hope you keep your word.”

Nothing to be done. Simon, who will take Aras’s position, needs to gain more experience.

Even if the losses are great, it won’t be too serious if he can learn from them.

……….

“Ah… Holy One, I have completed all the missions you entrusted to me…”

After the Lotharing Kingdom was restored and all the territories where Jeanne had been active were ceded to Lotharing, Jeanne returned to Dijon on her own, walking all the way back without me giving any orders.

“…Yes, well done.”

She’s rather uncomfortable to face, so I tried to keep her there as long as possible, but how did she manage to walk all the way from there to here alone with such a frail body?

Her clothes show signs of the long journey, but her skin is as flawless as if meticulously maintained with modern beauty products.

“Hehe, I was able to eat thanks to kind people.”

“…”

…What? That’s creepy.

Since entering the reception room, Jeanne has been kneeling with her head slightly bowed, eyes closed in prayer, not once looking at me. Yet she speaks as if answering my thoughts.

Not only does she turn people into followers as if brainwashing them, but she even does this… I suppose it’s fortunate that, for whatever reason, this woman seems to favor me.

“…If you could get food, you could have found lodging or a carriage.”

“Yes, there were many kind-hearted people who offered me a place to stay or a carriage to Dijon, but I refused them all. This was a trial bestowed upon me by the Holy One. I could accept food as it’s essential for survival, but how could I borrow someone else’s feet instead of walking with my own two feet and experiencing the hardship?”

There seems to be a barb in her words.

A trial I bestowed upon Jeanne… She’s not referring to my orders to incite people.

She’s probably indirectly expressing dissatisfaction that no one was sent to welcome her back after completing her task.

…No, what prisoner in the world complains about not being escorted back to prison?

“Jeanne, you could have easily found a new life if you wanted.”

“How could I do that when you, my light and my life, are here, Holy One?”

Jeanne’s words are extremely solemn and devout. She’s not flattering me; she truly means what she says.

Ah really, stop being so scary.

I don’t understand how she developed such affection for me when we’ve only just met. Of course, the mentally ill have their own way of thinking, but isn’t this going a bit too far?

“…Well, fine, I get it. For now, return to prison. However, given your achievements, it won’t be as harsh as before.”

“I am grateful for your grace, Holy One.”

For now, I should let her rest after her long journey. I’ll have to hear about what happened there later.

……….

“The revival of Lotharing…”

The revival of Lotharing has caught the world’s attention, with the Caroling Kingdom naturally showing the most interest.

Unlike the Holy Empire, which is suffering from civil war, the Caroling Kingdom is politically stable, making it easier to turn its gaze outward. Moreover, it borders Burgund—no, the Lotharing Kingdom—and contributed to their downfall in the past.

“How amusing that Caroling’s greatest enemy now wears the shell of a long-dead foe.”

“Indeed, it is so.”

Though Caroling is surrounded by various nations, the one considered most dangerous is undoubtedly the Lotharing Kingdom.

No other country has inflicted such serious damage on Caroling. Not only did the fertile Dijon region become independent, but coastal Flamang and the strategic location of Bar were all taken by a single country.

For such a powerful nation to now wear the shell of a dead enemy? No matter how much they coveted the throne, it’s quite ridiculous.

“Of course, we can’t simply find it amusing and do nothing. We must remind the Duke of Burgund, or rather the King of Lotharing, of the treaty from 300 years ago.”

The treaty from 300 years ago refers to the event that led to the downfall of the Lotharing Kingdom, when the Caroling Kingdom and the Holy Empire divided Lotharing’s territories.

Through that treaty, the Caroling Kingdom stripped away several territories under Lotharing’s rule, notably the Dijon area of the Duchy of Burgund, Bar, and the coastal region of Flamang.

The parchment containing that 300-year-old treaty is still well preserved in the Caroling Kingdom’s vault, stating that the Lotharing Kingdom permanently cedes the following territories to Caroling.

If they assert territorial rights against Lotharing using that parchment… they would have sufficient justification.

“They are no longer Burgund, but Lotharing.”

If they had simply demanded the return of territories lost when they were the Duchy of Burgund, Caroling would have had no grounds since they had already recognized Burgund’s independence and ceded territory due to defeat, and the world’s nobility would have viewed Caroling as dishonorable.

But if they are Lotharing, the story is quite different.

Though Lotharing and the Empire claim that the current Lotharing merely shares a name with the past one, who would believe that when they proclaimed the restoration of Lotharing based on the ancient crown and ring? Especially when the territories they control are similar.

In terms of justification, custom, and perception, the current Lotharing clearly succeeds the past Lotharing. There is little risk in demanding restitution.

“However… I question whether they will willingly cede territory.”

“Hmm, a reasonable doubt. But it doesn’t matter if they refuse.”

If they cede territory, that’s good, and if they don’t, they’ll come with their own negotiations.

Having experienced frequent wars and sent half their army as mercenaries to the Holy Empire, Lotharing cannot respond aggressively to the mention of the 300-year-old treaty.

They will likely want to nullify the treaty with money or other interests.

If so, it would be enough to compensate for the losses from the Burgund Succession War and the Holy War.

“I should send congratulations to the bastard.”

……….

“…What do these bastards want now?”

As if becoming king and having to worry about protocol and whatnot wasn’t enough, during this busy time, letters arrived simultaneously from the Holy See and Caroling.

I can understand the Holy See’s complaints. Right after rejecting the Pope’s proposal, I readily accepted a similar one from the Emperor, and even provided mercenaries and funds to counter their crusade, so naturally they’re upset.

But since they know the crusade would definitely fail if they completely alienate me, they seem to be moderating their tone. They’ve listed their grievances in a way I can understand, making me feel guilty even though it wasn’t my intention.

It was a bit irritating that they consistently referred to me as Claude de Burgund rather than the King of Lotharing, but given our history, I can understand.

But… why is Caroling doing this?

[We demand the implementation of the Treaty of Lorel signed 300 years ago in Lorel.]

“Sigh…”

As expected, no matter how much I deny that we’re the same as the past Lotharing Kingdom, others don’t see it that way.

I was dumbfounded by this nonsensical letter, but Ines and Chloe frowned, noting that their claim isn’t entirely without merit.

“If we just ignore it or continue to deny any connection to the past Lotharing Kingdom… our prestige and authority would be significantly damaged, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The newly incorporated territories from the Empire are suppressing rebellion thanks to the name value of the Lotharing Kingdom, but if we continue to deny succession to the Lotharing Kingdom, those territories could become quite unstable.

Not only that, but all the nobles in the country, even if not overjoyed that their lord has become king and that their former ruling kingdom has been restored, have their own sentiments about it. If we continue to deny any connection to the past Lotharing Kingdom, they’re very likely to find it distasteful.

Tsk… I have no choice. For now, I should be satisfied with getting confirmation from the Empire.

“Ines, do you think Caroling really wants territory?”

“There’s no country that doesn’t want territory. But… they seem to be after something else. Caroling has engaged in too many military actions and no longer has the capacity to project military power externally.”

“I think so too. So… it’s somewhat aggressive diplomatic rhetoric?”

“It seems that way to me.”

Above all, we should note that they called us Lotharing, not Burgund. Looking at what’s mentioned in the letter, Caroling is not denying that we are a kingdom.

So Caroling is now demanding a payoff in exchange for recognizing me as the King of Lotharing.

They’ll probably be satisfied if I slip them some money.

It’s slightly annoying to have another issue to deal with when there’s already so much to worry about, but having more powers recognize Lotharing as a kingdom after the Holy Empire is certainly welcome.

Even if the crown was obtained unwillingly due to the Emperor’s scheme, now that it’s on my head, it’s quite annoying if others don’t recognize me as king.

“Good, I’ll send a letter to the Caroling Kingdom asking them to dispatch representatives to Dijon for negotiations.”

Caroling would receive funds, Lotharing would be recognized as a kingdom, and both kingdoms could benefit.

But that win-win future instantly evaporated.

Some members of the negotiating team sent by Caroling suddenly and too forcefully demanded territorial cessions right in front of Claude and others, destroying any chance of a peaceful resolution.