episode_0009

People have a thing called tact. If you tell people who are three times your age to do it comfortably, you will be treated like a cheap person, which is good. In worse cases, you may be treated like a crazy person.

That’s why I treated them as politely as possible. So that nothing can be criticized for your attitude.

They talked about my commanding ability and praised my major, but I pretended to be as humble as possible. After the public affairs continued for a while, they finally began to bring out the main topic.

“But you weren’t the only one who was active this time.”

“… Do you mean Binet Franz?”

As expected. It was somewhat expected. Why did these three people who actually control the imperial army ask to see me? Are you interested in me? That can’t be possible. What did I say? If they were interested, it would be in Binet Franz, not me. This is because Vine Franz has a different scale of attracting aggro than me.

“That’s right. Vinet Franz. I’m talking about that kid who suddenly became successful.”

He’s a kid who made a quick success of his career. That expression is exactly right. If Countess Franz had not become the emperor’s concubine, Vinnet Franz would have ended up as a nameless, ruined local nobleman.

“It would have been nice if you were the only one promoted to commander of the Eastern District Army, but unfortunately, Vinnet Franz also made a major achievement and was appointed commander of the Eastern District Army. From the perspective of our military commanders, there is a lot of anxiety. Vinnet Franz is a foreign body to the empire. He comes from a low-class noble family and is in sharp conflict with the central nobles who rule the empire. He’s like a bomb that wouldn’t be surprising if it exploded at any time. How can you entrust such a person with the important position of commander of the local forces? Isn’t it the same as lighting a bomb?”

What was its name… Ehrenberg? The commander of the Southern District Army gave an impassioned speech. I could feel the utmost sincerity in his passionate speech, but it seemed like he was wary of Vinnet Franz deep down in his heart.

“The good news is that a member of the central nobility was appointed to the vacant position of commander of the Northern Army. The general public only sees vested interests as absolute evil, but what are vested interests? Aren’t they the ones who benefit the country? There are no people who want to maintain the current system as much as those who benefit from the country. So-called conservatives. They are probably one of the people most wary of overthrowing the system, so since we just want to protect the empire, they are the most suitable people to join hands with.”

Indeed, these men want to hold hands with me. Maybe it’s because I’ve been successful in life, but I’m receiving countless requests for handshakes.

So, then what choice should I make here? My options are largely divided into three. First things first. Join hands with these men and keep Vinet Franz in check.

This is the most stable method. In the original history, Bienefrancz is destined to revolt and overthrow the country. However, if I, who knows the future, join forces with those in real power, there is a possibility that I can prevent it.

… But the problem was that there was a possibility that it could not be prevented. In my opinion, the odds were 5 to 5. On this side, there was established power along with future knowledge. These two are really strong advantages that are almost unbreakable. But Wiene Franz was a hero of his time. If that bastard is obviously a genius, he might be able to defeat me even if I struggle with the invincibility cheat key.

second. He betrays the established power, that is, the clan nobles and local army commanders, and joins Vinnet Franz. If this method is used, the empire will definitely, absolutely fall. This is because Binet Franz has a genius brain and I have knowledge of the future. What happens when the two come together? A nuclear bomb is born. A nuclear bomb that will instantly turn an empire into a sea of fire.

However, the problem is that although it is easy to ruin the empire, the problem is what happens next. In the original history, Vinnet Franz killed the emperor and ascended to the emperor’s throne, but abandoned the capital and returned to his hometown of Olivier, where he lived a pastoral life. Rebels rose up in all directions, and he was unable to stop them, and was beheaded by the rebels, leading to a miserable end. Welcome. To be honest, Vinnet Franz dying has little to do with me, but the problem is that there is a high possibility that I will also get caught up in it and die. This method has great explosive power, but my lifespan doesn’t seem that long.

The third way is… It advocates neutrality by not choosing either side. We do not take the side of Wiene Franz, nor do we take the side of the established powers. This can also be a method. but…

‘This is probably the worst way.’

If you choose this method, you will not be respected by both sides, but hated by both sides. Since ancient times, neutrality was the exclusive domain of the powerful, and neutrality without power was called by a name other than neutrality. That was a bully.

‘Fuck, no matter what you choose, it’s a dead end.’

If I had been really smart, I would have come up with a genius strategy and come up with a great plan, but unfortunately, I’m not that talented at managing things. As Katarina von Edelhardt said the day before. When it came to using his head, he was at the level of children.

‘Let’s go in the direction where there is at least some possibility.’

I think it would be better to be fifty percent behind than to be one hundred percent behind. My choice was a gamble with my life.

“What should I do?”

That was to obediently listen to what these men said. We join hands with established power and keep Binet Franz in check. If I combine my knowledge of the future with the vested interests of these men and fight against Vinnet Franz, I will win with a fifty-fifty chance. That’s my calculation. And when the men heard the results of my calculations, they looked at each other’s faces and grinned.

“Then, I will now explain the specific plan.”

The plan they came up with to keep Vinnet Franz in check was a much more subtle and despicable plot than I imagined.

They were much more villainous than I’ve ever seen in the game’s story.

—–

After conspiring with powerful figures in the imperial army. I returned home exhausted. The members of the Breastmire family had completed all preparations for moving.

The actual moving began the next day. I led those who were affiliated with me among the members of the Breastmire family and headed to the north.

Of course, among them, there were those who quit their jobs due to anxiety about the harsh life in the North. But most of them followed me because they were homeless and could not possibly enjoy a better life than following a noble family.

The number of people who followed me, including servants, servants, soldiers, knights, and other technicians, totaled 50. It was enough to form a single family.

Including myself, 51 people and 51 people’s luggage. Dozens of wagons were needed. Our move was a procession, and spectators flocked to each village we passed.

After several weeks like that, we were finally able to arrive in the north. The North was colder and more barren than expected. The buildings were low and shabby, incomparable to the capital Arcadia.

“Are you disappointed?”

The female officer who came to meet us from the north asked. I thought about it for a while and decided to keep quiet. Silence was the answer to difficult questions.

The officer went on to explain how he interpreted my silence.

“Actually, I am also from the capital. After coming to the north for the first time after living in the capital, I understood. The fact that the north is a shabby place that cannot be compared to the capital. But the north was also populated. As I continued to do it, I got used to it. I believe that the Commander will soon adapt.”

I really hope so. Because you won’t be able to live like a guest forever.

“Commander, I wish you well in the future. My name is Captain Chloe. Because I come from a commoner background, I don’t have a last name.”

“Did you say Captain Chloe?”

“Yes! This is Captain Chloe.”

A commoner-turned-captain. A young woman too? It’s possible if you’re from a noble family, but there’s no way a commoner would have that kind of luck. How did you become so successful at such a young age? I think it might be worth looking into her. Maybe we’ll find a great talent. That is, hidden talent that does not appear in the game.

—–

I tried to find out about Captain Chloe. No matter how I look at him, he looks like he’s about the same age as me, and I’m interested in how he got the rank of captain and how someone from the capital ended up in a place like this.

But it won’t be long before I cancel my investigation into her. This is because, less than three days after I arrived in the North, she was court-martialed on charges of embezzlement of military supplies.