episode_0076

When we returned to the empire, the waiting imperial people warmly welcomed us.

As in the East, they shout “Long Live the Empire” and proclaim an unwavering victory.

Thanks to this, the faces of the soldiers of the 6th and 13th Corps were filled with pride.

Although there are some vacancies here and there, they too will be duly compensated.

After the ceremony, someone from the Imperial Household came to see me.

At first I thought it was just one of the royal family members.

But the moment I saw that face, I was so surprised that I started to panic.

“Congratulations on your great victory, Prince Kael!”

“Okay, Your Excellency the Minister.”

Minister of the Imperial Household. One of the most senior of the Emperor’s attendants, who has served him since he was still a prince.

Excluding the royal family, he is the person who can be considered the number one person in the imperial administration.

If you think back to what the princess said, she also said that the emperor was very close to her.

“I can’t tell you how happy His Majesty the Emperor was when he heard the news of victory.”

“, thank you. Isn’t all of this because the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor are being cared for by Lunen? If not, there’s no way to talk about this great victory.”

“Hahaha! Of course that is true, but His Majesty the Emperor does not think that is the only reason.”

The superior morale and training of the Imperial Legions. The ability of the commanders who lead them.

Every time the Minister of the Imperial Household gave such a reason, I nodded vigorously.

To be honest, that’s true. The key to a great victory is ultimately the quality of the army.

“And our army’s strategy was also decisive.”

“I just added a little bit to a wonderful painting that was bound to be drawn.”

“The more beautiful the painting is, the more a mistake can be seen. Prince Kael. To finish that perfect and beautiful painting without making a mistake. That is truly a great ability.”

As expected, he is the Emperor’s right-hand man and his shadowy speech.

Since you’ve been so generous, it’s become difficult to be humble here.

“With this, the entire empire once again admires His Majesty the Emperor’s wisdom.”

“It seems to be because of the Neomes region sergeant.”

“That’s right. There wasn’t much opposition, but it wasn’t completely nonexistent. Although Prince Kael had great achievements, his treatment was so exceptional.”

I admit it. Which emperor would give up an imperial territory like that?

If it hasn’t been developed yet, or if it’s still in progress, then I don’t know.

It has already grown to perfection and become a goose that lays golden eggs.

Some are unconditionally loyal to the royal family. Others are focused on their own factions.

To anyone who looked at it, the Neomes area sergeant seemed a bit excessive.

At that time, both my father and I were a little worried.

“The story of Prince Kael’s Bae Su-jin has already spread throughout the system. Oh, not just the system. Should I say the entire empire?”

“Ugh.”

“Confucius is especially popular in the East. It seems that he had already provided a clue to Mahayana Buddhism throughout the East.”

“I’m just embarrassed.”

“Hahahaha! It’s even scarier when you say it like that!”

Are you scared? What are you talking about all of a sudden, Your Excellency?

“It seems like he still feels inadequate since he is just embarrassed rather than taking credit for his own achievements. It seems like he thinks he has more to prove.”

“… ?”

No? Not at all? Absolutely not? Do you want to stop now?

I’m starting to get scared now. What if I make a real mistake like this?

I’m shaking because everyone seems to think I’m a ‘sure win card’!

“His Majesty the Emperor will be pleased as well. That is why he sent me like this.”

I couldn’t say anything there so I just laughed, haha.

The conversation we had afterwards, as always, was about what would happen afterward.

I think the Emperor will call me when I return from the south and rest for a while.

In the meantime, a huge number of invitations will be pouring in from each banquet hall in the system.

‘I see. I wonder if I can go back and rest.’

I want to reject everything and just dive in, but I know I can’t do that.

If you have an older brother or sister who should receive the title of Imperial Count, then that might be different.

Since I am the successor, the wider my reach becomes, the more solid the position of our family becomes.

Of course I plan to be careful. If I overreact, I’ll be in big trouble.

The moment the emperor says, “You bastard!”, all the genius books and such will be in shambles.

Because I move around a lot with the legions, I come to realize the power of the empire even more keenly.

“Ah. And.”

The Minister of the Imperial Household continues speaking with a deep smile on his face.

“Prince Kael. Do you remember the edict that His Majesty the Emperor gave you last time?”

“? Oh, yes. Of course I remember. How could I forget that glorious moment? ”

“At that time, Prince Kael said that the wine that His Majesty the Emperor had given was not enough for all the soldiers in the legion, so he poured it into the river and suggested that they all drink it together.”

“That’s right. Hahaha.”

Actually, I was incredibly nervous while doing that.

What kind of crazy person would dare to pour the wine given by the Emperor into the river?

If the soldiers in the corps hadn’t responded, he would have been confirmed as a crazy bastard.

It’s fortunate that our Emperor is a good person. What if he was a tyrant?

Oh. You threw the wine I made into the river. You’re being purged! You’ve come to an end.

Wouldn’t a laser beam have shot out from the Emperor’s index finger?

‘You’re not saying that you’re bringing it up now, are you?’

As I was trying to suppress my pounding heart, the Minister of the Imperial Household handed me something.

I was curious to see what it was, so I checked it out, and this is crazy. Oh my god. What the heck is this!

“Kael Klauwitz, the eldest son of the Imperial Count Berthier, carries out His Majesty the Emperor’s will!”

Something that the Minister of the Imperial Household held out so politely that it was embarrassing to look at.

Anyone who sees that and says, ‘What is this?’ should have their noble label removed.

Of course, it is a letter from the Emperor. And it was decided by you yourself!

Trying to calm my trembling hands and my heart that was trembling even more.

After receiving the letter from the Minister of the Imperial Household, I carefully checked its contents.

[ I heard that the amount of alcohol Jim sent the other day was insufficient. ]

“… .”

Wow. You’re making people nervous from the first line.

If it weren’t for the following, I might have just banged my head on it.

[ This time, I will send enough so that all the soldiers in the legion can drink. So, Prince Kael, you too, fill your cup with the wine I have brought and drink it. ]

Maybe I was thinking of something else when I said I poured alcohol into the river.

He wanted to show the Emperor’s heart by understanding the hearts of the soldiers of the legion, so he wanted to drink with them.

If I had known this would happen, I would have sent dozens of jars instead of just one bottle.

I felt grateful without realizing it, as if I could sense the emperor’s inner feelings.

“… I am simply touched by His Majesty the Emperor’s kindness.”

When I expressed my gratitude for the letter, the Minister of the Imperial Household also bowed with me.

*

From the day news of the great victory was heard from the south, the country was in a celebratory mood.

There has always been a belief that the Empire could never be defeated.

But it had been a long time since I had achieved this level of success in just one battle.

Even the opponent was Benito, who dared to take the initiative against the empire.

Didn’t the empire turn the army they were so proud of into a mere sledgehammer?

If you still don’t get excited, you can’t be considered an imperial person.

Whenever people gathered, they would talk about the great victory in the south.

It was no different for the nobles, especially since they knew the internal situation even better.

The Imperial Legion’s activities were great, but there was also the story of Kael who caused a breakdown in the number of troops.

I’m talking about the young scribe who set a trap from which there is no escape and made him wait.

And the main character, together with the princess, finally entered the system.

Immediately after, Kael entered the palace by imperial decree.

It was natural that the nobles’ attention would be focused on that news.

“Kael Klauwitz of the Imperial Count of Berthier meets with His Majesty the Emperor.”

The emperor watched the scene quietly with a faint smile on his lips.

Considering that the emperor was not one to show his emotions easily, this was a huge deal.

Thanks to that, the Minister of the Imperial Household and the guards who were present, as well as the Crown Princess, couldn’t help but be slightly surprised.

“Come, Prince Kael. I feel bad for calling you here without even giving you a proper rest, because I want to praise you for your hard work.”

“Not at all. I am a noble of the Empire and a citizen of the Empire, so I should be loyal to the royal family and the Empire.”

If someone who has accomplished nothing were to say something like that, it would be flattery that would not make one feel good.

But Kael was different. Thinking about the achievements he had made only made me more satisfied.

“I’ve called you here because I have some points I want to discuss.”

Although he is the successor to the Imperial Crown Prince, he is actually just a nobleman.

It is said that the absolute ruler of the empire has something to discuss with such a person.

It was a surprising statement to the world, but no one present did.

Because I already know. What kind of monster that young man is.

The Emperor and his entourage moved to the conference room and Kael.

As everyone takes their seats, the Minister of the Imperial Household slowly opens his mouth.

“As reported yesterday, there has been a flood beyond the eastern border of the Empire. The stories from our informants in Burkhay and the Forland side, and the reports from the eastern border regions, all match.”

“How serious is it, Minister?”

“The Great Flood. It is appropriate to call it that, Your Majesty. It is said that Burkhay, as well as Kaden and Forland, are struggling with this problem.”

Something that cannot be done by human power. Natural disasters.

Even Burkhay, a powerful eastern power, was shattered by the catastrophe.

“The extent of damage is.”

“We will have to wait for a detailed report to come in to know the details, but it seems that Burkhay cannot overcome this unprecedented disaster on its own. The situation in Kaden and Forland is also not good.”

At those words, the emperor said, “Hmm,” and touched his chin.

A time when the Empire can once again demonstrate its superiority to them without having to exert any force.

Gnaeus, who was standing next to him, seemed to have noticed this and cautiously asked for the right to speak.

“Your Majesty. How about showing the Empire some mercy right now?”

“Compassion.”

“The three eastern kingdoms are no longer a threat to the Empire anyway. So now all that remains is to make them perfect allies of the Empire. This is a great opportunity for him.”

The emperor looked at the crown princess next to him.

Then, the Crown Princess also agreed, saying that this time the First Prince’s words were correct.

The reason was that it could provide a good justification for stability in the East.

However, she seemed to have something left to say, but she held back her words.

As if he were curious about someone’s opinion.

“Hmm.”

Finally, the Emperor turned his gaze to Kael, who was sitting at the lowest seat.

Sensing those gazes, Kael speaks with extreme caution.

“I also agree with your opinion.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. However, it is not yet time.”

Not yet? The Emperor’s eyebrows rise slightly at Kael’s words.

“You must wait until they themselves ask the Empire, even if it means greater damage to the East.”

As he spoke, Kael’s face looked colder than ever.