Chapter 43
cfHAfter the verbal tussle with the marquis, the next day Lucian went out again with his mask on and clicked his tongue.hkbVC
LSB0hEven the few nobles who remained had almost disappeared, and those who were still there ran off as soon as they saw Lucian.VxQqh
1vAPJ2i“Tsk, looks like the rumors spread completely in just one day.”iPw5
tb5“Could it have been that Nigel guy who was with us yesterday who spread them?”z9gebi
kHXY5ZU“Who knows.”bQIHYH
CLDkBJHIt wasn’t impossible, but Lucian didn’t think it was likely.ci1XQnn
JOYJ8qIIn his past life, Nigel was famous as a master of political balance.81836v
R8UK0Would he really do something that would deliberately provoke Lucian’s displeasure?5WB
dAjY48ODuring all the time they spent together, Lucian had seen with his own eyes how Nigel tried not to reveal his identity.4LgXI3
2Cme93“It’s more likely the marquis’s fault. He kept hinting at his identity to get special treatment. If someone saw from a distance how he argued with me, it wouldn’t be strange for them to more or less guess who I am.”qPUmLMK
9X7cQa“That also makes sense. But as things are now, we won’t be able to hear the true intentions of the other lords anymore.”MND
H2yt3“There’s no helping it. In exchange, we gained something else, so we’ll have to settle for that.”kEFjj
jmNGRT“What do you mean by ‘something else’?”bR5M
62yoKd“There’s no one left enjoying the fun. Do you really think the imperial crown prince will want to continue this party when no one’s around?”DYVut
BIjrsSb“Ah.”c1lo
bQvSdRaymond nodded, understanding immediately.xmN
xAFO17This masquerade farce was entertainment prepared by the imperial crown prince to watch the nobles clash with each other.dRw
ta4nBut no matter how beautiful the stage, if there were no nobles to face off, there was no fun to be had.xnzSiM
oXwicAs the host, he would lose interest—and also the reason to continue the show.h97A
VQd4c“Now that there’s nothing left to enjoy, soon the imperial crown prince, who was hiding, will show his face. At least it’s a relief not to have to play along with these pranks anymore.”bFO
QPfRgIf this absurd entertainment had dragged on, the other heads of houses’ discontent would have continued to build up.QS1Pc
RUw1VPutting aside Lucian’s goals, from the standpoint of the allied army’s morale, this was actually for the best.Y4dqIvk
Ur98GicAnd, just as expected, the next day a messenger from the imperial crown prince visited Lucian’s tent.0pTRu4m
Sfs“The imperial crown prince, commander-in-chief, has issued a summons.”NPqYybF
SrBzf“I’ll go immediately.”Q82
3yyCouldn’t even last two days?ubI7nCm
RJV1E7Lucian let out a bitter smile, but promptly prepared himself and headed to the imperial crown prince’s tent.7fo
feiThe tent, several times larger than the others, was already filled with lords and their representatives.64n1rI
cHi19VWhile observing the interior, Lucian suddenly locked eyes with the marquis sitting in the seat of highest honor.39z
WyP“…”xwR
nzG5x“…”ErhX
hfrR8JFor a moment, sharp gazes clashed between them.4D1PE
WxxnqAt the same time, the surrounding lords swallowed dryly.UAyg
OwwBut it lasted only a moment. The marquis looked away first, and Lucian also diverted his gaze.KaJ
606k8Soon after, when Lucian sat to the right of the commander-in-chief’s seat, the room stirred.OMRpbO
Q4m6fl8“Is that boy really the grand duke’s representative?”WKT0
7bT“No way, at such a young age…?”C8mC
84wLrJO“Shh. Quiet. He might hear.”8A34Uel
kCJThe murmuring quickly quieted down, but the stares from all directions continued.27XBCuS
fPvrnPEspecially Marquis Bernhardt Roglan, who frowned, clearly displeased.3CrS
20wYTYEven if he was a representative, the fact that he was seated on equal footing with a third young master barely sixteen years old didn’t sit well with him.y8GD6
EaQwLuckily, the uncomfortable silence didn’t last long.gr697S
VgZ77“The imperial crown prince, commander-in-chief, enters the room!”rzte
sVrJjWith the servant’s shout, the tent’s entrance opened and a young noble with platinum hair and green eyes appeared.u5lZ
EqHPE83From his appearance alone, one might believe he was a hero from legend.98vlP
vXCtrHowever, his sullen expression and irritated gaze dulled half that brilliance.xiuaFc
4cEx‘The imperial crown prince, Claude fin Bey Astria.’zzZiN3Q
MxpOThe emperor’s favored eldest son and commander-in-chief of this allied army.LRTS
dIvBut Lucian’s gaze didn’t linger on Claude—it was on the person walking behind him.cYB
QORMglA man taller than the imperial crown prince, slightly hunched as if trying to hide.bVI
ws2TsNHe had the same platinum hair, but his cold aura and grayish-blue eyes gave him an even more regal presence.alhGT8
QvB0I‘Cedric fin Bey Astria.’seR1U
2I4The imperial family’s last hope, known as the second imperial prince.53kCk
k6MU***oGPAtD
kgi“We salute the imperial crown prince, commander-in-chief of the allied army!”XuezBM
Eczl“Mm.”Udch
9UWuRmAt the appearance of the imperial crown prince, the lords bowed their heads and raised their voices in unison.usp
MtURHowever, he responded with just a slight nod, wearing an indifferent expression.Lu9Wod
2VYZf“Be seated.”pnpWEK
6nc“Yes!”N6iuShA
gXvU2DrWhen the imperial crown prince sat in the main seat, the lords also sat again.qWm39
u5vkLNow calmly settled into the commander-in-chief’s seat, he scanned the room and spoke.6cPH7J
hyKDS6“First of all, I thank you for gathering here. The empire will not forget your loyalty.”ZMmRj
tbr“As those who have sworn loyalty to the empire, it is only natural.”ARaog
pFMQbVh“By the way, I prepared a little entertainment, but it seems it didn’t go as I expected. Who would’ve thought that in less than two days, no one would be left. I regret that my good intentions caused discomfort.”L3i0J40
bOFToCAs he spoke, the imperial crown prince’s furrowed gaze passed over both Marquis Bernhardt Roglan and Lucian.NBmxK
sHF7Though he pretended to apologize, he was clearly expressing his resentment toward the two who had ruined his show.zpFG
Ze3MMarquis Bernhardt Roglan quickly bowed his head.6Zn2iFR
UE22F“My apologies. It was due to my carelessness that I revealed my identity, so all of this is my fault.”Y07
UABCarelessness, my ass. He never intended to hide it in the first place.TYn3
t10YzLucian almost let out a dry laugh at the marquis’s maneuver, but it wouldn’t look good for him to completely wash his hands of it either.0vsrd
82u4“How could it be solely the marquis’s fault? I, too, can’t avoid responsibility, so I can only offer my apologies to His Highness the Crown Prince.”RXjib
kUDXL“Hmm, is that so?”aTM
OLh3uThe imperial crown prince looked back and forth between the bowing marquis and Lucian, then waved his hand dismissively.lZZ
TTMlThough not completely satisfied, he was signaling that he would let it go this time as a special favor.j3V
UpQ4h“Well, we’re all human—mistakes happen. It was just a bit of light entertainment anyway, so let’s put it behind us.”fHL
bfk“Thank you for Your Highness’s mercy.”pwTB2
enp“That said, I’d like to hear your opinions on this rebellion. What should we do with Kreppelt?”T1Kof1
9sbP1Satisfied after receiving their apologies, the crown prince moved directly to the main topic.3S3D
PYsgJIt was a broad question, encompassing everything from how to suppress the rebellion to how to treat Kreppelt afterward.2lOn
Swr3zThe first to step forward was Marquis Bernhardt Roglan.6URWx41
XYnd“We should end this as quickly as possible with a blitz campaign, and then show mercy.”C5Dbg
mIC“Mercy? Are you saying we should forgive those who dared to rise against the Empire?”brPl
n43xmThe crown prince didn’t seem to like the response and frowned.wCrx
HnwXgHowever, the marquis nodded calmly, unflinching.J6U7
ZOC62aH“That’s right. Once the rebellion is crushed, Kreppelt will claim it wasn’t their intention and offer up scapegoats as the culprits. We should execute those sacrifices and then withdraw.”p0q
jMT“And what’s the reasoning behind that? Why should we forgive these rebels?”slbs
bKU“Because the Empire’s very magnanimity demonstrates its power.”n3V
1seAt that seemingly out-of-place answer, the crown prince tapped the table with his fingers, urging an explanation.TFe5V
SEA681The marquis laid out his arguments smoothly, as though he had prepared them in advance.TEkNE
aib96J“Right now, the Empire faces both external threats and internal strife. And yet, it hasn’t weakened to the point of letting a place like Kreppelt succeed in rebellion. They know this themselves.”04TSVf
ndsuTa“Then why did the rebellion occur? Are you saying they rose up knowing they would fail?”EvDRu
B2xbA“They likely used this as a test. A rehearsal for a real rebellion they plan for the future.”rNXP
5VeOxOTo assess whether the Empire still had the strength to suppress an uprising, how long it would take, and how much it had declined from its peak.vNZSBZ
eqW6HlrBy measuring their opponent, they naturally defined their objective. That was, without a doubt, Kreppelt’s true aim.uWvWHWC
mkF“Of course, since this isn’t something that can be overlooked, their excuses will be flawless. They’ll claim the king was confined, or that another royal member was acting unilaterally, or something of the sort.”tAS
VYsQS9“And we’re just supposed to swallow such a perfect excuse?”GcbdoR
EFH0n“Even if the excuse is clearly false, we must accept it. That in itself displays the Empire’s ease of power—the confidence that it can crush another rebellion whenever it wants.”M2sSkl
ahhNr2The marquis explained again, patiently, to the crown prince, who still seemed to be struggling to understand.o1mQx
eAhEIf the rebellion was quickly suppressed, it would demonstrate the Empire’s might.2YKm8
X15dBut if that was followed by excessive punishment, it could be interpreted as the Empire fearing it couldn’t withstand a second rebellion—hence trying to root out the problem entirely.C8wXE
dEDA measure intended to prevent rebellion could, paradoxically, become a threat to the Empire itself.L15o
HCEh8gF“On the other hand, if we accept an obviously false excuse, it makes Kreppelt appear as something we can crush anytime. Would rebels really dare rise again after witnessing the Empire’s mercy?”rlS
XPwZ9“Hmm, that makes sense.”1yaDtta
dCVxW0At some point, the crown prince’s eyes began to gleam as he listened intently.aGzsOG
s4rMIzcTo show both the power and benevolence of the Empire while flaunting that the rebels were no big deal—i7aa7
3GfWasn’t that a perfect plan tailored for him?WdrC
ljaJust as the crown prince, seduced by the marquis’s eloquence, was about to adopt that policy—rif
qLZA1“That is an excessively optimistic forecast. I’m afraid the marquis is viewing the situation too lightly.”cSDKiU4
2PeGXLucian’s cold voice abruptly extinguished the heat that had been building in the tent.fQmcPat
nvlHQThe air inside froze.UIfEUo
7DGAaMNo matter that Lucian was the representative of Duke Sigmund—he was still just one of his sons, not even the heir.pq2xI
s2AvQjMNeither in status nor in experience could he compare to Marquis Roglan.J6y6
2tDclAnd yet he dared to openly oppose him?KI2HSSh
H9rNFXIt was practically a humiliation—like saying the marquis had less foresight than a green youth.jKpfzH
V1SKW“Too optimistic? Sounds like you’re saying I can’t see reality and just spout pleasing words.”CAdTu9t
zr3VQROThe marquis glared at Lucian with eyes as cold as ice.GhuZ
Cb8ivDmUnlike yesterday, there were no masks now, and their identities were clear.LDb
jnfp6IThere was no need for excessive honorifics.zcAwq
8lEouo“If that’s how you took it, I apologize. But I can’t help but be concerned about possible contingencies.”IXI
qoiHp“Contingencies?”E9YzGA
DyZ7A2“Suppressing the enemy quickly and then showing mercy to display greatness and composure—if everything goes according to plan, it’s perfect. But where’s the guarantee that it will?”M2D
KGHfLo“Are you insulting everyone present? Are you implying that His Majesty’s loyal subjects could be defeated by the army of a mere vassal state?”OQ1Od8
RKy4“I’m not speaking of spirit or morale. I’m asking for realistic grounds.”UULkgY
7AZAt Lucian’s words, the marquis’s face twisted.xy7
pj5KKOyA boy with nearly no real experience dared treat him as a dreamer blind to reality.1BPuxUo
2yT“Fine! You want realistic grounds? I’ll give you as many as you like!”LpnJ
6lgtNwThe marquis raised three fingers and bent them one by one.S2v7s2
bwz9Fh“First, we have a clear numerical advantage. No matter how big Kreppelt is among the eastern vassals, it can’t compare to our forces gathered from across the Empire. Second, the quality of our troops is superior. These are all professional soldiers, and we have numerous knights. Third, the enemy has barely any geographical advantage. The Empire charted all of Kreppelt’s territory in detail long ago. Want more reasons?”Zp9AKbu
pdpDLWith a condescending look, as if saying he could go on if needed, the marquis stared down at Lucian.Usm5
tEPzHowever, Lucian shook his head and replied calmly.jHl
XHzR“Everything you said is correct. But I believe the marquis is speaking of victory while assuming one crucial premise.”wgO1xj
Mh9f“And what premise is that?”hIRh
zVeA4nu“The Great Agreement.”aC0t
fOZuKThe unwritten rule of war, respected for centuries, and the final safeguard to avoid the worst-case scenario.roDlNK
2eLBS9W“What will you do if the enemy has no intention of honoring the Great Agreement?”iGD
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