Chapter: 349
I managed to soothe my mother, but just in case, I decided to stay in the estate for a day, and thankfully, she didn’t shed any more tears.
Of course, her worry for her son going to war remained, but it felt like she had accepted that it was unavoidable. All she did was encourage me to take care and achieve what I wanted before coming back.
“Make sure to come see me before you leave,” she said.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied.
The next morning, my mother stood at the front gate of the estate, grasping my hand and urging me repeatedly. She wouldn’t stop me anymore, but insisted that I come back to the estate before heading north.
“Well done,” she said, soothingly.
Just then, the patriarch returned from his late-night work and encouraged me with a pat on the shoulder. Probably a sign of approval for how I comforted and persuaded my mother.
“It needed to be done,” I responded.
“Yeah, I appreciate you saying so,” he nodded.
With that, the patriarch fell silent, and so did I. We had already shown each other our feelings in my mansion, and when war broke out, we would go north together. There was no need to detain someone who was worn out from the night shift.
By the way, the Imperial Council is pretty brutal. I mean, even if it’s late-night work, who the heck is finishing up at sunrise?
‘My future.’
How bitter. Someday I’ll become an Imperial Count, and I’ll have to work in that brutal Imperial Council.
But if I continue in such a high-ranking administrative position, I can conveniently hand the council duties over to Erich, but then that means I’ll never be able to retire.
Either way, it’s a terrible future.
Meanwhile, the Academy schedule was speeding towards summer vacation. Being in a position to leave for the north soon, I felt relieved that vacation was coming up. At least during the war, I wouldn’t have to worry about whether those “helpless morons” were doing well or not.
‘Last year was dreadful.’
The poignant summer when club members didn’t return and stayed in the Empire. Thank goodness that kind of thing won’t happen this year.
Damn it, just thinking about being called in with the Crown Prince and ministers after hearing they were staying in the Empire…
“I’ve heard you’ll be moving soon,” one of the knights said.
“Yes. It’s for the Empire, so I’ll gladly lend a hand.”
Right as a trauma was about to resurface, Villar’s timely intervention helped me regain my composure.
At this point, it’s almost miraculous. The fact that I was so close to having a breakdown just from recalling things… those members from the ’77 season are legendary…
“I haven’t dealt with the nomads, but just looking at the records, I know they’re ferocious and barbaric.”
“Overall, that’s the case. Less ferocious nomads get eaten by the more ferocious ones.”
As I shook off the mental fog, I joked in return to Villar’s words, causing him to give a small smile back.
It’s been a year and a half since I became twisted up in fate with the knight in front of me; we had reached the level where we could exchange jokes comfortably.
“Of course, no matter how ferocious they are, they’re powerless before the might of the Empire.”
“It’s only natural. How could the barbarians go against the mandate of heaven?”
I could’ve instinctively laughed out loud. I mean, it’s not like they’re going to be able to actually go against it after dramatically failing five years ago and starting up again just three years post-war.
But it couldn’t be helped. The Empire was bustling with preparations for war, and the Academy had become chaotic as well. Naturally, the three nation powers who were present could sense that the Empire was gearing up for conflict.
To begin with, the Emperor wasn’t discreetly preparing for war, and the three powers stationed at the Academy couldn’t access classified information, so there wasn’t any point in hiding it. However, Villar’s position became somewhat awkward as he unintentionally had to pick up on the other nations’ preparations for war. It was a significant matter, and acting like he didn’t know was impossible given the eyes and ears around.
And so the greeting ended up being what it was—a bizarre encouragement saying, “There’s no one who would go against the Empire when facing enemies who have defied the mandate.”
‘What a knight, indeed.’
If he were a seasoned politician or diplomat, he might try to subtly probe or seek out opportunities during such a war situation. But Villar quietly wished for the safety of his friends and victory. A sincere gesture of this brusque knight.
So, what can I do? I have to accept this rather strange encouragement with a smile, even if it feels a bit weird.
“… Even if they do defy, those words are all too obvious.”
Moreover, noticing something strange, Villar hastily added, “Haha, you’re right, Sir Villar.”
I flashed a proper smile at him, easily glossing over it. Anyway, I appreciated the encouragement, so that was good.
*
The organization of the expedition was proceeding without a hitch. There were no rebels holding us back like five years ago, and the sense of urgency regarding the nomads wasn’t what it used to be, so it was only natural. We even had the Imperial Counts leading public opinion, which ensured that at least the deployment would go smoothly.
“The 8th Division, 11th Division, and 12th Division of the Western Front have arrived at the Duke Hablem’s territory.”
“I will appoint the 8th Division Commander as the Marshal, so let the 8th, 11th, and 12th Divisions move under the command of the 8th Division Commander.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After handing over the Marshal appointment letter to the Minister of War, he bowed and withdrew. The troops sourced from the Central Front were set to move along with the capital’s private troops, meaning practically all the forces were in their positions.
’12 divisions.’
The expeditionary force alone consists of 12 divisions, totalling around 150,000 men. That’s more than double the number of nomads, excluding the nobility’s private troops.
But we can’t afford to be careless. This isn’t a defensive battle but an invasion. To face the nomads on the plains, we need at least triple the numbers. Furthermore, this war isn’t just about extermination but one that displays the Empire’s might while recruiting the nomads. A larger gap is better.
‘At least it seems like the last punitive army’s level.’
As I reviewed the documents reporting on the movement of private troops, over 100,000 had mobilized toward the north or near the capital. Combined with the central army of 150,000, we’ll have over 250,000 moving for northern conquest.
It’s not optimal, but it’s a decent outcome. The Empire has yet to fully shake off the impacts of the war and succession disputes, yet they’re deploying forces of the same scale. This alone would be a pressure to the nomads. They’ve suffered losses in quality and quantity, but the notion that the Empire remains unchanged can be instilled in their minds.
’If it had been over 400,000…’
A fleeting thought crossed my mind, but it was no more than a hopeful wish. It would be different if we were at war with the eastern kingdoms, but deploying 400,000 to the north is overwhelmingly detrimental.
The Imperial Army boasts a whopping one million, combining the central forces of the Emperor and the private troops of the nobles. Would they let more than 40% of their forces be tied up in the plains? The eastern wolves certainly wouldn’t miss that chance. We can’t afford to lose the east just to gain a barren plain.
That’s why, clearing those useless fantasies from my head, I continued checking the documents.
‘Four Marshals should suffice.’
Right now, the priority is selecting Marshals to manage the local troops.
Fortunately, Count Tailglehen, who performed well in the last punitive war, and the former Count Horfelt are both serving in the current expedition. With these two around, managing the local troops won’t be a problem.
The remaining two can be picked from the great lords of the western and northern territories…
‘… I should leave it to the Crown Prince.’
I need to expand the Crown Prince’s influence into the west and north. If the Crown Prince personally finds and appoints an eligible great lord, they’ll essentially be his supporters.
I reached for the communication device on the table to enlist the Crown Prince’s help in selecting Marshals and to summon another minister to command.
*
Not long after the communication device glowed purple, a teleportation mage appeared in front of the lodging. Since it was the Emperor’s summon and not the Crown Prince’s, there was hardly any delay.
Plus, I was organizing the northern expeditionary forces, and I was acting as a military supervisor for the expedition. Any hint of delay would be risky in various ways.
“Have you arrived? His Majesty is waiting for you.”
Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace, the head of the Imperial Knights quickly opened the door for me.
I can’t believe this. They’re skipping even the bare minimum inspection? Just what kind of urgency are they in that I have to feel uneasy?
‘Are they really planning on assigning me some inspection task?’
With the Emperor expecting me to play the role of a joker rather than a supervisor, both the Emperor and I knew it, as did everyone else. But now, the Emperor’s paranoia seemed to explode, leaving me wondering if he really intended for me to take up inspection duties.
That would be a problem. To disrupt the expedition’s internal structure, which needs to be in peak condition, under the pretext of inspection? That’d be a work of art in trolling.
‘No way…’
I quickly brushed aside my anxious thoughts. Surely, no matter how paranoid the Emperor is, it can’t be about inspection duties. Given the trolling he faced from the Second Prince and the Eshilon family, he wouldn’t do something so foolish to himself.
…Would he?
The Imperial Palace is so vast that it actually took quite a while to get from the main gate to the Emperor’s office. However, once there, the deputy captain of the Imperial Knights recognized my face and let me through after a minimal check. Thank goodness I managed to avoid any further delays.
But with that relief came an increased anxiety. I mean, sure, I get that the main gate requires some leniency, but even at the office door? A thorough job would’ve been proper, especially when it comes to meeting the Emperor.
‘Just what does he want from me?’
A cold sweat trickled down. Is he planning some kind of execution operation on Khan? To behead Khan before the expedition enters the north?
“Have you come, Supervisor?”
“Long live the Emperor! I, Carl Krasius, am honored to see the great and illustrious Sun of the Empire.”
Of course, me just pondering won’t do any good. Besides, I had already entered the office and greeted the Emperor.
“Come closer.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Bowing at his command, I approached cautiously.
“The duties of the Supervisor are not light, so I’ll speak shortly, so raise your head.”
I lifted my head quickly, and the Emperor held out something.
Before I could comprehend what it was, my instincts kicked in and I instinctively took it. After all, making the Emperor wait is an act of treason.
‘Is this a seal?’
After a moment of realization, I found a white seal in my hands.
But it looked somewhat familiar. Had I seen this before?
“It’s the seal of the Marquess previously owned by Eshilon. You would be familiar with it since it was collected by the Supervisor.”
Ah.
Only after hearing those words did the memory return. It was the seal of the Marquess that I had taken from the patriarch when I went to inform him about the demotion of the Eshilon Marquess.
‘So this was originally white…’
I was confused because I had seen it as red when I took it.
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