Chapter 542
It’s been about a month since I married Rizie.
In that month, the once proud Rizie quickly faced defeat, and three months after Pedi’s birth, he proudly flipped over, filling the mansion with cheers. Meanwhile, the triplets in Trixie’s arms seem to be practicing their kicks already, always wiggling around.
On top of that, I no longer have to go to the Academy to manage those hopeless club members, and my only younger sibling has landed a respectable job, able to speak confidently wherever they go.
So, this year has been a beautiful one filled with joyous events right from the start. If someone asked me if I was happy, I could confidently say yes.
Well, at least until today.
‘…I guess I’ve endured long enough.’
I sighed as I checked the message that had pinged in my communicator. The storm that would shatter this peace had finally arrived.
[ Crown Prince of the Leon Kingdom has died. ]
A short sentence, but the implications behind it weren’t brief at all.
It was sent to all high-ranking officials in the Empire. If it were a meaningless message, that would be the more bizarre situation.
‘Seriously, it’s early this year.’
In the midst of all this, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow chuckle when it became clear that the Emperor’s words were true. When the Emperor first mentioned the mission to the Leon Kingdom, he had said it would be around this time of year, and indeed, in February, the Crown Prince dropped dead on us. It was almost scary how accurate the Empire’s intel was.
‘April would’ve been nice, though.’
I genuinely felt unfortunate. April would have been the perfect time to enjoy three months of newlywed bliss with Rizie before our wedding with Lynn in four months. It was the perfect window for a dispatch—
“Ah hell no.”
I slapped my cheek in a panic at such a terrible thought.
There’s no such thing as a good window for deployments in this world. Why the hell would I put myself through the torture of commuting for a dispatch to the Leon Kingdom?
‘This is what compromising with reality feels like.’
With a tinge of painfulness and a hint of bitterness washing over me, I realize I’ve somehow gone from screaming about missions and business trips to plotting out my “perfect time window” for a mental victory. It’s like I’ve started kneeling and compromising in front of the high and thick walls of bureaucracy.
It’s truly sad, but I didn’t even have the luxury of time to dwell on those feelings.
[ Come directly to the Sun Palace. ]
The Emperor issued an individual summoning order, separate from the group message.
And I wasn’t the only one summoned to the Sun Palace.
‘Whoa.’
As soon as I entered the Emperor’s office, I spotted the Vice Captain and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with the Chairman of the Imperial Assembly.
Just seeing this dizzying lineup left me momentarily speechless. It’s expected that the Chairman, the Emperor’s right hand, is present; but having the supreme leader of the Imperial Army and the head diplomat side by side means they’re ready to tackle the situation in the Leon Kingdom with full force.
‘They must be sending a couple of legions.’
If the Emperor is calling the Vice Captain as an aide, he probably isn’t just planning to deploy one legion. I’d wager he’s intending to mobilize at least four.
That’s enough power to wage almost a war. In fact, the Empire has a record of mobilizing hundreds of thousands to secure northern trade routes, but normally, wars are fought with just a few legions.
“Minister, you’re here too. This will be a long discussion, so sit rather than stand.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
So, I carefully took my seat at the Emperor’s command.
‘It’s been a while since I sat at the back.’
It felt weird. Even though I’m now the Minister ranked seventh in the administrative department and should be sitting in the upper seat wherever I go, I find myself among the Emperor, a Duke, the Minister ranked third, and the head of the legislative body. The bigwigs gathered here could easily send a lowly seventh place like me straight to the back.
But I wasn’t bothered. The fact that there were more important people present meant my stake in this whole Leon situation was smaller. The more people willing to take the fall in my place, the better.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”
Just as my mind was beginning to settle, the Emperor spoke.
“Chairman.”
“Our loyal members of the Assembly do not intend to overlook the tragedy in the Leon Kingdom. An emergency bill for the expedition to the Leon Kingdom was proposed an hour ago and passed unanimously.”
“The Crown’s swift action will surely ease the suffering of the Leon subjects, even if just a little.”
“Your words honor us, Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing the Chairman’s report that the Empire had already created grounds for intervention in Leon, the Emperor nodded approvingly.
Of course, considering that this justification was hastily concocted and that everyone in the Empire knows the Assembly does the Emperor’s bidding, it was all just for show. Maintaining the facade that ‘the Empire will not ignore the suffering of foreign nations’ is what’s important.
“Vice Captain. How is the formation of the expeditionary forces coming along?”
“We have organized a total of four legions with the 6th Corps from the Eastern Regional Army at the forefront.”
“I’ll appoint the 6th Corps Commander as General. During the Leon expedition, the 6th Corps Commander will report directly to me instead of the Eastern Commander.”
“Your Majesty’s decision is truly sagacious.”
The numbers I had anticipated were exactly what the Vice Captain reported, and the Emperor seemed satisfied as he calmly appointed the 6th Corps Commander as General.
‘The 6th Corps Commander, huh.’
I quickly thought of the information I’d recalled about the familiar name.
It was someone who, due to their position guarding the borders, couldn’t attend my wedding but sent letters of congratulations and understanding faster than anyone else. I had wanted to meet him in person someday, not expecting to bump into him like this.
‘He’ll likely get promoted soon.’
At least for the 6th Corps Commander, meeting me in this context was fortunate. If he is given the title of General and gains experience from this overseas expedition, his promotion to Eastern Commander is pretty much guaranteed.
“Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
Having been pleased to hear that the Empire had established its rationale and was ready to act, the Emperor regarded the Minister of Foreign Affairs with a somewhat soft gaze.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
However, the Foreign Minister’s expression was not a happy one upon receiving the Emperor’s scrutiny.
That’s odd. He’s been a minister for quite some time now, so it shouldn’t be nerves causing this. He’s usually quite eloquent and doesn’t easily flinch, only occasionally whining in private.
‘What’s up with that?’
From the Minister’s perspective, it seems like he was saying, ‘Oh great, this is a real hassle.’
“…What’s the situation in foreign countries?”
Realizing the unusual demeanor, the Emperor spoke with a slightly perplexed expression.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but the atmosphere in Quoronous is quite unsettling.”
Of course, the Emperor didn’t let his expression change change the report.
*
Quoronous Kingdom. Located to the east of the Leon Kingdom, it shares its miraculous borders with Armeine to the northwest and Yuben to the southeast.
Moreover, just thirty years ago, Leon was considered such a military powerhouse that it posed a threat to Armeine, making Quoronous a tragic state surrounded by those three great powers. One wrong move and their territory could be shattered in an instant.
Yet desperation tends to make people stronger. Quoronous, caught between great powers, displayed remarkable diplomacy to preserve its national identity.
They even rose to become a newly emerging power in central continent, taking advantage of the fact that the Leon Kingdom was wobbling, with the saying ‘Life is like Quoronous’ becoming popular in diplomatic circles.
‘I see, it’s those guys.’
And now, this diplomatic genius and emerging power was becoming a thorn in the Empire’s side.
It was expected. The fact that Armeine had a major figure as the Commander of the Southern Army was enough to consider Quoronous, and I had advised the Minister of Foreign Affairs to particularly keep an eye on their movements.
Still, the Minister of Foreign Affairs mentioned that Quoronous is concerning. If they were already aware from before yet spoke up, then….
“There are hardliners gaining power within Quoronous.”
It suggests they were aiming for something beyond mere intervention.
“Hardliners?”
“It’s strange. I’ve heard that Quoronous’s resource expenditure from pacifying the occupied territories is considerable.”
At the Foreign Minister’s words, both my father-in-law and the Chairman displayed puzzled expressions.
Quoronous had shocked Leon thirty years ago by seizing a large amount of territory. However, managing the nearly doubled region was no small feat, as the Chairman previously indicated. They had to channel substantial resources into assimilating the occupied territories while keeping a low profile in diplomatic circles. They needed to stabilize their internal affairs before lifting their voices externally.
But if hardliners are gaining traction in Quoronous?
‘Are they planning to spit out what they’ve swallowed?’
I can’t wrap my head around it. With nearly half of Quoronous being former Leon territory, it’s only natural for them to be all riled up following the unimaginable upheaval in the Leon royal family. They probably want to pressure the new royalty to “permanently relinquish ownership of the territory lost thirty years ago.” They might stir things up a bit before asking for concessions.
But if they’re going so far as to push for a hardline agenda, it would mean they’re looking to expand their territory again. They must be insane. When you’re already stuffed to the brim, even a sip of water could cause a backlash.
“Your Majesty.”
“Speak.”
While I frowned over the unreasonable situation, the Foreign Minister cautiously continued.
“The officials who supported Quoronous in the past have either retired or died during the thirty years of silence. The successors are individuals lacking international experience…”
“They’re a bunch of clueless rookies now?”
“…Yes. That’s my current assessment.”
I almost let out an incredulous laugh, but I swallowed it back down. It shouldn’t make sense that the foreign policy of a nation could fall apart like that, but when I considered Quoronous’s current behavior, it seemed plausible.
“They might be showing that they’re willing to go to war in order to coax our nation and Armeine into concessions.”
“Ha.”
At the Foreign Minister’s conjecture, my father-in-law let out a low sigh.
I shared his sentiment. Such threats might work on someone looking to avoid war, but we’re already mobilizing an expeditionary force under military pretense. If Quoronous says they’re willing to go to war, we could just slap them down right there.
‘Is this really the Quoronous I remember?’
I’m confused. The diplomatic powerhouse I used to read about in history books, the victor behind the saying ‘Life is like Quoronous,’ has become something like this in just 30 years?
‘The Empire has changed too in these 30 years.’
Looking at two nations drastically changed in opposite directions, I couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.
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