Loyalty can indeed be said to be another word for patience.
Unconditionally obeying one’s master, even considering that it might go against one’s own wishes, and tolerating it…
The stronger the degree of that endurance, the more people are willing to protect their master and act according to their master’s will, even in difficult situations.
And in that sense…
It could be said that Valenshtein’s loyalty was quite precarious.
Valenshtein, a person who has his own ideals while simultaneously knowing how to pursue his own interests…
To him, the Emperor was someone he could dedicate some loyalty to, but at the same time, he was not someone he would serve at the cost of his own interests.
And right now…
The patience that was precariously maintained in Valenshtein’s heart…
The emotion called loyalty was now shaking greatly.
‘If my opponent was only King Gustav of the Kalmar United States, it would still be an entertaining fight. However… no matter how we spin it, waging war against Bohemia supported by the Dragona Empire and the Heretic Alliance is simply reckless…’
He had achieved overwhelming victory in the previous war against Mansfeld, but that was because Valenshtein had a good grasp of Mansfeld’s capabilities, which allowed him to confidently anticipate victory.
However, in this regard, Valenshtein judged that the ‘enemies’ he was about to face this time were beings he could not even begin to compare to Mansfeld.
‘King Gustav is indeed a formidable foe… but the greater challenge is that person… Santana Andreas.’
The one who had turned the almost extinguished flame of Bohemia into the center of the Heretic Forces and stood proudly against the Emperor.
Until now, they had little interaction, and if he had to recall an encounter, it would be remembering a slightly unremarkable boy from the time Valenshtein was in Bohemia.
Of course, the Santana of that time and the Santana of now were essentially entirely different individuals, so that didn’t matter much.
What mattered was that the abilities shown by that Santana were making Valenshtein hesitate about engaging in this reckless fight.
And then…
Amidst the thoughts, Hestia spoke clearly once more, urging him.
“General, it’s a battle with little chance of victory, anyway. Moreover, as I said, even if we happen to win by some luck, there will be no way out for us. Working under an emperor trapped in delusions like this, it’s obvious we’ll eventually be abandoned and purged. Given that risk, I believe now is the time to make a decision.”
“Hmm…”
As she said, whether they won or lost now, the future looked bleak.
In that case, perhaps it was worth overturning the board as per her suggestion.
Of course, if that happened, the Empire, which was already showing signs of collapse, would likely meet its end that day, but at least Valenshtein’s faction would surely survive till the end.
With his heart gradually changing in sentiment, Valenshtein cautiously asked another one of his subordinates present.
“What do you think, Otto? What should we do in this situation?”
“…”
At his lord’s inquiry, Paladin Otto fell into deep contemplation.
To be honest, he was someone who had little interest in war or power.
The only reason he followed Valenshtein was that he believed this man could alleviate some of the pain of the Empire’s citizens suffering in the throes of war.
And now, to alleviate even a bit of that pain…
“I also think it is better to follow Hestia’s suggestion. No matter how I think about it, we cannot continue with this reckless war, sacrificing soldiers and allowing the people to continue suffering.”
“…I see. If that’s what you think as well… then there’s truly no other option.”
Even Otto, who usually acted cautiously, had made up his mind.
With that, Valenshtein began to feel that it was finally time to reveal the ambitions he had kept tucked away in his heart.
The dream he had long desired but never dared to put into action.
It was finally time to execute the hope that had been lodged in his heart, as a poor noble from Bohemia.
“I understand, then… let’s proceed with the plan. It’s time to dethrone that Emperor and set this country right.”
“Yes, General.”
“I will serve you with all my life, my lord.”
*
As a reader familiar with the original work, I had a rough idea of how the flow of this world would unfold.
An endless series of wars, and the countless people dying in them.
Although it had been nearly a decade since I entered this world, the time of war had barely passed halfway, and originally, it was supposed to continue for another twenty years or more.
Of course, with all the things I’ve done, it’s possible that the upcoming war between Gustav and our Heretic Alliance against the Emperor’s Army could finally shatter that miserable chain.
But in any case, war would undoubtedly continue for a while longer, and during that time, many people would surely shed tears of blood.
As long as the power-crazed Emperor sat on the throne, it was bound to happen.
However…
“Sa… Santana!”
“? What is it?”
Today, in this very moment.
Through a report that had just come in, I witnessed the world’s flow starting to twist in a completely different direction than the original.
“What… what is this? Is this truly a letter from there?”
“Yes! That’s right! Just to be sure, I checked it several times before coming with this information!”
A letter containing unbelievable content, one that had not appeared in the flow of the original…
It was a secret message from Valenshtein, asking for peace negotiations with me.
He stated that he would retreat and march toward Vienna, where the Emperor was, so let’s not shed any pointless blood.
In exchange, if this succeeds, he would guarantee the independence of Bohemia and the Heretic Alliance and would also recognize religious freedom within the Empire.
There were some minor conditions attached, but the general outline was like this.
And as I looked at it…
I was overwhelmed with confusion, reading the letter’s content over and over again.
‘No way… could it really be that Valenshtein… No, this was never in the original either! After all, Valenshtein was a character who remained loyal to the Emperor until the end… What on earth caused this sudden change?!’
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a critical issue that I had been thinking about so naturally and had momentarily forgotten came rushing back.
That was the existence of ‘me’ in this world.
From saving Bohemia to my actions significantly twisting the plot of the original.
‘Now that I think about it, there were times in the original where Valenshtein was on the edge under the Emperor. Each time, he demonstrated patience and maintained his loyalty… but honestly, in a situation like this, anyone would want a revolution.’
Originally, the only opponent Valenshtein could contend with was King Gustav, who was somewhat comparable.
However, now he had not only King Gustav but also our Heretic Alliance to deal with, and even the Dragona Empire, which had been quietly munching popcorn in the original, was currently backing us.
It was a shift from normal to hell.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, who was supposed to be on the same team, wasn’t helping; he was merely escalating tensions and increasing enemies, making it all the more frustrating for Valenshtein.
In relation to this…
Honestly, there was no reason for me to refuse Valenshtein’s request, which would bring him benefits and little to no downsides.
‘Does this mean I can just munch on popcorn this time?’
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