Chapter 47
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47
Lucian didn’t stop there. He turned his gaze toward the surrounding lords and added, “The same applies to the rest of you. Though your advice was offered out of loyalty, it has offended the Commander-in-Chief, His Highness the First Prince. One must be prepared to face the consequences of their actions. There is absolutely no need to defend me.”
“Ah, no…”
“Still, this is…”
“I will say it once more: I understand and accept this decision. Therefore, ensure that no unnecessary talk arises from this.”
As Lucian stepped out of the tent with that firm request, the color drained from the lords' faces.
He had phrased it politely, but it was a clear warning: if they ever tried to force him into the vanguard again, he would not let it slide.
With this, they couldn't even try to change the First Prince’s mind later under the pretext of acting for the sake of the House of Valdek.
‘This is madness. What on earth are we supposed to do now?’
‘What else? We can only leave our fates to the Eight Gods of Heaven.’
‘Perhaps I should just provoke His Highness’s displeasure and withdraw as well…’
‘Do you want your entire family branded as traitors? Stay still and don't do anything foolish.’
Amidst the lords' frantic whispering, the Marquis staggered to his feet.
How had things come to this?
Initially, his only thought had been to end the war quickly and minimize costs.
But now, forget the costs—he had to worry about the family’s finest elites being pointlessly wasted.
‘If only I hadn't been so sharp with him at the start.’
If he had offered even a modicum of agreement to Lucian’s words, or even just given him some lip service about how his points were valid.
Then, he could have made the same argument to turn back, claiming that this was exactly the situation they had feared.
However, since he had openly opposed Lucian in front of everyone, that option was as good as gone.
Now, no matter how things turned out, they had no choice but to follow that moron of a First Prince.
‘…Come to think of it, was it said that a monarch who is too brilliant or too stupid is equally bad for a retainer?’
The Marquis recalled a phrase his father had taught him long ago.
A brilliant monarch keeps his retainers under a tight grip, while a stupid monarch drags his retainers down into the very pit he falls into.
Most of his late father’s advice had been invaluable, but that particular saying was one he had never understood.
He had always thought that the stupider a monarch was, the better, as it would allow him to manipulate the ruler as he pleased.
‘So, this is what he meant.’
The Marquis let out a hollow laugh as he looked at his own reflection, seeing a man being dragged into a pit.
He had supported the First Prince, thinking he would be easy to handle because he was dim-witted, and now he was being held hostage by his own choice. It was a classic case of reaping what one sows.
He could only pray that the pit they were falling into wasn't too deep.
*
Despite the First Prince’s tyranny, not a single person stepped forward to defend Lucian.
Or rather, to be precise, they couldn't even if they wanted to.
Neither the First Prince, who had issued the order, nor Lucian, the party involved, desired such a thing.
Stepping forward to defend him now would only result in being targeted by both sides.
The lords could only watch in silent agony as Lucian withdrew.
Except for one person.
“Brother, this is not right.”
The next day, when they were about to discuss the advance once more, the Second Prince, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.
As he straightened his back, his tall stature and handsome features—previously obscured by his humble posture—suddenly commanded attention.
At the sight, the First Prince’s face contorted into a scowl.
“You’ve been watching in silence all this time, so why the sudden outburst?”
“Because I thought that after a day had passed, you would have calmed down and rescinded the order, Brother.”
“And since I didn't, you felt compelled to step in? On what grounds? Do you even hold a position high enough to speak?”
The Second Prince had only followed as an assistant to the First Prince and held no official military rank.
In terms of status, he was second only to the First Prince, but he was technically in no position to interfere in a military council.
However, the Second Prince did not flinch and met the First Prince’s gaze.
“I hold no rank. However, as a member of the Imperial Family, I have a duty to help you when you stray from the righteous path.”
“What? Stray from the righteous path?”
“Yes. The Grand Ducal House of Valdek is the Empire’s greatest contributor and most loyal subject. Even if they had made a mistake, they should not be treated so poorly—yet you cast them aside simply for speaking the truth. Please, reconsider your order.”
“Are you trying to lecture me now? Are you saying you know the righteous path while I do not!”
The First Prince shouted in a fit of rage, but the Second Prince did not stop.
Instead, as if to prove his loyalty, he knelt and shouted even louder.
“No man is perfect! Sometimes, one must have the courage to listen to those around them and correct a wrong decision!”
“Shut up! It seems you’re just afraid because the Valdek forces are gone. If you’re that scared, then you stay in the rear as well! I will handle the rest myself!”
“Brother!”
“Prepare for the march! We will advance as quickly as possible, secure drinking water at the next village, and then march on Bodium to seize the castle!”
The First Prince ended the council abruptly, as if he couldn't bear to hear another word.
The lords were left feeling awkward by the sudden clash between the two princes.
To think the Second Prince, who had been so quiet and inconspicuous until now, had such a side to him.
‘What was that just now? Was it a sincere plea? Or a plan to stand out given the opportunity?’
‘I can't tell if the Second Prince covets the throne or if he truly has no greed.’
Had it been a minor issue, they might have whispered, but this was a matter so grave they dared not speak of it aloud.
In the awkward atmosphere, the lords began to leave one by one in silence.
Lucian was also exiting the tent among the other lords when it happened.
“Lord Lucian.”
The Second Prince, Cedric, approached Lucian with a look of apology.
Lucian immediately bowed his head toward the approaching Cedric.
“I greet His Highness the Second Prince.”
“There is no need for such formality. I came to apologize, and your bowing only makes me feel more uneasy.”
“An apology? What could Your Highness possibly have to apologize to me for?”
“I wanted to say I am sorry for failing to restore your honor. I am truly sorry.”
“You need not concern yourself with it.”
“How could I not? To see a loyal subject of the Empire treated so poorly…”
“That is not what I meant.”
Lucian gave a thin smile as he looked at the persistently apologetic Cedric.
“I meant that since you have already achieved your goal of withdrawing to the rear, there is no need for further pretenses.”
“…!”
Cedric froze on the spot.
Just before he could snap back and ask what on earth Lucian was talking about, Lucian added more.
“His Highness the First Prince is walking a truly perilous path. Now that the Grand Accord has been nullified, there is no telling what the enemy will do, yet he is heading straight into their trap.”
“Are you saying I used you for my own safety?”
“Surely you must have heard that I did not wish to be defended. Even if you hadn't, a man as brilliant as the Second Prince couldn't possibly be unaware of that fact.”
“Lord Lucian, it seems you are under a grave misunderstanding.”
Cedric spoke while looking Lucian straight in the eye.
“I only stepped forward because I feared the relationship between the monarch and his subject would be ruined. I did not use you for my own safety. You may insult me if you wish, but I cannot have you thinking you were used.”
“I apologize if my words were offensive. But since things have turned out this way, I should begin preparing for the march as well.”
“Preparing for the march? You are to remain in the rear by my brother’s command, are you not?”
“But surely the time for that will come soon, will it not? Do not worry; I will set out as reinforcements whenever the order is given.”
With those ambiguous words, Lucian turned his back and walked away from Cedric.
Cedric couldn't take his eyes off Lucian’s back until he had completely disappeared.
*
A moment later, once Lucian was gone, Cedric relaxed his stiff expression and let out a sigh.
“Lucian Valdek… what a truly terrifying man.”
—Terrifying? To my eyes, he seemed nothing more than an insolent fellow. Not only did he fail to recognize your true worth, but he also jumped to his own conclusions, did he not?
Cedric’s shadow flickered, and a low, hushed voice emanated from it.
It was an eerie sight, as if someone were hidden within the shadow, speaking to him.
Cedric walked slowly toward a secluded spot and spoke to the shadow.
“An insolent fellow, you say. How amusing. In fact, he was the one who just pointed out my own insolence in our conversation.”
—…My apologies, but in my ignorance, I find it difficult to understand your meaning, my Lord.
“Anyone with a bit of wit could see that I used him. But figuring out what comes after that is a different matter entirely.”
—What comes after, you ask?
“The matter of stepping out to rescue my brother.”
Everything had already deviated from the original plan.
Could the First Prince, Claude, succeed in suppressing the rebellion just by pushing forward with superior numbers and quality of troops?
“It’s impossible. Everyone knows it, even if they dare not say it. This suppression is a failure. My brother will surely be defeated. The only question is how crushing that defeat will be.”
It would be ideal if the enemies crushed the allied forces and captured Claude.
But what if the enemies, blinded by resentment, lost their reason and took Claude’s head?
For Cedric, that was a scenario he didn't even want to imagine.
“If it ends with just the Empire’s prestige being tarnished, that would be a relief. In the worst-case scenario, His Majesty might lose his mind in a fit of rage and wipe out Krepelt entirely, scraping together every last bit of the Empire’s remaining strength to do so. And what would happen after that?”
The Empire was already stretched thin.
If the very foundations were uprooted just for the sake of venting anger, the Empire would be unable to endure and would collapse.
Therefore, Cedric had to save Claude at all costs.
As long as Claude remained alive, the Emperor would somehow maintain his reason.
“My brother will also come to his senses and retreat once he experiences defeat and his life is threatened. However, I need to send reinforcements at the appropriate time, just in case.”
—Could it be that the one you intended to send as reinforcements was that man?
“It’s the one thousand elites of the Grand Ducal House of Valdek. They are more than enough to rescue my brother from a crisis.”
Having grasped the situation, Cedric used Lucian as an excuse to withdraw to the rear.
There was no need to invite disaster by sticking his neck into a dangerous place.
At the same time, he had approached Lucian, who held the troops, to try and build some personal rapport.
In an emergency, wouldn't it be better to ask a favor of a friend rather than trying to suppress him with authority?
“But he saw right through my thoughts. Not only that I used him to withdraw, but also that I was feigning sincerity to gain his favor—and that I intended to use that favor later to ask him to save my brother.”
—…
“When he said he was preparing for the march at the end, he was mocking my actions. He was telling me not to act like I’m being sincere when I’m doing something I didn't even want to do. He was telling me not to worry, because he’ll provide the troops when the time comes, even without such theatrics.”
Cedric let out a deep sigh and looked up at the sky.
Had he ever had his schemes so perfectly seen through before?
He had thought himself more confident than anyone when it came to manipulating people through strategy.
“The world is wide indeed. I am ashamed of myself for acting as if I were the only special one.”
—What will you do?
“What do you mean? About Lord Lucian?”
—If he is such a dangerous man, perhaps it would be better to dispose of him in advance…
“Don't even think about it. If you poke a hornet’s nest for no reason, neither you nor I will survive.”
Cedric gave a bitter smile at the shadow’s words.
This was a man who had completely seen through his scheme and then shoved it right back in his face.
If he had revealed his insight knowing full well he would be viewed with caution, he must be more than prepared for the consequences.
“He is a man more dangerous than anyone if made an enemy. I must make him an ally at all costs.”
Above all, having such a figure as an ally would surely be a great help when he ascended the throne.
As Cedric watched the place where Lucian had departed, his eyes gleamed with a predatory desire to collect such a talent.