The Novel's Protagonist (1)
After the communication with General Berhardt ended, silence descended upon the communication room in the Imperial Capital.
Perlin could still hear General Berhardt’s voice echoing in her ears.
‘It means he killed him.’
General Berhardt had spoken calmly. That Edrian was dead.
Her lips trembled. Her eyes grew hot.
‘Edrian…’
He was a man who was a bit twisted, a bit obsessive, and sometimes extreme, but he had held onto the North until the very end.
At least, the Edrian Winterfell that Perlin knew was like that. Yet General Berhardt was too calm even after killing him.
As if he had simply finished a chore rather than taken a life.
That fact was even more horrifying.
Even so, Perlin slowly steadied her breathing.
‘Now is not the time to cry.’
Edrian was dead, and Berhardt had survived. And now General Berhardt had become uncontrollable.
‘Why did it come to this…’
In truth, this world was never meant to flow like this.
The central figure in the novel she had read, The Holy Sword Obsesses Only Over Me, had always been one person.
Robento Delhart.
The Holy Kingdom’s great warrior, the one chosen by the holy sword, the hero who received the divine oracle.
Countless epithets pointed to him, but the most important fact was that he was the protagonist of The Holy Sword Obsesses Only Over Me.
Because of that, she had initially tried to go to Robento’s side. Since the center of the novel had always been him.
Of course, she somehow ended up with the Crown Prince of the Nathaniel Empire, but the fact that Robento was still the novel’s protagonist hadn’t changed.
Yet the atmosphere was gradually shifting.
It was Arsens Berhardt, not Robento, who was beginning to rise to the center of the story.
Originally, the Crown Prince, the Empire, and the North were all merely parts of a story centered around Robento.
Therefore, the Empire should have lived peacefully as a side branch of the story without major incidents.
Until Arsens Berhardt shook up the board.
‘I have to change the flow somehow.’
If things continued like this, the story could twist even more dramatically.
Her plan to live as the Empress of the Empire, standing on the sidelines of the story, was going awry.
But to change the flow, she needed influence comparable to Arsens Berhardt’s.
The Crown Prince alone wasn’t enough.
She recalled her connections one by one in her mind.
The Tower Master. The Crown Prince. The Prince of Gartrina. The Northern Archduke… was dead.
Each of them possessed immense power and influence, but they were insufficient to stop General Berhardt.
In the end, the only one left was the protagonist….
He was a dangerous card to play. But if she let go now, things might grow even larger.
Because she didn’t know what would happen when General Berhardt returned to the Imperial Capital.
Perlin quietly raised her head.
Across from her, Leon sat with a hardened expression, silent.
He seemed to feel it too—that General Berhardt had changed too much and become dangerous.
“Your Highness.”
Leon’s gaze turned to Perlin.
Just as she was about to speak, Leon spoke first.
“We’re alone, so speak comfortably.”
Perlin looked at him for a moment.
Leon rubbed his head with a tired face.
“There’s no need to be so formal.”
Perlin slowly steadied her breathing.
“……Understood.”
“So. What were you thinking so deeply about?”
Perlin no longer hesitated.
“We need to send a request to the Holy Kingdom.”
Leon’s eyebrows moved slightly.
“Suddenly?”
“It’s not sudden.”
Perlin continued confidently.
“Because what we need right now isn’t just settling the North. We need to show that the Imperial Family is still the center of the Empire.”
Leon didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he let out a sigh.
“So you’re suggesting we bring in the Holy Kingdom as a way to do that?”
“Let’s join hands with them.”
Perlin replied with a determined look.
“There’s no one in the Empire right now who can directly suppress General Berhardt. The nobles are only afraid of him, and the military has long since leaned toward him.”
Leon couldn’t deny her words.
“That’s why we need another axis. A power outside the Empire’s military authority that no one can easily ignore. A name that can serve as justification, as a symbol, and stand by the Imperial Family’s side.”
Leon answered in her stead.
“The Holy Kingdom’s hero.”
“Yes.”
Perlin didn’t hesitate.
“We must invite the Holy Kingdom’s hero to the Imperial Capital.”
#
“General.”
The door opened and Commander Reina entered.
She held another bundle of reports in her hands.
“The cleanup around the gate city is almost complete. The inspection system has also been reorganized according to headquarters standards.”
I nodded to her.
“What about the supply lines?”
“We’ve normalized them as much as possible.”
Good. It was slow, but things were moving again.
I flipped through a report and stopped my hand.
At this rate, I could leave the North to Reina for a while. At least, it wouldn’t collapse again immediately.
“Then….”
What I had to deal with next was what came after. Simply organizing the North wasn’t the end.
If the Imperial Capital remained as it was, an even bigger incident could erupt next.
I slowly leaned back in my chair.
“I’ll have to head up for a bit.”
Reina looked at me.
She seemed to understand what I meant.
“You’re going to the Imperial Capital.”
“Yes.”
I answered briefly.
“I have to keep the promise I made to them.”
As much as the North had trusted me, I had to take responsibility for it.
Commander Reina asked no further questions.
She held the documents to her chest and bowed her head.
“I’ll hold things down here.”
That one sentence was enough.
I rose from my seat.
“Adjutant Raylin.”
Raylin, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately entered.
“Yes, General.”
“Prepare. We’re heading to the Imperial Capital.”
“Understood.”
#
A few days later, we arrived at the Imperial Capital.
Even after arriving, there was no time to catch our breath.
By the time we passed through the gates and entered the inner palace, a servant was already waiting.
The servant conveyed that His Highness the Crown Prince was holding a meeting immediately.
He intended to hear everything right there—the Northern rebellion, the handling of the noble houses, and the subsequent stabilization plans.
Just as I had hoped.
After dusting myself off, I headed straight to the conference room.
Creak—
As the conference room door opened, all eyes turned to me at once.
At the end of the long table sat Crown Prince Leon. To his right was Perlin Claire. As expected.
Besides them, several nobles, the finance minister, and a few court scribes were seated.
I entered and offered a simple salute.
“Arsens Berhardt. I have returned after completing my mission in the North.”
The Crown Prince gestured.
“Take a seat, Sir Arsens.”
“Yes.”
As I sat down, a sound signaling the start of the meeting rang out, and the Crown Prince looked at me.
“Well then, Sir Arsens. Could you summarize the situation in the North for us?”
“Understood.”
I had prepared the report to be as concise as possible.
It was important to grasp the overall situation first.
“The Northern Archduke and the Northern nobles had illegally seized control of the North’s inspections, supplies, troop movements, and reporting systems right after the victory.”
The nobles showed surprised expressions at my words.
“This is rebellion. Therefore, Northern Archduke Edrian Winterfell and the nobles who participated with him have all been executed.”
“….”
“Afterward, I, Arsens Berhardt, and Northern Army Commander Reina Noah took charge of the cleanup, classifying the participants and restoring the chain of command. The gate city, outer walls, and supply lines are also being normalized in sequence.”
The air in the conference room grew heavy.
One noble cautiously spoke up.
“Was the execution of the Northern Archduke carried out summarily?”
“Yes.”
“Without a trial in the Imperial Capital…?”
I looked at him.
“The North is not leisurely enough to follow procedures while escorting a traitor.”
The noble’s mouth closed.
I continued.
“The properties of the Northern Archduke and the related nobles are currently under the management of headquarters.”
After the brief report ended, Leon nodded.
“I will review the handling of the properties separately. However, this incident cannot end as merely a Northern problem. If the North collapses in chaos, the Empire will fall, which will lead directly to a crisis for the world.”
I narrowed my eyes.
The Crown Prince’s words were not wrong. However, they didn’t seem to be simply emphasizing the importance of the North.
As expected, the Crown Prince’s declaration followed immediately.
“Therefore, today’s meeting will not conclude as an internal Imperial discussion.”
The moment the Crown Prince finished speaking, Perlin’s gaze changed.
The Crown Prince gave orders to the servants.
“Show them in.”
A moment later, the heavy door opened.
One noble who had been watching muttered unconsciously.
“A holy knight…?”
Two knights in white cloaks and armor entered the conference room. And between them, a man revealed himself.
A man with dark blue hair and blue eyes.
Despite his youthful face, his tall stature and well-built muscles showed that he was a warrior who had trained for a long time.
At the same time, he exuded a unique aura that ordinary people could not feel.
Could it be?
The one who held the protagonist’s position in the novel I possessed, I Tried to Seduce the Protagonist but Ended Up Seducing the Crown Prince.
Robento Delhart.
The moment that name surfaced in my mind, my gaze met his exactly.
He stopped in his tracks.
I didn’t look away either.
Ah, so this was it.
The card that Perlin Claire had played.
I looked at him and slowly smiled.
Things were about to get interesting.