The Plan Only the Protagonist Doesn't Know (1)
Tap, tap-.
It was another day of back-to-back meetings.
The 1st Prince rubbed his temples, trying to chase away the accumulated fatigue. The meeting that had dragged on past midnight yesterday had resumed at the crack of dawn today.
“So, the factions are finally starting to solidify.”
“That is correct, my Lord.”
The 2nd Prince’s faction had finally caught up to the 1st Prince’s heels. Perhaps it was a result that had been destined from the start. The 2nd Prince’s mother, the Imperial Consort, came from a great noble family that had ruled a province even before the founding of the empire; this meant they possessed long-standing alliances and the financial power to back them up.
“Still, the fortunate thing is that, excluding the South, there are many lords who do not dare to harbor doubts about Your Highness’s legitimacy.”
“Legitimacy, is it.”
The 1st Prince let out a laugh. It wasn’t a laugh of satisfaction, but rather one of self-derision.
“Indeed. It is the only thing I have that is worth anything.”
“My Lord.”
“Ah, I do not mean to reproach you. It is simply the truth.”
The legitimacy of being the 1st Prince of the Empire, born between the Emperor and the Empress. Just as he lacked a powerful maternal family to support him, it was difficult for the 2nd Prince to overcome this level of legitimacy.
“That is why the Imperial Consort’s family is continuing these wars of conquest, is it not? To ignore the legitimacy I possess, they need achievements of that magnitude.”
“There is a rumor that the 2nd Prince will soon lead a personal expedition to the Eastern Forest front.”
“The Eastern Forest region?”
“Yes. It is said that His Majesty was quite pleased with the plan, so I expect it will be announced soon.”
“Beyond the Great Forest lies the Holy Empire.”
“...Yes.”
“Hah.”
If one were to name the Empire’s only true rival, it was the Holy Empire. The vast forest region had served as a buffer preventing a direct clash between the two empires, but the 2nd Prince seemed determined to provoke them.
“His Majesty’s greed has grown excessive in his later years.”
The 1st Prince summarized the situation neatly. He was well aware of his father’s hunger for land. He knew full well that the Emperor wanted to leave his name in history as a conquering monarch. But the moment they crossed the forest, tensions with the Holy Empire would skyrocket.
“If this expedition succeeds, the 2nd Prince will be remembered as the one who conquered the Great Forest, and Father will be a conquering monarch. A cause for celebration, truly.”
“My Lord...”
“And the Empire I inherit will be shackled from the moment of my coronation, constantly locked in a power struggle with the Holy Empire. Perhaps history will record me as an incompetent ruler.”
The 1st Prince did not seem to entertain the thought that he would lose the throne to his younger brother. It was true that his brother’s threat was quite sharp, but he didn’t intend to take it lying down.
What annoyed him was the future situation where his foolish brother, who didn’t know his place and coveted what wasn’t his, would stir up trouble everywhere, shackling the Empire he was destined to receive.
That was when it happened.
“Your Highness. A letter has arrived...”
“A letter?”
“It was brought by the informant we sent to the North.”
“Did that man not already return?”
“Only the leader returned, while his four subordinates remained. The one who brought this letter is one of those four.”
The 1st Prince felt a spark of interest from the short conversation with the Chief Chamberlain.
“It seems the new Lord of the North intends to use my informant as a letter-carrier.”
“Shall I bring it in?”
“Let me see it at once.”
Once permission was granted, the Chief Chamberlain brought in a letter stamped with a Northern seal on a silver tray. The seal used to wax the letter was unfamiliar.
‘A wolf.’
The symbol of the Imperial family was a golden lion, the same color as the 1st Prince’s hair. The king of beasts. Flashy, slow, and powerful. How did a wolf compare?
‘It is certainly one of the reasons the other lords look down on the North.’
However, the 1st Prince quite liked the image of the long-haired wolf staring straight ahead with fierce eyes. It was certainly better than the seals of the Great Lords, who dragged in all sorts of precious symbols to bluff and challenge the authority of the Imperial family.
A beast that was combative, followed its own path, and possessed strong pride.
‘I hope the content of the letter is at least half as good as the seal.’
The 1st Prince tore open the letter, hoping and praying that the Northern Lord—whose face and name he did not know—would not be writing a long-winded, groveling plea for mercy or help for his pitiful situation.
“......”
The 1st Prince stared at the letter for a long time. He seemed to be chewing over the contents, over and over again. Seeing his serious expression, it was at least a relief that it wasn't filled with useless drivel.
“The content seems quite long.”
“That is to be expected of the North. Isn’t it such an alienated region?”
“It seems they pulled such a cute stunt to inform Your Highness of the North’s situation.”
The 1st Prince’s aides whispered among themselves, sharing their thoughts. As the closest confidants of the Prince, they were the elite of the elite, possessing power, titles, and wealth. Naturally, none of them knew the actual situation of the remote North.
They weren’t 21st-century politicians who had to hire journalists to do image-making, and for nobles who built power based on their own territories, it didn’t matter at all whether flower-rain or milk-rain fell on a barren frontier. Therefore, while the North was clearly Imperial territory, ironically, less was known about it than foreign countries.
Thud-.
Finally, the 1st Prince set the letter down. A slight crease formed between his brows.
“Are they in desperate need of relief?”
“Since the population is small, the scale of support shouldn’t be that large, but transporting it all the way there is no simple task...”
“Perhaps you should handle the urgent matters first.”
The aides assumed that if the North had sent a letter this desperately, it must be about relief or support. If not that, what reason would there be to send a letter directly to the center, and to the Prince at that?
“Aiden Blackwood.”
“...Yes?”
“That is the name of the current acting Lord of the North. I am curious what kind of person he is.”
“I shall look into it immediately!”
The Chief Chamberlain added that since the acting Lord of the North was always sent from the central government, there would be records.
“If you are looking for his crimes, I believe there might be a simpler method...”
“Crimes? For someone who deserves a reward?”
“...?”
The crease between the 1st Prince’s brows smoothed out, and at the same time, the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably.
“Yes, that’s right. I don’t need to lower myself to the same level as my pathetic younger brother. That’s right.”
The 1st Prince stretched with a very satisfied face. His joints, stiff from days of relay meetings, seemed to scream. Blood began to circulate through his entire body in an instant. Even the dark circles under his eyes, which had been fading into black, showed a brief glimmer of vitality.
“Everyone, let’s end the meeting here and gather again after a good rest.”
“But this is not the time for that, Your Highness! Even now, the 2nd Prince’s side must be constantly swaying the lords... We must ensure the balance is not broken-.”
“That is why.”
He gently interrupted the desperate voice of his loyal subject.
“Why should I, whose most powerful weapon is legitimacy, have to sway them?”
I am the one who will become the Emperor of the Empire. The Emperor of the Empire is not one who sways, but one who embraces.
With that, the 1st Prince walked out of the office with a light step, as if there was nothing left to see.
“Embraces...?”
“He says he won’t sway them.”
“Does anyone here have an inkling of what His Highness meant?”
The eyes of those remaining in the office turned toward one place simultaneously. It was the letter from the North, left behind as if on purpose.
“I shall read it.”
Instead of the Chief Chamberlain who had followed the Prince, the Marquis of Fabion, known as the 1st Prince’s right arm, picked up the letter himself.
"...Do not stand on the balance scale yourself. Be the one who weighs the younger brother on one side and the Imperial citizens on the other. If the scale of the Imperial citizens is light, simply create another weight and keep stacking it."
It was advice not to compete directly with the 2nd Prince. It was advice not to stand on the opposite side, but to make the Imperial citizens the 2nd Prince’s competitor. If the power of the Imperial citizens looked weak,
“It is an opinion that is acceptable at first glance. But isn’t it too idealistic?”
“That is correct. Adding more weights called ‘Imperial citizens’? Isn’t that just telling us to wage wars of conquest?”
“If only they knew how much a war of conquest costs...”
Some aides couldn’t hold back and voiced their opinions.
Thud-.
The Marquis of Fabion spread out a document that had been enclosed with the letter so everyone could see it.
“What is this?”
“Let’s see, it looks like a legal proposal and some kind of list...”
The expressions of the middle-aged men, who had leaned in, unable to overcome their curiosity, changed moment by moment as they checked the document.
“A proposal to abolish ‘Demi-human Pure-bloodism’? What is this all of a sudden?”
“This side is a list of demi-humans and immigrants absorbed into the Empire through past wars and such.”
“Hah. Were there really this many?”
“These are the traces of glory following the growth of our Elteon over the past hundred and fifty years.”
“...There are quite a few ethnicities I’m seeing for the first time for it to be called ‘traces of glory’.”
“......”
What Aiden had enclosed was a proposal to abolish demi-human pure-bloodism. And the reality of demi-humans and immigrants who had been absorbed into the Empire but were still treated as second-class citizens, living in discrimination and persecution. They couldn’t know exactly how many immigrants were living in silence within the massive Empire, but the nobles fell silent at the list that stretched for over a hundred lines.
“...If we embrace all of them...”
“The solidification of the factions would become a thing of the past.”
“But is this really possible?”
The conversation continued, barely breaking the silence.
“Does everyone not remember what the leader of the informant group who returned first said?”
The Marquis of Fabion recalled the event from a while ago.
“The Canary of the Battlefield. She has settled in the North. A tribe of beast-kin has already established themselves there, too, I believe?”
At most, it was one person, or a tribe of a few dozen. But,
“It seems sufficient as a primer.”
The Marquis of Fabion liked this young official he had never met. It was because he thought this might become the foundation for Elteon to become an Empire above the Empire, enough to overturn the situation. And he himself would become the Prime Minister of that perfect, utopian Empire.
“I just hope it isn’t treason.”
“Yes?”
“Ah, the past of that Aiden Blackwood, the administrative officer.”
The Marquis hoped and prayed with glistening eyes that the background of the young man who would elevate him to the position of Prime Minister would be spotless.
“Shouldn’t we give that much authority to someone who works well? Haha!”
He intended to provide him with the status he rightfully deserved, not as an acting official who could be cast aside at any time.
***
“How do you think it will go?”
“It’s a proposal the 1st Prince will have no choice but to grab.”
“Then that couple, is marriage possible?”
“Probably.”
The three adjutants huddled together while eating dinner.
“Our administrative officer, he pretends not to be, but he’s a romanticist. Hehe. Our officer is the only Lord who would even change the law to let two lovers marry.”
Jamie, who was still over-immersed, giggled. Of course, he knew it wasn’t something done solely for the happiness of the two, but over-immersion was only fun when you went a bit overboard like this.
“If the 1st Prince likes this opinion, we need to prepare, too.”
“Prepare for what?”
“I’ve heard he’s someone with a great greed for talent.”
Kalisa finished her soup in one go and continued.
“Our administrative officer. He might truly become a Lord.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Clatter-!
Kalisa’s calm words. But it was a statement with enough power to freeze not only the two colleagues who had been joking around but even the kitchen staff of the Lord’s castle.