Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: His Highness the Crown Prince's Interest and the Weight of the Stars (2)
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Regardless of the circumstances, it was never a good sign when someone with tremendous power suddenly changed their attitude toward me.
Because people generally only switched up their behavior when some uncomfortable emotion was brewing inside them.
As proof of that, divorce lawyers often advised their clients that if a usually distant wife suddenly started treating them well, they should suspect infidelity.
And when investigations were launched on that basis, there was a shockingly high probability that the affair had begun right around the time her attitude shifted.
Of course, His Highness the Crown Prince had been pondering from our very first meeting how to shower Brigadier General Jaeger with even more rewards.
So, analyzing my current situation alongside His Highness's change in demeanor, it was clear he harbored no suspicion or discomfort toward me whatsoever.
Rather, having shattered long-standing imperial traditions to achieve the youngest promotion to general in history, he was probably just treating me even better out of worry that hyenas eyeing me would multiply.
"Your words are far too generous for the likes of me, Your Highness. Even if this Jaeger of yours holds some immense value, as Your Highness says, I would still be a lowly junior officer without your patronage. Please retract your statement."
And as if my display of humility had hit the mark, the Crown Prince gave a genuine, bright smile, released his grip on me, and said,
"Ahem. That's some heavy flattery. Don't you feel burdened saying things like that over and over?"
"My apologies."
"That aside, I offer my heartfelt congratulations on your promotion to brigadier general. When I first laid eyes on you, I secretly thought you might make it before turning thirty. But to snag a brigadier general's stars at twenty-five, along with the Golden Knight's Sword medal—no, and to claim that vast northern territory to boot. Having you as my subject is truly the blessing of Deus."
In Joseon, I might have piled on flowery praise about His Highness's virtue enabling such feats while humbly deflecting.
But this was a world where boasting of one's achievements—without crossing the line—was seen as the manly, stylish thing to do.
So I simply nodded in agreement without a word.
The Crown Prince patted my shoulder and continued.
"Your fame has already spread not just through Chekobia, but to Ostrica, the Warsaw Principality, and even the Latina Papal States. Naturally, my foresight in taking Peter Jaeger as my subject is being hailed across the continent. Thanks to that, even on my first diplomatic mission as Crown Prince, things went smoothly. And take a look at this."
With that, he proudly unfurled a scroll bearing the Papal seal before me.
"This is the decree excommunicating the Franco Republic in the name of Deus. Just as you suggested, with a mere 20,000 gold in donations, His Holiness the Pope penned it himself. By now, word of the Franco Republic's excommunication should have reached every nation on the continent."
I hadn't intended it, but His Highness the Crown Prince had already racked up major merits for the upcoming Franco Republic expedition.
Because now that the Franco Republic stood excommunicated, they'd have to throw every political, diplomatic, and financial resource at begging the Papal See for forgiveness—at once.
And in the meantime, whatever we did to carve up the Franco Republic, any interference with us—the Empire, enforcers of His Holiness's justice—could be rebuffed with the shield of excommunication.
That would completely seal off attacks or other military actions from future potential enemies while we executed justice on the Franco Republic.
Plus, if we claimed weapons and armor were needed to redeem heretical excommunicants, we might even snag a 30% tariff exemption to import from neighboring countries?
We could use that as cover to stockpile military supplies at bargain prices.
"Magnificent, Your Highness. With this, the war is as good as won before it even begins."
At my praise, the Crown Prince beamed with delight and asked,
"But now that you've got your stars, you know simple victory in battle isn't enough anymore, right? Be frank with me—what do you plan to seize from this war as a springboard for the future?"
There was one thing His Highness the Crown Prince wanted from me right now.
Results exceeding his investment—making his prestige and imperial authority the strongest in the Reich Empire.
And the war I was planning perfectly satisfied that desire.
"I'll confide this only in Your Highness."
"Ahem, go on."
"I see this as the war to lay the foundation for the Reich Empire to claim the entire Franco Republic within ten years at the shortest—or twenty at the longest—after Your Highness ascends as Emperor."
At those words, the Crown Prince gazed at me with an expression bordering on tears of emotion.
"First, since Your Highness is no commander or field officer, I'll skip the tactics. Strategically, to utterly crush an enemy in war, you must seize their source of military power—their territory—and cripple their economy."
"Makes sense. Troop numbers scale with territory size, and armaments and logistics depend on economic strength."
"Of those, I plan to shatter their economy in this war. The eastern regions of the Franco Republic we're targeting first rake in massive revenues from vast plains yielding grain and top-shelf wine."
From haunting the General Staff Intelligence Division, Finance Ministry, and Foreign Ministry while plotting this, I'd learned their eastern plains generated 40% of the Republic's total revenue.
Put conversely, losing the east would slash their finances to 60% of current levels.
"That area—mere 15% of their total territory—produces 40% of their food. Once we take it, we'll dominate them economically and in food security."
The Empire would thus gain the funds and grain to mobilize far more troops than now.
"Moreover, to lift the excommunication, they'll have to grovel before His Holiness in Latina, likely coughing up years' worth of national budgets as penance gold. With revenues and production down 40%, recovering from deficits will take decades at minimum. Over that span, the power gap between the Reich Empire and the Franco Republic will only widen."
Indeed, a century ago in the Hundred Years' War, when the Black Prince ravaged wealthy southern France after Poitiers, French finances dropped 20%, and rebuilding villages and coffers took decades—per the records.
That was the basis of my calculations.
"Once Your Highness ascends as Emperor, we slowly strangle the Franco Republic with military pressure—like suffocating them with soft cotton. Won't all their lands eventually fall into the hands of Emperor His Highness?"
At that, the Crown Prince clapped like a delighted seal, dignity be damned, and exclaimed,
"Outstanding! Even if we don't win big in this battle, the Franco dogs will squander fortunes just lifting the excommunication—they'll never regain their old swagger!"
"As Your Highness's sword, I vow a historic triumph in this battle as well."
"Of course. Oh, right—I missed your wedding thanks to my overseas tour."
I nodded, and he handed me a scroll, saying,
"Can't have a brigadier general fresh off promotion and marriage holed up in a measly eight-room mansion. So I bought a grand estate from a fallen count's family in Reichburg and had it deeded to you."
My title was viscount, yet he was handing over a count's former mansion outright.
A silent nudge to rack up merits and climb to count?
Incredibly grateful, but a capital count's estate like that was worth at least 2,000 gold...
One such house equaled a year's living costs for 2,000 serf households. To give it away with no strings attached...
"The furnishings were worn, so I refitted it with new ones suiting the estate's grandeur. Use it without worry. And I heard you're swamped with work, leaving your new wife alone even in your honeymoon phase. So, out of sympathy, I snagged tickets from an imperial-sponsored theater troupe. Take Major Laura von Venner to a show this weekend. Burying yourself in work when you should be heating up your marriage will cause problems."
"I shall repay Your Highness's grace to the utmost."
He smiled warmly at me and said,
"You've already exceeded my expectations. So don't feel too burdened."
This felt like pressure: You've done this much already, so go deliver the same in the Franco expedition.
Not that I couldn't, but... it weighed heavy.
"And traveling abroad lately, I saw your fame has reached even the Latina Papal States. So there might be attempts to poach you—or frame you for colluding with foreign powers, right?"
In countless wars, generals were often smeared with treason charges they didn't deserve, leading to their execution.
In Joseon, even Admiral Yi Sun-sin had been dragged in on absurd logic from King Seonjo—ignoring Won Gyun's nonsense meant plotting betrayal.
"Plus, a mere field-grade officer might get away without a lady's maid, but not a general. I'll find a suitable woman to attend you personally—handling whatever you need from dawn till dusk. Now, off with you."
At the Crown Prince's dismissal, I bowed and departed, thinking,
His Highness doesn't suspect me in the slightest, but he's concerned my position might invite nitpicking from rival generals or courtiers.
So he's assigning a beauty to attend me—just like the other generals—to alibi-proof me perfectly.
"Ha~ Laura's going to hate this plenty. She'll understand it's unavoidable, though. Instead, I'll apologize hard—with my body—tonight."