Chapter 280
Chapter 280
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 280
Chapter Title: There Is No Militarism in Our Empire (2)
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When trying to dissuade someone with immense power from their intentions, one must proceed with the utmost caution.
As a person's status rises and their authority grows, they tend to become increasingly arrogant, convinced that their own thoughts are infallibly correct.
If someone voices opposition at such a moment... even if I'm a figure who enjoys His Majesty's favor, touching on his reverse scale could instantly shatter all the trust I've built up.
Still, I don't believe His Majesty Michael would simply order me to submit my discharge papers and get out of his sight just for offering a differing opinion.
To maintain a good relationship with His Majesty going forward, I need to respect his will and intentions while gently urging him to wait a little longer, backed by realistic evidence.
I took a deep breath and spoke in a polite, gentle tone.
"As Your Majesty says, I too wish to make the Reich Empire the strongest nation on the Europan continent. It is a dream shared by every officer of the Reich."
His Majesty nodded vigorously, pleased by my words.
"As long as Your Majesty continues to trust me, I, a noble holding the rank of Marquis of the Reich Empire and General, shall devote myself until my dying breath and repay that trust with the utmost achievements. As the accomplishments of myself and the Imperial Army gradually accumulate, Your Majesty's reign will allow the Empire to seize hegemony over the Europan continent. I swear this on the name of Peter Jaeger."
"Is that true? Yes, it's not that I distrust Minister of Military Affairs Keitel or Field Marshal Venner, but you are more precious to me than either of them. With your support for my will, as Lieutenant General Manstein said, the Empire will now spread its wings like an eagle and soar."
His words, valuing me—a mere step below the current Minister of Military Affairs and Field Marshal—more dearly, filled my chest with emotion, but at the same time made it feel even heavier.
Because words that would soon dash His Majesty's expectations were about to leave my mouth.
However, unless I deflate the empty fantasies that Lieutenant General Manstein—who's in his early fifties—and the young hotheads in the General Staff have instilled in His Majesty, the Empire will suffer defeat.
Defeat in the midst of striving for hegemony means plummeting from the heights, and once fallen, the countless nations that have envied our Empire until now will tear into my homeland.
I cannot bear to see my country end up like that. Because I love the Reich Empire as dearly as my own life, I steeled my resolve to dissuade His Majesty.
"Yes. But could Your Majesty lend an ear to a bit more of what I have to say?"
"I always welcome your words. Yes, speak! Where shall we strike next? In a few years, should we hit Checobia or Ostria?"
His Majesty gazed at me expectantly, like a shopper pondering which desired item to pick first, but the answer I would give was already set.
"The Reich Empire must now halt the war and rest. The Black Eagle—the emblem at the center of our Empire's flag, symbolizing the Reich—must fold its wings, return to the nest, and recuperate. If it does not... the Empire, the Empire..."
His Majesty gripped my shoulder, his expression pleading for me not to continue.
But I pressed on with what had to be said.
"...could become the target of jealousy from the other birds around it and be unable to fly for ages. This I declare, staking my life on it."
"......"
"Your Majesty, over the past decade, the Empire has fought too many large-scale battles. Though we've emerged victorious in the end, the people's livelihoods and the national treasury are approaching crisis. Across those ten years, we've waged over five major campaigns, birthing countless heroes and heroic tales—but behind them lies immense tax hikes and the suffering of the populace."
As someone in the military bringing up the people's livelihoods might seem like overstepping my duties, but an army's supplies and capabilities are determined by the taxes the people pay.
When taxes flow in well, supplies are plentiful and the army grows strong; when they don't, operations falter, and proper combat becomes impossible.
With four stars and the rank of General, I can't very well grab the civilian ministers and debate people's livelihood issues, but I can mention the people's lives under the pretext of logistics.
His Majesty understood this, so he didn't reprimand me for overreach.
Instead... he looked at me with eyes mixed with betrayal and displeasure, conveying the message, 'How could even you say such things...?'
"As the commander who has presented Your Majesty with the Warsaw western coastlands, the Duchy of Königsburg, and countless other territories, I dare to speak further. May I have your permission?"
His Majesty, clearly uncomfortable at having his wishes denied, replied,
"Continue."
Had it been my father-in-law or the Minister of Military Affairs saying this, he might have bellowed in anger or simply told them to stop since he didn't want to hear more.
"To speak bluntly, aside from Bisocia and Strasbourg, the Empire has yet to fully digest the newly acquired territories. Take the northern regions where I was once posted—even now, military commanders wield both military and administrative authority there, rather than civilian governors or viceroys."
"Ha, that's true enough."
"Have you considered this? Those territories could be lost in an instant if the enemy attacks."
His Majesty's expression twisted.
"Are you, of all people, suggesting defeat to me, the Emperor of the Empire? Even you seem to be crossing a line..."
Rather than apologize, I met His Majesty's gaze squarely and said,
"Your Majesty, my role is to lead Your Empire to victory whenever it goes to war. For that, I've always stood at the vanguard when needed, and I shall continue to do so. At Reichen, I led the soldiers of the 7th Guard Division to hold off 100,000 enemy troops. In the recent Warsaw campaign, when everyone deemed naval combat impossible, I fought ferociously, personally cutting down over twenty foes single-handedly."
I paused briefly, placed my hand on my chest, and continued.
"In that process, six wounds nearly fatal adorn my body. My face was spared, but the cuts and scars across the rest are too numerous to count. I endured such injuries and fought at the forefront solely for Your Majesty and the Empire's victory."
"No citizen or noble of the Empire could deny your devotion. Nor can I."
"That is why, knowing it goes against Your Majesty's will, I say now is the time for the Empire to rest. Even if we wage and win the next war in our current state, we won't digest the new territories, and the people will plunge into suffering. Hegemony over the continent will slip further away—and this ties directly to every nation on Europa not wanting the Empire to grow stronger."
No matter how strong the Reich Empire is, with our current power, we can't handle two or three nations allying for total war.
Every country on the Europan continent knows this, so if someone shrewdly sets the stage, nations like Warsaw, Checobia, and Ostria will band together like a pack of hyenas and tear into the Empire all at once.
His Majesty will surely understand when I explain it this way—he is, after all, Michael von Reich, a wise sovereign born with the qualities of a great emperor.
I dropped to one knee before the Emperor and paid my respects as I spoke.
"Cease the wars. Halt expansion for now and fully stabilize the newly gained lands. It is time to strengthen the army from within."
His Majesty clenched his molars, shook his head side to side, let out a sigh, and then asked,
"Then let me ask: If we stop the war, how long must we stop? If we rest and take flight again, can the Black Eagle seize Europa's hegemony?"
"Grant the Empire five years of respite. Then the Black Eagle can soar once more toward hegemony over the Europan continent."
"You won't promise we can grasp it."
"My abilities fall short... I apologize."
"...... If your abilities were even slightly lacking, I wouldn't be sitting here now. I'd have been ignominiously captured at Reichen Hill, experienced life as a POW, or lost most of my men and been adopted into some count or marquis family by now—like the other imperial princes."
A moment later, His Majesty drew the sword at his side and handed it to me, saying,
"Because of that, I trust you more than any other subject. So you must repay that trust. Then let me ask again: What of Lieutenant General Manstein? The other nations will still want to keep fighting the Empire... How do you plan to stop them without battle?"
"I'll personally persuade Lieutenant General Manstein and the young hotheads in the General Staff. If they won't listen, I'll deal with them appropriately. As for preventing attacks from foreign powers..."
One method sprang to mind in this situation, but before explaining it, quelling the momentum of the pro-war faction within the Imperial Army takes priority.
"I'll think of a way."
"I trust only you."
With those words, His Majesty bestowed upon me, as a token of trust, the ornate sword bearing the imperial seal and the Emperor's crest, which he himself had worn.
This meant that if things went awry, I had free rein to physically take the heads of generals or wipe out a house—as long as it didn't infringe on the Emperor's sole prerogatives.
And the next day, I headed to the General Staff Headquarters.