Chapter 301
Chapter 301
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 301
Chapter Title: A Splendid Vacation (5)
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The day after finishing that long journey with the Crown Prince, I headed straight to the imperial palace to report on His Highness's mental growth and achievements.
Even though people like me, the commander of the Guard Knights Regiment, and the Chamberlain had already submitted written reports, I wondered if I really needed to give an in-person briefing too.
Right now, I had four stars on my uniform but was in a holding pattern without a proper assignment. On top of that, the Northerners had sent me massive gifts without reading the room, so I needed to explain that directly to His Imperial Majesty.
These days, I met with the Emperor about once a month, and according to the Grand Chamberlain, aside from the court nobles who worked in the palace and the direct imperial family members who lived there, I was the one who saw His Majesty the most.
Still, facing someone with the dignity to swap out four stars at a whim was always a bit intimidating.
"Even though I handed over everything to His Majesty right after receiving the gifts, I still have to explain myself personally? And did the real purpose of those Northerners giving me gifts—improving His Majesty's trust and opinion of the North—actually work?"
The Finance Minister had converted the bribes from over two hundred Northern tribes into cash, totaling a whopping 30,000 gold.
I hadn't touched a single coin out of fear that it would sour my relationship with His Majesty if I did, but in the end, here I was, having to justify it in person.
Swallowing my inner sense of injustice, I kept walking until I arrived at the Emperor's office where he was waiting.
I knocked on the door, and a servant's voice came from inside.
"Who is it?"
"It's Division Commander Peter Jaeger. I've come at His Majesty's summons."
About thirty seconds later, the door opened. His Majesty was in a great mood after seeing his son, who had been away on a long trip, and was handling paperwork with a face full of smiles.
No matter how happy he was to reunite with his son after so long, to be grinning that much while working...
"Come in, Division Commander Jaeger. Steward, bring a chair for Division Commander Jaeger. He's an important guest—can't have him standing too long or his legs will ache."
A moment later, the steward brought a chair and placed it in front of the desk in the office.
"Sit down. I have a lot to talk about with you today."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"How's your health? You must be tired after taking the Crown Prince all the way up to the distant North."
To cut to the chase, the trip hadn't been exhausting at all.
His Highness wasn't the type of spoiled royal from novels or comics who abused his status to bully me. I don't know what His Majesty had told him, but starting from the second month of the journey, in private moments, he called me "Commander, Commander" like a nephew following his uncle around.
On the contrary, if I wanted to sightsee or try something along the way, he told me not to hesitate and just let him know—he'd work it out with the Chamberlain as long as it wasn't too much. The most we did was make surprise visits to military units en route to observe the troops' training.
The division commanders, regimental commanders, and soldiers who suddenly had the Crown Prince bomb dropped on them must have been dying, but I didn't suffer.
Louise couldn't join because of her postpartum recovery, but Laura, Charlotte, Anya, and Friedrich—we all traveled leisurely on imperial funds without spending a dime, eating delicious food the whole way.
Of course, those of us responsible for escorting—me, His Highness, the Chamberlain, and the Guard Knights regimental commander—had our share of duties. But compared to our usual workload, it was a drop in the bucket.
"His Highness never threw a tantrum or acted stubborn even once. Considering his young age, we took it slow to avoid overdoing it, so there was nothing particularly taxing."
"The report said that every time the Crown Prince visited a county capital, there was a banquet, and you had a hard time."
My rank as a marquis put me among the top nobility where you could count them on one hand, but in terms of noble experience, I was sorely lacking compared to others.
Even now, at banquets, while everyone else danced gracefully, I'd shuffle awkwardly like a rusty wooden doll.
Or I'd feel like an idiot because I knew nothing about art or culture.
This time too, Laura and Anya blended in perfectly with their innate noble grace, but I used escorting His Highness as an excuse to stick by his side and turn down every dance invitation from the ladies...
"It's embarrassing to admit, but I'm a bit lacking in dancing and refinement, so I used escorting His Highness as an excuse to duck out this time."
"I can't imagine you—the terror of the battlefield—hiding behind the Crown Prince at a banquet."
His Majesty said that and burst out laughing heartily for a moment.
"Anyway, setting aside the small talk, how did the Northern trip turn out? Just the fact that you received gifts worth over 30,000 gold makes it an obvious success. But as the real escort leader, you saw things from a different angle."
"Then let me start with His Highness's achievements during this expedition."
His Majesty nodded as if to say, go ahead.
"His Highness successfully displayed a dignity befitting the Empire's future sovereign to numerous imperial nobles and Northern chieftains, far beyond what you'd expect from a ten-year-old. Though his age limited meetings to short, formal exchanges, he did so without a single awkward pause—truly worthy of the Empire's next leader."
"Is that so? Worth all the effort I put into his education."
"In a few months, nobles from across the Empire will gather in Reichburg for the harvest festival. Those who met His Highness will spread word of their impressions—without a shred of exaggeration."
Nobles usually lace six out of ten conversations with lies, exaggerate three more, and tell only one truth.
To put it simply, if they met an average-looking girl from class, they'd hype her up like she was Mikku from Dzeraphi—a total natural reaction for them.
But when someone is overwhelmingly beautiful or talented, even nobles stick to the truth, lest they sound like babbling bards chirping nonsense.
In this case, it'll be tales of how perfectly composed the Crown Prince was.
"And his demeanor during audiences with the chieftains was so impressive it brought to mind the saying that even a lion's cub is a lion."
His Majesty widened his eyes, clearly intrigued.
"After exchanging the formal words with each chieftain, His Highness stood up himself to help them to their feet. He always offered sincere words of thanks and encouragement. The chieftains were deeply moved—some even teary-eyed."
"Just handling the audiences properly would have been enough, but to go that extra mile with encouragement... Truly commendable."
"On top of that, at my suggestion, he tried Northern foods and showed appreciation for their unique culture. So, the signal of reconciliation and integration you entrusted to him was delivered perfectly."
By imperial law, Northern chieftains and tribesfolk enjoy equal treatment as imperial citizens.
Legally equal, sure—but plenty of fools in the Empire look down on Northern culture and sophistication.
And honestly, their culture was pretty barbaric, so Northerners strongly admired and envied imperial ways.
Some even abandoned their own heritage out of inferiority.
So, when the Empire's next emperor visits, eats their food, calls it delicious, and praises how colorful their culture is...?
That inferiority complex vanishes in a puff of smoke.
His Majesty nodded, clearly understanding why I'd said that.
"The Crown Prince grew a great deal on this trip. It's all thanks to you. Come to think of it, once your escort duties end, you'll be without an assignment again, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
The Emperor pulled a map from his desk drawer and pointed to the Perosian City-States.
"As per your counsel, the Empire won't initiate war for the next five years unless we're attacked first. But after that, to seize future hegemony and rise above all others, we'll have to spread our wings again, won't we?"
Just as His Majesty said, resting too long makes us look weak and invites threats.
So, the Empire can pause wars, but never stop them entirely.
"Yes, that's right."
"Imperial Intelligence reports say the Perosian City-States are a mess. Looks like a big fight's brewing this time."
"May I ask why?"