Domestic Affairs, Part 1
The moment I entered the castle, a massive cheer erupted.
"Long live Lord Edrin Silverline!!!"
The citizens of all Arcteria were cheering for me.
"What a relief. It seems the word of what you accomplished, Count Edrin, has already reached the people of this land."
Selen wore a pleased smile.
Just as she said, rumors traveled faster than the wind.
When the story first spread that I had blocked Countess Eleonor's reinforcements, some citizens cursed me. But once the news broke that I had successfully negotiated with Valerian to secure Arcteria's safety, everyone sang my praises.
A few criticized me, claiming my "humiliating apology" was unbecoming of a lord's authority, or that I had brought shame upon my late father.
But such opinions were in the minority. Most people valued their own living breath far more than honor for the dead.
I had averted a war that everyone believed was inevitable. They had every reason to be grateful.
"We still have a long way to go. But it's not that strange for them to praise me right now, is it?"
"That is true, of course... but I was worried that something unfortunate might happen during your conflict with Lady Irene."
"It won't go that far."
I didn't mean that my relationship with her wasn't that bad, but rather that Irene wouldn't be able to exert that much influence.
No matter how little "practical" power I currently held, the fact remained that I was the Lord of Arcteria. The truth of what I had accomplished could not be hidden forever.
"Now you will have your formal inauguration. No one would have ever thought the young master... no, the Count, would become such a dignified lord."
"Yes... indeed."
Just by reaching this point, I had already defied many expectations.
I had secured my succession and averted a war.
But the real fight had not even begun.
The empire was bound to be reunified.
Not because every lord was a warmonger or a land-hungry monster, but because the people desired it.
Even the common folk who loathed war would not reject a conflict fought to "unify the empire." To them, a divided empire meant endless war and strife.
They could not accept a fractured empire. They could not accept a weak empire.
Even if I fortified Arcteria and held out for years, eventually, another lord would unify the empire and march upon this land with an overwhelming army.
Standing still was not an option. To survive, to remain free, I had to move.
If everyone wanted the empire unified, then I would have to be the one to do it.
"Haa..."
Irene bit her lip, watching the carriage enter the gates.
He had returned.
What on earth was everything I did for...?
Because Edrin had acted with such absolute confidence, she hadn't been entirely without doubt. A small part of her had wondered, What if?
But she knew how low the chances were. In the end, she believed they would have no choice but to fight.
That was why she had scraped together every soldier she could. Declaring that war was imminent, she had seized the assets of the opposition and demanded sacrifices from the citizens.
And to suppress the resulting discontent, Irene had spread malicious rumors about Valerian.
She had to convince them that it was wiser to offer their goods and labor to her to bolster the army rather than watch Valerian invade, strip them of everything, and enslave them.
I thought it was the only way.
Making the people fear Valerian's cruelty required no complex schemes. There was no need to distort the truth or fabricate lies.
Valerian had already committed countless atrocities; simply repackaging and spreading those facts was more than enough.
Yet, Edrin had succeeded.
The people of the fief, who had been trembling at rumors that made it sound as if the devils of hell were invading, now practically worshipped Edrin for putting an end to their terror in an instant.
Though rumors of his humiliating apology had spread alongside his success, it was not for his own sins, but to atone for the sins of his father.
Outsiders might look down on Edrin Silverline for it, but to the people of Arcteria, it was viewed as a noble sacrifice.
...How frustrating.
Of course, if asked whether she was glad or not, Irene was technically glad.
If Valerian had invaded, the title of "Lord of Arcteria" would have been nothing but a hollow, meaningless crown, just as Edrin had said.
But it was also an undeniable fact that her current position was now in jeopardy.
The likelihood of an immediate purge was low. Irene had already cleaned out most of the corrupt nobles who had mindlessly served Wilhelm and would have just as mindlessly served Edrin.
Yet Edrin had achieved something no one could deny. With nothing but his tongue, he had navigated a crisis that could have destroyed the fiefdom in the clash between two massive powers.
Now, people would pledge their loyalty to Edrin not just because he held the reins of power, or because he was Wilhelm Silverline's legitimate heir, but because they genuinely respected what he had done.
Ha...
Irene still couldn't believe that Edrin had changed. She felt as if he would kick her out the moment he reclaimed full power.
That anxiety kept her from truly rejoicing.
She felt as if he might burst in at any moment. She could almost see him throwing the door open, his arrogant face and voice condemning her for not believing in him.
And that delusion soon became reality.
"Irene. Are you inside?"
Still, it was far gentler than her imagination. At least he had knocked.
"Come in."
Edrin looked at her, his face etched with exhaustion. Irene realized her entire body had gone rigid with tension.
She couldn't help but feel intimidated. Though she had recently earned recognition as a knight and accumulated military achievements while Edrin was bedridden, the vast majority of her childhood memories consisted of being humiliated by him.
He had hurled terrible, vulgar insults at her, calling her the lowly child of a concubine, a mere byproduct of their father's failure to prevent a pregnancy.
If she showed even the slightest hint of neglect toward him, she was cursed at for being insolent, and no one ever stood up for her.
Aside from Carmen, who had later married Wilhelm as his second wife, it was safe to say she had no allies in this castle.
Until she had endured extreme training and proved herself to the other knights through sheer skill, there hadn't been a single soul in the entire territory on her side.
Such pain was not easily erased.
"I apologize for not greeting you properly. So, what brings you here?"
Irene squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the insults she expected Edrin to hurl.
"The inauguration. I took a quick look, and it seems you've prepared it well. Good work."
But what came out of his mouth was praise.
...Huh?
The praise didn't sound particularly heartfelt. However, Edrin's face looked far too exhausted for her to resent him for not being sincere.
"Emissaries will arrive from both Valerian and Eleonor. We need to decide on our positions beforehand."
He began talking business as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"By positions, you mean..."
"Both Eleonor and Valerian think of me as their puppet. Therefore, we must cater to both emissaries as much as possible."
Irene's face contorted.
"Do you really think that will work?"
"We have to make it work. I will take Valerian's side, so you take Eleonor's."
"Why?"
"Would you rather be the one defending Valerian?"
It was a brief counter-question, but Irene understood the situation immediately.
It was far more logical for Edrin, who had barely participated in external affairs, to side with Valerian, rather than Irene, who had a history of fighting alongside Eleonor.
"You will respect my authority, and Eleonor's emissary will understand my position of having no choice but to bow to Valerian for the time being."
"..."
"Valerian's emissary will realize that I do not hold absolute power alone, but that a powerful variable named Irene exists. If they try to make unreasonable demands of Arcteria, I will use your name as an excuse to reject them."
This was strictly business. Irene let out a deep sigh.
Irene's gaze was fixed on power and past memories. But Edrin was different.
While she was still drowning in the trauma of past abuse, Edrin wasn't even celebrating his achievements; he was already methodically planning his next move.
It was absurd. She, the victim of his cruelty, had become this insecure, while the man everyone once dismissed as a useless scoundrel had suddenly transformed into a dignified lord.
"Isn't it dangerous for you, the lord, to side with Valerian instead of Eleonor?"
"I would rather rely on Eleonor's mercy than test Valerian's patience."
She couldn't deny it. She knew relying on another's goodness was a cowardly tactic, but if they didn't resort to such cowardice now, it wouldn't be surprising if war broke out all over again.
"We can't script this beforehand. We'll have to improvise as much as possible. However, it wouldn't hurt for you to subtly display the power you hold."
Irene had thought she could control Edrin through her connections and the military. But she had been mistaken.
There was no way to control a man like this. How could she pressure someone with a "military" when he had stopped Valerian's army with nothing but a few words?
"...I understand."
Sighing, Irene looked into Edrin's eyes.
His eyes were still heavy with fatigue, but within them lay something far deeper and more profound.