Chapter 2: Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress.
Chapter 2: Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress.
Episode 2
The end of the central boulevard in the capital, Luminark.
In other words, on the Imperial Road leading to the Platinum Palace.
The Emperor and Empress had personally come out to greet the soldiers in the middle of their victory parade.
'Was it eight years?'
Ernst had gone to the battlefield for that woman—in other words, the Empress.
No, the original owner of this body had.
Because he loved his childhood friend, Eleonora.
To avoid becoming an obstacle on her path to becoming Empress, he had volunteered to head to the Northern Front.
And Seo Jinwoo, who possessed Ernst's body, paid the price with his entire being.
'Why?'
For eight years, there wasn't a single letter.
Not a single line asking how he was.
There wasn't even a question asking if he was alive.
"Young Grand Duke-nim."
Suddenly, Eileen opened her mouth again.
"A victory commemorative banquet will be held at the Platinum Palace this evening."
"I know."
"You must attend."
Ernst's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"I don't want to go."
"You still must go."
"The reason?"
"Because of the merit-based rewards."
Eileen's voice lowered.
"The Imperial family and the Imperial Aristocratic Council have not yet disclosed the compensation plan for the Northern Army. Pensions for soldiers, compensation for the bereaved families of the fallen, medical expenses for the wounded, and even the reconstruction funds for the Northern Wall Territory. Not a single thing has been finalized."
"Hmm..."
"Young Grand Duke-nim, you must show your face at the banquet. Only when the war hero is present will the Imperial family and the nobles not easily ignore us."
Ernst closed his eyes as if tired.
There wasn't a single word wrong in that.
At the Northern Wall Territory, the enemy was clear.
The Black Rift.
Demons.
The Great Duke of the Demon Realm, Balgras.
The bastards to be cut down were right in front of him.
But the battlefield of the capital was different.
The people of the Imperial Palace and the nobles wearing smiling faces.
Silk formal wear, the smell of perfume, toasts, and so on.
Hypocrisies wrapped in words filled with etiquette.
All of those things were more disgusting than blood.
"I understand."
But in the end, Ernst nodded.
There was still work left to do for the soldiers who survived the Northern Wall Territory.
"I will attend."
"That is a wise decision."
"Instead."
"Yes?"
"You handle the paperwork."
Eileen stiffened for a moment.
Then she let out a sigh.
"Yes... Young Grand Duke-nim."
Only then did Ernst smile, just a little.
The ballroom of the Platinum Palace was filled with light.
Gorgeous chandeliers covered the ceiling.
Golden candlelight shattered onto the marble floor, and the laughter of nobles mixed with the melody of the orchestra.
That splendor was so different from the Northern Wall Territory.
The smell of perfume instead of the smell of blood.
Laughter instead of screams.
Floral decorations instead of black smoke.
Everything about it was unfamiliar to Ernst.
"I greet the Young Grand Duke of Eisenwald."
"I pay my respects to the war hero."
"I heard you defeated the Great Duke of the Demon Realm. You are truly amazing."
Young noble sons and daughters kept approaching him endlessly.
Their eyes were filled with curiosity and admiration.
The noble daughters, in particular, looked at Ernst overtly.
War hero.
Eldest son of the Northern Grand Ducal family.
A young twenty-six-year-old Sword Master.
If this were a romance fantasy novel, he would be a sufficiently alluring male lead candidate.
But Ernst didn't need such settings.
"You flatter me."
"How can you say I flatter you when you saved the Empire?"
"You are truly humble! Young Grand Duke-nim!"
Ernst just lifted his glass with an expressionless face.
That was when it happened.
"Ernst."
A low, thick voice.
Ernst turned his head.
Count Walter von Clausen.
Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Front.
A veteran general who led the 8-year war to victory, and a mentor-like figure to Ernst.
But right now, Walter's face was stiff.
"Count-nim. Is it bad news?"
Ernst immediately read the atmosphere.
"Did something happen?"
"Hmm..."
Walter scanned his surroundings for a moment.
The nobles laughing and chatting, and beyond them, the Emperor and Empress.
And the Empress's father, Duke Lorenzo Arteria.
"I just met with His Majesty the Emperor and Duke Arteria, the chairman of the Aristocratic Council."
Walter said in a low voice.
"You discussed the merit-based rewards, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"The conclusion?"
Walter's wrinkled mouth hardened rigidly.
"They said this. That the Imperial family and the Aristocratic Council will take care of the soldiers' compensation and treatment, so the Northern Army should not make unnecessary demands."
"Unnecessary demands, huh."
Ernst's eyes sank coldly.
"They avoided giving concrete answers regarding the compensation plan for the bereaved families of the fallen, support for the wounded soldiers, and the reconstruction of the Northern Wall Territory."
Walter's hand gripped his glass tightly.
"It seems they intend to starve the hunting dog now that the hunt is over."
Ernst didn't say anything.
But something inside him was quietly cooling down.
For eight years, supplies were always lacking.
Even when the Black Rift went berserk, reinforcements were late.
Even when the demons crossed the castle walls, the capital was silent.
Even when soldiers on the front lines froze to death and starved to death, the nobles argued over the budget.
Still, he endured it.
Because they were at war. Because they had to stop the demons.
But now the war was over.
Yet, they hadn't changed.
"Count-nim."
Ernst said in a low voice.
"This is not fair treatment. The soldiers of the Northern Wall Territory have fought for the Empire and the capital, risking their lives without any reward."
"I know that well."
Walter's gaze turned toward the Empress.
"However... Her Majesty the Empress's thoughts are unusual."
"The Empress?"
"Yes. His Majesty can no longer go against the Empress's will. And Her Majesty the Empress seemed to not be fond of the military."
The corners of Ernst's eyes narrowed slightly.
Eleonora Arteria.
The female lead of the original novel.
A wise Empress and the woman who tamed the tyrant.
But she's not fond of the military?
"Did you hear the reason?"
"She said the war must end. That the stronger the soldiers become, the more the war continues."
Ernst lost his answer for a moment.
He wondered what kind of bullshit that was.
The demons opened the Black Rift and invaded.
The northern villages burned.
Children were eaten, and soldiers were torn to death.
And yet, the war continued because the military existed and the soldiers were strong?
"Ernst."
Walter said heavily.
"Do you know what's even funnier?"
"I'm listening, Count-nim."
"According to my adjutants, relief centers are being set up all over the capital."
"If it's a relief center, is there a problem?"
Ernst asked back.
The Empire's capital was huge and vast.
There were that many slums, and furthermore, many vagrants.
And looking after the poor was honestly something to be praised.
"If it were a general relief center, there would be no problem. They said the Empress is pouring massive subsidies not just for women in the slums, but for prostitutes in brothels. And... that budget... they said it's equivalent to the budget we received at the Northern Wall Territory."
As the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Wall Territory, Walter's expression was very bad.
Of course, one could not say that using the budget to rescue women in the slums and rehabilitate prostitutes in brothels was wrong.
But it was a war against the demons, for heaven's sake.
A desperate war that lasted for 8 years.
If they had supported just 50% more of the budget, the war could have easily ended within 5 years.
"And one more thing. Ern. Whew..."
Walter let out a long sigh.
Then he raised his hand and pointed to the female knights lined up around the Emperor and Empress.
"The White Rose Knights, was it? Their budget, composed only of female knights, is exactly double the budget of our Northern Wall Territory."
"Did you say double?!"
Ernst's eyebrows twitched.
They poured that much budget into maintaining that female knight order, which was made up of noble daughters who all had pretty appearances and hair.
Even though soldiers were dying at the Northern Wall Territory every day, no, every hour.
"Haa... This is treatment that makes no sense. Count-nim."
Ernst's hand, which was wearing white ceremonial gloves, trembled.
He wanted to take off these stuffy and hypocritical gloves right away.
"Lower your voice. And be careful, Ernst."
"Yes. Count-nim."
"The capital is different from the Northern Wall Territory. This is a place where words kill people before swords do."
"I will keep that in mind."
At that moment, one side of the ballroom became restless.
"Her Majesty the Empress is coming this way!"
"Really? I greet Her Majesty the Empress!"
Noble daughters lined up to the left and right, clearing a path.
Also, the eyes of the noble daughters were filled with awe beyond respect.
"Eleonora...?"
Ernst also naturally turned his head at the commotion around him.
A fragrant floral scent.
Soft dress hem.
Even the surrounding nobles naturally cleared the way.
Eleonora Arteria.
The Empress was walking toward him.
"Ern?"
Before long, she stood in front of Ernst and smiled brightly.
The Empress was friendly as if eight years of time hadn't existed.
Furthermore, she was even innocent, as if she didn't know at all about the time Ernst was dying at the Northern Wall Territory.
"You returned safely, didn't you? Hmm?"
Tears welled up in Eleonora's red eyes.
Nearby noble daughters let out small gasps.
"Oh my...!"
"I heard the two of you were really close."
"It's the first time I've seen Her Majesty the Empress smile that brightly."
Ernst listened to the noble daughters' whispers and quietly looked at the Empress.
It had been eight years.
This body's childhood friend and the female lead of the original novel.
And the starting point that pushed him into this hellish fate.
Eleonora took one step closer.
"I missed you so much, Ern."
At those words, Ernst bowed his head very slowly.
"I greet Her Majesty the Empress."
"Ern...?"
Eleonora's smile stiffened for a very brief moment.
Ernst was very polite.
But on the contrary, Ernst was cold and frigid, to the point where the surrounding noble daughters were startled.
End of Episode 2.