36
Chapter 36
"Because I fear you."
I didn't expect that answer. Fear me? Why?
"I fear neither the Crown Prince nor the Lady of Flos. The Crown Prince is nothing more than a clown with a large, well-equipped army, and the Lady of Flos lacks the personal prowess and leadership to lead from the front, which will eventually hold her back. But if you were to join the Crown Prince or the Lady... that is what I fear."
Aha... I get it now. If I joined the Crown Prince, I could fully utilize his army's sheer numbers. And if I joined the Lady of Flos... I could equip her entire force with expensive gunpowder weapons and literally crush everyone with money.
"I spent entire nights thinking of a way to win. For days on end, I stayed awake dreading a battle with you that hasn't even happened yet. The result was a clear conclusion: if you join another power, I lose."
"..."
She's overestimating me quite a bit.
"But."
She smiled at me.
"If you join my side, we would be the only ones in this world possessing this new technology. We could monopolize it, and that, I've concluded, would lead to victory."
That... might be true. Currently, only the Princess and I recognize the value of the musket. Technicians might know as well, but among those who would lead armies, it's just the two of us.
"I won't ask you to join me right this second. I know joining a small faction would be a burden. You'd never know when it might collapse. So..."
"So?"
"I decided to start by making a good impression. This key is proof of that."
Aha... so that was it.
To be honest, I don't know if I can reciprocate the Princess's goodwill. That depends entirely on her, not me. I'll join her if her power grows, but if there's a faction closer to conquering the world, I'll go with them. However...
"Your Highness."
"What is it?"
"I cannot promise that I will join your side, but I will repay this debt one day."
I felt that I should return the favor, in whatever way I could.
-----
"This is Professor Eckhart von Mercatz, our new Professor of Tactics. He has been invited from Petrio Academy to serve as a temporary professor until Professor Dian de Valboa, who was seriously injured in a previous battle, can return."
Professor Dian de Valboa's severe injuries had left a vacancy in the Faculty of Tactics. A professor from another academy was brought in to fill the spot until Dian's recovery.
Eckhart von Mercatz was a dignified elderly man. Standing roughly 5'9" to 5'11" with a generally muscular build, he had an ambiguous look—too old to be middle-aged, yet too young to be called a senior.
I knew Professor Mercatz's history well. In his youth, he had distinguished himself by suppressing rebellions across various border regions, though he had since retired to take up a teaching post.
"I am Eckhart von Mercatz. I wonder if I have the skill to teach the finest elites gathered from across the Empire, but I will do my best until Professor Dian de Valboa returns. Please look upon me kindly."
He played the humble part, but the man was quite the legend in his own right. In the game's story, he was capable of getting the better of Princess Leonia in her prime.
According to the original plot, Professor Mercatz would teach for about three months before returning to his home academy. The students were said to be devastated when he left. While Professor Dian de Valboa was strict and stingy with grades, Professor Mercatz treated students with the warmth of a friendly neighborhood grandfather.
Then, his first class began. As expected, the lecture focused on the Art of Soldiery and tactics. It was a class where they reviewed past battles and discussed what choices generals should have made from their perspective.
Professor Mercatz's lectures were quite fascinating. I already knew a fair amount about the game from reading the story and setting guides, but hearing it from one of the story's top-tier generals felt entirely different.
However, something felt off. There were moments during the lecture when Professor Mercatz would pose a question to the students...
"Despite winning two battles, General Hihon was forced to bear the stigma of a defeated general. Why do you think that was?"
When no one answered,
"Hmm, let me see... Student Charles Jean Rochefort? Would you like to answer?"
He scanned the attendance sheet and called my name.
"Uh... it's because the basic strategic planning was flawed from the start. General Hihon planned to march straight to the Imperial Capital and seize it immediately after his victories, but that was a failing plan from the get-go. The first issue was the defensive power of the Triple Walls of Arcadia; the second was the inevitable stretching of supply lines given the distance between the fallen Aspania Empire and the Arcadian Empire. Consequently, he besieged Arcadia but couldn't break through, wasting precious time without achieving significant merit. This long expedition eventually drained Aspania's national strength, triggering its downfall. I believe General Hihon should have crushed their morale with an overwhelming victory first and then entered territorial negotiations, rather than trying to destroy the Empire in one blow. If he had secured just three advantageous deals, it might have been the Arcadian Empire, not Aspania, that fell."
As I spoke my mind, Professor Mercatz beamed with a wide smile and nodded in satisfaction.
To be honest, I thought it was just a coincidence at first. But as the class continued...
"General Pyro's battle against the East Continent is regarded as the worst blunder of his career. Does any cadet know the reason why? Hmm... Cadet Charles Jean Rochefort?"
He called on me again.
"The Empire was nearly split into three at this time, but it was reunified thanks to the exploits of Lord Flegel, who was then a retainer to the Second Prince. Is there any cadet who knows the primary strategy Lord Flegel employed to reunify the Empire? Hmm... Cadet Charles Jean Rochefort?"
He called on me yet again.
I could answer the first few questions by drawing from my knowledge, but as the questioning persisted, my mind grew exhausted. By the time class ended, I was completely drained.
"What is with this guy... does he have a vendetta against me?"
It was strange. In the original world, Professor Mercatz was described as a man of great character, so why was he tormenting me? Feeling bewildered and exhausted, I went to the campus cafe for some coffee, where an unexpected person spoke to me.
"Cadet Charles Jean Rochefort."
It was Professor Mercatz.
"Y-yes?"
I was momentarily flustered, having been cursing him in my head, when he asked:
"If it wouldn't be an imposition, may I sit for a moment?"
"Please, go ahead."
He sat across from me. An awkward silence lingered. He kept studying me, and I drank my coffee awkwardly while enduring his gaze.
Just as the silence stretched on long enough to make me choke on my drink, Professor Mercatz spoke.
"I have spent my entire life on the battlefield."
I knew that. General Mercatz's backstory was quite tragic; born into poverty, he started as a common soldier just to avoid starvation. But as they say, talent cannot be hidden. Through his exceptional skills, he consistently achieved merit and eventually rose to the rank of general.
"I have served as a common soldier, an officer, a strategist, and a general. I pride myself on the fact that few, if any, have had a military career as diverse as mine."
"Yes..."
That was true. Climbing from a common soldier to a general was no easy feat. While there were many famous generals, most were privileged appointees from noble families with early elite training; few had started from the bottom.
"In all my long years, I have never seen anyone quite like myself."
"Yes."
"But now, I feel as though I've finally met someone like me."
"Excuse me?"
What on earth is he talking about?
"I apologize if this is unpleasant, but rumors have a way of reaching me whether I want them to or not. I know a fair amount about your background, Cadet Charles Jean Rochefort. I heard your grandfather lost your lands, and by your father's time, your family was already a declining noble house."
"Yes, that is true, but..."
"The fact that you didn't succumb to such circumstances, but instead achieved merit and caught the eye of many monarchs... seeing that iron will makes me feel as though I've returned to my own youth."
"Ah..."
Maybe I've been misunderstanding him all along. I thought the old man was peppering me with questions just to torment me, but it turns out he actually likes me.
"Which is why I have a proposal."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Have you heard of Petrio Academy?"
"Yes. I've heard it's a quite prestigious academy, though not quite on the level of Arcadia Academy."
It was the academy for those who lacked the background to enter Arcadia Academy.
"I hold a professorship there as well. Would you be interested in coming to my class as a guest lecturer?"
Huh? What is he talking about now?