There's Always a Reason
"Hey. Hey. Look over there. Over there."
At Wilhelm's words, accompanied by a sharp jab in the ribs, Schlippen slowly turned his head.
Karl stood there, hemmed in by a crowd of nobles, and judging by the look on his face, he seemed ready to let out a KRAAAAH!! at any second.
"He's dying. Completely, utterly dying. It's exactly like when we first showed up at the New Year's ceremony."
"You're right. But that was already well over ten years ago... Wait. Is this Karl's first time at the Imperial Court New Year's Ceremony?"
"It would have to be, wouldn't it? The heir to House Adelheit wasn't Karl. His older sister was. On top of that, he was fighting on the battlefield until a few years ago. It'd be weirder if he were used to a court New Year's ceremony."
They themselves were the next lords of their respective marquisates and imperial counties, and so gatherings like this were thoroughly familiar to them — the endless stream of people to greet, the conversations that never stopped, the ability to wrap up any topic that arose with a calm face and not a flicker of expression. As the next heads of their houses, the next marquises and imperial counts, adapting to all of it was only natural.
But Karl would be a different story. Being swarmed by nobles of every stripe like that would not be familiar to him. He was the eldest son, yes, but not the heir, and so he would have simply observed the New Year's ceremonies at home alongside the family retainers.
"What do we do. Karl seems to think that if he just gets through that crowd, he's done."
"Right. This is only the beginning."
It went without saying, of course, that the star of this Imperial Court New Year's Ceremony was, without a shadow of a doubt, Karl. So of course they would all come up to at least exchange a brief greeting, trade a few words, and so on. And once the titled nobles stepped back, next would come the heirs who had accompanied them.
"Hey, hey. Alexander. One more glass for me."
"Can't you go get it yourself?"
"You're closer."
"I swear I'm going to lose my mind."
Wilhelm took the wineglass from Alexander and snickered as he watched the situation unfold.
"The young ladies are really going after him. Looking at it like this, they all seem to be watching for their chance, don't they?"
Just as he said, gazes from young women poured toward Karl from every direction, beginning with the daughters of marquis houses. Perhaps to them, a man like Karl was the finest medal of all. The moment they managed to pin him at their side, they would surely become the envy of everyone.
"Forget it. Selena's already at Karl's side. You think any other young lady is going to catch his eye?"
Joachim muttered the words, half-sprawled in his chair. It was a statement born of experience, too. They themselves had, at some point, become aware that their standards for women had risen far more than necessary. Had they opened their eyes to aristocratic vanity? They'd wondered why they were like this, until they figured out the reason.
Selena was beautiful. Far too beautiful.
Was it for nothing that she'd been called the first love of every male student at the Academy? Was it for nothing that she'd received — and rejected — one confession a day? There was always a reason for these things.
They were actually lucky Selena was a marquis's daughter. If she'd been from a relatively lower noble house, there surely would have been schemes to use power to somehow get their hands on her. They'd all let go of those old feelings now, but the Four Idiots still thought Selena was the most beautiful woman in the world. This wasn't merely a subjective opinion — even looking at it objectively, she was simply a hymn to beauty itself.
...Well, that elf named Eloise I met recently wasn't far behind. But she's an elf, so let's set her aside.
Anyway, with him currently seeing a woman like Selena, would Karl so much as glance at other young ladies? Absolutely not. And if such a thing ever did happen, the Four Idiots were fully prepared, as his friends, to snap Karl's closed eyes and heart wide open.
"Pffft—"
Wilhelm, mid-sip, suddenly sent the wine right back into his glass. Schlippen, watching this, scolded him like a man who'd finally found something to hold over him.
"That's disgusting, you lunatic."
"Both of you, that's enough. What's wrong, Wilhelm?"
"Kehk. Cough, ahem. Look. Look over there. Karl's running away."
Running away? Who? Karl? A Medal of Honor recipient, running away? The war hero who'd smashed the elves to pieces?
They turned their heads, and there he really was — Karl, wandering this way and that through the banquet hall, trying to avoid the young ladies. Of course, the young ladies had no intention of giving up easily, and were diligently trailing after him.
At that sight, the Four Idiots had to bite their lips as they snickered at one another. Careful. If Karl caught them laughing like this, there was no telling what kind of grudge he'd hold.
"...Unexpected. I thought he was a rather cold person."
Remus Bayern of the Bernstpol Duchy, who had just exchanged a proper enough greeting with Karl and was now discussing that matter again with the Four Idiots, muttered as much. For the record, he was currently drinking wine mixed, little by little, with mint chocolate. The fact that Karl had seen that sight, freaked out and fled, only to get caught by the nobles again, and was now being tormented by the young ladies, was a bonus.
"He seemed that way to you, Young Lord?"
"It couldn't be helped. He's a Medal of Honor recipient, after all. I understand even seasoned veterans have a hard time receiving one. In crude terms, they say you have to not just step on the threshold of the afterlife, but dance on top of it. And he received it not once, but twice."
Even setting the medals aside, Remus had already been told nearly everything about Karl. He'd been on the battlefield for over two years, nearly three. He'd survived to the end even as his unit was reorganized several times over. And it wasn't as if he'd been sitting in the rear just because he was a noble. He'd fought bloody battles against the Luzens on the front lines. Without even going far afield — hadn't he single-handedly gunned down the Gganf and stopped a train terrorist attack?
That was the kind of person he was. That was the kind of man he was. So of course Remus had expected him to be cold, rigid, with a somewhat frightening aspect as well.
Looking at him like this, though, he was quite gentle — even showing a few openings, if anything.
And that made Remus like him even more. When you saw someone who didn't seem human, you might feel awe, but you didn't feel like getting close to them. You unconsciously kept your distance. In that sense, Karl Adelheit was clearly an extraordinary person. His abilities were one thing, but he didn't flaunt them or put them on excessive display, which made him far easier to approach.
Perhaps that was exactly why the four young lords here had become close with Karl. And as a chain reaction of that had come those quite interesting winter snacks, mint chocolate — which from a young lord's perspective was a true delicacy among delicacies — and above all, the appearance of the most important thing of all: the Karl Adelheit Disabled Veterans Pension Foundation.
"Come to think of it, I heard the pension was delivered to the first disabled veteran recipient yesterday."
"Yes, Young Lord. A veteran who lost one arm in a war some thirty years ago..."
"Ah, that's enough. Schlippen. There's no need to explain it to me in detail. I am merely offering my support with a good heart, and with the duty and pride of a noble. I have no doubt it will be put to proper use."
"I can only admire the Young Lord's generous heart."
Some who saw this would praise and exalt them as the Empire's true nobles. Yes. It wasn't as if they had none of that sentiment. A heart for the Empire's people, the duty of nobility, and pride — those things were certainly part of why they had willingly taken part.
But that wasn't all of it. Naturally, everyone had their own intentions, and in particular, there were clearly political reasons that all nobles possessed.
The probability of another large-scale war like before is now low. Even those elves who questioned the Empire's order eventually split in two — one side completely collapsed, and the other bowed its head to the Empire. Abillesti was greatly shocked by the development of guns and gunpowder, and Lasquer is in a state of extreme chaos.
Truly the best possible situation for the Empire. For some time now, no one on the continent will be able to defy the Empire's order. The Empire has grown too large to resist.
Now it is truly an era of peace. And that peace, before even a few years have passed, will dull and rust everything that had been so sharply honed.
That must not be allowed. Even in an age of peace, what ought to stay sharp must stay sharp, and what ought not to rust must not rust. Only those who prepare for war have the right to enjoy peace.
Then how did one prepare for that war? Conduct military training every day and keep expanding armaments? That wasn't it. If they did that, even the Empire would surely have its national treasury emptied in an instant. If the Luzens War had lasted even two more years, it would have been a genuine disaster.
What was needed, then, was pride. Praise for heroes. And the heart that said, someday, when such a moment comes for me as well, I will willingly do the same. That was why the past had to be glorified and held up all the more. They had to give the conviction that just as we treated those men, the future Empire will recognize you as well.
With just that heart, with just that resolve, you got the same effect as never skipping military training. It brought more advantages than expanding armaments. Above all, you didn't lose your justification.
"Still, I'm a little curious how the Empire's people have been reacting."
"Naturally, it's been good. The support goes not just to the recipients themselves but to their families as well. And above all, even though quite a bit of time has passed — even when they're already receiving support from the Ministry of Welfare — another pension coming in on top of that has made public sentiment extremely favorable."
"That's wonderful. Truly admirable."
The Karl Adelheit Disabled Veterans Pension Foundation. They really named that well, didn't they.
Young Lord Remus thought as much as he reached for his glass, then let out an "Ah." There was no mint chocolate!