Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Why Are So Many People Looking for Me?
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Koenihesen's summer grand offensive had ended, but one could say the war was only just beginning.
Though they'd made a colossal blunder and squandered countless troops, Koenihesen was still Koenihesen.
They still commanded forces equal in both number and strength to those of the Empire and the demi-human alliance. They were not an enemy to be taken lightly.
This grand offensive had made everyone in the Empire reaffirm that fact in no uncertain terms.
It wasn't as if they could just charge ahead yelling, "We won! Time for the counterattack! Hooray!"
The Empire's losses were even greater than Koenihesen's. Soldiers weren't like potatoes you could harvest after plowing a field once. Replenishing those depleted ranks would take far more time than anyone might expect.
And don't even get started on the consumed supplies. They'd need at least a year's respite.
Koenihesen had spent over two years gritting their teeth in preparation for this offensive alone.
Though they'd failed to achieve their ultimate goal—forcing the Imperial Army into retreat—they'd succeeded in inflicting severe wounds. The Imperial Army's current state could be likened to a broken right arm.
So while they'd seized the initiative for now, launching a true offensive would require nearly a full year, even at the very least—
"Richi."
"...Ah, yes. Father. Did you call for me?"
"You seem too tense. It's about to begin, so keep your head clear."
I nodded at my father's words and took a deep breath.
Right. The war was just getting started, but rewards still had to be distributed regardless.
For starters, Erwin was the undisputed hero of this battle. No one could deny it. And so the Emperor himself—who had personally come to the front lines—had bestowed honors directly upon that mere company commander.
Word was he'd been promoted straight to regimental commander on the spot?
Normally, he'd deserve a division command, but he was still too young, and they had to consider those who'd rise in the future. Regimental command was the absolute limit. Especially considering he'd been a mere platoon leader not long ago.
That "for show" reward ceremony had wrapped up, and now it was time for the next round of honors.
This one wasn't about granting official positions or having the Imperial Household declare "This man is the hero who saved the Empire!" to the nation, with key figures leaking info.
But the merits were real all the same. So they'd handle it quietly compared to before.
"It'll be your first time meeting His Majesty, won't it?"
I nodded at my father's words. I'd had zero reason to see the Emperor before. And I'd figured there never would be one. I'd planned to live quietly, after all.
But now, as a key figure who'd aided Erwin in setting the stage for the Empire's counterattack, I was receiving personal praise from none other than the Emperor himself.
"...Please enter."
The chamberlain who'd been waiting led my father and me deeper inside.
With every step, tension choked my breath.
I'd met the Army Marshal, Navy Marshal, Victory Duke, and even the Crown Prince. But the aura from the Emperor felt entirely different. He was the absolute sovereign, after all.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty. Your servant, William Reinhardt of Kenes Marquis, comes before Your Majesty."
The moment we entered, my father dropped to one knee and offered his greeting.
Though his title remained that of marquis, his name carried weight rivaling the three great dukes.
The man who'd held the unprecedented post of Imperial Army Field Marshal was his father.
Yet even he was just another subject before the man we now faced.
Following suit, I too knelt and cried out to the absolute presence awaiting us ahead.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty. Richi Reinhardt comes before Your Majesty."
The Emperor. The Empire's number one. More absolute than anyone I'd ever met.
I'd never imagined standing before such a titan. I'd thought the highest I'd go was marquises like my father—but we'd already hit dukes, then the Crown Prince, and now the Emperor himself.
Had I... made it big? Honestly, it felt like things had escalated too massively from the start. It was downright scary.
"Kenes Marquis. Imperial Army Marshal Reinhardt. You've had a hard journey here."
An apology for summoning the Empire's military commander and the Allied Forces Supreme Commander all the way here.
Of course, the Emperor couldn't very well say he was truly sorry, so this was the phrasing he'd use instead.
This alone made our family's standing crystal clear.
The thought hit me: Ah, I've gotta do this right. One slip-up from me, and it's not just me who suffers!
Gotta grit my teeth and go all out. Die trying! Something like that.
"The Empire was wounded by that vile Koenihesen's strike. Yet we did not panic. We responded calmly and exacted a fitting price. And now, we hold the offensive ourselves."
"All thanks to Your Majesty's fortune."
"Indeed. It is my fortune. My fortune in having men like you. And now, the new generation—the ones who will lead the Empire's future—are watching as well. If this isn't fortune, then what is?"
The Emperor gave a light gesture with his hand. Knowing it was meant for me, I hurriedly rose and took a few steps forward before kneeling once more...
"Enough. I have no desire to weary one who already labored at the front."
"I am deeply grateful, Your Majesty."
This... this was truly unprecedented treatment. Permission not to kneel before the Emperor.
And not for a duke or imperial kin, but for a mere noble like me.
My heart clenched. It might've been easier if it were the Crown Prince doing this.
But no—the Emperor himself. It felt like death.
It seemed like consideration, but to a greenhorn noble like me, it felt like something else entirely.
"When I briefly ventured to the front lines, I met the Empire's new star there."
No need to guess who that "star" was. It had to be Erwin—our protagonist who'd laid the groundwork for the Empire's counterstrike. Who else would deserve such a title?
"I heard an intriguing tale. There was someone who'd striven with all their might to enable that star's feats. And that person was a member of the Empire's loyal Reinhardt family."
Swish—
The Emperor signaled for me to draw even closer. I couldn't help but hesitate for a moment.
Closing the distance further would put me too near the Empire's sovereign. It wasn't about daring to gaze upon his face up close.
All VIPs had set approach distances for security reasons.
When meeting outsiders, one must never enter that prohibited zone.
Especially against the Emperor—violating it meant instant disaster.
I fretted over accidentally crossing that line, but the Emperor's look urged me onward, and even his guards made no move to stop me.
In the end, I approached as close as I dared and bowed deeply at the waist instead of kneeling.
"I will remember this deed."
My body twitched involuntarily. Your Majesty... saying it like that sparks all sorts of wild thoughts...
"For now, the Empire must heal its wounds and honor the souls of those valiant fallen warriors. Save for that one shining soul, we must remain silent. Thus, many will not yet know of you."
"I merely fulfilled my duty with utmost loyalty to the Empire from my station."
"And it is the duty of the one seated here to respond to such loyalty. Richi Reinhardt."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Speak your desire."
Words upon words of unprecedented grace. Even my father must have been stunned.
The Emperor, telling a subject to name his desire.
It finally sank in just how dire that grand offensive had been.
The Emperor himself had rushed to the front lines in shock from Koenihesen's blow, praising those who'd fought valiantly—and now summoning the likes of me to offer a blank check.
As expected of a protagonist event; the rewards were on another level.
"...".
Of course, blurting out "Really?!" and scribbling down some lavish wish here would be certifying myself an idiot.
The Emperor had offered it knowing full well. What I'd write on that blank check. No—what I had to write. That's why he could extend it so boldly.
"I am overwhelmed, Your Majesty. Yet your servant Richi Reinhardt finds joy enough in having aided the Empire. I know not how to respond to Your Majesty's mercy in granting a wish, but I seek no reward for duties fulfilled. I humbly beseech Your Majesty to understand."
Tension sharpened my mind instead, and my tongue glided smoothly, as if oiled.
Don't call it flattery. This was pure survival instinct. One fumble before the Emperor, and duke or no, I'd be done. This was the Emperor, the Empire, for good reason.
"Glad tidings. Most glad indeed. I am moved by your loyalty. Thus, I wish all the more to hear your desire. Richi Reinhardt."
For the record, one refusal wasn't the end. Ugh, this is brutal, Your Majesty. Please, no more...
"...Your Majesty, then I have one request."
"Speak it."
"I wish to pursue even further the deeds that benefited the Empire this time. Though I am but an academy student, I yearn to strive with all my might for the Empire and its soldiers."
Having to write a work schedule on a blank check—how pathetic.
But what could be done? That was the blank check the Emperor offered. A certificate proving one's loyalty.
The fool who naively jotted down a sum would end up in the Emperor's death note. One hundred percent.
"I understand your intent well. With such a loyal soul emerging once more for the Empire, how could we fail to crush those vile Koenihesen dogs? Soon, you shall receive what you desire."
"Your grace is overwhelming."
Good lord. A young slave personally selected by the Emperor. Should I laugh or cry?