The Start of the Civil War
The Start of the Civil War.
After looking over the volunteer soldiers who'd come under my command, I set the attack on the Towngent Duke family for a month later. I made the excuse that they weren't sufficiently trained yet, but in truth, it was all calculated to buy time for the imperial forces.
Lupert Grand Duke didn't oppose my decision. Anyone could see that the current volunteers weren't ready for combat.
The only one who voiced any dissatisfaction was Erisa, who'd been assigned as my deputy. But she wasn't objecting to the training plan itself—her gripe was with me for even thinking of taking this ragtag bunch into war.
"Yan sunbae. What on earth were you thinking, volunteering to hit the Towngent Duke family? The volunteers under you are basically civilians. To turn them into proper soldiers, they'd need at least six months of training."
In the army commander's office, Erisa had shown up first thing in the morning to nag. She'd probably seen some ridiculous sight during yesterday's training inspection.
I took a sip of my steaming tea from the chair in the commander's office.
"It's Commander or General to you, not Yan sunbae. Get your public and private straight, Erisa."
Erisa squeezed her eyes shut.
"Fine. Commander. So what are you going to do about this?"
"If you really hate it that much, you can call me darling."
"Commander!"
Erisa let out a sharp yell. I picked at my ear and said,
"What?"
"Why bring up darling here?"
"Why pretend you don't know? Why do you think Lupert Grand Duke shoved you in as my adjutant? It's so we can get all cozy, our eyes meet, and boom—perfect match. Or if not, he'll formally pair us up later. Deep intentions there, nice and spicy."
"Don't talk nonsense! Why would I marry you?"
I shrugged.
"You think marriages are up to you? If Grand Duke says so, you say yes."
Erisa's face hardened.
"That'll never happen. I can talk Grandpa out of it."
"Doubt it. Honestly, linking the Lupert Grand Duke house and our Karl family? Nothing beats a marriage for that. I get His Highness's thinking completely. I'd do the same in his shoes. So accept it, Erisa. As his granddaughter, you should understand his heartfelt wish."
Erisa ground her teeth.
"Yan sunbae! You gonna keep mocking me?"
I ignored her and gazed out the window at the distant mountains.
"Anyway, this connection's interesting. My mom said absolutely not you, of all people."
"Pardon?"
"Your mom and mine are besties, right? Though between women, besties are the scariest. If her kid's killing it and mine's lagging, jealousy explodes. Heh."
Erisa shot me a sideways glare.
"At least you know your place."
"Who knows. Question is, who's really gotta know theirs."
The brag-fest between our moms ended in my mom's total victory. Erisa's just a fresh-out-of-school top student, but I'm the self-made guy who founded Kara Kingdom and turned it into a world power. Comparing us is laughable.
Even my iron-blooded chancellor dad doesn't match my level. He hit the jackpot with a good family and became a grand duke, but I built Kara from nothing with my bare hands.
In that sense, running away was a massive turning point in my life. If I'd stayed with the Karls, I'd be the neglected grand prince. Now? I'm a powerhouse even Emperor Uncle fears.
Erisa narrowed her eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, you know. Spicy stuff."
I tossed a thick stack of pending documents right in front of her.
"Why the papers?"
I yielded my seat to her.
"Sit and stamp 'em."
"Huh? These need the commander's approval."
"That's what underlings are for. Commander's got too much on his plate."
Erisa looked utterly baffled.
"What could possibly be so much?"
"Gotta hit social gatherings, build rapport with other commanders. Busy times."
Erisa couldn't hold back and yelled again.
"Do that after your actual work!"
"Look at you, ignoring relationships. They're the most important. Say something urgent comes up in war? Relationships decide life or death. Even I'd hate helping someone I despise. If we're tight, of course I'd rush over. This is all for us to thrive."
As I headed out of the commander's office, Erisa shouted,
"Yan sunbae!"
"Commander or darling, not sunbae. Kid can't take a hint. Living with her'd be a drag."
"Hey!"
Erisa's furious voice echoed as I slipped out of the commander's quarters.
Wonder how that wild child's gonna survive the world. If she's like this with potential hubby me, gods help others.
Her usual demure act around me must've been fake. Calling me Master this and that, I thought she had a ladylike side. Nope.
***
I headed to a fancy restaurant in Lupert Castle called Fayzen. Popular with nobles—I'd arranged lunch there with Zekt Viscount.
Guided by the server to the reserved room, I saw Zekt Viscount greeting me warmly.
"Grand Prince. Come in. How've you been?"
I gave an awkward smile.
"Busy as hell. Starting to regret volunteering for this expedition. Training soldiers, stamping papers—days fly by like arrows."
"Still better than merc life, right?"
"Hahaha. True enough."
The viscount gestured to the empty seat opposite.
"Please, sit."
"Thanks."
As I sat, he eyed me steadily.
"Heard Lady Erisa's your adjutant now."
"Yes."
"You know what that means?"
"Of course."
He nodded.
"As sharp as you are, you'd know. It's His Highness's deep intent, so tread carefully. One misstep, and it sows distrust between Lupert house and you."
"Naturally. But..."
"Yes?"
"Erisa doesn't seem to like me much."
"Why not?"
"No idea. Got some other guy she likes...?"
Zekt Viscount laughed heartily.
"That's up to you, Grand Prince. Grab her so tight she can't look elsewhere."
"Yeah, guess so."
I pulled a precious sword from my subspace pouch right away. A bribery blade from Kara, etched with a flashy firebird pattern, sheath studded with gold and gems.
Zekt's eyes went wide.
"What rare treasure is this?"
"A sword forged from Utsu steel."
Utsu steel—Kara's world-famous specialty. Stronger than any metal, top-tier on the continent.
Downside: high distribution costs and limited production make it pricey. But any swordsman would drool.
"Grand Prince, where'd you get the money? Weren't you a merc till recently?"
"Sure, back then. But I've reclaimed my status now."
"Pardon?"
I smiled faintly.
"Truth is, I've got secret accounts scattered in banks worldwide. Mom's originally—they passed to me before she died."
"Ah, I see. Good for you."
I drew the sword slightly to show it off.
"Here, take it. My sincerity to you, Viscount."
He waved his hands frantically.
"No, I can't accept such a treasure. Your intent's enough."
I gave him a meaningful look.
"Not for your display case."
"Pardon?"
"This sword has another purpose."
"What purpose?"
I fully drew it. The blade was snapped clean in half.
"The other half's with a mansion caretaker on Jores Island. He'll hand the place over to whoever brings it."
"What does that mean?"
I glanced around and lowered my voice.
"Future's uncertain, right? Especially in war."
"Ah, yes."
"So, insurance is smart."
Zekt's eyes bulged.
"Grand Prince? You mean...?"
"If we lose, we'll die with His Highness. But family? Gotta save them."
"True, but..."
I sheathed it.
"Jores Island's beyond imperial reach. No prying eyes. Perfect for your family's sunset years."
"Yes, but..."
As he hesitated, I pressed.
"Not testing your loyalty to His Highness. Just insurance for your family. If we win, it's a funny anecdote between us. No need to agonize."
Zekt closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Family worries clearly gnawed at him.
"Yeah, gotta save the family at least."
"Right. What've they done wrong? We're the frontliners—no choice. But family's just following you. No reason to die."
"You're right, Grand Prince."
I slid the sword across the table.
"Exactly. Take it."
"Then, despite the shame, I'll accept. Thank you."
As he gratefully took it, I smiled faintly.
"And scout escape routes too."
"Portal tower's fine, no?"
"Too risky. Relying solely on it? With magic cannons now, one shell could collapse it—trapping your family."
He nodded.
"Fair point."
"Secure a ship. Prep a small vessel at Lupert harbor ahead. Also, hire woodcutters as guides for backroads—or employ 'em preemptively."
"Good idea."
"Convert some assets to portable gems or gold. Family needs wealth for a comfy life."
"Obviously."
Zekt Viscount nodded eagerly to my suggestions.
Perfect.
Now that he's accepted, his desperation to win vanishes.
His unit weakens. With an escape hatch, folks don't fight full-tilt—they scheme.
In battle too. Surrounded troops fight like demons; one gap, and they bolt.
That's the psychology I exploited—Mangudai strategy. Pretending to care, but really eroding Lupert army's will by preying on human fear.
War's all mind games. Crush the mind, crush the will. Heh heh.
After, we discussed the upcoming expedition. Zekt's joining as guest general—handy for input.
Soon, expedition day arrived. Deep autumn, imperial rage peaked, Lupert forces ready.
I swung the legion flag and bellowed at the volunteers assembled before Lupert Castle.
"March out!"
13,000 troops and Zekt's 500 knights moved in unison at my command. Ragtag, but Erisa's training made 'em orderly.
That was it, though.
Hyped for battle, they chattered nonstop. Veterans shit bricks pre-fight; these acted like legendary heroes, brimming with false confidence.
Come real combat, panic hits—they won't even flee right. Most'll scatter wildly, easy pickings for cavalry.
But I wasn't worried about them. No fighting for these guys. My real concern: third son Lutz's detachment. Should've shipped out together, but no sign. Sneaky secret op, probably.
Grand Duke plays dirty. What's wrong with a heads-up?
The Start of the Civil War. End