Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Part 2: An Unexpected Boon
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"I'm glad to hear your health has improved. Thank you for coming right away when I called you so urgently."
"It's only natural to come running when my brother summons me. But on my way here, I heard there was a huge commotion in the imperial palace last night, and I'm worried. Is His Majesty the Emperor well?"
"His Majesty is the same as always. He's not yet confined to his sickbed."
"I'm also concerned about the well-being of my other brothers and sisters. What happened last night?"
What do you mean, what happened? I blew away Albert and our cousin, lock, stock, and barrel, along with their separate palace.
Jess, you're anxious inside too, aren't you? I know all about it.
"The commotion from last night will be sorted out once the damages are assessed, and then it'll be announced. Don't worry about it too much for now."
Jess didn't bat an eyelid.
But to his left stood Knight Master Phiren like a statue, and in the rear waited about twenty mages from the Imperial Magic Corps.
I'd felt it keenly over the nine previous regressions, but Jess's caution like this was a real pain in the ass.
He was a bit shorter than Albert and had a slender build. But his sharp features and cold gaze made anyone in front of him shrink back.
He was evaluated as meticulous and ruthless in everything, and with power in his hands, no one could treat him lightly.
On top of that, he had connections to various high nobles of the empire and the support of the military, represented by the knight orders, making him the most troublesome type to make an enemy of.
And that very guy was the mastermind who drove me to ruin, and at the same time, the culprit who brought down the emperor and the crown prince.
-Isn't Crown Prince Claude someone who spoke so normally?
At that moment, murmurs rippled among the ministers.
-Hmm, he's not rambling incoherently like before, and no stuttering either.
-He's completely different from a year ago. Calm to the point of being unrecognizable.
-Even so, a villain's still a villain. I still vividly remember that day last year.
My reputation seemed to have improved slightly, but the tone of blame and contempt remained the same.
Of course, their attitude was justified. I had actually committed those sins.
One year ago from now.
The 15-year-old Claude living in the imperial palace (before I was summoned) suddenly spotted a blue bottle on the table.
It was a liquor revered as high-class even among the empire's nobles. He didn't know who put it in Claude's room or why, but thirsty Claude uncorked it without a second thought and gulped it down.
The problem was that the alcohol content exceeded 40 degrees.
After that, his memory went blank. He only vaguely recalled smashing the empty bottle on the floor.
The rest was what he heard later. Claude, instantly dead drunk, screamed like a madman and ran rampant through the palace, then burst into a meeting room and attacked the assembled ministers, causing chaos.
In the process, two ministers suffered serious injuries, and a servant who tried to stop him barely survived massive blood loss.
So, he had no grounds to protest being called a villain.
Of course, it was Jess's poison combining with the strong liquor that triggered the seizure.
But no matter the excuse, the fact that Claude got drunk, grabbed the broken bottle, and wreaked havoc in the palace didn't change.
One of the seriously injured ministers retired from politics in shock. A prestigious noble who had served since the previous emperor, he actively spread the narrative everywhere afterward: "Prince Claude is an irredeemable wastrel villain!"
Damn it! But he couldn't accuse Jess of poisoning him either!
On one side was a capable, promising prince managing state affairs in place of the emperor and crown prince.
On the other was a troublemaking wastrel who'd caused incidents since childhood.
Naturally, no one would believe him. That's why he was now under open crossfire from all sides.
-Even so, his true colors will show soon enough. Once a wastrel, always a wastrel, right?
-Of course. His very presence in the palace is an insult to the imperial family.
As the blame and curses intensified, I gritted my teeth, barely resisting the urge to activate my magic.
No, hold it in, my inner Arch Wizard.
Deep down, I wanted to unleash Tempest wildly, blowing away not just the ministers but the root of all evil, Jess and Phiren, into oblivion.
But doing that would ruin this final 10th run from the start, wouldn't it?
"Claude. The reason I called you here today is to give you a chance to personally restore the honor of the imperial family that you've tarnished."
Finally getting to the point, Jess's lips twitched subtly.
That bastard was holding back a laugh, imagining me bearing the empire's first infamy for wiping out a knight order.
"This morning, we received a request for reinforcements from Elstone Count, who guards the empire's eastern territories. As you know, Elstone Earldom has been in all-out war with the 'Necro Army' since last year, and the war situation is reportedly going very poorly."
The Necro Army here referred to the necro-army plaguing the empire's borders—that is, the forces made of undead.
Their leader was a necromancer named Crock, commanding an army of death.
This was one tech tree I could pursue. Of course, this time, I'd approach them for entirely different reasons.
"The imperial government decided to dispatch reinforcements to Elstone Earldom immediately upon receiving the request. Claude, you will be the commander of those reinforcements. Lead them to victory against the Necro Army."
"Me... commanding an army?"
Jess nodded silently, chuckling as if pleased by my contorted expression.
"Yes. Leading armies to protect the empire from external threats has been the duty of princes since ancient times. So devote yourself fully to the war and restore your fallen honor yourself."
At the same time, sighs echoed from all around.
-No way...
-Giving an army to that wastrel prince?
-His Highness the Regent is too indulgent with his little brother. Risking such a gamble just to build up the youngest prince's reputation.
-The war will be fought by the knights anyway. He's just meant to safely rack up achievements from the rear.
Public opinion among the ministers was a mix of admiration for Jess's affection toward his youngest brother and unanimous condemnation of me as utterly unfit for such a heavy responsibility.
No, but thinking about it, isn't this too much?
If they're going to curse, they should curse Jess too for entrusting me with this. Why praise Jess and dump all the blame on me?
Moreover, these ministers were greatly mistaken about one thing.
They thought sending reinforcements would naturally lead to victory, but that was far from true.
The Necro Army invading Elstone Earldom right now had overwhelming forces. Enough to annihilate a mediocre knight order in an instant.
"...Though I am lacking, I will do my utmost to succeed in the mission you've entrusted to me, brother."
I deliberately made my voice tremble severely and avoided Jess's gaze. This guy had sharp instincts; meeting his eyes might let him notice the poison's effects had worn off my body.
"Good resolve. For you, I'll assign the empire's most prestigious knight order. I expect great things."
"Thank you, brother."
For reference, that prestigious knight order was called the "Imperial Guardian Knight Order."
Sound impressive? It was all in the name—the contents were a ragtag bunch of noble rejects who lacked skill but craved knightly ranks.
Don't act proud handing me this trash. After catching my breath, I bowed deeper and said,
"Then I'll return to my estate, prepare for departure, and come back."
"No need for that."
Jess shook his head as if he'd been waiting.
"The reinforcements are already assembled. No need to go back—just wait in the palace and join them as soon as they're ready to depart."
This bastard was so eager to ship me off to the battlefield he could barely contain himself.
Of course, this was all part of the plan. Knowing this would happen, I'd loaded my carriage with various items when leaving the estate. Like the detoxification elixir Lania had made, for example.
"Understood. I'll wait in the palace and set out immediately. *Cough, cough*..."
As a finishing touch, I coughed repeatedly like a consumptive patient. Jess feigned a worried expression and spouted insincere words.
"Take good care of your health and return safely. If you return victorious, I'll grant one wish of yours with my authority."
"Tha... thank you, brother. *Cough*..."
Perfect. It worked this time too.
In the previous regression, I'd acted this way to extract a flurry of empty promises. Of course, Jess probably had no scenario in his head where I returned victorious, but I'd already secured a specific wish from him and perfected my plans afterward.
Now that the buildup is complete, time to head to Elstone Earldom with peace of mind and work on my reputation?