The Silbergs Have Moved
The Silbergs Have Moved
Imperial Meeting Room
A noble meeting was convened under the Emperor's command.
The content of the summons was simple.
『The Silbergs have moved.』
Because of that short sentence, every noble in the capital gathered.
Some, anxious, even spent a fortune to travel from their territories.
Thus, most of the nobles gathered in the grand meeting room, which usually only held the necessary personnel.
"Is everyone here?"
In the center was the Emperor.
'Reina Roswell' was there.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A young Emperor who had just turned twenty this year.
However, she was a figure called a tyrant due to her outstanding political sense, martial arts, and harsh iron-fisted rule.
She looked down at the crowd with blue eyes, her brilliant blonde hair fluttering.
However, there was a clear look of anxiety in her eyes.
The nobles were the same.
"As I informed you earlier... The Silbergs have moved."
The meeting room went silent, even breath was held at the Emperor's words.
As if representing the nobles' tension, only the sound of a few swallowing echoed.
Meanwhile, an old, cunning noble opened his mouth.
"By any chance... do you know what their goal is?"
"...I do not."
It was the question they most wanted to hear and the answer to it.
But no one was agitated.
"Well... that's just how the Silbergs are."
The nobles nodded in unison.
Watching those nobles and confirming they had no information either, the Emperor leaned back in her chair and said.
"As you all know, the Silbergs are not just any family."
"...."
"Whenever they moved, something big always happened. From the moment the Empire was founded, they moved whenever there was a crisis, and they achieved results with strange strategies."
"...."
"That is why, originally, they should be at least Grand Dukes... but they are also loyal subjects who claim the title of Viscount-nim themselves, saying that strong nobles threaten the Emperor's authority."
If you only heard this far, there would be no problem.
But the main point started now.
"But everyone here, as nobles, must know. They do not possess human emotions."
"...That is correct."
The nobles nodded repeatedly at the Emperor's words.
"They are cruel and merciless in handling matters. Possessing private soldiers stronger than the Imperial regular army, and with innate intelligence, they can unhesitatingly execute schemes where dozens... no, tens of thousands die. That is... the Silbergs."
"...Yes."
The nobles bit their lips, recalling past historical examples and things they had experienced themselves.
And the Emperor was the same.
"Ten years ago... when I was almost kidnapped and murdered, I received help from the Silbergs. I still remember the nightmare of that day. The burning mansion, the children screaming for their lives."
"...."
"What the Silberg who saved me in front of the mansion, where people's screams were echoing, said to me... I've said it countless times, so you all must know by now."
"...I heard they said, 'Do you want to die too?'"
The Emperor frowned as the trauma surfaced for a moment.
But she continued to speak.
"That's right. He looked at me, who was a princess, like a bug and laughed. He imprinted on me that, to them, someone like me is an existence that can be killed at any time."
"...."
"And I realized it then. That it was them giving me one last chance, since I wasn't jumping into the race for the next Emperor."
"Your Majesty...."
The nobles expressed concern at the Emperor's rising voice.
However, no one stopped her.
It was that famous of an incident, and it was the catalyst for the current Emperor to start acting in earnest afterward.
And in the underworld, there were rumors that even that kidnapping incident was a Silberg scheme to oust the incompetent Crown Prince and put the Princess into the succession race,
so they also knew that the Emperor had no choice but to react sensitively to the name Silberg.
"And the person who saved me then is the current head of the family. 'Leon Silberg', who was only twelve years old at the time."
The problem is that the very person who planted the trauma in the Emperor is moving.
"The Silbergs do not move without meaning."
"...That is correct."
"Attending a party? Whatever meaning is contained within that, we must prepare. Even if they are moving for a good purpose... whatever damage follows, whatever the result may be... in the end, we will be the ones to endure it."
"Yes... Your Majesty."
Afterward, the nobles put their heads together and focused on establishing countermeasures.
It was a project that mobilized the Empire's total capabilities under the Emperor's permission.
The intelligence organization gathered as much information as possible.
To prepare for any contingency, it was decided to deploy the regular army to the Lugner Earldom.
Also, in the unlikely event that the Silbergs' goal was not the Lugner Earldom but another group of invitees, it was decided that all nobles who received invitations sent from the Lugner Earldom would attend.
There were no exceptions, even for those who received 'courtesy invitations' or those who had already expressed their intention to decline.
"Well, if it's the Silbergs, they probably even anticipated people who wouldn't attend and moved accordingly...."
"They probably even anticipated our movements like this."
"Still, it can't be helped. If that's the case, it would be the right answer to do everything we can to reduce variables."
And the Emperor headed to the temple for the first time in a long while.
It was a place she had deliberately avoided to strengthen imperial power, but she didn't care about such things now.
Likewise, although the temple's relationship with her had soured due to her containment activities, this time, they welcomed the Emperor's visit.
It was because they, too, had heard the news that the Silbergs were moving.
"Please... may the peace of the Empire be maintained...."
Thus, the Saintess and the Emperor held hands and prayed.
Please, may this movement of the Silbergs be smaller than feared.
They sincerely hoped so.
On the way to the Lugner Earldom.
"It's closer than I thought."
"It is the territory right next to ours."
"And faster than I thought."
"You weren't planning on walking, were you?"
"Hey~ that's not it."
I was currently traveling by carriage.
The one responding to my words was my personal maid and bodyguard, 'Cecilia Way'.
A woman I comfortably call Cecil.
Black hair, red eyes.
Even a pretty good figure.
If you didn't know, she felt more like a hidden heroine than a maid.
Well, there's no way something like that exists in a romance fantasy novel, though.
"It looks like we'll arrive in two hours."
She was a bit blunt, which was a flaw, but anyway, I was in a carriage alone with a pretty woman, so I felt good.
And I could feast my eyes on those large breasts, so,
"Where are you looking?"
"...Nothing."
"?"
Anyway,
It was definitely a romance fantasy novel.
To think there's a carriage that's this comfortable and fast.
According to Cecil, it was made by a wizard famous for carriage manufacturing, Lamborghini.
When I heard the wizard's name, I thought it would just be fast and comfort would be thrown to the dogs, but it was much more comfortable than I thought.
For me, who had expected a medieval-style journey, it was almost a bit disappointing.
"Usually, it's the national rule to get attacked by bandits or something at times like this...."
"I don't know what a 'national rule' is, but would anyone dare to attack the Silberg Viscounty?"
"Monsters could appear, you know."
"...No way. We're giving off this much aura... Ah, I'm sorry. You were joking, and I answered seriously for no reason."
Not a joke.
I quietly looked around.
Around the magically self-driving carriage, at most five or six knights were chasing on horseback.
I was worried that this number might make us look easy, but the common sense here seemed a bit different from what I had.
Well, if it's safe, that's good.
Thus, I headed to the Lugner Earldom while exchanging silly conversations with Cecil.
Arriving there after traveling about 100km, which is far for a neighboring territory, it was very different from what I thought.
"Is this the difference between a Viscount and a Count?"
It was a phrase I blurted out without realizing it in front of the Lugner Earldom mansion after getting off the carriage.
"Welcome, Viscount Silberg-nim!"
"Welcome!!"
"Ah... yes."
It was a very intense welcome.
A red carpet was laid from the mansion gate to the entrance, and knights lined up on the left and right bowed to me as if performing protocol.
I had no choice but to retrace my memories at the bewildering sight.
Because the main stage of the original work was the North, the weight of Count Lugner-nim, who is also in the South, is not much different from Leon, whom I possessed.
However, I remembered one thing.
One of the reasons the protagonist's party came all the way to Leon Silberg, a mere Viscount,
It was because Count Lugner-nim did not give money to the protagonist's party, even though he was practically the ruler of the wealthy South.
It was because the North's fundraising plan was vague.
Because of that, Count Lugner-nim was usually called the 'miser of the South' among readers, and I also had that image, but.
"Oh! Viscount-nim, nice to meet you. It's been a very long time. I am Theo Lugner."
"Ah...! Count Lugner-nim. Thank you for inviting me!"
"You have grown up very well."
The Count Lugner-nim I faced in person was completely different from the image I knew.
The Count ran out as soon as I entered the entrance and welcomed me.
I'm just a mere Viscount, but seeing him come out personally to greet me, his character seemed good.
"My rank is low and I am young, so please call me Leon comfortably."
"No. How could I do that? I owe you a lot, Viscount-nim, and I also owe a lot of grace to the former head of the family, so I cannot do that."
"Still...."
"It is more comfortable for me to use honorifics."
And the news that followed.
"Count-nim, Marquis Pafel-nim has arrived."
"Oh, is that so? Then I have to guide Viscount Silberg-nim, so please guide the Marquis-nim to the reception room."
"Yes. Count-nim."
Even though he heard the news that the Marquis-nim had arrived next, the Count-nim continued to guide me.
"Count-nim, but he is a Marquis-nim...."
"It's fine. To me, Viscount Silberg-nim coming is more important. Marquis Pafel-nim will understand too."
The appearance of focusing on the guest currently with him even though a more important guest had arrived was very different from the miser feeling I knew.
Seeing that even the Marquis-nim would understand, it means this is something ingrained in him usually.
Indeed, it seems you have to experience a person firsthand.
"There is time until the party starts, so please take a rest here for a while. Ah, I prepared the snacks with special care, so please make sure to eat them."
"Yes. Thank you. Count-nim."
And I was impressed once again in the room I was guided to.
Leaving aside that it was a good room, I fell in love with the sight of high-end snacks and tea prepared.
Is this the Lugner I knew?
"It's a mana cookie that's hard to find even in the capital."
"Is it good stuff?"
"It probably costs about 1 gold each, right?"
"Ohh!"
1 gold here is about 1 million won.
So, Count Lugner-nim piled up snacks that cost about 1 million won each for me to eat.
If you add all that up, that's like 30 million won worth, right?
Holy shit.
"It's fucking delicious...!"
"Not bad. It seems Lugner definitely has the basics down."
"Cecil, that's not wrong, but...."
I'll correct it today.
Lugner. As of today, he is my Hyung-nim.
A rich and kind Hyung-nim!
"Wait a moment. Someone is coming."
━ Knock knock.
While I was killing time eating snacks and playing around with Cecil with trivial jokes, someone knocked on the door.
Cecil, who noticed it before the knock.
I feel it anew, her ears are sharp.
"Viscount Silberg-nim, the party is scheduled to start soon."
"Ah~ yes. I understand!"
Just when I was getting a little bored.
The news of the party was delivered.
A few months after possessing this body.
Finally, the opportunity to blow away the boredom had arrived.