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Book 10: Chapter 12: Blank Paper

With Baglada leaking to those around him that he would take over from Cleo, the battle for succession seemed almost over.

There is no mood to retain someone new from here.

And I - Liam Sera Banfield - was having tea with His Highness Cleo, who has been promoted to the position of Crown Prince, in an elegant manner.

The place was a luxurious mansion prepared for the Crown Prince.

The place is a luxurious mansion prepared for the Crown Prince, surrounded by knights dispatched from the empire to escort him and keep an eye out for me.

I could sense that if I made a strange move, they would immediately come at me, ready to slay me at the cost of their own lives.

Also, there were signs of what seemed to be the impenetrable dark side of the empire in the surroundings.

In this ostensibly hostile space, there is a tense atmosphere between me and Cleo.

Then Cleo broaches the subject.

"Tell me your excuse for the annihilation of my SS."

"Theodore has betrayed us. I\'d better get some better subordinates."

"He was devoted to me, regardless of his abilities. Can you understand my feelings at the loss of such a subordinate?"

"I won the battle for succession."

Thanks to this, Cleo will be the next emperor in 30 years.

But with him, we couldn\'t win the battles we could have won.

It certainly wasn\'t enough to annihilate him - he just wanted to keep the enemy\'s strength down.

"Thanks to him, I am now the crown prince. I heard that the emperor had entrusted you with Calvin\'s treatment. May I ask how you intend to handle him?"

Cleo, who appears to be comfortable, is concerned about Calvin\'s treatment.

"I\'m going to make his life a living hell."

"I knew it would happen. That being said--"

Cleo\'s mood changed.

His smile faded and he looked at me with narrowed eyes - hostility in his eyes.

"--This one time, I did indeed win the battle for succession. Your right-hand man is truly excellent. He is reputed to be an undefeatable knight, but he is too ruthless in his obsession with victory. It is not the way of the kingdom to use any means necessary to win."

Klaus is ruthless? I\'m a corrupt lord, and this is a subordinate worthy of me.

"Is he an undefeatable knight? I\'ll let Klaus know."

Cleo looks at me uninterested as I drink my tea.

But then, perhaps thinking it was about time, he cut to the chase.

"My reputation is at stake. From now on, I will ask Count Banfield to step down from his position as leader of the faction."

I was told to step down from the top, which is effectively banishment from the faction.

Cleo is trying to take away the faction I built.

"I don\'t care."

But I don\'t care.

Cleo may have felt somewhat uncomfortable with this attitude, and he probes me.

"If you step down from your position as head of the faction, you won\'t be given any important positions, will you?"

I got up from my seat, annoyed at Cleo\'s chiseled confirmation.

I told him to do what he wanted. I\'ll make good on everything I\'ve contributed so far.

"You destroyed my SS, and you\'re so brazen."

"I\'d consider myself humble if I didn\'t have to beg for a reward."

"I\'m not going to say anything about it. You and I have a clean slate now."

Not as much as you who cut me off as soon as you became Crown Prince.

I turn my back and walk away from Cleo.

Then he whispered.

"Blank slate? We\'re enemies from now on."

Argos leaves the capital planet.

Klaus was summoned by Liam to a room where the important people in the Banfield family were gathered.

However, besides Kukri, who had joined him on the capital planet, there is only Tia and Marie as usual.

Klaus is the last to enter the room, and the door is closed.

This room, which is strictly controlled, is often used to discuss important confidential matters.

As Klaus enters the room, Liam begins to talk.

"I have antagonized Cleo."

The four men lined up in front of Liam in his chair were not surprised, as they had expected some of what was to come.

Liam turns his attention to Kukri.

"It was Kukri who caught Cleo\'s treachery."

Kukri is happy that he was able to clear his name.

"One of my men who died left a clue. From there, I realized that His Highness Cleo had betrayed us. --If you wish, Liam-sama, I can assassinate Cleo at any time."

However, as soon as he seems pleased, he immediately releases a quiet rage.

I guess he can\'t forgive the betrayal.

The same goes for Marie.

"Isn\'t it all thanks to Liam-sama\'s support that that little boy became the Crown Prince! I think we should tell him who he defied."

Both Kukri and Marie have a grudge against the emperor of 2,000 years ago.

Therefore, the means they chose were extreme.

Tia\'s is more moderate.

"Given the influence of our family, it is possible to challenge the appointment of the Crown Prince. The upper echelons of the empire cannot ignore Master Liam. I think we should reject His Highness Cleo\'s appointment as Crown Prince."

After listening to the three of them, Klaus agrees with Tia.

"I also agree with Lady Christiana\'s opinion."

Liam, however, looks unhappy in front of the four of them.

"Are you idiots? I was the one who said I would make Cleo emperor, and you can\'t interfere with that just because we\'re enemies."

Surprisingly, Liam has no intention of interfering with Cleo.

Marie is dismayed.

"But!"

"I\'ve destroyed his SS, too. In exchange for all the support I\'ve given him so far, I\'m going to make it up to him."

"I don\'t think that\'s going to convince them. Please, Liam-sama, please reconsider!"

"I don\'t like it. I don\'t care whether Cleo becomes the crown prince or the emperor. No, I want him to be emperor by all means."

Liam says that Cleo should be emperor, but his expression is really amused.

(Liam-sama, you definitely have something in mind, don\'t you?)

And then - Liam declares in front of the four of them.

"Cleo will be the last emperor of the empire."

Hearing this, all four of them were speechless.

After a few seconds of silence in the room, Tia tries to ask Liam.

"Is that what you mean--"

"I could almost reach it."

"What?"

"No, no. It seemed to me I could reach the emperor\'s throne. Frankly, I could have been content with my own fiefdom, but - I don\'t like the current emperor. And I don\'t like Cleo\'s character either. So I decided to defeat him. Wouldn\'t it be more convenient if Cleo was emperor?"

As usual, Liam says he is going to defeat his enemies because he doesn\'t like them, but they are an empire.

He started to say that he would bow to the state he belongs to.

Marie asks Liam in a trembling voice.

"Well, does that mean you\'re going to usurp the Empire?"

Marie was not trembling because she was frightened.

She seems to be trembling with joy.

Klaus couldn\'t understand it.

Why is she so happy?)

Liam looks up and thinks.

"Now what do we do? You can bite through it from the inside, or you can knock it down fair and square, which is also very tempting."

The attitude that it doesn\'t matter either way, from Klaus\'s point of view, it seems like he is having fun.

Well, that\'s not good. We can\'t go on like this!)

If this continues, it will be the end of the Banfield family.

Considering the difference in strength, the Empire is still no match for them, even if they are a great noble family.

If Liam stands up, he will have allies, but even if he wins, I don\'t think he will be able to maintain his new country.

Klaus had a bad feeling about this.

But Tia affirmed Liam\'s position.

It is a wonderful idea. I think that Liam-sama is the right person to be the lord of a country.

Kukri is smiling happily, "Kuhihihi," loud as he laughs.

"I didn\'t expect the target to be an empire. --Please use the power of our clan to the fullest."

And Marie rejoices.

"Liam-sama is the one who deserves to be ruler of the empire! This Marie, I would lay down my life if I could destroy the empire!"

Klaus despairs when he sees his vassals enthralled by Liam.

(Someone stop him! He said we can\'t fight the empire!)

It is true that Liam is strong, but even so, he is limited to the nobility within the empire.

He does not have the strength to fight the empire itself.

It might be possible if he could gather allies, but it was a dangerous gamble.

That is why Klaus is determined.

(If we betray the empire and lose, we are finished. What would happen to our families? Besides, as a vassal, I must say what needs to be said.)

Then Klaus raises his voice.

"I disagree with that idea, Liam-sama."

"What?"

Liam squints, and Klaus continues.

"I said I was against it. We cannot defeat the empire--"

Then, before Klaus could finish, the blade was close to his own neck.

It was Tia and Marie who drew their swords, apparently intending to kill Klaus.

But just in the nick of time, Kukri was protecting Klaus.

Marie glared at Kukri.

"We can\'t let anyone live who disagrees with this proposition, can we? Could you please stay out of the way?"

"I have been a close friend of Klaus-dono\'s for some time. Besides, Liam-sama wants to talk about Klaus-dono."

When Tia and Marie looked at Liam, he had a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Klaus, tell me the rest of the conversation."

They backed off as Liam asked for Klaus\' opinion.

But Klaus was ready at this point.

Kukri, for his part, kept his word and helped him out, but emotionally he would be close to both of them.

If Liam had told him to get rid of Klaus, he would have swung his blade without hesitation.

(If I don\'t tell him, no one will stop him now.)

Klaus decided to seriously try to convince Liam.

Because now he could still turn back.

"At this point, the gap in strength between the Banfield family and the Empire is stark."

"Yes. If the empire can turn all their forces against me, they won\'t win."

Liam was well aware that the empire was surrounded by enemies and could not give its all.

But

"Even if the troops deployed on the border were unable to move, the Banfield family alone would be no match."

"I assume some allies will emerge?"

Many nobles are dissatisfied with the empire.

It was Liam who brought them together and founded the Cleo faction, and he was well aware that there were nobles who would side with him if he rose up.

"If you ask for more help than you need in defeating a country, you will be asked for something in return afterwards. If we are going to do this, it is paramount that the Banfield family alone triumphs."

(What bothers me is that there\'s really only a slim chance of winning.)

Considering the Banfield family\'s groundwork, there was no possibility of that.

Anyway, the people around us did not admonish us because of the hope.

So if we denied that we would never win, the people around us would say that was crazy.

I don\'t want to let them get in the way of my persuasion.

And if Liam is not convinced, persuasion is pointless.

So Klaus explains that even if he wins the fight as it is, there is no end in sight.

In fact, even if Liam wins with support from other nobles and other countries, he will have to take care of various things with them afterwards.

Worst of all, the empire could be in disarray and swallowed up by neighboring countries.

That is why Klaus spoke of the destination of victory.

He believed that if he did so, the people around him would listen to him a little more and say, "Surely the problem is what happens after we win?"

But then...

"I understand what you are saying. But how much power do I have to get the best you\'re talking about?"

When Liam asks for a rough number, Klaus simply replies.

"In terms of strength alone, we need a million naval vessels. To run a million naval vessels without problems, we must maintain four times that number, or four million vessels. And you need a territory that can sustain that many troops."

A fleet requires three things to maintain its proficiency: leave, training, and exercises.

Only after these three are completed will the fleet have the discipline to withstand actual warfare.

In other words, to keep a million-strong army in motion at all times, a fleet must have the strength to maintain four times its size, or four million troops.

If the maximum strength is one million, it will be difficult afterwards even if the entire army is forced to fight and achieve victory.

It would be a nightmare if they pushed too hard in defeating the empire and could not continue afterwards.

(With these numbers, you realize it\'s impossible.)

Liam, who had been listening intently to Klaus, nodded his head repeatedly.

"Four million. Now that\'s impossible."

I am relieved that Liam-sama understands.

(Thank God. I knew he understood when I told him.)

However, Liam stands up and applauds Klaus admiringly.

"Quite a knight, Klaus, always undefeatable. I\'ll adopt your opinion."

"What?"

(The undefeated knight who always wins? No, it\'s more like "adopt my opinion"! I disagreed with you! That means canceling it!)

-- but Klaus is disappointed.

"Four million. It\'s a tremendous number, but if we can achieve it, we can win. If you, who are known as the "undefeated Knight," say so, you are very convincing."

"Liam-sama? Um, what is this unbeatable knight about?"

"Hmm? Ah, it\'s your alias on the capital planet. Good thing it\'s a cool alias. I\'m still hunting pirates. I\'d trade you for it."

Liam envied Klaus, but he was not at all pleased.

Why am I, a common Knight, called an undefeated knight?)

Liam looks at Klaus and the others.

They will be stuck in their territory for a while, working on the development of the territory. "We\'ll get enough power to compete with the empire."

Tia and the two others said, "Ha!" following Liam\'s command but Klaus watched as he responded and fell to his knees.

Liam again declared to Klaus and the others.

"Next time we\'ll be taking on the Empire. I\'m going to get serious. You guys should be ready for that."

Then Liam chuckles.

"But still, an army of a million--that\'s enough to fight the empire head on."

"What?"

(No way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It\'s still less difficult to cut them down from the inside, isn\'t it? Are you seriously planning to go to war with the empire?)

Klaus wanted to hold his head in his hands when he realized that his persuasion had put the conflict with the empire in hard mode.