喵绅HCMOIC士网页版

Chapter 185

“That’s incredible. So you really asked for a sword for the imperial heir right then and there?”

“I didn’t say it so bluntly. I just asked for a gift.”

“That’s the same thing, you idiot! Lefia, your sister seems really amazing.”

“Well… my sister is quite amazing.”

No. That’s a misunderstanding.

Someone might think I’m a crazy guy who swung a greatsword in front of the queen and made demands.

I may be a little different from others, but I wouldn’t go that far.

Both I and the Queen of Lasker had political intentions.

We didn’t just engage in a reckless exchange of gifts without any consideration, did we? That would be utterly foolish.

Everyone calculated the potential benefits and drawbacks, navigating the situation with diplomatic finesse.

“You’re amazing, Master. Truly amazing!”

“Lav. Is that a compliment…?”

“Huh? Oh! Of course! It’s amazing! How could you be so bold in front of the Queen of Lasker!”

Actually, I had no choice but to be bold.

The Empire and the Radiant Church were behind me.

And personally, the Queen of Lasker is my sister-in-law, so I can be a little comfortable with her, right?

Everything that happened in Lasker was nothing special. We just had a conversation.

But when I returned home, I found that some strange rumors had spread.

“Young Lord Karl Adelheit obtained a sword directly from the Queen of Lasker!”

“He personally chose a gift for the imperial heir and said, ‘If you don’t give it to me, this time it won’t be the Kanfras, but the knights who will be my enemy!'”

Damn it. What are they talking about? Why am I putting knights on the same level as Kanfras?

At least they didn’t see humans as beasts like the Kanfras did!

And I never said anything like that! Why would I say that to my in-laws?

I wasn’t the only one who was shocked.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also started making corrections, fearing that Lasker might get furious.

They said that I had not made any rude remarks, and that this was simply the Queen of Lasker showing kindness to a guest.

One fortunate thing was that Lasker’s internal affairs were unexpectedly quiet.

Either they had anticipated this, or they started internal cleanup as soon as Lefia and I left.

From my perspective, it seemed more like the latter than the former.

‘As Lefia said, she’s a good person, but also an excellent politician. If you ask if those who want to disrupt relations with the Empire, gaining nothing but chaos, blood, and destruction, are truly knights and patriots, they’ll have no choice but to kneel and beg or simply die.’

Things I would never have seen as an ignorant soldier.

But things I can see now that I’m in charge of our family and the county instead of my sister.

Like I always say, this is why politics and power are scary. Ugh, yuck.

“Oh, right. Selena, this is for you.”

“Huh?”

I saw how bad her dark circles were last time, and now they seem to have gotten even worse.

So, as soon as I got to Lasker, I asked around and found something.

“It’s a mana tonic that knights often use. They say it helps with focus and maintaining overall health, especially when under stress.”

“Oh… thank you, Karl. But wait, did you buy this just for me?”

“Of course. Grad school isn’t easy. It’s only natural for me to take care of you.”

One in the military, one in grad school.

There’s probably no couple more absurd than Selena and me.

We both deal blows to each other, and then feel sorry for each other because of it.

I hope it will become a memory we can laugh about later.

“Ugh. Seeing this makes me a little envious of grad school.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, Eloise. You say that after seeing Selena?”

“But! Karl takes care of her because she’s in grad school! Lav, aren’t you jealous?!”

“No, I’m not. I just need Master by my side.”

Wow. Seriously.

Lavrenti can say those things without hesitation.

Ugh, my heart can’t take this! Even if she’s my woman, this is too much to handle!

“…Hey, Lav. Don’t you feel embarrassed saying things like that…?”

“I’m confident. My feelings for Master are an unchanging truth.”

Eloise turns her head and looks at me with a creaking sound.

What? Why are you looking at me instead of Lav? I didn’t tell her to say that! I’m innocent!

“What did you do in the past to…”

“I didn’t do anything, you stupid elf.”

Meanwhile, Lefia is in awe.

“Wow…”

Whoa, whoa. Hold on. Only Lav can pull that off. You guys can’t!

* * *

This summer vacation was no different from previous ones.

If I had to pick out the differences, it would be that the various departments of the Empire were looking for me more often, the amount of family work I had to take on as the young lord was increasing, and my niece was crying for me every day, so I had to visit the Imperial Palace every three days.

In the process, I also came across a shocking fact.

“…Your Highness? What do you mean?”

“The official announcement will be made in the fall, brother-in-law.”

The Crown Prince. My brother-in-law. He’s going to be the emperor. My niece will become the crown princess.

And the current emperor, who is perfectly fine, will step down from all fronts.

Just looking at this, it feels like a forced abdication. I can almost picture my brother-in-law being cast as a villain, usurping the throne.

But upon closer look, there was a reason why it had to be this way.

“It’s top secret, but I can tell you, brother-in-law. Actually, Father collapsed yesterday.”

“His Majesty…”

“Fortunately, he regained consciousness quickly and is now able to carry out his daily life. But according to the priests and doctors, his health has deteriorated greatly due to overwork.”

Overwork. It’s understandable.

The Empire has gone through all sorts of things while the current emperor has been in power.

There was the terrible Southern Great Forest War, and the war with Lasker around the same time.

Even one war is enough to make you lose all your hair and suffer from chronic indigestion.

The current emperor has experienced two major wars in addition to the internal affairs of the Empire.

It would be strange if he were healthy in that situation. He was always so dedicated to his work.

I suddenly remembered the conversations I had with the emperor in the past.

They were all good words. He was truly a man who cared for the Empire and its people.

But he also sacrificed a lot for it.

“…So, His Majesty made a hasty decision.”

“I tried to stop him as much as I could. I said I couldn’t accept it. But Father’s will was firm. He also said he wanted to give the crown princess position to his granddaughter when she turned one, so it just so happened that the timing coincided.”

Becoming emperor. Becoming the new ruler of this vast empire. There would be people who would cry out in joy at that fact alone.

But the Crown Prince, my brother-in-law, was full of bitterness instead of joy.

“Your Highness…”

“I cannot bring myself to rejoice. Though I knew this day would come, the thought that the radiant sun of our Empire, who has always been a beacon of strength, must now fade fills me with sorrow.”

Perhaps the Crown Prince sees his future self in the Emperor.

Nothing is eternal.

No matter how virtuous or wise a ruler may be, the time to step down eventually comes.

“Everyone else, but especially you, brother-in-law, will be very busy.”

“…I’m prepared.”

The reason I’m getting busy isn’t simply because I’m the young lord of Friedrich County.

If I were busy just because I’m the young lord, the four of them would be even busier.

The young lord of a mere county would simply need to offer their congratulations and swear fealty to the new emperor.

But I’m not an ordinary young lord of a county. I’m the war hero that the emperor and crown prince have promoted and celebrated.

I’m also the unbreakable link between the Empire and the Church.

Besides that, I’m a crazy guy who strangely has many connections with other countries like Hyzens and Lasker.

“To tell you in advance, Your Highness.”

Of course, there’s no need to worry about me. If I had other thoughts, why would I have fought on the battlefield in the first place?

“I am only loyal to this Empire and the imperial family.”

“…I already know that and don’t doubt it, but it’s reassuring to hear you say it. Brother-in-law, I’m truly grateful to have a subject like you.”

“It’s not that you’re lucky to have a subject like me, but that this Empire is great to have a subject like me.”

A place where there are no meaningless sacrifices, a place that tries to pay a fair price for them.

Above all, a place where everyone, starting from the top, tries to fulfill their duties.

If I don’t dedicate my loyalty to such a place, where else would I?

Besides, if this happens… the second semester of my third year will probably pass by in a flash.

There’s no doubt that there will be an uproar as soon as this is announced.

The political world is likely to be reorganized, so everyone’s minds will be elsewhere.

‘It’ll probably be a hellish second semester. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.’

Ooh! Ooh!!

Meanwhile, my little niece didn’t seem to care about any of that and was only looking for her uncle.