Oh, for crying out loud. I almost choked on my tea there. Wasn’t this just supposed to be a casual fan meeting?
Who would’ve guessed I’d be getting dragged into state business so quickly—and again—like this?
And for Pete’s sake, we’re not even on a battlefield here! And yet, look where we are now!
The Menwa Tribe. Ultra-hardliners. Those words alone are enough to give me a headache before I even start.
If this were some internal issue within the Empire, I might not mind. But it’s about another country across the border.
“What are you supposed to do about it? Deal with your own problems internally, right? Why are you even coming to me?”
“Please don’t feel pressured, Lord Kael. This is nothing more than an off-the-record chat from me, Charlotte Estania personally.”
Pressure? That glare you’re giving me right now would make anyone feel uncomfortable, you know!
No matter how much you emphasize that it’s a “personal matter,” the unease is still there, bonus and all.
“…I wondered why the Nobogorod delegation was in such a rush, but it doesn’t seem like they’re here to spy on the Empire.”
Who would’ve thought they’re not just double-crossing us but triple-crossing?
On the surface, they’re here to congratulate the Empire for its victory.
But everyone in the Empire assumes Nobogorod has a hidden agenda – probably checking up on our state after the Eastern Front.
Little did we know, they’re using that as a smokescreen for their real purpose.
“By now, the head of the delegation has likely delivered a private message to His Imperial Majesty.”
“Are you mocking the ministers of the Empire?”
“Please understand, Your Highness Princess. If this leaks to the Empire, things will get icy.”
“That—”
“From the Empire’s point of view, we’ve just barely wrapped up the Eastern Front. Raising another massive army now would be a heavy burden even for the mighty Empire, don’t you think?”
“…”
ThatCharlotte woman, huh? She’s sharper than I thought.
No wonder she’s the only daughter of the chairman of the council.
She’s reminding everyone of something we’d forgotten amid all the celebrations for the Empire’s victory.
The Imperial Legion – practically an invincible army. They haven’t lost a war despite losing some battles over the years.
They’ve planted the banner of victory wherever they’ve gone, sharing in its glory every time.
But here’s the kicker: being such an unstoppable force also makes them a literal money pit.
“Nobogorod’s under-the-table message, and my request for personal advice… it’s all for the same reason. Neither side wants the tower of peace we’ve built so far to collapse.”
Charlotte’s moves, along with Nobogorod’s, are both baffling and somewhat understandable.
With the Moderates controlling the parliament, provoking a conflict with the Empire is basically political s*icide.
Moreover, raising an army just to deal with the Ultra-Hardliners would bring up heaps of problems internally and externally.
It’s not just about raising suspicions in the Empire.
Using force could be the excuse hardliners, who’ve been lying low, need to rise again.
Even the Empire is similar. It wasn’t a purge but more like a push out.
So, the Moderates shouldn’t be the ones to directly squash the ultra-hardliners.
Other Hardliners or Neutral factions have to step in and take down the Ultra-Hardliners.
That’s why Charlotte is here asking for this advice.
The problem is, why me out of all people? We’ve got an Emperor, a Crown Princess, and tons of Foreign Ministry officials! Why me?!
“…Miss Charlotte seems to think Lord Kael is the one who can handle this.”
“The rest of the delegation will seek help from other places. The Imperial Foreign Ministry, or elsewhere. But I immediately thought of Kael Klauwitz.”
The Princess and I both fell silent, aimlessly fiddling with our teacups.
Off-the-record advice, huh? It’s to avoid saying “foreign interference” or “allowed foreign intervention” altogether.
Good grief. She throws out such a difficult problem at me. Typical demon race behavior indeed!
“Miss Charlotte.”
“Yes, Lord Kael.”
“Tell me more about this Menwa Tribe.”
At that, Charlotte nodded and continued her explanation.
“As I’ve mentioned, the Menwa are one of the most radical hardliner tribes in Nobogorod. They’re always advocating for an all-out conflict with the Empire.”
“Do they currently have the support of other hardliner factions?”
“That was the case before, but not anymore. The Moderates were actually able to drive them out because of their extremism.”
So, these guys are the archtraitors who paved the way for a reversal of fortunes.
Well, there’s a silver lining to the cloud. I thought they still had the backing of other hardliner factions.
That makes them a menace to both the Moderates and even the Hardliners.
And when word came that they’d sent a delegation, they started stirring up even more trouble—going so far as to disturb the rest of the dead.
“Hmph. Breaking open graves is something frowned upon, no matter which country you’re talking about.”
“True, but the Menwa Tribe is a powerful force even in decline.”
In short, like a wealthy family that’s fallen on hard times but can still last years. A nuisance, but also a tempting morsel.
Listening to Charlotte, I could sense just how serious this situation truly was.
The Eastern Front just ended two weeks ago.
Though the Empire claimed victory, there was no lack of damage done.
Both the 7th and 12th Legions took heavy casualties, and none of the others escaped unscathed.
But the bigger issue was the colossal military expenses.
A total of five Legions were deployed in this conflict. Close to 100,000 troops mobilized.
Exactly how much money did we burn through? How much material did we consume?
It would’ve been impossible to cover all the costs from just the Eastern regions. The entire Empire had to pull its weight.
“Amid all this, the situation on both the Western and Southern borders has been dire.”
If Nobogorod caused another disturbance now, the Empire would have to mobilize again.
The military budget would double, exacerbating internal factional conflicts.
My top priority is always the safety of my family and our house.
And maintaining that requires that the Empire remains stable.
So even if I’m branded a genius strategist in public, I’ll just stay quiet and play it safe.
The quick end to the Eastern Front. The still-restless two borders.
Which is why the best thing for Nobogorod is to just stay as they are.
It’s best not to give the ultra-hardliners an excuse to stomp out the moderates.
“…Still, no matter what, I can’t answer right away. Miss Charlotte, surely you understand…”
“Of course, I get it. It was probably too much of me to ask. I feel terrible. This is only a personal request, after all.”
Enough of the heavy talk. After saying that, Charlotte pulled out something else.
I wondered what it was as she placed it on the table. Out came what she called “the King’s Gift.”
“Wait, hold on a sec. Whose gift?”
There’s only one “King” in Nobogorod. A Demon King who lived during the same time as our Empire’s Great Emperor.
And it’s not like His Majesty would descend from the heavens to deliver a gift.
Then Charlotte set down something on the table.
“…What is this?”
“The blessing the King bestowed upon Nobogorod.”
She added, “Why don’t you try tasting it?”
Turned out to be potato chips — thinly cut and fried in oil, sprinkled with cheese.
Now I understood why they called it “the King’s Gift.”
“Ah, now I remember. Long ago, King Saxon of Nobogorod introduced a hardy potato variety to the barren Northern lands.”
“You know your history well, Your Highness Princess. Yes, we Demons refer to both the whales from across the North Sea and these potatoes from the Northern soil as the King’s Gift.”
So the “King’s Gift” is just a potato?
But as I learned more, it became clear this wasn’t your average spud.
Highly resistant to pests, grows in almost any soil, and produces large yields.
Even in the inhospitable North where crops rarely thrive, these potatoes flourish wherever they’re planted.
It’s no wonder the demons hold them in such high regard.
“Ah, it’s surprisingly good.”
Even the Princess seemed to like these otherworldly potato chips from Nobogorod. Maybe they don’t circulate much in the Empire due to us looking down on Nobogorod?
Good lord, this snack is universally appreciated.
“Hehe, I’m glad you two liked it. King Saxon would be pleased.”
“You clearly revere the King.”
“Much like how the Empire reveres the Great Emperor. King Saxon was the one who unified the demons through strength and kindness, bringing an end to their cycles of d*ath and destruction.”
Just like you can’t discuss the Empire without mentioning the Great Emperor, you can’t talk about the demons or Nobogorod without referencing the King.
In the Empire’s early days, the Great Emperor forged a treaty with King Saxon to stabilize the North and focus expansion elsewhere.
This allowed him to conquer various Eastern and Southern kingdoms worry-free.
During that time, King Saxon worked tirelessly to unite the demons through both force and diplomacy.
“Thinking about it… it’s funny, isn’t it?”
King Saxon, whom the demons greatly respected, was more of a Moderate.
He wasn’t one to bow down to the Empire but was happy to cooperate when it made sense.
I don’t recall him ever talking about ultra-hardliners or surprise attacks on the Empire.
How did the demons go from practicality-driven beings to ones so full of pride?
Knowing they’d likely face extinction in a battle with the Empire, how can they remain so confidently defiant?
Living in a land of heavy snow and cold has everyone turning out the same way, I guess.
In my past life’s memory, this reminded me of a land of vodka obsession.
Or those who cried out “Valhalla” and fought anywhere and everywhere.
Here, though, we’ve got a species munching on potatoes and whale meat while refusing to back down from a fight.
The Great Emperor, who helped maintain amicable relations with Nobogorod during his time, would probably sigh endlessly at this…
“Wait. Hold on.”
“Miss Charlotte.”
“Yes, Lord Kael?”
“You said that the Menwa Tribe, or whatever they’re called, messed with a grave, right?”
“Yes. The individual was pivotal in our cooperation with the Empire and considered something of a celebrity and a notable personage in Nobogorod.”
“And yet, they still disturbed the grave?”
My question earns a wry smile from Charlotte.
Apparently, this ultra-hardline faction is so reckless and numerous that even they’re unsure what to do.
And other hardline factions aren’t stopping their actions but instead just watching quietly, making matters worse.
“While the Moderates control the parliament and politics, they haven’t swayed public opinion.”
“Very well, Miss Charlotte. Prepare yourself.”
“Eh? What kind of preparation…?”
“You came here for advice, right? You’ll need to write this down.”
Daring to disturb graves? Interrupting the rest of the dead?
Even though it’s based on my Earthly knowledge, you’re basically provoking the Taliban of Confucianism!
“Here’s the plan: We spread a rumor, subtly suggesting that these ultra-hardliner lunatics—who hate everything about cooperating with the Empire—have now gone so far as to desecrate the King’s tomb!”
