The devastating news of the empire’s defeat soon reached the palace.
This was the first major defeat since the Great War era.
Under the heavy silence, the grand hall seemed to bow under the weight of the terrible update.
[Empire’s 9th Legion, 14th Legion: Annihilated]
[Empire’s 1st Legion, 5th Legion: Severe Damage]
[Most supplies lost. Heavy casualties]
Upon hearing the entire report, the high and mighty ministers stood frozen, too terrified to utter a word.
When had the empire ever faced such a calamitous loss? They could only await the emperor’s fury while keeping their heads bowed toward the ground.
It felt like an angry roar was about to strike them down.
But the emperor simply turned inward, blaming himself for this dire situation.
“…Truly disgraceful.”
When those words finally escaped the emperor’s lips, every noble fell to their knees, begging for forgiveness as if they were the ones entirely responsible for the catastrophe. Especially those from the War Ministry and the General Staff seemed like they were awaiting a d*ath sentence.
“Your Majesty, please execute me! It is all my fault!”
“How can I ever atone for bringing this shame upon the empire?”
The War Minister and Chief of Staff were banging their heads on the floor, overwhelmed with guilt. No theatrics here—just raw remorse.
In an instant, two out of the five western legions had vanished without a trace. The remaining three were crippled beyond repair.
This was a devastating, soul-crushing defeat. The historians of the empire were probably sweating over how to even record this black mark in history.
“Your Majesty!”
The Crown Princess stepped forward, her face as cold as ice.
“I apologize for speaking candidly, Your Majesty, but now is not the time to assign blame. While holding those accountable for this disaster is justified, our immediate priority must be recovery.”
Here she was, taking charge in the worst possible moment. Who else in this room could dare address the emperor with such directness during such a crisis? Everyone else would’ve simply recommended firing the War Minister and Chief of Staff and called it a day. Especially the nobles—they would’ve considered that the only possible plan.
She knew the stakes. The empire was still at war, and replacing key figures now would only add chaos.
‘We have to weather this storm first. Punishment can come later.’
The emperor wasn’t ignorant of her intentions. In fact, he’d been waiting for her to step up.
If everyone stayed silent, he’d have no choice but to punish the War Minister and Chief of Staff right now.
“War Minister, Chief of Staff, lift your heads.”
“Your Majesty!”
“You won’t be punished immediately. Instead, bring me a plan about how we should deal with the current situation.”
“We’ll do so even if it means breaking our bones and spitting out bl**d, Your Majesty!”
It wasn’t about letting them off the hook but rather postponing it. The empire couldn’t afford more turmoil now, not after losing two whole legions.
From that point on, the empire decided to pull their deeply entrenched legions back, while also rushing their entire reserve forces to the front lines. The War Ministry and General Staff worked tirelessly, day and night, to restore the empire’s shattered defenses.
It was madness. The empire had never seen a collapse of this magnitude before.
In the chaos, the nation’s borders were left dangerously exposed.
“Did Dedolant’s forces attempt an attack on the borders?”
Sure enough, the empire narrowly avoided an invasion of the mainland.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Dedolant forces were spotted near the gates of the western and northern borders.”
“What happened? Did we lose any gates?”
“No, Your Majesty. Thankfully, the enemy was repelled without much damage.”
Now this puzzled everyone. If Dedolant’s forces were indeed aiming for a strike on the mainland, and the empire’s borders were practically undefended, why hadn’t they capitalized on it? Who had managed to stop them?
“There happens to be the Chief of the Imperial Staff stationed there. He arrived a few days ago.”
Ah, that’s right. Kael had requested permission to move to the border earlier, citing his desire to observe the situation. And he had done so without leading an army. He had moved out even before news of the empire’s loss reached him.
Surely, it must’ve been just a small force keeping watch.
So how had they managed to repel an attack aimed at breaching the gates with such precision?
“…Hmm.”
The emperor sighed after reading through the detailed reports and the letter sent by Kael himself.
Apparently, when the enemy arrived, Kael had simply opened the gates wide, inviting them in with sweeping gestures.
No soldiers, only flags raised as if welcoming them. And there sat Kael, calmly playing his lute on top of the gate!
What kind of absurd bravery—or recklessness—was this man capable of?
If the Dedolant forces had fully committed, Kael might’ve not only sacrificed himself but also handed the gates over!
It was baffling how someone could possess such confidence.
“Your Majesty, is this report real?”
Even the Crown Princess shared the same reaction as her father upon reading the report.
Did Kael foresee all of this and rush to the borders? Had he truly predicted that Dedolant would strike if the empire faced defeat?
‘Just how far can this man see?’
For the first time, a chill ran down the princess’s spine. If such a man had been born elsewhere, how much damage could the empire have suffered?
It turns out that this Dedolant force was nothing short of their elite—their very prince, Georg III, was present!
Which meant that their target had been the gates. If they had broken through, the empire’s rear would’ve been utterly devastated. Supply depots burning, nearby territories ravaged—it would’ve been catastrophic.
But the Imperial Chief of Staff, Kael, had blocked it all without even fighting. Simply by opening the gates, sweeping the floors, and playing the lute!
It was terrifying, almost unsettling, how effective it had been.
“Truly, we’ve been blessed by providence, Your Majesty. If the gates had fallen, the entire situation would’ve spiraled out of control.”
“To repel Dedolant’s elite royal guard without any damage is nothing short of miraculous.”
In the darkest hour, an unexpected triumph shone through. It was a beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak situation. Stopping the breach wasn’t just avoiding a minor setback—it prevented an even bigger disaster.
“Your Majesty, may I suggest granting the Imperial Chief of Staff full authority to manage this crisis?”
The veterans of the military were the first to break the silence.
“The Imperial Chief of Staff?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He has already proven his worth in the eastern and southern theaters. Tactics, strategy, and strategy—he excels in everything. It would be foolish to keep such a talent stationed at the rear.”
“And what say the rest of the military advisors?”
At the emperor’s question, the majority nodded.
Under normal circumstances, this sort of unilateral empowerment would spark opposition. After all, concentrating too much power in one individual could lead to undesirable outcomes.
But the empire was in a dire situation. Beyond the loss of troops and supplies, morale was at rock bottom. No amount of material recovery could fix that.
“What our soldiers need now is the belief that we can still win despite this defeat.”
“Hmm…”
“Consider Kael, Your Majesty. He has never failed. He has never lost a battle or let down a plan. With him in this fight, surely our soldiers will find the strength to rise again.”
Belief. Belief. The emperor slowly nodded at the word.
Yes. Nothing crushes an army worse than losing spirit.
He must focus all efforts on restoring that.
“Minister of the Palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Grant the Chief of the Imperial Staff the authority of Chief of Staff of the First Army. Let him work alongside the army’s commander to address all matters.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And one more thing.”
The emperor’s gaze swept over the court, signaling this wasn’t the end.
“Let the War Ministry focus more on supplies and reserve forces instead of managing the battlefield.”
“Dismiss all staff from the General Staff involved in this operation. The Chief of Staff will be placed on standby once the current cleanup is complete.”
War Ministry would now be focused on supporting the armies rather than micromanaging them.
General Staff had been wiped clean.
A clear message emerged in the minds of all present.
‘This… is handing absolute authority to the Imperial Chief of Staff.’
‘Military failures pushed the War Ministry aside, and the General Staff is completely reorganized. His influence will be unprecedented.’
‘He may be called Imperial Staff and First Army Staff, but in reality, he has taken on the role of Chief of Staff.’
The emperor’s absolute trust. And his absolute authority.
Now, it all rested on the shoulders of a young man not yet thirty.
