In the past, during the 50-year war, the main character. The praises of ‘Duke Erbe’ spread across almost all territories belonging to the western front. About half of it was intentional. It was part of the groundwork to create a hero.
But the other half was natural. Fernandez smiled as he was showered with flower petals by women during the triumphal procession heading to Ribue.
-There was no need for behind-the-scenes manipulation, after all.
‘True. The Empire’s situation must have been more serious than I thought.’
Unlike other regions of the Empire, the area near Ribue in the west had no future other than decline. This land, once revitalized by the war industry and with its economic system solidified over the long 50 years, was no different from an abandoned mining village.
Like the villages in front of mines that could no longer extract ore, this land was filled with old men who couldn’t forget their glorious past and starving children.
But a new growth engine had emerged. Though brief, it was as intense as rain during a drought.
The western expedition ended sooner than expected, but during that time, a significant amount of national wealth flowed into the western regions, and they gained a new ‘icon.’
-Carvelier! Carvelier! Carvelier!
The citizens surrounding the triumphal procession chanted the Duke’s castle in unison. The Duke walked, looking at them with a pleased expression. All his vassals walked proudly, their faces filled with pride.
Fernandez turned his gaze. To the center of the procession, where the Emperor’s nobles were positioned.
At that moment, his eyes met Bernard’s, who was looking at him.
“!!!”
Bernard turned pale and quickly bowed his head to avoid eye contact. Fernandez chuckled at the sight.
-Tsk, the knight captain is quite timid.
‘Well, not timid, but made to be timid.’
It was quite amusing to hold a victory banquet while thinking about the defeat at Ibalis, but the banquet was as splendid as it could be.
Officially, it was to celebrate the successful suppression of the rebel forces within the Beastman Nobility and the acquisition of a vast territory stretching from Ribue to Ibalis. The defeat at Ibalis was not seen as a defeat but was spreading as a tale of virtue.
And the reality was. The true purpose of the splendid banquet was ‘propaganda.’ To showcase the authority of King Carvelier and boost the pride of the army and the people.
“Sir Fernin. His Majesty the King is looking for you.”
When Fernandez was toasting with the Beastmen, Borua approached and whispered. It wasn’t a servant but a knight, almost his right-hand man, the knight captain, who delivered the message.
Fernandez put down his glass and smiled. He stood up, following Borua.
It meant the Duke had acknowledged his presence.
Unlike the grand banquet outside, the Duke’s reception room had a modest meal prepared.
A minimal number of servants set up a simple meal, slightly better than what low-ranking soldiers would eat, with thin meat soup and dry bread. Fernandez watched the servant quickly place a plate in front of him and then disappear.
There wasn’t a single servant attending. This place was only for the Duke and him.
He had been invited to a humble, perhaps even shabby, meal that commoners might eat.
“Why so, Sir Fernin? Does the food not suit your taste?”
The Duke chewed on dry bread as he spoke. He poured water from a bottle himself. Fernandez glanced at the banquet hall visible below the window and said.
“I didn’t expect a private audience.”
“I’m not a fool.”
The Duke put down the bread and drank some water. He wiped his hands and stared intently at Fernandez.
“No one directly said anything, but the attitude of the Beastmen towards you was quite peculiar. It wasn’t just the respect given to a beloved concubine of a respected chieftain or a high-ranking Beastman noble.”
“I’ve done a lot for the Beastmen.”
“Does that include ruling them from the shadows?”
Fernandez chuckled at the words. He also put down the bread and spoke.
“Chieftain Hearttaker is undoubtedly a hero respected and revered by all Beastmen. Warriors who would jump into fire at her command fill that wilderness.”
“I am the same.”
Erbe wasn’t boasting about his authority. He continued the conversation almost expressionlessly.
“At some point, it became like that. It’s embarrassing to say, but I wasn’t originally a Duke respected by my vassals. From the start of the battles, through the war, up to now. At some point, my vassals started showing me not just respect but reverence, and rumors about me became excessively glorified.”
“Your achievements must be high, my lord.”
“No. No.”
Erbe pushed the water glass aside and slowly interlaced his fingers.
“Since the Chieftain proposed a truce to me? No. Precisely, since you first used force against my vassal in this reception room. All the vassals who challenged my authority left Ribue. As if they were weeded out.”
“Because he insulted the Chieftain.”
“And you saved my daughter. From the ambush of a fallen Dark Mage.”
“I told you that was the Inquisition Officer’s achievement.”
“Let me say it again, I’m not a fool.”
At his words, Fernandez clicked his tongue.
How much did he figure out? Duke Erbe was still looking at him with deep eyes.
“The look in the Chieftain’s eyes towards you… it was affection and respect. A kind of respect that goes beyond mere respect between lovers. A ruler can never have such eyes. The moment you stand above others, it’s not easy to acknowledge someone above you.”
“……”
“Was she also your creation? I gathered various rumors about Chieftain Hearttaker. A tale of a mere Beastman slave, overcoming hardships, finding a forgotten fragment of a god, receiving revelation, and finally rising to the position of Chieftain.”
Erbe was still calm. He could feel a sense of kinship listening to the Chieftain’s story.
A story of successfully suppressing ‘rebels’ and ‘powerful external enemies’ to finally become a ‘hero.’
If you just changed the groups in each pronoun, it wasn’t much different from his own story.
Every scheme, every tactic has a certain rhythm. Tactics devised by the same person tend to have a similar ‘color.’
And as the supreme commander of the 50-year war, a knight who had spent his entire life in war since birth. His senses were extraordinary.
“It’s the same person’s script. That’s the feeling I got.”
“Since when were you sure?”
“Since Lavirata showed me favor. That wraith told me something ambiguous about ‘having already made a pact with someone.’ At first, I thought it was the Emperor’s trick. But that couldn’t be. The Emperor wouldn’t risk his own blood to spread tales of virtue to me.”
Erbe unclasped his hands and held the glass. His hand was trembling slightly.
“The Beastmen were in the rear. The ones who suffered were me and the Imperial Army. Most of the damage was to the Imperial Army. So was it the Chieftain’s doing? Or…”
