Duke of the Bertier Empire. Klawitz Family. My main branch. Our home.
Not only my father, mother, and Kaya, but there was someone else who made me feel truly at home upon my return.
And that someone was none other than…
“Heeek! Young Master! You’re finally back!”
“Hey, Alexei. How’ve you been all this time?”
“In this world! I thought you might’ve forgotten my name!”
“Does that even make sense? Like I could possibly forget your name.”
Indeed. If I become the Duke, I’ll at least promote you to head butler or something.
Seriously, after all the years we’ve spent together, do you really think I’d forget about Alexei?
You’re stuck with me for life, friend. Yeah? It’s a lifetime employment contract.
After reuniting with Alexei, we strolled in the garden, chatting casually.
“I’ve heard the news. You’ve done some incredible work in the southern regions!”
“Incredible? Nah, it was our legion commanders and troops that did the heavy lifting.”
“Hahaha! You don’t need to be modest with me, Young Master! I would applaud and cheer no matter how much you boast in front of me!”
Dude. If you keep that up, you’re gonna sound like a total s*ck-up.
Thanks to Alexei’s playful tone, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Yeah. Now this feels like I’m genuinely home.
“Oh, I suppose I did lend a hand. I just went up to Benito’s army and said, ‘Our Imperial Legion’s target is Benito. Oh wait, does anyone care that your homeland might go up in flames before you return?’ Something like that.”
“That’s incredible. Not only did Your Grace the Duke but also all the retainers, knights, and staff were astonished by Your Lordship’s foresight and strategy upon hearing the news.”
“Aw, shucks. Let’s just say the enemies were really easy to fool.”
Even with people who know me well, it’s not easy to act all high-and-mighty.
It’s like… how do I put it. It feels like I’m creating my own black history.
Anyway, it gives me the creeps. I don’t feel like putting on airs in front of these people.
“Is everything alright back at the main house?”
“Not at all, Your Grace and Lady Duchess as well as Miss Kaya have been living life as usual. The only difference being the added prayers for your safe return.”
“I’m not even the one swinging swords. I’m technically like a guest commander.”
“Still, you are a soldier in the army, are you not?”
Alexei was right, as always.
With his words lingering awkwardly on me, he continued.
“I heard you had a lot of encounters with Her Royal Highness, Princess of the Second Line. Was there… anything else that happened?”
“You better watch your mouth. That could be perceived as disloyal.”
“Oh come on! How could I be implying anything like that! I’m merely curious if there was any sort of exchange between the two of you, given all the amazing acts you both accomplished separately in the battlefield!”
Exchange. There was some. Yeah, we exchanged various opinions and talked about what we’d done.
Someone complimented another who was too embarrassed about it. And then…
Before either of us realized, we found ourselves holding each other’s hands…
“Then let me ask. What’s the state of your relationship with the Second Princess?”
Suddenly, the Emperor’s words a few days ago came back to me.
I judged it as a highly political inquiry back then.
So, I made sure to defend the Princess in such a way that she wouldn’t be put in a bad light, portraying her as a trustworthy family member rather than a potential threat to the throne.
However, it seemed the Emperor had some other intent in mind. He sighed and said something else after my response.
“Let me rephrase. What is your personal relationship with Princess, Sir Cael?”
The moment those words hit me, my mind literally went blank.
Did I hear that right? I couldn’t quite process it.
So far gone was I, I even momentarily forgot my noble upbringing and blurted out, “Huh?”
Not only that, it was right in front of the Emperor!
And when I was floundering around in panic, His Majesty smiled.
Yeah, really. No metaphorical expressions here; he genuinely smiled.
And yet, I only felt more nervous and scared.
Even though this Emperor had no hostility toward me, it felt like something catastrophic would happen if I didn’t answer quickly.
Without realizing it, my hands were trembling as I replied.
“I consider her… a fine individual.”
Even if it wasn’t a politically charged question, contingencies abound. Besides, I genuinely thought Princess was fine.
Being honest. And also, just in case, prepping somewhat for any unforeseen circumstances.
After I said that, the Emperor stared directly at me.
“That is sufficient. A very satisfactory answer indeed.”
Even now, whenever I think about it, I feel dizzy.
Who would’ve imagined being directly questioned by the Emperor himself about how I view the Princess on a personal level?
Had my brain been between my legs in some past-life scenario novel, I’d probably have made a complete fool of myself, ruining everything.
“Master?”
“…”
“Master Cael!”
Uh, oh!
“Did you call?”
“I’ve called you several times. Are you tired?”
“Not until now, but I’m feeling a bit exhausted.”
“Then you should rest. There’s going to be a celebration party held tonight to mark the return of Lord Cael and our grand victory. We wouldn’t want the guest of honor acting out of sorts, would we?”
A party? That word triggers an involuntary “Isn’t it a bit too early?” from me.
Our Imperial Legion has already returned to their regular posts from the frontline.
Still, technically, we are still at war with Benito. They’ve lost their main force, like a person missing all their limbs, now quiet, while we’re taking a breather before Dedolant’s antics.
The war with Benito and the Empire is far from over. And Dedolant is trying to intervene like some sort of peace-maker.
In contrast, the conflict has ended on other fronts. The Northern Kingdom Nobogorod withdrew early. The Eastern ones either allied, stayed neutral, or surrendered.
The war is ongoing. The Empire and Benito remain adversaries, while Dedolant plays peacekeeping middleman.
“Then for now, I’ll rest. Let me know if anything comes up.”
“Rest well, Master. I’ll see you soon.”
Oh, and! Alexei smiled and said this to me.
“Though I’m not sure for how long, I truly welcome you back home.”
*
Charlotte had been waiting anxiously for days now.
The usually composed and calm woman acted this way for one piece of information.
“There is supposed to be a small party happening at the Bertier House.”
It was literally a “small” party. Not many guests invited from outside.
The moment Charlotte heard this, she decided to attend, disregarding protocol.
Just a year ago, she barely knew what the Bertier House even was.
There was no significant tie between her and the Bertier House.
However, Charlotte desperately wanted to attend this event.
No, she felt she absolutely had to attend and meet that man.
‘Cael Klawitz.’
Their first encounter happened during the friction between the Empire and Nobogorod.
Back then, Cael seemed like a non-entity, just the eldest son of the Duke, accompanying on military campaigns.
That was until he stepped onto the stage in the northern region and made quite an impression.
Since then, Charlotte began to take notice of this man named Cael.
There was something inexplicable about him that couldn’t be fully articulated with words.
The young noble who took down a battle-hardened Demon Race in one fell swoop.
A man who claims it was mere luck, but clearly wasn’t.
It was during the Eastern campaign that his true caliber began to show.
The coalition of three rebellious kingdoms seeking to resist the Empire was torn apart by his schemes, even instigating discord amongst them so they could no longer unite.
‘Which led to increasing interest in him back in Nobogorod.’
When Charlotte got her hands on his strategies and began studying them, she was quite impressed.
It was too refined to pass off as mere luck.
It strengthened the already dominant Empire’s power even further.
After coming into the Empire, Charlotte had planned on attending the academy.
The southern war broke out, disrupting those plans, but she soon realized it was for the best.
It gave her time to study Cael’s strategies in the south instead.
‘The battle where Benito’s main force was almost completely annihilated. It was tough at first, with only fragmented information, but the timely return of the Imperial 6th Legion and 13th Legion gave me the full picture.’
Benito declared war on the Empire. The Empire would attack Benito.
The goal of any war: defeat the head of state. That’s what Benito’s main army believed, at least.
But Cael had seen straight through that.
He knew exactly where to hit to elicit shock and response.
The first move was sending the two legions to dismantle Gorri’s defensive line.
‘Honestly, it made even me nod in appreciation.’
At the time, the Imperial forces were overwhelmingly superior.
Gorri Kingdom’s defenses couldn’t hold a candle to them. Any sensible person would just rely on brute force.
Even Charlotte thought that was more than enough.
Yet, Cael used that dominance to shake up Gorri.
Their fears, stress, and terror; he manipulated these emotions effortlessly.
He even employed diplomatic tricks, leaving nearby kingdoms in the vicinity of the Holy Kingdom under the Princess’ care.
Ultimately, without spilling a single drop of bl**d, he forced Gorri’s army to retreat.
Merely not causing casualties on our side wasn’t his main achievement.
Inducing internal rifts in the enemy ranks and making them anxious was the truly significant part.
“This was the peak…”
The 13th Legion strikes Benito’s main army, startling them into retreat.
The 6th Legion comes in for time-buying purposes, seemingly to bar their path.
Near a river, they dug a back-to-the-river formation, declaring that it was time for a big showdown.
Benito’s army had no choice, they were forced to choose.
Return home only after defeating the 6th Legion.
Save your homeland by throwing everything you have at this.
This is precisely why Charlotte held Cael in such high esteem and even feared him.
‘He never, ever, lets the enemy gain the upper hand. Regardless of what it takes. Never.’
When the enemy seems to have the advantage, he pulls them down with whatever means necessary.
Or he creates momentary superiority for his own side.
And just as the perfect moment ripens, he strikes hard.
Some might say, “What’s so impressive about fighting only when you’re on top? Isn’t the one who can turn around unfavorable situations the real deal?”
If someone really says that, Charlotte will chuckle and call them an idiot.
Outstanding generals and geniuses in strategy first create their own advantages before engaging in battle.
That’s why it looks easy. It seems like they’re just lucky.
Without realizing how many terrifyingly sharp daggers are flying around them.
The opponent concentrates heavily on never allowing the enemy to gain the upper hand.
The strategies used are at the level where even knowing them does not help in countering them.
Recent news from her homeland made Charlotte even more restless.
[Lately, Atria has been sending people to our kingdom of Nobogorod quite frequently.]
One thing Charlotte learned from her political experiences:
Never turn a difficult opponent into an enemy.
That’s exactly why she’s now intent on meeting Cael personally.
