If I were to sift through the memory of my past life, there were occasionally certain cases.
Somehow, I’d end up reincarnated. Or maybe thrown into a past life situation, or reborn.
And then more often than not, the goal for these people would include something like “eating well and living comfortably.”
Of course, there were those whose aim was revenge or something of that sort, but I remember about half of them having that simple goal.
I thought this was such a meaningless objective until I found myself in the same situation, then things started to click. The ordinary life—so seemingly mundane—was actually the sweetest, most desirable gift one could receive.
Even I had set my ultimate goal as “eat well, live comfortably.” That’s how it is.
That goal does, of course, encompass taking good care of my family and our household.
What good is living well alone when your family’s happiness and your home’s harmony are the true markers of prosperity?
For that reason, as the first son of the Bertier Duchy and the Klawitz family, I’ve done my utmost.
And I’ll continue to do so endlessly for that reason.
Thus, when I became the main guest alongside the princess, I didn’t feel like belittling myself any further.
“Something I’ve kept saying on our way here, but putting a plan together in the blink of an eye after that meteor strike? That’s incredibly impressive, Lord Kael.”
“Just did my best for the Empire and our army, Your Highness.”
I stopped blatantly saying “I’m not the kind of person to act like that.”
And I didn’t switch to the opposite extreme either by loudly proclaiming, “I’m actually pretty great.”
I steered clear of being either too arrogant or overly shy.
“Everything I do is for the sake of my family, our house, and my future.”
I’ve lived as a nobleman for over 20 years now, so I know how politics work.
The more accomplished someone seems, the more others respect yet also guard against them.
But if that person gets too modest, they tend to be seen as insincere or underestimated.
If even a single slight mistake could cause my family to be treated poorly, that’s unacceptable.
“Hahaha, who would’ve thought Her Royal Highness would secretly join us on the frontlines, leading to all this.”
“My thoughts exactly. Perhaps this is the divine will of the gods granting us a blessing!”
The war council and high-ranking army officers noticed my slight shift in approach quickly and jumped at the chance to follow suit.
Of course, military ability alone can’t guarantee you’ll rise to such heights. You need a bit of political savvy too. Yep, that’s how it works.
“Hehehe. Is that so? I must say, it’s truly delightful meeting Lord Kael here during this campaign.”
While elevating me, she also brought the princess standing nearby along for the ride, creating a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
Just when the tension was about to ease ever so slightly…
“Your Highness.”
Someone approached and whispered something softly into the princess’s ear.
The man speaking to her now—I’ve seen him a few times before.
“Wasn’t he one of the princess’ guards? A junior officer in disguise.”
After hearing something from the guard, the princess’s usually radiant smile faltered just a little.
I didn’t know precisely what had just transpired, but I was certain of one thing:
Something awkward happened to the princess, or someone important has arrived.
“Excuse me. His Royal Highness, the First Prince, is soon expected to arrive.”
And once again, my prediction was spot on.
And First Prince? This would surely cool down the once warm and friendly mood.
—
“What’s he even doing here?!”
Isabel was deeply flustered, having not anticipated such an occurrence.
Gnaius Heldenberg. First Prince. The focal point of the pro-Empire faction’s nobility within the Empire.
A person who currently believes the Empire’s strength stands on diplomacy alone, making military action unnecessary.
For this reason, he and Isabel, classified as being from the anti-Empire faction, clashed on every single issue—they were siblings barely a year apart.
He had never, not once, participated in a military banquet. In fact, if it wasn’t a national event, he didn’t even mingle privately with military officers.
So it was quite a surprise when the First Prince appeared abruptly at the banquet.
“What are you doing?”
For this reason, Isabel intercepting the Prince just as he entered the banquet hall was only natural.
“Ah, isn’t that our adorable little sister? Is everything going smoothly with the banquet?”
“Stop dodging the question, why are you here?”
“Why? I just wanted to come as the Empire’s Prince to see everyone who toiled so hard.”
Had there not been onlookers around, she might have said much more than she did.
“Then why do you keep pointing out Empire military activities?”
“Pointing out? Are you saying I’m just being a wet blanket whenever there’s unnecessary casualties happening because of someone’s over-ambitious actions?”
“You call that pointing out?! What an idiot!”
While technically the prince and princess of the Empire, at heart, they were just bickering siblings with barely a year’s age gap between them.
It made sense for them to glare at each other like predators.
“Are you trying to ruin the good atmosphere by making comments about the excessive use of supplies or lamenting unnecessary sacrifices?”
“Bell, don’t be too harsh. As a member of the royal family, it’s not wise to lose composure, right?”
At this remark, Isabel let out a sigh and bit her lip.
Prince was right; she had let her emotions take over and her words went too far.
To her, he was merely her older brother, the one she squabbled with each day.
But to others, he was the First Prince of the Empire—and it was her duty as a princess to respect his authority or risk endangering the family’s harmony.
“Ugh…please. Just don’t overdo it, okay?”
“Really, I didn’t come here today with that intent in mind.”
After a casual shrug, the prince continued.
“It seems that the war was conducted while minimizing combat exposure and preventing any animosity from Nobogorod. This demonstrated the Empire’s superiority without unnecessary bloodshed.”
“That’s…”
“That’s exactly what I have always wanted. There’s no need to always wield swords, spill bl**d, sacrifice lives. There are other ways to demoralize your enemies and strip them of their will to fight.”
She wanted to refute this, but factually, it was accurate, making it hard to argue.
In the end, Isabel sighed and reluctantly moved out of the way.
“Thank you. Now, let’s go see those individuals who truly achieved magnificent results.”
As the First Prince entered, surrounded by some others, Isabel thought:
I’ll humor you, for now, big brother. But if you cause any trouble, I’m not joking—I will make sure you’re dead.
Did he somehow sense her thoughts?
“Your Royal Highness.”
“Hello everyone. Heard you all did a great job.”
“Your Highness, you’re too kind.”
Previously, every time military personnel were mentioned, he used to subtly remark things like: “They’re wasting too much tax money,” or “they’re handling their soldiers too carelessly,” or “all these supplies are bought with the money of the common folk—they shouldn’t be wasted so easily,” causing the atmosphere to be tense.
But today, he refrained from such comments.
Not as the head of the pro-Empire faction keeping the military in check but more as a figure offering appreciation for their efforts.
‘What’s gotten into that guy?’
She thought of this at first, but then after reconsideration, this made sense.
Just as he said—without heavy combat or losses, they delivered a decisive blow. Likely, he’s affirming the fact that fighting isn’t the only way to assert dominance.
“Ah, so you’re Kael, the eldest son of the Bertier Duke, correct?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Kael Klauwitz.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you. With your brilliant stratagem, you boosted morale, cornered Nobogorod into retreat, and ultimately reaffirmed the superiority of our Empire. Incredible work. Haha!”
In witnessing the royal approval, Kael felt a rare sense of satisfaction, proof that his vision was indeed correct.
And it wasn’t just him; he had clearly impressed the critical First Prince too.
“Although your second strategy was impressive, I personally admire your first strategy more. Even those educated in astronomy instinctively view a meteorite as a bad omen. Moreover, inside the camp, that unease would have been overwhelming.”
Now, the prince seemed genuinely thrilled as he spoke to Kael, almost as though they were about to share a shoulder.
“Yet, Kael, during a time when everyone was falling apart or rushing for immediate action, you came up with something entirely different. With just fireworks and their dangling effect, you brought us back on our feet and took the wind out of the enemy’s sails.”
“Well, the Legion Commander was kind enough to indulge a sudden moment of cleverness, Your Highness.”
“Hearing about it, I understand. To think you’re so humble—truly someone whom the future of our Empire can rely on. Haha!”
What. This atmosphere wasn’t too bad. Was it all for naught?
Just as Isabel was beginning to relax, thinking to pull the Prince aside if things took a wrong turn,
“Your Highness, might you also comment on the other military personnel?”
A voice intruded, one that had been quietly glaring at Kael since the banquet began.
One of the pro-Empire nobles who accompanied the Prince earlier.
“Though Lord Kael is indeed remarkable, pillars like the military officers are equally important. While anyone can come up with a clever trick once, maintaining stability isn’t so easy.”
At first glance, it sounded like praise for the military personnel.
But it didn’t add up. This was someone from the pro-Empire faction, who had no reason to bolster the military like that. There was something else going on.
And some people, including Isabel, immediately caught onto it.
‘Could this be an attempt to check him?’
The noble was apparently known as a strategist among those close to the Prince.
He probably resented the Prince’s praise for some young whippersnapper.
The eldest son of a Duke, to someone like him, would likely still appear as a greenhorn.
This subtle attempt at restraint probably stemmed from these feelings, Isabel deduced.
‘And for someone who knows Kael’s origin to act this way, it must be someone linked to a Marquis family at least.’
The Bertier Duchy is a clear part of the anti-Empire faction. On the other hand, this person served alongside the Prince, making them pro-Empire.
It was a typical political jab, one of those little back-and-forth checks that inevitably happen.
Still, regardless, causing such unseemly friction at a banquet like this—how disgraceful!
Isabel decided to issue a stern warning as the host, and was about to step forward when—
“That person is right.”
With a laugh, though his eyes held no humor, Kael moved away from the Prince and stood before the noble.
“Just exactly as you said, what I accomplished was simply a clever trick anyone could manage once in a lifetime. No doubt about it.”
As he said this, Kael held up a hard-boiled egg that had been served as finger food.
