290 – Let’s uproot and burn those who are trying to assassinate us. (3)
In the center of Reichburg, the highest level room of Butterfly’s Whisper.
“Captain Peter Jaeger greets His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Empire…”
His Majesty stopped me by holding out his palm.
“You don’t have to say such a formal greeting at a bar. Anyway, how about a drink? “Louise Malchini, 30 years old.”
“I would like to have a drink with you, Your Majesty, but right now, wouldn’t it be more important to report on the radicals who tried to assassinate me? Please recommend it next time.”
Drinking with your boss is usually a huge hardship and a terrible thing to even imagine, but drinking with His Majesty is fun if it’s fun.
He doesn’t force me to have the type of company dinner that makes me feel stressed and irritated like I saw on the news before I was possessed by this world.
Although I recommend alcohol a few times, if someone tries to force themselves to drink more than their limit or if someone truly dislikes it, I change it to something like milk or juice.
His Majesty has been a person who enjoys playing with women since he was the crown prince, but he has never once forced me into a second party when I said I didn’t like it.
For no reason, the incarnation of ‘That was back in my day’ descended on me and I rarely got into trouble while drinking or talked about work-related things.
Even when work-related stories come up very occasionally, he does not talk about reprimanding subordinates, but rather praises those who have been promoted or achieved remarkable results.
When he returns home after receiving encouragement for doing well, he gives a very generous golden bonus without anyone knowing.
At a company dinner like this, it’s worth leaving with a smile on your face, thinking that you’re getting some really expensive drinks for free.
“Once this case is over, I’ll buy you a drink. “The schedule will be communicated to you through the butler a few days in advance, so please leave your schedule empty for that day.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Having said that, His Majesty gestured to the women serving around him.
“You probably have some idea of how to handle it. “Please hand me the list of criminals and their charges.”
“Here it is.”
After receiving the thick list, His Majesty’s face became so ugly that it could be described as rotten.
Of course, that anger was directed at the people written there, but it was so deep and heavy that I even flinched for a moment.
“You bastards who wouldn’t be enough to rip out their internal organs and hang them. How can the so-called nobles of the empire be so driven by greed for position, jealousy, and greed for power that they instigate a civil war and try to kill an active commander? The thought of the taxes paid by the people of the empire going to these bastards makes me feel so angry that I die! Captain Jaeger, what do you think?”
I agree with Your Majesty’s opinion.
Being born as a nobleman of the empire, he can live without worrying about food like the serfs, enjoy all kinds of luxuries, and if he joins a noble family, he can even take a concubine, and live with all his desires as a man.
Who would look favorably on a nobleman who has 99 grains of rice in his warehouse and sells out the country by saying he wants to fill it with 100 grains?
At least if you are enjoying privilege, it is common sense not to do anything that is directly harmful to the empire on which it is based.
“They were born as nobles of the empire, enjoyed all the benefits, and are bastards who turned their swords on the empire. They are trash with no room for extenuating circumstances. But, before you get angry, please take a look at this.”
“What?”
I said as I handed over another document.
“This is a list of territories and properties held by those who committed treason. “The budget has already become very short due to the war over the past 10 years. Wouldn’t this be able to cover some of it?”
If I, the commander of the Imperial Army, say this, would I be violating the principle that the military should not interfere with politics or the central administration of the Empire?
Currently, I have been given enormous authority to investigate treason and act as a plenipotentiary authority (possible to take immediate action if necessary) in addition to the authority to command the inspection department, so it is permissible to some extent.
Maybe that’s why His Majesty naturally didn’t blame me…
Hearing my words, the corners of his mouth trembled slightly, as if he was reminded of his past when he supported the ‘active expansion policy’, which was his dark past.
What could have been so was that the day after I had previously had an audience with His Majesty and advised him that this policy was rubbish, His Excellency, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Military Affairs, met His Majesty in person with a pile of documents, and there was a heated conversation from morning to night. I heard you had a great time.
Minister of Military Affairs, His Excellency Kaitel went into the current diplomatic, political, and military situation one by one and said, ‘If we start another war now, the empire will fall. It’s no joke, your Majesty will go down in history as the cancer of a ruined country. I heard that he spoke very politely over the course of 7 hours.
I heard that His Excellency the Minister of Finance had us read dozens of pages of reports written by local administrative officials on budget lists and changes in the people’s living standards.
Since His Majesty gave up all refutation and changed his opinion due to the well-founded accusations of the ministers, he must have recalled the dark history when he heard the word of budget supplementation.
“If you add up the number of earldoms, viscountries, and baronies, just the fiefdoms of the nobles involved here, aren’t they well over three digits? “In the long run, the imperial family’s income will increase and central control will be strengthened.”
“I guess so.”
“Also, in this case, it is said that 50,000 gold was paid as an advance to a thieves guild just to assassinate me. If you ‘examine’ the flow of funds, you will definitely find many corrupt officials. Corrupt officials could also be punished severely according to their individual sins. If you wield your sword with a firm mind this time, Your Majesty’s imperial authority will be greatly strengthened. Unlike the Grand Duke of Warsaw, cleaning up for the future of the empire.”
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He didn’t say anything more, but a big smile appeared on His Majesty’s face.
In the process, countless corrupt generals and officials will be eliminated, and their positions will be filled by lower-ranking nobles or perhaps commoners like me.
Since there is usually no such thing as a faction among the new arrivals, they will naturally be loyal to the emperor who raised them from lowly status to this level.
“Just thinking about it makes my heart race. But isn’t that list a bit harsh? Even if it means the extinction of Count Manstein and other deeply involved families, he will wield the mace without mercy against noble families who had political discussions with active officers…”
Extinction, in other words, killing all members of one family…
Extermination in the Reich Empire, which does not have the concept of destroying the three families by association like in the East, means taking away their titles as nobles and turning all those involved into slaves or serfs.
Also, I advised His Majesty that those whose crimes were relatively light and would end up with punishment such as confiscation of their titles and part of their estates should be uprooted from their families.
I spoke firmly to the hesitant emperor.
“Your Majesty, if you simply incited a civil war, there is honestly no need to punish you so thoroughly. However, they had political discussions with serving officers and incited a civil war, which, to put it slightly exaggeratedly, was tantamount to trying to destroy His Majesty’s empire. “If I wasn’t properly prepared and their plan succeeded, what would the outcome be?”
“….. Lieutenant General Manstein would have been promoted to general instead of you, and he would have inserted his connections into the Chief of Staff and key positions to wage war. “You may be able to win once or twice in the process, but the empire will ultimately be destroyed.”
“War is an extension of politics, and one of the tools of politics is war. For the development of the empire, the Reich Empire must show that it wants peace in the future anyway.”
“…… That’s right.”
“Instead, we would like to determine the treatment of those who did not directly participate in this rebellion as follows. If both your wife’s family and the family you currently belong to participated in the rebellion, how about taking their noble status and turning them into slaves, but if either of them did not participate, how about setting a buffer by not confiscating their noble status? In addition, among men, those who did not directly or indirectly participate should be recommended for honorable retirement, and be left with a pension and a certain amount of land, while the inspection department and other agencies strictly monitor the situation.”
“That’s appropriate. At that level, no nobles would dare interfere with my punishment. Also, I don’t know the person who directly participated, but since the others are not directly guilty, it would be reasonable. In the case of a wife and children, we cannot provide a pension, so the wife’s family or the family she married into, which is in good standing, will take care of protecting them.”
To put it bluntly, it would be much better than being demoted to slavery, but the treatment would be unimaginably harsh.
Well, since they are part of my family, I won’t starve them to death by not giving them food, but what can a traitor’s family do?
All I can do is drink and rot in the corner of my room. Still, this is the least human rights measure I can take right now.
So the emperor and I continued to talk, and when I finished reporting and was about to go back.
“If we treat you this harshly, you will also suffer considerable political damage. Are you okay with that? “The Imperial Council was itching to rip you off.”
I answered those words with a bright smile.
“I trust you, Your Majesty. I will draw my sword and cut down all the enemies who stand in the way of Your Majesty, and those who try to bring dirty traditions into the political arena. “May your Majesty receive nothing but glory and praise.”
Even if I am punished, it will only be an abuse of power for requesting excessive punishment from His Majesty.
Then, there won’t be any decisions such as demotion, dishonorable discharge, or discharge order.
It would just be a matter of letting go of the power I currently have and being stuck in one position for a few years…
Anyway, there is no war for five years, so I should use this opportunity to play a lot with Frederick and make an effort to give his wives a child each.
And a few days later, I began to worry about using my authority and duties as a captain before I received any punishment.
“How can we stop the war on this damn continent of Europa… So that the empire can develop?”