Episode 102. For the Continent (2)
“Shu… Mr. Heinkel.”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
Waiting room next to the auditorium.
When they were alone, Emilia looked around the room and leaned her head and whispered.
Since the place is a place, it seems that even if we are alone, we cannot speak comfortably.
“Did you just mean that… were you serious?”
“No. I was half joking. There is no way His Majesty the Crown Prince will formally propose to me after the coming-of-age ceremony. He said that he would accept it because he knew it was not possible.”
“No, not that.”
“Then what?”
He turned his head to face Emilia.
Emilia, who had been staring intently at my profile until just now, was unable to make eye contact and just hesitated when she met me face-to-face.
I’m suddenly bored.
Why are you doing this again?
“That… that’s it.”
“what.”
“The fact that I don’t date children…”
“Yes. I only date with adults.”
“Are you talking about mental age?”
“Fuh… No. I’m talking about the actual age. You have to be 18 years old.”
“············”.
what was it
It seems that Emilia’s cheeks just swelled up a bit.
Without giving her a chance to check again, Emilia quickly turned her head.
“Why?”
“No. It’s okay. It’s done….”
It was a very nervous voice.
Did something upset you?
I don’t know what it was, but it was the moment I thought I should apologize first.
“Schlus Heinkel. Your Majesty is calling.”
“I’ll take your name.”
The door opened and he greeted the gentleman who had entered.
Then he greeted Emilia and walked towards the door alone.
The auditorium was a little dark.
Come to think of it, it was the first time I had seen the emperor separately in the audience.
The last time we met, it was only during an official event, and after that, we just met for something absurd.
This was the first time I had a stand alone.
Strictly speaking, it’s not a stand alone, as there are vassals next to it.
“Schlus Heinkel. I see you answering the call of Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yeah. In response to the call. That’s a lot of emphasis. Heh heh.”
“···········?”
I knew you were angry.
It didn’t seem like he was in such a bad mood, seeing that he was laughing from the start.
Is it okay to expect a little more relaxed atmosphere?
I lifted my braided hair again and stood firm.
“Is it during the midterm exam at Imperial University? I heard that something big happened. Is it because of you?”
“I can’t deny it. It was a terrorist attack targeting me and my attendant. I’m just sorry for causing a commotion.”
“No. You didn’t cause it yourself. So, are you and the monks safe?”
“Yes. No trauma.”
“I’m so glad that. Heh.”
“············”.
I looked into the king’s eyes.
The eyes of the emperor who just smiled happily.
I hadn’t thought of anything until now, but now that I see it, it seems that something is creepy.
It’s just an unfounded intuition…
At first glance, the thought that the emperor might have hired Jin passed away.
“There is one thing I want to tell you.”
“May I ask what it is?”
“The Pope is watching you.”
“············”.
in the papal court.
There was something to be said for the reason.
Maybe it’s a resurrection issue.
Although it has already been silenced, the Vatican will have to come to confirm it in person.
“Then can we expect to see the Pope too soon?”
“Perhaps you will like it more if you visit it in person. In fact, he noticed that he was waiting. He seems to be looking forward to when you call.”
“I didn’t know that. We’ll make an appointment as soon as possible.”
“Heh heh heh. Yes. That’s right.”
But why are you telling this story?
From the emperor’s point of view, he probably wasn’t telling me that the Pope was good.
Were you trying to see my reaction while telling this story…?
The more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was falling into a pit.
“I wanted to give you the title.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“But you rejected it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I will give up the seat of the court wizard. Accept it.”
“············”.
I’m not even suggesting it.
It’s not about how
was to accept it.
He said he would not give the right to veto.
“I’m really sorry, but I’ll turn it down.”
“············”.
I had to be rude.
Because now I can’t be tied to an official position like a court wizard.
I am not a researcher, so I did not have to be hung up on the huge budget and experimental tools provided by the palace.
Even now, as a commoner, I am doing well.
On the contrary, there was clearly a part where he benefited from being less attracted to aggro because he was a commoner.
In the beginning, it was true that I was a little greedy, but now there is no need to covet such a position.
Anything that restricts freedom was a loss for me now.
I don’t know if I can give you a duke seat…
“Without receiving a title. Without receiving a court mage’s post. Genga that you will remain a common subject of the Commonwealth of the Freya Empire.”
“That’s right.”
“············”.
From what moment
The smile on the emperor’s face disappeared.
Now I see that he wasn’t smiling at all.
He had those eyes that even gave the impression that he was staring at me.
There is no doubt that it is a little early…
I’ll have to take out one.
“If you have nothing more to say, you may go out.”
“Actually there is, Your Majesty.”
“What is that?”
“Were there not rebellions in the South?”
I decided not to use the term civil war.
From the emperor’s point of view, it would be quite an offensive word.
It would be better to say that the warlords revolted rather than the empire was divided.
“I will come to calm the rebellion.”
“············”.
The king’s eyes twisted slightly.
This seemed completely unexpected.
In fact, the only way I went was to raise the reputation of the Holy Knights with me.
There is also an excuse to strengthen the unity of the empire if it goes down to the 3rd or 4th goal…
It didn’t matter that much, even if the civil war was prolonged, it would one day end with the victory of the Empire.
The important thing was to be cheerful.
It was important to show the Emperor that I was making this dedication for the Empire.
That was the number one goal, and the increased ransom for me and the Holy Knights had to be produced as an additional effect.
“You’re going to put an end to the rebellion? I know you’re attending Imperial University.”
“It’s like taking advantage of the week off.”
“A week? Huh. Schlus Heinkel. Aren’t you taking the war too lightly? Even if it’s just a war to suppress the rebels, it’s not a place to go on a field trip.”
“I am aware of this. I am sorry for your concern, Your Majesty.”
“There’s no need to be sad. You won’t have to go. It’s just a matter of leaving it to the suppression forces.”
“Didn’t that riot force suffered a major defeat recently?”
“······································································!
The emperor’s expression changed abruptly.
Now it was certain.
The emperor was staring at me like he was going to kill me.
Startled, trying to get up, he coughed and sat back on his seat.
“Kuluk… Kukhuk…. What kind of baseless baldness….”
“Am I wrong?”
“… it wasn’t wrong.”
It was a pretty daring gamble.
There was no way for me to hear about the defeat of the suppression force, as Pellain’s regular report had not yet arrived.
However, there were sufficient grounds for inference.
The army of the rebels worried about Pellain’s reports every day.
And above all else, there was a time lag in Pellain’s regular reports.
No matter how much the peregrine falcon is sent by special delivery, there is no choice but to have a time difference of at least 12 hours.
After examining Pellain’s predictions, he came to a conclusion.
The rebels must have done their job last night or this morning.
And judging from the emperor’s reaction, that seems to have been the correct answer.
“I’ll go. At least I’ll cut off Great Forest support for the rebels and, if possible, take Lorraine’s head and offer it.”
“Schlus Heinkel. Do you know what you are talking about now?”
“Do you prefer live fish?”
“········I do not care about life or death.”
The emperor replied as if he was uncomfortable.
Apparently he didn’t like it when he allowed me to sortie.
You said that you don’t care about life or death, but in fact, you probably don’t expect it at all.
Perhaps you are thinking to the extent that I can only contribute to the victories of a few small battles.
“How many troops do you need?”
“Are you talking about the military? I think sending more than this is dangerous.”
“what?”
“If we get more from here, won’t we be recruited from the Northern Army for the Kingdom? I’m really happy, but I don’t need an army.”
“Then how are you going to level the rebellion? I’m not in the mood to play puns with you right now.”
“We will gather the remaining forces of the suppression force. That is enough.”
“Are you telling me to hand over the position of commander-in-chief of the suppression force now?”
“No. Shouldn’t the commander-in-chief be the one who deserves his place. Whoever it is, I’m just following his orders.”
The commander-in-chief was going to leave it to Pellain.
If my prediction is correct, the Imperial Knights who stood at the forefront of the battle would have suffered catastrophic damage.
Similarly, other units would have suffered close to annihilation.
But if it was the Holy Knights, it would have been different.
If the Holy Knights had predicted and prepared for all these situations.
Although they are small, they are maintaining their full force, so I wondered if they would have sufficient qualifications to lead the suppression forces that were engulfed in chaos.
In the case of Pellin, the leadership is enough.
Of course, there will be people who don’t think so.
I wondered where the private knights would lead the repression forces gathered under the descent.
In that case, you need to take some time for ‘moderate’ persuasion.
In the end, everything is going my way.
“You’re out of your mind. So, you’re saying you’re going to jump in there and try to turn the tide of the battle even after you know that the suppression force has lost 70% of its troops and that they are running away after losing the 4th castle that they used as their base? ? Without additional troop support?”
Uhhhh
I didn’t know the situation was that serious.
If it lost 70% and lost its base, it would have been completely destroyed.
Will the Holy Knights be okay?
If even the Holy Knights had been smashed, it would have been a real Nagari.
“Yes, as you said.”
But now, I couldn’t pull it off.
There was also a way to write Roman’s wish ticket if it was really difficult.
Summoning the 3rd Imperial Army Corps against Lorraine’s rebels or something like that doesn’t seem too noisy…
Of course, it would be best to prevent that from happening.
It would be better to save Roman’s wishing rights so that they can be used later, when the need arises.
“Okay. Schlus Heinkel. I will grant you a sortie. I will make you a knight.”
“Your Majesty. The title is…”
“I know. It’s just a temporary title. There is no territory or authority to be granted. It will be more helpful in dealing with the soldiers in the South. When you come back alive, return the title.”
“I see. I am very happy, Your Majesty.”
“Hwangsong of that bastard…. Give me your sword.”
“···········?”
The emperor coughed once or twice and then reached out to me.
Without hesitation, he pulled the sword out of the scabbard with his left hand.
The two warriors on either side of the emperor flinched and reacted, but the emperor stretched out his arms and stopped him.
I walked to the emperor with my sword in hand, knelt down on both knees, and offered the sword with both hands.
Soon, the emperor groaned in pain and stood up and took the sword.
“Keungeung…….. It’s heavy. Raise your head.”
“Yes.”
“As a temporary knight, I will make the appointment ceremony concise.”
When he raised his head, the emperor was facing the front with the tip of his sword facing up.
Seeing that he was holding a long sword with one hand, he looked old, but his strength was still in good shape.
“With the rights granted by Aegis, I, the Emperor Gustav Friedrich von Freyja of the Federation of the Freyja Empire, command. You Schlus Heinkel, the loser of the continent, swear allegiance as a court knight who directly serves the emperor of the Freya Empire.”
Now it was my turn to swear.
Any clichéd dialogue would have been fine.
But none of those lines would be enough to convince the Emperor to believe me.
Something more certain was needed.
“······································································!
I activated the internal circuit and stood up, pulling the bape out of the palm of my right hand.
By the time he stood up straight and made eye contact with the emperor, all the bape had been pulled out.
As I clenched my fists, I heard a sharp sword-shaped flash of light in my right hand.
“To face death and its fears resolutely, anger at injustice, and defend justice…”
He raised the bar and held it right in front of his left chest.
It was a street where the emperor could be decapitated at any time.
But I didn’t move, I just held my sword upright.
The blue light emanating from the sword was illuminating the emperor and my face.
“I swear to Aegis-sama right now that it will become the sword of the Emperor.”
Soon, the emperor without a word struck my shoulders one after another with the back of his sword.
Then he stretched out his sword and brought it to the bar.
With a rattling sound, Bape was pushed down by the blade of the emperor’s sword.
“For the sake of the Empire.”
I had to correct the words that the emperor spoke softly.
“For the continent.”