201 – The Night before the Storm (4)
If you watch history YouTube in Korea, YouTubers sometimes say things like this.
‘When you see something wrong in world history, it’s usually the UK. ‘
In fact, during the Thirty Years War, before Britain became the British Empire as we know it, they said they would give money to Protestant countries, but some countries did not pay and were defeated because of it. There was a time when I experienced a riot because I gave
Not only that, but in Ireland, the first colony they pioneered, they exploited them so badly that they subsisted on potatoes, even after the potato farm collapsed, they didn’t support them, so they lost 1/5 of the population, the Irish famine, white people , load drip and so on…
It’s a very grounded drip, so it’s a sound that anyone would slap on their knees and admit…
In fact, this kind of disgusting behavior was a time-honored behavior that all European powers at the time did.
In the worst case, they made alliances and did a lot of things like betrayal, beatings, secret alliances, and secret agreements according to their own interests.
And if you ask why I’m thinking this, it’s because a really unexpected person appeared in the office the day before the coronation ceremony.
Not even contacting us to send an envoy according to diplomatic custom.
“It is an honor to have given you the kindness to have an audience with Your Highness the King. I am Jean von Simon, the representative of the delegation of the French Empire and the legitimate Marquis of the Marquis of Simon. It’s been half a year since I met you at the last war meeting, and seeing the king’s dignity overflowing, I can’t help but say that he’s truly an honor in the kingdom.”
I thought until two months ago that many cities belonging to the Italian Republic, such as Doge, Romania, Brittany and Spain, would send envoys to congratulate me on my coronation.
Because they have nothing to lose if I ascend the throne, it is advantageous to build friendly relations with me.
However, I thought the emperor of the French Empire, who had lost 50,000 soldiers and 2 counties because of me, would send an envoy to celebrate his enthronement.
What’s more, the opponents who fought with all their might to kill each other half a year ago, of course, are crazy and crazy.
I was very embarrassed, but showing that kind of attitude in a diplomatic setting is the same as giving the opponent a place to be caught.
So I answered in a voice that didn’t contain any sincerity.
“I never thought that His Majesty the Emperor of France would send an envoy to congratulate me on my coronation. What a joy indeed. I hope that this incident will resolve the core of the unfortunate incident between the Kingdom of Creutel and the French Empire. Isn’t it? Marquis Simon.”
The Marquis Simon in front heard me and smiled hahahaha.
“Yes. The whole thing happened by Emperor Adolf, a war-mad madman. In the meantime, our family and empire suffered considerable damage, but didn’t Your Highness help us defeat them by telling us who the culprit was? Also, although it hasn’t been officially announced, Your Majesty’s ingenious ploy has allowed me to save you now. In addition to repaying the favor, I have come to strengthen the alliance between the two countries.”
Although I didn’t start the war, I was the one who tore the eastern defense army led by Marquis Simont in half.
So, no matter how much he came as an envoy, he knew how to complain, ‘My family’s vassals died with honor in a fierce battle between Your Highness and our family.’
However, looking at the fact that he didn’t even complain like that, and only talked about the conflict between Adolph, the emperor of the Elain Empire, and the French Empire…
Are you seriously thinking of stopping your confrontation with me and forging an alliance to keep the mad emperor above you in check?
The Marquis Simon must have grasped my suspicions, and he gave me two documents with an expression of understanding.
When I received the documents and opened them, one was a letter congratulating me on my accession with the seal of King Francis, and the other was written like this.
[Pierre von Simon, Gaffard von Louis, Octave von Laurent’s application for admission to the Faculty of Political Science]
It’s an admissions application form expressing that you want to study at the academy because you’re good at talking.
So I couldn’t quite understand it, so I was about to ask what he was thinking, but Marquis Simon laughed and said,
“Your Highness, King Creutel. Pierre is the next head of the marquis family… No, after I return to the territory after completing this envoy trip, I will officially become the Marquis of Simon. In addition, Gafar and Octave have not yet inherited their father’s title, but each of them has the first succession right of their own family. In other words, entrusting them is the same as entrusting the future of the family.”
The Marquis Simon expressed that he entrusted the family’s future, but in reality, it would be more appropriate to say that he bet very heavily rather than entrusting the entire family’s future.
Because, as long as the title is not inherited, if I become hostile to their family, passing the title to another heir can lower the value as a hostage.
After that, even if I bring them up and start a war to recapture their family’s territory, if the heir is falsely accused of killing his father and trying to usurp the family, it won’t be used as justification.
However, even if he cuts off an heir for the sake of his family, he will rapidly become weak if he cuts off his arm or leg.
Even if the next head of the family is still alive, if someone else takes over, the authority as the head of the family will weaken and suffer a great hindrance.
So, in order to find out his true intentions, I spoke in a very provocative voice as if questioning.
“I agree with that. No, because I agree, Marquis, the first thing that comes to my mind is that you were knocked out of your mind by a cannonball in the last war. Not another bastard, or a marriage alliance, but sending the head of your family, the next head of the two counts, to our academy… If the emperor of the French Empire found out, wouldn’t it be considered an act of treason?”
That’s what they said, but I didn’t think they would really turn to me.
Because right now I’m in a difficult situation dealing with the Elain Empire.
In such a situation, even if I accept those three people and increase my weight class for a while, it will not be able to prevent the Elaine Empire and the French Empire from trying to subdue me in the name of purging traitors, who have become public enemies.
As long as they understand the dynamics, they won’t do crazy things to recklessly change the target they’re loyal to.
“I think Your Highness knows better than we do… The Marquis Simon, Count Louis, and Laurent felt this when they fought against His Highness the King. Even though there are at least as many soldiers as the Emperor of the Elline Empire can mobilize, we know that if we fight against the Kingdom of Creutel, we will surely be defeated. In fact, did not Your Highness break an army of 80,000 with only 27,000 soldiers, as if to prove it? Even at that time, I heard that there were only 2,000 dead… We mobilized three times as many troops and lost 30,000 soldiers.”
“Even though I was able to fight the army led by you with all my might and win the last battle, how can I cope with being inferior in numbers if I fight against an empire that can command a large territory and many soldiers?”
“I heard that your Highness brought only a fraction of the troops that could be brought from the mainland on the expedition. And he brought about a heroic victory in the unfavorable situation of being abandoned by the Duke of Orléans. Even more so, if we lead hundreds of thousands of troops and attack Your Highness’s kingdom, which should have been all prepared… I thought I was likely to lose. Even if you don’t lose, you will suffer huge losses that will be difficult to recover from. Taking advantage of that time, the emperor of the Elaine Empire, who had rabies, will invade the country again.”
When I fought in the Yellow Plains, I thought I was a person with good insight from the time I accepted my words as I was chewing on the Eastern Defense Forces…
I never thought they would make such a bet with objective judgment on me, who is a potential hostile country and did not show any sign of friendship…
With this level of sincerity, you don’t have to think that you’ll betray us, at least for a while.
If you really feel like betraying them, you can bribe the Italian and Spanish empires and persuade them to take advantage of the weakened gap.
Especially, Spania would really like it, as it is an empire that has longed to possess the fertile southern plains of the French Empire as long as it has military funds.
“Okay. However, it’s not just the French Empire that hates the mad rabies emperor. Didn’t I, too, unfortunately fight at the sword against the French Empire because of his crazy behavior? How can I live under the same sky with such a violent person… “
Upon hearing that, Marquis Simon asked with his eyes shining as if he was happy that his alliance proposal had passed.
“In that case… ?”
“On this condition, we will not enter into a mutual alliance. However, this alliance will be kept secret… You immediately have the Emperor of France conclude the ‘Down with the Croytel Alliance’ with the Mad Emperor of Elaine. If you need political funds, I will waive the compensation you paid, so fill it up with it. Also, I will protect the three Young master well… The family should treat those three as missing somewhere. In addition, I will prepare a secret letter to be sent to the emperor at dawn tomorrow, so that you and the delegation leave immediately on the boat I prepared. For the next five years, we must pretend to be hostile, and stay as close as possible to the Elain Empire. That way you can put a knife to that man’s throat. “
Hearing those words, the Marquis Simon looked at me with the eyes of a ‘the devil I’ve known since changing soldiers on the Yellow Plain, but laughs at his enemies doing more wicked things than Satan in the Bible’.
But on the other hand, I felt a sense of relief that I lived without being hostile to such an evil person.
I approached Marquis Simon and whispered in his ear.
“It is foolish indeed to have mercy on your enemies. Also, if this match ends successfully… You are France’s number one contributor. Wouldn’t it be possible to recover your political position as well as receive a larger territory and a duke’s title?”
The next day, I stayed up all night writing a letter to be sent to the emperor and handed it to Marquis Simon.
In addition, the Marquis Simon and the delegation were secretly transported from Nantes in a 150-ton caravel to the Marquis of Pres.
Thus, officially, no delegation came from France, which was a proof of friendly relations with me.
No, even if I knew they came as a delegation, unless the conversation in the office was leaked, it would be assumed that I stowed away because I was trying to kick them out.
After doing all my business, I went into my bedroom as if nothing had happened.
And 10 minutes after I entered the room, the captain of the escort dressed in colorful silk looked at me and said.
“Your Highness, the coronation ceremony is ready.”