208 – The Greedy Emperor and Martin (1)
Montmartre Army, Command Barracks.
Louis von Montmartre, Emperor of the Montmartre Empire, was waiting for someone.
“It’s late, it’s late. “If I wait like this, I’ll grow old and die.”
Though he said this, there was a subtle smile on his face.
Because in the war he pursued to strengthen the royal authority, he succeeded in achieving results that no one could refute.
Thanks to that, my mind was very relaxed.
So, even if Count Dion, who was supposed to meet now, couldn’t come because he drank too much yesterday, the emperor seemed to be able to laugh it off and say that was a possibility.
“Give me a glass of wine.”
As the emperor savored the aroma and taste of wine, he began to organize what results this victory would bring to him.
In the past, because he was not the eldest son, he had no choice but to carry out politics by giving much of the initiative to his subjects…
He took over three and a half duchies in the Kingdom of Barcelo, defeating the large army of King Barcelo, who had made a foolish and petty request to give up the Duchy of Tulua.
If we combine the additional territory to be brought in in future peace negotiations, it seems possible to take away a vast territory equivalent to 5 duchies…
Thinking of that made Emperor Louis feel even better.
“Adventure, adventure. “I feel really good today.”
Hearing those words, the chamberlain next to him offered a congratulatory message.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
“I feel really good today. So tonight I must radiate this joy passionately. “You know what I mean, right?”
“I will have my servants bring beautiful women from the village.”
“The women brought here today will not be just partners for one night’s enjoyment, but will be used as maids of the imperial palace. “As a souvenir.”
The person the emperor spontaneously brings in to have fun is not the daughter of a noble or knightly family, but a pretty serf or maiden from a citizen’s family commonly seen in the village.
The fact that the emperor himself takes such women as maids means that he will turn the lives of them and their entire family around…
Because it was said that if the chamberlain clumsily brought in a beautiful woman, the emperor would hear a scolding…
“If you allow me, I will go out and pick it out myself.”
“You want to go? “So be it.”
The chamberlain called a servant to replace him and immediately ran out.
Not long after that, Count Dion, whom the emperor had been waiting for so long, came.
“Your Majesty, I apologize for the delay.”
The emperor, who had been complaining that he would die of old age if he waited like this, smiled as soon as he saw him.
“hehehehe, I haven’t waited long. “Hurry up and sit down.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Why are we doing this between us? “If you keep declining like that, I might get disappointed.”
In fact, the Count of Dion, who was only a count with little power in the provinces, and the emperor, who stood at the top of the aristocracy of the Montmartre Empire, were not very close or friendly.
No, the emperor had only minimal interaction with Count Dion until this war.
If necessary, isn’t it a political situation to join hands with even one’s father’s enemy and call one’s in-laws and father-in-law?
So, the Emperor of the Mood faction was able to put an iron plate on his face and treat him as intimately as he would a noble of the Emperor faction with whom he had been friendly for decades.
“Yes, the reason I called you was to tell you a little about the logistics of this war.”
At those words, Count Dion perked up his ears.
“If it weren’t for you, this war wouldn’t have been resolved easily. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to take over even one duchy, let alone three.”
Count Dion said something he had no intention of saying.
“Your Majesty would have done better even if that guy hadn’t been active.”
“If you are too humble, it sounds arrogant. And let us be honest.”
The emperor sat down and crossed his legs.
“If it weren’t for you, we would still be attacking other castles far away from La Masana Castle, and wouldn’t King Barcelo have sent tens of thousands more reinforcements by now, even if it meant squeezing the country? So, even though our army won in the end, it would not have achieved much success.”
“Yes.”
“It’s good to hear that you’re honest. It was you, Count Dion, who contributed most to achieving a great victory in this war. So I will reward you very generously.”
When Dion heard those words, the corners of his mouth began to twitch.
Since the emperor recognized his achievements, he could fully expect to be promoted to ‘marginal white’, which was his long-cherished wish for generations of the Count Dion family.
‘Please, please…’
In his heart, he began to pray earnestly to Deus, to his deceased ancestors, to his grandfather and his father who are not in this world…
“Emperor Louis von Montmartre plans to raise the title of the Count Dion family to marquis and grant them three county fiefdoms. Since the other commanders did not achieve great achievements, it will be replaced by bestowing at least one earldom.”
A count, margrave, and marquis only differ in title level, and the actual territory they hold varies depending on the family, but ‘county’ is the default.
Furthermore, the Count Dion family was one of the few count families in the empire, at the very end of the ‘Earl’ family, so in fact, its territory grew nearly four times as a result of this war…
“Are you sure it’s okay, Your Majesty? “For a lowly guy like me to be a marquis…”
The Emperor was very pleased with the appearance of Count Dion.
“In addition to what I gave you, I will have to share some territory with the old-timers in the center, but I will still have about 3 duchys in my hands.”
It varies depending on the duchy, but considering that one duchy = two earldoms, the emperor was also successful in obtaining a huge amount of money.
“And to be honest, in this war, no one has done a good job except you and me, the number one contributors, so the imperial nobles will just nag and whine and move on.”
“Your Majesty is right.”
“I also have a dream. Would you like to hear it?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
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The emperor chuckled.
“After the idiotic emperor of the Rhine-Palatinate Empire fell, I saw the empire splitting up. It occurred to me that I would need absolute kingship for my son Philip while I was alive. “In one word, I would like to have the power to knock down a Duke, not a bird.”
No matter how barbaric this world may be, it is common sense that politics is conducted with the emperor and nobles cooperating and keeping in check.
This statement by the emperor was a statement that directly contradicted common sense.
But the Count of Dion, or rather the soon-to-be Marquis, did not dare to say anything.
Because from the moment he adopted Martin Mayer’s plan for the revival of his family, he had committed the fate of the Dion family and its vassals to the emperor.
Because I could see that if I tried to stop here, I would lose everything and become penniless.
“I am ready to do anything for him. Anyone who interferes with it will be cut down, even if they are nobles who have been loyal to the empire for generations, and if there is an obstacle, I plan to remove it with my own hands.”
The emperor, who gained enormous confidence from this victory, had a madness for power in his eyes.
When Count Dion saw that, he swallowed his saliva involuntarily.
“In the process, numerous noble families will be selected, and the positions they leave will be taken by those who have shown absolute loyalty to me and achieved great results. Yes, to someone like you, the Marquis of Dion.”
Dion heard those words and imagined them.
If the emperor happens to hold absolute royal power, and he eats it well…
And what if you are lucky like now?
A small dream that beyond the rank of marquis, perhaps in a few decades, he will become a duke, the pinnacle of the imperial nobility of which there are only five families in the empire.
“But in the end, in order to strengthen the royal authority, there is no choice but to wage war and win. And for his sake, you don’t have to tell our empire, right?”
“We must select many lowly people to fill the positions of nobles. Just as the first emperor turned lowly knights into nobles. And Martin Mayer, who devised the strategy necessary to lead this war to victory…”
When the emperor heard those words, he swallowed his saliva.
“Based on the report you posted and my impressions when I met him in person. Martin Mayer will continue to grow in the future. After only a few years of becoming a mercenary, he had such potential that he was offered the title of ‘Baron’ in the Rhine-Palatinate Empire. In addition, he has the skill to turn the mercenary leader he serves into a real baron and the ability to read the board…”
Anyone would have coveted a talent that reached expert intermediate level in their mid-20s, but knights at expert intermediate or advanced level were relatively common, with nobles above the rank of earl having at least one or two.
However, there were very few people who had the judgment to completely change the game with a seemingly simple strategy.
He paused for a moment and then spoke in a loud voice.
“I want him at all costs. Since it’s between us, let’s be honest. “If Martin Mayer and I hadn’t planned the game, wouldn’t we have achieved this great victory?”
“Yes.”
“Then we should bring him in. So give me some advice. “What conditions must I present to bring that genius under my command?”