Chapter 154

“Very well! Therefore, I, Adolf de Elain, declare that I will bring forth the judgment of justice upon those wicked Franche people. Now, let us begin the military council, Field Marshal Adelheit.”

At those words, an elderly man seated near the throne rose and bowed his head in reverence to the Emperor.

Then, as if prearranged, he pointed at the enormous map of Elain and Franche, adorned with jewels, that hung beside the Emperor.

“The objective of this war is to secure half of the northern Franche region. All these lands will, of course, be distributed due to your merits. This is a fact pledged before Deus with the Emperor’s seal, so there’s no need for doubt.”

The nobles erupted in cheers.

It was only natural, as for them… the current Emperor is a monarch who has more than doubled, if not tripled, the power, territories, and wealth they possessed.

Right here among those present, excluding myself, there are nobles with titles above marquis who were once only counts.

Among those who received baronies, there are quite a few knights of intermediate to upper levels who have shown prowess in the civil war.

To such individuals, the Emperor must appear as an embodiment of gold and success with the Midas touch.

Of course, those who sided with the first prince, who surrendered partway through, must unconditionally follow the Emperor’s words if they wish to survive.

If the Emperor were to command, ‘That deer is an order. So you shall ride that horse into battle,’ they would have to buckle up in armor and comply.

I fall into the third category, as I neither received additional territories nor unconditionally surrendered.

“Long live His Imperial Majesty!!”

“May the Emperor prosper! May the Emperor gain glory!”

“For the victory of this war!!”

For about three minutes, they fervently praised the Emperor while proving their loyalty.

“Indeed, as expected of the renowned commanders of the Empire leading the reverse heroes. As the Imperial Marshal, I am honored to engage in war alongside nobles such as yourselves. Now I shall start explaining again. Our forces will divide into western, central, and eastern fronts to advance. First, let me discuss the organization of the western front.”

Thus, the Marshal spoke for approximately 20 minutes regarding the commanders and composition of each front.

The western front consists of 50,000 troops under the command of Marquis Pompadour, with one count and five barons, while the central front has 100,000 troops comprising the Emperor, Duke Brussels, two marquises, three counts, and ten barons.

The eastern front, to which I belong, consists of 70,000 troops under the command of Duke Orleans, myself, two counts, and four barons.

Moreover, this composition only includes vassals directly under the Emperor’s command.

Naturally, barons and viscounts led by dukes, marquises, or counts are omitted.

Furthermore, during this assembly, it is a somewhat cowardly move for the Emperor and Duke Brussels to fill their own army with plenty of marquises and counts to minimize the actual burden…

Considering that Elain has a population of about 40 million, that amounts to roughly 0.5% of the population being conscripted.

This does not even include the supply units responsible for combat logistics, meaning the actual deployed forces would be about double that.

In modern times, spreading beyond 5% conscription would lead to talks of national ruin, but in a place without cars and trains, this level of mobilization is nearly the limit.

“Now, this concludes the explanation of the organization of the Emperor’s and my legions and a brief overview of the operations. If anyone has objections or questions, please voice them.”

At those words, a baron sitting in the corner stood up and spoke.

“I am Baron Hight von Delon, lord of the Delon barony. With the Emperor’s blessing, we all have received extraordinary grace, obtaining honor, wealth, and power beyond our means… but our territories are still desolate, and we lack the means to gather soldiers. Therefore, we need time.”

“That is a valid point. The wise Emperor values bravery as a virtue but deeply detests reckless wars. Thus, the war will commence two years from now.”

It has been about two months since the war ended, so in two years…

That would be just enough time to stabilize the territories and gather troops from the Architel region to properly deploy a formidable force.

Other lords would likely need at least that much time to digest their territories as well.

For the Emperor’s perspective, if more time were given, his vassals would gradually form factions and opposition forces against the war… maintaining an unsteady balance.

“I am Viscount Rhyme. It seems gathering enough food over the next two years for this great expedition will be difficult.”

“What nonsense you speak. Have you still not implemented the four-field crop rotation method created by Marquis Croilet in your territory? If you adopt that, food will increase to the point of spoiling. Fortunately, the Emperor has decreed that all lords of the Empire must implement this farming method.”

Thus, after about two hours of receiving numerous operational plans and objections, revising the plans gradually until everything was nearly completed.

I raised my hand, much like an oblivious model student asking a question just one minute before the class ended.

“May I, Siel von Croilet, ask a question of His Imperial Majesty?”

“Permission granted.”

“I don’t believe it’s necessary for His Imperial Majesty and Regnant Duke Brussels to operate within the same front. Isn’t it a waste of forces? Especially considering that Duke Brussels’ army was the main force active in this civil war… I think it would be better for His Imperial Majesty to command the central front and for Duke Brussels to lead the western front in place of Marquis Pompadour.”

At my words, the surrounding nobles nodded and whispered among themselves.

“Very much like a hero of the reversal. Indeed, His Majesty gained control of a vast royal domain upon ascending to the throne… But to muster merely 100,000 troops alongside the regent seems…”

“Essentially, during the last civil war, wasn’t Duke Brussels’ army not only quantitatively but also qualitatively different from ours? With that Tersio formation, he repelled two of the enemy’s regiments with just one of his own.”

“Moreover, Marquis Pompadour… undoubtedly, his loyalty is strong, but compared to Duke Brussels, his leadership is lacking… Did he not lose even with 1.2 times the enemy’s numbers in the last civil war?”

And there’s something these people didn’t mention…

No matter how many troops the central front commanded, totaling 100,000 including the Emperor…

If the Emperor, Duke Brussels, and the marquises share the burden of the enormous direct territory they hold, the actual burden they face will comparatively decrease.

It’s akin to spending 1 trillion won on the same project, where it’s an overwhelming expenditure for small and medium enterprises, but…

For a conglomerate like Samsung, it would feel like merely a bit painful even if it were twice that amount, as it’s necessary spending for future growth.

As I suggested dividing the burdens as rationally as possible, it was hard not to see the approval.

Field Marshal Adelheit, realizing there was no flaw in my words, crumpled his expression as he looked at me.

“Then I shall discuss this matter directly with the Emperor.”

While saying he would reconsider, he likely intended to veto it in a meeting between the Field Marshal and the regent who brought the Empire.

In that case… there was no choice but to scratch the pride of our young Emperor and seize the opportunity to worsen relations with Regent Brussels as much as possible.

“Then, I wish to discuss this matter directly with His Imperial Majesty. May I please have the chance for a private audience later?”

“S-Siel Marquess!!”

Ignoring the furious Field Marshal, I continued to rise from my seat while keeping an incredulous gesture.

“According to the Empire’s constitution, all nobles above count have the right to a private audience with His Majesty. Moreover, the total commander of this war is not the Field Marshal but His Majesty. Therefore, if there is a problem that is even more incomprehensible, it must be addressed and resolved in a private audience, right? I trust Your Excellency would not refuse the Empire’s constitution.”

“Th-That…”

Even though the constitution provides the right for private discussions in such scenarios…

Actual implementation is an extremely challenging matter.

Because raising objections in military operations like mine could broadly be interpreted as an act of defiance against the Emperor’s orders.

However, regardless, I am a force strong enough to make one faction that could have incited internal discord surrender merely by my existence…

As long as I don’t get caught making an outright treasonable act, I can do things like this.

Therefore, the regent, Duke Brussels, spoke up to address the situation.

“No matter how right your words are, this operation is essentially akin to an imperial decree. Therefore, as the regent, I cannot allow it, but…”

“Regent, His Majesty is no child. He is a mature Emperor who has proven his competence and authority, capable of fulfilling his obligations. Therefore, the decision regarding this matter is not something the regent should interfere with.”

“How incredibly audacious. The regent inherently possesses the authority to represent His Majesty…”

“Why represent His Majesty when he is right here? Your Majesty, please grant me the opportunity for a private audience.”

As I continued to scratch the Emperor’s pride this way, he exchanged glances with Duke Brussels before speaking.

“According to the Empire’s constitution, I grant Croilet Marquess permission for a private audience. Furthermore, if others have objections to this operation, they must be submitted in writing by the next meeting scheduled for two weeks from now.”