Chapter 23

A slight flashback to before the Revolutionary Army rose up.

The life of Julius von Roytel, the eldest son and head of the Roytel family, was extremely ordinary and unremarkable.

“Going to the capital to become a civil servant? Sure. Gaining experience at a young age is good.”

“Your mother and I will manage the estate well, so don’t worry. Try to build connections with the higher-ups while you’re at it.”

“Thank you, Father. I’ll send letters regularly!”

Born into a humble yet historically significant noble family, he inherited the family title upon reaching adulthood, following tradition.

In front of the family’s retainers, he received the family seal and officially underwent the succession ceremony.

Before even turning twenty, he became the lord of a territory housing thousands of commoners.

However, the family’s financial situation wasn’t luxurious enough for him to live extravagantly. Forget lavish banquets—even keeping up with fashion trends was a struggle.

So, Julius made the same choice as other nobles in similar positions: to secure a job in the government.

“Being a soldier is too dangerous, and working in a commoner’s job would ruin my honor. Civil service is the best option.”

His younger brother, who had entered the military academy early, seemed to be on the path of an officer, but as the family head, Julius couldn’t dare choose that path.

If he died on the battlefield without an heir, the family line would end.

On the other hand, joining a trade company or guild was out of the question due to his noble status.

A noble, who must always remain above commoners, couldn’t stoop to being a merchant without tarnishing the family’s dignity.

With no other viable options, the only path left was to become a civil servant.

It was essentially a forced choice, but surprisingly, it wasn’t bad. Civil service suited him well.

“Julius! Is the data I requested yesterday still not ready?!”

“I’m preparing it now! I’ll deliver what Manager Halden asked for first!”

“That new guy is good. Quick and efficient.”

“Indeed. He’s a rare talent these days.”

Having been educated from a young age to become the family head, Julius was familiar with paperwork.

Additionally, his experience dealing with high-ranking nobles at banquets and balls made him excellent at hospitality.

Recognized for his abilities shortly after joining, Julius quickly climbed the ranks.

He steadily rose through promotions and key appointments, following an elite bureaucratic path.

Compared to his peers and even seniors, his rise was exceptionally fast.

This was due not only to his own abilities but also to the influence of his younger brother.

As an older brother, it was embarrassing, but his younger brother, who had become an officer to make a living, had surpassed him in greatness.

“Hey, Clerk Roytel, your surname is the same as Lieutenant General Karolus. Are you two related?”

“That… he’s my younger brother. I haven’t seen him since he entered the military academy years ago.”

“Really?! The hero of the North has an older brother?! What a fascinating connection.”

In the harsh North, where even veteran soldiers died like flies, Julius’s younger brother amassed incredible achievements.

He accomplished in months what others took years or decades to achieve, making his name known nationwide before even turning thirty.

Even from a non-military perspective, his accomplishments were insane.

Thanks to this, Julius benefited from the trickle-down effect, even if only slightly.

During promotion reviews, the label of being the hero’s older brother suddenly made the evaluators view him more positively.

“Thank you, little brother! Your useless older brother is climbing the ranks thanks to you!”

Karolus, the divine hero of the military.

Julius, the promising talent of the Ministry of Finance.

If things continued this way, it wasn’t impossible for the brothers to lead the military and the administration side by side in the future. That is, if everything went smoothly.

……Except it didn’t.

“Emergency! Lieutenant General Karolus has started a rebellion!!”

“He’s leading the Northern Army south, crushing every unit in his path!!”

The reckless overspending of the king and queen triggered a retreat order.

Enraged, the Northern Army, led by Karolus, formed a rebel army and began marching south.

The great hero had become a traitor, and the glory Julius had enjoyed vanished. Instead, he was subjected to ideological scrutiny.

“Speak clearly. Did you really not conspire with Karolus von Roytel?”

“Yes!! It’s true! I haven’t even seen his face properly in over ten years—how could I plot with him? I’m truly innocent!! Long live the Liudolf Dynasty! Long live His Majesty the King!!! The traitors will surely be defeated!!!”

Though he felt sorry for his brother, cutting ties was unavoidable.

He had to survive, after all. If he messed up here, the entire family would be destroyed.

By fervently praising the king, he avoided immediate execution but ended up under intense surveillance. The elite career path? Gone forever.

With promotions now blocked, he prepared to retire and return to his hometown once the situation settled…

“From today, this city of Rahator is under the jurisdiction of the Revolutionary Army! Those who disobey our orders or engage in suspicious activities will be severely punished—”

“For the time being, the legislative and policy-making authority of the kingdom will be transferred to the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction. We will invite personnel from the Revolutionary Army and various sectors to assist His Majesty in governing.”

The rebel army—no, the Revolutionary Army—had won.

And the world changed.

The traitorous rebels became national heroes, and the king, who once ruled over all, lost his power.

After fervently criticizing and denouncing his brother, that very brother had now become his superior.

“F*ck. I’m screwed.”

Julius felt his head spinning. He had already betrayed his brother—what was he supposed to do now?

Should he go to his brother and beg for forgiveness? Or just flee to his hometown?

While he was pondering, time passed.

Then, one day, he finally received a summons.

“Are you Julius von Roytel?”

“Y-Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m from the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction. The Vice-Chairman wishes to meet you.”

The officer, accompanied by guards, presented the summons.

The intimidating aura suggested that refusal would lead to forced compliance, so Julius had no choice but to cooperate.

“Karolus is finally going to kill me. Is this a final meeting before sending me to the execution block? Or will he shoot me himself?”

As he was dragged to his brother’s office, all sorts of thoughts crossed his mind.

Why would someone who surely held a grudge against him want to meet?

No matter how much he thought about it, the only conclusion was that his brother wanted to kill him personally.

Logically, there might have been another reason, but Julius’s mind was too overwhelmed to consider it.

And so.

“Sir. As you requested, I’ve brought Julius von Roytel, the deputy director—”

“Brother!! I’ll give you the family head position, all my wealth, whatever you want! Just spare me!!”

Julius, prostrating himself before Karolus and begging for his life, wasn’t entirely out of place.

* * * * *

And now.

“I was foolish! I’m the sinner who tried to survive by selling out my brother! I’ll never do it again, so please forgive this useless older brother just once!!”

Seeing his older brother crying and pleading, despite the adjutant’s attempts to calm him, I clicked my tongue.

“Stop acting like an idiot and get up. Why would I kill you?”

“…..R-Really?”

“Have you been living in a bubble? If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t do it so openly.”

If I wanted someone dead, I’d kidnap them in a dark alley and finish them off, not summon them in broad daylight. Too conspicuous.

I heard he acted like a fervent royalist during the interrogations after our rebellion. It was a bit disappointing, but not entirely unexpected.

“As the family head, he had to prioritize the family’s survival. I’m more of an outsider now, having gone independent.”

It’s only natural for the heir of a noble family to prioritize the survival and continuation of the bloodline.

Sometimes, that requires making cold, calculated decisions.

So, while it was a bit sad, I wasn’t angry. I would’ve made the same choice.

“If you’re really sorry, do me a favor.”

“Y-Yes! Just say the word! I’ll do my best!”

“Can you form a faction for me?”

A brief silence. After a few seconds, the answer came.

“…..A faction? You want me to create a clique within the government?”

“Yeah. The royal family and those high-ranking nobles all have their own, right?”

The bureaucratic factions, divided by which family’s line they followed, numbered in the dozens. They were categorized by allegiance, like the royal faction or the noble faction.

And I intended to create a new “Roytel faction” to secure the manpower needed for national reform and policy implementation.

In this medieval fantasy world without things like the separation of powers, having a group of bureaucrats under your command was necessary for any political action.

“I’ll support you as much as I can. You’re a deputy director now, right? I can promote you to director by next week. I’ll also prepare funds and information, so build a substantial faction as quickly as possible.”

“So my role is…..”

“You’ll be the middle manager. I’m a soldier, so I need someone to bridge the gap between the government and me.”

In a positive light, a manager or organizational backbone.

In a negative light, a puppet.

Honestly, it’s a proposal that could be unpleasant.

No matter the difference in social status, having to follow the orders of a younger brother isn’t exactly flattering.

But Brother Julius nodded obediently.

“Understood. I’ll do my best. Without your support, I won’t be able to advance anymore, so we might as well help each other as brothers.”

“Good thinking.”

And so, my influence began to extend into the kingdom’s administration.

* * * * *

And then.

“Should I create the Red Guards…?”

I began plotting to outmaneuver the higher-ups once again.