Chapter 38

After concluding negotiations with Leclerc, I and the Central Army immediately returned to the Royal Capital Rahator.

Since the frontlines had been stabilized, there was no reason to stay and strip the local commander of their authority.

“Sir, you must be exhausted. Please rest for at least a night…”

“There’s no time for that. This isn’t the moment to laze around.”

To the soldiers and officers who had fought tirelessly, I granted a week’s leave on the spot. It was both a reward for their efforts and a chance for them to recover.

Having achieved victory, it was only right they enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Meanwhile, I headed to the office with only my closest aides. It was one of the few places in the capital with guaranteed security.

*Click.*

“It’s been a while, everyone. I hope you’ve been well?”

“Welcome back, Sir! We sincerely congratulate you on your victory. It’s an unparalleled triumph, even in the last decade!”

“Thanks to stabilizing two fronts, public sentiment has greatly improved! Our influence in Parliament has also grown!”

As soon as I opened the door, a small crowd greeted me.

Two Cardinals, one Lady, one brother, four officers, and a mix of bourgeoisie and nobles from our faction—about a dozen in total.

These were my key aides and the core talents of our power base.

I had sent a messenger ahead, so they were waiting for me.

“We’ve prepared a modest banquet to welcome you. If you’re willing—”

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I must decline. There are far more pressing matters at hand.”

I hated beating around the bush, so I leaned back on the sofa and got straight to the point.

“I received shocking news from the Western Front. The enemy commander claimed that the cause of this war was our royal family.”

“…..What?”

“Come on, surely that’s just a bluff or a trick, right?”

“The situation fits too neatly for it to be just that.”

I recounted everything I had heard from Leclerc. Every detail, as accurately and thoroughly as I could remember.

From the historical relations between the two royal families to the rumors circulating within the Empire and circumstantial evidence.

At first, the audience looked puzzled, but as I continued, their expressions turned skeptical, then serious, and finally filled with disdain.

“If this is true… that mad king tried to cover up his child’s mistake with the lives and money of the people?”

“Without even a hint of remorse, desperately hiding all the circumstances?”

“Is this even possible?! Well, considering how the royal family has acted, it’s not entirely impossible…”

Some vented their anger, others speculated.

Some lost the last shred of loyalty they had for the monarchy, while others stubbornly denied it, calling it a far-fetched claim.

The office had turned into a heated debate chamber, with everyone arguing except me.

Amid the rising tension, my brother, who had been quietly standing, cautiously spoke up.

“Um, there’s something that comes to mind.”

“Director Roytel?”

“Broth— no, Vice-Chairman. I’ve been in the Ministry of Finance, right? Since I started my civil service career, I’ve experienced something while working there.”

Even though he’s now one of the highest-ranking civil servants, he still speaks formally to me in public.

Perhaps because it’s a gathering of major political figures?

After hesitating slightly, he carefully began.

“About half a year before the war broke out, when I was still a clerk, I was told to prepare a budget for the Crown Prince’s marriage. I was diligently working on the related documents.”

“The Crown Prince’s marriage was two years after that, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. But the documents were canceled midway. We were in the middle of sourcing everything from flower arrangements to dresses and decorative fabrics when suddenly, everything was halted, and we were ordered to switch to a wartime economy.”

This was definitely strange.

A royal marriage is typically the royal family’s top priority.

Unless there’s a catastrophic disaster like a volcanic eruption or earthquake, it’s almost never canceled.

Even if a war broke out, the budget might be reduced, but there was no reason to cancel it entirely.

…Unless the marriage partner themselves disappeared.

“This was a large-scale project involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But it was suddenly canceled, leaving everyone quite disappointed.”

“If the Foreign Ministry was involved, it must have been a state marriage, right?”

“There’s no need to mobilize the entire Foreign Ministry for just anyone. A couple of departments would have sufficed. This had to involve a noble lineage from a major power…”

“Come to think of it, I also heard something suspicious. From an acquaintance in the royal knights.”

This time, Brigadier General Elan chimed in. A former member of the 19th Division, now one of my subordinates.

“Aside from the royal guards we defeated, there’s a knight order responsible for protecting high-ranking figures. You must know about them, Sir.”

“I’ve met them a few times. Never had deep dealings, though.”

This is a fantasy world where magic exists. The upper limit of individual combat power is much higher than on Earth.

While they can’t summon meteors or flatten mountain ranges with typhoons, they can fire fireballs with the power of grenades.

That’s why mages are popular as bodyguards.

The royal knight order is a specialized unit of such mages trained in swordsmanship and knightly disciplines.

Individually, they’re probably the strongest in the kingdom. As a group, though, we outmatch them.

“A drinking buddy of mine who serves there mentioned an unspoken taboo within the unit.”

“A taboo?”

“Yes. Under no circumstances are you to ask seniors about events from 11 to 10 years ago. Despite their love for boasting about past glories, they never speak of that period.”

“What happens to those who foolishly ask?”

“I’m not sure. But several members have disappeared without a word… I doubt it ended well.”

“Huh.”

Things were getting more suspicious.

Individually, each story was trivial, but together, they painted a strange picture.

Something significant must have happened during that period, likely involving the royal family’s dark secrets.

“Could it be… that Leclerc was telling the truth—”

“We can’t jump to conclusions yet. It’s still just a hypothesis for now.”

I stopped Lady Arshah from hastily concluding and pointed to Brigadier General Kais, who had recently been promoted to Deputy Director of Intelligence.

“Kais, I need you to handle the investigation. I’ll provide all the manpower, funds, and administrative support you need. Leave no stone unturned to uncover the truth.”

“Understood. What’s the deadline?”

“As soon as possible. And Lady Arshah, please propose sending a truce negotiation delegation to Parliament tomorrow. It seems I’ll have to visit the Empire myself.”

Going to the Empire would allow me to gather more detailed information. Evidence and testimonies hard to obtain within the kingdom.

Hearing only one side of the story is unreliable, so I planned to gather as much information as possible from both nations’ perspectives.

“What?! Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“It’s fine. I can’t let the cause of this damned war slip away just because of some life-threatening risks.”

My life? Of course, it’s precious. But to uncover why we had to fight, I’m willing to take any risk.

At the very least, I owe it to my subordinates who froze to death in the snowfields to tell them why they died.

To find out why those who should have lived long lives plowing fields and weaving cloth ended up as corpses riddled with lead bullets.

“Let’s end today’s meeting here. I’ll see you all in Parliament tomorrow.”

* * * * *

And the next day.

“The Empire is begging for a truce? Do we really have to accept it?”

“It’s been 10 years, 10 years! We’ve been fighting non-stop. Isn’t it time to take a break?”

“If this continues, the kingdom will go bankrupt. We need time to rest and reorganize internally!”

As usual, chaos erupted in Parliament.

Our faction pushing to pass the proposal, and the nobles desperately trying to block it. The ensuing debates over justification and legitimacy.

Even with a majority vote, we needed plausible arguments to justify and promote our actions.

Despite the clear power imbalance, the verbal sparring was intense.

“Peace with the Imperial scum is absolutely unacceptable! There can be no truce until they’re all dead!!”

“Exactly! Compromising with the kingdom’s enemies? Is that even a sane idea?!”

“Stop opposing just for the sake of opposition and present a proper counterargument! All you’re saying is you just don’t like it!”

“The national power is at its limit. Do you think your stubbornness will change that? Face reality!”

However, unlike usual, the arguments seemed more emotional than rational.

Instead of presenting reasonable grounds, they stubbornly insisted and twisted their words.

It wasn’t just political opposition; they seemed genuinely desperate to stop it. But lacking solid arguments, they resorted to sheer obstinacy.

‘Interesting. I’ve never seen these guys so desperate before.’

Surely, the nobles were also burdened by the war’s massive expenses. Yet, they were acting like this… Hmm.

“Silence! We will now proceed to a vote!”

Unsurprisingly, the vote ended in our faction’s favor.

The dispatch of a negotiation delegation to the Empire for truce discussions was approved.

And this.

Was also the signal for a seismic shift in the kingdom’s long-standing system.