EP.21
A soft blanket made of fine fabric dyed in rosy red. A desk and chair with an old-fashioned feel. The walls are wallpapered with luxurious wallpaper with a checkered pattern.
Even though I had the privilege of staying in a room equipped with a sophisticated fireplace, as seen in European movies, and even a bell to summon servants if necessary, I could not rest comfortably.
That’s because in my heart, the emotion and lingering emotion of that time when I was freed from the shackles of a damned commoner and received the Silver Knight’s Sword Cross in front of the emperor has not gone away even now.
This is because in just five minutes from now, it will be the time that His Majesty the Crown Prince promised to meet me.
I checked the appearance of my new uniform several times in order to wear it to the triumphal ceremony and the subsequent dance.
Because I was nervous, I stood in front of the mirror again and checked to see if there was anything strange.
Because the most important thing when meeting a high-ranking person is how they appear at first impression.
It is as obvious as seeing fire that if you fail to score here, your future success will be hindered.
As I was waiting in a very nervous state, I heard a man’s voice from beyond the door.
“Are you Captain Peter Yeager? “If the night is lonely, would you like me to call you a beautiful woman who will soothe your loneliness?”
If you just listen to the words, it may seem like a servant’s kind and secret consideration in treating a distinguished guest.
If you think about it in common sense, there would be no crazy servant who would bring in a woman to wait on a man who left the battlefield and went through a tense and tiring event called the triumphal ceremony ‘unless he explicitly requested it’.
So, it is very likely that this is a signal to hide the fact that the crown prince is calling me, but just in case, I should ask in an expression with a different meaning.
“Can I also meet the noble person?”
“It is a place where even the most noble people come. He wants to meet Lord Jaeger in person. “I have come prepared to serve you, so please do not decline.”
Seeing that the ‘most noble person’ was mentioned, that person must have been sent by the crown prince.
“All right. I’ve changed my clothes, so I’ll follow you. “I’m looking forward to a great reception.”
When I opened the door, I saw an old man wearing a butler’s uniform and smiling meaningfully.
When I showed my respect to him who had a higher status than me and did not feel uncomfortable, the old man smiled and said,
“You are the one whom His Majesty the Crown Prince highly regarded. As entertainment, I asked him some playful questions, and he answered them flexibly, so it was fun. haha! It’s a treasure of the empire! “You may want to hurry, but if someone catches you and rumors spread about you meeting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, it will be a bother!”
From then on, without saying a word, we quietly walked quickly towards the place where the crown prince was waiting.
**
When I entered the room the old man showed me, the Crown Prince of the Reich Empire was waiting for me there.
Beautiful blonde hair, glowing blue eyes, white and clean skin, and even tall height.
No matter how you think about it, isn’t it a fraud to have wealth, power, and good looks?
With that in mind, I got down on one knee and expressed my respect, and the crown prince smiled brightly, lowered his posture, tapped my shoulder, and said,
“You are that student platoon leader on the Rhineland Front. I’m so glad to see you like this. “I owe you a lot. I really appreciate it.”
Certainly, without my performance, the first stage prepared by the Emperor for the Crown Prince would have been a disaster.
If I had not intervened and played an active role, the 7th Division would have suffered a major defeat and retreated to Weinberg Castle due to a few student platoon commanders leading the battle as they pleased, as in the original novel.
Then, the crown prince would have had to live with the title of ‘an incompetent person who lost his territory from the first time he went out to war’ for the rest of his life.
In that sense, it can be said that it is natural for the crown prince to express his gratitude to me.
However, high-ranking people, whether in Korea or the Reich Empire, may say thank you to their subordinates, but they rarely say that they owe them a big debt.
Because being grateful to the point where high people say, ‘I owe you something,’ is the same as a high person declaring that you are my benefactor.
“No, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I simply did what I had to do as a commander of the Reich Empire. “Please stop saying too much.”
“No. I’m not saying this as a greeting, it’s my sincerity. But let’s stop talking about this now and start the real story. “Sit on the sofa over there.”
As I sat down on the sofa as he said, the crown prince cast his expectant gaze towards me and said,
“I would like to praise you more for your achievements and achievements, but I have to go to the ball soon. So, I will let you talk about that next time, and then I will talk about something important right away.”
“Please tell me.”
“In order to become a respected emperor, you must gradually accumulate achievements starting from your time as crown prince. That way, I can rule over them as an emperor without being swayed by great nobles like the Count, Marquis, and the Duke.”
Unless it is the era of absolute monarchy in France, there is no need to be kicked out for being an incompetent monarch.
It is said that just as in the military, an incompetent corporal is sometimes eaten by a private, there are many cases where a person who became an emperor by parachute is unable to demonstrate great power in front of many great nobles.
Or, furthermore, if the crown prince becomes emperor without achieving any real achievements…
“The first step was the invasion of Lezhin Castle. So, I entrusted the 7th Division to Stefan, the most trustworthy of the generals who followed me, and sent it to the Rhineland front… but without you, the results would have been truly disastrous.”
I heard that and didn’t say anything.
Because if Weinberg Castle had been breached as the crown prince said, the Francois Republic would have used it as an important strategic base and eaten away at the Reich Empire, as in the original work.
In a situation like this, if you pretend to be humble and deny it, it becomes even more of a mess.
“If the result of the Crown Prince’s first campaign was that the Empire’s 7th Division was almost completely annihilated, the city with over 30,000 people and its surrounding areas lost as many as 220,000 citizens. “Just thinking about it would have been a terrible thing.”
Then the crown prince stretched out one hand and held my hand tightly, and with his other hand he pointed to the medal on his chest.
“But thanks to you, that damned Francois’ division was completely destroyed, and three of its commanders, from a colonel-level commander to a lieutenant colonel, were killed. Thanks to this, even though I lost 3,000 soldiers due to a mistake, I was able to occupy Regin Castle and obtain this Diamond Knight’s Sword Cross.”
“That is an undeserved compliment. And that was possible thanks to Division Commander Stefan’s trust in me. “It is also the insight of His Majesty the Crown Prince who appointed him to that position.”
When I said that, the crown prince looked at me and looked angry.
However, it is clear that his anger was not directed at Peter Jaeger, but at his situation and the nobles who opposed him.
“Do you think so? However, among other great nobles, there are already those who are trying to install an easy-to-manage puppet as emperor in my place. That’s probably because the person I personally selected was Stefan, and I’m paying attention to the fact that he lost 3,000 soldiers because he couldn’t control his subordinates properly. There are people who question my abilities because of that. So, it means that more military personnel are needed to overcome this situation.”
Then the crown prince placed a document in front of me and said,
“At least Stefan recognized your abilities and recommended you to me, stamping you as his own. I was looking for a trustworthy and capable young commander to work for me. Captain Yeager is my man. I prepared a generous down payment to stamp it. I will provide 10,000 gold for Bruno Castle and 6 villages bordering Czechia. Of course, the battalion operating expenses will be incurred separately. However, I hope that my name will be raised so that no one can take my place by making outstanding achievements in the war next year. “Can you do it?”
If I hesitate or refuse here, not only will I become a fool who will be hated by the future most powerful person.
Even if you move to another faction, you will only be labeled as a ungrateful bastard who has ability but does not know grace.
“of course. Instead, I have one request. “Your Majesty the Crown Prince, please use your strength and take a good look at the soldiers in my company who wish to be discharged and the non-commissioned officers.”
The crown prince said those words with a meaningful smile.
“I know what you mean. It’s not difficult. And I have one important piece of advice that you need right away. Starting today, pretend to be sick and lock yourself in your room for a few days. Otherwise, the nobles who are trying to attract you to their side may flirt and your situation may become difficult.”
See next episode
