EP.314
There is something in common when movies and dramas show the process of corrupt politicians falling.
When one’s mistakes are revealed and one is put in a big crisis, one admits one’s mistakes and resigns to ask for forgiveness, rather than saying that one will pay the price.
By blaming all of his sins on his subordinates, he claims that the fault was the subordinate’s fault and that if he did anything wrong, it was simply that he mismanaged his subordinates.
I don’t know if this method will help extend his political life for now, but in the future, it will make other subordinates who faithfully served him fear that he too will be thrown out, and that fear will eventually lead to a stab in the master’s head.
If he honestly asked that he die for him and promised to protect the family and clan he left behind, I would at least move to sacrifice his life for him.
Do you feel like your superior, whom you have served faithfully for years or even decades, might abandon you in an instant for his own safety?
The feelings of betrayal, anger, and resentment will be so strong that they cannot be expressed in words, and this is the only thing you will think about when you realize that you will be abandoned.
‘If I’m going to be abandoned, I’ll use everything I have to destroy that bastard first.’
By doing this, you can at least relieve your unfair feelings, and if you are lucky, you can survive while maintaining your status and wealth.
“For the Reich Empire, Count Bern is a traitor, but for the Principality of Switzerland, he is a hero who almost succeeded in assassinating His Majesty.”
The emperor frowned upon hearing my words and clenched his fists.
“As a soldier, he was a truly capable man.”
According to the Chief of Staff’s analysis of the war in Switzerland, if it had not been for the activities of the 7th Division and I, the Imperial Army that participated would have been annihilated and the Crown Prince would have been taken prisoner alive.
This is a disaster for the empire, but it is an indescribable good news for the Principality of Switzerland, following the survival principle of ‘other people’s pain is my pleasure’ on the European continent.
“The Duke of Switzerland purged such a person. For over three years, he risked his life in hiding in an enemy empire in order to succeed in his plan to capture His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. “Then what will the counts of Switzerland think when they hear this news?”
When His Majesty heard what I said, he exclaimed with admiration.
“… You must feel a tremendous sense of betrayal. At the same time, it must be truly scary. The crazy man who threw away the person who devoted himself to the principality like a broken shoe in order to capture me, the crown prince of the empire, is their master, so they don’t know when he might abandon himself like that too. In that case, I guess I would want to start a rebellion.”
A rebellion within the empire would be a great disaster for the Marquis family of the Reich Empire and the Marquis of Jäger, but for the Duchy of Switzerland, a rival country, a rebellion would be the greatest good news.
And the larger the scale, the more advantageous it is for our empire.
When people with a humanitarian mindset hear of this plan, they may ask me how a person could have such vicious thoughts, but what is most important to me is the national interest of the Reich Empire, not the human rights of the Swiss people.
I once executed all 2,000 prisoners captured after the victory in the Battle of Jungfrau, although it was because it was absolutely necessary for the imperial army to survive.
“Even those who have no intention of rebelling can be persuaded with just a few words.”
“How? “Let me be specific.”
“First, I plan to visit Count Ticino in the Ticino Canton. “I plan to visit him and praise the army he led for its outstanding performance in the Battle of Jungfrau and express my condolences on the death of Count Bern.”
After hearing my words, His Majesty spoke with a bit of sarcasm.
“You’re trying to give that damn guy some relief money on his way there. “You’re a really nice person too.”
“Anyway, there is no family to receive the condolence money, so wouldn’t that be tantamount to ridicule? After gaining at least some sympathy from Count Ticino, I plan to try my luck. “Whether you can trust your current master or not, and if you don’t think so, whether you have any intention of joining the Reich Empire.”
Count Ticino doesn’t trust the Empire, and your Majesty and I don’t trust the Count, so if you ask why I’m urging you to join the Empire’s side.
This is to somehow stimulate the anger that is sleeping deep in his heart, or is on the verge of boiling over.
“I will definitely reject any offer to join the Empire. Instead, he will appear concerned about the Duke of Switzerland’s behavior. Because the Count of Bern was a loyal subject of Switzerland and the two were old friends. And seeing his attitude, I would encourage treason.”
If Count Ticino were in the right spirit, he would certainly not be able to cut off my head when I came as a diplomatic envoy.
From the moment I recommend treason against my master, I become a spy rather than a diplomat.
In that case, even if Count Ticino kills you, you will have no excuses, so if you don’t show any signs of shaking, you should just run away.
It seems unlikely, but natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis rarely occur, but we prepare just in case.
In a situation where you don’t know what Count Ticino might think, you’d be a fool not to prepare for it.
“Do you think there is a possibility that if you invite treason, they will refuse?”
“Wouldn’t a good commander always be prepared for the worst? But this time, if the Empire encourages him to revolt, he will definitely rise up. Because if he refuses, I will send a secret letter to the Duke of Switzerland and tell him that Count Ticino seems to be a bit dissatisfied.”
At that moment, His Majesty looked at me with an expression as if he had seen a devil somewhere.
Well, the mere thought of being caught talking behind the back of a manager who doesn’t have the authority to fire me at work sends a shiver down my spine.
What would happen if such words were to be relayed to a crazy duke who purges even loyalists who have done nothing wrong if necessary in the final stage of a suspicious disease?
The count will undoubtedly point his sword at the duke in order to survive the madman who killed his friend, the count Bern.
However, it is obvious that if only Count Ticino moves, the matter will end as an isolated incident, so we will have to involve others as well.
“As soon as Count Ticino moves, the Reich Empire must prevent the Francoist Republic from interfering in the Swiss civil war on the basis of the previous peace treaties concluded with other countries. That way, the civil war will last for a very long time, and even if they disapproved of the Duke of Switzerland, those who would not be able to move for fear of intervention by the Reich Empire and the Francois Republic in the event of a civil war will move.”
If they start a civil war here, it would be a good idea to supply weapons and goods that are in poor condition that are left over from within the imperial army.
Then, in order to survive, the dukes and counts will arm their people with the weapons we gave them and fight, creating even greater chaos, and not only will Switzerland not be able to stand up for decades to come.
When the Farosian City Federation and the Empire fight, there will not be any mercenaries left that can be exported.
When the emperor heard me, he laughed and spoke in a playful voice.
“Isn’t it impious for a subject to plan a rebellion so well?”
“We are demanding fair compensation from the Duke of Switzerland who tarnished His Majesty’s honor. “Isn’t that what a subject should do?”
“That’s right. Your loyalty is only to me. For those who call themselves other dukes or kings, it is enough for them to remain as a sword and a disaster that symbolizes the power of the empire.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The emperor put his hand on my shoulder, patted it, and handed me a document.
“This is the list of the delegation. I would like to appoint you as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, but I can’t send a soldier as a diplomat, right? That is why I appointed Viscount Hüsler, a late vice-minister, as the representative of the mission. “You know what this means, right?”
If you are a vice minister, you may be considered lower than me when performing the same duties as you are slightly below me in terms of protocol.
Although our original departments are different, my salary and benefits are at the level of a minister, but my actual status is the same as that of a vice minister.
This means that I cannot move the delegation representative as I wish. However, the late Vice Minister is an exception.
A vice minister in his later years is a person who was originally appointed as a vice minister who was much lower than me and was about to retire as vice minister for at least a month by His Majesty’s grace and retire honorably, so he is a vice minister but has almost no real power.
Therefore, it is as if the entire authority of this delegation is in my hands.
“Come back as much as you like, Captain Jaeger. Before that, let’s play with the crown prince for a bit. Also, Louise gave birth to a son, so this is a really lucky event. There’s about a week left until the mission is dispatched, so leave your schedule empty for tomorrow. “I also don’t have any plans for tomorrow.”
After a busy week of drinking with His Majesty and playing with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, I boarded a carriage heading to Switzerland.
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