As he listened to Iland's long speech that seemed to have no end in sight, Franz recalled a story Bartholomew had once told him.
"Kings who are crazy about luxury are common. But those who are crazy about war are less common than you might think. That man has no regard for real-world problems."
Iland was like someone who was addicted to gambling and couldn't get out. He was running towards the edge of a cliff, not knowing when to get out, even though he had put his money and even his own life on the line.
“What do you think?”
Iland, who had been talking nonsense that anyone with common sense would not have heard, gasped and his eyes sparkled. Just by looking at his usually pale face, which had turned bright red, you could tell how excited he was. If Franz refused this offer, he would grab him by the collar.
There was no need for delicate rhetoric in dealing with these people. Franz knew that if he threw them a slightly plausible bait, they would bite without even knowing what it was. However, he had no intention of underestimating them. He had to push them carefully so that they would walk step by step toward the prepared trap, without even knowing it.
“I too am interested in the territories occupied by the Grand Duchy of Melgan.”
At Franz's words, a color came to Iland's face. Franz continued.
“But Rotair has maintained peace with the two principalities for many years, bordering on them. In addition, there is constant fighting between the newly established United Kingdom and other small nations, causing anxiety among the people nearby.”
“So we have to wipe them all out by striking Melgan! Even if they are called the United Kingdom, they are just guys who roam the desert and kick up dust! What kind of system can there be for those guys?”
“Even if they don’t have a system, they have the tactics and military power they have accumulated through fighting wars for a long time. In particular, the King of Hibs of the Alliance is said to be someone who cannot be ignored on the battlefield.”
Franz, who had been speaking calmly, closed his mouth for a moment as if catching his breath. Iland couldn't even stand that moment of silence and wiggled his hips.
“If Rotair attacks Melgan without justification in this situation, it will certainly cause suffering to the people, regardless of the success or failure of the work. There is no way that my Father would approve of such a thing. Of course, neither would I.”
Iland frowned as if he sensed that things were not going as he had hoped. However, he was not about to give up on persuading Franz. For him, this was an opportunity he could not afford to miss.
The fact that the land where the Grand Duchy of Melgan took root, and the people belonging to the duchy, as well as some small countries, have been able to prosper up to this point, is proof of how affluent their land was.
On the other hand, Tien was once a country that had amassed immense wealth from silver and sapphire mines, but since the mines were so developed, it was difficult for other industries to develop. That was also one reason why the finances were falling down the stairs after the mines were emptied.
Although Iland was addicted to reckless war, there was a certain desperation in his rush to seize the Grand Duchy of Melgan. If he failed this time, only miserable destruction awaited the kingdom.
“Prince, no, Franz, listen carefully to what I say. You can make up a cause. Think of the great conquerors and heroes of the battlefields recorded in history. They didn’t have any plausible causes. A cause is something that the winner creates. It’s not that you have to have a cause to become a winner.”
When he finished speaking, Franz almost laughed involuntarily. Just from that short statement, he could guess how Iland had lived his whole life. He felt a faint pity for him, who had lived a life filled with excuses and rationalizations until he finally believed them as truth.
“The proposal that Tien and Rotair should attack Melgan together is unacceptable. Also, it is unacceptable to provide financial support for Tien’s war in the name of the Rotair royal family. However.”
Every time a word came out of Franz's mouth, Iland's expression, which had been changing moment by moment, hardened into impatience. He had been licking his lips repeatedly, flicking his tongue like a reptile since a while ago. He was so thirsty that he couldn't stand it. Franz, who had been watching him for a while, bit his body a little.
“If Tien’s troops want to enter Melgun, it would be best to go through Rotair’s southern border. There is a detour, but wouldn’t that take too much time?”
“Of course. But?”
“The one currently in charge of the southern border is the Second Prince, Krald. Your Majesty, you have probably heard of him.”
“Second Prince...? Are you talking about the Queen Mother’s biological son?”
Iland, who blurted out the words without thinking, looked at Franz with a look of surprise on his face. Franz nodded with a wry smile on his face.
“Yes. He is in charge of the Southern Margrave. He is the only Grand Duke of Rotair and my brother, so I will send someone to the South to tell him of the King’s intentions.”
“Well, then...”
“If you need it, we will make arrangements to receive support from the South. Even if the Melgan side finds out about this, they can cover it up if it is not officially supported in the name of the Crown.”
Iland's mouth slowly opened towards his ear. He was almost full of laughter at the thought that things were going much better than he had expected.
Even while suggesting that they should attack the South together, Iland actually did not have high expectations for Franz’s answer. If Franz had suggested that they do so, it would have been good for the time being, but the things to deal with afterward would have been quite a headache.
So, it was best for Iland to receive only the support he was satisfied with. It would have been quite troublesome to get official permission for it. However, if he used the second Prince to resort to trickery, there would be no need for Duke Vergy or other officials to interfere with his efforts. He wanted to have a good laugh.
Franz stood up. Iland followed suit. Then Franz's hand was extended forward. Iland looked puzzled, not knowing what it meant. Franz said.
“In Rotair, this greeting is exchanged between friends who share a trust in one another.”
Iland, who had been looking dumbfounded for a moment, finally let out a small exclamation and grabbed Franz’s hand. Franz felt the sticky feeling of his palm soaked with cold sweat. He held Iland’s hand for a moment and then moved his lips to smile.
“Go back to Tien and reorganize your army. I will send someone to the south immediately.”
“Let it be so. When Tien’s flag flutters in triumph, I will never forget the help I received today.”
He knew that it was just a joke, that it didn't contain a single penny of truth, but Franz played it off skillfully. After Iland left the drawing room, satisfied, Franz sighed deeply and sat down in his chair. Then he looked at the palm he had held. It was still damp and cool, almost to the point of feeling gloomy, and it seemed to linger on his skin.
The door opened again. The one who came in was Duke Vergy. He had pretended to leave and stayed nearby, but he had returned immediately after hearing that Iland had left the Magnus Palace. Franz clenched and unclenched his empty hands a few times and looked up at the Duke.
“Your Highness, what has happened to you?”
“The intended purpose has been achieved. He will probably return to Tien today.”
“That’s fortunate. I was worried that he might suspect our intentions.”
“There would have been no time for that. If there had been any judgment left, this would not have happened in the first place.”
Franz continued, staring blankly at the teacup that Iland had not touched.
“There is something my uncle needs to do.”
“Please speak, Your Highness.”
“I need a few people I can trust. Heimrad and... maybe three or four more. I asked you to pick someone to send south before. I want them to go south and deliver the orders, then stay there for a while, unnoticed, to monitor the situation.”
“I will do that.”
“And send someone to the Grand Duchy of Melgan. I will write a letter to the Grand Duke of Melgan. Deliver it and be sure to get a reply. It must be done secretly.”
Duke Vergy nodded.
“Let everyone know that Your Highness is sending messengers to the south. Pretend to be very indignant that His Highness Krald is neglecting his duties as a Margrave. It would be best if you ordered me to send the messengers while the other officials watch.”
Among the nobles who attended the conference and visited the palace, there were still those who formed factions centered around Queen Gilsis and Duke Laetian. They tried every means to regain their former power for several years but ultimately failed to achieve their goal. To make matters worse, after Duke Laetian and Krald moved south at the same time, the divisions began to show signs of becoming even more intense.
Those who insisted on continuing to support Queen Gilsis and the Duke of Laetian were inevitably at a disadvantage day by day. Therefore, they were desperate to find even the smallest excuse to bring down Franz and the Duke of Vergy.
If Franz showed any signs of anger at Krald's neglect of duty, they would immediately report this to the Queen's Palace and the South. It was obvious that they would accuse the Crown Prince of neglecting his duties and attempting to wield excessive power while the King was weakened.
While their attention was focused on the south and Franz's battle of wits, he had to quickly persuade the Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of Melgen to come over to his side. The key was whether he could persuade the ruler of a country with which Rotair had not had much contact up to that point with just one letter.
Franz nodded, understanding Duke Vergy's intentions. Like it or not, the fight had already begun. To win, it was necessary to pretend to be weak. So that they would be mistaken and rush in on their own.
“My letter alone might not be enough to convince Grand Duke Melgan. I’ve never met him in person, but I’ve heard he’s a very stubborn and difficult person. Maybe he’d rather go to war with Tien. But if we’re going to use this bait to lure Krald in as well, we need Grand Duke Melgan.”
The Duke nodded slowly as if he understood. At first glance, his expression seemed solemn. Franz pressed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger and let out a short sigh. In his slight headache and anxious anxiety, he thought of Judith. It was the very same figure who had reached out to him when they first met and asked for a greeting.
"Kings who are crazy about luxury are common. But those who are crazy about war are less common than you might think. That man has no regard for real-world problems."
Iland was like someone who was addicted to gambling and couldn't get out. He was running towards the edge of a cliff, not knowing when to get out, even though he had put his money and even his own life on the line.
“What do you think?”
Iland, who had been talking nonsense that anyone with common sense would not have heard, gasped and his eyes sparkled. Just by looking at his usually pale face, which had turned bright red, you could tell how excited he was. If Franz refused this offer, he would grab him by the collar.
There was no need for delicate rhetoric in dealing with these people. Franz knew that if he threw them a slightly plausible bait, they would bite without even knowing what it was. However, he had no intention of underestimating them. He had to push them carefully so that they would walk step by step toward the prepared trap, without even knowing it.
“I too am interested in the territories occupied by the Grand Duchy of Melgan.”
At Franz's words, a color came to Iland's face. Franz continued.
“But Rotair has maintained peace with the two principalities for many years, bordering on them. In addition, there is constant fighting between the newly established United Kingdom and other small nations, causing anxiety among the people nearby.”
“So we have to wipe them all out by striking Melgan! Even if they are called the United Kingdom, they are just guys who roam the desert and kick up dust! What kind of system can there be for those guys?”
“Even if they don’t have a system, they have the tactics and military power they have accumulated through fighting wars for a long time. In particular, the King of Hibs of the Alliance is said to be someone who cannot be ignored on the battlefield.”
Franz, who had been speaking calmly, closed his mouth for a moment as if catching his breath. Iland couldn't even stand that moment of silence and wiggled his hips.
“If Rotair attacks Melgan without justification in this situation, it will certainly cause suffering to the people, regardless of the success or failure of the work. There is no way that my Father would approve of such a thing. Of course, neither would I.”
Iland frowned as if he sensed that things were not going as he had hoped. However, he was not about to give up on persuading Franz. For him, this was an opportunity he could not afford to miss.
The fact that the land where the Grand Duchy of Melgan took root, and the people belonging to the duchy, as well as some small countries, have been able to prosper up to this point, is proof of how affluent their land was.
On the other hand, Tien was once a country that had amassed immense wealth from silver and sapphire mines, but since the mines were so developed, it was difficult for other industries to develop. That was also one reason why the finances were falling down the stairs after the mines were emptied.
Although Iland was addicted to reckless war, there was a certain desperation in his rush to seize the Grand Duchy of Melgan. If he failed this time, only miserable destruction awaited the kingdom.
“Prince, no, Franz, listen carefully to what I say. You can make up a cause. Think of the great conquerors and heroes of the battlefields recorded in history. They didn’t have any plausible causes. A cause is something that the winner creates. It’s not that you have to have a cause to become a winner.”
When he finished speaking, Franz almost laughed involuntarily. Just from that short statement, he could guess how Iland had lived his whole life. He felt a faint pity for him, who had lived a life filled with excuses and rationalizations until he finally believed them as truth.
“The proposal that Tien and Rotair should attack Melgan together is unacceptable. Also, it is unacceptable to provide financial support for Tien’s war in the name of the Rotair royal family. However.”
Every time a word came out of Franz's mouth, Iland's expression, which had been changing moment by moment, hardened into impatience. He had been licking his lips repeatedly, flicking his tongue like a reptile since a while ago. He was so thirsty that he couldn't stand it. Franz, who had been watching him for a while, bit his body a little.
“If Tien’s troops want to enter Melgun, it would be best to go through Rotair’s southern border. There is a detour, but wouldn’t that take too much time?”
“Of course. But?”
“The one currently in charge of the southern border is the Second Prince, Krald. Your Majesty, you have probably heard of him.”
“Second Prince...? Are you talking about the Queen Mother’s biological son?”
Iland, who blurted out the words without thinking, looked at Franz with a look of surprise on his face. Franz nodded with a wry smile on his face.
“Yes. He is in charge of the Southern Margrave. He is the only Grand Duke of Rotair and my brother, so I will send someone to the South to tell him of the King’s intentions.”
“Well, then...”
“If you need it, we will make arrangements to receive support from the South. Even if the Melgan side finds out about this, they can cover it up if it is not officially supported in the name of the Crown.”
Iland's mouth slowly opened towards his ear. He was almost full of laughter at the thought that things were going much better than he had expected.
Even while suggesting that they should attack the South together, Iland actually did not have high expectations for Franz’s answer. If Franz had suggested that they do so, it would have been good for the time being, but the things to deal with afterward would have been quite a headache.
So, it was best for Iland to receive only the support he was satisfied with. It would have been quite troublesome to get official permission for it. However, if he used the second Prince to resort to trickery, there would be no need for Duke Vergy or other officials to interfere with his efforts. He wanted to have a good laugh.
Franz stood up. Iland followed suit. Then Franz's hand was extended forward. Iland looked puzzled, not knowing what it meant. Franz said.
“In Rotair, this greeting is exchanged between friends who share a trust in one another.”
Iland, who had been looking dumbfounded for a moment, finally let out a small exclamation and grabbed Franz’s hand. Franz felt the sticky feeling of his palm soaked with cold sweat. He held Iland’s hand for a moment and then moved his lips to smile.
“Go back to Tien and reorganize your army. I will send someone to the south immediately.”
“Let it be so. When Tien’s flag flutters in triumph, I will never forget the help I received today.”
He knew that it was just a joke, that it didn't contain a single penny of truth, but Franz played it off skillfully. After Iland left the drawing room, satisfied, Franz sighed deeply and sat down in his chair. Then he looked at the palm he had held. It was still damp and cool, almost to the point of feeling gloomy, and it seemed to linger on his skin.
The door opened again. The one who came in was Duke Vergy. He had pretended to leave and stayed nearby, but he had returned immediately after hearing that Iland had left the Magnus Palace. Franz clenched and unclenched his empty hands a few times and looked up at the Duke.
“Your Highness, what has happened to you?”
“The intended purpose has been achieved. He will probably return to Tien today.”
“That’s fortunate. I was worried that he might suspect our intentions.”
“There would have been no time for that. If there had been any judgment left, this would not have happened in the first place.”
Franz continued, staring blankly at the teacup that Iland had not touched.
“There is something my uncle needs to do.”
“Please speak, Your Highness.”
“I need a few people I can trust. Heimrad and... maybe three or four more. I asked you to pick someone to send south before. I want them to go south and deliver the orders, then stay there for a while, unnoticed, to monitor the situation.”
“I will do that.”
“And send someone to the Grand Duchy of Melgan. I will write a letter to the Grand Duke of Melgan. Deliver it and be sure to get a reply. It must be done secretly.”
Duke Vergy nodded.
“Let everyone know that Your Highness is sending messengers to the south. Pretend to be very indignant that His Highness Krald is neglecting his duties as a Margrave. It would be best if you ordered me to send the messengers while the other officials watch.”
Among the nobles who attended the conference and visited the palace, there were still those who formed factions centered around Queen Gilsis and Duke Laetian. They tried every means to regain their former power for several years but ultimately failed to achieve their goal. To make matters worse, after Duke Laetian and Krald moved south at the same time, the divisions began to show signs of becoming even more intense.
Those who insisted on continuing to support Queen Gilsis and the Duke of Laetian were inevitably at a disadvantage day by day. Therefore, they were desperate to find even the smallest excuse to bring down Franz and the Duke of Vergy.
If Franz showed any signs of anger at Krald's neglect of duty, they would immediately report this to the Queen's Palace and the South. It was obvious that they would accuse the Crown Prince of neglecting his duties and attempting to wield excessive power while the King was weakened.
While their attention was focused on the south and Franz's battle of wits, he had to quickly persuade the Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of Melgen to come over to his side. The key was whether he could persuade the ruler of a country with which Rotair had not had much contact up to that point with just one letter.
Franz nodded, understanding Duke Vergy's intentions. Like it or not, the fight had already begun. To win, it was necessary to pretend to be weak. So that they would be mistaken and rush in on their own.
“My letter alone might not be enough to convince Grand Duke Melgan. I’ve never met him in person, but I’ve heard he’s a very stubborn and difficult person. Maybe he’d rather go to war with Tien. But if we’re going to use this bait to lure Krald in as well, we need Grand Duke Melgan.”
The Duke nodded slowly as if he understood. At first glance, his expression seemed solemn. Franz pressed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger and let out a short sigh. In his slight headache and anxious anxiety, he thought of Judith. It was the very same figure who had reached out to him when they first met and asked for a greeting.
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