What made me think he was the same as the Emperor was not the Crown Prince's smile itself, but his unique atmosphere.
It was exactly like the atmosphere the Emperor gave off when he was up to something.
Of course, the Crown Prince is the son of the Emperor and a loyal servant who follows the Emperor more than anyone else, so the atmosphere could be similar.
But I felt uneasy because I had never felt this way before.
I think there's something.
“Not one, but five places were occupied overnight.”
The meeting proceeded steadily even as I closely observed the Crown Prince.
“Even all five territories were attacked by Allied soldiers who had infiltrated the capital, and the gates were opened in vain.”
“Oh my, how lax is the security that you don’t even know that the Allied Forces have infiltrated the inside!”
“I heard that they infiltrated disguised as slaves or mercenaries guarding the merchants.”
“Did you just say that they were a mercenary guarding a slave or a merchant?”
The nobles were shocked and stirred.
Some of them wiggled their buttocks as if they were going to jump out of their seats at any moment.
The reason they are so agitated is because they too have bought a lot of slaves.
Not only that, they bought everything that could make money, including paintings, jewels, and magical items.
The value of gold coins is falling because of counterfeit coins, so they want to exchange them for real coins and keep them.
There was a limit to how much they could buy, like paintings or magic items, and storing them was a pain, but they weren't a slave.
There was no need to cherish or care for them, and they could use them however they wanted until they were sold, so there were quite a few nobles who bought them in large quantities.
Little did they know that those slaves were actually Allied soldiers.
Was it just the slaves? The slave merchants and mercenaries who transported them to the territory were all members of the Allied Forces.
“How on earth did they do the inspections to allow so many Allied forces to enter the Empire so easily!”
The Marquis of Prasis, a noble of the Imperial Party, shouted so loudly that the blood stood out in his throat.
“No matter how much you disguise it, this is an absurd number!”
“There was no choice. No matter how much they strengthened the security, they wouldn’t check the identity of even slaves.”
“That’s right. Since slaves are inherently opaque beings, verifying their status is of no use.”
When the nobles responded as if they didn't know that, the Marquis of Prasis's brow furrowed.
As the Marquis trembled as if he felt humiliated, the Crown Prince consoled him.
“I hope you don’t think too badly of it, Marquis, because everyone is so sensitive.”
“...I am sorry, Your Highness.”
“No. And now, rather than arguing over who is at fault, I think it is more important to reclaim the territories that were taken by the Allied Forces.”
“That’s right, Your Highness.”
The nobles, including Marquis Prasis, nodded their heads in agreement with the Crown Prince's words.
The Crown Prince continued speaking, looking at Count Montold, the leader of the Western Territory nobles.
“So, I think we will need the help of the Western Territory nobles in this recapture battle.”
All the territories taken by the Allied Forces were part of the Empire's western territories, so it was natural for the Crown Prince to request reinforcements from them.
It was something they were supposed to do.
“I’m sorry, but our family doesn’t have a knighthood...”
“We too are too... to send reinforcements.”
But their response was lukewarm because sending reinforcements could put their territory at risk.
Because most of the Western nobility bought a lot of slaves.
Besides, sending reinforcements would cost a lot of money, and they would have to shoulder all of that money, so they had no desire to do it.
After seeing the reaction of the Western Territory nobles, other nobles added their words.
“If there are no knights, we can just conscript them and send them.”
“I heard you bought a lot of slaves this time. How about sending them?”
They were trying to stop it somehow because if they said they couldn't do it, the burden would fall on them.
Anyway, everyone is selfish.
So it's easy to handle.
“Those slaves could be Allied forces, so how can we send them as reinforcements?”
“That’s right. Since it’s an unstable situation where we don’t know where the impure elements are mixed in, I think it would be better for the Imperial Knights to directly participate in this recapture battle.”
“That’s a good idea. The Imperial Knights are all selected from people of a certain status, so there’s no need to be anxious.”
The imperialist nobles, including the Marquis of Macmillan, rebelled at the words of the Western Territory nobles.
“That can’t be done. If we move the Imperial Knights, it could be a big problem if the impure elements attack the palace!”
“That’s right. Reclaiming the territory is important, but protecting His Majesty the Emperor is more important.”
“If you look at it this way, this incident happened because the Western Region was negligent in their investigation, so they should take responsibility for it.”
When they tried to slyly shift responsibility, the Western nobles got angry and shouted.
“What kind of nonsense is that! If you look at it that way, it’s all because of the central government’s incompetence in not being able to detect counterfeit gold coins!”
“Oh my, incompetent! How harsh!”
“Who was the one who spoke harshly first? Why are you saying such things!”
You fight well.
It was funny because the sight of them glaring at each other as they stood up and screamed as if they were going to eat each other was similar to the dogs I saw in dog fighting rings.
And no matter how excited you were, you raised your voice like this in front of the Crown Prince.
That meant that the nobles looked down on the Crown Prince.
It wasn't a crowd.
Because the Crown Prince was a dog with no sense of propriety, who did whatever the Emperor said.
There was even a rumor going around that the Emperor had made him the Crown Prince because he listened to the Emperor well.
“Are you done talking, Count Mongold?”
“Yes! Honestly, did I say something wrong? You don’t want to suffer losses, so you’re trying to pass the buck to us, right?”
“No matter how open your mouth is, you can’t say such nonsense...!”
Anyway, the fight became more and more intense because the nobles did not pay attention to the puppet Crown Prince.
Even in this situation, the Crown Prince just looked at them as if he was in trouble, and it seemed like he had no intention of stopping them.
I guess I have no choice but to stop it.
I threw the glass hard on the floor.
Clang.
As the sharp cracking sound spread, the conference room became quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.
All eyes were immediately focused on me.
The Crown Prince also looked at me with his eyes wide open in surprise.
I smiled at the Crown Prince.
"You were so excited that you forgot that His Highness the Crown Prince was here, so I couldn’t help but commit such a rude act. I apologize, Your Highness.”
"...It's okay."
Instead, I can't thank you enough for stepping forward, but I'm sorry for this lukewarm reaction.
I didn't mean to dry it for him, but I still felt a little bad.
For a moment, it seemed funny that I had thought that he and the Emperor had similar vibes.
If he were the Emperor, he would have become furious the moment the nobles raised their voices.
I waited a moment for the servant to clean up the broken glass, then I said.
“Although the territories that were taken away are all Western Territories, they are also part of the Empire’s territory. It makes no sense to place all the responsibility on the Western Territories nobles.”
At my words, the faces of the Western nobles brightened for a moment, while the expressions of the other nobles crumpled.
“Of course, I don’t intend to place all the responsibility on them.”
The Marquis of Prasis stepped forward and spoke on behalf of the group.
“We need to reclaim the territory as soon as possible, so I want you to come from the nearest western territory.”
Count Robert intervened.
“That’s right. The Western Territory nobles were to take the lead, and we were to provide support as the second contingent. As you know, Your Highness, it would take at least two weeks to send troops from the Eastern Territory to the Western Territory.”
“The same goes for our southern territory. Since all the recaptured territories are in the northwest, it will take at least ten days. And I’m talking about the territory closest to the western territory.”
Yes, that's what I wanted to say.
“Then we have no choice but to come out of the northern territory.”
“...!”
At my words, the nobles of the Northern Territory, including Count Martina, looked at me in surprise.
I looked straight into their eyes and asked them each word with emphasis.
“Would you like to join me?”
What I asked was not whether you would send reinforcements to the Western Territory together, but whether you would go along with the proposal I made two days ago.
If you didn't understand the hidden meaning because I spoke in circles... There's nothing I can do about it.
Because I didn't want to be in the same boat as someone who had no sense like that.
Fortunately, they all seemed to understand, and their eyes moved busily as if they were thinking about what to do.
“Of course.”
On the other hand, Count Martina nodded with a determined look in her eyes.
“I will also join Your Excellency in this cause.”
"Me too..."
Then, the northern nobles who had been just watching expressed their intention to join.
All the nobles who came to the warehouse that day.
It would have been a bit difficult if even one person had said no, but fortunately, it was not.
I smiled proudly, feeling a deep sense of relief in my heart.
“I am truly glad that Your Excellency the Duke has come forward.”
The Marquis of Prasis and the other nobles also smiled happily.
Since they came from the northern region, they must think they don't have to come out, so they're acting like that.
“So that’s what I’m saying.”
But what to do?
I have no intention of leaving you alone.
“We are trying to reclaim all the territories lost to the Allied Forces at once. What do you all think?”
It was exactly like the atmosphere the Emperor gave off when he was up to something.
Of course, the Crown Prince is the son of the Emperor and a loyal servant who follows the Emperor more than anyone else, so the atmosphere could be similar.
But I felt uneasy because I had never felt this way before.
I think there's something.
“Not one, but five places were occupied overnight.”
The meeting proceeded steadily even as I closely observed the Crown Prince.
“Even all five territories were attacked by Allied soldiers who had infiltrated the capital, and the gates were opened in vain.”
“Oh my, how lax is the security that you don’t even know that the Allied Forces have infiltrated the inside!”
“I heard that they infiltrated disguised as slaves or mercenaries guarding the merchants.”
“Did you just say that they were a mercenary guarding a slave or a merchant?”
The nobles were shocked and stirred.
Some of them wiggled their buttocks as if they were going to jump out of their seats at any moment.
The reason they are so agitated is because they too have bought a lot of slaves.
Not only that, they bought everything that could make money, including paintings, jewels, and magical items.
The value of gold coins is falling because of counterfeit coins, so they want to exchange them for real coins and keep them.
There was a limit to how much they could buy, like paintings or magic items, and storing them was a pain, but they weren't a slave.
There was no need to cherish or care for them, and they could use them however they wanted until they were sold, so there were quite a few nobles who bought them in large quantities.
Little did they know that those slaves were actually Allied soldiers.
Was it just the slaves? The slave merchants and mercenaries who transported them to the territory were all members of the Allied Forces.
“How on earth did they do the inspections to allow so many Allied forces to enter the Empire so easily!”
The Marquis of Prasis, a noble of the Imperial Party, shouted so loudly that the blood stood out in his throat.
“No matter how much you disguise it, this is an absurd number!”
“There was no choice. No matter how much they strengthened the security, they wouldn’t check the identity of even slaves.”
“That’s right. Since slaves are inherently opaque beings, verifying their status is of no use.”
When the nobles responded as if they didn't know that, the Marquis of Prasis's brow furrowed.
As the Marquis trembled as if he felt humiliated, the Crown Prince consoled him.
“I hope you don’t think too badly of it, Marquis, because everyone is so sensitive.”
“...I am sorry, Your Highness.”
“No. And now, rather than arguing over who is at fault, I think it is more important to reclaim the territories that were taken by the Allied Forces.”
“That’s right, Your Highness.”
The nobles, including Marquis Prasis, nodded their heads in agreement with the Crown Prince's words.
The Crown Prince continued speaking, looking at Count Montold, the leader of the Western Territory nobles.
“So, I think we will need the help of the Western Territory nobles in this recapture battle.”
All the territories taken by the Allied Forces were part of the Empire's western territories, so it was natural for the Crown Prince to request reinforcements from them.
It was something they were supposed to do.
“I’m sorry, but our family doesn’t have a knighthood...”
“We too are too... to send reinforcements.”
But their response was lukewarm because sending reinforcements could put their territory at risk.
Because most of the Western nobility bought a lot of slaves.
Besides, sending reinforcements would cost a lot of money, and they would have to shoulder all of that money, so they had no desire to do it.
After seeing the reaction of the Western Territory nobles, other nobles added their words.
“If there are no knights, we can just conscript them and send them.”
“I heard you bought a lot of slaves this time. How about sending them?”
They were trying to stop it somehow because if they said they couldn't do it, the burden would fall on them.
Anyway, everyone is selfish.
So it's easy to handle.
“Those slaves could be Allied forces, so how can we send them as reinforcements?”
“That’s right. Since it’s an unstable situation where we don’t know where the impure elements are mixed in, I think it would be better for the Imperial Knights to directly participate in this recapture battle.”
“That’s a good idea. The Imperial Knights are all selected from people of a certain status, so there’s no need to be anxious.”
The imperialist nobles, including the Marquis of Macmillan, rebelled at the words of the Western Territory nobles.
“That can’t be done. If we move the Imperial Knights, it could be a big problem if the impure elements attack the palace!”
“That’s right. Reclaiming the territory is important, but protecting His Majesty the Emperor is more important.”
“If you look at it this way, this incident happened because the Western Region was negligent in their investigation, so they should take responsibility for it.”
When they tried to slyly shift responsibility, the Western nobles got angry and shouted.
“What kind of nonsense is that! If you look at it that way, it’s all because of the central government’s incompetence in not being able to detect counterfeit gold coins!”
“Oh my, incompetent! How harsh!”
“Who was the one who spoke harshly first? Why are you saying such things!”
You fight well.
It was funny because the sight of them glaring at each other as they stood up and screamed as if they were going to eat each other was similar to the dogs I saw in dog fighting rings.
And no matter how excited you were, you raised your voice like this in front of the Crown Prince.
That meant that the nobles looked down on the Crown Prince.
It wasn't a crowd.
Because the Crown Prince was a dog with no sense of propriety, who did whatever the Emperor said.
There was even a rumor going around that the Emperor had made him the Crown Prince because he listened to the Emperor well.
“Are you done talking, Count Mongold?”
“Yes! Honestly, did I say something wrong? You don’t want to suffer losses, so you’re trying to pass the buck to us, right?”
“No matter how open your mouth is, you can’t say such nonsense...!”
Anyway, the fight became more and more intense because the nobles did not pay attention to the puppet Crown Prince.
Even in this situation, the Crown Prince just looked at them as if he was in trouble, and it seemed like he had no intention of stopping them.
I guess I have no choice but to stop it.
I threw the glass hard on the floor.
Clang.
As the sharp cracking sound spread, the conference room became quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.
All eyes were immediately focused on me.
The Crown Prince also looked at me with his eyes wide open in surprise.
I smiled at the Crown Prince.
"You were so excited that you forgot that His Highness the Crown Prince was here, so I couldn’t help but commit such a rude act. I apologize, Your Highness.”
"...It's okay."
Instead, I can't thank you enough for stepping forward, but I'm sorry for this lukewarm reaction.
I didn't mean to dry it for him, but I still felt a little bad.
For a moment, it seemed funny that I had thought that he and the Emperor had similar vibes.
If he were the Emperor, he would have become furious the moment the nobles raised their voices.
I waited a moment for the servant to clean up the broken glass, then I said.
“Although the territories that were taken away are all Western Territories, they are also part of the Empire’s territory. It makes no sense to place all the responsibility on the Western Territories nobles.”
At my words, the faces of the Western nobles brightened for a moment, while the expressions of the other nobles crumpled.
“Of course, I don’t intend to place all the responsibility on them.”
The Marquis of Prasis stepped forward and spoke on behalf of the group.
“We need to reclaim the territory as soon as possible, so I want you to come from the nearest western territory.”
Count Robert intervened.
“That’s right. The Western Territory nobles were to take the lead, and we were to provide support as the second contingent. As you know, Your Highness, it would take at least two weeks to send troops from the Eastern Territory to the Western Territory.”
“The same goes for our southern territory. Since all the recaptured territories are in the northwest, it will take at least ten days. And I’m talking about the territory closest to the western territory.”
Yes, that's what I wanted to say.
“Then we have no choice but to come out of the northern territory.”
“...!”
At my words, the nobles of the Northern Territory, including Count Martina, looked at me in surprise.
I looked straight into their eyes and asked them each word with emphasis.
“Would you like to join me?”
What I asked was not whether you would send reinforcements to the Western Territory together, but whether you would go along with the proposal I made two days ago.
If you didn't understand the hidden meaning because I spoke in circles... There's nothing I can do about it.
Because I didn't want to be in the same boat as someone who had no sense like that.
Fortunately, they all seemed to understand, and their eyes moved busily as if they were thinking about what to do.
“Of course.”
On the other hand, Count Martina nodded with a determined look in her eyes.
“I will also join Your Excellency in this cause.”
"Me too..."
Then, the northern nobles who had been just watching expressed their intention to join.
All the nobles who came to the warehouse that day.
It would have been a bit difficult if even one person had said no, but fortunately, it was not.
I smiled proudly, feeling a deep sense of relief in my heart.
“I am truly glad that Your Excellency the Duke has come forward.”
The Marquis of Prasis and the other nobles also smiled happily.
Since they came from the northern region, they must think they don't have to come out, so they're acting like that.
“So that’s what I’m saying.”
But what to do?
I have no intention of leaving you alone.
“We are trying to reclaim all the territories lost to the Allied Forces at once. What do you all think?”
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