The Emperor's personal knights, the Anatome Guard.
It was a secret organization, with no clear information on how many people there were or who belonged to it.
The reason I was able to recognize Usher Andrea as an Anatome bodyguard was because I had crossed swords with him in my second life and I remembered it.
If he didn't remember anything, he wouldn't have recognized Usher Andrea as one of the Anatome Guards.
For the same reason, it would have been normal for Aldor not to have done so, but he recognized him immediately.
Come to think of it, it was also Sir Aldor who told me that the suspicious knights who had accompanied Chernosser earlier were actually members of the Anatome Guard.
At that time, Leo was entrusted with the background check of the escort knight, but that was not the case with Usher Andrea.
There was no time to do any background checks.
But what I found out was... it was clear that Sir Aldor remembered his previous life.
I don't know how much he remembers, but when I think about what he said and did in the past, I'm sure he remembers his second life.
'Why the second life?'
In my second life, Sir Aldor and I were a formal couple.
But I felt a little embarrassed that I remembered that time.
As I groaned and held my head, Count Martina, who was looking at the map, asked me with concern.
“Where does it hurt, Your Excellency?”
I waved my hand to indicate that it was okay, then looked down at the map of the empire.
At the moment, it was more important to discuss future plans than to find out how much of Sir Aldor's memory he had.
“You said that the Western Nobles would take charge of recapturing Nodan and Aman?”
“Yes. The recapture of Owen has been entrusted to the Imperial Knights.”
And the commander leading that imperial knighthood is none other than Perdes.
Of course, since Perdes had no experience in this area, he said that the detailed operational plans were drawn up by the Marshal's Office and the Knight Commanders.
That is, Perdes is a puppet commander in name only.
It is safe to say that he did not directly participate in the war or express his opinion.
'So that's why the Emperor appointed Perdes as Commander-in-Chief?'
It doesn't matter who makes the scarecrow.
If that was the case, then it was understandable why the Emperor would do such a thing, but I still did not want to send him to the battlefield.
I guess I'll have to talk to Perdes about this again.
“The territories we will be in charge of are Dilrom and Frond.”
Count Martina planted his flag in two fiefdoms relatively close to the northern territories.
“If we want to retake both territories at the same time, we will need to split our army in two. What criteria should we use to divide them?”
“You have to divide it into three, not two.”
“Huh? What are you talking about...?”
“This is exactly my plan.”
I took the model of a horseman on horseback from the northernmost point all the way to the capital, drawing a straight line.
Count Martina's eyes widened as if he immediately understood what I was trying to say.
“D, so you’re saying you’re going to advance to the capital, not to Dilrom or Frond?”
"Yes."
“But that is...”
When Count Martina could not bring himself to continue speaking, he kindly spoke in his stead.
“You want to call it treason, right?”
“...!”
Count Martina looked around, startled like a freshly caught live fish.
“What are you looking around for? There’s no one else here but you and me anyway.”
Originally, Perdes was there too, but he had to be sent away because Count Martina did not like him.
“Well, that’s true, but...”
“It’s okay. As long as you don’t betray me, this fact will never leak out.”
I trust you that much.
As he spoke, Count Martina slumped his shoulders as if he were carrying a very heavy load.
Is this the only reaction you're getting?
If they knew I joined hands with the Allies, they would be shocked and dumbfounded.
I wanted to tell you that too, but I kept it a secret because I thought revealing too much would be poisonous, even though we were in the same boat.
This is also a fact that doesn't necessarily need to be told.
“In this recapture battle, Owen, which the Imperial Knights are in charge of, is the largest city among the lost territories and has strong walls, so a lot of force is needed to recapture it.”
The funny thing is, of the five fiefdoms, Owen was the easiest to take.
The more you have, the more things you want to protect, that's human psychology.
Count Owen, the lord of Owen, began buying up slaves and magical items as soon as the counterfeit gold coin scandal broke out.
Thanks to this, the allied forces disguised as slaves, merchants, and mercenaries were able to easily infiltrate the castle.
As a result, not only were all of Count Owen's households taken hostage, but the castle gates were also opened the fastest.
But it was ironic and funny that he said getting Owen back was the hardest part.
“To recapture Owen, at least three of the four Imperial Knights must be deployed. Then the palace security will be weakened to a degree that cannot be compared to what it is now.”
I put down the red flag as if I was planting it in the capital.
“My goal is to take control of the palace and destroy the Emperor’s coffin during this gap.”
The knights sent from the Eastern and Southern Territories were supposed to protect the Imperial Family in place of the Imperial Knights, but to me, that was more beneficial.
The more unknown knights there were, the easier it was to infiltrate my knights.
Count Martina asked, blinking slowly.
“Are you saying that you will not take away the Emperor’s crown... but rather... break it?”
“Yes. I will completely destroy it so that no one can ever wear the Emperor’s crown again.”
I also intended to completely destroy it in front of the Emperor.
Then the Emperor will be deeply despairing.
Just thinking about seeing that sight made me happy.
The Emperor's crown, like the national seal, was an object that symbolized the Emperor.
But destroying it so that it cannot be used meant destroying the throne.
To eliminate the throne would be to eliminate the empire itself.
Count Martina, who was quick-witted, would have immediately understood what I meant.
“...”
As if he had noticed, his expression turned slightly pale.
He covered his mouth and spoke as if talking to himself.
“I see... that’s what you meant by independence from the empire.”
“So you’re scared?”
Count Martina looked at me.
His eyes, shaking helplessly, seemed to represent his complicated emotions.
“Do you regret holding my hand, or getting on the same boat as me? Do you want to run away even now?”
Although I spoke calmly, I was trembling inside.
If Count Martina wanted to run away, I had to deal with him with my own hands.
Knowing so much, I could never just let him go.
So, I met Count Martina's gaze, hoping that such an unfortunate incident would not occur.
A heavy, quiet silence flowed through the room.
As if his complicated mind was being sorted out, his wavering eyes became firm.
Count Martina closed his eyes tightly, let out a deep sigh, and then opened them with a faint smile on his lips.
“To be honest... Yes, I am afraid. I have never once thought about becoming independent from the Empire.”
I guess so.
I wouldn't have done this if the Emperor hadn't tried to kill me and take everything from me.
“Besides, I am very embarrassed that you are not simply becoming independent, but are doing something so enormous... But I guess I have to do it.”
Count Martina picked up the red flag and placed it next to the red flag I had put down.
“I can’t run away now and say I can’t do it, and I don’t want to run away. Since I started, I have to see it through to the end.”
His tone was slightly playful, but his gaze was serious.
It seems that he spoke lightly in some ways to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
I really appreciated his willingness to join me, even though it must have been a difficult decision.
I wanted to hold his hand and say thank you, but I couldn't because I felt like I would burst into pent-up emotions.
"...Thank you."
Instead, I mumbled my thanks.
I wanted to speak more clearly, but I was holding back my emotions, so this was the best I could do.
"No."
Fortunately, my feelings were conveyed well, and Count Martina smiled brightly.
“By the way, I am worried about what the other nobles will think when they hear of Your Excellency’s plan.”
Count Martina's expression became serious again.
“The other nobles of the Northern Territory, including Viscount Rensor, believe that Your Excellency the Duke will make a great contribution in this recapture war and ask His Majesty the Emperor to grant independence to the territory.”
“It doesn’t matter if he thinks that way. I didn’t intend to explain it to them in detail anyway.”
From the beginning, the only person I needed was Count Martina.
It didn't really matter if the other northern nobles weren't there.
Well, it's a bit more convenient to have it.
“As I said at the beginning, the unit will be divided into three groups.”
I picked up three models of riders and placed two of them on the front and the dilom.
“The unit led by Viscount Rensor and Countess Martina.”
And I smiled as I placed the last remaining model of the rider on the capital.
“And the unit I lead. Like this.”
It was a secret organization, with no clear information on how many people there were or who belonged to it.
The reason I was able to recognize Usher Andrea as an Anatome bodyguard was because I had crossed swords with him in my second life and I remembered it.
If he didn't remember anything, he wouldn't have recognized Usher Andrea as one of the Anatome Guards.
For the same reason, it would have been normal for Aldor not to have done so, but he recognized him immediately.
Come to think of it, it was also Sir Aldor who told me that the suspicious knights who had accompanied Chernosser earlier were actually members of the Anatome Guard.
At that time, Leo was entrusted with the background check of the escort knight, but that was not the case with Usher Andrea.
There was no time to do any background checks.
But what I found out was... it was clear that Sir Aldor remembered his previous life.
I don't know how much he remembers, but when I think about what he said and did in the past, I'm sure he remembers his second life.
'Why the second life?'
In my second life, Sir Aldor and I were a formal couple.
But I felt a little embarrassed that I remembered that time.
As I groaned and held my head, Count Martina, who was looking at the map, asked me with concern.
“Where does it hurt, Your Excellency?”
I waved my hand to indicate that it was okay, then looked down at the map of the empire.
At the moment, it was more important to discuss future plans than to find out how much of Sir Aldor's memory he had.
“You said that the Western Nobles would take charge of recapturing Nodan and Aman?”
“Yes. The recapture of Owen has been entrusted to the Imperial Knights.”
And the commander leading that imperial knighthood is none other than Perdes.
Of course, since Perdes had no experience in this area, he said that the detailed operational plans were drawn up by the Marshal's Office and the Knight Commanders.
That is, Perdes is a puppet commander in name only.
It is safe to say that he did not directly participate in the war or express his opinion.
'So that's why the Emperor appointed Perdes as Commander-in-Chief?'
It doesn't matter who makes the scarecrow.
If that was the case, then it was understandable why the Emperor would do such a thing, but I still did not want to send him to the battlefield.
I guess I'll have to talk to Perdes about this again.
“The territories we will be in charge of are Dilrom and Frond.”
Count Martina planted his flag in two fiefdoms relatively close to the northern territories.
“If we want to retake both territories at the same time, we will need to split our army in two. What criteria should we use to divide them?”
“You have to divide it into three, not two.”
“Huh? What are you talking about...?”
“This is exactly my plan.”
I took the model of a horseman on horseback from the northernmost point all the way to the capital, drawing a straight line.
Count Martina's eyes widened as if he immediately understood what I was trying to say.
“D, so you’re saying you’re going to advance to the capital, not to Dilrom or Frond?”
"Yes."
“But that is...”
When Count Martina could not bring himself to continue speaking, he kindly spoke in his stead.
“You want to call it treason, right?”
“...!”
Count Martina looked around, startled like a freshly caught live fish.
“What are you looking around for? There’s no one else here but you and me anyway.”
Originally, Perdes was there too, but he had to be sent away because Count Martina did not like him.
“Well, that’s true, but...”
“It’s okay. As long as you don’t betray me, this fact will never leak out.”
I trust you that much.
As he spoke, Count Martina slumped his shoulders as if he were carrying a very heavy load.
Is this the only reaction you're getting?
If they knew I joined hands with the Allies, they would be shocked and dumbfounded.
I wanted to tell you that too, but I kept it a secret because I thought revealing too much would be poisonous, even though we were in the same boat.
This is also a fact that doesn't necessarily need to be told.
“In this recapture battle, Owen, which the Imperial Knights are in charge of, is the largest city among the lost territories and has strong walls, so a lot of force is needed to recapture it.”
The funny thing is, of the five fiefdoms, Owen was the easiest to take.
The more you have, the more things you want to protect, that's human psychology.
Count Owen, the lord of Owen, began buying up slaves and magical items as soon as the counterfeit gold coin scandal broke out.
Thanks to this, the allied forces disguised as slaves, merchants, and mercenaries were able to easily infiltrate the castle.
As a result, not only were all of Count Owen's households taken hostage, but the castle gates were also opened the fastest.
But it was ironic and funny that he said getting Owen back was the hardest part.
“To recapture Owen, at least three of the four Imperial Knights must be deployed. Then the palace security will be weakened to a degree that cannot be compared to what it is now.”
I put down the red flag as if I was planting it in the capital.
“My goal is to take control of the palace and destroy the Emperor’s coffin during this gap.”
The knights sent from the Eastern and Southern Territories were supposed to protect the Imperial Family in place of the Imperial Knights, but to me, that was more beneficial.
The more unknown knights there were, the easier it was to infiltrate my knights.
Count Martina asked, blinking slowly.
“Are you saying that you will not take away the Emperor’s crown... but rather... break it?”
“Yes. I will completely destroy it so that no one can ever wear the Emperor’s crown again.”
I also intended to completely destroy it in front of the Emperor.
Then the Emperor will be deeply despairing.
Just thinking about seeing that sight made me happy.
The Emperor's crown, like the national seal, was an object that symbolized the Emperor.
But destroying it so that it cannot be used meant destroying the throne.
To eliminate the throne would be to eliminate the empire itself.
Count Martina, who was quick-witted, would have immediately understood what I meant.
“...”
As if he had noticed, his expression turned slightly pale.
He covered his mouth and spoke as if talking to himself.
“I see... that’s what you meant by independence from the empire.”
“So you’re scared?”
Count Martina looked at me.
His eyes, shaking helplessly, seemed to represent his complicated emotions.
“Do you regret holding my hand, or getting on the same boat as me? Do you want to run away even now?”
Although I spoke calmly, I was trembling inside.
If Count Martina wanted to run away, I had to deal with him with my own hands.
Knowing so much, I could never just let him go.
So, I met Count Martina's gaze, hoping that such an unfortunate incident would not occur.
A heavy, quiet silence flowed through the room.
As if his complicated mind was being sorted out, his wavering eyes became firm.
Count Martina closed his eyes tightly, let out a deep sigh, and then opened them with a faint smile on his lips.
“To be honest... Yes, I am afraid. I have never once thought about becoming independent from the Empire.”
I guess so.
I wouldn't have done this if the Emperor hadn't tried to kill me and take everything from me.
“Besides, I am very embarrassed that you are not simply becoming independent, but are doing something so enormous... But I guess I have to do it.”
Count Martina picked up the red flag and placed it next to the red flag I had put down.
“I can’t run away now and say I can’t do it, and I don’t want to run away. Since I started, I have to see it through to the end.”
His tone was slightly playful, but his gaze was serious.
It seems that he spoke lightly in some ways to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
I really appreciated his willingness to join me, even though it must have been a difficult decision.
I wanted to hold his hand and say thank you, but I couldn't because I felt like I would burst into pent-up emotions.
"...Thank you."
Instead, I mumbled my thanks.
I wanted to speak more clearly, but I was holding back my emotions, so this was the best I could do.
"No."
Fortunately, my feelings were conveyed well, and Count Martina smiled brightly.
“By the way, I am worried about what the other nobles will think when they hear of Your Excellency’s plan.”
Count Martina's expression became serious again.
“The other nobles of the Northern Territory, including Viscount Rensor, believe that Your Excellency the Duke will make a great contribution in this recapture war and ask His Majesty the Emperor to grant independence to the territory.”
“It doesn’t matter if he thinks that way. I didn’t intend to explain it to them in detail anyway.”
From the beginning, the only person I needed was Count Martina.
It didn't really matter if the other northern nobles weren't there.
Well, it's a bit more convenient to have it.
“As I said at the beginning, the unit will be divided into three groups.”
I picked up three models of riders and placed two of them on the front and the dilom.
“The unit led by Viscount Rensor and Countess Martina.”
And I smiled as I placed the last remaining model of the rider on the capital.
“And the unit I lead. Like this.”
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