Chapter 52
Ludwig took out the ring. The seal of the House of Stahlberg gleamed with unusual clarity.
"Join my faction. I'll let you bark when you need to bark and bite when you need to bite. Those who look down on you because of your lowly origins? …Deal with them however you like. I'll handle the consequences."
From my perspective, it was an offer I couldn't have asked for. Of course, there was no such thing as a free lunch.
"What interest rate should I pay on this debt?"
"Interest… As expected, you and I understand one another."
Ludwig smiled faintly.
"All right, for now, you can repay me by taking good care of my daughter. That girl has talent, but her fiery temper is a problem. A cold bastard like you needs to keep her reined in."
He paused for a moment, then fixed me with a meaningful look.
"Of course, if you have what it takes… I wouldn't mind seeing you climb onto that wild horse. The House of Stahlberg values ability over bloodline."
…Huh?
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Be off with you. Erika must be impatiently waiting outside."
I rose from my seat and gave him a crisp salute.
"Loyalty."
I was about to leave with the ring when Ludwig's voice suddenly came from behind me.
"Lieutenant Jaeger."
"Yes, Your Grace."
I stopped and turned around. Ludwig had risen from his seat and was standing before a massive map of the entire Empire hanging on the wall. His enormous shadow covered the whole map.
"It isn't the stupid imperial family that holds this rotten Empire together. It's us soldiers. In the end, the one holding the sword decides everything."
There was more in his voice than a soldier's simple pride. What was the right word for it? It was a kind of… commanding aura.
"That goal of yours, 'survival.' How about making it a little more ambitious?"
[Name: Ludwig von Stahlberg]
[Emotion: Ambition, conviction, and satisfaction with his new chess piece.]
[Hidden Desire: To rise to the most exalted position in the Empire.]
*
Creak-.
As soon as I closed the heavy study door behind me, Erika, who had been leaning against the wall across the hall, sprang forward. She came running at me, looking ready to grab me by the collar, and demanded,
"Max Jaeger! You… what did you talk about in there…? Don't tell me you told Father…"
I grinned, pulled out the ring I'd just received, and flicked it with my thumb.
"Who knows? Your father-in-law said I should seriously consider the two of us."
"What…? W-what we have between us…?"
Erika froze.
That lasted only a moment. Soon, her face turned red as a beet. It looked as though steam might shoot from the top of her head.
"…A-are you insane?!"
Erika shrieked. Passing servants glanced over, but she paid them no mind as she tried to grab me by the collar.
"I'm kidding. He just told me we should get along from now on."
"Liar! I know better than anyone that my father isn't the sort of person to offer blessings like that!"
"Have you always been this gullible? I'm telling the truth. Oh, and… he also said you should give his daughter a proper education."
"…What?"
"He told me to take hold of your reins. Very tightly."
My gaze began at her red twin tails and traveled down along the curves of her body. It passed over her generously swelling breasts, down her slender waist, and along the rising curve of her hips.
"W-what are you…!"
Erika was acutely aware of my gaze. Both her hands hurriedly covered her chest.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Erika von Stahlberg]
[Emotion: Extreme confusion and embarrassment, inexplicable relief, and a strange feeling blooming within her at the realization that Max Jaeger had truly won her father's acknowledgment.]
I left Erika standing there and began walking toward the end of the hallway.
"Y-you pervert…!"
Erika's shrill shout came from behind me, but instead of answering, I calmly slipped the ring into my pocket.
My one-on-one meeting with the Commander-in-Chief had gone well. I had established a new line of patronage—one far sturdier than anything a mere regimental commander could offer.
'Next, it was time to meet His Majesty the Emperor.'
My steps felt light.
*
For the next few days, the 7th Regiment was frantically busy preparing for the parade.
And today, at last, the parade began.
The central boulevard of Eisenburg, the capital, was packed with people. Citizens filled every inch from the rooftops to the branches of the roadside trees, and their cheers made the air tremble.
"Waaaaaaaah-!"
"Long live the Imperial Army! Long live the 7th Regiment!"
"That's the Ice Witch! She's really as beautiful as the rumors say!"
"Is that Lieutenant Jaeger? They say he came up with those ingenious tactics!"
Multicolored flower petals fluttered through the sky, while the marching band's music rang out majestically.
Wearing a crisply pressed dress uniform, I waved from atop a white horse.
"Smile, Captain. The citizens want to see you smile."
I whispered to Seraphina, who was riding the white horse beside me. Her expression had stiffened as though she were overwhelmed by the flood of cheers.
"…I'm not used to this. I'd rather have a horde of orcs charging at me."
"Orcs don't pay taxes, but those citizens do. Get as much out of them as you can."
The corners of her mouth relaxed slightly at my joke.
Looking back, the members of the 3rd Platoon were quite a sight. The hulking Gunter was sniffling with a deeply moved expression, while Kurt was too busy blowing kisses to the ladies to pay attention to anything else.
"Sergeant Gunter, wipe your nose. You're making us look undignified."
"Sniff, Lieutenant! I never thought a day like this would come in my lifetime… My mother should have been here to see it!"
Before long, our procession passed beneath the triumphal arch and entered through the massive main gate of the Imperial Palace.
Even the air inside the Imperial Palace was different. We soon arrived before the audience chamber.
"Colonel Karl von Dietrich, commander of the 7th Regiment, and the honored soldiers, enter!"
With the chamberlain's booming announcement, the doors to the audience chamber opened.
What unfolded before us was a red carpet with no end in sight. Guards stood in formation along either side, while the massive chandeliers and gold decorations covering the walls gleamed so brilliantly that they almost dazzled the eyes.
We advanced slowly along the red carpet.
Then I surveyed the surroundings from the corner of my eye.
The first person to catch my eye was, naturally, Ludwig von Stahlberg. He stood on the right side of the red carpet, with military officials in black dress uniforms lined up behind him. Their rank insignia were studded with stars, and their chests were laden with medals.
By contrast, on the left stood members of Parliament in flamboyant tailcoats, facing the military officials. At their head was a sharp-featured man.
The Imperial Chancellor, Leopold von Kallenberg.
If Ludwig represented the military—in other words, the Empire's sword—Leopold had a firm grip on its civil power: Parliament and the administration.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Leopold von Kallenberg]
[Affiliation: Imperial Parliament]
[Position: Imperial Chancellor]
[Status: Wary, calculating]
[Emotion: An instinctive aversion to the military's growing influence.]
'As expected.'
The rumors that Leopold and Ludwig were bitter enemies were true. He was clapping only for the sake of appearances. He clearly disliked this entire victory celebration, which strengthened the military's influence.
I withdrew my gaze from them. Then I raised it a little higher, and the second-floor balcony of the audience chamber came into view.
The fluttering hems of lavish dresses and fans. Noblewomen and young ladies who dominated Imperial high society had gathered there. Leaning against the railing, they looked down at us with curious eyes.
The two most eye-catching women were the Empress and the First Princess. They both had brilliant golden hair like molten gold and vivid red eyes like blood. They resembled each other, yet their demeanors were polar opposites.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Beatrice von Lichtenheim]
[Affiliation: Imperial Family]
[Position: Empress]
[Name: Aelith von Lohengart]
[Affiliation: Imperial Family]
[Position: First Princess (Heir to the Throne)]
[Status: Assessing whether there is a little piglet worth using as a toy.]
[Emotion: Boredom]
'A little piglet…. '
Aelith looked down at us with her chin raised. There wasn't the slightest hint of welcome in her gaze.
Finally, my gaze moved to the figure seated on the golden throne at the very top of the dais.
The Emperor, Ferdinand IV.
He leaned at an angle against his throne and looked down at us with a deliberately dignified expression.
'Status Analysis.'
[Name: Ferdinand von Lohengart]
[Race: Human]
[Affiliation: Empire]
[Position: Emperor]
[Status: Elation, narcissism]
[Emotion: Joy at the fact that his army had achieved victory.]
"We greet the sun of the Empire!"
We stopped beneath the dais and knelt with disciplined precision.
"Raise your heads, my brave lions!"
The Emperor sprang to his feet. His cloak fluttered.
"You cannot imagine how refreshing the victory report you brought me made my morning! You slaughtered those orcs in the Ashen Forest, did you? Excellent! That is precisely the indomitable style I wanted!"
He spread his arms in an exaggerated gesture.
"Now, tell me! What would you like me to bestow upon you? Gold? Lands? Or honor?"
The regimental commander trembled with emotion.
"Your Majesty! For a soldier of the Empire, there is no reward greater than destroying the enemy and protecting Your Majesty! We ask only that Your Majesty's radiance continue to shine across the entire continent!"
"Ha-ha! As I had heard, you are a loyal subject! Colonel, your loyalty shall serve as an example to the Empire!"
The Emperor laughed in satisfaction.
"But I am not a miserly master. It is both the duty and the obligation of an emperor to reward those who have rendered meritorious service as they deserve."
No sooner had the Emperor finished speaking than the chamberlain waiting at his side unrolled a scroll.
"In accordance with His Majesty's command, I shall bestow rewards and honors befitting the heroes who defended the Empire."
As the air in the audience chamber settled, the chamberlain's voice rang out thunderously.
At last, it was time for promotions.