Chapter 48
Around the time when the news that the empire had occupied Anyac, Saint-Toire, and Montfieu reached the royal family of the Brotan Kingdom.
"A letter from General Gerhart Weissilt has arrived."
"...Hmm."
Gerhart's report containing this information also arrived for Louise, who was idly passing time in her office.
As the previous report was sent while preparing for a counterattack and only briefly described the battle results.
When a report arrived with detailed content including the situation at the time and achievements, she quickly read through the report, and,
"I will hold a meeting tomorrow! Summon the nobles!"
She immediately summoned the nobles as soon as she finished confirming the contents.
The next day.
"...What's the matter?"
"Judging by Her Majesty's expression, it doesn't seem to be bad news."
"I suppose so?"
The nobles who came to the imperial palace's audience chamber could see Louise with a deep smile on her face, unlike usual.
"..."
Theodore was the most surprised by this appearance.
Recently, she hadn't been gathering talented individuals like before, and had been consistently showing a bored expression during meetings, but suddenly she called the nobles and was sitting on the throne with a bright smile.
Theodore, who had been blankly staring at her face from afar, thought he should call the portrait artist again as he headed to his seat.
"Is everyone here?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Then let's begin. Ahem, ahem."
Louise, clearing her throat with a fake cough,
"You must know that the imperial army of 55,000 led by Corps Commander Gerhart Weissilt, Corps Commander Viktor, and Corps Commander Friedrich Gunter achieved a great victory at Lake Apitello."
She began by mentioning the imperial army's victory, called the 'Battle of Lake Apitello', which was reported to the capital about a week ago.
"That's right. It's a great victory brought about by General Gerhart's excellent strategy."
"Hmm, hmm."
"If it's General Gerhart, it's certainly possible."
Theodore immediately stepped forward and attributed the merit of that battle to Gerhart, and other nobles who had only seen reports with simple content before also nodded, knowing Gerhart's competence as a matter of course, but.
"Hmm, indeed."
Louise, muttering a meaningful word, took out a report from her bosom.
"Just yesterday, a report from Corps Commander Gerhart arrived detailing the progress of the battle and the current situation at the border. Lord Theodore."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"The dispatch of reinforcements was also your opinion. Would you read it aloud so everyone can hear?"
"Understood."
Theodore, feeling an inexplicable anxiety at Louise's sudden instruction, bowed his head and approached to receive the report.
"..."
Theodore's eyes twitched as he quickly confirmed the contents after opening the report, but,
"Begin."
"...I will read. I, Gerhart Weissilt, report to Her Majesty Louise Zainburg the Great."
At Louise's order, he helplessly began to read Gerhart's report.
"Under the name of the great Dragonian Empire and the wise command of Your Majesty, the imperial soldiers including this commander are advancing to fulfill Your Majesty's will..."
After the initial flowery phrases passed.
"The battle against 90,000 Brotan Kingdom troops near Lake Apitello resulted in a great victory for the Dragonian Empire."
"...90,000."
"If it's General Gerhart's letter, it can't be a lie, but..."
The nobles, who only knew the Battle of Lake Apitello as just a great victory, were shaken by the detailed contents written in the report.
Louise, who already knew all the contents of the report, enjoyed such reactions from the nobles with a smile, and Theodore continued reading, suppressing the urge to throw away the report.
"...On the day we arrived in Rochelle, we received news that 90,000 troops had departed from each stronghold of the kingdom army and were rushing towards our strongholds."
"What would he have done..."
"If it's General Gerhart..."
The nobles expected that most of the report would be about what strategies and tactics Gerhart used, but,
"Our brave imperial army faced the kingdom army without fear despite being outnumbered, and Corps Commander Viktor, who had stood out from the joint training earlier, proposed a plan to completely crush the kingdom army."
From the conception of the strategy,
"...The kingdom army, deceived by his planned deception tactics, hesitated to advance despite having more than twice the troops..."
To the detailed tactics proposed by Viktor, and,
"...Under the command of Deputy Commander Viktor, each imperial soldier became a warrior worth a hundred, driving back the kingdom army..."
His tremendous command ability and so on.
Although it only contained facts that actually happened to the nobles, Gerhart's report sounded like a heroic tale focused on the actions of Viktor, the corps commander of the 1st Provisional Corps.
Although Friedrich and Gerhart himself were occasionally mentioned, Viktor was mentioned most frequently.
"Did he really plan all that?"
"...Amazing. So the rumors were true."
The imperial faction nobles, knowing that Gerhart would not lie to the Empress, accepted the content without doubt and admired Viktor's abilities, while,
"...It makes me nauseous."
"Ugh..."
The noble faction nobles, especially those who had experience facing Viktor, felt uncomfortable recalling Viktor's army they had faced as enemies.
"...Under the command of Deputy Commander Viktor and Corps Commander Friedrich, we were able to occupy Anyac, Saint-Toire, and Montfieu, the main strongholds of the Brotan Kingdom. The Brotan Kingdom has been driven beyond the Crejon Mountains..."
"The Brotan Kingdom is finished too."
"With both the Bildorne River and Crejon Mountains taken, there's nothing to fear from the Brotan Kingdom."
"Impressive. To do such great things with 50,000 men..."
When it was further revealed that the imperial army, which had gone for defense, had instead taken the main strongholds of the Brotan Kingdom, most nobles rejoiced at the thought that the Brotan Kingdom had effectively been neutralized.
"...Corps Commander Friedrich has a knack for quickly grasping and dealing with situations, and Deputy Commander Viktor is a capable person with both the boldness of a young officer and the experience of a veteran, so it is no small blessing for the empire that such individuals pledge their loyalty to Your Majesty..."
However, in the section praising Viktor who had achieved excellent results, Theodore barely managed to read on, gritting his teeth and suppressing his anger.
The fact that he was reading lines praising Viktor, and that Louise was watching this with satisfaction, greatly stimulated Theodore's jealousy.
"General Gerhart is pushing him too much."
"...This isn't good."
As the danger level of a general supported by a representative general of the empire is on a different dimension from an ordinary surrendered general, some nobles also harbored wariness towards Viktor, who seemed to receive strong support from Gerhart.
"...As the Brotan Kingdom's potential remains and the movements of the Ildmar Kingdom are suspicious, we have switched to a defensive posture instead of advancing further. In this commander's limited view, negotiation seems strategically more advantageous than advancing, but this commander and the soldiers are ready to move at any time to fulfill Your Majesty's orders, so I humbly request that you give instructions. That is all."
Fortunately for Theodore, Gerhart's report ended before he could explode.
"The reason for convening today's meeting is to discuss future policies regarding the Brotan Kingdom."
Louise proceeded with the meeting in a majestic voice before the nobles could start murmuring.
Unlike usual when she left the conduct of meetings to Theodore and only voiced her opinion for final decisions,
"General Gerhart has asked for my intentions, but a general on the scene would understand the situation better than I, who is hundreds of kilometers away from the battlefield. Isn't that right? Lord Theodore?"
"Ah, that's right."
"Moreover, it seems very inefficient to report to me, who is far away, and wait for a response every time there's an unexpected situation."
Because she had promised to 'support with all her strength' to Viktor.
"He has been dedicated to the Dragonian Empire until now, his competence is widely known, and he actually has experience leading diplomacy. I intend to temporarily entrust diplomacy with eastern countries, including the Brotan Kingdom, to General Gerhart."
According to that promise, she took the lead actively in the meeting.
"What do you all think?"
Although she hadn't stepped forward until now, Louise's legitimacy and authority are firm after drawing the Blood Lineage Sword and with the imperial faction gaining power.
"...I fully agree with Your Majesty's words."
There was no noble who could go against her opinion, which she clearly expressed as the head of state, in an official meeting held in the audience chamber.
---
A few days after the wild drinking party had passed, with only the afterglow of victory remaining.
"...Hmm."
Gerhart sat quietly in his office, examining a document stamped with the imperial seal.
"Entrusting diplomatic authority..."
Along with a letter congratulating the victory, came an order entrusting diplomacy with the kingdoms in the eastern part of the empire.
Although he had cautiously mentioned negotiations, Gerhart, who hadn't expected it to come back in this way, placed the order on the desk and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
"Hah..."
The diplomacy of the eastern continent, where the Ildmar Kingdom, Caen Kingdom, and Brotan Kingdom are entangled, is not a matter for him to decide alone.
"Adjutant."
"Yes, General."
"The officers..."
Gerhart, who was about to gather other officers to hold a meeting,
"...No."
Suddenly recalled Viktor's excellent command ability and judgment shown in battles so far, and fell into thought for a moment.
Of course, diplomacy and battle are different, but thinking of Viktor's near-perfect performance, he thought he might be able to give good opinions in diplomacy as well.
It wouldn't hurt to hear his opinion first.
"Call Deputy Commander Viktor to my office."
"Understood."
In the end, Gerhart called Viktor first.
This was also a bit of a test.
He had fully proven his abilities as a general commander, so if he showed competence in diplomacy as well.
"...Hmm."
It couldn't be better.
He waited for Viktor to respond to the summons with expectation, organizing documents.