Ceasefire Order

The day after Alois arrived.

Father summoned Leo, Erich, and me. I'd been just about to head outside when the summons came, so I walked down the corridor with a sigh.

Someone called out to me.

"Prince Arnold."

"What is it, Chancellor?"

It was Franz who had called out to me.

If the three of us had been summoned, Franz had probably been summoned as well. Since our destination was likely the same, Franz and I walked side by side.

"Were you summoned by His Majesty as well, Prince?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking of going out to have some fun."

"That is unfortunate. However, you should keep your amusements within reason. Particularly when you use your elders as game pieces."

Saying that, Franz fixed me with a stern look, as though gently reprimanding me.

As expected of the Chancellor. Sharp.

"What are you talking about? I do know how to show my elders respect."

"There is no need to play dumb. That would be too mild for Prince Erich and too vicious for Prince Leonart. You were aiming to bring Count Zimmel and me into contact, were you not?"

He had served as Father's chief strategist since Father was a prince. He had immediately seen that I was the one most likely to make a move under these circumstances.

Franz was the Chancellor. Normally, one would hesitate to lay a hand on him. The only people likely to tamper with Chancellor Franz's carriage were the candidates for the throne. And as I just said, of everyone in the Imperial Capital, I was probably the only one who would do something so halfhearted.

"So? What would you do if I had done something?"

"I would merely caution you. You would be wise to refrain from such things for now."

"For now?"

"Yes. I'm talking about you. You intended to contact Count Zimmel and increase the number of his allies, then use him to make contact with other nobles as well. You probably expected me to see through that ostensible plan, report it to His Majesty, and damage your reputation, did you not? You have been drawing attention since people started calling you the Twin Black Princes."

"..."

Some people say the Emperor's greatest achievement was making Franz Chancellor. They would not be entirely wrong.

As Father's right hand and the man supporting the Empire as Chancellor, Franz was a remarkable figure who upheld the Empire's very foundations. Naturally, he could see through schemes devised by a young upstart like me.

"I give up. So what do you mean by saying I should not do it for now?"

I raised both hands in surrender.

Even seeing that, Franz did not look surprised. He had not been fishing; this was a warning given with full knowledge of everything.

"His Majesty will explain that."

With that, Franz bowed and walked ahead. But he soon stopped as if he had just remembered something, turning only his face toward me.

"Come to think of it... I hear that someone wearing a gray hood approached Count Zimmel right after he entered the Imperial Capital. It was probably Grau, the military strategist who had joined forces with Count Zimmel. My carriage ran wild immediately afterward... Do you suppose that was a coincidence?"

"That's the first I've heard of it."

I feigned surprise. There should have been nothing unnatural about my performance. Seeing it, Franz gave a slight smile.

"I see. Perhaps I was overthinking things. Attention is focused on Count Zimmel for repelling ten thousand Imperial soldiers, but apparently Grau read every move the Imperial army made. I thought it might be possible for someone on the inside who was intimately familiar with Imperial military tactics."

"I don't know anything about Imperial military tactics."

"I see. It is true that you have always disliked studying. I must have been mistaken. My apologies."

Saying that, Franz walked away.

What a frightening man. He had been Father's strategist. No wonder Father managed to win the struggle for the throne. He'd traced it back to me in no time from the slightest clue.

"I really shouldn't stand out like this..."

The more conspicuous I was, the more surveillance increased. And the more surveillance there was, the harder it became to work behind the scenes.

I wanted somehow to lower my reputation and have people underestimate me again, but...

I'd just been warned that I should not do that.

"Is something troublesome going to happen again?"

With a bad feeling, I headed toward Father's chambers.

■■■

"It is an honor to meet you for the first time. My name is Alois von Zimmel."

Kneeling before Father, Alois introduced himself. Father then spoke.

"Welcome, Count Zimmel. You have come to offer an explanation, I presume?"

"Yes. House Zimmel opposed the Imperial army because they had taken a hostage, and we had no choice. I had no intention of rebelling against Your Majesty. Please forgive me."

Father surely understood that without being told. Still, there was meaning in Alois coming in person to offer an explanation. More than anything, it was faster to hear the details from him directly.

"I will take your word for it. However, I hear it was House Zimmel that killed the Imperial army's commander. How do you explain that?"

"There is no way I can excuse it, but... it was my uncle's doing. If my uncle was telling the truth, it seems he carried out a sniper attack at the army's request."

Father's brow twitched slightly. He had probably already received a report. Alois had submitted a written explanation to Father before coming.

But hearing it directly was an entirely different matter from reading it in writing.

"In other words... someone in the military had betrayed us?"

"If we are to believe my uncle's words... However, what he said was so absurd that I suspect Duke Krueger was behind it."

Alois deliberately did not mention Gordon's name. Bringing up Gordon here would only turn Gordon's anger toward Alois. It was better for Alois to put all the blame on the already-captured Duke Krueger.

More importantly, Father could guess the truth without being told.

Gordon certainly might have wanted war. It showed in his words and actions. Of course, it was also possible that Krueger had been acting behind the scenes, and this alone was not enough to punish Gordon.

But it was enough to raise suspicions. That was all that mattered. Alois had no reason to attack Gordon at the cost of making an enemy of him.

If the question turned to responsibility, Alois might be blamed for failing to stop his uncle. It was better for everyone to keep things vague.

"He took hostages and then forcibly provoked a war to make a reluctant count take action. Krueger certainly might have done such a thing. I understand. Looking only at the outcome, the surprise attack succeeded because you held back the Imperial army. In that sense, you contributed to the Empire. Well done, Count Zimmel."

"I am grateful."

"Raising your sword against the Imperial army was unavoidable as well. I will consider this incident closed."

Father could not punish Alois under the present circumstances. Father wanted to let it go, and Alois did not want to be punished. Above all, trouble was still ongoing. Blaming it all on Krueger would cause the least disturbance.

"You will remain in the castle for a while. The Empire's finest talents gather here. You will have much to learn."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

With that, Father dismissed Alois.

Then only Father, Franz, Leo, Erich, and I remained in the room. It was undoubtedly about the succession.

"Do you know why I had you stay?"

"Is it about the succession?"

"Exactly. The struggle for the throne is... a contest to decide who will lead the Empire next. If it gave birth to a strong emperor, some disadvantages might be unavoidable. But this time, it has gone too far. If a civil war breaks out as a result of these power struggles, it would be out of the question!"

Saying that, Father glared at us with a severe expression.

Well, his anger was only natural. The struggle for the throne had to be kept within limits that did not harm the Empire's interests. This incident had strayed far beyond those limits.

"There is nothing wrong with competing. But if you cannot consider the interests of the nation you will rule, I cannot entrust the throne to you. Take that to heart. The struggle for the throne is a struggle for the Empire. The nation comes first."

"Understood."

"I will bear it in mind."

Erich and Leo bowed their heads together.

I was not a candidate for the throne, so I acted as if the lecture had nothing to do with me. Father glared at me.

"Arnold... Do you understand?"

"I understand. But I have no desire to take the throne, and more importantly, it is difficult to hear this from you when the more radical players involved are not here."

"What guarantee is there that you will not become radical players yourselves from here on?"

"There isn't one."

"Exactly. If you understand, then answer properly."

"Yes, yes. I understand."

When I lowered my head in a token bow, Father sighed.

Then Father settled deeply onto the throne and declared:

"Put the struggle for the throne on hold for a while. My birthday is coming up soon. That means the twenty-fifth anniversary of my accession is approaching as well. Surely you understand how foolish it would be to fight at a time like this?"

"Of course."

"Good. A festival will be held to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of my accession. This time, we will invite dignitaries from other countries as well. I will have you children, with you at the center, serve as hosts to those dignitaries. Put the struggle for the throne aside until that is over. I will give it no thought either. If I see any sign of you doing otherwise, you know what will happen, don't you?"

At Father's words, Erich and Leo silently bowed their heads. I alone did not. I had realized Father's intention.

So that was why he had given me the troublesome title of Twin Black Princes. If he raised my standing, I could be used as a host. If a disreputable has-been prince were the host, that country would be seen as being taken lightly. But if I stood alongside Leo as one of the Twin Black Princes, that would not be the case.

As I frowned, Father gave me a sly grin and drove home his warning.

"All of you will behave yourselves for a while. Be very careful not to damage your reputations, understand? Such behavior will be regarded as taking the nation's interests lightly."

This man... What a nasty personality.

Father looked at me with a grin that practically said he had gotten one over on me. So that was why Franz had warned me. It all fit together now.

Damn it. In other words, I had to maintain my reputation as one of the Twin Black Princes for a while.

"Conduct yourself with dignity. Is that clear, Arnold?"

"...Yes. I understand."

I forced out my reply, and Father laughed with evident amusement.

Even though the struggle for the throne had been suspended for now, another battle awaited me. I had simply lived aimlessly, doing nothing, and let my reputation fall. It was not as though I had done so intentionally.

But now that was forbidden. In other words, I was forbidden from being my usual self.

Damn it. I was trying to make Leo emperor precisely because I hated this sort of thing, so how had it come to this...?

Feeling utterly exhausted, I experienced the deepest despair I'd felt in a long time.