Return

The crisis in the south had been resolved.

Because the situation had grown far larger than expected, Leonart was recalled to the Imperial Capital.

My elder sister and Jurgen were summoned as well, partly so they could explain the circumstances and partly so they could be rewarded for their swift actions.

I had also unexpectedly joined Leonart and the others, but…

"Well, this is quite something…"

I muttered that as I watched the group stranded before the Imperial Capital's main gate.

Leonart, the Imperial Guard, and the principal knights who had fought alongside him had all been summoned to the Imperial Capital. With Leonart leading them, they entered the city, only to be met by an extremely enthusiastic welcome.

"Prince Leonart!!!!"

"The hero prince returns!!"

"Leonart-samaaaaa!!"

"Look this wayyyyy!!!!"

Everyone knew that a purple smoke signal had risen in the south.

The last time one had risen, news of the Crown Prince's death had arrived.

Everyone had braced themselves for the same thing this time, but what arrived was the tragic news that the city of Bassau had suffered damage—a small-scale tragedy, one might say, considering it had been a crisis on a national level.

At the same time, good news must have arrived as well: the prince had led the knights into battle against the many monsters and powerful demons that had appeared.

Because they had prepared themselves for grief, the people's joy was all the greater.

Voices called out to Leonart and the others as they made their way toward the castle, as though they were part of a festival.

"It's Lieselotte-sama!"

"His Excellency the Marshal!!"

"Long live the Princess General!!"

After Leonart and the others passed by, my elder sister came through, leading a cavalry regiment.

She had yielded the front position because Leonart was the hero of the day, but the cheers were just as loud as they had been for him.

In terms of military achievements, she was far and away the most accomplished member of the imperial family—a beautiful princess who protected her country's borders. The people seemed especially excited to see her again after so long.

Jurgen and I followed behind them.

The first person to draw their attention was Jurgen.

"It's Duke Reinfelt!"

"I hear he cleared the way for Lieselotte-sama!"

"I hear it's thanks to the duke's efforts that His Excellency the Marshal was able to reach the south so quickly!"

"Duke Reinfelt!!"

The cheers were decent enough.

The people of the Imperial Capital certainly heard news quickly.

And once that happened, I knew the abuse would be directed at me.

"There he is—the Dull Prince."

"I hear he went to help his younger brother, but ended up dropping out because he was exhausted."

"Didn't he just get in the way?"

"He's truly a useless prince. I can't believe he's Prince Leonart's twin."

"How can he walk around so proudly? He should at least be ashamed of himself."

"That's right! Get out of here!"

"The shame of the imperial family!"

Voices of ridicule could be heard everywhere.

Slander and abuse never seemed to end, no matter how far things went.

The very mouths that had been cheering for Leonart moments earlier were now condemning me.

I understood that was simply how the people were. That was why I deliberately held my head high. If I lowered my gaze here, their voices would only grow louder. The people would not tolerate an imperial family member who looked pathetic.

In truth, if I did not keep their discontent under control to some degree, they would be the ones to suffer for it.

Although what they were doing was already more than disrespectful enough, the boundary of what counted as disrespect was different for me than for the rest of the imperial family. Unless they threw something, they probably would not be arrested. But if they threw something, the Imperial Capital's patrol guards would have no choice but to intervene.

It would be a shame if they were arrested just for throwing something at someone like me.

They were merely voicing grievances that were perfectly natural for citizens to have.

"Your Highness… If you wish, I can silence them?"

Jurgen offered that consideration.

The way he had phrased it—if I wished—was very much like Jurgen.

I quietly shook my head. Jurgen gave a wry smile and faced forward again.

And then.

"Rest assured. I, Jurgen von Reinfelt, and my knights know your kindness and strength. Please continue forward with your head held high. You are worthy of doing so."

"You're giving me too much credit."

"In this world, doing nothing is the easiest thing of all. It is true that you did not go to help Prince Leonart. However, you chose to stop. I believe that was a brave choice. At the very least, you saved me and my knights. Not even His Majesty can overturn that fact."

"You consider stopping a brave choice…? You really are an odd man, Duke."

"Am I? From where I stand, I'm the ordinary one."

Jurgen laughed as he said that.

While we talked that way, the people's voices did not reach me.

Grateful for Jurgen's consideration, I made my way to the castle.

■■■

"Welcome home! My children! My subjects! I am overjoyed to see all of you safe and sound!"

That was how Father welcomed us.

Everyone knelt and bowed their heads to Father, who sat upon the throne.

"The adventurers who returned ahead of you have told me of your exploits. All of you who resolved this national crisis are true heroes! A modest banquet has been prepared for tonight as well. I hope it helps you recover from your fierce battles."

After saying that, Father cleared his throat and signaled to Chancellor Franz.

Franz nodded as if he had understood and began to speak.

"All those who took part in dealing with the crisis in the south will receive rewards. Those who distinguished themselves through especially great military achievements will receive special rewards directly from His Majesty. Those whose names are called, step forward."

At his words, the maids carrying the rewards approached Father.

Once he saw that they were in place, Franz called out a name in a loud voice.

"First Merit! The Eighth Prince, Leonart Reeks Adler. Step forward!"

"Yes!"

Leonart answered, stepped before Father, and knelt once more.

Seeing this, Father accepted a sword from one of the maids.

It was a longsword with a golden eagle worked into its scabbard.

The sword was a ceremonial blade.

It was used when appointing someone to an important military post.

"The Eighth Prince Leonart raised the smoke signal with sound judgment when the south faced a crisis, then led many knights and prevented the situation from worsening. Afterward, he personally led the charge at the front in order to resolve the root of the problem, and slew a demon. In recognition of these achievements, he is appointed Honorary General of the Imperial Capital Guard, a position that has remained vacant, and is granted permission to attend the Council of Senior Ministers."

"I am deeply honored."

Leonart accepted the sword with due reverence.

A murmur arose among the attendees.

"In addition to Honorary General, he's even been granted a seat on the Council of Senior Ministers…!?"

"Isn't that excessively generous…?"

"Does this mean his achievements this time were truly that great…?"

"This changes everything…"

Even an honorary general was still a general. Among the candidates for the imperial throne, Leonart had acquired the second-highest military position, after Gordon. Moreover, it was the Imperial Capital Guard. The position of Honorary General was merely ceremonial, but because the unit remained strongly influenced by its former commander, General Dominic, Leonart would be able to command considerable military strength in the Imperial Capital if necessary.

In addition, he had been permitted to attend the Council of Senior Ministers, a privilege previously granted only to Erik. This meant he could convey his opinions to Father without going through the ministers, and together with Count Beltz, the new Minister of Public Works, he would have two votes.

In other words, he had gained a definite voice and influence in national politics.

That also meant the balance of power in the struggle for the imperial throne had been redrawn.

Because of this incident, Leonart was no longer merely a newcomer in fourth place. He had become a leading candidate for the imperial throne—one who could even threaten Erik.

"Second Merit! Marshal Lieselotte Reeks Adler. Step forward!"

"Yes!"

This time, my elder sister Liese stepped forward.

Father handed her a staff.

"Marshal Lieselotte responded swiftly to Leonart's smoke signal and rushed over with the elite forces of the Eastern Border Army. Afterward, she stood at the front alongside Leonart and cleared the way. In recognition of these achievements, I approve an increase in the Eastern Border Army's personnel and an expansion of its budget."

"I am deeply honored."

As expected of Father.

He understood perfectly that my sister would not be pleased by something like a medal.

My sister accepted the staff with a thoroughly satisfied expression.

"Finally, Third Merit! Duke Jurgen von Reinfelt. Step forward!"

"Yes!"

The last person called was Jurgen.

Father had prepared a large gemstone for him.

"Duke Jurgen eliminated monsters and cleared the way alongside his own knights in order to aid Lieselotte's advance. He also showed foresight by having an effective road built in preparation for emergencies. In recognition of these achievements, I grant him this treasure and approve an expansion of his domain."

"I am deeply honored."

Jurgen accepted the gemstone in its box and returned to his place.

That concluded the special commendations.

Afterward, Father finished his formal greetings and withdrew.

Now, all that remained was the party to be held that evening.

As I thought about that, I heard the ministers and influential nobles who had attended whispering among themselves.

"Should we try to get closer to Prince Leonart…?"

"But even if we curry favor with him now…"

"It's our attitude that matters. Our attitude. We must make sure to stay on good terms with all the candidates for the imperial throne. In the current situation, there's no telling who will become the next emperor…"

"But no matter how impressive Prince Leonart is, Prince Erik's faction is rich in talent. Meanwhile, Leonart's faction is so short on people that it has to make use of even that Dull Prince. The difference in talent is obvious…"

"True, that prince is always causing one problem after another… I hear he couldn't distinguish himself this time either. He might end up holding Prince Leonart back…"

"But couldn't you look at it another way? If he has to make use of even that Dull Prince, then he must be in need of talent. This could be the perfect opportunity…"

It seemed they had begun considering their options in earnest.

All the effort I had put into pretending to be incompetent was paying off.

I had thought that if Leonart was using someone incompetent like me, he must be short on talent. If people reached that conclusion, some of them would decide to become his allies.

A leader willing to employ an incompetent despite that person being his brother. Those who had confidence in their own abilities but still had not secured satisfactory positions would all flock to Leonart's side.

For that reason, I still had to remain incompetent.

Having reaffirmed that to myself, I left the place.