Chapter 38
Leclerc and I, along with the Central Army, returned to the Royal Capital, Lahator, immediately after the negotiations.
There was no reason to stay and usurp the local commander's authority now that the Front Line had been stabilized.
"Your Excellency, you must be exhausted. Why don't you rest for at least a night...."
"There's no time. This isn't the time to be sprawled out resting."
I immediately granted a week's leave to the Soldiers and Officers who were worn out from the long fighting. As a reward for their hard work and to allow them to recover.
It was also a gesture of consideration, allowing them to fully enjoy the fruits of their victory.
Meanwhile, I headed to my office with only my closest aides. It was one of the few places in the Capital with guaranteed security.
--Click.
"It's been a while, everyone. I trust you've all been well?"
"Welcome back, Your Excellency! We sincerely congratulate you on your victory. It was a triumph unparalleled in the last decade!!"
"Thanks to you stabilizing two Front Lines, public sentiment has greatly improved! Our voice in the Assembly has grown stronger too!!"
A small crowd greeted me as soon as I opened the door.
Two Cardinals, one Young Lady of Arshakh, one older brother. Four Officers, plus other bourgeois and Nobles of our Faction, totaling about fifteen people.
My key aides and the core personnel of my power base.
I'd sent a messenger ahead, so they were waiting as planned.
"We've prepared a small Banquet to welcome you, if you'd be so kind--"
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm afraid I must decline. There's something far more important to discuss right now."
I detest beating around the bush. Leaning back on the sofa, I immediately got to the point.
"I heard some shocking news from the Western Front. The enemy commander claimed that the Royal Family was the cause of this War."
"....What?"
"Oh, come on. That's just a common bluff or trick, isn't it?"
"The circumstances fit together too neatly for that."
I recounted everything Leclerc had told me. Everything I remembered, in as much detail as possible.
From the past relationship between the two royal families to the rumors circulating within the Empire, and all the circumstantial evidence.
The initially puzzled expressions of my audience gradually turned suspicious, then into serious doubt and contempt.
"If this... is true, then that damn King tried to cover up his Child's mistake with the lives and money of the Commoners?"
"And without a shred of remorse for his responsibility, desperately concealing the whole story?"
"Does this make any sense?! Well, considering the Royal Family's past behavior, it's not entirely unbelievable...."
Some condemned, others hypothesized.
Some lost the last vestiges of their Loyalty to the Monarch, while others still dismissed it as an absurd claim.
My office had somehow transformed into a debate hall, with everyone arguing amongst themselves, leaving me aside.
As the atmosphere grew heated, my brother, who had been standing silently, cautiously spoke.
"Um, I think I have something relevant."
"Director Roytel?"
"Brother, I mean, Mr. Vice Chairman. I'm with the Treasury, aren't I? I've experienced things there since I started my public service."
My brother used honorifics with me, as it was a formal setting.
He had reached the highest rank among the working-level officials, yet he still seemed conscious of his surroundings.
Perhaps because it was a gathering of key political figures?
He hesitated slightly before carefully opening his mouth.
"About half a year before the War broke out, when I was still a clerk. The Crown Prince was of marriageable age, so I was diligently preparing the budget for the wedding."
"I recall the Crown Prince's marriage being two years after that."
"Yes. It was canceled while I was preparing the documents. I was in the middle of sourcing everything from wreath purchases to Dresses and decorative fabrics, when I suddenly received orders to stop everything and switch to a wartime footing."
This was certainly odd.
The marriage of a direct Royal Family member is a top priority for the Royalty.
It wouldn't be canceled unless there was a catastrophic event on the scale of a volcanic eruption or a major earthquake that threatened the nation's existence.
Even if a War broke out, they would reduce the budget, but there would be no reason to cancel it entirely.
...Unless the marriage partner themselves disappeared.
"This was a Large-Scale project involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Everyone was quite disappointed when it was suddenly canceled."
"If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved, it means it was a national marriage, regardless of who the partner was."
"There's no reason to mobilize the entire Ministry of Foreign Affairs for just any partner. They would have just coordinated with one or two departments. This means the partner had to be of noble lineage, from a renowned powerful nation at the very least...."
"Now that you mention it, I also heard a Suspicious story. From an acquaintance in the Royal Guard."
This time, Brigadier General Ellan spoke up. My subordinate, who had defected from the former 19th Division.
"Even aside from the Royal Guard that our Revolutionary Army crushed, you are aware that there is a knightly order responsible for protecting important figures, correct?"
"I've met them a few times. Haven't had any particularly deep interactions, though."
This world is a fantasy world where magic exists. The upper limit of an individual's power is far higher than on Earth.
While they can't summon meteors or flatten mountain ranges with typhoons, they *can* fling fireballs with the power of hand grenades.
Because of this, mages are highly sought after as bodyguards.
The Royal Knights are a dedicated escort unit composed of mages who have also trained in swordsmanship and knighthood.
Their individual combat prowess is probably the strongest in The Kingdom. Though, as a collective force, we have the overwhelming advantage.
"I met with a drinking buddy who serves there recently, and he mentioned an unspoken taboo within the unit."
"A taboo?"
"Yes. Under no circumstances are they allowed to ask their seniors about events that occurred between 11 and 10 years ago. Despite how much they love to boast about past feats of valor, they absolutely refuse to speak of anything from that period."
"And what happens to those who cluelessly inquire?"
"I'm not sure about the specifics. However, there have been several members who vanished without a trace... It's unlikely they were dealt with kindly."
"Huh."
This is getting more and more suspicious.
Individually, these incidents are nothing much, but with suspiciously coinciding timelines adding up, the awkwardness is through the roof.
At this point, even without the broken engagement with the Empire, something serious must have happened during that period. Something likely related to a shameful secret of the Royal Family.
"Could it be... that what that Leclerc fellow said is true--"
"We can't jump to conclusions yet. It's just a hypothesis, for now."
I stopped the Young Lady of Arshakh from rushing to a conclusion and pointed to Brigadier General Kais. He's been promoted again recently and now serves as the Deputy Director of the Intelligence Department.
"Kais, you'll have to take charge of the investigation. I'll provide you with all the personnel, funds, and administrative power you need. Uncover the truth by any means necessary."
"Understood. What should be the deadline?"
"As soon as possible. And Young Lady of Arshakh, please propose the dispatch of a negotiation team for a ceasefire at the Assembly tomorrow. It seems I'll have to go to the Empire myself."
I should be able to gather more detailed information in the Empire. Evidence and testimonies that would be hard to obtain in The Kingdom.
Since it's hard to believe just one side's story, I intend to obtain as much information as possible from both countries' perspectives.
"What?! W-Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
"It's fine. I can't afford to miss the cause of this damn war just because I'm worried about my damn life."
My life? Of course it's precious. But if it's to understand the reason we had to fight, I'm willing to take any risk.
At the very least, I need to tell my subordinates who froze to death in the snow why they died.
I need to find the reason why those who should have lived long lives tilling fields and weaving cloth had to become corpses riddled with bullets.
"This concludes today's meeting. I'll see you all again tomorrow at the Assembly."
* * * * *
And the next day.
"The Empire begged for a ceasefire? Do we really have to accept it?"
"It's been ten long years, ten years! We've been fighting battles every single day. Isn't it time for a break?"
"If this continues, The Kingdom will go bankrupt. We need time to consolidate our internal affairs!!"
As always, the Assembly was like a WWE match.
Our faction trying to pass the proposal, and the nobility desperately trying to block it. In between, arguments over justification and legitimacy.
Even if we have a majority of votes, we need plausible arguments to justify our actions and use them for propaganda.
Despite the clear disparity in power, a rather heated debate unfolded.
"Peace with those Imperial bastards is absolutely unacceptable! There can be no truce until we've killed them all!!"
"Damn right! A compromise with the enemies of The Kingdom? Is that even a reasonable suggestion?!"
"Instead of just opposing for the sake of opposing, try presenting a proper counter-argument! What you're saying right now is just blindly refusing without reason!"
"The nation's power is at its limit. Do you think that will change just because you insist otherwise? You need to face reality!"
However, unlike usual, the arguments tended to appeal more to emotion than logic.
Instead of presenting rational reasons and evidence, they were just stubbornly insisting and distorting expressions.
It seemed like they weren't simply refusing as political opponents, but genuinely trying to stop it by any means.
But since they lacked any proper logic to stop it, they were resorting to stubbornness.
'Strange. This is the first time I've seen these bastards so desperate.'
Surely the nobles must be burdened by the massive war expenditures. The fact that they're acting like this despite that... hmm.
"Silence! We will now commence the voting!"
In the end, the vote, which took place without bridging the gap in opinions, resulted in our faction's victory, as expected.
The dispatch of a negotiation team to the Empire to discuss the ceasefire period was approved.
And this was also the starting signal for a drastic change in The Kingdom's long-standing system.