"Remember this well. Victory is not an individual's victory, but the army's victory. To diminish the victory itself is to diminish the courage and merits of the soldiers who fought alongside you."
"…I'm sorry. I was short-sighted."
At Grand Duke Sigmund's cold words, Jordi bowed his head deeply.
It wasn't a simple scolding—he had been reprimanded for his attitude as someone meant to stand above others, which made it all the more bitter.
"However, the second's words are not without reason either. No matter how great his merits, it is also a problem for the third to be regarded as a hero like this."
As Jordi withdrew, Tristan stepped forward.
Setting aside the competition for succession, Lucian's actions did not sit well with Tristan's strict, principled nature.
"If the third spreads word of his achievements through such schemes, what will stop him from doing the same again in the future? He may repeat this once, twice, even without reporting to Father."
"Hm."
"The greater issue is His Majesty the Emperor's true intent. Why do you think His Majesty avoided holding a formal distribution of merits and disbanded the allied army as it was? Was it not to avoid scandal surrounding the First Imperial Prince?"
Lucian's achievements and the First Imperial Prince's disgrace were inseparable.
In truth, the root cause was that the First Imperial Prince had ignored every solution Lucian proposed.
Put another way, the more Lucian shone, the more the First Imperial Prince was bound to look disgraceful.
"And yet the third spread rumors to highlight his own achievements. Do you think he did this because he failed to read His Majesty's intent? It's clear he understood it—and chose to ignore it."
"Hoo…"
At Tristan's critique, Grand Duke Sigmund let out a deep sigh.
After a moment, he spoke with a bitter expression.
"That, too, is a valid point. But I cannot say that the third made a wholly wrong choice."
"…What?"
"His Majesty the Emperor surely wished to conceal the scandal surrounding the First Imperial Prince, as you said. But doing so also demands sacrifice from our soldiers. Their merits would have to be buried as well."
"…That is—"
"There's no denying that this war ended in defeat. Even so, the proud soldiers of House Valdeck clearly distinguished themselves. Had the third not spread these rumors, they would have been treated little differently from routed troops."
Since the allied army was defeated, the soldiers belonging to it could not escape the stigma of being losers.
Of course, if the detailed circumstances were known, it would be different—but if everything had been concealed, all they would hear is, 'In the end, you lost, didn't you?'
Naturally, soldiers who had finally earned merit only to be lumped together with defeated remnants would have their spirits crushed.
"The third may have done this to publicize his own merits, but as a result, the soldiers will receive treatment befitting their efforts as well. Though it was a unilateral decision, in that respect alone, it is difficult for me to reproach him."
"T-then… do you mean you won't hold my brother responsible at all?"
Joshua looked at the Grand Duke with an anxious expression.
If even an obvious overreach were excused, it would be no different from the position of heir already being decided.
But fortunately, Grand Duke Sigmund shook his head.
"No, that's not it. If the third were already the head of the house, it wouldn't be an issue—but acting like this while leaving me out of it crossed a line. I'll praise him in public, but I'll summon him privately and give him a proper scolding."
Even after hearing the Grand Duke's answer, the three brothers' expressions did not brighten.
If his fault was not formally called out, then no matter how severe the scolding, it would remain merely a matter between father and son.
Lucian's standing would not waver in the slightest—in fact, it would clearly grow even more solid than before.
The third just keeps moving forward, without slowing down. Only a year ago, he wasn't even considered a rival—let alone an obstacle.
Now, even if the three of us band together, can we barely manage to snag his heel? Damn it… how did it come to this?
The three brothers lamented the current situation, yet inwardly their competitive spirits burned all the hotter.
No matter how overwhelmingly Lucian had surged ahead, it had been barely a little over a year since he began to stand out.
There was still more than enough room for the brothers—who had been competing for the position of head of the house far longer—to overtake him.
For now, we wait for the right moment. If we seize the opportunity well, the board can be overturned at any time.
All three arrived at the same thought—but each of them overlooked one crucial fact.
That "opportunity," put another way, would be a gamble requiring them to risk their very lives.
And unless they were willing to plunge into danger first, they would never even get the chance to seize it.
***
Three days later, judging that the rumors had spread far and wide, Lucian entered Kelheim with confidence.
The townsfolk, already aware of the soldiers' exploits, whispered among themselves as they looked upon them like a triumphant army returning from victory.
"They say the allied army was completely routed, but only our soldiers distinguished themselves?"
"They showed up at the most critical moment and even rescued the First Imperial Prince."
"Ha! Makes me proud just hearing it. Figures—sons of lions, the lot of them."
"Sons of lions" was an expression usually used by common soldiers to boast about belonging to House Valdeck.
But on this day, the townsfolk gladly bestowed the title upon them as well.
Hearing the praise gradually spreading around them, the soldiers straightened their backs and marched proudly.
Grand Duke Sigmund came out to greet them, offering lavish praise to both knights and soldiers.
"Without you, the allied army wouldn't even have managed to retreat. As the lord of House Valdeck, I am truly proud of you. Bring out the wine and meat—eat and drink to your hearts' content!"
"Waaahhh! Long live the Grand Duke!"
Even the Grand Duke—whom they had feared might scold them instead of rewarding them because of the allied army's defeat—acknowledged their merits.
At that, the soldiers erupted in cheers.
However, while the Grand Duke praised everyone else, he faced Lucian alone with a stern expression and offered not a single word of commendation.
"Come inside. I have something to say to you."
"Your Grace, about this matter, it's actually—!"
"Silence. I'll hear it later."
Gerard hurriedly tried to speak in Lucian's defense, but the Grand Duke cut him off coldly.
Having already expected this reaction, Lucian simply nodded and followed behind him.
Once they had dismissed everyone else, the Grand Duke entered his study, shut the door, and raised his voice.
"What in the world were you thinking? If you'd returned quietly, do you think I wouldn't have known of your achievements? To go so far as to pull these kinds of schemes just to spread your name!"
Lucian bowed his head at once, but at the same time he had to suppress the upward curl of his lips.
The Grand Duke's voice was loud, yet there was no real anger behind it.
After dealing with countless nobles in his mercenary days, Lucian could tell the difference easily.
It seems Father doesn't entirely disapprove of my judgment either.
If anything, the rebuke was for handling a major family matter on his own despite not being the head of the house.
That point did sting a little, so Lucian accepted the fault without protest.
"I apologize. I should have reported to you first, Father, but I feared that delaying our return for the time it would take messengers to come and go would only arouse suspicion, so I acted on my own judgment."
"That's not all. Do you truly not understand why His Majesty omitted the distribution of merits? If you meant to be considerate of the Imperial family, you should have concealed this matter as thoroughly as possible."
"But had I done so, the soldiers who risked their lives would not have received proper treatment. I wanted to return to them the reputation befitting their efforts. Even without material rewards, I wished at least that they not be treated as defeated remnants."
"Hmph. You're still as eloquent as ever."
With an uncomfortable expression, the Grand Duke cleared his throat several times and let the matter pass.
The fact that he chose not to dig any further spoke volumes about his true feelings.
"We'll discuss that part more later… but rumors aside, how did this war actually unfold? I want to hear it directly from you."
After finishing his perfunctory reprimand, Grand Duke Sigmund's eyes sharpened.
Seeing that look, Lucian straightened his posture and began his account.
"The allied army was ill-fated from the very start. The moment we gathered at the Horsen River, they handed us masks."
"…And thus, His Majesty returned with the two Imperial Princes, and the allied army was disbanded on the spot."
"Haah…"
The Grand Duke lifted his head and let out a long, leaking breath the moment Lucian finished his explanation.
A tangled mix of emotions—too complex to be summed up in a single word—washed over his face.
"This is beyond belief. The First Imperial Prince… truly… truly…"
"Hoo…"
Rubbing his throbbing forehead, the Grand Duke swallowed the rest of his words.
It seemed he was restraining himself, reminding himself that no matter what, he could not bring himself to curse an Imperial Prince.
After a moment, having steadied his breathing, the Grand Duke looked at Lucian with eyes full of approval.
"When I first heard the rumors, I assumed your exploits were exaggerated. But now that I know the truth, they were understated, if anything."
"You flatter me. It was a gamble that could easily have been branded insubordination, but in the end, it worked out."
"I do not believe that results justify the process. Your actions certainly overstepped authority and carried the risk of being condemned as disloyalty. However…"
The Grand Duke paused and opened his palm, staring down at it.
The hand that had been clenched tight was now slick with cold sweat.
"Even I find myself thinking that, in this case, it might be acceptable to bend my usual principles. The safety of the First Imperial Prince was that critical an issue. In the worst-case scenario, it could have brought about the collapse of the Empire itself."
****
Lucian inwardly agreed with the Grand Duke's words.
After all, in his previous life, the Empire had collapsed because the First Imperial Prince died while suppressing a rebellion.
The Emperor lost himself to rage over the death of his beloved son and reduced Krefelt to scorched earth, leaving not even a blade of grass behind.
It was only something he had heard as rumor, but the hidden power of the Imperial family, unleashed in full, was said to have been terrifying.
Without borrowing the strength of other lords, the Emperor led only the Imperial family's elite troops to the capital and took King Eric's head.
The world was aghast at such overwhelming Imperial might—but the problem was that after suppressing the rebellion, the Emperor collapsed from exhaustion.
Before long, the Imperial family, which had only just displayed its majesty, fell into turmoil and could do nothing but watch as forces sprang up on all sides.
Gossipmongers said that one reason was that the Imperial family had expended all the power it possessed to suppress Krefelt's rebellion, but…
Lucian had believed that explanation in the past, but thinking about it again now, he found it somewhat doubtful.
The Emperor had openly unleashed magic before the allied army, using it to pressure the lords.
If it were power that could be so easily depleted, he would have used it as a desperate trump card—not as a blatant deterrent.
Perhaps the Empire's situation was poor enough that he had no choice but to reveal it. Even so, it didn't feel like they were driven to the brink. With that much leeway, wiping out a single Krefelt shouldn't have drained them completely—so why was it never used again afterward?
Questions bred more questions, but Lucian soon stopped thinking about it.
Without knowing the truth, everything was mere hypothesis.
Rather than spinning conjecture upon conjecture and reaching the wrong conclusion, it was better to suspend judgment.
"Still, to think His Majesty the Emperor used magic. In all the time I've served him, I've never seen it even once."
It was the Grand Duke's voice that pulled Lucian out of his thoughts.
Startled, Lucian looked up.
"Don't tell me Father didn't know either?"
"I knew to some extent. His Majesty hinted at it to me in passing when he was younger. But all I ever heard were words—and even those were nothing more than superficial accounts. Since it's the Imperial family's hidden strength, His Majesty must have found it difficult to reveal it lightly."
Yet he had gone so far as to reveal that power in front of everyone.
It was as good as proof that even the Emperor felt a sense of crisis about the current situation.
"An age of chaos is coming."
With his back turned, Grand Duke Sigmund murmured in a heavy voice.
After those words, he fell silent for a long while, as if lost in thought.
Lucian waited quietly, and after several minutes, the Grand Duke finally spoke again.
"Lucian."
"Yes, Father."
"As the head of House Valdeck, my duty is not merely to seat a capable child as my successor, but to ensure a stable succession. If the process of succession is unstable, then even selecting an heir is meaningless—they'll simply be replaced soon enough."
"You are absolutely right. No matter how precious a treasure may be, it is worthless if one cannot protect it."
"Precisely."
The Grand Duke turned back once more and looked straight at Lucian as he spoke.
"From now on, you will build your own power base within the house."
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