[ Episode 229. Cromwell comes
to mind] I felt a sense of wonder at the chilly atmosphere as soon as I entered, but I didn’t bother to express it.
However, I felt a little troubled by the emperor’s words that immediately hit me.
I couldn’t tell if the emperor had sent Michaela or if he was asking because he had other ulterior motives.
“We met a little while ago.”
“I hope you make a wise decision.”
what are you talking about
At first, we couldn’t talk to each other and only briefly met face to face.
‘Rather, this is what I was aiming for.’
I don’t know the exact reason Michaela came to see me, but I wondered if it was to create this kind of misunderstanding.
Next time we meet, I’ll have to make her pay the price for using me.
Suddenly the emperor rose from his seat.
I couldn’t see his expression because I had my head down, but I could definitely feel his gaze looking down.
“Adrias Cromwell. We prepared for Mayton’s attack in advance and saved it from being captured with minimal damage. It’s amazing that you’re defending the most important supply base on the northern front with your individual skills.”
“I was lucky.”
“luck?”
The emperor slowly came down the stairs and came close to me.
Then, a guardsman appeared and tried to escort him.
“Back off.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
I heard the emperor withdrawing from the escort and immediately felt that he was staring at me.
“Raise your head.”
Following his words, I raised my head and looked at his philtrum.
Even if he raised his head, it was not acceptable to make eye contact, so he did it, but his expression was all visible.
He had a smile on his lips with arrogant eyes.
“Not only that, but the Morheim mercenaries you hired also made numerous achievements. um very good You deserve first place over Sinclair.”
“It is too much.”
“Our chancellor seemed to think so too. It’s an overkill for you to be number one in your major. He was of the opinion that if it weren’t for the majors Morhaime established, just saving Mayton would not be enough to become the number one public servant… What do you think?”
There is no need to be humble about this question.
More than that, I don’t know why the Duke of Kazaf tried to lower the ball to keep me in check.
“It was a fair deal between the two families that Morheim lent me his strength. If something like this can’t be treated as a major, then all other families using mercenaries should be excluded as a major as well.”
“So you’re saying that the chancellor is wrong?”
“I just didn’t want you to make an exception in my case.”
The son-in-law was silent.
People were just listening to the conversation between me and the emperor with bated breath.
The emperor looked at me gently and then went back to the throne with a snort.
“That’s right. But if I have to say one thing about what you said, Jim’s words are common sense and law. exception? Words like that lose their meaning in front of me.”
The emperor, who sat down and stroked his chin, continued.
“Count Adrias Cromwell. As a major in this war, I will give you Cromwell, the imperial province. I heard that the upper level also operates? For your company, all tolls within the territory of the empire will be exempted.”
People who had been quiet for a long time were surprised by the reward of the great emperor.
I didn’t expect this, so I was a little surprised, so I said it all.
At most, I thought it would give me a couple of small villages.
“Your Majesty…….”
“Something is happening.”
“……It’s a wise decision.”
It seems that Hector’s calling out to the emperor with a rotten expression and then tying his tail was not the reward he originally intended to give.
“Hmm, when I look at it, I think this alone is not enough. Is there anything else I can do for Count Cromwell, a talented person who can be said to be the pride of our empire?”
“Hwang Eun-ssi, Your Majesty.”
“Come to think of it, you haven’t been married yet. Jim has several children, and how about one of them?”
“Your Majesty!”
The Emperor’s explosive remark eventually saw Hector kick out of his seat and get up.
But no one looked at him strangely.
Rather, they were shocked by what the emperor had just said.
“Prime Minister. Please sit down.”
“The blood of the imperial family is very precious. Please make your decision carefully…”
Tung!
The emperor slammed the scabbard on the floor.
Then Hector flinched and sat down.
“I am the imperial family and the imperial palace, so what are you talking about? The child to be sent to Count Cromwell is a foreigner. I’m just saying I’ll give it to you.”
Things get complicated.
I watched the situation for a while and then walked out slowly.
“Your Majesty thinks of me like a river and a sea, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Yeah, I should have known.”
“That’s right. Just knowing is enough.”
“……What are you talking about?”
“Just the thought of giving me the princess is too overwhelming. The word alone is already the family’s glory. However, I am still lacking in many ways, so I don’t have the confidence to dare to repay Your Majesty’s kindness.”
“Are you saying you dare refuse Jim’s offer?”
There was subtle anger in the emperor’s low voice.
You’re a gentleman who likes to make trouble.
“Can you give me some time?”
“hour?”
“As I said, I still lack a lot. Rather, they are insignificant enough to become a nuisance to His Majesty’s castle.”
I quietly said what I was going to say.
There was no need to fit in with the Emperor’s black heart, and even if it was really for me, I wouldn’t.
Still, I can’t blindly refuse, so I’ll try to buy time.
“Are you saying that asking for time means that you will receive Jim’s sincerity when you are no longer lacking?”
“That’s right.”
“My repayment is not something that can be conveniently received in that way.”
The emperor shook his head and said.
Then he rested his chin on the throne and laughed.
“There must be some other reason for rejecting Jim’s offer.”
“How dare I……”
“Heh, you speak shamelessly without changing a single expression. The excitement has cooled. Since you were the last one, let’s leave Jim alone. Don’t worry, I won’t give you the reward you said.”
After he said that, he stood up again and disappeared into a back road where only the emperor passed.
Truly the king of whims.
I was dumbfounded because I didn’t know that he would have such an outgoing personality.
Of course, I was able to pick it up right away because I got a big reward after achieving my goal and the non-gong peddling ended without any problems.
“Is it over?”
“May I go?”
“Huh true.”
As if time stopped again, the aristocrats sitting in the hall stood up and began to speak.
Then he looked at me, who was still in front of the throne, and whispered.
“Cromwell will rise again.”
“When was Cromwell’s heyday? It’s so far away that I can’t even remember it now, but I never thought a guy like that would appear.”
“If His Majesty is willing to hand over the princess, is Cromwell the most popular?”
“You are crazy. Do you know why Morheim and Alven came early to this banquet? There are still two days left for the banquet, so we have to line up.”
There was an uproar.
Looking at those reactions, it seemed that the emperor intended it.
I’m afraid I don’t know what its purpose is.
Once I started to get suspicious, the giving of Cromwell’s estate also felt strange.
In the first place, there was no reason for the emperor to show favor to me, so a definite investigation was needed in Cromwell’s estate.
‘I can’t accept what he gave me, so I’ll have to go through the process of relocating the territory first.’
Amy will be delighted.
That’s it.
**
I spent the rest of the banquet surrounded by all kinds of nobles.
It was a headache, but I knew how to distinguish public and private life, so I pretended to get along with them as much as possible and build friendships.
At the same time, he did not forget to observe the movements of Jared, an executive of the Zefar Church, and Honen, who later became an incarnation.
“You’re moving right away?”
“huh.”
the last day of the banquet.
After all the schedules were over, the only thing left was to go back.
I decided to go back to the academy right away, so I came to say hello to Amy and heard an unexpected story.
“There is no need to rush.”
“The reason why the corps was created was to bring back Cromwell. The place where our family is rooted.”
“Because it’s a place like that, you should prepare a little more before going.”
“The preparations are actually over. I didn’t say anything, but I always prepared little by little thinking about getting Cromwell back.”
“You said you were already preparing for something that might take several decades?”
“Because that’s my reward.”
He didn’t want to let Amy go without knowing the Emperor’s plans yet.
In fact, as long as the Maximin couple and Salem were there, it was difficult for her to have problems, but she couldn’t help but feel old.
“Hey, come here.”
“why?”
“Take this.”
I took Cromwell’s signet ring from my left hand and handed it to Amy.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“From now on, you are the deputy lord. Are you going right away anyway? I could have done the paperwork if you had told me sooner, but I don’t have time for that, so I’ll take this.”
“Ah…”
I took Amy’s hand and squeezed it, and she stared blankly at the ring on her palm for a moment.
“What are you going to do with the top?”
“Huh huh? uh. Gotta keep going. How many family members do you have? And when you first have a manor, it costs a lot of money. There’s no need to fold a top that’s going well in many ways.”
“okay. Well thought out.”
I tousled Amy’s hair once and was ready to leave.
“Goes. If anything happens, use the artifact I gave you.”
“You can use it once a year, but don’t tell me to write it at random.”
Waving her hand, she left the imperial palace first.
At the entrance of the imperial palace, the academy party who had come out first were waiting.
“Did you say hello?”
At Lucia’s question, I nodded and said,
“I’m sorry, but I have work, so could you go first?”
“Eh? What’s going on?”
“I think I need to meet someone because of the Yeongji issue I received this time.”
Everyone nodded at my words.
It’s a youngji that suddenly appeared, so it’s understandable.
“Then I waited for nothing. We go first.”
“Congratulations again. The estate was restored.”
“Yes, thank you.
Diene said brightly and walked with Lucia.
But Vivian did not follow them and stood still.
“Sister Vivian?”
“I’ll go with Adrias.”
Vivian stood next to me.
Then he looked at my face and tilted his head.
“no?”
“It’s not impossible, but it would be a waste of Vivian’s time.”
“are you okay.”
The person I’m going to meet isn’t particularly dangerous, so it doesn’t matter.
To be honest, going alone was the most comfortable, but I couldn’t refuse the request because I could see Vivian, who was dangerous during the war.
“Why don’t you two just date each other? It fits very well.”
“Lucia.”
Diene scolded Lucia softly, but she turned away as if in a pout and walked away.
Diene looked at Lucia with a sad expression and said to us.
“Then we will go first. See you at the academy.”
“yes.”
“huh.”
As the two of them disappeared, the awkward air I had felt before enveloped the surroundings.
I felt like I was getting quieter for no reason, so when I was about to say something, Vivian spoke up first.
“Are you disturbed?”
“What?”
“I.”
Did I have that kind of vibe?
I shook my head and started walking.
“no. Let’s go.”
“huh.”
The person he was going to meet was none other than Evan.
After helping me in the Valley of Wailing and leaving to take over the underworld again, he told me how to contact me.
‘I need information about Cromwell.’
It might be the emperor’s trap, so he needed specific information.
Perhaps Evan would be of great help.
In the meantime, you could ask Evan to move his base to Cromwell.
‘If it’s clear that it’s not the emperor’s trap, the real foundation will be created.’
Starting with the war against the barbarians, typhoons continue to blow.
And I had to make the place where I was soon the eye of the typhoon.
[ Episode 229. The Rising Cromwell ] End
