Episode 121 Revolutionary War – Krafte (3)
After staying in the capital for a few days, I was guided by Christine and headed to Brest, a military port in Brittany.
Unlike the dynamic atmosphere of Aquitaine, a lively trade port full of people and ships, the atmosphere of Brest, a military port where huge battleships and warships were anchored and the navy was active, had a quite static atmosphere.
When I got to where my boat was docked, a man who had been waiting came up and saluted Christine.
“Welcome, Your Excellency Admiral Aquitaine, Your Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette.”
It feels quite strange to see the captain in military uniform salute and Christine in a dress return the salute.
“Today I am only stopping by to act as a guide, so feel free to relax, Captain Duheng.”
Christine, who accepted the salute, covered her mouth with a fan and added:
“I expect you to carry out your duties perfectly.”
“of course! It is an honor to serve you, Your Excellency the Marquis de Lafayette. My name is Ludovic Duheng, member of the French Navy. “I am the captain of the 86-gun ship of the line ‘Libre’, the warship on which your Excellency will board this voyage and the flagship of His Excellency the Admiral of Aquitaine.”
“Ah, please take care of me. Is this that ship?”
I raised my head and looked up at a rather large battleship. Libre. A battleship named ‘Free’.
For reference, the name is said to have been suggested by Talleyrand.
…It’s not hard to imagine how heartbroken he must have been to lose the admiral’s flagship.
In any case, the sight of a large sailing ship built solely for battle, loaded with numerous cannons and built to engage enemy ships, was majestic just by looking at it.
The former Kingdom of Francia also had a few ships of the line, but even though they were burned down during the revolution, they were nothing compared to these latest-generation warships.
As I look up at the ship for a moment, Captain Duheng seems excited.
“Isn’t it truly beautiful? This ship is the largest warship in the Central Continent! It is the strongest combat ship that took over two years to build with the technical skills and enormous manpower of Aquitaine’s ship engineers! Just looking at it makes my heart warm-”
“Dwiheung.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Duheng was embarrassed after being cut off by Christine, but Christine, the person in charge, had an extremely calm expression and did not seem to be very impressed with the flagship she was commanding.
It’s strangely funny because his facial expression is definitely different from when he’s alone with me.
“Then Pierre. “Please be careful.”
“of course. “Well, it’s a diplomatic mission, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”
I turned my head and saw a huge battleship.
This is a battleship equipped with 86 cannons. Did you say that the four ships of the line operated by the Northern United Kingdom were equipped with 50 guns?
“I don’t think anyone would argue with a ship like this.”
Christine, who had just cut off Captain Duheng’s boast about the ship with a calm expression, smiled and answered.
“I see.”
Actually, I had to be a little surprised because Captain Heng’s eyes seemed to pop out after seeing her smile.
…What does Christine look like as an admiral?
“Then-”
“Have you forgotten anything?”
As I was about to say goodbye to Christine, a voice suddenly interrupted me.
As Christine and I both turned our heads, President Talleyrand took a breath and opened his mouth.
“Let’s get a boat that goes anyway.”
I turned to face Christine, but she also looked a bit embarrassed.
…Wasn’t it because you couldn’t go because it was busy?
* * *
After sailing from Brest.
I was traveling by boat for the first time in my life.
The days of sailing across the vast sea were new and enjoyable for a short while at first, but not after that.
Christine’s flagship and the strongest warship in the Central Continent.
There is no way there will be any problems on the journey by ship like this.
I thought…
I caught my breath on the deck, feeling the cool breeze.
“Ugh, I guess I’ll buy something now.”
Talleyrand, who was looking at me with a quite pitiful expression, answered without even being able to wipe the smile off his face.
“I had no idea that the Marquis, the hero of Francia and the man who defeated the best knight in the empire, would suffer from seasickness so badly.”
“…It’s because it’s my first time. It’s because it’s my first time.”
…maybe.
I don’t know if it’s just a courtesy comment, but since Captain Duheng said so, I just hope so.
At Christine’s order, I was unconventionally allowed to stay in the admiral’s cabin, and despite being on a ship, I was able to live quite comfortably.
…But as expected, I felt nauseous as I stayed inside.
I’m so glad I didn’t come with Christine.
I just wanted to enjoy the feeling of traveling happily with her, so I thought I would want to show myself suffering from motion sickness in front of her.
I turned my gaze to look at Talleyrand, who was just openly laughing without even pretending to hold back a grin.
Christine, who has been traveling commercially and is used to ships, is naturally far from seasickness, but this person is surprisingly fine.
“So, you’re dropping me off at Krafte and heading straight to the Eastern Empire.”
“That’s right. “If we want to survive in the Eastern Empire, we would have to take a ship like this, but wouldn’t it be a waste to go back and forth twice on a ship that is so expensive to operate?”
Well, it’s a valid opinion, but…
“You can’t believe you showed up and said that on the same day.”
There are degrees of selfishness.
If it weren’t for the fact that Admiral Christine happened to be on site and readily agreed, the departure would have been canceled and the schedule would have had to be re-discussed.
“Hmm, I was in a hurry so I had to do it. Until the day before, I was in deep water, but I recovered thanks to my beloved wife’s shouting… or rather, encouragement.”
Oh, that’s right.
A governor doesn’t have to be as strict and serious as Maximilien Isidore, but he has a strange sensibility.
“Well, your dream of going to the Eastern Empire on a ‘free’ warship has come true.”
Talleyrand’s expression was distorted in a pleasant way.
Yes, the dream came true. The problem is that the admiral who will command that warship is Christine, not a supporter of the Revolutionary Party.
“Hmm, don’t be too relaxed, Marquis. “I will definitely bring results from the Eastern Empire, but will the Marquis be able to bring results from the High King of Krafte?”
“….”
I know.
I definitely want to avoid war with Krafte, but I am not a diplomat or anything in the first place.
Crocs, it’s better because I’m a knight and not a diplomat, but I can’t figure out why the King of Krafte chose me.
No, in the first place, the King of Krafte himself is not an opponent with whom common sense can be applied.
When the Great King declared war on the Germanian Empire, Krafte’s national power was not even 1/5 of the emperor’s direct territory, and everyone laughed at Krafte’s inhumanity.
But do you know or predict what a crazy and ambitious person who won that battle and was praised as the Great King would do?
I sighed lightly and answered.
“…The Char of the elves is probably not an easy person to deal with, so try your best.”
Talleyrand
answered with a grin, looking more unlucky than confident.
“Look forward to it. “If the Marquis fails and I succeed, won’t the Revolutionary Party also benefit from the National Assembly?”
“Haha….”
…Is this person so amazing that that’s why he came out?
A diplomat who burns his competitive spirit against military commanders on the diplomatic stage, is this all right for this country?…
* * *
Captain Duheng’s Libre and the escort fleet dropped me off at Stettin, a port in the northern part of Krafte, and set sail for the Eastern Empire.
I led a small delegation to their capital, Mittelburg, and after a day’s rest in the lodgings provided by the kingdom, I was immediately invited to the king’s villa.
It’s a detached palace, but since the great king only resides in the detached palace he built himself, not in the royal palace in the capital where previous kings stayed, isn’t that the main palace?
As I was riding in the carriage and heading to the Great King’s villa, the man sitting with me opened his mouth.
“It is a blessing for Franzia that the commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army, who has great authority, is so young.”
“That’s too much praise. “Nothing compares to His Majesty, the Great King of Krafte, who is called a living legend.”
I felt strangely uncomfortable with the man in front of me.
A man who appears to be in his late 30s and wears glasses.
He came alone and at first I thought he was an appropriate nobleman to be the guide, but I was very surprised when he introduced himself as Justin von Wittenfeld, the King’s Chancellor.
A man famous for leading the golden age of Krafte along with King Charles II.
Although he has a natural smile on his face, the eyes that seem to be looking in this direction and the unique atmosphere give a sense of astuteness.
“Furthermore, the Marquis’s lover is also showing remarkable distinction at a young age.”
Oh, I see.
…I wondered why it felt oddly uncomfortable, and it felt similar to the attitude Christine takes when dealing with people other than me.
“…He’s too much for me.”
Wittenfeld smiled and answered.
“Is that so? Well, it was quite interesting to see what the Count of Aquitaine showed in the war against the empire.”
What does this mean?
It is true that Christine supported us through her actions in the war against the Empire, but she would not have made it public.
No, in the first place, Christine’s public image was that of a member of the upper class of Aquitaine and a member of the Center Party.
At home in Francia, she was quite well-known as a political figurehead and person in charge, but is that enough for foreign prime ministers to pay attention to her?
“Oh, don’t be so wary. It was just a business interest. Surprisingly, it is not easy to find ‘peers’ who might be interested in this field.”
After finishing speaking, Bittenfeld pushed up his glasses with his fingers and smiled.
“You can understand this to mean that the ability shown by the Count of Aquitaine was truly amazing.”
This is a group that might be of interest.
This human.
Are you referring not to Christine’s public image but to what she has done behind the scenes?
I swallowed dryly as I looked at the glasses covering his eyes, illuminated by the backlight coming through the carriage window.
At first glance, he is a desk-bound man who, rather than training his magical powers, just looks small.
The vibe he gives off gets on my nerves and sets off an alarm.
Only now did I understand exactly what Crocs had said about Christine.
Crocs said that Christine had the scent of an extremely dangerous type of person.
I didn’t realize it because Christine didn’t give off that vibe to me, but Crocs felt this vibe from her.
Instinct warns.
This is an extremely dangerous type of person.
It is also a serious threat of the same type as Christine, which is fundamentally different from a military commander like me.
…But I don’t understand.
“Why are you saying that?”
Christine is someone who manages the intelligence organization and, if necessary, can eliminate one or two people or even poison the military.
However, Christine also pays a lot of attention to managing her external image, and as a result, people within Frangia tend to view her favorably as a merchant-turned-noble who is generous to her employees.
In the first place, if you are a person operating in the shadows, it is right to conceal yourself as much as possible.
Information superiority.
For them, it is both power and a weapon.
But why on earth is this guy?
Why do you go out of your way to reveal that you know Christine and that you are of the same class?
“That’s right…”
Wittenfeld answered, putting his index finger to his mouth.
“Because I think that would be fun.”
“…You have a bad personality.”
After hearing what I said, Wittenfeld opened his mouth with a smile behind his backlit glasses.
“It’s half a joke.”
I’m only half serious.
“It is Your Majesty’s will.”
“…haha.”
What on earth is that King of Krafte thinking?
I don’t know what it is, but I have a strong feeling that the negotiations will already be tiring when the Prime Minister is like this.
I didn’t think it would be easy, but I was exhausted from the beginning.
As I was lost in thought for a moment, placing my hand on my throbbing forehead, Bittenfeld opened his mouth.
“Ah, there you are.”
After listening to Bittenfeld, I raised my head and looked at the carriage window.
And I was able to see the vast expanse of the parade ground and the great king’s villa in the scenic open space.
There are no gardens or buildings near the palace of the king of a country, a man called the Great King.
Instead of the things that would normally decorate the palace grounds of royalty or nobles, soldiers fill the parade ground.
Soldiers wearing the black and white uniform, the symbol of the Krafte Army, line up in unison, holding guns, and perform a performance of turning and holding guns every time our carriage passes by.
I feel disgusted when I see the soldiers moving mechanically without a single error due to how persistent they have been in training.
Is this a simple courtesy or a threat?
While I was thinking about it, Bittenfeld opened his mouth and said that he was proud of me.
“Welcome to the Kingdom of Crafte, Marquis de Lafayette.”
A welcoming speech that I had never heard before when I first disembarked from their port or when I met the Prime Minister in Mittelburg, the capital.
I realized too late that I heard it in front of a vast parade ground where only the military and the king’s villa were located.
