Episode 123 Revolutionary Defense War –
A small town in the southern part of the Kingdom of Krafte.
The army set up camp outside the village, and I followed the king to the village chief’s house.
“Are you a nobleman?”
“Okay, good job. “Stay for a while and cut taxes.”
“We will ensure that the noble person does not experience any inconvenience during his or her stay.”
“We’ll stay one night and leave right away, so don’t be too nervous.”
The great king answered half-heartedly to the village chief who responded.
He doesn’t reveal that he is the king, but it is completely natural to act as if he is like this on a daily basis.
In fact, I, who was accompanying him, was so uncomfortable in many ways that I was close to dying.
Why are we hanging out together like this after so vigorously exchanging declarations of war that were not declarations of war?
-But do you have the means to return?
-ah.
Normally, diplomatic negotiations involve spending time going through more sluggish procedures. That’s because the negotiations with the Empire in the Alps Kingdom were like that.
However, as soon as I arrived in Krafte, I was called by the Maharaja the next day, and the negotiations ended on the spot.
Libre and the escort fleet that came onboard took Talleyrand with them and went to the Eastern Empire, so I ended up in the embarrassing situation of having to stay in Krafte, where war was predicted, and wait for their return.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the great king, who was extraordinary in many ways, did not leave me in an awkward position.
-I’m going to be very busy preparing for the next two years, so I can’t let you waste time. Go to Francia.
-Um, are you renting Krafte’s boat?
-no? I’m going to go by land.
…So, I was suddenly returning by land, escorted by a regiment of the Krafte army led by the Great King.
I don’t have much to say because the reason they go by land is because the King wants to arrange an armistice with the empire… The
commander-in-chief of the French Revolutionary Army crosses the empire at war, escorted by the Great King of the enemy country that is scheduled to go to war.
I feel crazy, but it makes me dizzy that this is reality.
…I want to go back quickly and see Christine.
I need to tell her about Wittenfeld as well.
Considering this crazy king’s tendencies, it is highly unlikely that the damn prime minister was also bored and brought up the story about Christine.
I guess the prime minister also declared war of his own.
The war between Francia and Krafte has received a two-year reprieve, but the fight in the shadows rather than on the battlefield may have already begun.
“Why are you so worried about death? “Lift it.”
Charles II, who was actually the one who had made me so distraught, sat down and offered me some potatoes with a nonchalant look on his face.
The king of a powerful country, and an old man in his 60s, easily eats things like baked potatoes from the wife of a rural village chief.
I’m used to this too.
When I calmly picked up a potato and ate it, the Great King smiled.
“Yes, he is a man who has shared life and death with the soldiers on the front lines. “A man who goes to war must have that kind of taste.”
…Is war the only thing on this old man’s mind?
As we have shown so far, the Great King has a truly unique personality.
I even had this conversation with the mayor, who did not recognize the king in his simple military uniform, perhaps because he had picked up the news that the king was coming.
-Are you a member of His Majesty’s entourage?
-The king will come later.
The life of the people of Krafte seemed not so bad as he passed by quietly without showing any condescension, wondering if he would just stay and then leave in such a natural way.
-As a result, I devoted myself enough to my country that they called me an enlightened despot and a great king. If so, wouldn’t Jim also be qualified to order his people to devote themselves to his cause?
Those were definitely not empty words.
If it weren’t for that damn warmonger, he would definitely have been a pretty good king.
The fanatical obedience that Krafte’s army showed to the Great King is also the same, and unlike the Empire, Eris’s policy of engagement does not seem to be of much help against Krafte’s army.
After eating all the potatoes, the great king picked up a sausage and put it in his mouth. He mumbled, swallowed it, and then opened his mouth.
“The armistice agreement will take place as scheduled.”
“…Is that so.”
Did you receive any messenger on your way here?
Anyway, I can’t figure it out.
In fact, from the perspective of an empire that is immediately in chaos and has no power, it cannot refuse to return the Rhineland and grant an armistice.
They would have expected their empress, Krafte, to immediately join the war and crush Franzia, but it is not the Kraftezi Empire that has the power to make the decision now.
After finishing his meal, the Great King quenched his thirst with lukewarm, tasteless beer and spoke.
“We’ll be leaving Krafte’s borders tomorrow.”
“okay.”
When I responded roughly, the Great King grinned.
“The response is lukewarm?”
Well, did you expect me to be dragged all the way here and be embarrassed because it was the territory of the empire?
“I am with an army led directly by the King, so I don’t think there will be anyone who would try to harm me.”
Unless he was anxious to be stepped on by those war machines, he wouldn’t be that crazy.
“So, you would like to return to Franzia as soon as possible, right?”
“Do you want to say this?”
The great king grinned.
“Still, give me a moment. “It will take some time for the empire to send an envoy, so let’s stop by somewhere while we’re here.”
I had to struggle to straighten my face, which seemed to be distorted.
No, where are you going again? I want to, but…
“Aren’t you going to go anyway no matter what I say?”
If you had been going to listen to my intention from the beginning, you would have asked before leaving.
Then the king smiled and answered with an amused expression.
“ha ha ha! Let’s say it’s a two-year substitute.”
* * *
The place I stopped by before heading to Franzia was a place I had never thought of.
Stuttgart, southern Germania.
…It is the territory of Archduke Leopold.
Beyond the marching army waving the flag of the Kingdom of Krafte, you can see the vassals of Archduke Leopold’s family expressing their hostility to the fullest.
When I glanced around, I saw that the person who had brought me here, the Great King, had a calm expression on his face.
This is it.
I thought at least on the way home there wouldn’t be anyone anxious to be stepped on by these war machines, but I never thought they’d bring me to a place like this where there might be someone like that.
This great king is truly unpredictable in many ways.
I glanced up at the flag of Archduke Leopold waving from the building.
When I first saw it, it was a symbol of fear.
“Tell them that the Grand King of Krafte and the Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army of Francia have come to meet the Archduke as old enemies.”
He was very proud…
The vassals of the Grand Duke’s family looked quite absurd, but they still guided us steadily.
I guess it was true that I contacted you in advance with the intention of coming here from the beginning.
The atmosphere in the Grand Duke’s residence was extremely calm.
After going through that dark atmosphere, we reached the front door.
“…His Majesty the Grand Duke of Krafte and the Marquis de Lafayette have arrived.”
There was no answer, but the vassal inside opened the door and bowed politely to us.
“Please eat.”
Even as he said that, he couldn’t hide his hostility towards me, so I smiled bitterly and went inside.
Archduke Leopold greeted us, sitting with his back against the bed.
With a completely different gaunt appearance than before.
…I heard a rumor that he vomited blood and collapsed in the last battle, but I didn’t expect it to look like this.
Was it the weight of being a hero of the empire and a great general that always loomed large every time I met him face to face?
Only now did I fully realize that he was an old man of similar age to the Great King.
“It’s been a while, John. My old enemy and comrade. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
…No, look at how shameless this great king is?
Archduke Leopold seemed to have thought the same thing and answered with a smile.
“It’s been a while, Your Majesty.”
Then he looked at me and smiled bitterly.
“…Marquis de Lafayette.”
“Your Majesty the Archduke.”
The Archduke’s complexion is pale and he looks weak.
From the outside, it seems like 10 years have passed since we met the Grand Duke in the Alpine Kingdom.
As the Grand Duke and I looked at each other in silence, the Grand Duke joked.
“It’s truly pitiful to see you like this, who tirelessly blocked the load. He was the only person in the empire that Jim could recognize as an opponent. “Time is fleeting.”
“…It seems like time has eluded the great king.”
“ha ha ha. “Wouldn’t it be unfair if Jim lost to time and such when the stage he had been looking forward to was right in front of his eyes?”
The great king and the great duke looked at each other for a moment, and the great king twirled the staff in his hand and grinned.
“The burden given to a worthy enemy is a gift of its own, Grand Duke.”
Then he turned his head to me and said.
“Then let me get out of the way for a moment. “I have too many things to discuss with the Archduke, so I will give it to my young friend first.”
After saying those words, the great king turned and left the room.
In the silent room with the sound of the door closing, the Archduke looked at me quietly and then slowly opened his mouth.
“Congratulations on your victory, Marquis.”
I did not answer, and after a brief pause, the Archduke spoke again.
“And express regret.”
I smiled bitterly.
Although the Empire is victorious, war with the Kingdom of Krafte awaits.
I knew this only when I saw Krafte’s army with my own eyes.
Why was the great Archduke Leopold able to endure the great king?
The burden of the future of having to face that great king weighs on me.
The Archduke must have also endured something like that.
“…I am also sorry to see you like this. “Your Majesty the Archduke.”
“…Right.”
The Archduke answered with a vague expression on his face.
Unlike the archduchy’s vassals, he showed no signs of hostility towards me.
All I can feel on his face is deep regret.
After a moment of silence, the Archduke smiled and opened his mouth.
“No matter how much I think about it, when I first encountered you, I should have defeated you, even if it meant cutting off my own flesh.”
I also smiled softly.
When Count Mirbeau was under siege, I rushed in from the south and negotiated with the Archduke to force him to step down.
At that time, if the Archduke had decided to defeat me instead of stepping down for the sake of the empire’s situation, I would probably have become a general under Balian rather than the commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army.
“But you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did.”
The Archduke was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“…You seem to have carried out your will.”
-Blindly following the wrong path even though you know it is. Is that really the way to protect it, Your Highness?
-I don’t think this is something worth saying to an enemy general, Marquis. Soldiers have conversations that suit them. If that’s what you think, show it on the battlefield.
I recalled the conversation I had with him in the Alpine Kingdom.
“…Your Majesty the Archduke did the same.”
Although we were outnumbered in terms of military strength, this was a war in which we had the advantage from the beginning.
The revolutionary army I led fought unitedly thanks to the existence of the Irregular called Eris and the absolute superiority of the cause.
On the other hand, the imperial army had low morale due to the cause, but the majority of the troops were made up of arbitrary feudal lords, and they were in the position of waging an expedition against me, who was supported by Christine.
Nevertheless, Archduke Leopold did his best and actually pushed me into a corner several times.
The Archduke laughed.
“Is this a consideration to put the loser’s mind at ease a little?”
“I’m serious, Your Highness.”
If I were in Archduke Leopold’s position and he was in my position, I’m honestly not confident that I would have been able to do that much.
The Archduke looked at me quietly and opened his mouth.
“I am a sinner. “I am a sinner who disappointed the Kaiser’s expectations and a sinner who failed to take responsibility for my subordinates who trusted and followed me.”
“….”
“Wrong path from the beginning. Yes, that’s right. “It was only when my men collapsed under your instigation that everything that was blocking my eyes disappeared.”
The Archduke let out a laugh.
“I did my best to repay the Kaiser’s kindness. However, I learned too late that the Kaiser, who was supposed to look after his people, did not take as much responsibility as Kaiserin, who was a foreigner.”
The Archduke slowly turned his gaze to me and laughed empty-handed.
“Without even knowing that, I talked to King Louis about honor and how to protect the people of the country.”
Nevertheless, there was no self-destruction on the Archduke’s face as he said that.
“But now that I’ve reached the end and I think about it, I can only conclude that I would have walked the same path. “That is the life I, Johan Leopold, have lived.”
He smiled and asked with the dull face of someone who had just given up everything.
“You, who are convinced that your master is a misguided person and have turned your back on leading the revolutionary army, cannot understand me, can you?”
“As you said, I cannot understand Your Highness.”
I looked straight at him.
“…however.”
Like Count Lionel, who opposed me until the end, but ordered his vassals to surrender and died as a lord.
“Your Highness did your best as a subject of the Kaiser and as a general of the Imperial Army. “No one has the right to disparage something as worthless just because the results are bad.”
Denying everything that is wrong and driving people to death because they are losers is enough of the madness of the Republic that they experienced before returning.
“…At least I fought with respect every moment I faced His Majesty the Archduke. “Your Majesty was a worthy enemy.”
The Archduke smiled faintly.
“marquis.”
“Please speak, Your Majesty the Grand Duke.”
“The threat you face now will be much greater than mine.”
“…I know.”
The Archduke was silent for a moment and then added:
“When confronting the great king, don’t consider the future or strategy. “The moment you take that into account and prepare for the next fight, you will break in front of that person, so think of every moment as your last and pour everything you have into resisting.”
“…Remember this, Your Highness, Archduke.”
The Archduke seemed to slowly catch his breath, then smiled and joked.
“You must be tired from hanging out with the king, but he ordered you to pay special attention to your accommodations, so you can go and rest now. “Shouldn’t I still have the strength to deal with the great king?”
“Haha, I never thought I would feel sympathy for you in a place like this.”
The Archduke chuckled, but after a moment he changed his expression and spoke.
“My vassals may be hostile towards you, but even so, none of them are disloyal enough to go against my will, so you don’t have to worry too much during your stay.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. Then I will leave.”
As I turned and left the room, I heard a soft voice.
“I was fortunate that my last enemy was you.”
I slowly turned around and bowed to him in response.
“It was truly an honor for me, Your Highness.”
