---

The news of the Empire’s catastrophic defeat reached the Imperial Palace immediately.

It was the first significant defeat since the Great War had passed.

The dreadful news cast a heavy silence over the court.

[ Imperial 9th Legion, 14th Legion annihilated ]

[ Imperial 1st Legion, 5th Legion. Severe damage ]

[ Majority of supplies lost. Numerous casualties ]

Upon hearing the reports, the ministers and officials could hardly bring themselves to speak.

When had the Empire ever suffered such a disgraceful defeat?

All they could do was bow their heads, glancing nervously at the Emperor.

It felt as if a furious decree was about to thunder down at any moment.

But the Emperor only blamed himself for all of this, lamenting his own inadequacy.

“…How dreadful.”

As those words finally escaped the Emperor’s lips, everyone fell to their knees.

They confessed that everything was their fault and begged for forgiveness.

In particular, the Minister of War and the Chief of Staff looked as if they had just received a death sentence.

“Please, kill me, Your Majesty! It is all my fault.”

“It was my incompetence that brought such disgrace upon the Empire. How can I ever repay this sin?”

The Minister of War and the Chief of Staff cried out pitifully, pressing their foreheads to the ground.

This was no mere act of survival; it was a heartfelt self-reproach.

In an instant, two of the five legions stationed in the west had been completely obliterated.

The remaining three legions had each lost at least a limb.

What a terrifyingly brutal and disgraceful defeat this was!

One could hardly imagine how this would be recorded in the annals of the Empire.

“Your Majesty.”

The Crown Princess, her face frozen in cold resolve, stepped forward cautiously.

“I am truly sorry to say this, but I believe this is not the time to discuss accountability. While it is only natural to seek responsibility for this disaster, we must prioritize recovery first.”

In this dire situation, the Crown Princess took it upon herself to speak up.

Who would dare offer such direct counsel to the Emperor in such a miserable time?

The only thing others could suggest was to swiftly replace the Minister of War and the Chief of Staff.

At least, that was the only option the ministers and nobles believed they had.

Knowing this, the Crown Princess stated that addressing the current situation was paramount.

The war was still ongoing, and now they faced this terrible defeat.

Replacing the leaders of the Ministry of War and the Chief of Staff would only exacerbate the chaos.

‘First, we need to break through this predicament. Punishment can come later.’

The Emperor was certainly not oblivious to the Crown Princess’s intentions.

On the contrary, he had been waiting for her to step forward during such a moment.

If everyone remained silent, then he would have no choice but to punish those two immediately.

“Minister of War and Chief of Staff, raise your heads.”

“Your Majesty!”

“I will not question your responsibilities for now. What I wish to discuss first is how you will resolve this situation and bring solutions before me.”

“Even if it means having my bones crushed and blood spilt, I shall do so!!”

This was not a matter of avoidance of punishment but rather a momentary reprieve.

Since the two were respectively heads of their ministries, the Emperor wanted to prevent further turmoil.

This wasn’t just any defeat; two legions had been annihilated!

Afterward, the Empire decided to momentarily pull back all advancing legions.

At the same time, they hastily moved all reserves stationed at the rear to the front lines.

The Ministry of War and the entire Chief of Staff tirelessly worked day and night for recovery.

It was absolute chaos. This level of disastrous defeat was a first for the Empire.

During this process, a temporary emptiness at the borders occurred.

“Did the Dedorant Army eye the borders?”

Moreover, the very real possibility of the Empire’s mainland coming under attack loomed large.

As another dreadful report arrived following the defeat, everyone gasped in shock.

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Dedorant Army has been sighted near the western and northern gates.”

“What happened? Did they breach the gates?”

“No, fortunately, we managed to repel the enemy without significant damage.”

Instantly, the Emperor, Crown Princess, and the ministers tilted their heads in puzzlement.

Given that they appeared so close to the gates, it was clear they were targeting the Empire’s heartland.

And at that moment, there were no substantial forces stationed nearby the borders.

For the enemy, there could hardly have been a more perfect opportunity for an attack.

Yet somehow, they had retreated without inflicting serious damage?

“It seems the Imperial Chief of Staff arrived there a few days ago.”

As it turned out, Kael had sought permission from the Emperor to move proactively.

However, he had not taken troops with him; he intended to assess the situation first.

This was even before news of the Empire’s defeat reached them.

He likely had no preparations in place, maybe only a simple alert team.

But how did he manage to fend off an enemy determined to break through the gates?

“…Huh.”

Upon reviewing the detailed reports and the paperwork submitted by Kael, the Emperor sighed heavily.

It turned out that they had deliberately opened the gates wide and waited for the enemy.

All the soldiers had dismounted and were waving the flags, beckoning the enemy to enter.

Kael was even casually sitting atop the gates, playing the lute!

What extraordinary boldness!

Had the enemy charged in, who knows what would have happened to his life, let alone the gates?

The Emperor was bewildered by how someone could possess such confidence and certainty.

“Your Majesty, am I truly seeing what I believe?”

The Crown Princess, upon receiving the report from the Emperor, shared his astonishment.

Could it be that he anticipated this well enough to hasten their movement to the borders?

Did he firmly believe that if the Empire fell, Dedorant would target the gates?

‘What on earth is this man seeing with such foresight?’

In that moment, for the first time, a chill ran down the Crown Princess’s spine.

Had such a person risen from elsewhere instead of the Empire, how much damage would the Empire have sustained?

And soon after, it was revealed that the Dedorant Army was composed of elite troops.

Among them was Prince Georg Sistania, the very heart of Dedorant.

The gates had been treated as a mere obstacle meant to be breached by an unstoppable force.

Had they stormed into the Empire’s territory, catastrophic damage would have been inevitable.

Supplies would have been set ablaze, and surrounding territories laid waste.

And yet, the Empire’s Chief of Staff, Kael, averted that disaster.

Without a single battle, he simply opened the gates wide and cleaned up!

Facing an incredibly daunting military, he casually plucked the lute while doing so!

“Truly, it has been a stroke of luck, Your Majesty. Had the border gates been breached, everything could have spiraled out of control.”

“The mere fact that we repelled Dedorant’s elite praetorian guard without any damage is astonishing.”

In the midst of a terrible defeat, an unexpected victory had emerged.

It became a ray of light amid the gloom of the war, breathing new life into them.

Had the gates fallen, it would have made recovery more challenging than ever.

This was not just the simple matter of holding one gate; it prevented a more significant defeat from occurring.

“Your Majesty, should we not promptly delegate full powers to the Imperial Chief of Staff to rectify this situation?”

The seasoned military officials first broke the silence, gauging the atmosphere.

“Delegate full powers to the Imperial Chief of Staff.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Chief has already proven his capabilities across the Eastern and Southern fronts. Whether it’s tactics or strategies, or even cunning plans, he’s shown excellence. It would be a grave loss for the Empire to keep such a talented individual at the rear.”

“Do the other military leaders agree?”

At the Emperor’s question, most of those present nodded in agreement.

Normally, there would be dissent against strongly supporting and recommending anyone in such a manner.

But the Empire had just suffered a tremendous defeat.

Not only were the military losses severe, but the morale had plummeted as well.

Resources and troops could be recovered, but restoring morale and momentum would be a daunting task.

“What the front-line soldiers need now is confidence that they can win, even after such a defeat.”

“Hmm.”

“He is the only one who has never faced defeat before. The tactician whose plans have always succeeded. If such a person stands with them, surely the soldiers would regain the strength to rise again.”

Confidence. The Emperor slowly nodded at that word.

Indeed, what could be a more crushing defeat than this?

For now, they would have to pour their all into eradicating that sense of defeat.

“Minister of the Palace.”

“Command me, Your Majesty.”

“I hereby grant the Imperial Chief of Staff the authority of the First Legion’s Chief of Staff. Going forward, he is to discuss all matters regarding the First Legion with its commander, and act accordingly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Furthermore…”

As if his words were just beginning, the Emperor turned to face the assembly.

“The Ministry of War shall focus more on supply and reserves rather than battle management across the operational areas.”

“Everyone who played a deep role in this operation from the Chief of Staff will be replaced. The Chief of Staff shall also await his orders after completing the recovery tasks.”

This meant that the Ministry of War was to concentrate on logistical support rather than direct engagement in battles.

The Chief of Staff would undergo a complete overhaul, essentially a purge.

Hearing such orders, the minds of the gathered ministers and officials came to a singular conclusion.

‘This is… the Emperor granting absolute power to the Imperial Chief of Staff.’

‘The Ministry of War, which failed to avert the tragedy, is being sidelined while the Chief of Staff, the primary culprit, is being completely overhauled. If that happens, the Chief of Staff’s influence will become unprecedentedly strong.’

‘Although he is referred to as the Imperial Chief of Staff and the Chief of the First Legion, in essence, he will be acting in place of the Chief of Staff.’

The Emperor’s complete trust, along with commensurate absolute authority.

Now, everything rested upon the shoulders of a young man not yet thirty years old.

 

---