Chapter 159
“That is not acceptable, Your Majesty.”
Late at night.
Before Luna Meikhael, the Emperor of the Empire, stood a well-built middle-aged man.
The rough beard and the large scar on his face proved that he was a hero who had turned the tide of battle.
Luna, resting her chin on her hand, asked him,
“May I ask for the reason, Gale?”
Gale Wolfbert.
The man who commanded the Imperial Navy and the head of the Wolfbert Family, one of the Seven Stars.
Like the heads of the Seven Stars, Gale was also one of Luna’s closest confidants.
“Count Ruelberta, despite being a noble of the Empire, has never once shown loyalty to the Imperial Family. He never intended to pledge allegiance to this country in the first place. We cannot entrust the expeditionary force to such an arrogant man.”
“I see…”
“I also agree with Sir Gale’s opinion.”
The one who spoke was Odell Riumin, the Empire’s Prime Minister.
“Even though he is now a member of the Seven Stars, it might not matter if he takes command of the army… But I cannot say that we can trust him. Count Ruelberta’s actions so far have been entirely unpredictable. If he, as the commander of this expedition, takes unexpected actions, the soldiers will fall into chaos. Moreover, it is questionable whether those loyal to Your Majesty will properly follow his orders.”
This was also a concern for Luna.
Although recently becoming a member of the Seven Stars, the Ruelberta Family had long been a force threatening the authority of the Imperial Family.
The nobles of the Empire were divided into pro-Ruelberta and pro-Imperial factions, making the relationship between the Imperial Family and the Ruelberta Family nothing short of hostile.
‘This is a problem no matter how you look at it…’
A few days ago, Luna was furious when Lucy conveyed Tristan’s proposal to her.
Crazy man. If he’s going to do that, why doesn’t he just take the throne himself? Maybe he liked the sound of Emperor more than Count. What an insolent man. I even let him off the hook for the weekly bet since he survived a near-death experience.
Luna, who had been fuming all evening, changed her mind just before falling asleep.
Upon reflection, it wasn’t a bad proposal.
Though she hated to admit it, the Ruelberta Family’s private soldier group, Aslan, had been the most active in exterminating monstrous beasts among all the Empire’s armies. Borrowing their strength would exponentially reduce the casualties of the northern expedition.
Moreover, the Imperial Army would have much to learn from them… Ultimately, it would be an opportunity to greatly enhance the Imperial Army’s capabilities.
Additionally, if the Empire’s long-cherished wish of reclaiming the north was achieved with minimal sacrifice, the Emperor’s authority would also rise…
The real issue was whether Tristan could be trusted and whether the soldiers would believe in and follow him.
“Hmm! Sir Gale and Sir Odell, you are worrying too much!”
At that moment, a gruff voice reached Luna’s ears, which had been lost in thought.
“If Count Ruelberta confidently proposed this to Your Majesty, doesn’t that mean he has the confidence to back it up?”
Leon Peiriguris. The man who commanded the Imperial Army and the head of the Peiriguris Family.
The reason Odell, Gale, and Leon had gathered in the middle of the night was to discuss the northern expedition.
“Sir Leon… That’s your optimistic thinking. If we blindly trust him, we might end up with a big problem.”
“Hmph! Nonsense! It’s just that Sir Odell and Sir Gale don’t know the Count well enough!”
“What? Are you saying I don’t know him well enough?”
Leon responded to the enraged Gale with a booming voice.
“That’s right! I’ve even met him personally at the Harmony Meeting! I swear, he’s not the man you think he is!”
“What kind of confidence is that…?”
“What is the basis for your thinking, Sir Leon?”
Odell, ever the Prime Minister, asked calmly, unlike the warrior-like Leon and Gale.
Leon then thumped his plate-covered chest and said,
“Of course, it’s because my intuition tells me so! Intuition is the most reliable basis!”
“……”
Odell quietly closed his eyes, while Gale’s face turned red with anger. Watching this, Luna rubbed her temples.
Regardless, Leon continued confidently.
“So, entrusting the army to the Count won’t be a problem!”
“Leon! Putting aside the trust issue, the Count is still a young brat! I can’t understand your thinking.”
“Hahaha! Gale! It seems you haven’t seen him! Do you know why I agreed to accept him as a member of the Seven Stars? It’s because he doesn’t make empty promises! Even when exchanging letters with me, he has never once made a promise he couldn’t keep!”
“What? You’ve been exchanging letters with the Count?”
“Hmph! Although I haven’t received a single reply yet. But he’s a hundred times better than those who only talk big! Hahaha!”
Leon’s hearty laughter contrasted sharply with the veins popping on Gale’s forehead.
“Hey, Leon. We’re in front of His Majesty. I’m not in the mood for your jokes.”
“It’s a shame you don’t understand my humor! But my opinion remains unchanged. Of course, I agree that we can’t fully trust Tristan! But I don’t think he’s the type to stab us in the back! Besides, the main force of this expedition is our army! It has nothing to do with the navy!”
“Nothing to do with it? Your hasty judgment could cause great harm to the Empire!”
“Enough, all of you.”
Luna sighed at the ongoing argument.
There was no end in sight.
Her head was throbbing. Thinking about tomorrow’s tasks made her head hurt even more…
Well, actually, it was Lucy’s head that would hurt, but still…
“Continuing like this will just be going in circles. There’s still time before the expedition. So, let’s all gather our thoughts and meet again later. Everyone, go home.”
“Understood…”
“Hmph! If Your Majesty says so, then so be it!”
“But Your Majesty…”
Odell, who had been looking at the clock, tilted his head and asked, sensing something unusual.
“Aren’t you retiring earlier than usual? Is something wrong with your health…?”
“No, it’s not that…”
Luna sighed deeply and said,
“I… have to go to the amusement park tomorrow.”
“Excuse me?”
“Huh?”
At the unexpected words, Odell, Leon, and Gale all turned to look at Luna.
“Hmm… The amusement park, you mean…”
“Yes… That place where children and students go to play.”
“Ah… Yes. That… Your Majesty must also need some rest…”
“No, that’s not it. There’s no way I would voluntarily go to such a crowded place.”
“Excuse me?”
Odell, unable to hide his confusion, asked again.
“Then why?”
“Why, you ask…”
Luna answered, sounding utterly exhausted.
“Because my daughter, who came in first place, insisted on going together…”
***
“Count…?”
On a weekend morning.
Wendy, having finished preparing for her outing, stopped by the mansion briefly. It was to greet her master, Tristan.
And Wendy found Tristan in the garden beside the mansion.
“Um… Count, what are you doing…?”
“Teaching table manners.”
Tristan was watching a dining table set up in the garden. A woman Wendy had never seen before was sitting there.
“Here, this is your food.”
Helga placed a plate in front of the woman. On the plate was a raw steak, still dripping with blood.
“This… is my food?”
“Yes. It’s a premium steak made from a cow raised on the Count’s estate. Eat it with gratitude.”
Helga kindly answered the woman’s question.
What on earth is going on?
Helga called it a steak, but it was essentially raw meat. Moreover, Tristan was silently watching the scene.
For Wendy, it was a difficult scene to comprehend.
“Umm… Thank you…? I’ll eat it…”
The woman, sensing the mood, picked up the steak with her hands instead of using the fork or knife beside her.
At that moment, Wendy noticed something strange.
Tristan had stabbed his own finger with the knife he was holding.
Simultaneously, the woman, who had been about to eat the meat, raised her head as if electrocuted.
“!”
Drool dripped from the woman’s mouth.
Her gaze was fixed on Tristan’s finger. Her eyes were those of someone who had finally found food after being starved.
“Fo… food…”
The woman, as if entranced, tried to rise from her seat.
Helga, standing beside her, smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Oh my… Our Rian, do you want to play the bone-counting game again?”
“Eek?!”
“How far did we count last time? 821, was it? You seem to be in good condition today, so maybe we can aim for a four-digit number. Shall we try for a new record?”
“N-no! No! Nooo!”
The woman trembled like a leaf and sat back down.
“What did I say? What do you say when you feel hungry?”
“Humans are not food!”
“Is that all?”
“Uhh… Humans are snacks…?”
Thud-
“-!!”
“Remember well.”
What Helga pulled out was a meat tenderizer.
Seeing this, the woman shut her eyes tightly and screamed.
“Sn-snacks are not food! I praise humans! I love them! Long live humans! Never eat them! Eating is bad! Punishment!”
“Good. You didn’t recite it perfectly, but it’s close enough. Hehe…”
“Delicious! Beef is yummy…! Sob… So yummy…”
The woman began to chew the raw meat, crying. The sight of her chewing the meat with her hands, tears, snot, and drool running down her face, was quite messy.
“The fruits of hardship are sweet.”
However, Tristan nodded with satisfaction. Then, noticing Wendy beside him, he asked,
“By the way… Did you have plans to go out today?”
“Ah! Yes…!”
Wendy answered Tristan’s question energetically.
“I’m going to the amusement park! As a penalty!”
“…Penalty?”
