Chapter 56

By bringing Rikoshé, the double of the Duke of Litray, to our side, we were able to learn the detailed situation of the Duke of Litray.

"The current Duke of Litray, Minsiana, was the only daughter of the previous generation until five years before her younger brother was born. In the main family of the Five Royal Houses, the tradition is to pass the inheritance through the male line, so it seems that her uncles and cousins were considered as potential successors."

After Rikoshé left, Colonel Altsar spoke in the brigade commander's office where the sunset was shining through.

I know the basics of domestic politics, but the noble society is full of secrets and hidden matters, so I don't know much about it.

The colonel continued.

"But strangely, her uncle died suddenly, and her cousins successively resigned from the position of head of the family. No one knows what happened, but in our Medilen family, we believe that Minsiana's political maneuvering was involved."

It is said that her method is to leave no evidence.

However, such aggressive methods naturally lead to resistance.

"It is said that her father strongly disliked the idea of the family line becoming female in his generation. But since there was no one else with the right to inherit, he reluctantly passed the family headship to his daughter. Some of the powerful retainers and family members strongly opposed this, but they had to follow the decision of the head of the family."

Upon hearing this, I had a sudden thought.

"Could it be that her much younger brother was born as a countermeasure by the previous head of the family?"

"Probably. If the headship is transferred to her brother at an appropriate time, the Litray family can continue to exist through the male line."

The power and assets of the Five Royal Houses have a significant impact on the state, so it seems that struggles over inheritance are intense.

To reduce this as much as possible, the order of succession and the qualifications for the head of the family are strictly defined, but it is believed that the Duke of Litray used this to his advantage to eliminate his rivals.

"The political situation will change significantly depending on when Lord Seline, her brother, comes of age. Generally, it's around mid-teens. Before he comes of age, he has no authority to enter into contracts, and any children he has will not be considered legitimate."

Having children...

"Isn't that a bit too early?"

"There are many who try to create children with unmarried heirs to take their property. Legally and by custom, it is invalid, but there are maids who don't know this."

The idea of a young lord being seduced by a maid... What a nasty story. Being a young master isn't easy.

"Nobles have a tough life, don't they?"

"Well, every family has lawyers and theologians to deal with such situations, so it's not that bad. There are also experts in abortion."

I heard another nasty story. I shouldn't dig too deep into this topic.

I tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"In any case, as long as Lord Seline is still a child and under protection, the Duke of Litray's position is not threatened, right?"

"That's right. But the previous head of the family might try to have Lord Seline come of age early. There is a precedent in the Litray family where a head of the family came of age at seven. This was because the head of the family and the heir both died in battle, but the precedent is strong."

"Seven years old... That's two years from now..."

I see, that's why the Duke of Litray is pushing forward with her plots. If she doesn't secure her position quickly, she might lose everything to her much younger brother.

But even if her brother inherits the headship, it doesn't mean the Duke of Litray will be exiled or executed. As the head of the family, she would be safe.

Colonel Altsar is the aunt of the head of the Medilen family, and she lives comfortably and does what she likes.

The colonel smiled wryly, as if reading my thoughts.

"For her, the idea of giving up the power she has once obtained is unthinkable. Her freedom is protected by the power of the head of the family. It would be a problem if everyone in the world thought nobles were as clean and upright as you."

"I understand."

Still, as someone who has been working for a salary since my previous life, I find it hard to understand.

If the workplace atmosphere is good and the salary is paid on time, I don't think there's much more to hope for...

My lack of political power is probably due to this kind of thinking. I don't want to get involved in political struggles unless my life is in danger.

The colonel looked at my face with a troubled but pleased expression. It's a contradictory expression, but that's the only way to describe it.

"Anyway, the Duke of Litray's position is complicated. The family is divided into the old and new factions, and they are constantly trying to outmaneuver each other. As a result, the Duke of Litray can't move much within the territory."

"Without knowing what might happen while she's away, she can't afford to focus on external political activities."

"Exactly. That's why a double like Rikoshé was needed to conduct political activities outside the territory. Rikoshé's efforts perfectly aligned with the Duke of Litray's needs."

The colonel looked at the sunset outside the window and sighed softly.

"Thanks to Rikoshé, the Duke of Litray's plots are on track, but for Rikoshé, it was necessary to survive. It's a bitter irony."

With a capable double, the Duke of Litray began to send her to other families to conduct political activities.

Moreover, unlike the Duke of Litray, Rikoshé has empathy for others.

All of Rikoshé's considerate actions are observed as the Duke of Litray's, which complements the Duke's weaknesses.

I thought for a moment.

"If we have the time to spend on this political struggle, the game was already won when Rikoshé defected. She is the Duke of Litray's strongest diplomat and supports her reputation as a person."

"Indeed. Rikoshé can be called 'another Duke of Litray.' If she betrays, the Duke of Litray will be busy with internal political struggles, and her influence on other families will gradually weaken. But as you pointed out, we don't have the luxury of time."

The colonel crossed his arms with a serious expression.

"The Zihtramburg and Mildor families are already moving to bring down the Duke of Litray. Both families have lost their political and military power and can no longer handle territorial disputes with neighboring countries on their own. They won't hesitate to use aggressive and radical political strategies."

"The situation in the western half of the empire is troubling."

The once great empire has lost much of its territory and is in decline. If things get worse, my salary and bed will be in jeopardy, and I won't be able to protect the girls in the brigade.

"Then, sir, do you intend to resolve this within two years... or rather, within one year?"

"You are perceptive. That's right. If the current situation drags on, the tragedy of the Kionis expedition will be repeated."

The colonel said this and lowered his voice.

"The Mildor family is currently approaching the imperial court through the mediation of the Medilen family. They intend to report that the Duke of Litray provided siege weapons to the Principality of Bruges."

If it is seen as treason, even the emperor cannot ignore it. If left unchecked, the Mildor territory will be in danger.

In the worst case, the Mildor family might surrender to Bruges. If that happens, the Mildor family will be the enemy of the imperial court.

But that emperor... he seems a bit incompetent...

"Even if the imperial court takes action, the question is whether the great Emperor can make the right decision. As an advisor, I think we should prepare for the next step."

"You are not lenient even with the emperor. But I agree with you."

The colonel smiled wryly and said to me.

"If this report fails, the Mildor family will be in a tight spot. What do you think will happen?"

"If I were the Duke of Mildor, I would convert to the Reincarnationist faith and defect to Bruges. Bruges was originally one of the Five Royal Houses and would not treat us badly. ...What?"

Colonel Altsar's wide-eyed expression was cute, so I tilted my head.

She was surprised for a while, but then burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha! You are funny! I was thinking the same thing, but I was hesitant to say it. I wanted to hear your thoughts first."

The betrayal of the Bruges family has been buried in the darkness of history, and even the nobles who know the truth believe that "such a thing will never happen again" because they are taught that. However, "it will not happen" and "it should not happen" are different stories.

In reality, defection is a common occurrence. It can happen anytime if the conditions are right.

The colonel's voice was cheerful.

"I'm relieved that you share my thoughts. My thoughts were not just a delusion."

Well, there's a possibility that we are both delusional.

But the colonel seemed very pleased and looked at me with interest.

"Why do you think the Mildor family will defect?"

"If the information you provided is correct, I believe the Mildor family probably obtained evidence of a secret agreement between the Duke of Litray and the Principality of Bruges."

If there is a secret agreement between the Duke of Litray and the Principality of Bruges, the evidence would be with the Principality of Bruges. The easiest way to get the evidence for the report is from the Principality of Bruges.

The Mildor family and the Bruges family are at war over territory, but they also have strategies to prevent the war from escalating. What they want is territory, not blood. A mutual downfall would be meaningless.

There must be a channel for diplomatic negotiations, and it is likely that the Mildor family used this channel to gather evidence to report the Duke of Litray.

On the other hand, the Principality of Bruges would not be troubled by the fall of the Duke of Litray, as they are also enemies. The internal strife in the empire would be to their advantage, so they would probably sell the information at a high price.

However, the Principality of Bruges is also at odds with the neighboring Reincarnationist kingdom of Agan. Neighboring countries generally do not get along.

In that sense, if the Duke of Litray falls, the Principality of Bruges might find it harder to conduct operations against Agan. The Litray family is at war with the Kingdom of Agan and is considered an "enemy of the enemy" for Bruges.

This is beyond the scope of a staff captain living in the mountains, so I won't overthink it. Trying to understand something I don't know can lead to incorrect conclusions.

"The only certainty is that the Mildor family is in a very tight spot. If the report fails, the imperial court and the Litray family will become their enemies, and their only ally will be the Zihtramburg family."

"That's right. But the Zihtramburg family, their last hope, has lost its influence due to the defeat in the Kionis expedition. There is no other option."

"Yes. The only option left is to ally with Bruges. The previous head of the Bruges family was originally one of the Five Royal Houses, and there is a common ancestor through a political marriage at the time."

Of course, they won't reconcile so easily, but both are in difficult situations within the empire and among the Reincarnationist states. In a critical situation, they will make a decision as rulers.

The colonel looked at me intently.

"Well, how will the Duke of Litray respond?"

"She is not the type to sacrifice herself for the empire, so she will probably ignore the defection of the Mildor family. The imperial court, however, cannot afford to do so."

The colonel nodded immediately.

"Then we need to drive a wedge between the Duke of Litray and the emperor. Let's start political operations immediately. In the meantime, I will entrust the training and selection of the troops to you."

"Understood."

I saluted.

Well, things are getting more and more complicated...

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