Chapter 57

Finally, the Mildor family accused Duke Litreju. The charge, of course, was collusion with the Duchy of Bruges.

It seems that documents and testimonies to support the accusation were also sent to the Imperial Court.

Naturally, a shockwave ran through the empire.

"The capital must be in quite a state,"

Colonel Altsar said, dumping sugar into the coffee I had made, as if it were a completely unrelated matter.

Since it was none of my business either, I couldn't help but be more concerned about the coffee.

"Sir, if you put that much sugar, won't the coffee lose its original flavor? Coffee has a faint, sweet aroma like caramelized sugar."

"You couldn't even distinguish between the Duke of Litreju's perfumes, yet you're so picky about coffee?"

Well, that's because of my memories from my previous life. It's a shame that my current sense of smell can't really pick it up.

Colonel Altsar, after adding sugar to his coffee like a saturated solution experiment, finally drank it with a smile. To me, it was just coffee-colored sugar water, but everyone has their own way of enjoying things, so I decided not to comment further.

The colonel chuckled.

"Seems like you're not happy?"

"I've given up on the coffee, but I'm not happy about the Mildor family's accusation. Surely the great Emperor will make a 'careful judgment,' right?"

That emperor... that ordinary-looking old man, Pelden III, trusts Duke Litreju completely.

The second-ranked Jihiteberg family suffered a historic defeat in the Kionis expedition, and the third-ranked Mildor family suffered significant damage from the Bruges invasion.

And the fourth-ranked Medilen family seems to be sitting on the fence (or so it appears), so it's only natural that trust in the Litreju family would increase.

The Litreju family is fighting a flashy battle with the Kingdom of Agan in the border region, defending the frontier territories.

Furthermore, they provide troops for the war against Bruges, becoming an indispensable presence in the conflict with the reincarnation states.

Colonel Altsar, sipping his overly sweet coffee, made a grim face.

"From the Imperial Court's perspective, they probably won't trust what the Mildor family says. No matter how much evidence there is, without a track record, they won't listen. That's the kind of person he is."

I drank my black coffee while staring at the colonel through the steam.

"Since there are doubts about Duke Litreju's 'track record,' they should investigate even if he's a favorite."

"If he were the kind of person who could do that, there wouldn't have been an inquiry into the late Duke Jihiteberg's death. It's wise not to expect much from a king who throws stones at a corpse."

"Indeed."

The decline of this empire is also due to the fact that successive emperors have been safe and mediocre. There's no fierce struggle for the imperial succession, but in exchange, everything is handled by precedent and problems are postponed.

They manage to hold on for their own reign and hand over a somewhat worn-out empire to the next emperor.

Recent imperial history is a repetition of this.

I drank my coffee while thinking deeply.

"The Duchy of Medilen might not be so bad."

"That's high treason, watch your mouth."

Colonel Altsar said this, then finished his overly sweet coffee.

Then, in a matter-of-fact tone, he added:

"When the time comes, I'll make you a marshal."

"If I can work under you, I'll accept."

"Hmm, don't forget those words."

The colonel and I looked at each other and smiled.

Just as we were chatting, Lieutenant Roz entered my room.

"Master, can I have a cup of coffee?"

I'm not your master, and actually, I outrank you.

"There's some left over, so help yourself."

I handed over the leftover coffee to Roz.

Roz, holding the cup, sighed deeply.

"My stepfather has had a falling out with Duke Mildor... or so it seems."

Roz's stepfather is Duke Mildor's younger brother, mainly in charge of finance. He holds a position similar to the deputy head of the Mildor family.

If the younger brother and the head of the family have a falling out, it's not a trivial matter.

But since I know the background, I asked directly.

"Are you preparing to split the family?"

"Yeah, but let me explain in order. You always jump to conclusions."

"Sorry."

Roz sighed again and continued.

"Colonel, as your overly capable staff officer said, the situation is progressing as he predicted. The Mildor family has gathered evidence of Duke Litreju's collusion with the Duchy of Bruges and reported it to the Emperor, but it was unsuccessful."

"Of course."

The colonel looked at Roz with a sympathetic expression, and Roz scratched his head.

"Instead, they received a severe reprimand from the Emperor, and the Mildor family seems to have decided that it's impossible to continue within the empire."

Roz's wife is the third daughter of Duke Mildor's younger brother, so Roz himself is part of the family. I was worried.

"Is Duke Mildor planning to ally with Bruges and secede from the empire? What will happen to the younger brother and you?"

"Hey, I said explain in order. How much do you already know, really?"

Roz chuckled, but continued, looking relieved.

"Duke Mildor has decided to lead the anti-Emperor faction of the noble families and form a confederation with the Duchy of Bruges. However, they won't convert to the reincarnation sect and aim to harmonize both sects."

"In other words, they intend to use the reincarnation and rest sects conveniently, right?"

Will that work out? I have a feeling they'll be beaten up by both sides.

But Roz shrugged.

"I don't know, but my stepfather will take care of the noble families that remain. There are many nobles who want to stay in the empire, no matter how much they are disliked."

That's a thorny path too. If the head of the family becomes a traitor, the remaining Mildor nobles will be treated poorly by other families. I would secede.

But I understood the younger brother's intentions.

"So the younger brother intends to be the lifeline of the head of the family."

"Yeah, something like that. ...Did you hear this from someone?"

"Just a guess as a staff officer."

"Phew, then there was no need for me to report it."

Roz laughed and drank his now cold coffee.

"It seems that the noble families of the Mildor faction have already decided which side to take. All the border lords will defect to Bruges. The remaining territory will be less than half."

The border will change drastically. Moreover, it will get much closer to the headquarters of the 6th Special Task Brigade. I thought it was a quiet post, but I was deceived.

I sighed.

"More trouble."

"Well, that's why this brigade has an excellent staff officer."

Hey.

Then Colonel Altsar laughed.

"Lieutenant Steyer is right. Count on you, Captain Chrombertz."

"...Yes."

All of this is Duke Litreju's fault. I won't forgive him.

By the way, is the body double, Ricoche, doing well? Recently, both the real and the body double have disappeared, and I'm a bit worried.

* * *

Ricoche, the body double, had returned to the Litreju territory for the first time in a while to report to her lord.

When the real and the body double are together, the existence of the body double is more likely to be exposed, so Ricoche's method is to wear a lace veil to hide her face.

Furthermore, this makes the power relationship between master and servant clear.

The real one acts as usual.

The body double remains hidden.

Through such various considerations, Ricoche has survived until today.

And she reported to her lord, who has the same face, as a body double.

"Regarding the request for 'shells' from the 'Mermaid King,' we received a response that it is still under consideration."

Duke Litreju has a habit of using codes. She doesn't trust even her servants and is careful not to let information leak to them.

The "Mermaid" refers to the Medilen family, known for its maritime trade. The "King" is the head of the Medilen family, Duke Medilen. And "shells" mean "financial support."

So, the plain text of the report is as follows:

"We requested financial support from Duke Medilen, but we received a response that it is still under consideration."

Duke Litreju frowned at this report.

"...What's the reason?"

The reason is simple. Duke Medilen has a younger aunt. Colonel Altsar, who leads the 6th Special Task Brigade.

The colonel, while cooperating with Duke Litreju, is secretly opposing him.

And the colonel is on good terms with Duke Medilen.

That's all.

However, Ricoche didn't say this.

She didn't want to put Colonel Altsar at a disadvantage, but Duke Litreju is wary of intelligent and proactive people. She didn't want to be wary.

So she gave the official reason.

"The 'east wind' is too strong, making it difficult."

The "east wind" refers to Eobenia, a maritime nation east of the Schwaidel Empire. It is a friendly country of the same Filnia religion's rest sect and a major trading partner of the empire.

However, they are in fierce competition for interests, and a tough business rival for the Medilen and Litreju families.

If she used the pretext of being at a disadvantage in the struggle for interests with Eobenia, it wouldn't cause any trouble.

Duke Litreju frowned for a moment but quickly regained his composure.

"Can't be helped. ...By the way, there was a peasant uprising in the Fagonil region last year. Let's impose a heavy punitive tax for three years to raise political funds. If there's another uprising, we'll extend it further."

The Fagonil region is Ricoche's hometown. Her family and friends still live there.

But Ricoche only bowed respectfully and said nothing.

(I mustn't show any dissatisfaction. I am the shadow of Duke Litreju. If the master dances, the shadow must dance too, no matter how awkward it is.)

The body double's role is to act as a substitute for the head of the family, and giving political advice is beyond her duties. Duke Litreju, the person, is notoriously harsh on such overstepping by servants.

Since Ricoche was silent, Duke Litreju changed the subject.

"A good 'pain reliever' will be available soon. I'll leave it to you when the preparations are ready."

Ricoche was inwardly shocked at these words.

(Castration drugs!)

Duke Litreju sees his father, the former head of the family, and his five-year-old brother, Serin, as the greatest threats. He is trying to eliminate them by any means.

However, if he uses strong methods like assassination, he will surely be suspected.

So Duke Litreju is having a poison that will make Serin and others infertile prepared and plans to use it secretly. If they can't have children, the Litreju family will be cut off in the male line, and no one other than Duke Litreju will be able to have descendants.

The former head will likely not be able to act strongly either.

(While the former head is one thing, Serin has done nothing wrong... I must inform Colonel Altsar and Captain Chrombertz somehow.)

She was confident that those two could do something.

But Duke Litreju coldly ordered the body double.

"The 'bell' set up on the 'north slope' is ringing. Go and check it out."

(It's a report from the bought noble of the Mildor faction... If I can stop by the 6th Special Task Brigade on the way back, I can meet Colonel Altsar and the others.)

Thinking this, Ricoche bowed respectfully.

"Understood."

* * *

After Ricoche left, Duke Litreju fell silent, lost in thought.

(I have a feeling that information is leaking from somewhere... It can't be the body double, can it?)

Telling Ricoche that "the castration drugs for Serin and others are available" was a lie.

A drug that can only make someone infertile without killing them and without them noticing is not something that can be easily made. He has paid famous alchemists and curse masters, but it hasn't been completed yet.

(If the body double is betraying me, the one pulling the strings must be my father or one of the other five royal families. They will surely take the bait on this poison.)

Duke Litreju rang a bell. A special bell to summon the accursed ones.

Two shadowy figures in masks appeared silently. They were the assassins who have served the Litreju family for generations. They do more than just assassinations; they also spy, kidnap, and threaten. They are the dark side of the Litreju family.

She ordered the assassins.

"Watch my 'spare clothes.' If there's a tear, you can dispose of them."

The assassins nodded silently and then disappeared without a sound.