Chapter 131: Companions Who Shared the Same Meal
After a while, the expression of deep emotion in Alice’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by a look of curiosity.
“What’s wrong?”
“Uh? Oh, no, it’s nothing.”
“Don’t hold back, ask me anything. If you can’t say something, just clearly say you can’t.”
“Y-yes. Um… why did you also send letters to the servants of His Majesty’s private residence at Ark Town?”
“Oh, that matter.”
I nodded, acknowledging her query and coming to an understanding.
“You find it strange that, despite it being a government matter, I sent something to the household of the former Prince’s residence?”
“Yes…”
“It’s not about government affairs; it was necessary for them to act separately.”
“Separately?”
“There are types of refugees who cannot be fully gathered up even when the seeds and tools needed are all prepared.”
“What do you mean?”
“Children who have lost their parents due to drowning.”
“Oh…”
Alice was taken aback. With that one sentence, a clear picture must have formed in her mind.
Indeed, natural disasters indiscriminately cause damage, and there are instances where only the parents lose their lives, leaving the children behind.
More to the point, there are certain parents who, even when faced with the brink of disaster, will sacrifice themselves to ensure the safety of their children.
In any disaster, there will inevitably be families that end up with only the children surviving.
“It’s ironic; children sometimes possess a stronger will to live than adults. When two or three of them come together, they can find a way to survive. And—”
“And?”
While listening, Alice tilted her head and asked back.
“Such children, when the floods have receded to a certain extent and the country begins to take the lead in reconstruction, often end up managing to survive in a half-hearted manner.”
“Oh…”
Alice appeared to have remembered something suddenly.
“Yes, they turn into a gang of thugs, all in the name of survival. Once that happens, it becomes hard for them to be rescued normally since they are surviving just enough and are also tiptoeing around the law.”
“That’s why you involved the members of His Majesty’s household?”
“That’s right. I figured it would be difficult for children who have become half-hearted delinquents to survive on their own, so I ordered them to also pick them up.”
“I see… But why did you send this to the former servants? Shouldn’t you just give orders to the magistrates directly?”
I nodded slightly.
I understood that this alone was not a complete answer.
If it had been someone like Henry or Oscar, they would have pieced it together immediately without needing such elaborate explanations.
“A long time ago… I guess it was regarding Albert? There were children we rescued from underground slave traders. Those children have now grown up, and while the circumstances are slightly different, they are still experienced. The wolf knows what the ill beast thinks —perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but I thought they would empathize more and manage things better than officials.”[TN: ‘蛇の道は蛇’ it’s a proverb and it’s basic meaning is ‘A snake follows a snake’s path’. I am not sure what to write exactly. Apologies for not knowing how to express the meaning I have in my head]
“…Oh, you mean that time.”
“Hm? What’s that? Do you know about it?”
“Yes, I happened to see it back then. I believe… there was a fake claiming to be from the First Prince’s household, right?”
“…Ah.”
I smiled gently and nodded slightly. It was undeniable that the truth involved Albert, but it was dealt with as a troublemaker who falsely claimed the Prince’s name both internally and externally.
The truth is not always correct; I lightly let that slide.
“…That’s impressive.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“That was over ten years ago. It seems you still remember those children from that time.”
“Hm? Is that so?”
I chuckled softly. It was a completely different, genuine smile from before.
“People are treasures; there’s no way I would forget.”
“Your Majesty…”
Alice became even more moved, gazing at me with an expression of reverence.
Watching her, I contemplated.
People are treasures, and among them, Alice is rare, a precious gem that could be called one of a kind.
I had watched her talent from before it had fully bloomed, and I continued to watch closely.
A human life.
To see that talent flourish, sometimes offering gentle assistance.
Uncertain if it will truly blossom, I carefully observe over the years, even decades, to confirm my insight.
Using connections, employing people, spending money for that purpose.
After all that, the only return I seek is “my eyes were not mistaken.”
I believed this was also one of the privileges allowed only to nobles.
☆
With the wine finished, Alice took the bottle and stepped outside the tent.
To get a replacement.
Though there was an exception due to Noah’s orders, the original policy was to not let anyone else into the tent as much as possible, in order to make it appear as Noah is “living in dissipation.”
This was entirely natural.
The Emperor—or rather, a powerful man—surrounded by talented and beautiful women.
And it was a tremendously private matter, a discussion of nighttime interactions between men and women.
Naturally, he did not wish for any uninvited guests to interrupt, wanting to keep it hidden from others.
Even when Alice stepped outside the tent, the eunuchs and soldiers stationed some distance away showed no signs of suspicion and were diligently carrying out their respective duties. Seeing this, Alice felt a slight sense of relief.
She was just a mere songstress.
While she could behave calmly at any time on stage, within Noah’s schemes, she was nothing more than an amateur and simply a woman.
She was still tense, fearing that something might reveal her true identity at any moment.
“Lady Alice.”
“Ah!”
Startled, Alice felt as if her heart would leap out of her mouth at the voice coming from behind her.
When she turned around, she saw a young eunuch standing there.
“Oh…”
Alice felt a bit relieved.
It was a familiar face she had seen earlier.
He was the young eunuch who had silently shown understanding after seeing Noah’s sign and had carried out his orders with some nervousness.
In other words, this young eunuch was an ally.
There was no way this boy would disclose anything about her.
Thinking this, Alice felt a bit reassured.
“May I be of assistance?”
“Uh, um. A refill of the wine, please.”
“Understood.”
The young eunuch Luke accepted the wine bottle that Alice had offered.
Normally, he would have gone immediately to fetch a replacement, but for some reason, Luke stood still, gazing up at Alice intently.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um… I’ve known about you, Alice-sama, for a long time.”
“Huh?”
“I heard there was someone incredibly talented at singing before I entered the palace.”
“Oh…”
Alice nodded, understanding.
She was well aware of her celebrity status.
The Thirteenth Prince, the Wise Prince, and the Emperor.
She knew that she had been in the spotlight because of Noah’s backing.
Alice did not downplay this fact.
She believed that her fame was thanks to Noah, and since Noah was impressive, there was no need to be modest about her own notoriety.
“Thank you.”
“That’s why I believe that we’re comrades.”
“Comrades?”
Alice tilted her head in confusion.
“I became a eunuch for my sister’s medical expenses.”
“Oh…”
“And then His Majesty learned about it and arranged for a physician for my sister.”
“Oh! Is that so?”
“I heard about your mother before entering the palace. So… I thought we were comrades.”
“Yes, comrades indeed. Let’s both do our best.”
“Yes!”
With a bright, innocent smile, Luke nodded vigorously before he took the wine bottle and hurried off to fetch a replacement.
Watching his retreating figure, Alice felt a surge of emotion.
The Emperor and a eunuch.
The difference in status was greater than that between a Prince and a songstress, leaving little room for a meaningful relationship.
Yet, Noah generously arranged a physician.
“Truly, His Majesty is amazing…”
People are treasures.
Now and always, regardless of their positions, Noah continued to demonstrate this through actions as well as words, further deepening Alice’s admiration.
☆
The next morning, inside the carriage.
After leaving the Imperial capital, I, the Emperor, was moving not in a palanquin, but in a carriage.
The carriage was large, pulled by eight horses, and designed to resemble a compact room inside.
Due to the need for the horses to pull it, the furnishings were minimal, focusing on practicality. As the Emperor and the commander of the entire army, this was effectively a mobile command center.
Inside that carriage, surrounded by simple yet adequately spaced tables, I faced Neil.
“I’m sorry for calling you back so suddenly.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Neil responded as if he genuinely didn’t care.
Previously, when I mentioned that it was okay to speak casually in the absence of any bothersome individuals, Neil took that to heart and spoke in a more relaxed tone.
“But is it okay? Calling me back like this. I was thinking of myself as a prized member of the assault squad.”
Neil looked a bit puzzled as he asked this.
He seemed to have some understanding that Oscar was involved, and that politics were at play, but instead of using a direct expression, he inquired more subtly.
“It’s fine, that’s already resolved.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, at least for the duration of this expedition, it’s alright.”
“I see, well, that’s good to know…”
Neil’s expression indicated he wasn’t entirely convinced.
Oscar’s situation was not something that could be summed up in just one statement, so if he wasn’t satisfied, that was fine; I decided to steer the conversation back to the main topic for which I had called him.
“So, how’s the duel squad?”
“They’re a handful. I have nothing but worries about them.”
“Oh? What exactly is worrying?”
While Neil used the word “worry,” there was a certain enjoyment in his expression, which I found amusing.
“The unit, as His Majesty described it, isn’t really a unit at all. For one, not everyone is a ‘soldier.’ I’ve never seen a unit without a single soldier in it before.”
“Oh.”
I nodded, in agreement with his observation.
“Well, they’re all individuals who come from the knight selection process, the very cream of the crop.”
That’s right.
The squad I entrusted to Neil was composed of those who had been purposely dropped from the knight selection, gathered under the capable hands of my close associate Don, and included individuals who had “won at least once” in duels.
Since they all aspired to be knights, they were fundamentally different from regular soldiers. Therefore, Neil’s description of it as a “unit without soldiers” was precisely correct.
“Honestly, it would be better to disband them and assign them as junior officers in different units. It’s a waste.”
“I’m planning to do that after it’s over.”
“…After it’s over?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded and looked directly at Neil.
“Of course, it’s only a secondary objective, but—”
After such an introduction, I began to explain.
“From where do the junior officers you mentioned take orders most effectively?”
“Well, from their superiors—huh?”
Neil was about to answer but furrowed his brow as he stared at me.
“From where… most effectively…?”
Neil got caught up on my phrasing and pondered for a moment.
“From the main house… perhaps?”
I gave a small nod.
The ‘main house’ is slang often used in conjunction with ‘house members.’
It refers to the head of the household, who can also be called ‘the master.’
In other words, it refers to the various Princes.
“If you can arrive at that answer, you must understand that the Princes send ‘house members’ not just to those above them but also down to junior officials and junior officers. The relationships have become as complicated as a spider’s web.”
“Yeah… It’s such a nuisance.”
“It can’t be helped.”
I chuckled softly.
This situation began after the resurgence period.
In the past, among the Emperor’s sons the one who received elite education was only the crown Prince, while the other Princes were raised with a hands-off approach.
However, when the nation began to falter, it became evident that if the crown Prince were to be absent, the other Princes were utterly useless, which only accelerated the nation’s decline.
Fortunately, the founder of the resurgence appeared.
Learning from those past mistakes, they decided to give elite education to all the Princes and also provided them with territories for proper governance practice.
This was a measure to prevent all the princes from becoming incompetent and causing the Empire to falter again.
As a result, the educated Princes naturally came to understand the importance of “information.”
Information is more valuable than any amount of gold or silver; no amount of money can easily buy it.
Realizing this, the Princes began to embed their agents—house members—into every possible location.
“Raw information from the field is something that people would go to great lengths to get, so it’s only natural.”
“Of course, during normal times, I listen to my superiors or higher-ups, but when it really matters—”
“It’s only natural to operate on the main family’s orders.”
“There are also situations where relationships can overwrite that.”
“Huh?”
“Without the main family’s constraints, and with those who used to share meals together.”
“Share meals together…”
“It’s about preferring a close stramher over a distant relative.”
“…”
Neil was left speechless, his mouth hanging open.
“Get along well with them. After you climb to the top, there will be those who act like family, even if they’re not.”
“You thought that far ahead… that’s impressive…”
Neil widened his eyes further, stunned into silence.
“But… do you think it will go that smoothly?”
“Hmm?”
“Your Majesty’s assumption is that once they scatter, they won’t get absorbed into the power structures, right? Isn’t that a bit of an overestimation?”
“No, it should be fine.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because the top is you.”
“…”
For a moment, Neil looked confused before realizing it was a way of saying, “You can truly capture your subordinates’ hearts,” and with a complicated expression,
“That’s a bit unfair.”
he protested.
(Sponsored chapter ~3/5)
There is –>discord<— to get update notifications and releases? I am a bit lazy these days.
Thanks for the treat. 😊