Chapter 304 – Viceroy Wolfgang
Nobles usually have their own estates.
No one can interfere with the legitimate sovereignty entrusted by the emperor. Any lesser nobility can enjoy king-like authority within its walls.
Of course, there are bigger and stronger estates in the neighborhood. Also, it is not uncommon to enter into bilateral contracts with higher nobles, so not all nobles can live with confidence.
It is an undeniable fact that the authority of the nobility over the territory they own is strong.
That’s why nobles without a territory are treated as half. It is the same even if the title is high.
It’s to the point where it’s treated as orthodox that a baron from the periphery is better than an honorary count without a fiefdom.
Depending on the presence or absence of a territory, the influence that can be exerted in the aristocratic society is also very different, so it is common for the nobles of the empire to mobilize all efforts to somehow obtain their territory and maintain it from generation to generation.
Of course, there are also a very small number of strange species that do not exist, but…
“I am not interested.”
“Why?”
“Governor. Isn’t that a bit too sudden? I hate being tied down somewhere.”
It’s also a bit unusual for someone to give you an offer but refuse it so cleanly.
“Hmm, I see.”
The commander-in-chief threw the hip flask at Wolfgang.
—Teouk!
The beginning of the year had been rejected, but Wolfgang readily accepted it as if he hadn’t refused to drink, and took a gulping down of the strong whiskey.
It’s the same with Wolfgang or the commander-in-chief, who can drive away drunkenness whenever they want. Their drinking has no meaning except to spice up the conversation.
“Puha! Why did such a conclusion come from the Grand Council in the first place? Wasn’t the system of governor-general abolished already over a hundred years ago?”
“It did.”
Wolfgang, who does not hide his disapproval even at first sight.
There was a deep interest in the commander-in-chief’s gaze looking at him. I expected that he wouldn’t be very welcome because of his personality, but this much.
Do you still think it’s time to hide his claws?
Craig Caul, Commander-in-Chief of the Empire.
He stared at the cheeky subordinate in front of him and lost himself in thought.
Although he is a commoner, the title of a political soldier may be an insult to him as he is a positional figure who has risen to the position of commander-in-chief only with his skills and majors.
To rise to that position, a good or bad political sense is naturally ingrained in the body.
The experience of training on the battlefield and at the table infused new energy into his tobacco and alcohol-stained brain. In his opinion, Wolfgang’s reason for giving up the position of governor-general was not far off.
It is because of the special position he currently holds.
Before the war. The imperial family was led by a young and healthy emperor, and the succession structure, led by the first Prince Guilliman, who had been prominent since childhood, also felt neatly organized.
However, for some reason, the emperor did not decide on his successor until all three direct descendants had grown up.
Now the heat of war is completely cooling down. The second, Prince Lupercal, and the third, Princess Alicia, also slowly began to show their presence.
Thus began a full-scale mess.
Still, the most likely candidate for the next emperor was the first, Prince Guilliman, but in the eyes of the commander-in-chief, the one with potential comparable to him was not the second, Prince Lupercal, but the third, Princess Alicia.
‘He is a person who can never be ignored, Her Highness the Princess.’
Due to her innate beauty and the good deeds and good stories she has steadily accumulated since childhood, the public’s awareness and liking for Alicia are at their peak.
Her personal connections were already firmly rooted in her military and religious circles.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Wolfgang, who is actually the core of the military department, and not a joke, is as if wrapped in the width of her skirt. There are rumors that the Imperial Princess and the Saint of the Celestial Church are personally close.
At least, the place where her arms could not reach was the aristocratic society and the administration.
In the event of a coup on Alicia’s side right away, what could they do if they threatened nobles and bureaucrats with knives and scriptures at their necks?
It wouldn’t be easy for the two princes to keep their eyes open, but it’s also true that Princess Alicia’s side could never be ignored.
The quick-witted Prince Guilliman also seemed to have made every effort, such as convening key figures in the military separately and personally calling Wolfgang to have a private discussion.
‘It’s like I forgot all the details and got only the chaff.’
To the disgrace of such efforts, high-ranking military officials, excluding middle and low-ranking officers and knight commanders, did not appear to be particularly inclined to support Prince Guilliman.
He could have dazzled fools with his innate speech and charisma, but in a world where superhumans and magical powers exist, it is meaningless to fill only the number of heads.
Friendship politics, in which groups move by the will of the majority, was a system established only in the primitive age when mankind could not yet deal with magical powers.
In the end, in order to obtain absolute power, you have to make the few with power on your side…
If you look at it in that sense, isn’t it rather Princess Alicia rather than Prince Guilliman who is closest to the current emperor?
‘Well, it’s still too early to make such an assessment.’
Of course, Princess Alicia was just starting to stand out.
Therefore, right now, Prince Guilliman, who has imprinted his presence as an heir to high-ranking officials of the empire for a long time, is in a position where he cannot be hasty in his weight class.
“Commander-in-chief.”
“Why but.”
“Why do you stay still for so long without talking? Are you sure you’re doing it on purpose? The absurdity of being subjected to the enemies of the empire. It’s really sad.”
“Hmm, you’re really cheeky. Does having a star end your military service?”
“Keugh…!”
At this moment, a man named Wolfgang was joking with the commander-in-chief right in front of him.
The presence of this one and only man is the driving force that forcibly bridged the vast weight gap between Princess Alicia and Prince Guilliman and brought them to eye level.
Furthermore, the fact that it is her Joker card that could make her really her emperor.
Do I really know?
‘Does this guy know what position he is in? Or do I act according to my mood, and it mysteriously matches? It’s a strange thing.’
The commander-in-chief shook his head as he looked at Wolfgang, who was staring at him with a sullen expression.
“I’m quite old now, too. I’ll forgive you if you’re bruised for a while.”
“If you say that, what am I supposed to answer?”
“I’m telling you to keep your mouth shut until they explain themselves.”
What hides his claws.
I just didn’t like it, so it seemed like the right thing to do.
More about complicated politics later. The first step was to convince the cheeky subordinate in front of him.
“Hey, contrary to what you look like, your hobby is reading. Do you know anything about studying history?”
“Umm, if it’s at the level of culture. I’ll do as much as I learned at the officer training school.”
“Then I’ll be quick. What do you think is the reason why the Governor-General system was abolished?”
A question about history suddenly posed.
After thinking hard for a moment, Wolfgang was able to come up with an answer without difficulty.
“That’s because after subjugating the last remaining wild land, the South, to the Empire, there is no land left on the continent without the Imperial flag… Ah!”
And, Wolfgang, who stopped talking and exclaimed as if he realized something.
“You must have noticed. That’s it.”
“No way. Are you planning on incorporating the polar region into the empire’s territory from the upper level?”
“Well, that went too far. First of all, the Frosttooth tribe has expressed their intention to cooperate with the Empire. Wouldn’t the Empire also need to be merciful to them and guarantee their legitimate rights?”
To sum up, the key point is this.
Wolfgang’s job was so good that the Frosttooth tribe had already become dependencies of the Empire. The leadership of the Empire felt the need to manage the Frosttooth tribe in earnest.
In this case, of course, the conqueror who subjugated the land would have to be placed in the position of governor.
Given a crucial piece of the puzzle, Wolfgang quickly came to understand his situation.
“That…”
“How about it, have you changed your mind now?”
“…I didn’t have a choice in the first place.”
“Well, if you want to refuse, you can refuse. There is no talent like you.”
Wolfgang answered with a sigh.
“I will, Governor.”
“Good idea.”
“Then what should I do? Am I going to be assigned to the polar region now?”
Wolfgang asked with a worried expression.
As if he knew what Wolfgang was worried about, the commander-in-chief answered with a smile.
“Well, even if you become the governor, nothing will change. The Northern Immigrant Alliance hasn’t completely collapsed yet. Just think of it as accepting business cards.”
“Fortunately, the.”
In this way, Wolfgang became the first governor in the history of the empire to subjugate the territory of the polar region.
It was an unexpected achievement.
