The Prince Wants To Retire

10. Return to the capital of the Grand Duke! (2)

After negotiating with the emperor, Kariel moved right away without any delay.

The first to go was the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“Me, Your Highness, this is… … .”

“I just got permission from His Majesty and came here. Inform the noble council, and formally deliver my letter to the grand duchess.”

At Kariel’s words, the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs swallowed their saliva and looked down at what Kariel had put out.

An invitation from the prince to invite the grand duke to the capital.

Of course, writing a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs did not mean going straight to the grand duchy.

The process of notifying the aristocratic society, formally appealing to the emperor, receiving a license, and stamping the imperial seal remains.

In the process, if the aristocratic society protests and puts it on the agenda in the Daejeon meeting, the letter is kept at the Ministry of Home Affairs and cannot be moved until the result is announced.

“Come back to your Majesty as soon as possible.”

“It will be some time before the nobility will consider it.”

“It doesn’t matter, so take care of what you order.”

After saying that, Kariel wrote two letters on the spot.

“Give it to the Western Frontier and the Central Army.”

Kariel sent two additional letters to the official, gave the order, and headed straight to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Meet Your Highness!”

“From now on, tell the Iron League exactly what I am saying.”

At Kariel’s words, the foreign ministry official hurriedly took out his notebook while swallowing saliva.

“The large-scale movement of our troops is to deal with unsavory things within the empire, so please understand.”

“I-can I leave it like this?”

“In addition, I, Kariel Friedrich von Blaser, personally write down the words that I ask for your understanding, and make it clear that this is Your Majesty’s will.”

When Kariel said that, a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said while sweating.

“Even if you ask for understanding, disputes may arise later.”

“It’s to buy time, so it doesn’t matter if a dispute arises later or not. All you have to do is take the time until this is all over.”

At Kariel’s words, the foreign ministry officials looked confused.

“Don’t think too hard, all you have to do is do what you have to do… … .”

“How much time do you have to take?”

To the official’s question, Kariel immediately answered.

“Okay, two months. Is it possible?”

“It seems to me that it is possible.”

“great. Trust me.”

Having said that, Kariel patted the high-ranking official on the shoulder and left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs began to move busily.

The command was simple, but the processing process was not simple, so it was bound to be busy.

Large-scale military movements bring unnecessary tension to the border, so there is nothing to protest, but Kariel directly asked for understanding in the name of the crown prince, so it was ambiguous to get angry.

Reporting the emperor’s will was in fact the crown prince directly asking for understanding as the emperor’s agent, so the situation could have deteriorated if he made a wrong protest.

That’s why the Iron Federation had no choice but to wait.

Even if there were extremists inside, it was inevitable that it would take time to hold meetings with differing opinions.

In the end, even if the worst situation comes, what Kariel intended will come true.

“This… … Did you think of it yourself?”

At the words of a Foreign Ministry official, the young official tilted his head.

By using the prince’s name, he made it difficult for the opponent to protest.

Of course, we will have to explain the large-scale military movement later, but that is for later.

It’s enough to explain after the work is over, so at least right now, from the point of view of Iron, it has become vague to protest vigorously.

It was a situation where the crown prince bought time diplomatically by sacrificing his honor.

It might be frowned upon from the point of view of an aristocrat, but from the point of view of a diplomat, it was a wise move.

“There must be someone by your side to help.”

“By the way, the recent actions of the Crown Prince… … .”

“Certainly, if you look at the steps of His Majesty the Crown Prince, you may be thinking on your own… … .”

The officials stared at where Kariel had left.

Unlike the second prince who is gifted with magic and the third prince who is gifted with swords, the prince is known only for being weak.

However, looking at his recent actions and the handling of his work, I thought that maybe the Crown Prince was just as talented as the two princes.

“Is this the golden generation of the royal family?”

At the murmur of a young bureaucrat, others nodded their heads involuntarily.

The golden generation of the imperial family, born in the era of the female army.

Thinking that maybe it would calm down this turbulent era and make the empire great again, the bureaucrats unknowingly clenched their fists.

Although they themselves were also contaminated in the rotten imperial palace over generations, the pride of being a ‘great empire’ remained in a corner of their hearts.

Such pride was waking up little by little as he watched the prince’s cool moves.

“Maybe the Empire will change.”

“I hope so.”

The bureaucrats murmured, then hurriedly came to their senses and moved busily to carry out the tasks ordered by the prince.

***

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs were busy carrying out the crown prince’s order, Kariel visited another place.

Kariel, who quickly crossed the imperial palace and headed for the inspection department, went straight up to where the inspection chief was.

“We need to strike the Western Black Merchant Union and Belpurs.”

As soon as he opened the door and entered, Podolski put on a puzzled expression as he looked at Kariel giving orders.

“Yes? You mean now?”

“I just made a deal with His Majesty. time is life We have to strike first before the western dark gangs move.”

Podolski spoke urgently at Kariel’s words.

“Are you saying this all of a sudden?”

When Podolski said with a puzzled expression, Kariel gave a brief summary of future plans based on the information she found out from the chancellor.

After hearing all the explanations, as if understanding, Podolski immediately lowered his head and replied.

“I will prepare.”

“The president’s job is to announce that the Western Black Traders Association is involved in the drug case. As a bonus, announce that funds from temples related to warlocks are flowing into the West.”

“We still lack evidence.”

Kariel smiled and said to Podolski, who had a troubled expression on his face.

“Manipulation is not something only they can do.”

“It could be a problem later.”

“Just pretend. That alone is enough pressure.”

At Kariel’s words, Podolski nodded slightly.

If that was the case, it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

From the point of view of the inspection department, it was natural to investigate the situation since it was found to be a problem.

Even if there was a problem later, the inspection department could pass it off as having no choice but to investigate.

“The opponent destroys the evidence and manipulates it? Then we just have to respond accordingly. Show me what happens when those in power use their power.”

“Yes.”

At Kariel’s command, Podolski lowered his head and replied.

“The key to this operation is to revive the Grand Duke. Waiting for the Archduke to formally lift all sanctions in the capital and lay the groundwork for his former glory. There is no need to capture the enemies, so just press on.”

“Yes.”

“Haon, did your Majesty really allow it?”

Podolski asked with a look of still disbelief.

“Yeah, it’s hard to get permission, so don’t make a mistake. Do not tolerate any movement in the West until the Archduke comes to the capital.”

“I will definitely do that.”

Cariel nodded with satisfaction at Podolski’s answer, looked at Tarion and Podolski and said.

“Restore the Grand Duchess properly and destroy Belfurs, which ate the dark power. That’s the last thing I’ll do as crown prince. So let’s do it perfectly.”

At his words, Podolski and Tarion made a slightly regretful expression.

As Kariel moved in earnest, the Empire stopped shrinking and began to stretch.

He was trying to get up again by cutting off the rotten parts and healing them.

However, he himself kept wanting to step down from the position of crown prince.

“Don’t get me wrong. The aristocrats who follow me now are not on my side.”

Seeing the two regretful, Kariel woke up to the reality.

It was purely for the sake of the two princes that the current aristocrats acted on Kariel’s orders.

It is just an investment for the future.

If Kariel is greedy to become the emperor here, the aristocrats will try to unite again.

“This is all I have to do.”

As I said it as if to affirm it, Tarion and Podolski nodded heavily.

“I will do my best so that you can retire with honor.”

Kariel nodded in satisfaction at Podolski’s words and spoke to Tarion.

“Tarion, try weaving the Belfurs family together.”

“To what extent?”

“Slightly. They only leak that my uncle had ambitions for the throne in the past and that just in time the black merchants near Belpurs in the west became targets of the Inspection Department.”

“It’s just taking medicine.”

Tarion understood at once and nodded.

“Let’s decorate it.”

“great.”

Tarion intends to fabricate the evidence and create public opinion as if it was really related to Belpurus.

I wonder if the time I worked under Kariel wasn’t in vain, and now I understand even if I talk like dog poop.

Looking at him with satisfaction, Kariel clapped her hands.

“ruler! It’s a race against time. in action.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

***

Tharion and Podolski began to move in a hurry at Kariel’s orders.

Podolski was the first to move.

“There is a circumstance that the imperial aristocrats’ corrupt funds flowed into the West.”

Even when it was first announced, the nobles did not react much.

Because work for the Grand Duke was more important than that.

However, the Inspection Department continued to make announcements as if begging for the attention of the aristocrats.

“The circumstance that some of the funds of the temple related to the Warlock went to the West… … .”

“The circumstance that some of the upper ranks who helped with the raid on the Crown Prince are from the West… … .”

One after another, the investigation process of the Inspection Department was made public, but there was no solid evidence.

Looking at the contents of the announcement, everything was circumstantial.

However, from the point of view of the nobles and the Empire, they had not yet found solid evidence, and the western black traders and criminal groups seemed to be related.

In that situation, Tarion moved.

「Earl Belfurs who revealed his ambition for the throne in the past」

“Unfortunately, all the circumstances announced by the Inspection Department occurred in the vicinity of the Belpurs domain?”

Tarion fights public opinion by making fabricated circumstantial evidence as fact, and the Inspection Department presses the aristocrats based on the power of public opinion.

When the picture Kariel wanted came out, the nobles could no longer hold on to the grand duke’s lottery ticket.

In the end, he received the approval of the emperor, and from that moment on, everything went smoothly.

The central army moved first, and some of the troops of the western margrave escorted the grand duchy.

“The primary safety device has been created.”

Muttering that, Kariel sighed.

Since the grand dukes made a safety device to prevent mischief such as rebellion, the biggest thing was over.

All that was left was to wait for the grand duchess to come to the capital and see the reaction of the enemies.

“Your Highness, an answer has come from the Grand Duchess.”

Kariel smiled after reading the letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Do you say you are coming?”

“Yes, they are coming.”

Since she was a grand duke who had been persecuted in the meantime, she thought that she might refuse.

If that was the case, I was thinking of forcibly releasing the sanctions and putting subsidies into the grand duke’s family.

But it was no longer necessary.

“All I can do is done.”

Since he even received a confirmation from the Grand Duchess, virtually everything Kariel could do was over.

“You worked hard.”

“Huh, Tarion also had a hard time. Get some rest now.”

When Kariel motioned for him to leave, Tarion bowed his head and cautiously backed away.

Kariel, now alone, stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before turning her gaze to the table.

There were model flags with names such as Warlock, Seonguk, Aristocrats, and Neutralists written on them.

“It’s shit.”

Kariel, who was looking at the power boards scattered around the imperial palace in the center, raised her hand and placed the nobles and neutrals in the imperial palace and placed a new model flag on top of them.

A small flag with the title of Grand Duchess written on it was placed in the imperial palace, while the flag of Belpurus was moved to the west.

Holy Kingdom in the north.

To the west Belfur and Iron.

Roman in the east.

Confederacy in the south.

It was surrounded in all directions, and even the flag of a warlock was attached to the inside of the empire.

An empire united as one in a situation where there were only enemies.

“Now, I might as well try.”

Like a mighty empire, I thought it would be worth trying even though there were enemies everywhere.

Even though it had fallen endlessly, there was still a lot of energy left.

Even though one Grand Duke was added, there was a different sense of stability than before.

An archduke led by a person who ruled with the strongest sword in a previous life will support the empire under any circumstances.

“If you only flirt with him, you will get a retirement angle.”

Kariel smiled as he said that.