Chapter 95: Divide and Conquer
After experiencing my father-in-law’s joy intensely with my whole body, I finally got free and approached the Crown Prince, who was standing awkwardly. Vermeer and Eisenach were guarding him as always. But what was different was that Eisenach and Vermeer seemed confused about me.
Probably because even though this was the Crown Prince’s first campaign, I was the one hogging all the glory and attention. That’s why the Crown Prince greeted me awkwardly. With Fiel having broken off to serve under me, the prince’s inner circle had been split in two.
His gaze was like that of someone looking at a political rival.
This was bad. His mindset was one of confusion and suspicion.
Had some bastard driven a wedge between the Crown Prince and me?
It could have been some Euz noble or duchy noble who envied me.
"I’ve returned after completing Your Highness’s orders."
"Is that so? I don’t recall giving you such orders."
"I received orders from the War Minister to pursue the fleeing enemy."
The Crown Prince’s gaze turned to my father-in-law.
"That’s right. I failed to report to Your Highness because the situation was urgent. It’s entirely my fault, so please don’t blame my son-in-law."
My father-in-law came on a bit strong to protect me.
For my father-in-law, who supported the Crown Prince, to show this attitude—
But here I needed to appease the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, a subordinate’s achievements are also his master’s achievements."
"Do you still claim to be my subordinate? You’ve already slipped beyond my control, haven’t you?"
"The supreme commander of the duchy forces is Your Highness. Naturally, I’m Your Highness’s subordinate."
When I went in unconditionally humble, the Crown Prince seemed to soften a bit.
"Your Highness! Is our bond that shallow? It began when Marquis Bertheim first introduced me to Your Highness. I risked my life to protect Your Highness from assassins, and I was the only knight who accepted Your Highness’s unreasonable campaign order to rescue refugees out of sheer loyalty. Please don’t forget my dedication."
Moved by my earnest persuasion, the Crown Prince sighed and said:
"I don’t know how it came to this. Yes, our bond isn’t shallow. You were the one who best embodied my belief in trusting and valuing capable knights. But as your achievements grew bigger and bigger, I shamefully developed what you’d call an inferiority complex."
The Crown Prince was human too, so of course he could feel those emotions. Jealousy is one of humanity’s most instinctive emotions. Fortunately, the Crown Prince seemed to have regained his composure. Vermeer was still looking at me coldly, but what mattered to me was the Crown Prince’s trust.
"The Euz nobles and duchy nobles told me your vigorous activity was meant to steal credit from the royal family. At first I thought it was ridiculous slander, but when I learned you’d crushed the enemy’s surprise attack and even captured the fleeing Count Épinay in a raid, I began to wonder whether I was even necessary in this war."
"Those damn bastards actually spewed that nonsense to Your Highness?"
My father-in-law’s face twisted terrifyingly, as if he were hearing this for the first time. He looked like a tiger baring its fangs. So there had been people approaching the Crown Prince to drive wedges. Being human, the Crown Prince had probably felt inadequate after I’d accomplished such tremendous feats one after another.
No, relative deprivation would be more accurate.
But the Crown Prince was the supreme commander, and a supreme commander doesn’t need to fight directly.
A commander’s role is sufficiently valued just by providing an environment where subordinates can fight. And the Crown Prince, who’d recruited me for this campaign, definitely deserved credit too.
The Crown Prince asked me with a mischievous smile, as if a thought had just occurred to him:
"Sir Streit. If I asked you to hand over your achievements as mine, could you accept that?"
"If you guarantee proper compensation, I’ll hand over all my achievements to Your Highness."
I could earn achievements like that on the battlefield anytime.
I pursued practical benefits over honor, so I knew when to yield.
My answer was so firm that the Crown Prince burst out laughing.
"Haha, but that’s not even possible, is it? As expected, you haven’t changed."
Or have I actually changed?
The Crown Prince muttered that.
Fortunately, our relationship seemed restored. The Crown Prince was intelligent but still inexperienced because of his youth. He’d face many more tests like this going forward. Overcoming them was what forged a true ruler’s qualities, wasn’t it? An aide should help him distinguish right from wrong.
That’s exactly what Vermeer and Eisenach lacked.
I’d have to take on the role of guiding the Crown Prince as well.
"I’m satisfied with you, but I don’t know how the other nobles will react."
"It’s fine. I’ll handle my own defense."
That’s why I’d bought the Diplomat Scouter.
My father-in-law was furious that the noble bastards had dragged the Crown Prince into this, and I broke a sweat calming him down. Led by the Crown Prince, we moved to the count’s forces’ camp, where I had to endure the Euz nobles’ envious stares. Such intense gazes—even a conquering general parading through the capital couldn’t have drawn looks like these.
"I commend your achievement in capturing Count Épinay. We’ve fought countless border skirmishes, but never once captured Count Épinay."
"I merely followed orders from His Highness and the War Minister."
"Oh? So it wasn’t your independent action?"
It seemed some noble bastard had slandered me, claiming I’d ignored orders to guard the garrison and acted on my own. Count Euz’s gaze turned toward someone—a greasy-looking noble. You. I’ve memorized your face and crest. Just you wait.
"Hmph, some moron seems to have spouted nonsense, but I gave the orders to my son-in-law. Are you saying my orders to my subordinate were unjust? That they violated unified command?"
"Calm down. My vassals seem to see things differently."
When Count Euz turned his gaze back to the nobles, someone stepped forward.
"War Minister, Your Excellency! This is an act of deception against us Euz people! While we risked our lives holding down the enemy’s main force, Streit all too easily captured the enemy commander! If this isn’t theft, what is?"
"What? Theft? Were you the only ones holding down the main force? And pursuing fleeing enemies is the natural duty of light cavalry—didn’t your cavalry chase them too?"
When Baron Valent stepped up to challenge the War Minister, the atmosphere instantly turned hostile. Most Euz nobles agreed that I’d stolen their glory. Some nobles in the duchy forces’ command shared that opinion, dividing the room into those defending me and those condemning me.
So basically, they were complaining that they’d dealt all the damage but I’d landed the killing blow? First off, if I hadn’t sortied, they could never have captured Count Épinay. I’d heard that Valent’s cavalry had pursued the count but gotten ambushed by Épinay’s trap and withdrawn after heavy casualties.
They had suffered heavy casualties with no real results, while I’d achieved great feats with minimal losses—which infuriated them and ate at their pride. And losing to a central noble at that—the Euz nobles must have seen it as a humiliation.
These bastards are border nobles? Is this for real?
"You’re making ridiculous demands of Sir Streit, who helped Euz."
"The Euznirk heir seems to side with duchy knights over his own Euz nobles."
When Baron Valent spoke sarcastically, Fried frowned.
A fight would have broken out if Count Euz hadn’t warned Valent to watch his words.
Thank God Michael wasn’t here.
"Who protected the Euz people who couldn’t evacuate, and who played a decisive role in the war by burning the enemy’s supply lines? Baron Valent, is envying a knight who earned his merit the proper attitude for a noble gentleman?"
"You’re straying from the topic. I’m criticizing Sir Streit for using the count’s forces to capture Count Épinay—I’m not denying his other achievements."
So basically, they acknowledged all my other achievements, but capturing Count Épinay was controversial, and those with a stake in it should share the glory. That’s how it translated in my ears. The count’s forces claimed they had the biggest stake because they had fought the enemy’s main force.
Wasn’t the duchy army there too? The duchy army had actually played the anvil role, pinning down the main force. The count’s forces had waited on the left wing before attacking the enemy’s flank—in other words, they were the hammer. So my father-in-law raised his voice, saying the Euz nobles were picking ridiculous fights.
"You’ve been quiet. Don’t you have anything to say to us?"
"I think Baron Valent’s words have some merit."
"Oh, I thought you were a shameless knight, but I was mistaken."
Baron Valent’s smug smile at the satisfying answer clashed with Fried and my father-in-law’s expressions of "Are you out of your mind?" Father-in-law, heir of Euznirk—hear me out before you judge.
"Baron Valent’s cavalry certainly engaged Count Épinay’s personal cavalry, which made it easier for our unit to approach."
"Exactly! That’s what I’ve been trying to say."
"So I think Baron Valent deserves proper credit. Since I captured Count Épinay, if I’m nominally the first achiever, then Baron Valent should be recognized as the second. I don’t know about the other nobles, but I strongly support Baron Valent at the very least."
The Euz nobles seemed dumbfounded that I’d acknowledged it so readily. The atmosphere shifted when I openly endorsed Baron Valent as the second achiever. Baron Valent had served as a spokesman for the Euz nobles’ side. He wasn’t a particularly influential figure.
And that was precisely the point—singling out only Baron Valent as an achiever.
When I looked at Count Euz, he nodded as if to say "well done."
Fried seemed disappointed that his father wouldn’t take his side and maintained neutrality, but I saw it the opposite way. The count hadn’t sided with his son, but he hadn’t sided with the nobles either.
That’s where the answer lay.
Count Euz was playing along to my tune.
"Since Sir Streit acknowledges it, we’ll recognize Baron Valent as the second achiever."
Then fierce backlash erupted from among the Euz nobles.
This must have been a scenario they’d never even considered.
"What are you talking about? Why is Baron Valent the second achiever? Half my private soldiers died!"
"Shut up! Half my private soldiers died too, so obviously I should be the second achiever!"
I watched them fight amongst themselves with satisfaction.
Ever heard of divide and conquer, you pig bastards?