Everyone doubted their ears for a moment.
What did he mean by older brother?
It was no wonder everyone in the barrack widened their eyes.
“What are you talking about? What do you mean by older brother?”
“That doesn’t make any sense…!”
They nearly said ‘bullshit’ out loud for a second.
It was so unbelievably shocking they were staring at the crown prince in bewilderment.
However, the crown prince’s next words made it clear that they had not misheard it.
“He is the one I serve as my older brother. I hope you don’t commit rudeness.”
This left the people of the empire and the kingdom unable to keep their mouths closed.
Even the nobles of the First Princess’s faction, who were the first to speak up about rudeness, were stunned.
But they couldn’t treat it as a joke either.
It was the words of the crown prince of Cantum, not anyone else.
The face of Marquis Adelas, who followed the First Princess, also hardened.
‘What did he do again this time…’
Ian smiled inwardly at the scene.
‘Good thing I asked him to do it.’
Ian made three requests to the crown prince.
One of them was to go into the meeting of the Northern Expedition together and properly call him brother there. The rest had already been asked for somewhere other than this place.
Of course, upon hearing the first request, the crown prince objected as if he was better off biting his tongue.
“Do you think I would do something like that? That would leave me as a national disgrace!”
“Then you don’t mind if your words and actions can reach the ears of empires, kingdoms, and the emperor?”
“…!”
“Of course I won’t make you do anything humiliating. If you do it once, that is.”
After a moment’s thought, the crown prince accepted Ian’s request.
If it were him, he could do it as a passing joke, and anyway, as soon as Ian crossed the line, then it would be a good enough reason to kill him as a fight for honor.
Cantum, who arrived first, and the First Princess, who did not know the truth, looked at the crown prince in disbelief.
“Your Highness, what the…”
“Ah, it’s no big deal. I admired him in the slash-and-burn village. I was so in awe that I decided to call him older brother. Even if he is young, he should receive recognition for what he deserves. As expected, Kaistein has many outstanding successors. Kaistein is an excellent partner of the empire. Cantum should learn that too.”
At the crown prince’s playful words, Cantum agreed that they were imprudent. However, despite such criticism, the princes and princesses saw it differently.
It might seem like a joke, but there was no way they didn’t understand the seriousness of this matter.
‘That punk.’
Their gazes had completely changed.
Now, they truly saw him as a life-threatening enemy.
Unlike in the previous life, they would very likely use a different method.
However, Ian did it on purpose even though he knew he would raise the vigilance of other successors.
It was because of them.
‘The core personnel of Kaistein.’
The Northern Expedition was a competition mission, but it was a national affair to some extent.
As such, it was a gathering of not only Kaistein’s officials as well as the Department of Treasury. They came under the king’s order as it was of high importance.
But Ian knew.
‘They’re also the ones who will evaluate the competition in secret.’
Normally, the heads of various departments, including the chancellor, Marquis Adelas, would be in control of it. And everything Ian did was for their interest.
In fact, it seemed to work to some extent.
The glint in their eyes had also changed.
From indifference to curiosity.
It seemed like they were feeling Ian out to see if he was fit to be their king.
‘Yes, this is enough.’
Patience was the most important thing in everything.
Having left an impression on them, all Ian had to do next was make sure to get their approval.
Those who didn’t know this fact were intrigued.
‘I don’t know what method he used, but isn’t that of great value to get the help of the empire?’
‘I was worried we would fight with the empire ahead of the Northern Expedition.’
‘However, even if he is talented in swordsmanship and has knights by his side, he’s not going to be king.’
‘In practice, the Second Princess is rather outstanding. She has been helping the royal family for a long time.’
‘Sigh. If only the First Prince were alive, I wouldn’t have been in such a dilemma about something like this.’
Such thoughts were apparent in those eyes.
But Ian was confident.
‘I will certainly make them on my side in this Northern Expedition.’
It was to prepare for the unexpected. And the groundwork had already been laid out enough.
It’s the issue in Labadom.
Although it hadn’t reached their ears yet, soon everyone would know.
Then the game was sure to take a complete change.
In the first place, the Fifth Prince’s name popped out from time to time among officials who had no relations with him.
Since the king was not present, they thought it would be better to bring in the princes presently in other countries.
But.
‘Don’t even think about it.’
As Ian broke into a smile.
“You must have been very active in the slash-and-burn village. How commendable, Your Highness.”
Marquis Adelas was smiling and speaking very highly of Ian.
Ian narrowed his brow slightly.
Marquis Adelas.
Nathan’s father, and by all means a formidable opponent.
Although Ian had been able to overwhelm him with the information from his previous life so far.
He was the man who single-handedly had the east within his grasp with the position of marquis he held. Furthermore, his political power was strong enough to rival the dukes. In the end, after losing the First Princess, he immediately moved to assume the position of Duke Lavaltor, who had fallen. He survived in the royal court to the end and emerged as the second-largest force after Garcia.
That very same Marquis Adelas was smiling now.
“We should follow your example, Your Highness.”
Of course, the very next moment.
He showed his true intentions.
“However, wouldn’t it be better to send out useless personnel? This is the military conference hall for the Northern Expedition.”
Marquis Adelas fixed his eyes on the escort knights standing behind Ian.
It was Galon and an unknown knight.
“I am sorry, but since it is the seat of state affairs, it seems right to leave outsiders outside.”
He must have aimed to leave Ian alone in the meeting room to daunt him. However, Ian, who could not have been oblivious to that gaze, raised the corner of his mouth.
“Outsider? You must have greatly misunderstood something. They are not simply escort knights but my assault squad leader and adjutant.”
“!?”
Marquis Adelas was dumbfounded by Ian’s interruption.
“Sir Galon is an excellent knight of Your Highness well-known by many, but the person next to him does not even qualify as an official knight…”
Marquis Adelas suddenly paused in the next second.
It was inevitable.
It was because he found the appearance of the person he thought was an ordinary knight unusual.
‘A lady?’
In addition, her face was strangely familiar.
In particular, the blue hair peeking slightly under the helmet reminded him of someone.
Upon realizing that, Marquis Adelas’ eyes twitched.
“No way… The young lady of Lavaltor?”
People in the conference room fell into a stir at his words.
The nobles and successors alike were also taken aback.
Leaving Galon aside, they gawked at Ian in disbelief for giving such a position to Lavaltor’s most treasured daughter.
‘Well, she must have learned the art of self-defense and swordsmanship from Lavaltor…’
‘Still, to make the young lady his adjutant…’
‘Is it to show off that they are betrothed?’
Regardless, Ian gestured to everyone with a nonchalant expression.
“What are you doing not starting the meeting? Time is gold.”
Everyone was stunned, speechless by Ian’s actions, but the First Princess simply rose from her seat as if it couldn’t be helped.
‘Well, your confidence will not last for long.’
They were surprised by the young lady’s unexpected appearance, but how much could she do?
‘At best, an escort. What kind of achievement will she make on the battlefield?’
The nobles were busy snickering at the fact that the Seventh Prince overdid it for his relationship with Lavaltor.
And so, the matter of the young lady was moved on without much concern.
‘But it won’t be a big deal in the future.’
‘Nothing will change if the young lady participates in the war.’
Besides, that wasn’t what mattered now.
‘In any case, once we get into the strategy meeting soon, Ian won’t be able to say anything.’
It was only natural she thought so.
Ian had not yet received a proper education, let alone a coming-of-age ceremony.
‘What did this brat learn? All he ever got is etiquette lessons at most.’
In fact, only a few disciplines, including art, were tested in the Crystal Palace qualification test. He hadn’t taken the test tactical strategy needed.
That was why Marquis Adelas and the First Princess were assured.
She had studied really hard to keep up with the Second Prince.
So.
Srrrk!
The war map was unfolded. Among the symbols, the area of Bahara was marked in half.
Then she spoke, her voice brimming with confidence.
“Cantum has decided to attack half, and Kaistein will attack the other half. Our goal is the heart of Bahara, Balrog.”
Bang!
She even hit the map.
Everyone’s attention was naturally drawn to the extreme yet clear explanation of the First Princess. Their focus on her was so intense that they even forgot Ian for a moment.
The First Princess confidently opened her mouth.
“We will soon be advancing here through four passages.”
The First Princess marked the passageways on the map.
Plain
Hill
Valley
River
The entrances were different, but the exits all led to the same point.
But just at that moment.
“I think one place is missing.”
“!?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the owner of the voice.
It was none other than Ian. He pointed at a corner of the map and opened his mouth.
“The fastest way to Balrog. It looks like it’s missing.”
Ian was talking about one of the straightest passageways leading to Bahara. It was the mountain route.
The First Princess smiled as if his remarks were ridiculous.
“You must not know because you are still young. We can’t go there.”
“Why?”
“Why? Do you really ask because you don’t know?”
The First Princess raised her voice on purpose.
“What kind of people is Bahara? There is no fool here who will take the mountain route against those famous as mountain people.”
Her words were not wrong.
So far, while Kaistein had undergone numerous Northern Expeditions, there was only one path they steered clear of. It was the mountain route. They were also masters of mountain warfare, but fighting on rough mountain routes was an immense loss.
Rocks falling from above or wooden traps posed great danger to the troops.
“Among the kings of the past, there were even those who lost their lives in such traps. Do you understand what an ignorant choice that is?”
Therefore, it was a route that would never be chosen.
But Ian thought differently.
‘Since it is the hardest path, it is a more certain path instead.’
Ian was convinced after capturing and interrogating the Barbarian. He was dead set on attacking Bahara through the mountain route.
The reason was simple.
‘We must finish the Northern Expedition as soon as possible. Otherwise, Kaistein will be in danger.’
In his previous life, they experienced great difficulties in the Northern Expedition.
The biggest problem was that Kaistein’s forces were exhausted due to Cantum’s lack of cooperation and Bahara’s fierce counterattack. And the moment they weakened, other countries attacked.
As a result, the successors lost a significant number of troops. Although they somehow managed to defend themselves…
‘Due to the weakening of national power and famine, we concluded a humiliating treaty with neighboring countries.’
This was unprecedented in the history of Kaistein over a thousand years.
So, Ian planned to seize Bahara in the shortest period of time and maintain Kaistein’s forces.
Otherwise, far from regaining the past glory of the empire, he would only become the king of a weak country, and that was one thing he never wanted to be.
It wouldn’t change anything even if they were a powerful country at present.
No one knew the ambitions of the neighboring countries yet, so he had to hurry up.
He would start by gaining as much power as possible in this Northern Expedition.
To do that, there was something he needed.
‘They say that in order to win a war, you need excellent generals and strategists.’
But Ian already had both.
There was one thing he didn’t have now. It was an official in charge of maintaining the logistics.
So, he looked around the attendees carefully.
‘I’m sure he is here.’
He was indisputably the most outstanding among the staff. And the one he coveted most.
Of course, Ian didn’t know his face, only the name.
‘This is the only way to rope him out without being noticed by Marquis Adelas.’
Therefore, he had to use a little special move.
Ian opened his mouth with a smile.
“Is that so? Then I’ll go there.”
“What?”
It was a path everyone said to be improbable. But more than anything else, it was a sure path.
‘In my previous life, he said something like this: Everyone is too shortsighted. We can seize Bahara in a matter of seconds at the expense of a little sacrifice.’
He particularly pointed out a lot of wasted supplies. In other words, everyone took a comfortable path and ruined the country instead.
Ian, of course, had no intention of making any sacrifices.
But if that man was here now, he would surely react. And it definitely had an effect. Because everyone present here was now staring at him in surprise.
It was such a ridiculous choice.
But Ian continued his words coolly.
“There are five successors here anyway. If I take the mountain route, the rest can go off their respective paths, aren’t I right?”
“That’s…”
“I will definitely make it work.”
Ian rose from his seat.
Everyone still cast gazes full of distrust. Some were skeptical because Ian called himself the crown prince’s older brother, but they didn’t believe him all the same.
Nevertheless, Ian spoke in a confident voice as if he didn’t care.
“So, is anyone willing to follow me?”
Everyone couldn’t take their eyes off Ian’s resolute eyes.
And.
Shhk.
Someone raised their hand.
Ian couldn’t help but be surprised by the identity of the unexpected figure.
Everyone doubted their ears for a moment.
What did he mean by older brother?
It was no wonder everyone in the barrack widened their eyes.
“What are you talking about? What do you mean by older brother?”
“That doesn’t make any sense…!”
They nearly said ‘bullshit’ out loud for a second.
It was so unbelievably shocking they were staring at the crown prince in bewilderment.
However, the crown prince’s next words made it clear that they had not misheard it.
“He is the one I serve as my older brother. I hope you don’t commit rudeness.”
This left the people of the empire and the kingdom unable to keep their mouths closed.
Even the nobles of the First Princess’s faction, who were the first to speak up about rudeness, were stunned.
But they couldn’t treat it as a joke either.
It was the words of the crown prince of Cantum, not anyone else.
The face of Marquis Adelas, who followed the First Princess, also hardened.
‘What did he do again this time…’
Ian smiled inwardly at the scene.
‘Good thing I asked him to do it.’
Ian made three requests to the crown prince.
One of them was to go into the meeting of the Northern Expedition together and properly call him brother there. The rest had already been asked for somewhere other than this place.
Of course, upon hearing the first request, the crown prince objected as if he was better off biting his tongue.
“Do you think I would do something like that? That would leave me as a national disgrace!”
“Then you don’t mind if your words and actions can reach the ears of empires, kingdoms, and the emperor?”
“…!”
“Of course I won’t make you do anything humiliating. If you do it once, that is.”
After a moment’s thought, the crown prince accepted Ian’s request.
If it were him, he could do it as a passing joke, and anyway, as soon as Ian crossed the line, then it would be a good enough reason to kill him as a fight for honor.
Cantum, who arrived first, and the First Princess, who did not know the truth, looked at the crown prince in disbelief.
“Your Highness, what the…”
“Ah, it’s no big deal. I admired him in the slash-and-burn village. I was so in awe that I decided to call him older brother. Even if he is young, he should receive recognition for what he deserves. As expected, Kaistein has many outstanding successors. Kaistein is an excellent partner of the empire. Cantum should learn that too.”
At the crown prince’s playful words, Cantum agreed that they were imprudent. However, despite such criticism, the princes and princesses saw it differently.
It might seem like a joke, but there was no way they didn’t understand the seriousness of this matter.
‘That punk.’
Their gazes had completely changed.
Now, they truly saw him as a life-threatening enemy.
Unlike in the previous life, they would very likely use a different method.
However, Ian did it on purpose even though he knew he would raise the vigilance of other successors.
It was because of them.
‘The core personnel of Kaistein.’
The Northern Expedition was a competition mission, but it was a national affair to some extent.
As such, it was a gathering of not only Kaistein’s officials as well as the Department of Treasury. They came under the king’s order as it was of high importance.
But Ian knew.
‘They’re also the ones who will evaluate the competition in secret.’
Normally, the heads of various departments, including the chancellor, Marquis Adelas, would be in control of it. And everything Ian did was for their interest.
In fact, it seemed to work to some extent.
The glint in their eyes had also changed.
From indifference to curiosity.
It seemed like they were feeling Ian out to see if he was fit to be their king.
‘Yes, this is enough.’
Patience was the most important thing in everything.
Having left an impression on them, all Ian had to do next was make sure to get their approval.
Those who didn’t know this fact were intrigued.
‘I don’t know what method he used, but isn’t that of great value to get the help of the empire?’
‘I was worried we would fight with the empire ahead of the Northern Expedition.’
‘However, even if he is talented in swordsmanship and has knights by his side, he’s not going to be king.’
‘In practice, the Second Princess is rather outstanding. She has been helping the royal family for a long time.’
‘Sigh. If only the First Prince were alive, I wouldn’t have been in such a dilemma about something like this.’
Such thoughts were apparent in those eyes.
But Ian was confident.
‘I will certainly make them on my side in this Northern Expedition.’
It was to prepare for the unexpected. And the groundwork had already been laid out enough.
It’s the issue in Labadom.
Although it hadn’t reached their ears yet, soon everyone would know.
Then the game was sure to take a complete change.
In the first place, the Fifth Prince’s name popped out from time to time among officials who had no relations with him.
Since the king was not present, they thought it would be better to bring in the princes presently in other countries.
But.
‘Don’t even think about it.’
As Ian broke into a smile.
“You must have been very active in the slash-and-burn village. How commendable, Your Highness.”
Marquis Adelas was smiling and speaking very highly of Ian.
Ian narrowed his brow slightly.
Marquis Adelas.
Nathan’s father, and by all means a formidable opponent.
Although Ian had been able to overwhelm him with the information from his previous life so far.
He was the man who single-handedly had the east within his grasp with the position of marquis he held. Furthermore, his political power was strong enough to rival the dukes. In the end, after losing the First Princess, he immediately moved to assume the position of Duke Lavaltor, who had fallen. He survived in the royal court to the end and emerged as the second-largest force after Garcia.
That very same Marquis Adelas was smiling now.
“We should follow your example, Your Highness.”
Of course, the very next moment.
He showed his true intentions.
“However, wouldn’t it be better to send out useless personnel? This is the military conference hall for the Northern Expedition.”
Marquis Adelas fixed his eyes on the escort knights standing behind Ian.
It was Galon and an unknown knight.
“I am sorry, but since it is the seat of state affairs, it seems right to leave outsiders outside.”
He must have aimed to leave Ian alone in the meeting room to daunt him. However, Ian, who could not have been oblivious to that gaze, raised the corner of his mouth.
“Outsider? You must have greatly misunderstood something. They are not simply escort knights but my assault squad leader and adjutant.”
“!?”
Marquis Adelas was dumbfounded by Ian’s interruption.
“Sir Galon is an excellent knight of Your Highness well-known by many, but the person next to him does not even qualify as an official knight…”
Marquis Adelas suddenly paused in the next second.
It was inevitable.
It was because he found the appearance of the person he thought was an ordinary knight unusual.
‘A lady?’
In addition, her face was strangely familiar.
In particular, the blue hair peeking slightly under the helmet reminded him of someone.
Upon realizing that, Marquis Adelas’ eyes twitched.
“No way… The young lady of Lavaltor?”
People in the conference room fell into a stir at his words.
The nobles and successors alike were also taken aback.
Leaving Galon aside, they gawked at Ian in disbelief for giving such a position to Lavaltor’s most treasured daughter.
‘Well, she must have learned the art of self-defense and swordsmanship from Lavaltor…’
‘Still, to make the young lady his adjutant…’
‘Is it to show off that they are betrothed?’
Regardless, Ian gestured to everyone with a nonchalant expression.
“What are you doing not starting the meeting? Time is gold.”
Everyone was stunned, speechless by Ian’s actions, but the First Princess simply rose from her seat as if it couldn’t be helped.
‘Well, your confidence will not last for long.’
They were surprised by the young lady’s unexpected appearance, but how much could she do?
‘At best, an escort. What kind of achievement will she make on the battlefield?’
The nobles were busy snickering at the fact that the Seventh Prince overdid it for his relationship with Lavaltor.
And so, the matter of the young lady was moved on without much concern.
‘But it won’t be a big deal in the future.’
‘Nothing will change if the young lady participates in the war.’
Besides, that wasn’t what mattered now.
‘In any case, once we get into the strategy meeting soon, Ian won’t be able to say anything.’
It was only natural she thought so.
Ian had not yet received a proper education, let alone a coming-of-age ceremony.
‘What did this brat learn? All he ever got is etiquette lessons at most.’
In fact, only a few disciplines, including art, were tested in the Crystal Palace qualification test. He hadn’t taken the test tactical strategy needed.
That was why Marquis Adelas and the First Princess were assured.
She had studied really hard to keep up with the Second Prince.
So.
Srrrk!
The war map was unfolded. Among the symbols, the area of Bahara was marked in half.
Then she spoke, her voice brimming with confidence.
“Cantum has decided to attack half, and Kaistein will attack the other half. Our goal is the heart of Bahara, Balrog.”
Bang!
She even hit the map.
Everyone’s attention was naturally drawn to the extreme yet clear explanation of the First Princess. Their focus on her was so intense that they even forgot Ian for a moment.
The First Princess confidently opened her mouth.
“We will soon be advancing here through four passages.”
The First Princess marked the passageways on the map.
Plain
Hill
Valley
River
The entrances were different, but the exits all led to the same point.
But just at that moment.
“I think one place is missing.”
“!?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the owner of the voice.
It was none other than Ian. He pointed at a corner of the map and opened his mouth.
“The fastest way to Balrog. It looks like it’s missing.”
Ian was talking about one of the straightest passageways leading to Bahara. It was the mountain route.
The First Princess smiled as if his remarks were ridiculous.
“You must not know because you are still young. We can’t go there.”
“Why?”
“Why? Do you really ask because you don’t know?”
The First Princess raised her voice on purpose.
“What kind of people is Bahara? There is no fool here who will take the mountain route against those famous as mountain people.”
Her words were not wrong.
So far, while Kaistein had undergone numerous Northern Expeditions, there was only one path they steered clear of. It was the mountain route. They were also masters of mountain warfare, but fighting on rough mountain routes was an immense loss.
Rocks falling from above or wooden traps posed great danger to the troops.
“Among the kings of the past, there were even those who lost their lives in such traps. Do you understand what an ignorant choice that is?”
Therefore, it was a route that would never be chosen.
But Ian thought differently.
‘Since it is the hardest path, it is a more certain path instead.’
Ian was convinced after capturing and interrogating the Barbarian. He was dead set on attacking Bahara through the mountain route.
The reason was simple.
‘We must finish the Northern Expedition as soon as possible. Otherwise, Kaistein will be in danger.’
In his previous life, they experienced great difficulties in the Northern Expedition.
The biggest problem was that Kaistein’s forces were exhausted due to Cantum’s lack of cooperation and Bahara’s fierce counterattack. And the moment they weakened, other countries attacked.
As a result, the successors lost a significant number of troops. Although they somehow managed to defend themselves…
‘Due to the weakening of national power and famine, we concluded a humiliating treaty with neighboring countries.’
This was unprecedented in the history of Kaistein over a thousand years.
So, Ian planned to seize Bahara in the shortest period of time and maintain Kaistein’s forces.
Otherwise, far from regaining the past glory of the empire, he would only become the king of a weak country, and that was one thing he never wanted to be.
It wouldn’t change anything even if they were a powerful country at present.
No one knew the ambitions of the neighboring countries yet, so he had to hurry up.
He would start by gaining as much power as possible in this Northern Expedition.
To do that, there was something he needed.
‘They say that in order to win a war, you need excellent generals and strategists.’
But Ian already had both.
There was one thing he didn’t have now. It was an official in charge of maintaining the logistics.
So, he looked around the attendees carefully.
‘I’m sure he is here.’
He was indisputably the most outstanding among the staff. And the one he coveted most.
Of course, Ian didn’t know his face, only the name.
‘This is the only way to rope him out without being noticed by Marquis Adelas.’
Therefore, he had to use a little special move.
Ian opened his mouth with a smile.
“Is that so? Then I’ll go there.”
“What?”
It was a path everyone said to be improbable. But more than anything else, it was a sure path.
‘In my previous life, he said something like this: Everyone is too shortsighted. We can seize Bahara in a matter of seconds at the expense of a little sacrifice.’
He particularly pointed out a lot of wasted supplies. In other words, everyone took a comfortable path and ruined the country instead.
Ian, of course, had no intention of making any sacrifices.
But if that man was here now, he would surely react. And it definitely had an effect. Because everyone present here was now staring at him in surprise.
It was such a ridiculous choice.
But Ian continued his words coolly.
“There are five successors here anyway. If I take the mountain route, the rest can go off their respective paths, aren’t I right?”
“That’s…”
“I will definitely make it work.”
Ian rose from his seat.
Everyone still cast gazes full of distrust. Some were skeptical because Ian called himself the crown prince’s older brother, but they didn’t believe him all the same.
Nevertheless, Ian spoke in a confident voice as if he didn’t care.
“So, is anyone willing to follow me?”
Everyone couldn’t take their eyes off Ian’s resolute eyes.
And.
Shhk.
Someone raised their hand.
Ian couldn’t help but be surprised by the identity of the unexpected figure.
