“Why on earth did you not stop His Majesty, Chancellor?”
At the Empress’s reproachful voice, the Chancellor frowned.
In the Empire, the one with the highest authority after the Emperor was the Empress.
One must never do such a thing before her.
But if the reason was the Emperor, the matter was a little different.
“I am afraid I do not know what Your Majesty means. You say I should have stopped His Majesty?”
“I mean that man called Ethan, who dared to push the wanderers toward our imperial prince’s maternal relatives—near my own family. He volunteered as envoy and handed us an even greater reason to strike him down. The Chancellor cannot possibly have failed to understand that, yet I know you voiced no particular opposition. What, exactly, is the meaning of this?”
“Are you saying I should have stopped that young man, who stepped forward alone when no one else would volunteer? And before His Imperial Majesty, no less?”
That was not what his lord—the Emperor—wished.
The Chancellor was loyal only to the Emperor. That was the sole reason.
He knew the Emperor better than anyone. Ethan had already won his favor.
His lord had taken a liking to him. He was neither a sycophant nor a traitor.
If so, opposition without cause could not be called loyalty.
“He is already someone His Majesty favors. Rather than blindly pushing him away, it would be far better for everyone to observe him a little longer, pressure him, and conciliate him as needed.”
“Has he not already proven himself to be one of the Fifth Prince’s people, now that he has refused to become our prince’s backing?”
“Who can say? Perhaps that truly is the case. Or perhaps he means to raise his own value even further.”
Having said that, the Chancellor looked at the Empress beyond the drawn curtain.
It was something possible only because he was the Chancellor. To dare meet with the Emperor’s woman.
It meant the Emperor’s trust in the Chancellor was just that great.
“How is your health?”
“It is nothing. I will be fine soon.”
“If that is so, then I am relieved.”
Some time ago, the Empress’s condition had suddenly begun to worsen.
They called it a mild cold, but one could tell at a glance it was not.
She was only in her forties, yet she could not move about freely.
That was likely why the Founding Emperor was hurrying the matter of the Crown Prince.
“In any case. In my eyes, that Ethan fellow is not trustworthy at all. His refusal of His Majesty’s will is one thing. He does not seem to see our prince as the future emperor.”
“Nothing has yet been decided regarding the Crown Prince. Not yet.”
“But the Chancellor will support our Eighth Prince. Will you not?”
Even at the Empress’s question, the Chancellor chose his words sparingly.
As he had said, nothing had yet been decided.
There was only one thing in this world he could state with certainty: the Founding Emperor.
But the Empress already knew whom the Chancellor had chosen.
It was not even a prediction. There was a reason more certain than anything else.
Because the one who wished to make the Eighth Prince the Crown Prince was the Emperor himself.
In the end, all of this was the picture the Emperor desired.
“As for the matter of the Montebello family head, there is no need for you to concern yourself. If that young man successfully completes his mission and returns, by then everything will already have been decided. He is a clever fellow, so he will know what choice he ought to make. Of course, since he has raised his own price, we will have to pay a little more as well, but compared to gaining a capable young man, it is still a profitable bargain.”
And conversely, if by some chance he failed.
“His Imperial Majesty may have no such intention. But he must bear responsibility for failing his mission. When that time comes, I will petition His Majesty to give the position of Director of Enforcement to another.”
“And seat there someone who will act for our Eighth Prince?”
Whether he truly had ability or not was a secondary matter.
Whether there was a possibility of drawing him to their side or not, as well.
If the position to be gained by pushing him out was large enough,
then pushing him out was the natural law of politics.
*
I was given the mission of envoy to the eastern steppe tribe.
When I returned home and announced the news, a great uproar broke out.
In particular, my uncle and aunt reacted quite gravely.
“What is this, Ethan? Why are you going as an envoy? I heard you were soon to be seated in an important post in the newly established National Tax Office.”
“I heard the same. What happened? Tell this aunt and your uncle in detail.”
The two of them had each married and long since established separate households.
They had kept their distance, saying the affairs of the family were no longer under their jurisdiction.
However, I had taken up the position of family head at an early age.
They must have been worried about their nephew, who had been entrusted with a heavy duty, and had come to see me.
And after hearing about the envoy mission, they became even more anxious.
“Could it be, Ethan. Surely…”
“If you are speaking of being used and then discarded, that is absolutely not the case, Uncle. On the contrary, I volunteered for this matter. I petitioned His Majesty to appoint me as the envoy.”
“You said so yourself? Why on earth? Even now, there are many who are watching for any chance to prey on the Montebello family!!”
“I know. That is why I took the envoy position all the more.”
Staying in the capital would not mean I would avoid being kept in check.
If anything, someone might act out of jealousy because I had taken a position in the Enforcement Bureau.
If Father were alive, it would not be something to worry about greatly.
His empty place could not be filled simply because I had inherited the position of family head.
If so, I might as well go as envoy. Then, at the very least, I would have justification.
The Founding Emperor valued honor. And he also regarded trust as weighty.
If something happened to threaten the family while a young vassal was away as envoy?
In the Emperor’s name, he would prevent such a thing from happening.
“I am the head of Montebello who succeeded my father, and a founding meritorious retainer. Uncle. Aunt.”
“Yes. I know. You have no idea how much my younger sister and I have boasted to those around us that we have such an impressive nephew.”
“This position is not something that will continue forever. To protect it, a price equal to it is required. If I cannot pay that price, then I will be used and cast aside, just as you fear, Uncle.”
“But just a moment ago, you said no such thing had happened…”
“I meant for the moment.”
But one could not endure for long on that “moment.”
It was one of the things I had to do in order not to be purged.
If I was not in their hands, I had to become someone they would regret losing.
I had to prove it. To future friends and future rivals alike.
That I had not become a founding meritorious retainer thanks to my father, who was one.
That even without my father, I could stand upright through my own ability.
“Ethan. If something happens while you are away as envoy…”
“His Imperial Majesty is someone who took extraordinary care of soldiers who volunteered for difficult missions. If he knows that volunteering as an envoy in this situation is quite a significant matter, he will see to it that nothing of the sort happens.”
“His Majesty is one who values honor. Yes. I suppose he would.”
My uncle stroked his chest, looking somewhat relieved.
But my aunt confessed that she still could not feel at ease.
“They say the eastern steppe tribe is at least gentler than the barbaric ones of the north or south, but their nature does not simply disappear. Ethan. If you are not careful, you may suffer greatly.”
“I already know the steppe tribes well. I am confident I will make no mistake that gives them an excuse, so you may be at ease, Aunt.”
It was not as though I had lived without making jokes at all, but I had lived rather seriously.
I had also never caused trouble by confusing confidence with arrogance.
Thanks to that, both my uncle and aunt believed my promise.
“Then what should we do now?”
“Please come and go from the family estate from time to time and look after the servants and the children.”
“Now that you mention it, how did your younger siblings react?”
“They were all greatly worried. Perhaps because they grew up in such chaotic times, they are all remarkably perceptive. Enough that I need not worry even after they become independent later.”
“Very well. We will look after this place while you are away. Do not worry.”
“I will leave it in your hands.”
Now that the personnel had been decided, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would likely try to move quickly as well.
If they dallied and the Urut tribe changed their mind, it would be more than a little troublesome.
The Urut tribe was absolutely necessary for stabilizing the eastern border.
As it happened, the tribe’s chieftain, Beiler, and the Founding Emperor were on friendly terms.
He was the perfect partner. Even now, relations had to be improved.
I saw off my uncle and aunt, who said they would see me again soon.
I told the servants what they needed to be careful of while I was away.
I soothed my two younger siblings, whose worries were mountainous, and sent them back to their respective rooms.
And the next day, when I visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate the schedule—
“Oh. Is that not the head of Montebello? To think I would see you here like this.”
The Fifth Prince was approaching, not bothering to hide his delight.
Hiding one’s immediate emotions was the most basic of basics.
Through the memories and experience of my past life, and thanks to Father’s advice,
I could say with confidence that I had controlled myself reasonably well.
But this time, it was difficult to hide my bewilderment.
‘What is this? Why is he approaching me with such a happy smile?’
It was true that I had not taken the hands of those supporting the Eighth Prince.
But I had not openly shown myself to be on the Fifth Prince’s side, either.
Thoroughly neutral. Giving the impression that I had not yet made a choice.
I had made them feel both caution and expectation toward me at the same time.
And yet the Fifth Prince acted as though I had become one of his supporters.
As if truly delighted to meet me by chance, he even spread his arms as he approached.
“I know well that the previous family head shared hardships with His Majesty. The two of them looked almost like brothers. If you are that man’s son, then to me, you are like a younger brother. Come. What do you say? Will you call me elder brother?”
“Your Highness?”
“Do not worry. This is not some test or anything of the sort. Hahaha!”
He even put an arm around my shoulders, as though treating a younger brother he had not seen in a long time.
Was the Fifth Prince this kind of person? I hurriedly tried to recall.
When dealing with people, he was not arrogant by nature.
But he was not someone who approached others like this without reason, either.
And the Fifth Prince’s next words turned my expectation into certainty.
“There are quite a few of the Chancellor’s people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you see.”
We moved together naturally, exchanging miscellaneous conversation.
In doing so, we reached a place with fewer watching eyes.
At last, once we had entered a suitably secluded spot, the Fifth Prince opened his mouth.
“It is not too late even now, so why not reconsider going as envoy? Younger brother.”
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“I am saying this all for your sake. If, by any chance, the result is not good, the Chancellor will surely try to take away the promised position of Director of Enforcement from you.”
I am about to tell you some very important information; do you want to hear it?
It would be a bit much to tell you for nothing, so is there perhaps a price you can pay?
Before saying what he had just said, it would have been reasonable to say something along those lines.
But the Fifth Prince was trying to stop me while giving me information.
“This is something His Imperial Majesty has already permitted, Your Highness.”
“And he also knows that you have only just become family head. If you put forward family affairs, His Majesty will not rebuke you too harshly. So why not step back this time? I understand that you wish to raise your value, but there will be plenty of other matters. This is a task that will take a full year.”
He spoke with a voice full of certainty, as though he had even grasped my thoughts.
As expected of the Fifth Prince. He was a veteran who could not even be compared to the Eighth Prince.
To think they were searching elsewhere for the Crown Prince while leaving such a figure aside.
At least in this matter, it was clearly a mistake born of the Founding Emperor’s stubbornness.
“I do not know how to respond to Your Highness’s concern. But that is precisely why I intend to go as envoy.”
“Listen, younger brother.”
“There is no need to worry. I may not look it, but I know the steppe tribes very well.”
The Empire would say it was enough if I simply performed my envoy duties properly and returned.
But I intended to become friends with the steppe tribe altogether.