Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 90

EP.90 Oh, Jonathan! Hero of the Empire!

The victory report of Jonathan, or rather, the Empire’s victory report, was promptly delivered to the Imperial Capital.

This happened less than a month after Grand Duke Schrelitz and his legion headed to the alliance.

A month. It’s barely enough time to determine the course of the war, let alone engage in a proper battle.

Yet the news that arrived was of the alliance’s massive surrender and the detention of hardliner officials.

And it was Grand Duke Schrelitz asking for the Emperor’s instructions on how to handle the matter.

The word “fast” doesn’t even begin to explain it.

Even if they had marched at lightning speed, fought as soon as they arrived, and shattered the alliance’s main forces,

a month is an impossible timeframe to accomplish all that.

How could such a thing be possible? The answer came from the Emperor’s mouth.

“According to Grand Duke Schrelitz, there was no significant battle. The people of Jonathan stepped forward first, subdued the Three Heroes, and led the alliance to surrender.”

At the Emperor’s council meeting, the ministers nodded at his words.

If Jonathan had stepped in and subdued the Three Heroes, it made sense.

It meant they had broken the alliance’s sharpest swords right from the start.

It’s no wonder the alliance, crushed in spirit, lost the will to fight and surrendered.

The subsequent discussions were about the alliance’s surrender and the conditions presented by Grand Duke Schrelitz.

First, the Grand Duke demanded the arrest and extradition of the main instigators who planned the surprise attack on the Empire.

And Mathieu, who had never once stepped into the political arena, personally stepped forward to accept this demand.

Next was the issue of the mana berserk potions used in the surprise attack on the Empire.

All of them were to be collected and destroyed, all research materials shredded, those involved punished, and most importantly,

they had to swear that if such an incident ever occurred again, they would face the Empire’s fierce wrath.

“…It’s surprising. I didn’t expect the alliance to be so compliant.”

The Minister of War cautiously expressed his opinion.

The bad blood with the alliance had continued since the days when the Empire was waging its conquest wars.

Although there hadn’t been any major wars that could significantly impact the situation, conflicts arose every year.

Neither the Empire nor the alliance intended to engage in a full-scale war, so it ended with expressions of regret.

For such an alliance to not only kneel and surrender voluntarily but also swear to be prepared for execution if such an incident reoccurred was unprecedented.

Whether it was a sincere promise or a lie to escape a temporary crisis,

the fact that they made such a statement was in itself an extraordinary and humiliating event.

Therefore, it was only natural for the other ministers to nod in agreement with the Minister of War’s words.

“I’ve heard that Mathieu Philibert, one of the Three Heroes, took the lead. It seems that his decisive action to oust the hardliners and fill the ranks with moderates was the key reason.”

The Minister of Special Affairs responded to the Minister of War’s statement.

The Three Heroes, the alliance’s strongest warriors who could rival the Empire’s Top Ten.

It was obvious how influential their voices would be within the alliance.

“According to reports, he was a figure who kept his distance from politics. If he is stepping forward out of ambition, it might be a good thing, Your Majesty. He is a moderate, so it is likely to be beneficial.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who had almost faced severe hardship due to previous incidents,

was fortunately able to retain his current position thanks to the Emperor’s grace.

Of course, the future of his position would be determined by the direction this war with the alliance took.

In that sense, the alliance’s complete surrender without any damage to the Empire was a lifeline.

‘I’m saved.’

At this moment, the Minister of Foreign Affairs genuinely wanted to thank the people of Jonathan.

No, he felt like showering them with kisses.

If the Empire had suffered even a small amount of damage, he would have been immediately removed from his position.

The power of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have been significantly reduced, affecting even the Grand Duchy of Littorio.

If the Empire had completely destroyed the alliance, that would have been a problem in its own way.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have one less task. Now, only the south and east remained.

However, the south consisted of numerous islands with too many independent lords to be considered a nation.

The eastern nomadic tribes were completely disunited.

If the alliance disappeared, the largest entity with the form of a state would vanish.

In that case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would naturally be downsized and lose a significant amount of influence.

In the worst-case scenario, it could be expelled from the Emperor’s direct departments and placed under another department.

‘Fortunately, the alliance surrendered, and Grand Duke Schrelitz showed a moderate approach. Thus, the alliance remains, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs retains its reason for existence.’

Now, the alliance would likely be highly cooperative with the Empire.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would no longer have to struggle to negotiate with the alliance but could take a thoroughly superior position.

The workload would decrease while the influence remained the same. What could be better than that?

This is why the Minister of Foreign Affairs could entertain the crazy thought of showering Jonathan with kisses.

“It’s a significant achievement, so we must ensure proper rewards.”

At the Emperor’s words, the ministers nodded while also gauging the situation.

Rewarding achievements is crucial as it can determine the future of the recipients.

While it’s important to be fair, the Emperor’s intentions are equally significant.

‘The Schrelitz family has been quiet lately. Could he be planning to reward them?’

‘The grand ducal families have grown too powerful recently. But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pressured Littorio, and Bayen was asked to cooperate with war expenses. Schrelitz is the only one left. If His Majesty intends to keep Schrelitz in check… discussing the top merit award might not be wise.’

As the ministers calculated political and practical merits, the first to speak was surprisingly the Minister of Finance.

“Your Majesty, it is evident that the top merit award should go to Jonathan.”

At his words, the other ministers, especially those from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Education, widened their eyes in surprise.

They wondered if they had misheard or if the Minister of Finance was speaking nonsense.

It was a situation where such thoughts were inevitable.

The Ministry of Finance was the one most resentful of Jonathan.

Of course, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Education had also struggled significantly.

But if those two were doused with water, the Ministry of Finance had been struck by a literal lightning bolt.

They had painstakingly planned the budget, collected taxes, allocated funds where needed, and secured additional funds.

When the academy was suddenly half-destroyed, a tremendous amount of money was lost, giving them a real headache.

The Ministry of Finance is a place where not even a single coin can be spent carelessly.

It’s a department where every document and responsible person must be accounted for.

But after all the planning and approvals, Jonathan struck like a lightning bolt.

How could anyone from the lowest ranks to the minister of the Ministry of Finance be pleased with that?

“Jonathan’s people as the top merit award recipients. Are you certain?”

The Emperor, also slightly intrigued, looked at the Minister of Finance.

It was clear he was asking why he suddenly made such a statement about Jonathan, whom he had disliked so much.

“Five legions, the magic corps, reserve units, and twice that number in supply units. Jonathan took care of all these. Moving these would have required at least 20% of the Empire’s annual budget. Moreover, if the war had turned into a prolonged conflict, more than double that budget would have been needed. And that’s excluding all the human casualties the Empire would have suffered.”

“Hmm. That would be the case.”

“But thanks to Jonathan, we no longer need to allocate all that budget. Even the time a legion spends outside has been reduced, cutting their funding in half. Additionally, considering the massive surrender of the alliance and the benefits that come with it….”

The Minister of Finance was trying to calculate as precisely as possible.

“I can say that we’ve essentially gained two years’ worth of the Empire’s budget at once.”

“That much, huh. Impressive.”

The Emperor, rarely smiling, nodded in understanding.

That seemed to be the signal for the other ministers to start expressing their opinions.

“Of course, we cannot ignore Grand Duke Schrelitz’s contributions. But in a situation where there wasn’t a single battle, making him the top merit award recipient might lead to unfavorable comments. Therefore, I believe it is appropriate to award the top merit to Jonathan’s people.”

“I believe Grand Duke Schrelitz will understand and accept this decision.”

“To leave a greater fear within the alliance, it might be beneficial to put Jonathan at the forefront this time, Your Majesty.”

The growing power of the grand ducal families is naturally uncomfortable for the Emperor.

However, openly checking the grand ducal families would make him seem like a ruler who undermines his subjects.

But in this situation, it’s not even about checking them. It’s simply the truth.

“Minister of Education.”

It was already puzzling why he had been summoned for such a significant matter.

And now, the Emperor had singled him out, causing the Minister of Education to be startled.

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty!”

“I am curious about your opinion.”

“My opinion… Your Majesty?”

“If you ask what relevance it has, consider that this was a war with an external force during a time when the next generation, born in an era of peace, is attending the academy. Therefore, I wanted to hear the opinion of the person responsible for educating the future talents of the Empire. Who would you like to explain as the rightful top merit award recipient to the students? The vanguard? Or the commander? Speak freely.”

It was a question that was anything but comfortable, laden with immense pressure.

However, the Emperor had asked, and he had to answer.

“I also believe that Jonathan’s people should be designated as the top merit award recipients.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The reasons have already been discussed, but from an educator’s perspective… a new emergence is always fascinating and can become a story to aspire to.”

“It will be a good stimulus for the future talents. Is that what you mean?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Honestly, he wondered if the word “stimulus” was appropriate.

Even if they were stimulated, could anyone else do what the three siblings of Jonathan had done?

Unless they were also from Jonathan, it would be an impossible feat, even in dreams.

“I have heard your opinions well. Then, a decision must be made.”

After pondering for a moment, the Emperor raised his hand to summon the chamberlain.

“You called for me, Your Majesty.”

“Go and bring the Princess.”

“You mean the Fifth Princess?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. I will bring her immediately.”

After the chamberlain withdrew, the Minister of Internal Affairs cautiously spoke.

“Your Majesty, why the sudden summoning of the Fifth Princess…?”

“I intend to have her preside over the medal awarding ceremony. As a legitimate daughter of the royal family and with one of the Empire’s Top Ten personally congratulating her, it will present a favorable image in many ways.”

“Ah… Indeed, that seems appropriate.”

It was the moment when the Emperor, also a father, executed his plan to create a definite connection.