novelraw Chapter 147 : Probing Battle (3)
Chapter 147 : Probing Battle (3)
Chapter 147: Probing Battle (3)
After the brief clash of nerves ended, it was finally time for the true probing battle to begin.
Robert brushed back his neatly arranged hair before abruptly speaking.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate all of you on your victory at Mallet.”
Then he suddenly began applauding.
Clap, clap clap.
Those who had been hesitating gradually joined in one after another, and before long, the hall became filled with a standing ovation.
Watching this with an indifferent expression, I quietly surveyed the surroundings.
‘Unexpectedly, they didn’t bring all the pro-Bernhardt factions with them.’
Did they not feel the need to?
Or had they failed to mobilize them?
Either way, it wasn’t bad for us.
The applause that continued for nearly three minutes abruptly died down with a single sentence from Robert.
“To be honest, all of you must’ve suffered quite a bit because of Dellowell’s tyranny.”
Among those who participated in this war, there were probably people who thought this too.
“That the members of the Magic Tower are also people, lives just like everyone else’s, and that there was no justification whatsoever for them to be invaded for such absurd reasons.”
“…….”
“Of course, risking your own life over goodwill alone isn’t exactly easy.”
That’s why we Bernhardts wish to commend your efforts as well.
After saying that much, Robert lightly snapped his fingers, summoning a servant.
Receiving the documents the servant brought, he began reading the contents of the front page aloud.
“To the fifty-four official participants of the Joint War of Mallet listed above, support funds shall be provided. Read on behalf of Edgar Bernhardt, representative of the Bernhardt Private Foundation.”
Then he pushed a stack of papers toward us.
“…Support funds?”
“Each paper has a name written on it, so please check and take yours. Payment can be made at any bank within the Empire, for your reference.”
I quickly flipped through the stack to confirm the count.
Exactly fifty-four sheets.
“…You spent quite a lot of money.”
“If you all hadn’t fought to eliminate the Beasts, the damage would’ve spread beyond Flock and all the way to Arpe. In that case, we would’ve suffered considerable losses ourselves. We are merely paying the price for preventing that, so I hope you won’t refuse.”
The justification was solid too.
I looked at the certificate for my portion of the support funds and saw the amount written there.
‘Eight thousand Riben… huh.’
That alone easily exceeded two years of my salary.
I doubted everyone else had received the same amount, but even then, the average was likely at least two thousand Riben.
Naturally, the moment anyone accepted this, it became undeniable bribery.
Perhaps because everyone understood that perfectly, despite the enormous sums involved, all of them wore uncomfortable expressions.
Speaking on behalf of the others, I asked:
“You gave us generous amounts, so stop having pointless thoughts and end things here. Unless, of course, you want to make things difficult for the comrades who fought alongside you.”
“…….”
“So should we interpret this as, ‘Don’t cause trouble and let’s all move on peacefully’?”
“…That’s quite an excessive leap.”
Spreading both arms wide, Robert declared grandly:
“The Bernhardts do not consider you enemies! If there have been misunderstandings between us, then let us use this opportunity to speak openly and resolve them.”
“Is there anything besides money?”
“…Pardon?”
“You said you wanted to commend everyone’s efforts, didn’t you? Then shouldn’t there at least be bonus points when applying to your affiliated companies?”
Maintaining a shameless expression as I spoke, Robert’s lips twitched for a brief moment.
“…Naturally, preferential treatment would be provided. You may consider the certificates you’ve received as recommendation letters. I personally guarantee it.”
“I see.”
If you’re going to go this far, then I should respond appropriately too.
Riiip!
I tore apart the eight-thousand-Riben support certificate with my name on it and held up four fingers.
“My proposal is this, Acting Family Head Robert Bernhardt. I’ll only say it once, so listen carefully.”
First.
“Return eighty percent of the Bernhardt Family’s assets to society.”
Second.
“Return over one hundred patents for the specialized technologies owned by the Bernhardts.”
Third.
“Reduce the annual tribute extorted from pro-Bernhardt factions to ten percent of its current amount.”
And lastly, fourth.
“Liberate the approximately nine hundred servants bound by contracts practically equivalent to slavery.”
“…….”
“If you accept these conditions, then all the illegal acts, tyranny, and unforgivable sins the Bernhardts have committed until now will be overlooked, and we will cooperate against our common enemy.”
---
A shocking proposal.
No—those words were closer to outright provocation.
Everyone gathered there could not hide their shock at Eugene Carter’s firm declaration.
Each of the four conditions he mentioned openly struck directly at the Bernhardts’ reverse scales.
Their obsession with wealth and technology had never been subtle.
And yet he even brought up the tribute system and servant issue.
It was exceedingly rare for the Bernhardts to show even outward friendliness.
That alone proved how highly they valued Eugene Carter and his group.
If they joined hands with the Bernhardts now, they could gain fame and wealth incomparable to before.
Yet rather than politely declining, he had openly challenged them to war.
Not long ago, there would’ve been countless people demanding he retract his words immediately, calling him insane.
But the achievements he had accumulated and the influence he had built in the meantime silenced them all.
Those accomplishments had made even the Bernhardts cautious.
Naturally, everyone else had no choice but to be cautious as well.
Within the brief silence, some even began to feel a strange sense of anticipation.
After all, watching fights had always been entertaining.
The man who achieved victory in a war everyone believed impossible—
What kind of battle would he wage against the Bernhardts?
It was something entirely different from merely cheering for the underdog.
Some people even found themselves entertaining a thought.
Perhaps they were witnessing the birth of a new Empire.
Of course, the Bernhardts’ answer—which no one expected them to accept—was exactly as everyone predicted.
“…Those are conditions we cannot accept.”
Robert’s face had already turned ice cold.
Eugene abruptly rose from his seat and declared with a faint smile:
“Well then, it’s war.”
As Robert also stood sharply to his feet, the atmosphere in the hall instantly sank.
The two stared at each other with razor-sharp gazes.
“Why are you going this far? Do you really think a mere war hero like you stands any chance?”
“If you truly think that, then you’re either unbearably arrogant, Robert Bernhardt… or you still haven’t grasped the situation.”
“…You’ll regret this, Eugene Carter.”
“We’ll see about that.”
After exchanging a few more words, the conversation came to an abrupt halt.
Robert Bernhardt glared at his younger sister Michel, then at Frederick and Dale in turn before sharply turning around and heading outside.
The eldest daughter Greta followed immediately after, and the people accompanying them streamed out of the conference hall in droves.
Inside the hall, where many Karbenna-related personnel still remained, Chloe Bernhardt finally let out a loud sigh of exasperation.
“Ah—so this is how you idiots waste your final chance.”
Baaam!
“Elder Brother Robert went out of his way to show mercy too.”
After slamming the table violently, Chloe shot Michel a murderous glare.
“The next time we meet, you’ll have to wager your life, Michel.”
“Elder Sister.”
“…What?”
“You should attach the ‘Elder’ part, Chloe.”
Crack.
Enraged by Michel’s unbelievably calm expression, Chloe immediately drew her Wand—
But at that exact moment, a gust of wind pressure erupted from the side.
“Ugh?!”
Clatter.
Her Wand flew from her hand and rolled across the floor.
And another Wand was now aimed directly at her.
Keeping her aim steady, Rubia Magnus declared firmly:
“Please leave, Chloe Bernhardt.”
“You little vermin…!”
“The negotiations are over. We have our own schedule to keep, so please return.”
Two firm and icy requests.
And an attitude clearly stating that if she refused, they would subdue her by force if necessary.
The humiliation made rage surge to the top of her head, but she also understood all too well that there was absolutely nothing she could do right now.
After breathing heavily several times, Chloe finally stormed out of the conference hall.
Michel returned the Wand she had drawn back into her robes and muttered:
“…You didn’t need to help.”
“I’m sorry, Chairwoman. Your younger sister’s words were just too infuriating.”
“No, you did well. That child needs to be scolded like that to come to her senses.”
Eugene also patted Rubia on the shoulder and smiled.
“Now then… time for a delightful public opinion war, Bernhardt.”
Let’s see whose side has more dirt.
---
Unlike Karbenna, which had been noisy all morning, the Imperial Palace remained quiet without major commotion.
The sole exception was the Crown Prince’s personal residence where Abel was staying.
The second-floor guest room was littered with all kinds of alcohol bottles.
The moment Edgar entered the chaotic room under the guidance of a servant, he let out a sigh.
“…This is serious.”
At the appearance of a new visitor, Abel hurled his glass aside and shouted.
“Who is it?! I ordered that no one enter this place…!”
But the instant he realized the visitor was Edgar, the Crown Prince’s face brightened.
“Oh! Isn’t this the magnificent Family Head of the great Bernhardt Family?”
After signaling for the servant to leave, Edgar shut the door behind him.
“Our esteemed Family Head, who simply watched in silence while things reached this state! What brings you all the way here?”
Though Abel’s words were continuously provocative, Edgar’s expression did not change in the slightest.
Silently, he simply picked up a bottle of red wine from the other side of the room and poured himself a glass.
“Fuck!”
Crash!
“The Orthodox Church has taken a fatal blow! This can’t happen! If Edel leads the Special Task Force and stages a coup at a time like this, the Empire will turn into a complete disaster again! And then even my position will be endangered!”
Facing Abel, who had finally exploded after holding back for so long, Edgar handed him a glass and replied calmly.
“What exactly are you so worried about? If that happens, you can simply use the Imperial Regular Army to defend yourself. You still have the Defense Forces as well.”
“Do you think moving the military is easy?! Public opinion is completely on their side right now! If Edel makes her move at this timing, there’s no way the army will cooperate with me!”
“You speak as though public opinion was ever on your side to begin with. There’s nothing surprising about it now, so why all the fuss?”
“W-what?!”
Someone unfamiliar with Abel’s personality would probably have tried soothing him first to calm his anger.
But Edgar Bernhardt understood him far too well.
Outwardly arrogant and authoritarian to the extreme, but inwardly a fragile fool.
With this fool, you always had to push strongly.
When the Emperor had still been healthy, he clung to the Emperor.
Then afterward, he survived by clinging to the First Prince Luel.
What he needed wasn’t secretaries or subordinates to support him.
He needed a leader to guide him.
And with someone like that standing first in the Imperial succession, the Imperial Family was naturally becoming increasingly unstable.
Thinking those thoughts, Edgar bluntly made his proposal.
“Soon, we will convene the Assembly to establish new legislation.”
“…The Assembly? Why bring up the Assembly all of a sudden?”
If the enemy possessed the means to overturn the current board, then all they needed to do was create a new board entirely.
And if the opponent adapted even to that and overturned the board anyway—
Then perhaps it would finally become necessary to seriously consider another option.
The option called “changing support.”
“Isn’t it about time we truly involved ourselves directly, Crown Prince?”