novelraw Chapter 121: Revolution Defense War - Krafte (3)
Chapter 121: Revolution Defense War - Krafte (3)
After staying in the capital for a few days, Christine guided me to Brest, the naval port in the Bretagne region.
Unlike the dynamic atmosphere of Aquitaine, a trading port bustling with people and ships, Brest, a naval port for massive docked ships of the line and warships and the navy, had a rather static atmosphere.
As I approached the dock where my ship was moored, a man who was waiting saluted Christine.
“Welcome, Admiral Aquitaine, Your Excellency Marquis Lafayette.”
A captain in uniform saluting Christine, who is in a dress, and her return of the salute feels rather strange.
“Today, I am merely here as a guide, so you may be at ease, Captain Dureng.”
Christine, accepting the salute, covered her mouth with a fan, adding.
“I expect you to carry out your duties perfectly.”
“Of course! It is an honor to serve you, Your Excellency Marquis Lafayette. I am Ludovic Dureng, of the Francia Navy, and captain of the 86-gun ship of the line ‘Libre,’ which Your Excellency will be sailing on this voyage, also Admiral Aquitaine's flagship.”
“Ah, I’m counting on you. Is this the ship?”I looked up at the rather massive ship of the line. Libre. A ship of the line named ‘Free.’
Incidentally, Talleyrand supposedly suggested the name.
……To have the admiral’s flagship taken away after that, it’s not hard to imagine how heartbroken he must have been.
In any case, the large sailing ship, built for the sole purpose of combat, carrying numerous cannons to engage enemy vessels, was a magnificent sight to behold.
The former Kingdom of Francia had a few ships of the line, but they were burned during the revolution, and even if they had existed, they would not have compared to this latest warship.
As I was looking up at the ship for a moment, Captain Dureng seemed excited.
“Is she not truly beautiful? This ship is the largest warship on the central continent! She is the ultimate fighting vessel, built over two years with the combined technological prowess of Aquitaine’s shipwrights and vast manpower! Just looking at her makes one’s heart-”
“Dureng.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Dureng, cut off by Christine, looked embarrassed, but Christine, had an utterly composed expression, appearing unimpressed by the flagship she would command.
Her change in expression when she's alone with me is different, which is strangely amusing.
“Well then, Pierre. Have a safe trip.”
“Of course. Well, as a diplomatic emissary, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
I looked at the massive ship of the line.
This is a ship of the line equipped with 86 cannons. Didn't the Northern Allied Kingdom operate four ships of the line equipped with 50 cannons?
“I doubt anyone would dare to pick a fight with a ship like this.”
Christine, who had cut off Captain Dureng with a stoic face when he was boasting about the ship just moments ago, chuckled and replied.
“Indeed.”
But I had to wonder why Captain Dureng’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out when he saw her smile.
……What is Christine like as an admiral, exactly?
“Well then-”
“Have you forgotten anything?”
Just as I was about to bid farewell to Christine, a voice suddenly interjected.
As Christine and I both whipped our heads around, Talleyrand, catching his breath, spoke.
“Hey, can I catch a ride on that ship since it’s going anyway?”
I looked at Christine, but she also seemed somewhat flustered.
……Weren’t you staying behind because you were slacking off?
*
After departing from Brest.
I was traveling by ship for the first time in my life.
The days of sailing across the vast sea were new and enjoyable for a brief moment at first, but not afterward.
This was Christine’s flagship, and the largest, most powerful warship on the central continent.
There was no way a journey on such a ship could have any problems.
……Or so I had thought.
I caught my breath on deck, enjoying the cool breeze.
“Ugh, I feel like I can finally live.”
Talleyrand, looking at me with a rather pathetic expression, replied, unable to completely hide his smile.
“Well, I never expected the hero of Francia, the Marquis who defeated the Empire’s greatest knight, to suffer from seasickness so severely.”
“……It’s because it’s my first time, my first time.”
...Probably.
It might just be a polite remark, but Captain Dureng said so too, so I can only pray it's true.
By Christine’s order, I was unconventionally allowed to stay in the admiral’s cabin, and it was surprisingly comfortable, almost making me forget I was on a ship.
……But, as expected, staying still inside made my stomach churn.
It's a million times fortunate I didn't come with Christine.
I wanted to enjoy the feeling of traveling with her, not show her a seasick, wretched version of myself.
I turned my gaze to Talleyrand, who wasn't even pretending to hide his jeering smile – he was just openly sneering.
Christine, naturally used to ships from her trading days, would of course be far from seasickness, but this old man is surprisingly fine.
“So, you’re saying you’ll drop me off in Krafte and then head straight to the Eastern Empire.”
“That is correct. To save face in the Eastern Empire, we need to bring a ship of this caliber. Besides, making two trips with such an expensive ship to operate would be a waste, wouldn’t it?”
Well, it’s a valid point, but…….
“To show up on the day of departure and say that.”
There’s a limit to being selfish.
It was fortunate that Christine, the Admiral, was on the scene and readily agreed. Otherwise, the departure would have been canceled, and the schedule would have had to be renegotiated.
“Ahem, I was in a hurry, so it was unavoidable. Until the day before, I was lost in deep thought, but I was revived by my beloved wife’s scolding…… no, encouragement.”
Oh, really.
Just because you're a party leader doesn't mean you have to be as strict, stern, and serious as Maximilien Le Jidor, but anyway, what a strange sensibility.
“Well, your dream of sailing to the Eastern Empire on a ‘free’ warship has come true.”
Talleyrand’s expression contorted.
Yes, the dream came true. The problem is that the admiral commanding that warship is Christine, not a supporter of the Revolutionary Party.
“Ahem, don’t be too complacent, Marquis. I will definitely bring back results from the Eastern Empire, but will the Marquis be able to bring back results from that Great King of Krafte?”
“……”
Indeed.
I desperately want to avoid war with Krafte, but I’m not a diplomat or anything.
Kroxx was a case where it was better I was a knight rather than a diplomat, but I have no idea why the Great King of Krafte specifically designated me.
No, in the first place, that Great King of Krafte isn't someone common sense applies to.
When the Great King declared war on the Germania Empire, Krafte’s national power wasn’t even a fifth of the Emperor’s direct domain, and everyone scoffed at Krafte’s recklessness.
But how can you predict what a man of insane audacity, who won that war and came to be hailed as Great King, will do?
I let out a light sigh and replied.
“……That Tsar of the elves won’t be an easy opponent either, so do your best.”
Talleyrand looked confident—
No, he looked more like he was being obnoxious as he smirked and replied.
“Look forward to it. If Your Excellency fails and I succeed, wouldn’t the Revolutionary Party save some face in the National Assembly?”
“Haha……”
……This man, dont tell me thats why he came out.
A diplomat burning with a competitive spirit against a military commander on the diplomatic stage. Is this country really okay…….
*
Captain Dureng’s Libre and its escort fleet dropped me off at Stettin, a port in northern Krafte, and set sail for the Eastern Empire.
I led a small delegation towards their capital, Mittelburg, and after resting for a day in the lodgings provided by the kingdom, I was immediately invited to the Great King’s detached palace.
It's called a detached palace, but since the Great King exclusively resides in the detached palace he built himself, rather than the capital's royal palace where previous kings stayed, isn't that the main palace?
As I was heading to the Great King’s detached palace in a carriage, the man seated with me spoke.
“For the Commander-in-Chief of the renowned Revolutionary Army to be so young, it is a blessing for Francia.”
“You praise me too highly. I cannot compare to His Majesty the Great King of Krafte, who is called a living legend.”
I felt strangely uncomfortable with the man in front of me.
A man who looked to be in his late thirties, wearing glasses.
He came alone, so at first, I thought he was just some noble acting as a guide, but I was quite surprised when he introduced himself as Justin von Wittenfeld, the Great King’s chancellor.
A man famous for leading Krafte’s golden age alongside Great King Karl II.
Although he has a natural smile on his lips, his eyes, which seem to peer into you, and his unique atmosphere give off an impression of flawlessness.
“Moreover, Your Excellency’s sweetheart is also showing remarkable prominence at a young age.”
Ah, I see.
……I was wondering why I felt strangely uncomfortable; it’s a similar feeling to how Christine acts when dealing with people other than me.
“……She is more than I deserve.”
Wittenfeld smiled brightly and replied.
“Is that so? Well, Countess Aquitaine’s actions during the war with the Empire were quite intriguing.”
What does this mean?
It's true that Christine schemed and supported us during the war with the Empire, but I doubt that was made public.
No, in the first place, Christine's public image is that of the head of the Aquitaine Merchants and a member of the central party.
Within Francia, she had considerable recognition as a political heavyweight and a major merchant, but is that enough for a foreign chancellor to take notice?
“Ah, please don’t be so wary. It was merely a professional interest. In this field, it’s surprisingly difficult to find ‘kindred spirits’ worth taking an interest in.”
Finishing his words, Wittenfeld pushed up his glasses with a finger and smiled.
“Please understand it to mean that Countess Aquitaine’s abilities were that remarkable.”
Kindred spirits worth taking an interest in.
This man.
Is he talking about what Christine has been doing behind the scenes, not her public image?
I swallowed dryly as I looked at his glasses, which glinted in the backlight from the carriage window, obscuring his eyes.
A man who, at first glance, looks like a scholar who has never even trained in mana, appearing rather frail.
But the atmosphere emanating from him grates on the nerves and triggers an alarm.
I could now finally understand precisely what Kroxx had said about Christine.
Kroxx had said Christine exuded the scent of an extremely dangerous type of human.
I didn’t realize it because Christine doesn’t exude that kind of atmosphere towards me, but Kroxx must have sensed this from her.
Instinct warns.
This man is an extremely dangerous type of human.
And a serious threat of a type fundamentally different from a military commander like myself, the same type as Christine.
……But, I can't understand.
“Why do you say such things?”
It's true that Christine manages an intelligence organization and, if necessary, can eliminate a person or two, or even poison an army.
But even Christine is quite careful about managing her public image, and thanks to that, even within Francia, she is generally viewed favorably as a noble from a merchant background who is generous to her employees.
If you're someone who operates in the shadows, it's only right to conceal yourself as much as possible.
The superiority of information.
For them, that is both power and a weapon.
But why on earth is this man?
Why is he deliberately revealing that he knows about Christine and that he is a kindred spirit?
“Well……”
Wittenfeld brought a forefinger to his lips and replied.
“Because that seems like it would be more fun.”
“……You have a bad personality.”
Hearing my words, Wittenfeld, his glasses glinting in the backlight, smiled and spoke.
“Half of that was a joke.”
Which means half was serious.
“It is His Majesty the Great King’s will.”
“……Hoho.”
What on earth is that Great King of Krafte thinking?
I don't know what's what, but the moment I realized that the man who is supposedly the chancellor is like this, I have a strong premonition that the negotiations are going to be exhausting.
I didn't think it would be easy, but I'm already tired from the get-go.
As I was lost in thought for a moment, pressing a hand to my throbbing forehead, Wittenfeld spoke.
“Ah, we’ve arrived.”
Hearing Wittenfeld’s words, I raised my head and turned my gaze to the carriage window.
And I could see the vast, sprawling training ground and the Great King’s detached palace, standing alone in that desolate open space.
For the palace of a king of a nation, let alone one called Great King, there are no gardens or other buildings nearby.
Instead of such things that royalty or nobility would typically use to adorn the surroundings of a palace, soldiers fill the training ground.
Soldiers in the black and white uniforms, the symbol of the Krafte army, are lined up in unison, holding rifles, and perform a maneuver of turning and re-shouldering them each time our carriage passes.
I wonder how relentlessly they trained; seeing the soldiers move mechanically without a single flaw is quite overwhelming.
Is this a simple courtesy, or a threat?
As I was pondering, Wittenfeld spoke in a proud tone.
“Welcome to the Krafte Kingdom, Your Excellency Marquis Lafayette.”
The words of welcome I hadn't heard when I first disembarked at their port, nor when I met the chancellor in the capital, Mittelburg.
I belatedly realized that I heard them only in front of the vast training ground, where only the army and the Great King’s detached palace stood.