Free Web NovelChapter 427: Chapter 424: The Easiest Moment for Lies
Not only Prime Minister Otto, but the Eldest Prince was startled as well. He had accompanied his father on state visits before. The Bayern Kingdom, under both the previous king and the current King Albert, had always been a supporter of the Empire Council. It was for this very reason that the Empire had been able to integrate the Southern States, where Bayern’s influence was strongest.
Historically, during the reign of Charles XIII, when the Empire was not yet whole, the Marlin Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom went to war. At the time, the Bayern Kingdom still supported the Order Church and had mistakenly sided with the Holy Kingdom in the conflict.
Unexpectedly, the Marlin Kingdom won a decisive victory. Its armies were unstoppable, causing the neighboring states that had once opposed it to tremble in fear. To the Bayern Kingdom’s surprise, the Marlin Kingdom did not seek retribution, demanding only that the Royal Family renounce its faith in the Church. Overwhelmed by a mixture of gratitude and fear, Bayern immediately switched its allegiance to the Marlin Kingdom, becoming a key member in the formation of the unified Empire.
But now, it seemed poised to openly challenge that system. The only silver lining, compared to the past, was that this time Albert had not sided with Valois. He was simply saying, ’Let’s go our separate ways. Can we still be friends?’
’What a joke!’
The Prime Minister did not reply immediately. He gripped his pipe tightly, then relaxed his hold before responding grimly, "His Majesty the King, that is not my mission here. Even if I were to make any promises, they would require the final authorization of the Emperor and the Empire Council. But rest assured, we will listen carefully to any wish you express and reply with the utmost consideration."
"Then what is your purpose in coming here? To get my army to hurry back to the front lines?"
"Precisely. And also to extend His Majesty the Emperor’s greetings to you. As well as... to handle a personal matter."
The Prime Minister’s last words piqued the King’s interest. After all, he was known for being iron-willed and stern; mixing public duties with private affairs was a rare occurrence for Otto. "Oh? Would you care to elaborate?"
"I’m getting old!" The Meeting Room held only the two royals, the Prime Minister, and his most trusted secretary, so the Prime Minister spoke frankly. "I’ve recently been looking at manors for my retirement. The area near the Imperial Capital is nice, but unfortunately, some unpleasantness has occurred lately, forcing me to consider other options within the Empire’s borders. I’m looking for a place with pleasant scenery, somewhere I won’t be easily disturbed."
"I wonder if you would welcome a dreadful old man like me, and if you would permit me to scout for a future location now."
"In that case, I think Bayern would be a perfect fit. If you desire quiet, we have alpine meadows. If you prefer liveliness, we have traveling markets and festival carnivals, not to mention the opera tours sponsored by my family," Albert said, proudly describing his kingdom.
The Prime Minister leaned on his cane to stand, a smile appearing beneath his magnificent beard. "But I have one prerequisite for my retirement home: it must be within my homeland. Not Marlin, but the Empire."
"Whatever the future may hold, and whether or not you change your mind, you will always be welcome in Bayern."
His smile vanished. The Prime Minister grabbed his hat and bowed. "Farewell, Your Majesty. If you insist on your demands, we can arrange for a formal conference."
After leaving the Royal Palace, the secretary, who had been present for the entire meeting, quietly asked the Prime Minister, "Are you really going to agree to the terms of Bayern’s independence?" The fact that they were organizing a formal conference implied there was room for negotiation, and the secretary couldn’t understand how the Prime Minister, a staunch advocate for the great Empire’s expansion, could possibly tolerate such a thing.
"Whether to negotiate, and how to negotiate it—I haven’t decided yet. His Majesty the Emperor and I had already prepared for the worst regarding Albert’s attitude. Besides, you’ve followed this old man for so long, you should understand one truth."
"I’m afraid I don’t understand, sir. Please, enlighten me."
"Lies. The greatest lies are told at three times: after a hunt, during a war, and before an election. Now then, let’s move on to our first order of business. We’re making a trip to Kempson."
"For your health, sir, please rest first. Even if we depart now, we won’t reach Kempson until the early hours of tomorrow morning."
"What, do you secretaries and guards have less stamina than an old man?" With that, the Prime Minister ducked into the carriage. He closed his eyes, pretending to doze off, but immediately began giving orders. "This meeting ended on a sour note, and neither of us got to attend the banquet. Have them pack a meal for the road..."
"I want half a roasted goose with potatoes, two pounds of smoked sausage, a whole pickled herring, and any dessert. Get enough pale ale for everyone. I’ll have a red wine from Wertzburg... And don’t forget the eggs."
Although the meal was supposedly for the Prime Minister and his personal secretary to share, past experience suggested that this remarkably capable minister, a man of superhuman energy and memory, also possessed a shockingly large appetite. Most of the food he had just ordered would likely end up in his own stomach. In his prime, he could eat sixteen eggs for breakfast; lately, he had been complaining about his diminishing appetite, claiming he could only manage eight after waking up.
"If we’re eating on the road, will hard-boiled eggs be acceptable?"
The Prime Minister nodded, and the secretary asked no more. His master had now entered a period of silent contemplation, a state in which no one but the Emperor himself dared to disturb him.
His next stop was the remote city of Kempson, ostensibly to "find a place for retirement." ’Before Rorschach’s arrival, that quiet little town might not have been a bad choice,’ he thought. ’But now? You’d have to have been hit by an [Idiot Skill] to pick an industrial city for your retirement manor.’
According to the intelligence gathered from various sources, a Steel Factory of considerable note had emerged in Bayern. Furthermore, the person controlling it from behind the scenes appeared to be a Caster.
In the Empire, the Thyssen Steel Factory, which produced everything from seamless steel wheel hubs for trains to cannons and firearms, commanded great respect. Its founder was granted access to the royal court and the Imperial Palace, and the Emperor himself was willing to personally visit the Thissen family’s manor with the Prince. Every firearm and cannon could be traced by its steel seal—the family crest of the interlocking Third Ring. Even if a particular weapon wasn’t manufactured by Thyssen, it was, nine times out of ten, made from Thyssen’s raw materials.
The Prime Minister needed to see it with his own eyes. He had to personally inspect the Kempson Steel Factory to see if the reality on the ground matched the data collected by the military and to assess whether it could rival the Empire’s own Thyssen Steel.
The strength of this enterprise would influence his and the Empire’s stance toward Bayern. The attitude of that Mage—the young man who had invented that wondrous vehicle to greet him—would also be factored into his considerations. If he could win Rorschach over, the importance of the Bayern Royal Family’s position could even be reduced. He firmly believed that as a Caster, Rorschach would never pledge fealty to the Monarch of a mere Kingdom.
As the carriage set off, Prime Minister Otto, who had been feigning sleep, snapped his eyes open. He requested a classified file from his secretary, and after breaking the seal, the documents inside came into view once more:
Rorschach’s basic information, background investigation, and all records following his recruitment by the agency.
The records ended abruptly after the crash of his friend Sibins’s airship. The entire agency had ground to a halt at that time; after all, it had been tied to a single individual. With its key leader dead, it naturally descended into chaos. The agency’s own agents couldn’t even determine the cause of the accident. Many personnel went missing, including Rorschach’s original handler, "Brother Jun."
The Necromancer, the Chief Mage of the Empire Army, had since taken over the entire organization, but the Prime Minister disliked the man. The agency had been supported by the Prime Minister and was a force he could call upon. Now, it had been swallowed whole by the Chief Mage from the Crown Prince Faction, which infuriated Otto.
All that remained of his old friend’s legacy were the documents and files the Prime Minister had managed to secure in time. He hoped that one of those files would now prove useful.
He put on his reading glasses and looked again. He had always felt there was something strange about this boy from the countryside. His observations during the carriage ride had only deepened that suspicion, but he still hadn’t figured Rorschach out.
