"C-Count Dominic, Your Excellency!"
"His Excellency has been struck down!"
Shouts of horror erupted from the reserve force that had witnessed Dominic's beheading.
An army that loses its commander instantly degenerates into a rabble.
In death, Dominic was made to suffer the very strategy he had intended to use.
"Wipe them out!"
—Waaaaaah!
At Lucian's shout, the thousand elites surged forward and trampled the reserve force in unison.
The enemy had been few to begin with, and with their morale shattered as well, they were swept away in an instant.
Having cleared away the reserves, Lucian promptly tossed the severed head to his aide, Gerard, and spoke.
"Sir Gerard! Tie this bastard's head to a spear and show it to everyone!"
"Yes, Third Young Master!"
Gerard immediately ordered a nearby soldier to hoist the head high on a spear.
The Krepfeld troops who had been pressing the allied forces forward soon caught sight of Dominic's head mounted on the spear and froze in terror.
"T-the Count's head…!"
The Krepfeld army's morale had already been shaken by the sight of enemy reinforcements.
When that was compounded by the commander's gruesome death, their will to fight vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer terror.
As the momentum-drained Krepfeld troops fell into chaos, the Valdeck forces slammed straight into their flank.
"Die, you rat bastards!"
"R-run! If you want to live, run!"
"You idiots! Don't show them your backs!"
Lower-ranking officers desperately tried to rally the soldiers, but it was utterly futile.
They had broken the Grand Pact—if they lost this war, they would have to pay the full price for it.
As defeat loomed ever closer, fear of the retribution to come seized the soldiers' hearts.
"You damned fools! I said don't break formation! If you fall back any further, I'll personally—!"
Pshhk!
"Ghk—!"
"If you don't want to retreat, I'll cut you down myself."
Lucian charged straight at the field commanders who were desperately trying to contain the chaos, cutting them down one by one.
Every time someone tried to restore order among the troops, Lucian would ride them down, and little by little, the shouted commands fell silent.
Before long, the Krepfeld army completely collapsed, and the allied forces and the Valdeck army, their morale soaring, gave chase.
"Leave not a single one alive! We don't need prisoners!"
"Judgment upon those who broke the Pact!"
"I am Hugo! Remember that name well!"
As if venting all the resentment they had built up until now, the allied forces unilaterally slaughtered the Krepfeld army.
With victory all but assured and everyone finally able to breathe again, Cedric ran toward the First Prince, Claude.
"Brother, I've come to rescue you! Are you unharmed?!"
***
"Uh… C-Cedric? Why are you…?"
Cedric dismounted before the still-dazed Claude, dropped to one knee, and cried out.
"Thank heavens we were not too late! I came with Lord Lucian to rescue you, Brother! Please forgive this younger brother for failing to arrive sooner!"
"4 19"
At Cedric's words, the expressions of the other lords subtly changed.
If they had truly withdrawn as far as the Horsen River, there was no way they could have arrived to rescue him this quickly.
It was obvious they had followed close behind the allied army.
The problem was that this action itself amounted to defying the orders of the supreme commander, Claude.
"Could it be that His Highness the Second Prince asked Lord Lucian to remain nearby?"
"No, isn't that essentially disobeying orders?"
"Even so, didn't it end up helping tremendously? One could call it a wise decision."
"It's not something that can be brushed aside so easily. His Highness the Second Prince—"
The whispering voices of the lords abruptly fell silent.
They could not bring themselves to speak aloud about the most sensitive issue of all—the right of succession to the throne.
Sensing the reaction around him, Second Prince Cedric lowered his head, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Yes, it was disobedience—no excuse for it. It also undermined my brother's authority. But who could possibly blame me now?
Had Cedric obediently followed orders, Claude would have been killed or captured here.
Since it was no exaggeration to say a catastrophe had been prevented in advance, it was difficult to openly criticize the act of disobeying orders.
Above all, everyone had just witnessed Cedric move in defiance of Claude's command right before their eyes.
They must have realized by now that it's not that I have no interest in the throne. They'll be busy calculating which side to stand on.
Back when Claude's authority was intact and the Emperor firmly backed him, even demonstrating competence was dangerous.
Given the Emperor's temperament, if Cedric showed even the slightest hint of coveting the throne, he would have been pushed off to some distant frontier.
But with this incident, Claude had openly proven his own incompetence to the entire Empire.
For the nobles, it was impossible not to consider Cedric as a replacement for Claude.
No matter how much the Emperor tried to remove Cedric, he would surely run into fierce opposition.
In truth, it was Lord Lucian who stepped in directly… but there's no need to correct that misunderstanding. Those fine details weren't part of the deal anyway.
While Lucian was earning renown through martial fame, Cedric intended to present himself as the wise man who had foreseen everything and prepared accordingly.
Without uttering a single lie, he could let the atmosphere lead others into misunderstanding—and Lucian would have no grounds to protest.
After finishing his calculations, Cedric was just about to further shape the mood to invite such misunderstanding—
"Indeed, so all of this was arranged by His Highness the First Prince! Truly, what a far-sighted and brilliant mind!"
The marquis exclaimed in admiration, loud enough for everyone to hear.
At the unexpected remark, the nobles blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean by that all of a sudden? His Highness the First Prince is right here, isn't he?"
"Think about it. Do you truly believe His Highness the Second Prince—who has shown such unwavering loyalty—would have disobeyed orders on his own whim? This must all have been done under a secret command from His Highness the First Prince."
"!"
"Even sending His Highness the Second Prince to the rear must have been part of the act. To prevent enemy spies from catching on, the two of them must have coordinated their story in advance. Isn't that so?"
With eyes bloodshot and blood trickling from one ear, the marquis grinned broadly.
At Bernhardt's infuriating smile, Cedric clenched his teeth without realizing it.
That crazy old bastard! Is he telling me to hand all the credit to my brother, or else openly confess to disobeying orders?!
From Claude's side, it was difficult to casually bring up the issue of insubordination—but for Cedric as well, openly admitting his own fault was equally awkward.
It would be one thing if someone tried to pin responsibility on him despite clear merit, but the moment he admitted his wrongdoing himself, he would hand the other side legitimate grounds for punishment.
Marquis Bernhardt had cleverly exploited that point, shifting the focus of the issue from Claude to Cedric.
Forgive me, Your Highness the Second Prince, but I can't allow you to bask in glory. No matter how foolish the First Prince may be, it's still better than letting you ascend the throne.
The sharp gazes of the two men collided, sparks flying in the air between them.
Claude, who had only just barely come to his senses, finally grasped the situation and hurriedly began nodding.
"Y-Yes! Just as the marquis says! Cedric, you did exceedingly well!"
You damn bastard…!
Cedric raged inwardly.
Usually, Claude couldn't even change his own clothes without help, yet at moments like this his instincts were infuriatingly sharp.
"Even if it was under my orders, such swift action! Truly impeccable timing!"
"…You flatter me."
Suppressing his emotions, Cedric replied and lifted his head slightly.
Claude's eyes—still trembling legs beneath him—were now filled with wariness.
Unlike before, he had clearly sensed Cedric's ambition.
Damn it… did I underestimate that old vulture?
Just as a sigh was about to escape at how completely the situation had been overturned by the marquis's maneuver—
—Victory is ours!
Bwooooo—
—Waaaaaah!
From the direction where the Krepfeld soldiers had been pursued, the blare of horns rose together with triumphant cheers.
※
Shhk.
Lucian flicked the blood from his blade and looked toward the distant soldiers fleeing for their lives.
They numbered fewer than a hundred, but having let them escape, they would surely carry word of this defeat back to the main force.
"A shame. We should've wiped them all out."
"You've already earned more than enough merit, Third Young Master!"
At Lucian's regret-tinged remark, his aide Gerard widened his eyes.
"You personally beheaded the enemy commander, rescued His Highness the First Prince, rallied soldiers on the brink of defeat, and rendered the enemy incapable of recovery. On top of that, you cut down more than seven knights. What reason could there possibly be to seek more merit?"
"It's not about merit. It's about the ones who got away. Once Krepfeld hears the news, they'll pursue us with everything they have before we can withdraw. Ideally, we should've completely cut off the flow of information."
"N-no…"
Gerard fell silent, abandoning the question of whether Lucian was being excessively perfectionist.
Lucian was merely voicing regret—he wasn't fixated on it.
It wasn't excessive ambition; it was clear he viewed it simply as something he could have done, but didn't.
So this is what it means to be on a different level. The Third Young Master treats a far higher vantage point as the natural standard—higher even than mine, his own aide.
Leaving Gerard behind with a wry smile, Lucian turned his horse.
The battle was over. Now it was time to report to the supreme commander, Claude.
But before Lucian could even dismount and drop to one knee, Claude shouted first.
"Splendid work, Lord Lucian! As expected, you were thoroughly guarding the rear just as I ordered!"
What was he talking about?
Lucian blinked and looked around.
Then, seeing the marquis smiling and Cedric's face twisted in displeasure, he roughly grasped the situation.
Ah. So that's how it is.
What Lucian and Cedric had done was clearly indefensible insubordination.
No matter how great the merit, it would be hard to say outright, 'I disobeyed the supreme commander's orders and acted on my own.'
So the plan was to attribute all the credit to the First Prince instead.
It was indeed a very crafty move.
Sorry, but I've no intention of accepting such an unjust bargain.
With a faint chuckle, Lucian put on a puzzled expression and tilted his head.
"Your Highness, what do you mean by that? An order, you say?"
"Did I not command you? To pretend to withdraw to the rear while following behind and keeping watch on the enemy! That is precisely what I mean!"
Claude deliberately raised his voice, glaring hard.
It was a look telling him to read the room—but instead, Lucian frowned and turned to Blasker.
"Lord Blasker, what is the meaning of this?"
"W-what are you talking about?"
"I distinctly said that I would take full responsibility. And yet you shield me like this?"
"N-no, Lord Lucian…!"
"Rewards and punishments must be clear! Merit is merit, and crime is crime! I have no intention of evading responsibility! Please do not do this again!"
After delivering that sharp rebuke, Lucian dropped to both knees and bowed his head to the ground.
Then, in a voice filled with earnest intensity, he cried out to Claude.
"Your Highness! I am deeply grateful for your desire to shield me, but this is not right! I neither received Your Highness's command nor acted in accordance with it—yet I disobeyed orders and kept my troops on standby. How can you say such a thing!"
"I was supposed to remain in the rear, but unable to quell my concern, I followed anyway, and I even ignored His Highness the Second Prince's attempts to dissuade me! Everything was done of my own accord—so please mete out proper punishment!"
Thud.
Having finished speaking, Lucian struck his head against the ground once more.
The lords fell silent, exchanging glances with one another.
Though his words were not many, they were laden with implications that allowed the full situation to be inferred.
So… he didn't follow under the First Prince's orders in the first place?
He was supposed to withdraw to the rear, but disobeyed on his own initiative?
If that's the truth, then the Second Prince didn't actually contribute anything at all.
Since Lucian himself had admitted to the crime of insubordination, the merit he had earned belonged to him alone.
Put another way, the two princes had tried to quietly wrap Lucian's achievements as their own and swallow them whole.
With just a few short sentences, Cedric and Marquis Bernhardt were made to look ridiculous, prompting them to let out hollow laughs.
The marquis was no pushover—but Lord Lucian goes even further.
What a vicious bastard. He doesn't leave even a scrap on the table.
Despite Lucian openly confessing to disobeying orders, not a single person spoke up to demand punishment.
Unlike Cedric, who was bound by the imperial family, Lucian was the plenipotentiary of the Grand Ducal House of Valdeck.
He had saved the First Prince's life—if they tried to punish him for admitting fault, Duke Sigmund of Valdeck would surely explode in rage.
Perhaps even before that, the Emperor himself might fly into a panic and condemn the very act of assigning blame—so it was better to keep their mouths shut.
"Tch…!"
Claude trembled, his face flushed crimson.
At this point, didn't that make him a bungling commander who had suffered defeat, a foolish ruler incapable of recognizing talent—and on top of that, a piece of trash who had tried to steal another man's achievements?
The rage boiling inside him surged like a volcano, nearly erupting—until the icy gazes of the surrounding lords snapped him back to his senses.
N-no. If this happens, the next heir to the throne…!
If he lost his temper here, even the meager authority and goodwill he had left would be smashed into the ground.
At worst, he might even invite a direct challenge to the throne from Cedric, whose ambitions had now been laid bare.
Claude hurriedly forced a smile and personally helped Lucian to his feet.
"N-no, don't do that. How could I possibly punish you? Rather, I fear my shallow attempt at shielding you may have tarnished your honor. I apologize."
"No! This was all my fault for disobeying orders!"
"What fault could there be in you, Lord Lucian? If anything, all you did was save my life. So please, rise quickly and stand at my side."
Claude squeezed out the gentlest tone he could manage, yet his voice continued to tremble with humiliation.
Now, he had no choice but to desperately snatch up the flimsy veneer of a 'ruler who sought to protect his subordinate' that Lucian had tossed him like scraps.
Watching Claude's expression—half-smiling, half-weeping—Lucian returned a radiant smile.
"For Your Highness to show such mercy, how could I not be deeply moved? I shall serve you with absolute loyalty!"
"Please do… please…"
With his head hanging low, Claude praised Lucian in a voice tinged with resignation.
Still holding Claude's hand, Lucian cast a brief glance toward Marquis Bernhardt.
After meeting his gaze for a moment, the marquis turned his eyes away.
With all his schemes undone, the marquis's influence was effectively extinguished.
From this point on, the allied forces had no choice but to move according to the will of one man alone—Lucian.
"Your Highness, the battle has only just ended, and everyone must be exhausted, but I would like to convene a war council immediately. May I have your permission?"
"…Very well. Do so."
Unable to refuse what was a request in name only, Claude nodded.
READ MORE CHAPTERS HERE : https://shinchangreat.sellfy.store/