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The Emperor, who used the Imperial Counts to lead public opinion towards war, declared not just a simple subjugation of nomads but the conquest of the North. It would have caused a stir among the nobles even if he had just moved the military for subjugation, but setting conquest—a far more ambitious goal—as the Empire’s strategic objective left even the most easily swayed nobles visibly unsettled.

“Your loyalty, so noble and profound, will undoubtedly be remembered by generations to come. I am moved by this display of dedication.”

But at this point, no one could dare say, ‘Your Majesty, perhaps this is too much.’ The momentum was already set toward war. Worse, the Emperor’s decision was framed as a response to the nobles’ collective request rather than his own unilateral choice. Trying to dissuade the Emperor now would make them a disloyal traitor who deceitfully undermined the Empire.

“Sending the Empire’s courageous and unparalleled soldiers to the North is no trivial matter. The organization of the expeditionary force requires careful thinking. Many loyal subjects have rushed here due to the sudden assembly, so let’s discuss this after a brief rest.”

With these words, the Emperor turned away. While dropping a bomb that threw the nobles into panic, he also granted himself time to solidify his plans for the Northern conquest.

Now, the nobles had only one choice: to fervently hope for the victory of the expeditionary force that would include their own private armies, and to contribute to strengthening the empire’s Mandate of Heaven. A failure of the expedition would not just damage the Emperor’s authority—it would threaten the very survival of the Empire itself. For the nobles to preserve their power, the Empire must remain standing.

So, the nobles began to sink into serious solitary contemplation. Others gathered in hushed groups, whispering urgently. Since it was impossible to overturn public opinion, the only course left was to devise ways to maximize the expedition’s chances of success.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

While watching the nobles, the Minister tapped my shoulder.

“Step outside with me. Staying here is suffocating.”

The Minister led the other Directors out of the conference room. The expression I saw before he turned away was a mix of confusion, frustration, and subtle anger.

This was a situation where adding unnecessary comments could get my soul stripped bare. I should just obediently follow. I honestly didn’t want to stay in a place with hundreds of whispering people, anyway.

***Outside the conference room, clusters of nobles or officials were already scattered here and there. It was rare for the cultured nobles to discuss topics so openly, but this was no ordinary factional dispute—it was a matter concerning the entire Empire. It didn’t matter who overheard.

Thanks to this, even the Finance Ministry officials could discuss matters freely without needing to find a private room.

“It seems the conquest itself is sincere. It’s not an order to draw out concessions from the nobles.”

The Minister opened with a formal speech because the other Directors were present. At the Minister’s words, the other Directors let out sighs.

The Directors probably knew that the Minister was summoned by the Minister of the Imperial Household before this assembly order. Until the Emperor’s official declaration, there was still a sliver of hope that perhaps this was an epic prank.

However, even that possibility disappeared when the Minister, who must have received a hint from the Minister of the Imperial Household, gave a definitive answer that the declaration of Northern conquest was not a show to induce the nobles’ concession and submission but the empire’s genuine goal.

“Although the empire has pioneered Northern territory over the past 300 years, the entirety of the North is still vastly larger than those pioneered areas. I wonder if it’s really possible to conquer such a territory.”

The Director of Revenue spoke, confusion on his face, and the Director of Audit answered him.

“Wouldn’t our wise Emperor have considered the issues we’re worried about?”

While it sounded like a rebuttal, it was a bitter answer saying ‘I don’t know, either.’ He instantly turned the Director of Revenue’s personal opinion into our collective opinion. Even the Director of Audit must think that conquering the North was a very difficult task.

Of course, I thought so too. Looking back at history—both in this world and my previous one—settled nations had repelled nomadic invasions but rarely succeeded in annexing their homelands. Unlike settled states with clear weaknesses like capitals, nomads didn’t have obvious strongholds or strategic points. How does one ‘conquer’ people with no fixed base...?

No, they had barren land to begin with. Even if we conquered it, forget the economic benefits; the sunk costs would be no joke. There was a reason the empire only gradually pioneered the North.

“About that conquest—“

The Minister, after observing the Director of Revenue and Director of Audits’ gloomy reactions and the dark expressions of other Directors, spoke in a quiet voice.

“I believe His Majesty is aiming for indirect influence, not direct conquest.”

“Indirect, you say?”

The Minister nodded silently at the Director of Revenue’s question.

Indirect influence?

What was that supposed to mean? That sounded an awful lot like the Empire’s pre-war approach.

But declaring conquest in front of all the high-ranking officials only to settle for indirect control would damage the Emperor’s reputation, making him appear as though he’d overpromised and underdelivered.

“Perhaps the North could fill Asilon’s thirteenth seat.”

Ah.

I understood as soon as I heard those words.

***The reception room near the conference room was modest, unbefitting for an emperor of the Empire. Yet my father the Emperor sat there calmly, sipping tea as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

What could we do if the Emperor was fine with it? It wasn’t the grandeur of a place that defined its nobility—it was the fact that the Emperor was there that made it noble.

“Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You seem to have a lot to say.”

I flinched at the Emperor’s calm words.

I tried my best to restrain myself, but I must have looked like a fidgeting kid in his eyes. Was I lacking, or was his insight just beyond my imagination?

“...With my limited understanding, I struggled to grasp the meaning of Your Majesty’s intentions and found myself harboring questions.”

After a moment of silence, I honestly spilled my thoughts.

The Emperor’s declaration of war was something I could understand. After all, letting the nomads regroup after their defeat in the last war would risk them seeing the Empire as weak. Nomads aiming to be the second Rebel needed to be crushed by force.

However, subjugation and conquest were two different things. Subjugation meant wiping out anti-empire nomads before withdrawing when the job was done, but conquest meant the empire had to manage and control the vast, desolate North. We’d gain land with no strongholds, requiring countless troops and astronomical funds to maintain.

“The Crown Prince’s doubts are justified. It would be strange not to have such doubts.”

The Emperor showed no anger at his successor’s doubts. He merely gave a small compliment, saying it was a proper question.

“The light of Livnoman shall rightfully cover the North, but it’s not something to be achieved with the blood of our soldiers.”

But the Emperor said something even more incomprehensible. He, who had just declared war using the Imperial Counts, was now saying that this would not be accomplished through bloodshed. Then, how else was the Khan going to be subdued and the North brought under Imperial control if not through military force?

If the Emperor had mentioned peace, I would have thought he wanted a cold peace by fully deploying army corps to the border and using the natural barriers of the North to contain the nomads, avoiding conflict while securing the Empire’s territory. Then, we could achieve a strange, peculiar peace.

But that was clearly not it.

From the moment he declared war in front of the nobles, a half-peace became impossible. Bloodshed was now inevitable.

“Humans are only willing to sacrifice their lives when their homeland, their faith, or their families are at stake.”

As I remained silent, the Emperor spoke again.

“The forces gathered by the imposter who calls himself Khan are tribes that didn’t lend strength to the Rebel in the past Great Northern War. They have neither the conviction to establish a nomadic state nor to restore the faith of the nomads.”

I had to agree with those words. When the Rebel nearly brought the Empire to its knees, the tribes that joined him had likely done so with great enthusiasm. But if these newly united tribes still didn’t join the Rebel to the end back then, then it was clear that their ties to the nomadic cause, their faith, or their resentment toward the Empire were faint at best.

“Then what’s left for them is family. If the safety of their families along with the promise of personal gain is secured, then they will willingly embrace the Empire.”

It’s just that the empire is far and that the Khan is closer to them.

The Emperor added this and sipped his tea again.

The Empire is far, but the Khan is near.

The Emperor’s last words kept ringing in my ears.

***The Emperor appeared shortly after all the nobles outside returned to the conference room. Seated on the throne again, he looked around at the nobles with an unreadable expression. Was it just my imagination that he looked like he was pressuring them, saying, ‘I gave you time, so prove your loyalty now?’

And it seemed like I wasn’t the only one feeling this way since the nobles knelt one by one, pledging soldiers, money, and resources. They spoke of their devotion to the Empire, saying they would willingly give up their own for the stability of the empire and the firmness of the Mandate of Heaven.

If they couldn’t stop the war, then they at least needed to either get in the Emperor’s good graces or lay the groundwork to claim a share of the victory.

“Your loyalty is truly beautiful. The grace the Great Emperor bestowed upon your ancestors is the great fortune of the imperial family and the empire.”

“I understand your heart, but the absence of your forces might encourage the eastern kingdoms to harbor vain thoughts.”

“It’s not right to make soldiers who should bravely fight in the North come from afar. There are various ways to prove your loyalty, so don’t feel disappointed.”

Amidst the rush of voluntary tax payments, the Emperor leisurely picked and chose. Forces that could be taken without issue, forces that would cause border problems if they left their posts, cases where funds were needed more than troops, etc. The Emperor handled the nobles’ tributes on the spot without a hitch.

The more he did, the more bitter the expressions the nobles wore became. But what could they do? If they were upset, then they should become Emperor themselves.

“The imperial family must also repay the resolution and dedication of all the subjects. Minister of War, consider the participation of not only the Northern Forces but also the Western and Central Forces.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Meanwhile, the Emperor showed his will to mobilize not just the local armies composed of the territorial lords’ private forces, but also to massively deploy the central army under his control.

Only the Eastern Forces, tasked with guarding against the eastern kingdoms, and the Southern Forces were exempt from consideration. Judging by the scale being discussed, the numbers could rival—or even surpass—those of the last Great Northern War.

“And, as multiple army corps will march, we will need a military inspector to accompany them.”

At those words, my gaze unconsciously turned to the Minister. During the last war, he was the one—as the 4th Manager back then—who had served in that role.

Of course, the Emperor didn’t attach inspectors because he didn’t trust the army. It was to send as many special forces as possible without making the other countries suspicious. The Minister, being from the Prosecutors’ Office and a titled noble, was perfect as a military inspector at the time.

And it seemed that this inspector system would be used in this war, too. Well, we’ll need as many forces as possible if we’re determined to crush the North—

“I appoint the Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager, Carl Krasius, as military inspector. His current duties as the Prosecutors’ Office’s Executive Manager are temporarily suspended, and he shall prioritize the duties of being a military inspector.”

...Huh?

What the hell?

My name? Why was my name being called?

“Y-Your Majesty. I humbly report that only titled nobles who have received imperial grace can be military inspectors—“

“The Executive Manager has rendered exceptional service over the past several years. I bestow Wiridia, an imperial direct territory, to Executive Manager Carl Krasius, and simultaneously appoint him as Count of Wiridia. This title is hereditary and may be passed on to his descendants.”

The Emperor unhesitatingly handed over a title in response to the Minister of Justice’s interjection.

This is crazy.

No, what the fuck was this?

Yes, I wanted Dorgon dead. That bastard had haunted my nightmares for years, so I was planning to look for a justification to participate after this assembly ended.

However, I never imagined this situation.

“Carl Krasius of Wiridia. As a Military Inspector, you are tasked with maintaining order within the expeditionary forces and ensuring the stability of the North. As someone who fought in the Great Northern War, I trust you will fulfill this role admirably.”

The Emperor’s words landed like a hammer blow.