Reset Life – Chapter 129

Chapter 129: I Couldn’t Love You. I’m Sorry (2)

To become something, I must first defeat my enemy. I can’t become Emperor or Duke before that.

So, Uncle, you’ve misjudged me.

“Huaa, I’m sleepy. Why did I have to use up so much energy in the middle of the night? Tsk.”

Scratching my head, I headed to my room. I’m sleepy, so let’s just sleep. Let’s just erase this from my mind.

December 10th, 375th year of the Imperial Calendar.

It took quite a long time to recover from the accumulated fatigue. Those who were well-trained were fine, but those who were completely unrelated to training were almost sick as soon as the tension was released.

It was only yesterday that Mother, Sera, and Sister-in-law managed to get out of bed.

“Aila, where are Al, Joey, and Namia?”

“Ah, I got a message. They’ll probably arrive sometime today, Arisein.”

Based on the logic that hot tea should be drunk in a cold place to appreciate its true value, Aila was shivering on the balcony, wrapped in a blanket, as the cold wind swirled. I sometimes think about it, but this friend’s thought process is quite unique.

I looked at the white breath coming out of my mouth and then at the people walking around below. I could see many carts loaded with military supplies, and much more food.

I suddenly spoke.

“What will happen?”

“What do you mean? The Imperial Capital? Here?”

“Both.”

A good friend is a friend who can guess what you want to ask without you having to say it. Because it doesn’t lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

Aila put her mouth to the cup, which was steaming white, and spoke like a woman sharing neighborhood gossip.

“The Imperial Capital has become a den of evil, without a doubt, from my point of view and yours. Actually, we made Artshever a little flustered that evening, but I can’t shake the feeling that the bastard was aiming for that. How should I put it, it feels like he just let us go.”

It was revealed that Aila is the owner of a fiery personality who wouldn’t hesitate to become a dog herself to belittle her opponent. Well, she hasn’t raised Artshever’s evaluation above a dog from the beginning.

Anyway, I agree with her point.

That extremely unpleasant bastard has the ability to crush our plan on his own if he wants to.

He just didn’t do it.

Although it has strong explosive power but weak sustainability, the basic way to overcome premature ejaculation is to delay the explosion and prolong the duration. It would be possible to overcome it if we tried…… But why do I know this?

While I was agonizing for a moment about the perpetual worries that a man’s instincts bring, Aila continued to speak incessantly.

“For now, with AJOR, Mangya, and Sky Ears, we can spread our influence…… but since the commanders have all left the field, we’ll have to be quiet. Then that bastard won’t touch us either. You must have felt it by now, but the Clown’s disposition focuses on having fun, and as he said himself, that bastard is the world’s most unique and shitty clown.”

“I agree with the Clown’s disposition.”

Although unpleasant, it’s fortunate that he’s a hedonist rather than a pragmatist.

He’s the type of person who can laugh off some losses as long as he’s having fun.

Everyone has it, but I have that side too.

“For the time being, the Imperial Capital will have a cleaning period. It’ll be noisy and bustling with things like reorganizing the power structure, deciding policies for Orknesia, and working on next year’s budget. The general analysis is that nothing special will happen until at least next spring.”

“That’s a common analysis. Well, considering the situation, a common result will come out. What about here?”

“We can’t expect support from the Imperial Family, but the Eastern Army’s supply budget has already been finalized. We’ve already secured the military funds we can use for the next few years. The supply of this place, which is always on a wartime footing, is always a supply for war preparation. Moreover, this region itself is an armory and granary, so the classic method of cutting off supplies to starve us won’t work. We can hold out for several years just by collecting taxes internally and circulating them. The foundation for an independent system is already fully in place.”

I nodded.

Orknesia has established a self-sufficient system due to the unique element of the Gray Forest. The system that has been built since the founding of the Empire will not easily collapse.

Aila took another sip of tea, sniffled, and adjusted her blanket before continuing.

“Looking at the internal problems, they are concentrated in the ruling class rather than the ruled. The people of this land, imbued with a strong military spirit, uphold the simple and clear philosophy of following orders from above. The problem is that the top hasn’t decided whether to give orders or to flip them over. We’ll start soon, but we’ll be diligently turning the tedious wheel of meetings until the new year arrives. The proposition of the meeting is whether to rebel as the Emperor or as the Duke of Orknesia.”

“There’s a big difference.”

“Yes. A huge difference.”

If we proclaim ourselves Emperor from here, it will be a declaration of rebellion against the entire Empire. It would show our strong will, but it would also lead to a grim situation of the Eastern Army versus the rest of the Imperial Army.

However, if we rebel from the position of the Duke of Orknesia, it can be considered a high-ranking noble’s request for a retrial against unfair treatment. Well, I don’t know if they’ll grant a retrial since they’ve already framed us with rebellion charges, but securing justification, an essential element of war, is easy.

Relatively speaking, the latter feels milder, but the difference between the Emperor and the Duke is not just about how warm the situation is, but rather about the external circumstances.

If the Duke of Orknesia rises, it becomes a civil war within the Empire, and if we rise as the Emperor, it becomes an international war.

In the latter case, we don’t have to feel any moral qualms about bringing in foreign powers. Even if we freely send cuckoos to foreign countries to raise an army, this can be called a victory in diplomatic warfare.

In the former case, we can’t bring in foreign powers, but we can bring in the afterlife. Whether we suppress them with military force or absorb them with skill, it doesn’t matter because it’s a civil war anyway.

Whichever we choose, and whichever side wins, we must be prepared for a certain degree of devastation.

Aila spoke with an indifferent attitude.

“As you can guess, the outcome is almost certain. The problem is the process. And we’ll spend a lot of time discussing that process. Will it end when the new sprouts appear? And there’s another internal problem.”

“Father.”

“Right. Your father. Unless he really changes his mind, this place won’t move, whether spring comes or winter comes. It can’t move. The reason the meeting is likely to be prolonged is because your father can’t make up his mind. The moment the Duke makes a firm decision, the meeting will disappear and only the execution of orders will remain.”

“And father.”

“Huh? Ah, our father is fine. I told him to quickly join us if anything happens. In fact, there are Eastern Army troops near the Dakard Barony. And we don’t have to worry about an attack from Narvilt. If anything, we can just assassinate the top person there.”

Aila said cheerfully with a grin. I think it must be really convenient to be the head of assassins.

Of course, she knows that assassination isn’t the answer. In fact, Aila expressed reluctance to assassinate those within Artshever’s sphere of influence in the Imperial Capital.

To be precise, most of those who can be called my father’s enemies are within his sphere of influence.

If he doesn’t intervene, I think Black New Moon or Mangya would be capable of assassinating the new Emperor, but the situation is different now. We should cherish human life.

“So, the conclusion is that it’s not a very good situation anyway.”

“Depressing.”

Aila shrugged and drank her tea again. I, too, rested my arms on the balcony and looked at the people coming and going inside the castle with a vacant heart.

Just then, the castle gate became a bit noisy.

“Huh?”

“Why? Oh my? The gate is a bit noisy. Sniffle.”

“Yeah. Is there some bad news…… No, there isn’t.”

There’s nothing I can say even if Aila gives me a strange look after I finish speaking oddly.

Seeing the dozens of soldiers running urgently towards the gate and the archers on the walls strengthening their guard, I let out a small sigh.

Joey, now that I see it, you must have really suffered a lot. Because it must have been like this every time.

Joey, Al, and Namia arrived in Baekslan as scheduled. Except for the commotion at the gate, the reunion with them was quite peaceful. It’s only natural with Namia and Al present.

There was one more person there. I was quite surprised because it was an unexpected person.

“Why are you here?”

“It is the will of Summeor, Haji…… Risel.”

Kun was about to say Hajifsia but quickly changed his words when I glared at him. I can’t tell him that his faith is wrong now, but I can’t say it’s right either.

Brandiego, you seem to like surprisingly tricky problems. Is it because you’ve lived long, or is it because you’re a dragon?

I scratched my head. If it’s the will of my grandmother, there are those who would jump into a volcano without fear, and the one who would lead the charge is definitely Kun.

“Is Summeor healthy?”

“She is in good health.”

“That’s a relief. What did she say when she sent you?”

“She said to go and be helpful.”

Kun stopped talking, and I waited for him to continue.

If she said to go and be helpful, he would surely tell me what kind of help he would be, or what the situation in the Gray Forest is like now.

However, Kun remained silent, and I waited for a long time before asking a question filled with suspicion.

“Is that the end?”

“That is the end.”

“No letter or message?”

“No.”

For a moment, the words, ‘Then why did you come?’ almost burst out of my mouth. No, is that old woman senile? What does she expect me to do by sending a kid without any explanation?

I let out a big sigh.

Well, Kun is an excellent warrior, so he will be helpful. I’ll find out how he can be helpful later.

“Okay. Welcome. And for now, keep it a secret that you’re from the Gray…… Grenoian.”

“Yes, Risel.”

I first had someone arrange for him to stay near my friends. Whether he’s familiar with this facility or not, I need to keep him close for now.

I let Namia, Joey, and Al rest from their journey. And I waited for them in the living room on the side that my friends and I use.

My family and my friends were treated equally and assigned to different areas. I’m staying in the same area as my friends. It’s still awkward to be with my family. Especially my father and brother.

The biggest reason is that Levidian is here. At least there’s someone I can talk to.

Levidian asked me.

“I heard Kun came?”

“Yes. He suddenly showed up. My grandmother sent him, saying he would be helpful. Other than that, there’s no message or letter.”

“Still, we can find out about the situation over there. Wouldn’t that be helpful in itself?”

“I think so too…… But my grandmother wouldn’t send Mopum’s best warrior for such a simple reason. Oh, of course, the advantage is that he speaks the Common Tongue well.”

Levidian covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Oh, right. Was it Ban? He used to speak a very funny Common Tongue.”

I grinned too.

I still can’t forget Ban’s ‘I’ve been waiting. Welcome.’ He probably thinks he’s good at it, and the Guard will also think he speaks the Common Tongue well.

“Anyway, now that everyone is here, we can discuss what to do next. Maybe Kun can give us some direction.”

“I think so too. If she told us to go into the Gray Forest in this season, I would refuse, but I think he’ll give us something to think about.”

The reason why I haven’t talked much about the future direction while discussing the current situation with Aila is truly pathetic.

Even until we went to the Imperial Capital, I had a clear sense of purpose.

However, my schedule is empty after rescuing my family from the Imperial Capital.

How should I say it? It’s like I’m sticking to the position that I have to wait until my father makes a decision because it’s his part to decide what happens next.

The conclusion is to fight against the Imperial Family, but how to fight is pretty important.

If it’s an all-out war, I’m likely to be a field commander, and if it’s a long-term war, I’m likely to be an administrator to strengthen our foundation.

For now, I can take on either role, so I’m contemplating what to do. And since it’s difficult to do other things simultaneously once I start one, I need to be careful.

At that moment, Aila, who had decided to become the lover of the fireplace in the room, came out.

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