Chapter 11 - What Does the Wolf Pack Want? (3)
Flower buds quietly unfurling, embracing the sunlight.
A refreshing, fragrant scent began wafting through the room as immaculately dressed servants busily moved about, attending to their masters.
Café Les Deux.
A high-class café located in District 13 of Montegro Academy.
The interior was adorned in the Gandhara artistic style, blending the mystique of the East with the beauty of the West.
Soaring dragon sculptures and delicate cherubic statues graced every corner of the café.
This café, Les Deux, was a rare sight suffused with Eastern cultural elements.
In fact, apart from the aromatic coffee, they also sold various teas imported from the distant East.
The mingling fragrances of coffee and tea instilled a sense of serenity in those who inhaled them.
However, such luxury came at a steep price.
The signboard was embossed in gold lettering, and the wood used was sourced from the rare ‘evergreen trees’ of the northern regions.
Only the wealthy elite and high-ranking nobles could afford to even set foot in this exorbitantly priced café.
This teacup set alone would likely fetch my living expenses for two years if sold at market.
“Doesn’t the atmosphere here feel quite nice?”
“…”
“Whenever I have free time, I always come here. The commingled scents of coffee and tea are truly wonderful.”
“Indeed.”
As the princess stated, the aroma permeating the café was a distinctive fragrance I had never encountered before.
A scent that soothed the mind, aiding contemplation, reflection, and reading.
But could you please stop staring at me like that?
Ever since we arrived, the princess had been persistently trying to meet my gaze.
To avoid any misunderstandings, I averted my eyes downward.
A single misstep could cost me everything.
As a minor noble, the wisest course was to keep a low profile.
Incidentally, when the princess declared her intent to take me along, Rui had vigorously shaken her head before fleeing back to the classroom.
Cowardly Rui, you too bowed before power.
Next time, I’ll squish that witch’s hat of yours.
“…My name is Bizant Von Elzeche.”
“Pardon?”
“While you know nothing about me, Lord Rommel, I know about you. For mutual trust, there must be no information asymmetry.”
So that was why she revealed her name.
At this point, I grew truly curious – why did the princess need me so desperately?
Why was she so insistently pursuing the third son of an insignificant viscount family?
A woman well-versed in swords and magic, perfectly capable of one day usurping her elder brothers for the imperial throne.
Why was this princess of noble imperial blood so fixated on me?
“…Allow me to ask directly.”
“Please do.”
With the princess’s permission, I slowly opened my mouth.
“For what reason have I caught your interest?”
“…”
A brief silence followed.
The princess closed her eyes slightly, deep in thought, before responding.
“First, I must say your question itself is flawed.”
“My question was flawed?”
“Yes, desiring capable individuals is human nature. I have glimpsed Lord Rommel’s potential and wish to make you my own.”
“…”
I was rendered speechless.
For whatever misunderstanding, the princess held me in tremendously high regard.
I was merely a minor rural noble, a good-for-nothing cast aside by the viscount family.
I opened my mouth to clarify the misunderstanding, but—
“I…”
Clank.
The princess placed her teacup firmly on the table, forcing me to seal my lips.
“Rather than remaining one among thousands, millions of stars in the night sky…”
“…”
Another brief silence fell.
The princess smiled at me for a moment.
The intense flame visible in her emerald eyes, the same fervor possessed by those aspiring to achieve something.
Eyes brimming with passionate will.
“I wish to become the one and only sun.”
“…”
Power.
The power to rule the world.
The position from which to gaze down upon everything.
Her emerald eyes held not just will, but greed—
An outstretched hand, yearning for the summit beyond reach.
The golden imperial throne, one of a kind in the empire.
Princess Bizant Von Elzeche had her sights set on that throne.
A bold ambition to trample her brothers underfoot and boldly proclaim herself sovereign over all.
Words that could shake the empire emerged from our private room, words uttered to me before any trust had been established.
A setting sun seeking to rise as the new dawn, rather than merely fade away.
Was this desire the ugly, tainted greed of a tyrant?
Or the ambition of an enlightened ruler striving to rightly govern the empire?
I could not say.
Too many uncertain factors clouded my judgement for any clear impression to form.
One thing was certain, however – the words the princess had just uttered were her genuine feelings.
And another – the princess had resorted to underhanded means to keep me by her side.
Third in the line of succession, originally fated to remain an ordinary princess, unable to ascend the throne.
An ill-fated existence who could even face extermination to ensure the emperor’s safety.
Yet such a person had revealed her ambition for the throne.
To the third son of an insignificant rural viscount family, no less.
I understood the profound implications all too well.
“…Did you reveal your ambition deliberately?”
“Oh my, such a slip on my part. Engaging in heartfelt conversation with Lord Rommel must have carried me away.”
“…I see.”
A lie.
The princess had deliberately revealed her ambition to me.
Biting my lip, I gazed at the radiantly smiling princess.
A mix of disbelief, anger, perhaps even shock.
This princess bestowing gem-like smiles upon me.
I was overcome by a tangle of complex emotions.
She had disclosed a cruel truth – refuse her, and I would be eliminated – all to keep me bound to her side.
“Ah…”
As the tense atmosphere thickened, the princess let out a small sigh before continuing.
“That I aspire to the throne is a fact known to all my close associates. Of course, only those I can trust are aware.”
“…”
“Become my tutor, Lord Rommel. I… no, this girl desires you.”
“Why, exactly?”
The word ‘why’ slipped out.
I possessed no exceptional knowledge of magic or swords.
Nor did I come from an illustrious lineage or great wealth.
Yet why did this lady hold me in such high esteem?
My throat tightening, I pressed on with my words.
“What aspect of me prompted you to make such an offer?”
“Knowledge.”
Suddenly, the princess raised her head, locking eyes with me.
The overwhelming charisma only royalty possessed—
The charisma royalty must innately embody—
The charisma solely reserved for royalty to command all others—
It washed over me in waves.
“Lord Rommel, you possess knowledge that allows you to view the world from a twisted perspective.”
Knowledge?
What knowledge was she referring to?
Surely not the advice I had previously provided her?
“The counsel you have imparted to me, Lord Rommel – it contains radical propositions the world has yet to encounter.”
The princess continued speaking.
“The hammer and anvil, mission command, and the wolf pack tactics. Would the world even believe that all originated from one mind?”
Rising from her seat, the princess began closing the distance between us.
I instinctively tried to pull back, but she grasped my arm first.
“I desire you, Lord Rommel.”
Her alluring presence caused my heart to pound and my body to tremble slightly.
“…Allow me some time to consider.”
“I hope you will view it positively. This is my first time going to such lengths for anyone as well.”
Only then did the princess finally release me and return to her seat.
Though no longer touching me, the lingering warmth of her grasp remained on my arm.
Seated leisurely, she lifted the coffee cup to her lips.
Suddenly, I felt compelled to test her discernment.
Did she truly possess the qualities befitting an emperor?
Blindly aiding her ambition entailed grave risk, and even if successful, she could become a tyrant consigned to historical infamy, besmirching my own reputation.
Hence, I needed to ascertain – was she a tyrant or an enlightened ruler?
“In that case, allow me to pose a question in turn.”
“By all means.”
“What would be the first action you would take upon becoming the great emperor of this empire? And what, in your view, is the absolute virtue an emperor must embody?”
My query tested an ‘if’ scenario.
If she were to become empress, what would be her paramount priority?
Her response would reveal her true character.
If a tyrant, she would likely instigate war first.
If an enlightened ruler, she would focus on solidifying internal unity.
A pensive silence filled the room.
Finally, Princess Elzeche’s lips parted slowly.
“A ruler must don two masks – that of the fox, and that of the lion. If cunning is required, become the fox to deceive enemies. If strength is needed, become the lion to crush them.”
Placing her right hand on her chest, the princess calmly spoke those words.
And I could only gape in astonishment at her answer.
My hands trembled, my pupils dilated, my breathing grew rapid and ragged.
I wanted to immediately rise and demand where she had heard such an assertion.
‘Machiavelli…?’
The princess’s words were a direct quote from Machiavelli’s seminal work, The Prince.
Lamenting the chaotic state of Italy at the time, Machiavelli had dedicated The Prince, containing his thoughts, to the ruling Medici family.
However, The Prince was spurned by the Medici as an evil treatise advocating that ‘a ruler may betray allies for personal gain if needed’, ultimately being condemned as a banned book.
“Hence, the virtue of ‘absolute’ holds no meaning for a ruler.”
Observing the princess boldly voicing her innermost beliefs, I was momentarily lost in thought.
In truth, her answer was utterly unexpected.
I could never have imagined the ill-fated political theorist Machiavelli’s radical propositions emerging from the princess’s lips in this era that should know nothing of him.
Fighting to steady my trembling voice, the princess then posed her own question.
“Lord Rommel, what do you consider the ‘imperial war’?”
As my mind reeled, the princess inquired about the nature of an ‘imperial war’.
Taking a shallow breath to calm my turbulent emotions, I slowly opened my mouth to respond.
“Whether it is right to undertake a massive offensive aimed at the enemy’s annihilation while risking substantial losses…”
Grasping a coffee snack in my right hand, I squeezed it tightly.
Crunch.
The snack crumbled to powder, spilling onto the floor, leaving only residue dusting my palm.
“Or whether it is right to safely achieve one’s objectives through a series of decisive smaller victories.”
This time, I pinched off a corner of the snack with my left hand, crumbling it into small pieces.
Though not reducing it to complete powder, my left palm remained unsullied.
I swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth.
A choice.
The empire currently stood at a crossroads of choice.
Its might had waned to the point of barely deserving the ’empire’ moniker, while surrounding nations steadily grew in strength.
Yet the empire remained the empire, still abundantly endowed with elite resources like knights and mages.
However, replenishing those forces took considerable time.
The princess had to choose.
Risk substantial losses, or proceed safely towards her goal?
“Fundamentally, this must be decided based on the prevailing political circumstances.”
Presenting her with a solution, I simultaneously posed another question.
How much did the current princess truly understand about imperial politics and the growing external threats?
My response encompassed all those factors.
Frogs trapped in a well would choose the former, while the discerning would opt for the latter.
“…”
Which choice would the princess make?
Silence descended, the only sound the whistling wind against the windows.
The princess and I sat facing each other, discussing the empire’s future.
A volley of questions and answers exchanged between us.
Pointed queries met with profound responses.
We were currently engaged in a decisive match over the empire’s destiny.