I Became the Narrow-Eyed Villain in a Dropped Novel

A small bell rang as the door to the reception room opened.

The new Emperor rose from his seat with a smile, welcoming the First Duke.

“First Duke Johann Geller, I pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Welcome, First Duke.”

Johann raised his head, carefully observing the young Emperor.

There was none of the arrogance or contempt he had felt from the previous Emperor, but neither was there the opposite.

Blaiher’s face, wearing a perfect smile, revealed no trace of inner emotions.

“How was your first Council of Dukes, Your Majesty?”

“The Council of Dukes is, by nature, centered on the dukes, so isn’t it enough for the Emperor to simply listen?”

It was clearly a statement made with consideration for Johann’s respect for tradition.

If he were younger, he might have been flattered, but Johann was far too old for that.

“I am humbled by such praise. Even so, the reason you proposed an agenda at the Council of Dukes must be because it is a matter of great importance.”

Today’s Council of Dukes was a formality.

It was merely a ceremonial event where the dukes bowed their heads to the new Emperor and congratulated the successor who followed in his father’s footsteps.

That is, if not for the proposal the Emperor abruptly threw out at the end of the meeting.

“Diplomacy is Your Majesty’s exclusive authority, so was there truly a need to speak on it at the Council of Dukes?”

“Of course, I could handle it alone, but I wished to hear the opinions of the dukes as well.”

It was the expected excuse, verbatim.

Anyone could tell it was a statement made for the masses, gathered out of curiosity about the Emperor from Schwaben.

“Mediating between Vestol and the Charnirasho Demons is a bold decision, indeed.”

“As I mentioned, it was Vestol who proposed it first. The reason I invited the First Duke to the palace is to hear your candid opinions on this matter.”

At first glance, the new Emperor’s intentions were obvious.

His goal was likely to win over public sentiment by revealing that Vestol had bowed first and to assert his presence through diplomacy, an act only an Emperor could perform.

However, Johann still couldn’t fathom why the Emperor was seeking his opinion.

“Then, if I may be so bold, I will share my thoughts. Traditionally, the Empire’s diplomacy has been the enforcement of will through force. Even nations from other continents were no exception.”

“That became meaningless after we lost the last war.”

“To be precise, it was not a defeat but an armistice through negotiation… though, in truth, there’s no arguing it was a defeat. And with that, our ties with the Demons we cooperated with during the war were severed.”

To pressure Vestol, the Empire had supported the Demons of Charnirasho and other regions, but the armistice negotiations led to a complete break with the Demons of the White Continent.

“My words have grown long, but since neither side has reason to trust us, I believe mediation is likely to be a futile effort. I urge you to reconsider.”

“There is merit to the First Duke’s thoughts, but…”

Johann’s eyebrows twitched.

Was this illegitimate Emperor about to directly contradict his opinion?

“Vestol reaching out to us first means they are unsure how to respond. In fact, Vestol’s military response so far has been utterly lackluster.”

“That does not mean the Empire has a reason to mediate.”

“It’s also an opportunity to reconnect with the Demons of the White Continent, with whom official cooperation was severed by the last treaty.”

“That’s hardly a significant gain.”

When Johann responded firmly, the Emperor scratched his head.

There was no hint of frustration or embarrassment.

It felt more like he had encountered an expected obstacle.

“You oppose this quite strongly. Is it, perhaps, because of what Vestol has been doing lately?”

“……”

“Even if they move quietly under the table, an organization like the Three Blades can’t help but stand out.”

Was this his goal from the start?

Johann had received reports of several spies tailing him recently, but he hadn’t realized they were for this purpose.

“It’s merely routine intelligence gathering.”

“I understand. Your domain is close to Vestol, so you must have many concerns. However, I must point out that intelligence gathering is also a form of diplomacy.”

He was implying an infringement on the Emperor’s exclusive authority.

Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but if someone wanted to make it one, it could escalate significantly.

“What do you want, Your Majesty?”

“Support or tacit approval. For now, that would suffice.”

“As I said, diplomacy is Your Majesty’s exclusive authority, so I have no opinions to offer.”

Blaiher responded with that same emotionless smile.

Looking at that face, Johann couldn’t help but speak.

“It seems Valheit has trained his disciple well.”

“He is, after all, the advisor to the Imperial Family.”

As Johann left the reception room, the attendant waiting outside hurriedly followed.

Without even glancing at the attendant, Johann issued his command.

“Tell Valheit I’ve fulfilled his request.”

“Pardon?”

“And tell him that if he follows me around again, there will be consequences.”

“Pardon???”

The bewildered attendant questioned the duke, but Johann didn’t respond.

Realizing the duke was not just displeased but angry, the attendant obeyed without further words.

* * *

“So, how does it feel to be the Fourth Duke?”

“Not great.”

Joseph answered my teasing question with a grimace.

He still seemed unaccustomed to the position he now held.

After the Council of Dukes, Werner Chartra resigned due to health issues, and Joseph Chartra was confirmed as his successor, inheriting everything that had been Werner’s.

“You’d better get used to it quickly. Otherwise, the other dukes will tear you apart.”

“Thanks for the good advice. Now, as my first act as duke…”

Joseph cleared his throat, his expression turning serious.

“As of today, the Chartra Family ends its cooperative relationship with Count Valheit.”

“That’s the right move. Otherwise, fools like the Third Duke would find fault.”

It was regrettable, but Valheit, with his neutral position as the Imperial Family’s advisor, couldn’t afford to remain closely tied to a specific family.

Not for me, nor for the Chartras.

“However, I’d like to repay you for your efforts thus far.”

“Oh?”

I thought he’d just cut ties coldly, but it seemed the Chartra of loyalty and honor wasn’t letting me go empty-handed.

‘Well, I’ve already received a gift.’

After the Council of Dukes, my relationship chart with the Chartra Family reached 1, and a reward skill came with it.

[Loyalty and Reward], despite its weighty name, was a slightly ambiguous buff skill that increased my abilities whenever a designated target showed loyalty to me.

The criteria for loyalty and the stats that would increase as a reward were the kind of thing you’d only understand by using it.

It could be incredible or negligible, so there was no need to refuse a gift he was offering.

“Have you thought about what to give me?”

“I have something in mind… but I’d like to hear the Count’s thoughts first.”

“Hmm, there’s something I’ve been wanting lately.”

“What is it?”

“It’d be quite convenient to have an organization I could directly control.”

Through this whole affair, I’d felt a lack of capable people I could freely deploy.

For example, people like the Three Blades under Geller or Cesare’s operatives.

Til is, strictly speaking, an equal member of the Eight Council, so there’s always a risk she could leave if she’s displeased, and most of the headquarters staff are bureaucrats.

There’s Ron, my butler, but he handles miscellaneous daily tasks, so it’s hard to use him freely as a combatant.

“An organization… you mean something like bodyguards?”

“Something like that. It’d be even better if they could handle various tasks.”

“I see.”

For a moment, it seemed like Joseph gave a faint smile.

“The strength of the Chartras comes from excellent talent. As it happens, there’s someone who perfectly fits your request.”

“Was the gift you had prepared also a person?”

“Yes, it seems our intentions aligned perfectly.”

Hmm… a warrior trained by the Chartras would easily rank among the Empire’s elite.

No, considering the tasks the Eight Council will face later, that might still be a bit lacking.

“There’s a fellow named Ede Lasern. He’s been training under the Chartras for eight years…”

“Perfect. I’ll take him as a gift.”

“I haven’t finished explaining yet.”

“The Fourth Duke personally selected this talent, so how could there be any issues? Haha.”

Ede Lasern.

Better known by the nickname Avenger Ede, he’s a figure who will grow to be one of the Empire’s top powerhouses.

At his peak, he’s on par with Til.

‘I absolutely have to take Avenger Ede! His bad personality is just a minor flaw.’

“He’s got a bit of a unique personality.”

Seeing my excessive enthusiasm, Joseph seemed flustered and trailed off.

A bad personality?

I know all about it.

The nickname Avenger isn’t for nothing.

If it’s a family tied to Chartra's downfall, he’d slaughter even infants, and even when fully cooperating with the protagonist Noah, he’s a character who sharply divides opinions.

But with the Chartra Family still intact, it probably won’t be that bad.

Besides, there’s a setting that suggests he wasn’t originally like that, so it shouldn’t be a big issue.

“My eccentric personality can’t be worse than his, right? I’ll take him. Ede Lasern. I like the name too.”

“Hmm, if you’re sure. I’ll tell Ede to select some reliable juniors, but…”

Joseph, unable to hide his amusement, glanced at me.

“Are you really sure?”

“Absolutely. No need to worry.”

Why worry when a treasure’s rolling in on its own?

* * *

“From now on, you all…”

“Wow! Is this the headquarters where we’ll stay? It’s way prettier than you described, with that lake!”

“Your tasks while staying at headquarters…”

“Who are those people wandering around? They don’t look like fighters.”

“Carrying out my orders promptly…”

“Hmm… the outdoor space isn’t that big, which is a bit of a downside. But it’s fine! I’m used to training in cramped spaces! Oh, what were you saying?”

“……”

Listening to her incessant chatter was enough to make my ears bleed.

Til, standing beside me, was barely holding back laughter as she nudged my side.

“Fix your face, Count. This is the Ede you so desperately wanted.”

They said she wasn’t originally cruel or vengeance-obsessed, but this is too different.

Her juniors, following behind, looked embarrassed by their overly lively senior and averted their gazes.

“You’re doing great, Ede. What this place lacks most is energy. Let out all the spirit you’ve suppressed for eight years under the Chartras.”

Til seemed to be the only one enjoying this situation.

No, Ede, eagerly nodding along, seemed to be enjoying it too.

“For eight years, my personality made it hard to find a job, but to think I’d end up working under Count Valheit… Life really is worth living, isn’t it, Miss Til!”

“Drop the ‘Miss.’”

Finally, even Til’s expression soured.

‘How am I supposed to use her?’

A dilemma I hadn’t anticipated flashed through my mind.

Considering her potential, I wanted to keep her, but I wasn’t even sure she’d properly listen to mission details.

‘Let’s test her first.’

To escape the barrage of chatter, I focused on a letter.

It was from Doruga, the Strategy Head, and not particularly important.

Cesare had asked to deal with a rival company under the Empire, requesting I designate a mercenary group to subcontract.

Normally, I’d just pay a suitable mercenary group to handle it, but since I now had direct subordinates, I thought I might handle it myself…

“What kind of work do we do? Mercenary stuff? Espionage? Education? Or maybe a knight order?!”

“Sigh…”

She’ll… manage, right?