The Extra Wants To Live

Chapter 197: Going Back

Carl never had time to be alone, so he never got to talk to Camilla.

"See you next time!"

Vire really stayed by Carl's side until the very end, trying to protect him from the evil forces.

The reason she left waving her hand and saying goodbye was that Sam Bison, who had been occupied by the Central Army, had reached a distance where he could be seen with the naked eye.

From then on, Carl had even less free time.

It was impossible for him to spend time alone after joining the central army. There were always people around him, all paying excessive attention to his every word and action.

Eventually, Carl decided to return to Himmeln and make some time for himself.

He thought that if he managed it well, he might be able to carve out some moments of solitude. If that didn't work, he would only have time to himself after setting out on another expedition to the eastern part of the empire. It was truly inconvenient to have such a position.

Things had been simpler when he was a sickly fourth prince, and no one cared about him.

Still, Carl felt pretty good now.

The suppression of the rebellion was a significant event, and there would be many celebrations, banquets, and other gatherings prepared for the key figures who had resolved the issue.

This would be a good excuse for Carl to stay in Himmeln for quite some time, allowing him to spend a lot of time with his mother, Lilly.

'I have a gift for you, and you'll be happy if I call you mother,' Carl thought, smiling softly at the idea of Lilly bursting into tears of joy.

Since the rebellion had been suppressed and there was ample time to spare, the journey from Sambison to Himmeln took nearly two weeks.

It had been almost a month since Carl had last been in touch with Lilly. Even when he was in the eastern part of the empire, they had exchanged letters from time to time.

As they got close enough to see the flags on the walls of Himmeln, a group of men rode up to greet them.

There were rules and procedures for entering the city; one couldn't simply walk in without consideration. The order and position of entry into Himmeln were strictly determined by status and merit.

"Wouldn't it be right for Your Highness to stand in front?" someone asked.

"I am fine. Of course, the commander-in-chief, Lord Hansval, should stand in front," Carl politely declined Milione's offer.

Milione didn't waste time asking twice either.

Naturally, Carl took his place right behind Milione. Carl could not be allowed to go any lower, either in terms of status or merit.

It wasn't that it couldn't happen; it simply shouldn't.

If anyone dared to come between Milione, the highest authority in the military during peacetime, and the fourth prince and Archduke Carl, they would be dragged out, even if it meant breaking their head open.

"Your Highness. It's been a long time," Gilbert, the commander of the Imperial Knights, greeted Carl.

"Hasn't it only been a year?" Carl replied.

"Hahaha, at this age, you can't ignore even a year."

Carl shook hands with Gilbert, whom he had not seen in a long time.

Gilbert led the Imperial Knights out, wearing the red mantle of Imperial distinction, with a long red cloth wrapped around their shoulders to signify that this was a triumph in recognition of official achievements.

However, in order not to overshadow the main characters of the ceremony, the decorations were kept to a minimum, and the armor gleamed with a simple steel color.

"Sir Gilbert. It's been a while," Milione approached and greeted Gilbert.

"Oh, Lord Hansval. It's been a long time since I've seen such a happy face," Gilbert said with a gentle, old-man-next-door smile on his wrinkled old face.

By the time Milione was appointed commander of the central army, Gilbert had already solidified his position as Grand Master of the Imperial Knights.

Gilbert, who had held his ground steadfastly even through two changes of the throne, was an excellent warrior, respected by military personnel despite leading a group with political motives.

"It was quiet for a while," Milione said.

"Hehehe, now that I'm older, there's nothing better than quiet. But sometimes I miss the old days."

In the absence of war, the Imperial Knights had completely transformed into a political group, causing a natural distance between them and the military.

"Come to me whenever you think of me. The only experienced commander who can talk to this lonely old man is Hansval," Gilbert said with a playful smile.

Compared to Gilbert, Milione was quite young, but to be blunt, he was at an age where it wouldn't be surprising for him to retire from his position as cavalry captain.

"I came here when Sir Gilbert was in his prime, but it looks like I'll be retiring before him. Since I'll be retiring later than Sir Gilbert, I'll have to take better care of my health."

"Hahaha, you're so greedy. I will never retire until I die in order to leave my name as the Commander of the Imperial Knights who served His Majesty the Fourth Emperor."

When Milione responded with a joke, Gilbert slipped a knife under his tongue, which was like a joke, and stabbed Milione.

The two men, whose depths were unfathomable, met each other's eyes and smiled gently. They knew each other well and even secretly exchanged letters without telling anyone.

Carl had created a huge community by intricately weaving together all those who supported him.

The moment even one person betrayed him, everyone would be so entangled that they would be unable to escape, ultimately burning to death together.

Betrayal meant death.

Even if Carl didn't move, the moment anyone noticed suspicious behavior, others would roll their eyes, split open the traitor's head, pull out their intestines, and search them thoroughly.

In other words, the fourth emperor that Gilbert spoke of was Carl, not Aric, a roundabout way of suggesting they should get along well with each other.

"I think I'm ready. I guess I'll finish the rest later," Carl said, gently parting the lines between them at the right time. He could go into more detail later when he had time.

"It's been a while since we had an improvement ceremony," Gilbert remarked, smiling as he placed his helmet on his side.

"Didn't you do it once for Your Highness the year before last?" Milione asked, also straightening his clothes as if used to the process.

He was referring to the events at Dabron.

"I just went to greet His Highness the Grand Duke. In name only," Gilbert chuckled and lowered his visor to cover his face.

Unlike the Central Army, where all soldiers were given the opportunity to show their faces and remove their helmets, the Imperial Knights were required to cover their faces as a rule.

"Then this is His Highness the Grand Duke's first reform ceremony. Formally."

"I'm not very excited," Carl said.

"I feel uneasy because it seems like I have taken away the first contributor to the first improvement ceremony."

"It would be burdensome to be the top contributor at the first improvement ceremony. More so than me… um, well," Carl laughed and mumbled.

The ones truly burdened by this situation were not Carl, but the nobles in the political world who supported Balos and were obsessed with keeping Carl in check.

Everyone started to laugh and ride along with Carl's cheerful yet sharp joke.

As they moved, each found his place, and Carl led the Laurel Troops behind Milione's staff. No matter how hard they worked, Milione's staff and Carl's Laurel Troops could not be rewarded for their efforts.

They were treated as objects belonging to their superiors. Instead, they could walk together in places they wouldn't normally be allowed, so it was fair to say they were well compensated.

As they approached Himmeln, a powerful marching tune from trumpets and drums resounded high into the sky.

The soldiers walked in unison, tense as they listened to the magnificent performance that did not tolerate even a single misstep.

Everyone adorned themselves as best they could, washing their matted hair and grime-stained faces from the long march, and polishing their clothes and armor to make them look like new.

It was customary to ensure that even a single soldier looked his best at the ceremony, so none appeared shabby.

This was true for the wounded on the carriages as well as for the soldiers who had died bravely fighting for the empire.

The parade formation of the Laurel Division, which had suffered the most damage, was led by Carl, Catherine, and Billford, with the coffins containing the dead carefully placed on separate carriages behind them.

The dead and wounded should be given the highest priority. If they were ignored or looked down upon, who would fight bravely?

And Just like that they entered Himmeln.