abcnovels
Chapter 453
Chapter 453
Chapter 453
On the way to visit the frontier nobles, I was ambushed. Well, to be accurate, I found the ambush before it happened.
"Goodness, there were indeed folks driven by emotions."
"What shall we do?"
The assailants planning to attack me were found and neutralized by Sebas. Naturally, as the chancellor, I have a security team around me.
Being discovered by them would have been a big deal.
"Lock them up somewhere. It's just a unilateral decision from a minority. It would be troublesome if because of them, Brad and the others face a revolt from the nobles."
Sebas nodded understandingly and left the scene.
Trau nii-san's aides must always be on the winning side. They must not be given any opportunities for others to exploit.
They are a group sensitive to others being overthrown.
Just the fact that I was targeted might incite an attack on Blood and his comrades.
If a clash occurs there, the conflict could drag on.
We don't have time for that.
"Let's go! We're moving! Don't dawdle!"
Hustling the group, I hurry toward the frontier nobles.
I think this is probably the last round of visiting the frontier.
A week later.
I, having arrested more frontier nobles, returned to the capital.
It seems this time Trau nii-san didn't release them on his own accord.
This likely led to an increase in dissatisfaction.
Certainly, Trau nii-san must have received many plea letters.
"Being a king is hard. You're always forced to make decisions."
"It's hard to believe the person who forced him into this situation would say that..."
In a room in the castle,
Mia was taken aback by my remarks.
If she's shocked by this, she still has a long way to go.
On the other hand, Finne, pretending she didn't hear my comments, offers me a cup of tea with a smile.
"Here you go, Lord Al."
"Ah, thank you. How are the daughters of the fiefdom, Finne?"
"Honestly, it might take a little longer."
Finne came to the fiefdom at my side, though she didn't have a specific role.
I didn't particularly intend for Finne to do anything, but she naturally became friendly with the daughters of the fiefdom.
And in answering their questions, a classroom-like setting formed around Finne.
She taught simple history and manners of different countries.
It became a hot topic, and many young ladies participated.
But the daughters of the fiefdom, to put it kindly, lacked a cultivated education.
Because they never left the fiefdom.
Minimal education would have sufficed.
But from now on, the fiefdom will be interacting with various countries. Not only the empire, but also the united kingdom.
Not only the qualities of those who stand in the political field are important, but also the interaction between young ladies can be useful in politics.
In the empire, the empress closely communicates with the royal families of various countries.
The education of these daughters can be beneficial for the country in this way. To nurture this, Finne is doing her best.
"Educational culture doesn't take root easily, it takes time. We'll have to take our time."
"Yes. Recently, Lady Marianne has been coming as well, which is helpful. After I leave, she will take over."
"The queen has spent a long time in the united kingdom."
She's an exceptional person in the fiefdom.
We should pass as much of Finne's knowledge as possible, then let Marianne take over, or borrow personnel from the empire.
"Even if you're relaxed, movements to eliminate you are accelerating, you know?"
"If they want to eliminate me, they should just go ahead and do it. Haven't I been saying that's my goal?"
"You're not worried about your safety? You were just attacked, remember? You said it yourself, resentment is tricky."
"I've captured the hardliners, and Brad should be pulling them together due to their reckless actions."
"How can you be sure that the Minister of the Interior won't go rogue due to resentment?"
"He won't. From the beginning, he's known everything."
"......Excuse me?"
Mia freezes for a moment.
Finne isn't very surprised.
Recently, Brad and I have been constantly at odds.
Everyone thinks that Brad is at the forefront of the anti-chancellor movement.
However, the truth is...
"When he was appointed as the Minister of Internal Affairs, I had already discussed our current prospect," he said.
"Appointed as the Minister of Internal Affairs you mean when he just arrived at the feudal lordship? You have been considering this development since then? No way, were we comrades since then? What was the purpose of letting me investigate so many times?"
"Even before I came to the feudal lordship, I knew the problems with its nobility. The fact that they were accustomed to corruption was a problem, and it was also a problem that some nobles had too much power. To resolve these issues, one person had to thoroughly crack down on them. I, who will eventually return to the empire, was the right person for the job. However, that would require someone to advocate for my removal. That's why, after discussing it with Trau-nii-san, I assigned that role to Brad. The next prime minister will be Brad. It would be problematic if he didn't have at least that much strategic thinking."
"You're not answering my question! What was the reason for letting me investigate him so many times?"
"If I didn't investigate, wouldn't that be suspicious? If my subordinates were investigating around Brad, he wouldn't be suspected. It would be a big problem if everything, from my enemies to my own actions, were exposed as a sham that I had set up myself."
The information that the hardliners were going out of control and planning an attack also came from Brad.
Even for Sebas, it would be difficult to spot the pre-attack troops while protecting me.
Because I knew the location, I was able to suppress it.
"You're not surprised? Finne?"
"I just thought it might be the case. Those who oppose Al-sama like to use the term 'incompetent prime minister', but I've never seen him use it."
"You're not bothered by that? Was all the arguing also an act?"
"It wasn't an act. We just argued about things that we could point out without any problems. Things like how I call Trau nii-san, or Brad's mistakes. We were arguing about parts where each of us was at fault."
The exchanges were not abusive, they were debates. They didn't escalate into anything serious. Most people saw Brad as knowing where to draw the line, so there was no need to go any further.
"My scouting was a waste, wasn't it?"
"In order to deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies. The only ones who knew were Trau nii-san, me, and Brad. The nobles had no chance of noticing."
"Why did you even prepare your enemies...?"
"The flow of my removal will determine the future of the feudal lordship. That also means deciding Trau nii-san's future. I can't share such important matters with an enemy who doesn't understand them well. If there were an enemy as trustworthy and competent as my allies, it would be one thing. If not, it's better to have my allies do it."
My removal is a move I can only use once.
Failure is not allowed.
If I'm going to eliminate the troublesome guys along with me, if I fail, I'll earn their resentment. That could become a future source of trouble.
If I'm going to do it, I need to do it thoroughly, and finish everything at once.
What is needed is efficiency.
To secure my position thoroughly enough that I can't do anything, and when I move, I do it in an instant.
As I was thinking about this, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
"Excuse me. Prime Minister Arnold, the feudal lord His Majesty is calling for you."
The one who knocked was Brad.
Behind him were many soldiers.
In response to this, I smiled.
"Let's go later."
"His Majesty's order is to go immediately."
"What?"
"A letter has come back from the Emperor of the Empire. I assume the matter is about that."
"I haven't heard about this?"
"Because I didn't tell you."
With that, Brad raised his hand slightly.
Then, the soldiers began to enter the room one after another.
Mia instinctively braced herself, but I stopped her and raised both hands.
"I see so you won't let me do anything."
"That's correct. Please come with us. The rest of you, search the room."
I wasn't even allowed to destroy evidence.
If it involves my father, I can't refuse.
"You'll remember this, won't you?"
"Don't worry. You won't have a next time."
With that, Brad started to take me away.
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