Chapter 499: Uncle
I was led alone to a room inside the flagship, separating from Finne.
The room I was guided to was inside the flagship.
The person who was there was quite unexpected.
"It's been a long ti. Uncle.'"
The person there was a man in his forties.
His hair was short, and his slender body made him look younger than his age. This would be the sa as my brother.
"It's been a while, Arnold."
The man's na was Diethelm von Bergwein, a Duke.
He was my father's younger brother.
My father had five brothers, three of whom opposed my father and lost their lives. The remaining two supported my father and were given the title of Duke.
Despite his position as the third imperial prince, my uncle was a key figure who supported my father first and contributed to solidifying his power base.
Because of my uncle, my father could be laid-back, and because of that, the other candidates had their imperial positions snatched away by my father.
Even though he's such an uncle, after my father ascended to the throne, he received a territory too small for a duke and retired there. He was soone who would only occasionally show his face when spending ti with the family.
Naturally, he didn't show any signs of being involved in the second imperial succession dispute...
"Let apologize in advance. I'm sorry for the suddenness."
"No, but what is the matter? Is there sothing from my father?"
"Your brother has nothing to do with this matter. Although I'm retired, I still keep in touch with friends from various places. And recently, I received a ssage warning of a crisis."
"Is it the Albatro Duchy?"
"Yes, it is. Kingdom envoys have already entered the duchy. The Duke seems to be at a loss due to their pressure. That's fine, but the surrounding nobles seem to think that the Duke is unreliable."
I've roughly grasped the flow of the story.
This seems to be a more troubleso journey than I thought.
"I think you've already understood, but there's a high chance of rebellion in the duchy. The Duke is indecisive because he's being swayed between the empire and the kingdom. The kingdom would prefer their own king over such a duke, so they'll support him with all their might. If you go now, you'll definitely get caught up in the turmoil. There's a high chance you'll be taken hostage."
"But if I don't go, the duchy will be taken over. I believe the Duke needs reinforcents."
"It's okay to get support from the Rondine Duchy. There should be no need to go to such a dangerous place."
I remain silent for a mont at my uncle's persuasion.
The opponent has taken the initiative.
We are already on the back foot. Our options are limited.
However...
"The one commanding the kingdom is the third prince, right? He's a little older than . He hasn't appeared on the public stage since he was poisoned, but his talents were such that they foretold the birth of a martial king."
"Indeed. He was involved in the early stages of the war with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom couldn't even land as long as he was there. But after he was poisoned, the Kingdom's army was thrown into great chaos, and they continued to be pushed back until the Holy Maiden appeared. Such a man took the initiative. If you push yourself too hard, you could lose your life, you know?"
"That may be true... but if the Duchy is taken over, the situation will be decisively decided. That's why they took the initiative. The battle has already begun, and this is a critical point. I must go, no matter what."
"I understand that you want to let Leonard score points. But Leonardis still young. Your brother is still in good health. On the other hand, the third prince of the Kingdom is suffering from poison. There's no need to participate in the match. If you're worried about your brother, I'll persuade him. There's no need to rush the match."
My uncle's words are extrely clear.
They are very reasonable.
However, there is one part that lacks imagination.
The opponent's capability.
"Uncle. Our adversary is formidable. He must be aware of his own physical condition. I doubt he will be satisfied with just creating a deadlock with the Empire. If we allow him to take the duchy here, he will certainly cooperate with the Holy Kingdom and attack the Empire. He knows he has little ti."
"I've thought about that too, but would the Holy Kingdom participate in such a gamble?"
"Although my father is in good health, the Emperor is aged. The Crown Prince should want to seize power quickly. If we continue to let them take the initiative, we will be played into their hands. We need to seize the initiative at so point. Besides..."
"Besides, what?"
"It's strange that only your information network catches on so quickly. We should interpret this as them deliberately leaking information to prevent from going."
"What...?"
Would information co to my retired uncle first?
Deliberately leak information and detain him. Such intentions are visible.
The opponent must be quite a tactician.
"You're suggesting I danced to their tune...?"
"You're not wrong, uncle. It's dangerous, and the surest course of action is to use the Rondine Duchy skillfully. But since they've taken the initiative, if we make a move that's eighty percent effective, we won't catch up. I will seek a one hundred and twenty percent result even at the risk of danger. Forgive for making your concern in vain."
With that, I opened the door to the room.
Any further persuasion would be aningless.
Deciding so, I left the room with my uncle.
"Arnold. I pride myself on having a reasonably good head on my shoulders."
"You've put my father on the throne. Of course."
"That's right. But the opponent used with incredible ease. They're a formidable enemy, aren't they?"
"Don't worry. I'm good at deception."
"Is that so... I'll head to the Southern Border Defense Army. If necessary, I'll rush over with the army. Don't do anything reckless."
"Thank you."
After bowing, I saw off my uncle right there.
My uncle is a retiree.
Although he's concerned about , it's not good for it to be revealed that we have t often, regardless of the succession dispute.
My uncle himself probably wouldn't want to get involved in factional disputes.
But, using my retired uncle skillfully is his play.
Indeed, they are formidable.
Not only the third prince who commands the kingdom but also the envoy who ca to the Duchy must be skilled.
"Now, what to do?"
Just as my uncle said.
Going there would be akin to becoming a hostage.
I need a plan.
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