The Emperor Who Was Chapter 61 : Chapter 61

Chapter . 61

Even among common chivalric novels, only the early chansons de geste existed, and there was not a single work dealing with courtly romance. He did not seem to have the qualities to beco a flower of chivalry like Grimiati. In that regard, I was the sa, though.

“Look at this.”

In the center of the study was a large model. The Imperial Palace, the city streets surrounding the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Castle surrounding the city streets... it was a very sophisticated model. On one side, lead knights on horseback and regular soldier figures were also lined up.

‘It slls... the sll of magic...’

At a glance, I got a feeling of how this model was different from regular handicrafts.

I am a powerful mage, but I cannot make sothing like this. Because it takes too much ti and effort. Considering what I could do instead of making this, my hands would tremble so much I couldn't do it. My head was dizzy not only from the sll of magic but also from the sll of money. Just confiscating this one thing would make the national treasury burst.......

“Isn’t it truly beautiful? There are many who are jealous, so I do not reveal it to just anyone. Even when I held a banquet for you, Brother, I did not show it because Maximilian or Alexander were present.”

I am the one whose eyes are about to roll back from jealousy right now?

“It is my favorite toy. It was a gift from Imperial Mother.”

Whether it's a skirt or a cushion of money, you have nothing to say even if you hear that you are wrapped in it all your life. Denying it with your own mouth after receiving sothing like this is unfilial.

“Although you treat

like a child, Brother, you may play with it together with .”

The toy Desmond generously offered was a model of the capital of the Roncer Empire.

Desmond took out a baton placed next to the model and aid it at the model.

“Armatia to the attacking force!”

As he commanded, the knight figures on horseback and soldier figures began to move. They marched in an orderly fashion and surrounded the Imperial Castle of Roncer. Fluttering the flag of Armatia with a golden dragon drawn on a blue background.

This ti, Desmond took out another baton and shouted again.

“Roncer to the defending force!”

Defending troops appeared on the Imperial Castle of Roncer. Lead figures ca out from inside, took their positions at each defensive location, and prepared their weapons. Raising the flag of Roncer with a red phoenix drawn on a black background.

“Since I was young, I wanted to play with my toys together with you, Brother. Since you always treated

like a child and saw

only as Imperial Mother’s child, it was regrettable that there was no such opportunity.”

Calmly listing lies, Desmond held out two batons.

Armatia’s Marshal Baton, engraved with Dragon's Rage (Draconis Rabia) in sapphires on pure gold.

Roncer’s Marshal Baton, engraved with Phoenix's Flight (Phenixia Volaturo) in rubies on jet.

“Which side will you take? Since you are gratefully playing with my toys with , your younger brother, you may choose whichever side you wish.”

When I did not readily choose a baton, Desmond grinned.

“If it does not please you, shall we change the location? To sowhere other than the Roncer Empire?”

Desmond pressed an artifact installed on the model.

Then the model slowly changed its appearance. To the Imperial Castle and capital of Armatia.

“The defending force and attacking force should change as well.”

Like that, this ti Roncer was in the position of attacking Armatia, and Armatia was defending.

“Which side is more to your taste, Brother?”

Green eyes where distinct malice and boyish innocence twinkled together.

“What is important here is your taste.”

I said generously like an older brother.

“Try as you wish. This is your playground and your toy. Show , your older brother, how happily you play.”

Desmond glared for a mont to see if I was serious. But it was just that the enemies didn't know; I was always serious.

“If you say so, Brother.”

Sweeping up his blond hair that had fallen near his eyes, he grinned and snatched up Armatia’s Marshal Baton.

“You will regret missing the chance to choose.”

While pushing Roncer’s Marshal Baton against my chest.

While he changed the capital of Armatia back to the capital of Roncer, I watched, twirling Roncer’s Marshal Baton round and round.

“Are you ready? Now begins the war of Armatia versus Roncer.”

“Ah, it will be really fun.”

“Really? You don’t look like it very much.”

At my words, Desmond frowned.

Because I don't smile often, and without even comparing to Rhiannon, having not even half of Michelon’s acting skills, I can't help it if my words don't seem sincere.

In fact, rather than

lacking acting skills, it is just that those surrounding

are all so good that I alone look lacking. I try very hard, but my acting skills fluctuate severely too.

“What is the problem? You cannot take it back now.”

“Where is Armatia’s dragon?”

Desmond smirked.

“You ask early. Imperial Mother commanded

to train strategies to win even without a dragon while gifting this model.”

“Oh, wise Empress!”

I am sincere even now.

‘Don’t look at

with those eyes. It is largely your fault that I stopped smiling.’

“…Aren’t you commanding Roncer now, Brother? If I deploy even a dragon, how will you withstand it?”

“Did you not call it a play with your own mouth? Whether Roncer loses or not in a play, I cannot bear to see Armatia without a dragon.”

The green eyes glared at , then touched the gem on his artifact ring. Then the bookshelf in the study turned, and a mage appeared.

“I called him to grant your wish, Brother.”

Desmond lied brazenly. The mage had been waiting in this room from the beginning. Ever since we ca to Desmond’s residence.

He had been pretending to be a bookshelf by casting invisibility magic in the study until now. Then, when Desmond pretended to call him, he dispelled the magic and appeared while needlessly turning the bookshelf. A common thod to deceive people unfamiliar with magic.

“Ohhh! Your mage is truly amazing!”

I pretended to be surprised for now, but Desmond only frowned.

“Can’t your mage do even this much, Brother? Even though Imperial Father bestowed one upon you.”

“It is not easy to obtain true obedience from a mage like you.”

When I said that, for the first ti, he seed to believe my words. A suspicious fellow.

“Of course. Mages are a difficult breed to handle.”

Saying so, Desmond commanded the mage arrogantly.

“Show the dragon to my brother.”

The mage waved his staff and conjured the shape of a dragon with flas.

He was an excellent mage. It was difficult to create such a form with flas, and to control it as well. While admiring that rare control, I realized the fact that his magic was sowhat familiar.

Co to think of it, if we're talking about mages I had the most contact with both before the regression and now, they would be the Empress faction’s mages. Not surprising.

“Truly amazing magic.”

At my admiration, Desmond shrugged. Even though I wasn't praising him.

“Deploy the guardian dragon to the rear.”

When that fla dragon was deployed to the battlefield, the lead knight figures and soldier figures began to lt, so they had to be moved aside.

“Advance, advance!”

Desmond shouted and waved his baton.

Behind him, amidst the fluttering azure-gold flags and red-black flags, a fierce battle ensued. In a siege, the defending army is much more advantageous. If only there is no dragon.

I used all strategies of defensive warfare. Whether it was ballistae or whatever, I focused on attacking siege weapons first, and poured boiling oil on everyone risking death to gain the honor of being the first to climb the wall.

I blocked every tunnel dug under the castle and blocked the tunnels with corpses, and retaliated against attempts to spread plague by throwing corpses with the sa corpse throwing.

Desmond, saying it was for , kept the dragon in the back regardless of whether he was pushed back or not and did not use it properly.

And yet, I beca increasingly disadvantaged. Desmond was a son raised as a war maniac by Rhiannon. Even before the regression, his strategy was excellent.

Until Michelon, hatched from the stolen dragon egg, contracted with , he dragged out ti by deceiving Maximilian, who poured out fierce attacks to retrieve the egg, with bold tactics.

Maximilian was also a war maniac who would be sad to be second, but he might not have won if I had not prevented the dragon’s deploynt and leaked Desmond’s military secrets.

Even so, overcoming the great burden of not knowing when the dragon would sortie, which lowered allies' morale and narrowed the scope of movent, was Maximilian’s share.

“Brother, be careful. You will lose to

at this rate. It is regrettable that I didn't bet on the outco of this play already. Of course, if I had, you would have been scared from the start and wouldn't have accepted.”

Desmond smiled brightly, looking at my army being devastated. It must be nice to have sincerity revealed all over your face without needing to try hard like .

“Even if defeated, Roncer falls, does I, the Prince of Armatia, fall?”

“…Anyway, isn’t the general competing with

you, Brother?”

“Right, I am not general material.”

Because I am Emperor material.

At my humble admission, Desmond jumped with joy.

“You realized that only now? If you et

on the battlefield, you will absolutely never beat !”

Why would I et you on the battlefield; Michelon would et you instead. War maniacs should et war maniacs.

“Then I should not et you on the battlefield.”

Saying so, I placed my hand on Desmond’s arm. Desmond looked at

bewildered. Sorry for touching your body between us, but since I dislike it equally, understand.

The next mont, I snatched his baton and threw it. Followed by my baton. As it happened, the place I threw them was the middle of the battlefield where the fighting was fiercest, so both sides suffered great damage. The battle entered a lull for a mont.

“What is this! It is a foul! This is too much, Brother!”

Desmond shouted at the top of his lungs.

“It is a strategy to incapacitate the enemy commander.”

“Because you are a more incompetent commander than !”

“Correct. But do I need to be a more competent commander than you? I can just employ you.”

I also said with a bright smile. Desmond flinched, then gritted his teeth and said.

“Are you insulting ? That you will beco Emperor, but I will not?”

“To take a complint as an insult, do you think even Her Majesty the Empress would evaluate you highly like ?”

At these words, the green eyes burned even more. Because he knows it’s true.

“Oh, it must be very nice for you to be able to say that. Even if I beco Emperor, would I be able to use you as a general? At most, by then, revelations that no one knows how correct they are―”

“Is obeying

that fearful to you?”

I cut him off.

“I should reconsider my evaluation of you too. No matter how good a general is, if he does not know how to obey his monarch, he is more useless than a single soldier.”

“Because I only know how to make others obey.”

“Is that true?”

When I asked back, Desmond ground his teeth. I did not even glance at him like that and turned my head to speak to the mage.

“Mage, whom do you obey?”

The mage was terrified. I could feel his trembling even behind the mask. In fact, this was a normal reaction. Courtiers watching excitedly whether bloodthirsty princes tore at each other’s throats or not was because they were similarly bloodthirsty.

“It, it is Prince Desmond.”

“Is that so? Not Her Majesty the Empress?”

“…He obeys !”

“Did Her Majesty the Empress not bestow you, along with this model, as a gift to my younger brother? While commanding you to obey my younger brother?”

The mage could not answer. Evidence that my conjecture was true.

But Desmond forced a smile and said.

“Since you doubt whether I can make people obey or not, I must show you directly.”