News of the Empire's great defeat soon reached the Imperial Palace.
It was the first major defeat since the Great War had passed.
At the terrible news, the grand hall fell into Silence.
[ Imperial 9th Legion, 14th Legion annihilated ]
[ Imperial 1st Legion, 5th Legion. Severe Damage ]
[ Most Supplies lost. Numerous casualties ]
The high and low-ranking Subjects, having heard the full report, dared not speak.
When was the last time the Empire had suffered such a crushing defeat?
All they could do was lower their heads to the floor, sensing the Emperor's Mood.
It felt as if a thundering Scolding/Rebuke, filled with rage, would fall upon them at any moment.
But the Emperor only blamed himself, saying all of this was due to his own lack of virtue.
“…It is devastating.”
When the Emperor finally spoke those words, everyone knelt.
And then they admitted fault, saying everything was their own negligence.
In particular, the personnel from the Ministry of War and the Chief of Staff looked as if they had received a death sentence.
“Please kill me, Your Majesty. Everything is this Subject’s fault.”
“This Subject was inadequate and brought such shame upon the Empire, how can I ever erase this sin.”
The Minister of War and the Chief of the General Staff wailed, their Foreheads touching the floor.
It was not an act to survive. It was self-reproach stemming from genuine sincerity.
In an instant, two of the five western Legions had completely vanished.
The remaining three Legions had each lost at least an arm or a Leg.
It was an incredibly terrible, and humiliating defeat.
It was enough to make one's vision go dark, wondering how it would be recorded in the Empire's History.
“Your Majesty.”
The Crown Princess, her Face frozen cold, cautiously stepped forward.
“While it is regrettable and natural to question responsibility for this disaster, I believe now is not the time to discuss it. Recovery must come first.”
In the worst of situations, the Crown Princess herself had taken the lead.
At such a disastrous time, who would dare to speak so directly to the Emperor?
The Minister of War and the Chief of the General Staff should be dismissed and punished.
At least for the Subjects and Nobles, that was the only option.
Knowing that, the Crown Princess stepped forward and stated that overcoming the current situation was the priority.
The war was still ongoing, and they had just suffered this terrible defeat.
Replacing the heads of the Ministry of War and the Chief of Staff Office now would only add to the confusion.
‘For now, breaking through this difficulty is the priority. Punishment comes after that.’
The Emperor could not have been unaware of the Crown Princess’s intentions.
Rather, he had been waiting for the Crown Princess to step forward at such a moment.
If everyone remained silent, he would have no choice but to punish those two immediately.
“Minister of War and Chief of the General Staff, raise your heads.”
“Your Majesty!”
“For now, I will not question your responsibility. Rather, you should discuss how to overcome this situation and bring it before me.”
“We will do so even if our bones are crushed and we vomit Blood!!”
It was not that they would not be punished, but rather that it would be postponed for now.
Because those two were the heads of their respective departments, he postponed the punishment for fear of causing greater confusion.
Especially since it wasn't an ordinary defeat, but the annihilation of two Legions.
Afterward, the Empire decided to temporarily withdraw all Legions that had advanced deep.
At the same time, all Reserve units waiting in the rear were urgently moved to the front.
All personnel from the Ministry of War and the Chief of Staff Office threw themselves into recovery day and night.
They were out of their minds. This was the first such devastating defeat for the Empire.
In that process, the borders were temporarily left empty.
“Thedorant forces targeted the border?”
And the Imperial mainland itself was nearly attacked.
Everyone was shocked again by the terrible news that followed the defeat.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thedorant forces are said to have appeared near the western and northern gates.”
“What happened? Was the gate breached?”
“No. Fortunately, they are said to have repelled the enemy without significant damage.”
For a moment, the Emperor, the Crown Princess, and the high and low-ranking subjects tilted their heads.
Seeing them appear near the gate, they must have targeted the Imperial mainland.
Currently, there were no significant troops stationed near the border.
From the Enemy's perspective, there could not have been a more perfect moment for an attack.
Yet they retreated their forces without significant damage?
“It is said that the Imperial Chief of Staff had arrived there a few days ago.”
Come to think of it, Kael had asked the Emperor for permission to move ahead.
However, he had not gone leading an army. His intention was to move first and assess the situation.
This was even before news of the Empire's great defeat had arrived.
He would have been completely unprepared. At best, the Guard garrison would have been all he had.
Yet how did he stop the enemy who had rushed in, determined to break through the gate?
“…Huh.”
The Emperor, having soon confirmed the detailed report on that and the report Kael had submitted, let out a sigh of admiration.
It was said that when the enemy came, he deliberately opened the gate wide and waited.
All soldiers were withdrawn, only flags were hung. He had beckoned them in, sweeping and cleaning the road.
Kael was even said to have been sitting on the gate, leisurely playing the lute!
What kind of audacity was this, so great it seemed to protrude from his very stomach?
If the opponent had gleefully rushed in, not only his own life but also the gate would have been lost.
It was simply dumbfounding where such confidence and conviction could come from.
“Your Majesty. Am I seeing this correctly?”
The Crown Princess, having received the report from the Emperor, had a reaction no different from her father’s.
Could it be that he had anticipated even this and hurriedly moved to the border?
Was he certain that if the Empire was defeated, Thedorant would target the gate?
‘Just how far is this man seeing?’
For the first time, a shiver ran down the Crown Princess’s spine.
What if such a person had emerged not from the Empire, but from somewhere else?
How much damage would the Empire have had to endure?
Furthermore, a short while later, the fact that Thedorant's army was composed of the best elites was revealed.
And that within it was Georg, the 3rd Prince, who could be called the heart of Thedorant.
It literally meant a unit that could break through the gate as if it were nothing.
If they had rushed into Imperial Territory, enormous damage would have occurred in the rear.
A terrible situation where supply depots burned and the surrounding regions were ravaged would surely have arisen.
And the Empire’s Imperial Chief of Staff, Kael, had prevented precisely that situation.
Without a single battle. Simply by opening the gates wide and cleaning.
While playing the lute in the face of a terrifyingly large military force!!
“It is truly a heavenly fortune, Your Majesty. If the border gate had been breached, the situation would have become uncontrollably disastrous.”
“It is simply astonishing that Thedorant’s best elite Imperial Guard was stopped without any damage.”
An astonishing victory amidst the worst defeat, one that was completely unexpected.
It became a ray of light in the gloomy grand hall, allowing them to breathe.
If even the gate had been breached, the recovery of the rear would have been even more difficult.
This was not simply blocking one gate, but preventing the seeds of an even greater defeat from being sown.
“Your Majesty. How about quickly delegating full authority to the Imperial Chief of Staff to organize this situation?”
The elders of the military circles, who had been observing the atmosphere, were the first to speak.
“Delegating full authority to the Imperial Chief of Staff.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The Imperial Chief of Staff has already amply proven his capabilities in the eastern and southern campaigns. Be it tactics, strategy, or even scheming. It is my belief that keeping such an outstanding talent in the rear is too great a loss for the Empire.”
“Do the other military officials share the same opinion?”
At the Emperor’s question, the majority of those present bowed and answered affirmatively.
Normally, someone should have opposed such strong support and recommendation for one person.
If power and authority were concentrated in one person, undesirable things could happen.
However, the Empire had just suffered an enormous defeat.
The military's loss was immense, and the biggest problem was plummeting morale.
Supplies and troops could somehow be recovered, but morale and fighting spirit were not so easily restored.
“What the front-line officers and soldiers need right now is the belief that they can achieve victory even in such a defeat.”
“Hmm.”
“The Imperial Chief of Staff has never once been defeated. He is a Strategist whose every plan has succeeded. If such a person joins them, the officers and soldiers will surely regain the strength to rise again.”
Belief. Belief, indeed. The Emperor slowly nodded at those words.
Yes. What greater defeat could there be than a broken heart?
For now, they would have to devote all their enthusiasm to erasing that.
“Minister of the Imperial Household.”
“your command, Your Majesty.”
“Grant the Imperial Chief of Staff the authority of the Chief of Staff of the 1st Army. Hereafter, all matters of the 1st Army shall be discussed with the 1st Army Commander and handled together.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Furthermore.”
As if this was not the end, the Emperor looked around The Assembly and said.
“The Ministry of War shall henceforth focus on supply, Reserve units, and the Logistics Corps, rather than campaign management.”
“All those in the Chief of Staff Office deeply involved in this operation are to be dismissed. The Chief of the General Staff will also be placed on standby awaiting orders once the immediate recovery work is completed.”
It meant that the Ministry of War should focus more on support duties rather than the war itself.
It meant that the Chief of Staff Office would be reorganized to the extent of a complete overhaul.
Hearing such an order, a single conclusion formed in the minds of the high and low-ranking Subjects gathered there.
‘This is… His Majesty is granting the Imperial Chief of Staff absolute authority.’
‘The Ministry of War, which failed to prevent the tragedy, has been pushed back, and the Chief of Staff Office, which provided the biggest cause, is being completely reorganized. If this happens, the Imperial Chief of Staff’s influence will become unprecedentedly strong.’
‘Though he is called the Imperial Chief of Staff and the Chief of Staff of the 1st Army, in reality, he is taking on the role of the Chief of the General Staff.’
The Emperor’s absolute trust. And absolute authority commensurate with it.
Now, everything rested on a young man not yet thirty.