"What? That happened?"

The news of Conrad's victory arrived as the sun was setting in the west. Since communication with Bohemond had suddenly been cut off, making me anxious inside, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"Of course, that wasn't the Kaiser's main force. The main army is probably camped somewhere nearby, observing the situation."

"They might even be planning to target us instead."

According to reports, the Kaiser's detachment that ambushed Conrad numbered only about two thousand men. The main force, still twice the size of our army, must be lurking somewhere in the vicinity.

"We'll join with Conrad's forces tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, their fatigue from crossing the river is considerable. Today they plan to set up a temporary camp and rest."

"Hmm, then tonight will be our most vulnerable moment."

Launching a surprise attack on an enemy exhausted from a long march—it was the most basic principle of warfare.

"Would they attempt a night raid when the Kaiser himself is absent?"

Nikephoros tilted his head questioningly.

"We must prepare for any contingency. Let's double the number of sentries."

In truth, I wasn't particularly afraid of an enemy surprise attack without cavalry... but when it came to defense, one could never be too thorough.

With a slight nod, I changed the subject.

"By the way, what's the deal with Berthold?"

"When the battle situation became chaotic again due to Duke Bohemond's participation, he suddenly appeared at the front and struck the Kaiser's left flank. According to his own excuse, he was executing a flanking maneuver to turn the tide of battle."

"Acting independently without the approval of the supreme commander?"

"He claimed that when he saw the perfect opportunity before him, his body moved before he could think... that was his excuse."

"Ha. He's truly ridiculous."

There's a limit even to opportunism...

"It was my oversight. I should have kept that man under my command."

I felt sorry for Conrad.

Well, perhaps Berthold's rash action had served as a catalyst to awaken Conrad's potential.

"Anyway, I'm glad things worked out in the end. Conrad seems to have grown from this experience."

"Aren't you concerned?"

"About what?"

"About Conrad developing his capabilities as a leader."

Nikephoros continued in a calm tone.

"While Conrad's growth is encouraging in the short term, it might not be entirely beneficial in the long run. Having gained some insight from today's events, he might try to shake off the Princess's influence as soon as he ascends to the Kaiser's throne."

"Come on, would he really go that far?"

"They say the imperial throne possesses a mysterious power that transforms people. The throne of the Frankish Empire would be no different."

"Hmm..."

It was certainly an issue I couldn't ignore. There was no guarantee that Conrad would call me "Maman" until his dying day.

If someday Conrad suddenly wondered, 'Why am I calling this young girl my mother?' the bond between us might snap in an instant.

I rested my chin on my hand, letting out a low "hmm" as I gazed at Nikephoros.

"Then tomorrow will be the turning point."

"Do you have a good strategy in mind?"

"I need to firmly establish discipline. And break any unnecessary pride."

I had no intention of treating him like my own son for life, but at least until Rome completely dominated the Italian peninsula, I desperately needed his blind support.

Taming Conrad, round two.

A faint smile spread across my face at the brilliant idea that suddenly crossed my mind. Nikephoros asked with curious eyes.

"May I ask about the details?"

"It's nothing special. You'll understand when you see it tomorrow."

There was no fun in explaining everything from start to finish.

I continued to chuckle softly as I developed my clever plan to curb Conrad's momentum.

...

The next day dawned. Throughout the night, no unusual movements were detected from the Kaiser's army, and Conrad's forces seemed to have spent a quiet night as well.

Setting out at dawn, after a full four hours of marching, we finally encountered Conrad's army around 10 AM on the forest path stretching between the two camps.

"Well done."

"Not at all. Your Excellency is the one who deserves praise for traveling such a long distance."

Nikephoros and Lothar were the first to exchange a firm handshake. Behind them, Conrad and I, having accidentally made eye contact, exchanged slight nods.

'He looks quite pleased?'

At least he didn't seem to show any signs of doubting my existence. His eyes still looked no different from those of an immature son seeking his Maman's touch.

The two men who had been shaking hands simultaneously took a step back as if by agreement and attended to their respective lords. I too approached Conrad with a slight smile and measured steps.

As the distance between us gradually closed, a strange flush began to appear on Conrad's face. What is he thinking? Just as I was about to greet him with slight puzzlement, Conrad stepped forward first.

"Princess."

His voice was as elevated as the color in his face.

"Yes?"

Before I knew it, I had responded stiffly, and he approached one step closer with a faint smile.

"...Huh?"

And then... he suddenly embraced me. Gently yet lightly, as if expressing gratitude to his mother.

...W-what? It felt as if all my thought processes froze at once. I clearly heard the subtle sound of Nikephoros drawing in his breath. After a moment of silence, Conrad's tightly closed lips opened.

"I will continue to serve you at your side, Princess. Not as your shadow anymore, but as your companion."

"...?!"

I couldn't help but think this was absurd.

**

"So Your Highness's 'good method' was to let yourself be embraced by another man right before my eyes."

"T-that's not what happened!"

My insides boiled with frustration. How was it my fault that Conrad had some kind of meltdown?

"Ahem, anyway, let's think about our next strategy."

I cleared my throat unnecessarily and spread out a map of the area, obtained from the church, on the table. The commanders' meeting was scheduled for the afternoon, but I wanted to outline the general strategy with Nikephoros beforehand.

"First, analyzing the enemy's retreat route that Conrad reported, the Kaiser's army seems to be camped near this swamp area. It's about two hours away on foot from here."

Salzburg, renowned in the 21st century for its beautiful Baroque architecture and tourism, was now just a desolate plain with old farmhouses scattered sparsely among vast agricultural fields.

The Kaiser's choice of this location for the decisive battle was clearly to avoid involving innocent civilians in the war as much as possible.

"So this time, I'm thinking of setting up our own ambush detachment. We'll build a small encirclement assuming the Kaiser's army is here."

Ultimately, warfare in this era was determined by how efficiently one deployed their soldiers.

"We'll hide the surprise attack force in the forest while deliberately appearing vulnerable as we pressure the enemy front. When the Kaiser falls for it and begins to move his reserve forces... BAM! Our ambush troops will strike them where they least expect it."

I asked for Nikephoros's opinion with a triumphant expression.

"Hey."

But Nikephoros still seemed lost in thought. Only when I waved my hand in front of his face to block his view did he finally seem to return to his senses, wearing a blank expression.

"You really don't care, do you?"

"What now?"

"Of course, you'll just make me out to be narrow-minded again."

Nikephoros sighed bitterly and shook his head slightly in resignation.

"I have no objection to the strategy itself. However, we need solid evidence that the Kaiser's main force is actually stationed there, not just vague speculation."

"They'll definitely be there. There's no better terrain to accommodate such a large army in the area. Besides, it's also a key route leading to the imperial heartland."

Even if the Kaiser's army had vacated the place, we would lose nothing. We could simply pass through and advance toward the heart of the empire.

If that happened, the support from the southern German nobles that the Kaiser had so carefully cultivated would obviously collapse in an instant.

"Then there's a possibility of battle breaking out as early as today."

"We need to observe the situation a bit more. Conrad's forces will need sufficient rest as well."

Anyway, the most important thing now was to completely seize the initiative on the battlefield from the Kaiser's army.

Moreover, the fact that he had been struck by the "son" he so despised must have half-blown away the Kaiser's reason. Now it was the Kaiser's army that was becoming desperate.

"Do you have anything to add?"

"No."

Nikephoros silently shook his head and turned around.

"Then I'll assess the damage to Conrad's forces for battle preparation and return."

"Yes, please do."

Well, we might need to consider reorganizing our forces if necessary.

Nikephoros left the tent without hesitation... no, he stopped mid-step and turned back to look at me again.

His expression still showed that he was quite upset about Conrad's impulsive action. But I didn't want to bring up that topic again and get into an argument. I was just as bewildered by it as he was.

So I just awkwardly smiled and glossed over it.

"Cheer up, Nikephoros. Self-proclaimed or not, the imperial throne of this vast empire is essentially in our hands."

Henry IV's abdication five years early, Conrad's ascension, and the Hohenstaufen family missing their chance to rise—this was by far the largest-scale historical alteration I had perpetrated. Honestly, I couldn't even begin to guess which direction history would flow from here.

"And... you know I always believe in you firmly, right?"

The reason I could rely on the vague optimism that "things will work out somehow" was because Nikephoros was steadfastly by my side. Even if I were to exhaust all my future knowledge and become just an ordinary person, I firmly believed without doubt that at least he would remain by my side unchanged, serving as my solid support.

"...Yes, Princess."

Fortunately, my sincerity seemed to reach him as Nikephoros's hardened expression softened considerably. He really could be so simple at times like this.

As always, Nikephoros bowed his head vigorously, then disappeared outside the tent, even humming a tune as if nothing had happened.