Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 53: Dream On; This is the Way

Author's Notes:

Laugh, before laughing is forbidden.

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Harplintmaan 20, 380 Imperial Year (Sol. 20, 1615 CC), 17:56

Paradis Palace, Esthirant, Parpaldia Empire

"Speaking of which... does it warm your heart, Supreme Commander, that your brother has decided to name his child after your suggestion? Kyrie Boudewijn de Ruyter... the little one's future is surely guaranteed as a member of the prestigious Duchy of de Ruyter."

Even as he made a good-natured inquiry and a roundabout way of wishing good tidings for someone, Emperor Leonius' eyes turned to regard the visitor in his office with a steely gaze.

"Yes, Your Majesty, it was truly delightful," the man—a distinguished member of the military—answered cautiously, with his posture remaining unwavering and his gaze kept level, albeit there was a hint of resignation in wary eyes. The red sash that was usually draped around that man's figure to complete his fierce Parpaldian blood-red uniform was now replaced by a white and gold one, signifying his promotion to the position of Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army.

Leonius shook his head with a scoff, "Yes, yes, you should be. You spared me of the suffering I would have had to deal with if you had not returned safely and Boudewijn decided to name his child with the other option..."

Imperial Advisor Ruperther stifled a sigh. Word had it that if, for some inexplicable reason, Chevalier were to meet his end in the conflict with the northern barbarians, the highly superstitious Duke Boudewijn Gerard de Ruyter would interpret it as an omen of the direst misfortune. As a consequence, he would vehemently distance himself and his family from anything remotely connected to Chevalier – including the name he suggested to the Duke's child. Upon hearing this gossip, Leonius snarked that he'd much prefer Boudewijn's daughter to be named Kyrie rather than the other choice, 'Remille.'

General Chevalier Gerard de Ruyter emerged as the most successful commander during the northern invasion, despite the campaign ultimately yielding less-than-ideal outcomes. Despite struggling with poor logistics and unforgiving weather, Chevalier's leadership secured victories that surpassed all others in the entire campaign. If one looks underneath the underneath, one will realize that Leonius hoped that Chevalier would live and return safely to Esthirant, which he did, and the Emperor was supposedly glad about how the events turned out.

However, in the Emperor's hands was the long-awaited comprehensive report detailing the campaign against the northern alliance. After Chevalier was summoned back to the capital at the end of Boommaan (Month 4) and was promoted to his current position, his first order from Leonius was to conduct a thorough investigation into the underlying causes of the invasion force's lackluster performance. Subsequently, a series of troubling issues were unearthed: an inability to effectively pacify the conquered territories, a dangerous overconfidence that left them vulnerable to counterattacks from surviving rebel cells, and perhaps most concerning, a pattern of withholding information and feigning normalcy. This had led to the reckless squandering of the Parpaldia Empire's precious resources and manpower, throwing them into a meat grinder of ash and ice. Leonius had smelled something suspicious, and the report laid before him solidified his conclusion that he was, in fact, ruling an empire filled with imbeciles.

Chevalier had braced himself to confront a wrathful Leonius. However, he was caught off guard when the Emperor, instead of launching into a tirade, began with a benign inquiry about his newborn niece. A long silence hung in the air as Chevalier and Ruperther patiently waited for Leonius to finish perusing the documents.