BXBX NOVEL 141 - - Art. 141 Monster Parent
"Raise your face.
The Empress Dowager\'s cold voice, devoid of any emotion, is spoken to the two men. The men slowly raise their heads in response. They are Madeline, the Prime Minister of Lamarone, and General Callies, the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
"General, you look well, don\'t you?"
The Empress Dowager\'s face and voice showed no emotion. But that is how they could feel the seething anger in her gut. In this atmosphere, Madeline, the prime minister, steps forward, shaking her fat body with great gravity.
"With all due respect, sir, this summer\'s harvest is hopeless. In addition, we can expect only about the same amount of harvest in the fall as last year. I humbly ask that the people be blessed with the rations that we have stored in the palace.
"Prime Minister... Is there nothing we can do about that?"
The emperor wrinkles his brow and asks. Madeline bends over, even more awestruck.
"I am truly sorry. I\'m afraid I can\'t help you..."
The emperor closes his eyes and looks up to the heavens. No one moves, as if time has stopped. There is a moment of silence, but it is broken by the voice of the Empress Dowager.
"General, do you have anything to say?
General Carriès replies with a puzzled look on his face.
"Me, sir? I\'m afraid I can\'t speak politically..."
"The Prime Minister has requested that the people be given the rations stored in the palace due to the shortage of food. What do you have to say about this?
Weather, weather is out of our control. This is our Lord God..."
Calm down!
The Dowager Empress\' exhortation echoes through the room. Time stands still for a moment.
"It all started with the fact that the army we sent to Agartha did not bring back food! If only it had worked, none of this would have happened! General, as commander-in-chief, do you not feel responsible!"
General Caries huffs and puffs, straightening his posture again and bending at the waist.
"With all due respect, sir, I am willing to take responsibility for my position, but I cannot be held responsible for a plan that was made without my knowledge.
"Do you even know what you are talking about?
"If any operation is defeated, it will be recorded in history as a failure. And whoever\'s plan it is, it will be recorded in history as the Emperor\'s misadventure. Empress Dowager, I do not mean to be presumptuous, but I am truly sorry for the failure of Jiseu\'s operation. As for Zizeu, he was executed without my knowledge or the Prime Minister\'s knowledge. Zizeu is responsible for the failure of the operation. He was executed to atone for his crime, but that does not erase the stain of his Majesty\'s misadventure.
General Caries was angry. As expected of a man who would not show it, however, his anger was evident in every word he said. The Empress Dowager listened with her eyes wide open, but eventually her expression returned to its usual expression and she spoke quietly.
"So, what must I do to remove the stain from Your Majesty\'s face? General?"
"I think it would be foolish of me to think that the results would outweigh that stain."
The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction.
"Well, General. How do you plan to accomplish this?
General Caries looks up, looks straight at the Empress Dowager, and replies.
First, we will reorganize the army. Then I will personally lead an army to Agartha.
The Empress Dowager looks exaggeratedly surprised.
"You mean to say that the general himself is going to Agartha?
Yes. Two thousand soldiers of the Ramallon Imperial Guard are being held captive in Agartha. I am going there to negotiate their release. There I will have an audience with the king of Agartha, where I will stab him in the back.
"General, that\'s..."
The Prime Minister, Madeline, interjects. But the spirit of General Caries is so strong that even Madril is in a state of shock.
"Hoho, hoho, ohohohoho!"
The Empress Dowager\'s laughter echoes through the room. Then she returns to her usual expression.
"So?"
"After the stabbing with the king of Agartha, the imperial army will rush into Agartha and quickly occupy it. After that, we will confiscate Agartha\'s food supplies..."
"Enough!"
Once again, the queen mother\'s exhortation echoed through the room.
"Who will take up such a ridiculous story? Even if it were to work, what are you going to do with those who are trapped in Agartha in the first place? You\'re not taking him back to the Imperial Kingdom, are you? Are you going to allow them to return once they have been dejectedly sent back to the enemy\'s army? It would be a disgrace to the kingdom and a stain on the reign of His Majesty the Emperor. Even food is in short supply in the palace. If the captives return to their homes, they will need more food, won\'t they? Such talk is unacceptable."
As expected, the Prime Minister, Madeline, steps forward.
"With all due respect, Empress Dowager, how can it be maladministration to welcome the captives? Rather, I believe that you will be honored as a virtuous emperor for all time to come.
The Empress Dowager stares at Madeline\'s face.
"If the Prime Minister insists so much, then you may do as you wish. But isn\'t it a bit much to carry out such a maneuver while reorganizing the army? General, would it not be better for you to do your best to reorganize the army?"
"But, Mother, if you do that, the command of the entire Imperial Army will be compromised.
As expected, the emperor interrupted. The Empress Dowager nodded with a satisfied smile.
"That\'s your majesty. Your Majesty, you are indeed the one who noticed it. Then we should have a commander in charge of the whole army.
"Mother, what is the commander in chief of the entire army?"
Don\'t worry, Your Majesty. We have the right person for you.
The Empress Dowager claps her hands. Then the door behind her opens, and a young man in a glittering military uniform enters.
"I have been summoned. I am Koenig Lafente.
The handsome young man, who calls himself Koenig, kneels down on one knee and hangs his head reverently. The queen mother gives him a satisfied look. The emperor smiles,
"Oh! Duke Koenig! The commander-in-chief of the Imperial City Defense Forces is in charge of the army. Then I am at ease."
The Empress Dowager nodded her head in exultation.
"Duke Koenig is the mother of my niece. My niece\'s mother, the Duke Koenig, is my sister\'s grandson, so to speak. I am afraid to say this, but you and the Duke have the same blood in your veins. I\'m sure the Duke will be able to understand His Majesty\'s heart and work to please him.
"That\'s your mother. Duke Koenig, I name you Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Ramallon. I\'ll be counting on you!
"Awe, sir."
Duke Koenig bows reverently.
"And now, my Lord, did you hear what General Callies just said?"
The duke replies firmly to the queen mother\'s question.
Yes. Yes. I think that the operation of the Commander-in-Chief is brilliant. I think it would be best to focus on the reorganization of the army, as you have ordered, Empress Dowager.
But the Empress Dowager slowly shook her head.
"No, no, I am not familiar with the military. The decision is yours to make.
The duke smiles.
"I\'m awed. Then, in my judgment, General Callies should focus on the reorganization of the army. It\'s just that we haven\'t found a replacement for former commander Zizeu\'s unit yet. I suggest that General Callies first take charge of the reorganization of General Zizeu\'s forces. After that, I think it would be better for the general to carry out his operation. What do you think?"
Turning to face the Duke, General Callies takes one look at him and replies without any emotion whatsoever.
"Yes, that\'s good. I will let you do so."
Duke Koenig grins,
"I, too, will try to think of a way to shake Agartha. It is not my intention to starve the people. We are of one mind. Let us work together!
"Ho-ho-ho-ho, you\'re right, Duke. This is the way the Lamaran army should be. Now the Imperial Army is united. Your Majesty, if this is the case, can\'t we give the people food from the palace?
"Oh, yes, Mother. Prime Minister Madryn, I allow you to offer the food that is stockpiled in the palace."
"...Thank you, sir."
Madolyn slowly bows her head.
"How merciful you are, your majesty. This good deed of yours will be remembered for a long time to come. Hohohohoho..."
That\'s right. Your Majesty the Queen Mother."
The Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Duke each exchange a big smile. Beside them, Prime Minister Madeline and General Callies hung their heads with blank expressions on their faces.
Outside, the rain is intensifying, and raindrops are beating heavily against the roof of the palace.