Chapter 99

"General?"

"Salvill?"

In any case, I invited General Wagelis and two of his subordinates to my tent. When they arrived, Selene, who had been waiting, was surprised by their appearance.

Nomariola, upon seeing the new arrivals, first prepared a chair for me. He cleared away the small table that had been used for breakfast and arranged the chairs comfortably. Then, he prepared a chair for the general and stood at the side of the room.

"Sit down. One of the serving girls who brought my breakfast saw the general and I went to check on the situation. Why was General Wagelis eavesdropping in such a place?"

General Wagelis had come here without informing anyone and with a limited number of people. This meant he had gone to the place where the guards were plotting a rebellion near the toilet.

I thought it was obvious, but General Wagelis's face turned stern, like a capybara's. Yes, he looked really fierce, even though he didn't have the ferocity of a wild animal.

"Why? Because the First Prince makes decisions based on assumptions and accusations, calling them sloppy, I decided to come and inspect things myself!"

"Your voice is too loud."

General Wagelis glared at Helcof, who had spoken. He probably thought Helcof had given me the idea. After all, Helcof had pointed out the same things and put me under house arrest.

At first, he had tried to maintain a more formal relationship with the prince, but recently, he had become just a grumpy old man. I hadn't met anyone like this since my reincarnation, so it was a bit refreshing. And because he said what he thought, I didn't have to suspect him of anything else.

"Um, I don't understand the situation...?"

Selene was confused, but I had only just learned about it myself, so my gaze remained on General Wagelis.

"Besides the regular patrols, I had people from headquarters come and check the area."

"Thank you for your hard work. But you wouldn't have seen anything from outside about what I'm doing."

"Yeah! That's right, damn it!"

He was angry because it was a direct hit, but Wearel interjected.

"I would appreciate it if you refrain from saying such unpleasant things to Lady Asha."

General Wagelis glared at Wearel but remained silent, probably because he knew Wearel's strength.

Attacking the army is not something a villain would do, as it is suicidal, and beasts wouldn't attack a larger group. So, what could it be? Monsters.

In the border regions, there are rare materials, but the lack of people means that the culling of monsters is insufficient. When people come in groups, monsters attack out of anger or hunger.

"The monster boar was delicious."

I recalled the time when a monster attacked my camp during a march. Icto, who had been a hunter of monsters, and Helcof fought back, and Wearel cast spells from in front of the carriage.

They managed to kill the monster without any injuries and without ruining the meat, which earned praise from the people around the general. It's nice to be praised.

"Your Highness Asha, there are goats in the mountains, but they have a strong, unpleasant smell. Birds would be more suitable for your taste, so I will hunt them as soon as I find them."

"Thank you, Icto."

"Hey, why are you so relaxed when your life is in danger? Do you understand the situation?"

General Wagelis interrupted our conversation. Wearel, Nomariola, and Selene were surprised.

It turned out that General Wagelis knew only what we had heard. He only knew that the guards were planning a rebellion due to their dissatisfaction with me.

"How do you intend to settle this?"

"Is it up to me to decide, since it's a military matter?"

When General Wagelis asked, I honestly returned the question. The root of our previous conflicts was the fact that there were two command systems in one army. General Wagelis had tried to suppress me and keep the real power, while I had pushed through my decisions, leading to the conflict.

"The guards are part of the military, but their command authority lies with the emperor, a trusted captain, or other members of the imperial family. I lead this army, but the guards are outside my jurisdiction."

"I know that, and you even came to steal alcohol. But if soldiers rebel, especially during a military operation, you can't just talk about jurisdiction, right?"

I asked a straightforward question, but General Wagelis got angry again.

"Are you saying you don't intend to do anything about it?"

His words became harsh with frustration, and his subordinates and Selene tried to calm him down.

I raised my hand to stop Helcof, who was about to punch. Both of them have too much blood in their heads.

"If I were to handle it, I would call the captain of the guards and issue a corrective recommendation. Then, I would scatter the guards and have them watched by others."

"Too soft!"

He really has too much blood in his head. He's probably still upset about the alcohol theft.

"Being too soft just makes the other side try to suppress you with more force. Do you really understand the danger to your life? The First Prince is coming to kill you."

"No, it's not unusual for people to wish for my death."

Even when he said it passionately, I was honestly at a loss.

When I expressed my confusion, General Wagelis, his subordinates, and Selene froze. Helcof then spoke in a disappointed tone.

"Didn't you know about the assassination attempt? It caused such a commotion."

"But you said there was no assassination attempt."

The two looked at each other, puzzled by the mismatched conversation. Then, Wearel, who had been thinking, spoke up.

"Helcof is referring to the assassination attempt by the Edenval family at the cathedral. General Wagelis, are you talking about when Prince Fer collapsed?"

"Indeed, when Fer collapsed, it was rumored that I had attempted an assassination."

But General Wagelis still looked confused. Selene then raised her hand to speak.

"Wasn't the First Prince not involved in the cathedral incident, which involved the Second to Fourth Princes?"

"Huh? I was there too. Why am I not included?"

My answer surprised General Wagelis and the others.

"Even if few people enter and leave the palace, how is the incident at the cathedral being reported in the military?"

"The princes were said to have attended the service together with a small number of guards, and the foolish Edenval family was defeated when they tried to take advantage of the situation."

General Wagelis explained it simply but clearly.

"In other words, they assumed that Prince Asha was not among the princes who attended the service together with a reduced number of guards. The service itself was arranged by the Second Prince to include Prince Asha, who had never entered the cathedral."

Icto, who had probably been made to seem absent, explained.

"Maybe they think I don't get along with Terry and the others? Even though we interact so much?"

No, considering General Wagelis's limited sources of information, it's possible that the information was deliberately spread to make me seem absent.

"Getting along? I've heard that you were bullied and made to cry, but I didn't know about this."

"Your stepfather's information is biased. You've been completely ignored for the past one or two years. Before that, you only met a few times."

Helcof stated the facts, but General Wagelis didn't believe him.

"Stop talking nonsense. Why are you exaggerating so much? That's why you're too biased."

"What?"

Helcof also has too much blood in his head. As I thought this, the coolest of the servants spoke up.

"Your Highness is not allowed to enter or leave areas outside his own, and even walks in the garden are closely watched. The flowers and plants he picks are inspected, and the four of us who serve him directly are searched every day at the palace gates. The connection between the left wing, where no one except Your Highness lives, and the main building is always guarded to prevent unauthorized entry."

As Nomariola spoke, General Wagelis and the others looked as if they didn't understand what was being said. It was like the Empress, who had seen my situation directly but couldn't understand it, with a hundred faces.

"......Why are you under house arrest in the palace?"

Finally understanding the words, General Wagelis muttered, and I was genuinely surprised.

"Why are you surprised by that?"

"Objectively, it seems like a situation where you would be, but it's still a bit of a shock to realize it again. It's been like this since I was old enough to understand, so I was a bit surprised."

It sounded a bit silly, and I laughed awkwardly. I was embarrassed that I hadn't realized it until now, but my attendants suddenly became somber. Seeing this, General Wagelis also blinked uncomfortably.

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Next: General's Steps 4