Overpowered Extra Noble in a Novel

19.

At the time when Cain and Iris were deep into their national tour, passing through the south.

In the basement of the Gluen Cooperative building, the greatest merchant’s guild in Altain.

Gluen, the head of the cooperative, was a man of such strong influence that as a representative of the highest merchant council, he could walk proudly anywhere in the empire.

However, Gluen was in a situation where he had to hunch his broad shoulders as much as possible and try to make himself as inconspicuous as possible in a corner of the conference room.

“Who was it that called Macbilian the champion of the Western guys?”

The voice of a middle-aged noble with curly hair and a lavish uniform made the conference room heat up.

“Didn’t you say that? Now you’re trying to dodge responsibility?”

“Dodge responsibility? What nonsense. Everyone agreed at the time! That’s why we aimed to control the Western group, wasn’t it?”

“Not the West, or even the South. It was just a barbarian!”

The middle-aged noble hit the desk in response to the words of his fellow nobles.

“The poison wasn’t administered continuously!”

“If you saw it with your own eyes, you should know! He’s perfectly fine!”

It’s not my fault!

The middle-aged noble shouted loudly and immediately grabbed his fellow noble by the collar.

Amid the raised voices of the eastern faction nobles, Kierson Lucanov covered his throbbing forehead with his hand and closed his eyes.

“It wasn’t the Schrantz family,” he thought.

Where did we miss a step? We certainly had accurate information.

The eastern faction had been acting on it accordingly.

Kierson furrowed his brows on the assumption that maybe it could be true.

“Could the Western faction have been mistaken as well?”

They, who had effectively taken over the Central Information Department, and we, who use the information network of the guilds and merchants.

Normally, there should be no room for error or confusion in the information.

Unless someone intervened in between.

“…The Black Raven.”

The Emperor’s direct secret organization.

A ghost-like existence with its base, scale, members, and everything else unknown.

If they had intervened, the information could have been contaminated, which would make sense.

“Alberto Bartolf.”

Kierson recalled the most likely figure as the commander of the Black Raven and opened his eyes.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Even though he didn’t know why Alberto had supported the Duke, if Macbilian was a barbarian with no affiliations, then it actually worked out well.

With the Empress’s appointment, incorporating him into the faction would allow them to suppress the west and make their power even more solid.

If they succeed, the empire will completely fall into his hands.

Kierson was confident he could entice the young noble from the frontier.

Meanwhile, as Kierson and the eastern faction were devising their specific plans for the future.

In a secret chamber deep underground in the Foreign Ministry’s Imperial Army Command Building.

There, people were discussing solemnly with serious expressions.

The men in the uniforms of the Imperial Army and the Guard Command Department were seriously reviewing the current situation with their voices filled with gravity.

“…After the election ceremony, a national representative has been born for the first time.”

“Macbilian was not from the Eastern faction. What exactly happened?”

“The information was wrong. The fact that he was a champion of the Eastern faction was false.”

The gaze of the Western faction nobles fell on one person.

A middle-aged noble in a gray uniform sprang up from his seat.

“Are you suspecting me now!”

“The information was delivered by you, as the head of the intelligence department. Are you trying to backpedal now?”

“What…! We all made that judgment based on the compiled information! Are you trying to place all the blame on me now?”

Bang!

“Do you think that tearing me apart will solve this situation? Laughable! Macbilian is already elevated to the position of duke, and news has spread nationwide of the imperial couple’s formation!”

The angry middle-aged noble hit the table again.

The information department chief, who was flushed red with anger, was scolded by another Western faction noble who sighed.

“My apologies, Lord Candlea. Debating right and wrong at this point is meaningless. Everyone, please calm down.”

Silence descended on the chamber.

After taking a moment to catch their breath, the Western faction nobles started analyzing the current situation.

Meanwhile, as the nobles were exchanging views in a composed atmosphere.

Vanell Schrantz quickly read through the documents in his hand.

“Eidan Brayden’s detachment from the Eastern faction’s forces…”

Eidan could be considered one of the key forces of the Eastern faction.

Such a superhuman was battered by Cain in an honorable duel before being beaten near death.

Currently, Eidan is recuperating after emergency treatment by the church’s saint.

“No doubt, they were trying to kill each other. It was too theatrical, and Eidan’s attack was filled with malice at that time.”

Vanell set down the document and recalled his memories while resting his chin in his hand.

“It wasn’t part of the Lucanov’s faction, and it shows possession of a force capable of defeating Eidan…”

He had reviewed Cain’s background, and his father was merely a skilled knight, not someone capable of defeating a superhuman who manifested mana.

But Cain had completely crushed Eidan.

“There has been an error in the information. There has been interference that could even fool the Central Information Department. Who was it?”

The Central Information Department was the most powerful information-gathering agency in the empire.

If someone could deceive such a place…

“The Black Raven… Is it Alberto? But why?”

Vanell closed his eyes to organize his complex thoughts.

He tried to speculate on the relationship between Alberto and Cain, but nothing came to mind.

It couldn’t be possible that the chamberlain, who insisted on neutrality and only supported the young Empress, made a pact with a faction.

“I should make contact with Macbilian first.”

The young noble of the frontier, who is under the Empress’s appointment and the chamberlain’s protection.

In other words, it means there is a proper opportunity to reach out.

This newly entered royal palace would require many resources to govern the state.

At a young age, with the taste of power, he will naturally want to wield that power with all his might.

The strength of the Western faction, which holds most of the empire’s military, would be quite tempting.

Though it’s somewhat of a turnaround.

By allying with Macbilian, the young Empress’s representative, one could easily take over the empire.

In that case, with this power, the empire could rise again as the dominant force of the Western Continent.

When they become the masters of the Western Continent, dominating everything…

Vanell got up, recalling someone sleeping in a manor.

***

“Ah, I’m fed up!”

The document that flew in mid-air fell limply back onto the desk.

The desk was full of various documents and books, leaving no space to lay down. Staring at the terrible scene silently, he leaned back in the chair.

“Life…”

After the nationwide tour with some exchanges with Iris ended and returning to the Imperial Palace,

What awaited me were countless documents and books as well as all sorts of educations.

Alberto had mentioned that acquiring multiple types of knowledge would be necessary before officially participating in government duties and assisting Iris.

As someone who managed a small town while exiled to the frontier, I certainly agreed that I lacked the knowledge necessary to handle national-level duties.

Thus, experts in various fields started coming to see me immediately.

“Just… why is there so much?”

Even though it wasn’t as much as in my previous life where I was overwhelmed by work, there’s still plenty.

Perhaps it was fortunate that teaching at the concept level without needing to master things at the expert level was sufficient.

Though, it did not help much that the volume of educational materials and documents on the desk made my stomach churn.

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty. It’s Alberto.”

Alberto, softly opening the door and entering, smiled upon seeing my appearance.

“You’ve been diligently working today. It’s still in the morning, yet you look very tired.”

“Look at all this pile, Alberto sir. I’m sure anyone would feel tired.”

Upon seeing my gestures towards the desk, Alberto smiled as if delighted and pointed toward the audience chamber outside.

“Her Majesty is ready. Let’s proceed to the grand meeting hall.”

“…Understood.”

As I stepped out of the audience chamber with Alberto, Iris, veiled, was standing quietly.

Among the maids accompanying her, I spotted Rani, who was pretending to be modest by lowering her gaze. She looked quite amusing.

Seeing Rani half-closing her eyes, I smiled slightly and greeted Iris.

“Her Majesty. Good morning. I hope for your guidance today.”

Upon hearing my greeting, Iris lifted her veil.

“Good morning. Your Highness.”

Our eyes met on her calm, violet gaze.

She briefly observed me before lowering the veil and turning her body.

As I approached, catching her sleeve, we walked to the grand meeting hall together.

Alberto, who had been following a step behind us, opened his mouth.

“Your Highness the Duke. On the schedule for today, there’s a government affairs meeting and a negotiation planned.”

“I remember. Was it with Duke Lucanov and Duke Schrantz?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Since returning to the palace after the national tour, there hasn’t been any special movement between the two factions.

“Negotiations…”

They sent requests out of nowhere simultaneously without any prior indication. I wondered what they were planning to talk about.

*

“Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Duke are entering!”

With the knight’s loud announcement, the door of the grand meeting hall opened.

The meeting room, silent to the point of chill.

As Iris proceeded calmly, I stepped onto the red carpet leading to the upper seat.

“…”

A small number of nobles and high officials bowed respectfully upon seeing the appearance of Iris and me. A courteous gesture reaching the highest form of respect. Given it’s the appearance of the highest authority in the empire, one might say it’s a natural response.

A natural response, but…

Just a few people bowed.

Most of the centrally located nobles were seated to either side, with their heads held high, observing Iris and me walking towards the upper seat.

“…Are these brats?”

Even with the knight’s call announcing the Empress’s arrival, they did not bow their heads.

It doesn’t seem like this is the first time they’ve done it so coolly.

Iris also appeared accustomed to it, walking diligently toward the upper seat.

My pleasant mood from seeing Iris’s face quickly faded.

As I stared angrily at the nobles, those who caught my gaze turned away hesitantly.

I took in the faces of the nobles one by one.

They must be the individuals with probably the strongest influence, one from the east and the other from the west.

The ones familiar to me from the training ground duels turned away with weary expressions, while the new ones continued to stare straight at me without dodging.

Well, now, there are those who are daring to glare.

“I’ll remember your faces.”

While growling at the nobles and moving forward, I reached the upper seat soon.

After adjusting his attire and sitting at his seat, I took my place beside him, scanning the grand meeting hall.

The upper seat was located high up, in a fan-shaped formation, overlooking the lower seats occupied by the nobles. From there, the entire meeting room could be seen at a glance.

The appearance of many nobles who support the nation.

And two figures quietly standing closest to the upper seat.

Lucanov and Schrantz.

Our eyes met with the two dukes.

For a while, the two dukes stared at me, then paid respects to Iris.

Only then did the nobles looking at us lower their heads.

As the nobles bowed, Iris’s voice echoed throughout the meeting room.

“…Lift your heads.”

The sight of countless heads moving like ripples prompted Alberto to quietly speak.

“We will begin the government affairs meeting.”

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