I Am Being Mistaken for a Genius Strategist

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After finishing the report to His Majesty the Emperor, I was guided straight to the Crown Princess.

In that place, the atmosphere was quite peculiar with the Crown Princess, Crown Prince, and Princess all present.

“…Something feels off with the three of you.”

It wasn’t just a random comment; it really felt strange.

“Is that so? Please take a seat, Chief of Staff.”

At her invitation, I naturally tried to sit next to the Crown Prince.

There wasn’t any particular reason, just that the Crown Princess and Princess were sitting together. Plus, since the Crown Prince was a man like me, it seemed fitting to sit beside him.

However, the Crown Prince suddenly jumped up from his seat and pulled the Princess up with him.

Then, he took the chair where the Princess had been sitting and gave his spot to her.

This was utterly baffling for both the Princess and me.

“What are you doing? Hurry and sit down, Chief of Staff.”

The Crown Princess, with a rather mischievous smile, urged me to take my seat.

In the end, it became a pair seating: me with the Princess, and the Crown Princess with the Crown Prince.

“Fufufu…”

“Looks great, doesn’t it, sister?”

Hey, Your Highness the Crown Princess, that smile of yours is making me a bit anxious.

And Crown Prince? Saying such things too openly is… oh dear, your sister’s face…

“….”

Well, I was about to say it could burst, but it looks like it already has.

Her cheeks were bright red, spanning down to her neck and ears.

“Did your report to His Majesty the Emperor go well?”

“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Princess. As for the contents—”

“Aah, that’s enough. You’ll find out later. I didn’t call for the Chief of Staff to talk about work now, so let’s skip over that.”

It seemed to be the first time the Crown Princess wanted to discuss something other than business.

Rumor had it that she was a workaholic to the point of telling the Emperor to back off.

But seeing this, it didn’t seem to be entirely true. Should I say she was simply diligent?

“Chief of Staff, do you know? I have a new task I’ve taken on lately.”

“…?”

Didn’t you just say you weren’t going to talk about work?

It was only three seconds ago, and suddenly you have a new job?

“It’s about the Duke and the title of Duchess. Although I’m reluctant to issue an additional rank, the Duke title ended with a single rank in the Empire’s history, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“…Your Highness?”

At first, I was confused. But as I listened, I started to catch on.

You’re talking about me. The mention of the Duke title mixed in, and you’re discussing it in front of me.

But a Duke and Duchess title? Issuing one more rank?

There are cases of multiple titles, but normally, isn’t the new title lower than the existing one?

What does it even mean to be a Duke and a Duchess? Would other nobles stay quiet about that?

“Sister, if you keep this up, the Chief of Staff won’t be able to follow the conversation.”

“Hmm? Ah, right. Sorry. I got a bit ahead of myself because I’m in a good mood.”

“Ah, it’s fine, Your Highness the Crown Princess. But, um… a Duchess title? What does that…”

“Chief of Staff, don’t you know the Empire’s history? Anyone who has achieved undeniable accomplishments will have the Duke title conferred to them, albeit a single rank, especially for those tied directly to the Imperial Family.”

I know about it. Lord Ramsus is one of the most famous heroes in the Empire.

After him, all who received Duke titles were tremendous heroes.

They were figures so great that I’m barely worth comparing, yet how could…

“From your expression, it seems you believe you’re unworthy of it.”

“That’s…”

“Stop making nonsense. Your achievements alone from the east and south are more than enough. No one can deny that. Especially with your remarkable actions on the battlefield with Dedorant. Do you still not think highly of yourself?”

That’s not humility; it’s deception towards those who wish to follow you.

The slight sternness in the Crown Princess’s voice made me flinch, trembling involuntarily.

“Your Highness is right. Chief of Staff, humility has been your weapon and a whip to refine yourself. But it can also become a burden for those who come after you.”

“I…”

“Chief of Staff, you are already outstanding enough. To be honest, I want to call you great, but with my sister here, I can’t say it out loud. Hahaha.”

“Isn’t your expression telling me you think the Chief of Staff is better than me?”

“Surely you jest! The greatest for me is His Majesty the Emperor, and the next is your Highness!”

Oh dear. How can they be siblings when their relationship is so flawless?

“Ahem. Anyway, Chief of Staff, you are fully deserving of the Duke title. At the very least, your accomplishments can’t be denied by anyone in the Empire. If both my sister and father recognize it, who would dare to oppose?”

“I’ve just done my best, so I’m merely ashamed.”

It feels frustrating to have no ambitions for power or desire for promotion.

Am I transcendent or simply naive? This kind of thing doesn’t resonate with me at all.

Instead, I worry if I can actually handle this. I’m just so concerned I won’t disappoint them.

“And… it seems Bel really likes you a lot.”

“Brother!!”

“Oh dear. Bel, just a moment ago you nodded at that in front of my sister, and now you’re changing your tune?”

“Ugh, that’s not fair!”

She sounded so desperate, her voice carrying a sense of urgency and moisture.

If she keeps this up, it seems she’ll stand up and sob at any moment.

Imagining such a scene made me blurt out without realizing.

“N-no! Your Highness!”

“Chief of Staff?”

“Liking even more? That’s, um…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence, just biting my lip.

Now I can see both the Crown Princess and Crown Prince grinning.

It’s like I can picture them thinking, ‘Just as planned!’ I realized too late.

“I’ve been played!”

They were deliberately teasing the Princess for my reaction.

The Crown Princess started it, and the Crown Prince delivered the decisive blow.

Meanwhile, I fell right into it without a second thought.

“What do you mean by liking even more, Chief of Staff?”

“The Crown Prince is correct! Please continue.”

They really are extraordinary siblings; I’m still so behind!

If it’s like this, why not just have you two be the masterminds instead? Don’t call me for this! Aaaah!

“…I think I probably like it even more.”

At this point, there was no way to say no and sit back down.

Once I blurted it out, the reactions of the three were all distinctly different.

“Hahaha!”

The Crown Princess laughed heartily, holding her stomach.

“Whew! Huh! Huh!”

The Crown Prince was similarly laughing but trying to hold back.

“….”

Finally, the Princess, who was just bowing her head down.

“Please, let that statement continue.”

“I agree, Chief of Staff.”

Listening to the Crown Princess and Crown Prince, the Princess and I could only bow our heads.

However, thanks to the hands we had been holding since earlier, it was an awkward but somewhat okay situation.

*

After finishing my business at the Imperial Palace, I decided to drop by the Ministry of War first.

Currently, the most pressing issues were the prisoner situation and supply problems.

I needed to head to the Ministry of War to discuss these things, as that was where the responsibility lay.

“Welcome, Chief of Staff.”

“We just saw each other in the palace, and now we meet again, Minister of War.”

By the way, the previous Minister of War stepped down voluntarily after the Empire’s great defeat.

While not as accountable as the General Staff, this side also could not escape the blame for the loss.

So, they wrapped things up after organizing the situation to a certain extent before stepping down.

“First, we need to resolve the prisoner issue.”

“Yes. Currently, aside from the 40,000 who surrendered together with Commander Paelus, if we add those who surrendered from various places, it exceeds 50,000. Up until now, we managed reasonably, but with this recent wave of surrenders, the burden on the frontline prison camp has become too heavy.”

“Hmm. I expected more prisoners, but I never thought 40,000 would surrender at once…”

The Minister of War pressed around his temples, looking as if he had a headache.

Now, the Ministry of Finance isn’t enjoying this either, but they can’t complain too much given the Empire’s great victory.

I understand. 40,000 is equivalent to two legions.

With such a sudden increase in mouths to feed, I imagine the higher-ups must have headaches.

Food, water for the prisoners, clothing for them, and temporary housing space.

Plus, the reorganization of troops to manage the prisoners and the expense of where they will stay.

Lastly, if we need to recalculate the Empire’s finances to account for that…

“Worrying about extended supply lines is also a concern. We’ve doubled the supply units and transportation units compared to before, but fatigue is steadily increasing.”

Initially, sending supplies from the Empire to Dedorant was relatively manageable.

The distance was relatively short, and our transportation units were familiar with the road conditions.

However, as our Empire pushed deeper into Dedorant, the situation changed.

The transportation units were now in unfamiliar territory. They had to assess road conditions.

Also, the supply line had physically lengthened, drastically increasing their fatigue.

“Just walking is exhausting, let alone taking care of cows, looking after horses, managing carts, and gathering goods.”

Of course, the transportation unit consists of people, so they consume resources.

A large portion of the supplies heading to the frontline must be used by them.

But if the supply line grows longer, it’s only natural that the amount needed increases.

“I’ve already decided to halt our advance temporarily on the way to the Empire.”

“Good decision. We’re mobilizing all available resources at the Ministry of War to solve the supply and transportation issues, so please bear with us a little longer, and it will be resolved soon.”

“Please hurry, but don’t rush too much. In war, a momentary gap can lead to the worst defeat.”

Right. While losing on the battlefield can be accepted, losing in supplies is absolutely unacceptable.

If a massive nation like the Empire falters at the foundation, what a disgrace that would be.

“Oh, and Minister, I’m thinking of using the Magical Corps again soon.”

“Surely you’re not asking us to negotiate with the Ministry of Finance again—”

“Seeing as I’m on the battlefield, I can’t keep asking the Ministry of Finance like this, can I? Hahaha!”

I’m sorry! I’ll be the one shooting, so you handle the aftermath from the rear!