I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 198: General Yaeger, Beloved Of The Emperor (3)

Three months after the war ended, in the dining room of the imperial palace.

The wide table was laden with dozens of plates of food, each seeming to cost at least a few golds, surrounded by all sorts of luxurious and expensive furniture and decorations.

I had the honor of dining alone with His Majesty the Emperor here.

Therefore, while I was very proud of having risen to this position, on the other hand, I felt burdened by dining with the highest-ranking person in the empire.

I couldn’t taste whether the food in front of me was salty or sweet at all.

“Haha, eat a lot. I had this food specially prepared because you were coming, so don’t hesitate to enjoy it.”

…Honestly, the Emperor’s favor felt so heavy that it might make me sick.

I just miss the meals made by Charlotte or the chef at my mansion; there was no need for all this.

“I don’t know what to do with myself, being treated to such good food, Your Majesty.”

“Haha, is this treatment too much for a treasure of the empire like you? Don’t hesitate. Just eat.”

“Your words alone make me feel full already.”

Continuing with this kind of formal yet empty conversation, thanks to the banquet course, I ended up dining for nearly two hours with His Majesty.

During that time, I learned in detail about what His Majesty’s life was like at my age, what he studied, and what he paid close attention to when raising the Crown Prince.

Even when talking about married life, he offered strict and solemn advice with a very serious expression.

His earnest advice seemed to come from a place of care, as His Majesty was now moving from his mid to late fifties, and I was merely 28 years old.

“It’s truly nice to be able to dine like this with you. Let’s have a cup of tea and continue our conversation. Butler, two cups of strong tea, please. And the rest of you may leave for now.”

After that, when the butler placed two cups of very fragrant tea, the dozens of servants in the dining room, excluding the butler, all left at once.

“First of all, General Yaeger, I sincerely thank you for your actions in the battle against Ostarica. Thanks to you, Michael was able to fully regain his political standing.”

“I just did what I was supposed to do. And the reason we could win this battle is because Your Majesty trusted me completely, despite my shortcomings, and because the Crown Prince bravely fought against the enemy knights.”

“I appreciate you saying that. Having you in the Reich Empire is surely a blessing from Deus. So, we must increase our offerings in gratitude for His grace. By the way, have you heard anything about the merits and rewards of this expedition?”

Usually, someone of a general’s rank could receive a rough description of the merits and rewards through the personnel department before they were officially announced.

However, perhaps because this expedition was personally led by the Crown Prince, His Majesty ordered that the merits and rewards not be disclosed until the victory parade, so I knew nothing.

“I haven’t heard anything at all.”

“That makes sense. The Crown Prince has issued a decree to announce everything at once after the victory parade. But what is our relationship, if not close? There’s no need to hide anything between you and me.”

…I had never been involved in direct political fights because I was neither a civil nor an administrative officer, but I knew this much…

“Be careful when a major politician shows closeness and asks what our relationship is. Something might happen.”

Following that advice, I answered with more caution.

“I am embarrassed by your high regard for someone as lacking as myself.”

“Too much modesty can be a fault. If it weren’t for you, Michael might have been stripped of his right to the throne by now. And it’s just you and me here, but imagine how jealous the other ministers would be if they were here.”

“Then I will live with pride, within the bounds of not becoming too arrogant.”

The Emperor nodded, as if he liked my response.

“However, it seems I have one regrettable piece of news to share with you. Are you ready to hear it?”

“I will gladly accept whatever command you give.”

“For your achievements in the western and northern campaigns against Ostarica, six generals from the General Staff submitted a recommendation for your promotion to High General. However, the noble assembly opposed your promotion, and I had no choice but to withhold permission for it.”

Normally, promotion to high general of the Army requires a recommendation from an active marshal and at least five active generals.

Since my father-in-law was a marshal, instead, six generals submitted their recommendations.

And those who wrote my promotion recommendation likely did so both in recognition of my abilities and because I received the Twin Dragons Medal, suggesting I should be promoted quickly.

Well, honestly, there were limits to being promoted with this level of service record, years of service, and overcoming various challenges…

I should be satisfied with just receiving the recommendation letters from six active generals, the first hurdle for promotion.

“Is that so, Your Majesty?”

After I responded like this, the Emperor sighed and then asked again,

“However, the merits and awards have not been officially announced yet. So, if you wish, I will grant you permission to be promoted to high general. There might be some opposition, but no one among the empire’s nobility can deny the abilities and achievements of General Peter Yaeger, so it will be settled soon.”

…Honestly, I wasn’t uninterested in the position of a high general, who could directly command tens of thousands of troops in war.

But just as eating too quickly could lead to indigestion, rising too rapidly could attract many enemies.

So, I thought that using my military achievements as a shield, even if I were promoted to High General, might not be a problem, but that backlash could also reach the Crown Prince.

“I’m only 28 years old now. I’m quite satisfied with having been promoted to general at this age. However, I do hope you generously reward the 7th Guard Division under my command and the soldiers who bravely fought this time. By doing so, Your Majesty’s grace and the Crown Prince’s generosity will be clearly demonstrated.”

“You seem capable enough to be a high general, honestly, but alright. Rise slowly, then. In return, I have a question for you.”

“Ask me anything.”

After a moment, His Majesty asked in a serious tone,

“You met with Louise quite often before the deployment. Why did you visit her so often?”

Hearing this, I felt an inexplicable sense of unease in my mind.

To be precise, when His Majesty asked that, even though I was trusted by His Majesty, I wondered if my frequent visits to the Princess, as part of official duties upon her request, had upset him.

It seemed obvious that my visits to the Princess would have been reported to His Majesty, and although he had never pointed it out before,

“Her Highness, the Princess, graciously took a great interest in the 7th Guard Division. Therefore, whenever I was in the capital, she would ask me to share about the division’s training or interesting anecdotes, so I visited her often as per her request.”

“I see. So, that’s why she took the time to read books related to military science to understand at least a bit about the 7th Guard Division.”

“I haven’t had the chance to tell you, but one of the reasons for the high morale of the 7th Division was the special attention from Her Highness the Princess. She generously provided them with wine and meat at her own expense, which motivated the soldiers to engage in training with great enthusiasm.”

Thanks to that, I deliberately scheduled the hardest training for the day after Her Highness Louise personally gave rewards.

The soldiers endured to the end, even in situations where they would have normally fallen behind.

“Then you must hold quite a bit of affection for her.”

“I deeply admire her. While repaying my gratitude to the Crown Prince, I also plan to do my best to repay Her Highness the Princess in my own way.”

“That’s good to hear. But there’s a problem that has arisen.”

…At that moment, His Majesty’s face hardened considerably, and he asked in a weighty voice, as if bracing me for something,

“Despite saying it’s for official duties, rumors are swirling both inside and outside the palace about Louise often having friendly conversations with a handsome and capable man who’s only 28. You’ll have to take responsibility, won’t you?”

…Ah, damn. Princess Louise was a wonderful person, but it seemed I was already set to gain a new father-in-law.