"Senior, they're coming!"
Ivan didn't bother to respond. If Dmitri could see them with his naked eyes, then naturally he could too.
Dmitri knew this, of course. It just showed how nervous he was.
Though he often made unnecessary comments, Dmitri was never one to show anxiety to others. That would certainly be perceived as weakness. They were people trained not to show weakness even to family.
Ivan briefly looked Dmitri over, then turned away.
"Duke Volonomin is over seventy."
"...I know, senior."
"Don't be afraid."
At Ivan's words, Dmitri made an embarrassed expression and stepped back.
Beyond the horizon, dust rose thickly. Soon, the military flag gleamed sharply in the sunset. It was the flag of the 1st Corps. The ducal family crest was nowhere to be seen.
'He's coming as a commander, not as a duke.'
He wouldn't have brought any personal troops even to show off. Of course, the 1st Corps itself was practically his personal army, and the Northern Demon Race Military Government where the 1st Corps was stationed was essentially his duchy.
It was as expected. Ivan waited, watching the approaching forces.
Behind him stood just over a hundred soldiers in formation. They weren't the Capital Defense Force, but rather Counter-Intelligence Command agents gathered from around Pritzenkaya.
Behind his back, the command's flag fluttered in the wind.
'I too am here as a commander, not as an individual wielding power.'
That was the message. Even in a position where he could claim to be the princess's closest confidant, he deliberately chose not to block their way with an army.
Soon the approaching forces slowly reduced their speed after noticing them. The dust gradually settled, and Duke Volonomin's warhorse came into view.
A man over seventy had charged from the distant north, and in Krasilov's winter no less, with just his horse. Yet the Duke's mount showed no signs of fatigue, snorting hot breath in excitement.
Ivan briefly tugged the reins and urged his horse forward. Clop, clop. The two men walked toward each other.
"Duke."
"Little Ivan."
Bright blue eyes flashed beneath the helmet. His gaze alone carried enough intensity to kill. Time had not broken this man.
The Duke, wearing a thick coat, waved away the approaching ceremonial officer. He stepped forward alone.
His body was so thin it might be considered frail. Yet his presence alone evoked the image of a well-honed sword.
The Conqueror's Sword. Until the war with the demon race, he was the man who had trampled the most "allied kingdom territories" in the current United Kingdom.
The man who doubled this country's borders. Had someone other than the late king held his reins, he would certainly have established an independent nation.
Ivan knew this man's temperament well. He lightly lowered his gaze in greeting.
"Have you been well?"
"I have."
"Your eyes look good. Better than before."
After the Annihilation Squad was disbanded, he had shown deference to no one except Elizabeta. But the man before him was one of the exceptions.
After all, this man had helped enable the "perfect seclusion" that would have been impossible with Elizabeta's power alone.
Until his return to service, he was one of only two powerful people in this country who knew of his survival.
"Retirement seemed to suit your temperament. You should have rested a bit longer."
"I rested enough."
"I see. That's good."
The Duke turned his gaze slightly. Dmitri, standing at attention behind Ivan, pretended to be surprised and stepped back.
The Duke smirked at this.
"It's been a long time for you too. That little snot-nosed kid has grown up well."
"Y-yes, Your Grace."
"I'm here representing the Northern Front. Correct your form of address."
Why is he correcting me when he didn't say anything to senior...
Dmitri grumbled briefly before bowing his head.
"The Counter-Intelligence Command welcomes the 1st Corps Commander, Your Excellency."
"Very good. It's cold. Open the way."
"I cannot do that."
Ivan blocked the Duke who was trying to pass him.
"I will receive you at headquarters."
"How many who entered that path have come out alive? Does Her Highness wish to eliminate this old man?"
"Is there anyone in this country who could replace the Duke in his absence? Her Highness is always concerned about the lack of talent in this country."
"If there's still someone left to raise their head after all that purging, that would be surprising indeed."
If he could have been replaced, he would have been killed.
Since you keep killing everyone, you can't purge me even when I do this?
Such was the exchange between the two men. Dmitri anxiously stared at Ivan's back and lamented.
'Her Highness clearly ordered you to conclude negotiations moderately and amicably, senior!'
But the two proud commanders seemed unwilling to back down from each other. Fortunately, Elizabeta had dispatched him in anticipation of such a situation.
Dmitri rubbed his gloves together, approached casually, and said with a smile:
"How about setting up camp for a while? The weather is cold."
"So you can tie me down while the Capital Command prepares to march?"
"But surely you can't bring armed personnel into Pritzenkaya as things stand? Please withdraw from this position, if only out of respect for Princess."
The Duke chuckled at Dmitri's words and turned his head. He looked at Ivan and said:
"Including me, how many could you handle?"
"Two hundred would be no problem."
"Oh? Your forces number only one hundred, yet you can handle twice as many Northern elite cavalry?"
"No. I meant I could handle them alone."
"What? Ha, hahaha!"
The Duke laughed loudly, slapping his knee. He soon nodded and gestured.
"Set up camp here and wait for me. Mikhail. Lead two hundred cavalry and follow."
"B-but Your Grace!"
"I do not give orders twice."
He grinned as he looked at Ivan. In response to his gaze, Ivan also turned his head and shouted:
"The Counter-Intelligence Command will receive guests from this moment."
"But senior...! Letting the Duke and two hundred 1st Corps cavalry into the capital without disarming them?! And you alone?!"
"I'm not someone who gives instructions twice either."
At Ivan's words, the Duke nodded vigorously and burst into laughter.
Indeed, you've grown well, he seemed to say as he rode ahead.
Ivan silently followed alongside him. The forces following the Duke glared at Ivan with hostile eyes.
He had claimed he could handle all of them alone, which was enough to wound the pride of the 1st Corps' elite. This was partly intentional.
He had provoked them to the point where conflict wouldn't have been surprising, to test whether the Duke had truly come to pledge loyalty or not.
If conflict had actually broken out, the Capital Command and 2nd Corps would have immediately opposed the 1st Corps. Though it might be difficult to defeat all the immediate forces, extracting Elizabeta wouldn't be difficult with Enrique present.
If they declared the 1st Corps rebels and began suppression, it would be possible to completely seize control of the entire military, even if they lost the military government. Elizabeta might have even preferred that outcome.
Having anticipated this, the Duke followed his words without protest. Ivan looked at the Duke's back and smiled bitterly.
'You haven't aged.'
The Duke was slightly younger than the late king, so perhaps the king would have been just as vigorous if not for the incident of that time. The late king would have been ten times stronger than the Duke.
After briefly recalling that image, Ivan shook his head and urged his horse forward.
As he had recalled before, Ivan's orphanage was located at a suitable distance from the center of the capital. It was an appropriate environment where they could gather without worrying about others' gazes.
Excluding the Counter-Intelligence Command and St. Yansk University, there was no better place in this city for him to comfortably meet with someone.
Upon arriving at the orphanage, the Duke looked around with a subtle expression.
"What's your intention in revealing an agent training facility...?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
He narrowed his eyes as he watched the approaching children. As always, the children were smiling brightly and whispering among themselves.
They showed no signs of surprise despite the arrival of two hundred intimidating cavalry. In the distance, a teacher wearing a strange hat hurriedly approached, gathered the children, and left.
Watching this, the Duke grumbled:
"Now the command agents don't even fear the military."
"They never did."
"Ah, is that so? I didn't know. I truly didn't know."
Though the Duke was being sarcastic, he followed Ivan's guidance without much resistance. They soon arrived at the director's office.
In the austere director's office where gleaming weapons filled one wall, the Duke sat on the sofa and stared at the tea before him.
It was a simple tea made from roughly brewed corn. Served in what looked like tea sets hastily bought from the market. The Duke glanced at Ivan naturally brewing the tea and shook his head.
For something deliberately served like this, you seem too accustomed to it.
Is the royal treasury struggling these days?
"I pride myself on living quite frugally, but this is..."
Old furniture without any luxury items, though the table gleamed from thorough cleaning. The Duke smirked and took a sip of tea.
"The 1st Corps will obey Princess."
"You came all this way to say that."
"If Her Highness recognizes the autonomy of the 1st Corps."
The Duke sank into the sofa and slowly interlaced his fingers.
"The 2nd Corps has recently begun agreements with the dwarves. They're buying up enormous amounts of military supplies."
"These are dangerous times."
"They're dangerous because someone made them so. Wasn't half the nobility of this country beheaded a few months ago?"
There was no fear in the Duke's eyes. However, Ivan could sense deep skepticism between the lines.
This man was a soldier who had devoted his life to serving the royal family. Even when many soldiers were purged after the war, he never left his position.
There was only one reason he wasn't targeted: he had declared unconditional neutrality in the central government's power struggles.
The 1st Corps was Krasilov's strongest single corps, and the vast wealth generated annually by the Military Government Headquarters essentially managed the northern economy of Krasilov.
This man could be said to have dedicated himself solely to Krasilov's stability. Having proven his loyalty to the royal family over two generations, no one could deny the Duke's dedication.
"Will Her Highness ultimately crush the 1st Corps?"
So he had to ask this.
With domestic affairs stabilized, it's hard to see any other purpose in strengthening the 2nd Corps on the northern front.
The purge of nobles is understandable. Even strengthening the 2nd Corps could be seen as normal checks and balances.
But recently, the 2nd Corps had pledged loyalty to the princess and marched to Tilles. Since the Capital Command had already fallen into the princess's hands, the Krasilov military was essentially owned by the princess.
In such a situation, he could no longer declare political indifference.
Ivan placed his teacup down and slowly lowered his hand beneath the table.
"Duke, where does your loyalty lie?"
"Naturally toward the royal family of this country. Do you dare question that?"
"There is only one royal blood left in this country now."
If his claim of loyalty to the royal family was true, there would be no reason not to pledge loyalty to Elizabeta. When Ivan pointed this out, the Duke took a bitter sip of tea.
"Is that so?"
"...?"
"Crown Prince Alexandr is alive."
Ivan's hand suddenly tensed. He barely managed to relax his grip on the pistol.
Reading this reaction, the Duke smirked.
"He attempted to contact me a few months ago. When the dwarves and demon race attacked the 2nd Corps, he asked the military government not to dispatch troops."
"..."
That would be during the Andgrund civil war. Ivan narrowed his eyes. If the Andgrund civil war had ended in Aviditas's victory, the 2nd Corps would have been raided by the dwarves.
If the 1st Corps hadn't supported from the front line then, Aviditas's forces would have reached Pritzenkaya without any resistance.
"But how?"
As he had recalled before, the Krasilov Counter-Intelligence Command's domestic intelligence network is nearly perfect. This isn't merely an expression of pride.
It truly, objectively means nearly perfect. They know everything from the minor drinking habits of this country's nobles to the small, secret drinking parties happening in salons.
Moreover, the military was the Command's greatest focus at that time. After purging all domestic nobles, it was the only group that could oppose the princess.
Naturally, they should have known everything happening in the 1st Corps as if it were in the palm of their hand. So the fact that Ivan didn't know about this means there was a gap in the Counter-Intelligence Command's network.
"It's natural that even you couldn't notice. Aren't there agents in this country more excellent than yours?"
"There are no such people."
"No, there are."
The most skilled in foreign intelligence in the United Kingdom.
And a group that even the most skilled spies didn't dare establish information networks against.
The Duke smiled, holding his index finger to his ear. As if his ears had grown pointed.
Seeing this, a cracking sound came from Ivan's hand. The teacup in his grip shattered into pieces.
"Kalion..."
"Yes. Alexandr is in Kalion."