Chapter 169: Imminent (3)
“There’s no chance this gets settled by rely cutting ties with the children. Unless one of the two of you clearly takes responsibility, neither the citizens, nor the Assembly, nor the Imperial Family will accept it.”
“…….”
“If soone absolutely has to take the bla… then wouldn’t it be better for Uncle, who’s only a collateral family mber and the Vice Head, to shoulder the responsibility rather than you, Father, who are both direct bloodline and Head of the Family? For Bernhardt’s sake, I an.”
“…No.”
eting Robert’s unwavering gaze, Edgar firmly shook his head as well.
“Public opinion won’t change until the Head of the Family personally takes responsibility.”
“What if you stepped down from the position?”
“…Step down?”
“Bernhardt doesn’t continue existing solely because the Head of the Family exists, does it, Father?”
There had indeed once been an era where the Head of the Family and the Lord were law itself and everything else.
But the current Empire had been proclaid only after destroying that decentralized system and creating a centralized structure.
Since then, countless noble families throughout the Empire had experienced the absence of their family heads.
Most suffered large or small losses, but the majority ultimately recovered safely.
“Even Hallenberg is in that situation right now.”
First separate Gilbert, Chloe, Hella, and myself.
Then make Uncle Mikhail bear responsibility as the Vice Head.
“And if you also step down as Head and declare that you’ll accept punishnt… wouldn’t things beco manageable from that point onward?”
Hearing his son’s words, Edgar pondered for a long while before nodding slowly.
“If we go that far, the citizens might finally accept it.”
But tell , my son.
“What aning would a Bernhardt remain if not a single trace of us were left behind?”
“…It would only be a temporary retreat until public opinion settles down. Once things calm down, we can gradually rebuild—”
“The masses might think that way, but the Assembly and Imperial Family won’t.”
Rembering all too vividly the gazes directed at him in the Assembly after Greenwhistle’s exposé inflad public opinion, Edgar rubbed his forehead.
“They’re hyenas. When standing beside the strong, they cling tightly and scavenge scraps. But the mont the strong weaken, they scatter and bare their fangs, desperate to seize that position themselves.”
And it wasn’t only the nobles.
“The Imperial Family is equally wary of noble houses growing too powerful. Edel, Abel, even Rachel—none of them will want to see us recover.”
“…Then what exactly do you want to do, Father?”
At his eldest son’s direct question, Edgar clenched his teeth with determined eyes.
“If we cannot survive under the current system, then we simply destroy the current system.”
By chance, this latest article had placed Greenwhistle in an extrely awkward position.
Eugene Carter surely hadn’t made that choice for our sake.
On the surface, it looked like he was acting for the Imperial Family, but in truth, it was likely a decision made to protect Edel Ribenia.
Either way, many of those who had been stirred up by propaganda would now shift toward observing the situation instead.
From the perspective of the Platinum Dawn Society, which sought the Empire’s downfall, that wouldn’t be welco news.
Of course, Bernhardt was also a thorn in their side, so they probably believed it best to let us collapse.
But the resources and military forces possessed by Bernhardt would beco extrely useful weapons for their coup.
“We need to secure at least the minimum initiative necessary to survive sohow.”
We’ll help them deny the divine right of imperial authority and overturn the Empire’s structure beneath the Imperial Family.
But allowing them to destroy the Empire of Ribenia itself after that is unacceptable.
“If we can reclaim a one-party system centered around the military amid the chaos… then a complete reversal becos possible.”
“…They aren’t trustworthy people. They could promise cooperation to our faces, then stab us in the back later.”
“Then we stab them in the back first.”
It would beco a situation where Bernhardt crushes the rebels who launched a coup in order to destroy the Imperial Family.
“Well? Don’t you think it’s a gamble worth taking, my son?”
---
It was a risky but revolutionary strategy.
Taking Robert’s lack of objections as a positive sign, Edgar rose from his seat.
As Edgar summoned the head servant Igor and began preparing to leave, his son hurriedly cut in.
“No, Father, you’re going personally? Seriously?”
“They’ll only listen if I go myself.”
“It’s too dangerous. The others are one thing, but Maximilian especially won’t just sit back and watch.”
“What, are you worried he’ll kill ?”
“…Well, he’s soone who completely rejects the current Bernhardt system. There’s no reason for him to pass up the chance when the very representative of that system walks right into their territory.”
Even Robert’s attempts to stop him failed to move Edgar in the slightest.
“That may be his personal stance.”
But he was no longer rely an individual.
That was what it ant to lead an organization.
“As the leader of Greenwhistle, he can’t simply throw us out without even hearing our proposal.”
“Even so…”
“…Well, yes. There’s always the possibility of sothing happening. So I intend to add one more layer of protection.”
Dale Wedyer.
“If I bring him along, then at the very least, I should be able to keep my life, shouldn’t I?”
After ordering Dale to remain on standby within the estate, Edgar departed Bernhardt.
Silently watching the modest carriage leave the main estate and head toward the front gate, Robert imdiately summoned the rcenary Corps.
The core mbers arrived at the lobby precisely at eight in the evening.
“We need to kill Michel Bernhardt.”
Jumping straight into the main point, Robert was t by Vice Commander Braham tilting his head.
“Hm? Weren’t you under a non-aggression agreent?”
“Not anymore.”
Neither the nobility nor the Imperial Family would want Bernhardt completely annihilated.
That would create unimaginable chaos.
They would have to replace all the major leaders within the family to calm the enraged public, but even then, the na Bernhardt itself needed to survive.
The history of Bernhardt was the history of the Empire of Ribenia.
The timing was far too terrible to let that vanish into history.
And in a situation like this—
Whether she intended it or not—
She would beco the focal point of the family’s reform.
The greatest genius Bernhardt had produced, and the only direct bloodline mber receiving public sympathy.
If left alive, she would inevitably be elevated to Head of the Family.
“If Michel Bernhardt is the best option for them… then we need to eliminate her. Leave them with no choice except us, the second-best option.”
“…I get what you’re saying.”
After listening to the explanation, Braham scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“But even we can’t wage all-out war against Carvena, right?”
“Obviously.”
“She knows perfectly well that leaving Carvena carelessly would put her life in danger. So how exactly are we supposed to lure her out?”
“We drag her out sohow. I don’t care how. If anyone’s got ideas, spit them out.”
“…….”
That was when it happened.
Creeeeak!
“Head of the Family! Head of the Family!”
A servant burst through the door.
“Father isn’t here right now. What is it?”
Barely wiping away the sweat streaming down his forehead, the servant bowed quickly to Robert and shouted,
“We just received word that an unregistered carriage has entered Bernhardt territory…!”
At those words, everyone’s gaze snapped toward the servant.
“…What?”
“No way…”
Michel wasn’t stupid.
No—in fact, she might very well be the smartest among them all.
And more than anyone else, she understood that there would never again co a ti when more people sought her life than right now.
But paradoxically—
That was precisely the kind of situation where Michel Bernhardt moved.
“‘Making the enemy believe you’d never play a certain card is the strategy with the highest chance of success’… was it?”
Robert imdiately issued orders to the servant.
“Seal off the entire estate until the intruders are found. Spread the word to all servants imdiately!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
This ti, it was the mbers’ turn.
“We split up and guard every important location. The main estate, Vice Head Mikhail’s residence and the direct bloodline estates, the Intelligence Bureau warehouse, the Artifact Vault, the docunt archives—everything!”
“We don’t have enough personnel for that, Commander!”
“Pull in so reserve troops. I’ll handle the summons, so move first. Make sure your communication devices are ready!”
---
The sound of wind brushing through the bushes was unusually loud.
Glancing briefly toward the carriage parked in the distance, I quickly moved forward.
The conversation I’d shared earlier with the two who split off ahead of surfaced once more in my mind.
“Bernhardt territory is so massive that if soone genuinely wants to hide, they’re almost impossible to find. Whether the operation succeeds or fails, we’ll need a rendezvous point to regroup before escaping together.”
“And that place is here. Bernhardt Cetery.”
“People overlook it because it’s relatively central, but three hundred years ago, this place used to serve as both a shelter and a passageway.”
“But if it’s a place like that, wouldn’t the enemy know about it too?”
“They know about it, but they believe it’s been sealed off for too long to be usable anymore. I’m the only person of this generation capable of opening the underground passage beneath this place.”
“So after each of us completes our mission, we regroup here before midnight and escape the estate together. That’s the plan?”
“Yes.”
“I’m warning you in advance—we’re not accepting any ‘I’ll stay behind, so the two of you escape first’ nonsense, Michel.”
“The two of you should prepare yourselves too. Escaping the estate without using the passage is nearly impossible. Whether you like it or not, you’ll have to bring along.”
“…Understood.”
“Ah, co on, no need to make it so dramatic between us! Of course we’re all getting out together! Whether it’s the rcenary Corps or whoever, I’ll blast them all away, so let’s hurry up, find what we need, and get back, Director!”
The results of striking Greenwhistle would soon beco visible.
Even the thoughts of the citizens who had been manipulated would likely shift considerably.
But those changes would only concern revolution and coups.
Their opinions regarding Bernhardt’s punishnt would not change at all.
Neither the Imperial Family nor the nobility had any intention of defending Bernhardt’s current leadership.
And in that situation, the choices available to the direct bloodline were… essentially limited to one.
And—
Our operation was designed to block that choice from the very beginning.
Seeing the Artifact Vault finally co into view, I smiled faintly.
“Alright then… shall we cause so glorious chaos?”
Standing before it were five familiar yet unfamiliar figures welcoming my arrival.
“I’d heard long ago that you were so lunatic with more guts than brains… but I never imagined you’d storm this place alone.”
“Looks like we’re being seriously underestimated, Vice Commander.”
“He probably thinks rcenaries who wandered foreign lands aren’t worth much. Those Special Operations bastards are always arrogant.”
I hadn’t even said anything, yet they were already beating drums and dancing all by themselves.
‘Well, if they want to underestimate , that’s good news for .’
Still, I couldn’t let my guard down.
The fact that only five people were guarding a critical location like the Artifact Vault ant those five were exceptionally strong.
So I drew my sword and boldly declared,
“You guys know fighting each other here only hurts both sides, right? Let’s just waste so ti and disperse. Unless you want to get hurt.”
At that—
The braided-haired man who appeared to be their vice commander snorted.
“You’re the one who barged in here first, so quit spewing bullshit. You’re not leaving this place, Eugene Carter. Either your limbs get chopped off and you rot in prison, or you die. Those are your only choices.”
“…We’ll see about that.”
The mont I finished speaking, I gathered strength into both legs and charged straight into the middle of them.
The battle had begun.
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