I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 234

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 234
Eden entered the room after leaving behind a brief yet intense statement.
His receding figure appeared extraordinarily imposing today.
‘What kind of connections does this man actually have?’
Connections that allowed him to meet the Emperor in private within a single day.
He had to be at least a Marquis, or perhaps someone of Instructor rank.
‘There was a reason for his rapid promotion.’
Of course, he’d accumulated monstrous achievements, but ultimately he was still a commoner, wasn’t he?
Normally, people like him would be buried and blocked multiple times.
“Sigh, will this actually work?”
Still, I’d prepared sincerely because I was grateful for how hard Eden had worked yesterday, so there was no problem.
My heart was just trembling a little.
‘It felt good imagining extortion, but actually doing it is driving me insane.’
I wanted to back out right now, but I knew this was necessary.
I steeled my resolve and organized the documents as thoroughly as possible before heading to the Feudal Lord’s Castle.
“There’s no need for you to tamper with the communication channel separately. His Majesty will be the one to cut off contact.”
“Yes, that’s how it should be.”
If I cut contact first, the Imperial Guards might come looking for me the next day.
‘This is genuinely terrifying.’
It would be better to see his face and have a conversation instead.
Through a communication channel, I couldn’t fully gauge the other person’s reaction.
The risk was several times higher, I’d say.
“I’ll step outside. When light appears in the communication channel, you may greet him.”
“Understood.”
The Administrator closed the door and left.
Not long after.
The communication channel glowed blue.
‘It worked…?’
This wasn’t my first time using a communication channel, but everything still felt unfamiliar.
“Colonel Paran Oclo… I behold the sun of the Empire.”
Though I couldn’t see him, I still knelt and showed my respect.
-A private audience for the first time. Is Belzium Castle tolerable?
“Yes, thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, I’ve been living comfortably day by day.”
One might think such saccharine words were ridiculous.
But that’s how it all was.
-I’ve heard about this operation. It seems you’ve endured quite a bit.
His voice wasn’t reproachful, but the Emperor had struck directly at the most painful part of my heart.
“I fell short in many aspects. I’m truly sorry.”
I’d reviewed the operation and examined every detail.
Because I’ve reviewed the operation and checked every detail.
I still keenly feel how complacent and inadequate I was this time.
-That’s understandable. There are lessons to learn from failure, and if you address them, that’s what matters.
Quite a merciful response.
Fortunately, it seems he’s letting it slide.
-Time is limited, so let’s dispense with the preamble and get to the point.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Yesterday I received orders to report the incident’s outcome to the citizens.”
-So the directive reached you. It was a decision I made personally. You demonstrated quite impressive eloquence at the Training Camp, didn’t you.
This was indeed the Emperor’s doing.
‘This bastard… I need to hold back. I must hold back.’
Considering the value of Belzium Castle, I can push myself a bit harder.
“It was merely sincerity that resonated, not eloquence. However, since I’ll be conveying the truth this time as well, I believe it will have the same effect. But.”
I paused briefly, collected myself, and broached the prepared topic.
“The current situation is extremely urgent. Persuading them through words alone in such circumstances would be terribly inefficient.”
-Inefficient, you say.
“Your Majesty, the resentment on the ground is far greater than what’s written in a report. It might be possible given time, but a single attempt won’t suffice for much of it.”
I chose each word with utmost care.
‘I can’t see his expression, which is terrifying.’
It’s like a horror film.
‘Is he quiet.’
About ten seconds of silence.
Just as I thought ‘I’m done for’.
The Emperor’s voice came through.
-Certainly, ordering you to resolve everything through words alone is an unreasonable command.
“It’s not an unreasonable command at all. The situation is simply urgent.”
In a way, I’d narrowly dodged a trap.
‘Please don’t do this to me.’
Even the college entrance exam wouldn’t make me this nervous.
-So you’ve thought of another method.
“I believe the fastest way to turn public sentiment is to demonstrate Your Majesty’s magnanimity and generosity.”
-Magnanimity?
“If they were certain that the Raikhan Empire would make their lives far more prosperous than the Adits Empire, would they still be angry about some problems? I don’t think so.”
‘What’s the fastest way to forget an ex.’
Meeting someone better.
-You’re suggesting we distribute aid packages.
True to form, the Emperor grasps meaning at an uncanny speed.
“Precisely. We show them a blueprint for a better future.”
-A blueprint, you say. Be more specific. You’ve already thought this through, haven’t you.
The Emperor keeps pressing for what I find difficult to say myself.
Since he said time was limited, I couldn’t afford to drag this out.
‘Forget it. Let’s just go for it.’
Since only my voice could be transmitted and not my expression, I squeezed my eyes shut and opened my mouth.
“Your Majesty, if you permit the establishment of an Academy at Belzium Castle, I believe it will provide tremendous encouragement to the people’s morale.”
-An Academy, you say.
“Furthermore, if we also accomplish the reconstruction of war damages, by the time I speak to them, their ears will be wide open to listen.”
Following that, I explained each of the plans I had devised one by one.
Once I finished speaking, silence descended once more.
‘What is this, did the connection drop?’
The rather lengthy silence made me wonder if there was a communication problem, but the light was still on.
After waiting a bit longer, a voice came through.
-That’s not an incorrect assessment.
‘Right, how could it be wrong.’
Money is always the correct answer and supremely powerful.
People simply have no choice but to select the wrong answer because their financial circumstances don’t permit otherwise.
-I’ll authorize the Academy this afternoon. Then the news should spread to Belzium Castle by tomorrow.
“Thank you so much!”
The core matter passed through more smoothly than expected.
Since no one was watching, I simply clenched my fist with satisfaction.
‘A domain with an Academy. This is it.’
It was practically equivalent to discovering another mine.
-And while I could handle all the war reconstruction myself, once the war ends, won’t that territory become the domain of the Oclo Comital Family?
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”
I could predict exactly what he was about to say.
My fingertips trembled slightly.
‘Damn it, is he trying to dump this on us.’
Well, I had anticipated this much when I was planning yesterday.
This place may not be ours now, but it will eventually become a domain of the Oclo Family.
-We’ll split it fifty-fifty. What do you think.
I thought he would dump the entire burden on us, but what came from the Emperor’s mouth was an unexpected proposal.
‘Fifty-fifty? That’s actually not bad at all.’
I could later take credit with the citizens for having contributed.
It seemed sufficiently worthwhile.
However, there was one thing that bothered me.
“I’m focused on military duties. I have no knowledge whatsoever of the Family’s financial situation….”
-What do you mean you don’t know? Everyone knows that the Oclo Comital Family is currently raking in money in the Capital.
‘No, Your Majesty. Is raking in money the same as having money?’
With all the investments we’re making, we could very well be completely broke.
But when the Emperor speaks like this, I simply have to nod in agreement.
“I will inform Father and ensure we proceed without fail.”
-Since I’ve authorized the Academy as well, I trust the Colonel will handle the rest admirably.
I trust you.
By the way, when the Emperor says he trusts you, it means you must succeed unconditionally.
Betraying the Emperor’s trust is treason.
“I will do my utmost to deliver results that satisfy Your Majesty.”
-See that you do. My, how time has flown. We’ll meet again when you come to the Capital. This private audience has been most enlightening.
“It has been an honor for me as well. Should the opportunity arise, I will certainly visit you.”
-You’re dismissed.
He really was in a hurry.
The communication channel cut off before I could even offer a final greeting.
‘Quite some time has passed.’
I’d spent nearly twenty minutes explaining everything.
The value of the Emperor’s twenty minutes… need I say more.
“Are you finished?”
“Yes, thank you for your assistance.”
I offered a brief farewell to the Administrator and exited the Feudal Lord’s Castle, climbing into the carriage.
“Kh…khehehe.”
Once the prying eyes were gone, laughter spilled from my lips unbidden.
I must have looked like a madman.
But how could I not laugh?
I’d squeezed out quite the prize.
“Fifty percent funding for this? For this?”
Normally, the Emperor would simply end the conflict and hand the domain over to our Family to manage as we saw fit.
Especially with the Mana Stone Mine discovered—he could have just left us to handle it however we pleased.
Yet he’s offering to fund fifty percent of the costs?
“There’s truth to the saying that a single word from the right person can pay off a thousand debts.”
A thousand debts—what’s that compared to this?
In gold, this would be worth more than ten thousand times over.
“Sweet, so sweet. My teeth will rot.”
Dopamine was flooding through me.
I felt like I could work diligently for quite some time.
But I mustn’t get too carried away.
After all, the Emperor’s support comes with a condition—I must win the hearts of the people.
“Starting today, let’s prepare properly.”
What if I set up the entire stage only to fail at a simple speech?
That absolutely could not happen.
I stopped by a bookstore, purchased several relevant books, and returned to my office.
* * *
“You must be weary from your long journey.”
Colonel Robin greeted Seto Count as he descended from the carriage.
“You look terrible.”
Robin was wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
Right after an injury, the pain is often dulled, and I’d been enduring it for the sake of the operation.
The wound ran deeper than I’d imagined, and had I been careless, I might have needed to switch which hand wielded my blade.
“I apologize.”
“Still, I’m grateful you made it back alive.”
To Seto Count, Robin was both a person of concern and a benefactor;
a talent far too valuable to overlook.
‘To break through all that and emerge from enemy territory…’
Of course, the Lycans’ failure to respond properly had created the opportunity, but even so, it was an impressive feat.
“Thank you. I’ve arranged the official arrival for tomorrow, but what would you like to do today?”
“I’d like to inspect the Military Camp.”
“Yes, I’ll escort you.”
When moving as supreme commander, the officers scramble to hide their shortcomings;
inevitably, those flaws resurface in actual combat and cause problems.
“So Colonel Paran couldn’t be eliminated after all?”
“That’s correct.”
“A pity.”
“Either way, if we win this battle, he’s a dead man regardless.”
“True enough.”
Seto Count shared Robin’s sentiment.
“You mentioned drawing the enemy out—do you have a specific plan in mind?”
“I’ll seize the Mine, conduct mining operations for several days, then spread false rumors.”
Robin tilted his head, not immediately grasping the Count’s meaning.
“False rumors, sir?”
“Yes—that massive quantities of Mithril have been discovered deeper inside. Wouldn’t they come out then?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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