Do Your Own Revolution-Chapter 182

< Emperor-006. >

“Ah, achoo-!”

Korhonen Territory.

On their way to this place located at the northern end of the continent, Friedrich’s group had to endure endless hardship and cold.

“If, if I ever come back here again… I’m not hu… human…! Achoo-!”

“Railways… We must lay railways… Extending to the northern end… A long and damn sturdy railway……”

“Your Highness. You’ve been repeating the same thing for 30 minutes now.”

The place that halted their footsteps was here, the Great Wall checkpoint.

The guard who greeted the three travelers who had made their way through an unseasonable snowstorm received them with a dubious expression.

Three beggars in shabby attire.

They must be crazy to think of coming here in such thin clothes.

However, the moment he saw the entry permit that came from their possession, the startled guard rushed to the upper level of the Great Wall.

An entry permit issued directly by the Imperial Internal Affairs Department.

In other words, these three vagrants who came looking for him were people from the Imperial household.

“By the way, the city landscape looks quite brutal.”

As they warmed themselves by the warm fireplace, the surroundings finally came into view.

Picking up the bread handed over by the guard, Kalkas looked out through a window carved into one side of the wall and spoke.

“Steam pipes laid throughout the city, residences made by reinforcing with iron plates and stone. Is the lord’s mansion in the center the only proper building?”

“It’s because of the northern environment. This is a place where you can neither obtain construction materials nor import them from other regions.”

Friedrich, who responded thus, also examined the panoramic view of Korhonen city spread out beyond the window.

People struggling to protect their territory while shivering in extreme cold.

Life in the north would certainly be harsh and intense.

However……

“Their expressions look good.”

When Andrei spoke those words after observing the people’s faces, Friedrich also nodded.

“Despite the environment being incomparably worse than the central region, the citizens’ mood seems good.”

“Walking around with their faces exposed in this cold? Oh geez, have they gone mad from the cold?”

The moment Kalkas spoke with a dubious expression.

“The biggest reason is probably because they have hope.”

At the unfamiliar voice from behind, the three men who had been huddled together by the window tumbled in surprise.

These fellows were more interesting than expected.

Muttering thus as he sat down was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build.

Friedrich, recognizing who he was, hurriedly stood up and corrected his posture.

“Count Yulkes Korhonen.”

“Ho.”

You’re quite knowledgeable to recognize someone stuck out here in the countryside.

While the man was muttering thus, Friedrich, facing him, slowly gave his greetings.

“It is an honor to meet the ruler of the North.”

“…Likewise.”

Upright.

And therefore more precarious, the eyes of a revolutionary.

“It is an honor to meet Your Highness, about whom rumors abound.”

Recognizing this, Yulkes rose from his seat and grasped Friedrich’s hand.

The pressure transmitted through the gloved hand.

He was not pleased with this meeting right now.

***

“Margaret in the Imperial Capital, to His Majesty the Emperor?”

The moment they arrived at the Korhonen mansion, Friedrich immediately informed them of the Empire’s situation.

The fact that Margaret, the Empire’s shadow power, was brainwashing the Emperor and ultimately aiming for imperial authority itself.

Yulkes nodded with a serious expression, but that was all.

The eyes of an outsider, showing not a hint of anger.

Though Friedrich noticed this, he continued speaking regardless.

“If this continues, the entire Empire will fall into Dvorak’s hands. The exploitation will worsen, and the Empire will become impoverished.”

“So you’re saying you need Korhonen’s cooperation for the uprising to prevent that.”

Count Korhonen, who spoke thus, slowly shook his head.

“Impossible.”

“……”

“We Korhonen are an independent force located in the frontier. We have no reason to intervene in whatever happens in the mainland.”

After saying this, Yulkes filled his pipe with tobacco leaves and lit it.

Smoke wafting gently from the pipe.

The count, looking at his territory, spoke to Friedrich who wore a complicated expression.

“Go back. Korhonen has no intention of cooperating with Your Highness’s uprising.”

“Even though you won’t be able to maintain that autonomy if Margaret takes control of the Empire?”

“Well… Would that luxurious woman really covet this snow-covered land……”

“The mineral resources sleeping within this frozen earth. And the oil.”

Friedrich’s direct words stopped the count’s speech.

“The reason Count Korhonen and the territory’s people continue to put down roots in this barren northern land is because of that, isn’t it?”

“…Hah, this is…”

Your Highness knows more about us than expected.

While he was muttering thus, Friedrich, looking at the count, added one more thing.

“However, Korhonen has a reason to accept my proposal.”

“A reason?”

The moment he asked back, Friedrich suddenly showed his open palm.

Wondering what he was doing, they watched as he began folding his fingers one by one, as if counting numbers.

Five, four, three, two. One.

Finally, when his displayed hand formed a fist.

Bang-!

“Your Lordship-!”

Along with the urgent voice, a scout’s report arrived.

“La-large group of monsters discovered outside the Great Wall! They’re heading this way!”

“…!”

Like a bolt from the blue, a report that arrived with timing as precise as if measured with a ruler.

Looking at the count who had opened his eyes wide, Freddie spoke.

“This invasion happening now is just the beginning.”

“What did you say?”

“The place where the monsters are breaking out from is the northern coast. The crevice located beneath the glacier.”

“…!”

At his words that hit the mark, the count narrowed his eyes.

‘How does he know about the fact that the survey team discovered just two days ago?’

“The monsters spreading contamination from that place will gradually increase the scale of their invasion.”

“……”

“You might be able to stop them immediately with the Knight Order at your disposal, but it would be difficult in the long term.”

It was just as Prince Friedrich said.

The heating facilities that weren’t even fully complete yet and insufficient manpower. The monster invasions growing increasingly larger in scale.

If this continues, Korhonen would suffocate.

‘As expected of the Third Prince. Skilled in politics.’

Just now, that prince had predicted the monster invasion as if to show off.

Such a person was now speaking of future monster invasions and mentioning Korhonen’s downfall.

It was a perfect performance for pressuring the opponent.

“I understand that Korhonen is suffering from chronic food shortages.”

“……”

“Although you produce oil, you don’t have the facilities to refine it. That’s also why Korhonen suffers from material shortages.”

“You are well-informed.”

He found what the other party lacked.

Meaning there was room for negotiation.

Hearing the count’s words, Friedrich continued speaking with gleaming eyes.

“Therefore, please help me become Emperor.”

“……”

“If you do so, I will establish supply lines connected to the Korhonen autonomous region and provide refineries to the north.”

I will support you with food and fuel, and help your independence.

In the name of none other than the Emperor.

It wasn’t difficult to infer the meaning contained in those words.

Right now, that prince was…

“You’ll save Korhonen.”

“……”

“And in exchange, you’re saying you’ll make me your subject.”

A sweet. And simultaneously dangerous proposal.

But hearing the count’s words, Friedrich slowly shook his head.

“No, it’s the opposite.”

He continued speaking.

“When this coup ends, the Empire will be divided into two forces.”

The Imperial Capital faction that he would lead.

And the Knight Order that Buckenheim would lead.

However, Korhonen’s position was neither of these.

A mediator standing between the two forces, maintaining their balance.

A coordinator who would cooperate with both magic nobles and the Imperial faction, preventing conflict between them.

That was the role Friedrich had in mind for Korhonen.

“You’re saying we should become the Empire’s cornerstone under the pretext of autonomy.”

“Isn’t it a better deal than you expected?”

What a cunning bastard.

Though the count thought this inwardly, he had no choice.

The monster invasion and Margaret’s conspiracy were immediate realities.

The longer they hesitated, the more the problems would fester.

“Alright. We’ll cooperate.”

“A wise decision.”

Friedrich, who said this, looked outside where things were chaotic with monster defense and spoke.

“Then first, as proof of our alliance, let’s cooperate in exterminating the monsters.”

“You’ll do that for us?”

“Of course.”

After finishing his words, Freddie looked at Kalkas standing beside him.

“…What are you looking at?”

“What do you mean what? You just heard, didn’t you?”

“Heard what?”

“To cooperate in monster extermination.”

At those words, Kalkas’s face scrunched up.

“Hey, you’re not…”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

Saying this, Freddie grabbed Kalkas’s shoulder.

“Have a good trip, friend. I can’t exactly charge at monsters without magical power, can I?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

Friedrich giving orders with a bright smile on his face.

Seeing that expression, Kalkas realized anew.

He had gotten involved with absolutely the wrong person.

***

“Your Highness.”

After Kalkas left, as the prince and Andrei walked through Korhonen territory.

While walking, Andrei asked the prince a question.

“Was it really necessary to help this frontier region?”

“Of course. What’s our objective?”

Obviously.

Andrei answered immediately.

“To secure forces that can counter Margaret’s mind control. Isn’t that why we recruited Korhonen’s knights?”

“Half right, but half wrong.”

Wrong?

As if noticing Andrei’s confusion, Friedrich spoke while raising a finger.

“The magic nobles will prepare the knights. There’s no need to specifically take knights from here. They wouldn’t want to leave anyway, since they need to prepare for monster invasions.”

“Then……”

“What we need to obtain isn’t the Knight Order.”

Saying this, Freddie stopped briefly at a street corner.

As if waiting for something.

How much time passed like that.

From the opposite corner, the sound of someone walking approached.

“This is…!”

Clank-!

What stood before their eyes was a metal doll in human form.

Seeing the man who revealed himself behind it, the Emperor’s smile deepened.

“Pleased to meet you, Prince Friedrich.”

A boy with cold features wearing glasses.

A calm voice quite different from Count Korhonen’s greeted them.

“My name is Kassel Korhonen. Following my father Count Korhonen’s orders, I will be escorting Your Highness.”

No, that wasn’t the issue.

The real issue was the seven strokes imprint glowing on the boy’s arm.

Has Korhonen already completed the succession ceremony?

While Andrei was saying this, Friedrich spoke while looking at the ‘automaton’ standing before his eyes.

“This is one of the keys to breaking through Margaret.”

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