I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 69 Weighing
"..."

Throughout the entire incident, Wolff paid no attention to the little episode created by the young Earl of West.

As the Prime Minister of the Empire, he held supreme administrative power over the empire.

If you really want to deal with this kind of brat, just one look is enough to kill him without a burial place.

What he needs to focus on most right now is Emperor William's attitude.

This would determine whether the Conservatives would stage the regrettable coup against Emperor William, who was attempting to break the oath they had secretly made with their ancestors since the ascension of Perus I.

To be honest, this is not what Wolf wanted to see.

Although Emperor William once tried to reclaim power and attempted to suppress the great nobles.

Aside from that, he was certainly a wise and enlightened monarch.

Whether it's strategy, vision, or the decisiveness and ruthlessness in his actions, he shares many similarities with Perus I, who is hailed as a 'wise and enlightened ruler'.

Wolfe had also thought about what it would have been like if he hadn't been born into the Castor family, but instead was a newly rich bourgeois or even a commoner.

Having witnessed the other party's skill, he might unconsciously submit to the king's charisma and swear to offer all his loyalty.

But unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

As the head of the Castor family, and a descendant of a noble family with a history spanning over a thousand years, his stance must not be altered.

According to Wolff.

The Norman Empire could exist without an emperor, but it could never exist without nobles.

Moreover, throughout history, while a wise monarch who centralizes power can bring unprecedented prosperity in a short period of time, a foolish successor is enough to destroy the foundation that has been built over thousands of years.

The nobles who rose to power at the same time will also decline or even perish in the cycle of dynastic change.

It was precisely because he knew this that he was recommended by the nobles to the position of prime minister.

They began to restrict Emperor William in every way, even going so far as to secretly instruct others to sell intelligence from the Imperial front to the Allies, using the Empire's defeat to further suppress the monarch's autocratic ambitions.

This is the family's thousand-year-old glory, and the mission he must complete.

Thinking of this, he looked without hesitation at the monarch on the throne, his blue eyes filled with an unprecedented chill and warning:

"So, Your Majesty, are you really going to do this?"

"..."

Emperor William silently looked down at Wolf, who was looking up at him with his head held high, his eyes constantly shifting between murderous intent and composure.

But after a long while, his cold expression was suddenly replaced by a smile, and he slowly sat back in his chair, his tone returning to its previous gentleness:

"How could that be? Prime Minister Wolf has misunderstood. I am well aware of your loyalty. The development of the empire is inseparable from your contributions. Moreover, the power of the nobility was established a thousand years ago in the era of divine revelation, under the guidance of the gods. This is an unchanging truth. How could I openly violate it?"

"I was just trying to lighten the mood by saying that the meeting was getting too dull. But Prime Minister Wolf, you didn't actually take it seriously, did you? Haha!"

"I have known of Your Majesty's humor since I was young, but that was when you were still the third prince of the Norman Empire. Now that you are the monarch of the empire, you should know that a monarch's words are not to be taken lightly, so you need to carefully consider your every word and action."

Seeing that Emperor William had taken the initiative to back down, Wolff did not press further, but instead took the opportunity to criticize the other party's 'stubborn' behavior.

"Prime Minister Wolf is right. Speaking of which, I also miss the days when I studied under you. I remember being punished by you for being too naughty. Although I was very angry at the time, I now think that I was really too stupid and deserved to be punished. Now, I can understand your good intentions back then, Professor Wolf."

"I was merely entrusted by the former emperor to teach you the knowledge necessary to become a prince. Moreover, I am now your subject and do not deserve the title of teacher. Your Majesty flatters me."

Wolf responded respectfully, completely ignoring the veiled accusations of disrespect shown by the other man's words.

At this moment, he knew clearly that this struggle for power, like always, would end with Emperor William's compromise and the victory of the conservatives.

The other party is simply using this method to vent their dissatisfaction.

He naturally wouldn't take such meaningless behavior to heart.

"Prime Minister Wolf, you are as serious as ever. Of course, this is a good thing. After all, the future of the empire cannot be without a loyal minister like you who dares to speak out. This is a blessing for the empire and also for me. So I hope that Prime Minister Wolf will take good care of his health." "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This old minister will certainly keep it in mind."

In an instant, the tense meeting room returned to calm under the feigned harmony between Emperor Wilhelm and Prime Minister Wolf.

The scene that seemed to be about to escalate into a coup was merely an illusion created by everyone.

However, just as the conservatives were secretly praising Prime Minister Wolff's formidable power, Emperor Wilhelm spoke up again:

"However, I personally believe that, whether for the sake of the empire's progress or to better protect the rights and interests of our loyal nobles, even if it means further expanding the fiscal deficit, the Third Air Force Army must be established."

"After all, magic soldiers are the Empire's greatest asset in its fight against the Allied forces, especially with the Allied Steel Legion constantly active on the front lines attacking the Empire's defenders. If the Empire wants to hold its borders and even launch a counterattack against the Allied forces, it needs more magic soldiers."

"Now that we have taken over Walden's Magic Lake, the Empire no longer needs to be hampered by the impending drying up of Lake Rosen within the country in its training of magic soldiers. It is both reasonable and necessary to launch a new round of magic soldier training programs."

"In my opinion, these newly trained magic soldiers should be prioritized for inclusion in the Third Army Group as a reserve force for the Empire in its fight against the Allied forces."

"What is your opinion on this, Prime Minister Wolf?"

After saying this, Emperor Wilhelm stared intently at Wolf, awaiting his reply.

In fact, whether it was abandoning the Third Navy, bringing up the extravagant lifestyle of the conservative aristocracy, and taking the opportunity to propose abolishing the legal rights of the conservatives, it was all just a prelude for Emperor Wilhelm to do this.

From the start of the meeting, he never considered immediately turning against the conservatives.

What William truly wanted was only this one-third of the air force's command.

Even so, it will take him at least four years for this part of military power to be fully formed.

But as long as Dormammu's Seventh Legion can be officially transformed from the Emperor's private army into the Imperial army.

That would be enough for him.

He is still relatively young and can easily afford to spend these four years.

William, who knew his teacher's character well, knew that Wolf, who had weakened his monarchical authority through the previous struggles and compromises, would surely make concessions this time.

This was to appease the emotions of this 'defeated' monarch and prevent him from going so far as to do something reckless that the conservatives would find unacceptable.

And events indeed proved his guess to be true.

"...Your Majesty's words are not without reason, and I wholeheartedly agree. The Third Air Force Army should indeed be established. After all, the magic soldiers are the Empire's greatest asset in its fight against the Allies. Now that we have captured Walden Pond, there is no reason for us to tie our own hands."

Wolfe was also aware of this, or rather, he had long anticipated that William's true goal was to nominally seize this part of the military power.

He was also well aware that if he continued to refuse, this relentless monarch would likely escalate the conflict into a coup.

This was an outcome he absolutely could not accept.

Although Wolff knew that if he agreed to this condition, and four years later, Dormammu's Third Air Army was fully formed, Emperor Wilhelm's desire for centralization would further intensify.

But will things really develop as the other party wishes?

Don't forget, they still have control of the 1st and 2nd Army Groups.

Although that damned Dormammu, by sheer luck, managed to win the Battle of Walden despite being destined to lose.

But this kind of luck is only temporary; the other party cannot have this kind of good fortune to break through absolute adversity forever.

All that awaited him was the fate of dying in despair under the title of the powerless Third Air Force Marshal!

After weighing the pros and cons, he had no reason to refuse.

And so, under the delighted gaze of Emperor Wilhelm and the puzzled or thoughtful stares of the crowd, he, as Prime Minister, gave a refined smile to the monarch on the stage, who was hopelessly lost in the illusion of 'military power,' and then spoke meaningfully:

"Your Majesty William, in my capacity as Prime Minister, I hereby grant your request to establish the Third Air Army of the Empire!"

……

(End of this chapter)