This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

The one the old magician truly wanted to praise from the bottom of his heart was Reinhardt's fifth brother, who was top-notch in both personal strength and strategic skills, and had a group of loyal and capable female retainers under his command.

As for being lecherous, this harmless little flaw is not a negative point for Quinn at all.

For a moment, Quinn seemed to see a resemblance in Dick to the old prince in his youth.

Thinking of this, Quinn couldn't help but sigh. Of the five male members of Best, although there were a few useless ones who were not up to much use, at least one was excellent (UR) and one was capable of being of great use (SSR).

This shipment rate is enough to make that old bastard Rune grin from ear to ear.

According to the above requirements, once the overdue military pay is paid, the Southern Legion will be disbanded on the spot, the nobles' private armies will return to their hometowns, and the remaining Imperial Guard will also return to the capital. However, it is estimated that many people in the army have already been put on the cabinet's "blacklist" and will have to retire to their hometowns after returning.

Given the Empire's current dire financial situation, it's questionable whether these veterans will even receive their full discharge pay after being forcibly discharged.

On the contrary, all the nobles received rewards. Quinn knew before he even returned that he was going to be promoted to marquis, albeit with a court noble title without any fief.

However, Quinn didn't care much. He had already made up his mind to leave the seemingly glittering quagmire of the capital once this matter was over, and take a few apprentices to travel around the world. Maybe he could go to the north and take a look at Dick's fiefdom.

A few days later, the massive southern army was disbanded on the spot, and the Kingdom's army on the other side of the border also withdrew from the border area the next day, retreating to the Linzao Basin, which they had complete control over.

Thus, the Southern War, which severely damaged the empire but yielded no monetary benefits, came to an end.

During the retreat, the Imperial Guard split into two distinct groups.

One faction was led by Bailey, the "Prince's Faction." Although it was called the Royal Guard, it was actually mixed with many "mountain heroes" recruited by the Third Prince from the south through indiscriminate conscription. These bandits and outlaws, who were just filling numbers and making a show of force, now wore the uniforms of the Royal Guard, but their banditry remained in their bones, causing chaos within the unit and even corrupting many of the real Royal Guards.

The other force was the "Eastern Second Army Group" led by Reinhardt. It was relatively small, with only over 8,000 men left after the departure of the noble private armies. However, the army was well-disciplined and had a disciplined appearance.

Reinhardt had finally seen through his former friend's true colors, but adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, he deliberately led his own troops to the rear, letting the Third Prince's forces go ahead.

However, what was both funny and sad was that on the way back to the capital, although the Third Prince wore the royal golden armor and rode a tall horse trying to exude an aura of triumph, he had taken too many elixirs over the past six months, which caused his entire appearance to change drastically.

In addition, the soldiers following behind them had a bandit-like air that made the common people tremble with fear. Wherever the army went, the people either welcomed them wholeheartedly or fled in panic.

In contrast, Reinhardt, who was walking behind, had already been promoted by the Empire's media and was known to everyone. In addition, Reinhardt himself had a good image, that of a young, handsome general with a slightly melancholic noble air. Naturally, the treatment he received was completely different from that of Bailey.

Chapter 314: Grand Ceremony

The so-called "celebrating a funeral" means turning a devastating defeat into a major victory and celebrating it as such.

When Reinhard returned to the capital with his army, he received an unprecedented welcome. The main avenue in the capital was lined with crowds who came to greet their "triumphant return." The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see, waving flowers and all sorts of strange objects, enthusiastically chanting the name "Reinhard."

This left Reinhardt, who was prepared to be insulted, completely taken aback.

Reinhard later learned that, thanks to the propaganda of the capital's all-out attack, this southern campaign had become a "victory in name only." The reason they failed to capture the Linzhao Basin was that the brave and fearless Imperial soldiers, who had set up a dignified battle formation, were ambushed by the despicable and shameless Maple Dew people!

With a force advantage of more than ten times, the Maple Dew people launched a nighttime human wave attack on the Imperials. Although the Imperial Guard fought bravely, with each soldier capable of killing three Maple Dew soldiers, they were ultimately outnumbered and forced to retreat back into the country, failing to achieve their original military objectives.

It's such a load of rubbish, but people actually believe it if you say it enough times!

Moreover, the cabinet not only deceived people, but also paid people to create an atmosphere. At least one-third of the crowd welcoming them on the main street were paid people to stand on the street.

“This is utterly absurd, Father.”

At the Duke's mansion in the Best family, Reinhardt met his long-lost father. When he learned that he would soon be personally awarded a medal by King Hesse VII at the palace and become the deputy commander of the Royal Guard, Reinhardt's first reaction was to speculate.

After this battle in the south, the once arrogant and jealous young man has become much more composed and has a clearer understanding of himself.

He was quite certain that he was not up to the task, at least not yet.

"Your mother was overjoyed when she heard you were going to be a great general."

"But……"

“No buts, this is an order! It’s a personnel appointment drafted by the cabinet and stamped with the emperor’s seal. You can’t refuse, child.”

Setting down his book, Rune looked up at his eldest son, Reinhardt. His handsome face showed no joy, only worry for himself and the future.

"This isn't military, it's political, isn't it?"

"The cabinet is always like this, and so is this country. When something is broken, a pretty cloth is always needed to cover it up. Do you really think you have the ability to change it? Never mind, let's not talk about this. You've been in the South for so long, and your mother misses you every day. Go see her."

"It's... father."

As Reinhardt left his father's study, he saw his mother waiting at the door. The old woman, who had always doted on him since he was a child, looked at him with eyes full of joy.

“You are my child, Reinhardt. You have not disappointed your mother! Your father will be proud of you too.”

Upon hearing this, Reinhardt's smile became somewhat forced. The praise and honors bestowed upon him by the outside world were suffocating and terrifying.

It's as if a pair of giant hands have lifted him to a height that he couldn't have reached on his own. He seems to be enjoying immense glory, but what if people discover that he is unworthy of his position, and those giant hands stop supporting him?

Reinhardt couldn't even imagine how badly he would fall!

Under immense pressure, Reinhardt only wished for someone to listen to his troubles and offer him advice.

He couldn't help but think of his fifth brother, but Dick was not in the capital at the time; he had long since returned to the north.

In the following days, Reinhardt received numerous invitations to banquets, all from prominent figures in the capital. Even with the Best family's reputation, he could not easily refuse them.

After all, the circles of the nobility are most particular about interpersonal relationships and social etiquette.

The First Lady seemed even more enthusiastic than Reinhardt, urging him to expand his network, which would certainly be of great help to his future career.

Left with no other choice, Reinhardt had to attend banquets frequently. Wherever he went, he was the center of attention, but he only felt exhausted and like a monkey being dragged out to be displayed in a circus.

Before long, the day of the awarding ceremony arrived, and Reinhardt donned the grand general's uniform that countless imperial soldiers dreamed of.

The empire's military system has always been very primitive. The commander of ten thousand is a threshold. This rank is similar to the "brigadier general" in some countries on Earth, but it still belongs to the officer rank.

The corps commander is a position, the highest commander of an independent unit. A corps can have several thousand or even hundreds of thousands of people.

During the Southern Campaign, Reinhard was able to command the entire Eastern Second Army Corps mainly because of the appointment by Prince Bailey, who was sent by the prince to supervise the army corps' operations.

In the eyes of many officers in the Second Army Corps, the only difference between him and the supervising eunuch was that he had a little something in his crotch. No one really respected this "corps commander".

Of course! What happened later greatly changed the entire Second Eastern Army Corps' opinion of Reinhard, but he was still not a true general.

However, after today's investiture ceremony, Reinhard will officially become an Imperial General, and his position will immediately become the Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard, the true number two. He will be among the top five in the entire military, not much lower than Rune, who is the Minister of the Military.

Moreover, Reinhardt is very young. He just turned thirty this year and is the youngest non-royal general in the history of the Empire. Therefore, the aura surrounding him is simply astonishing.

However, Reinhardt was not happy at all, especially when he saw the Third Prince Bailey standing at the front of the line. The undisguised jealousy in his former friend's eyes made him feel uncomfortable, but also somewhat...familiar.

Reinhardt in the past certainly wasn't exactly magnanimous.

Soon, stirring military music filled the magnificent royal palace. The old emperor Hesse VII, who had not shown his face to his ministers for at least half a year, slowly walked out of the inner palace gates, dressed in a solemn dark gold imperial robe.

Upon seeing this, Reinhard immediately knelt down along with the other "meritorious officials" who were preparing to receive their medals, and paid homage to the supreme ruler of the empire.

Among the assembled officials in the hall, Rune, as a descendant of a founding father, was one of the few nobles present who did not have to kneel. Even when he met the emperor, he only bowed slightly and then looked up at King Blacksin VII, but his gaze had already passed over the emperor and was looking into the darkness behind him.

There stood a woman in black, almost blending into the shadows, looking at Rune. The two nodded slightly across each other, each revealing a meaningful smile.

Chapter 315: A Shocking Scandal

The investiture ceremony officially began. The tall but thin Hesse VII resembled a moving statue, his disdainful gaze suggesting a transcendence of worldly desires.

This terrifying, almost tangible imperial aura made many nobles standing on the outermost edge of the hall feel inexplicably tense, not daring to even breathe loudly. The military men who came forward to receive their medals were even more trembling with fear, all bowing their heads and not daring to look the emperor in the eye.

Some of the newly appointed court nobles were attending such an event for the first time. The powerful aura of Hesse VII made them feel both apprehensive and awe-inspiring. They felt that the title they had bought for tens of thousands of gold coins was worth it just to see the emperor's face.

As expected of the emperor who ruled the empire, he was truly extraordinary!

In a solemn and respectful atmosphere, the awarding ceremony quickly progressed to Reinhard, who was the final recipient. Prince Bailey, as a member of the royal family, stood in the royal procession to the emperor's left, his eyes fixed on Reinhard with a mixture of jealousy and resentment.

The cabinet originally intended to award Bailey a medal as well, but after careful consideration, the prime minister, who was the leader of the civil service, removed him from the list of those to be awarded medals to the emperor.

This can be considered a form of shrewd handling. The prime minister's original intention was indeed to protect the third prince and find a way to remove him from the current predicament.

Ironically, the main supporters behind the Third Prince were once the Southern Noble Group, led by the Best family, which is why the civil service group disliked the Third Prince.

However, after the Crown Prince's sudden death, the Third Prince became the only adult prince in the entire empire. Although the Fifth Prince was favored by King Hessen VII, his mother's background was not good, and her family's influence was too weak to get involved in the power struggles in the capital.

As a result, the major political groups have shifted from taking sides to vying for favor and power.

In this atmosphere where he was being pursued by various forces, Pelé lost himself and began to waver like a scumbag, wanting to have it all but lacking the ability to mediate the conflicts between the parties, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the nobility group.

During the subsequent Southern War, Pele's questionable actions led to the deaths of five armies, causing heavy losses to the Southern Group. As a result, Pele turned around and allied himself with two other forces in the South.

Thus, the noble group, which had once been staunch supporters of the Third Prince, broke with the Third Prince.

It was the civil service group, led by the prime minister, that recognized Pelé's "potential".

This big idiot looks like he's easy to control!

However, Pele was not very grateful for the chancellor's efforts to protect him, especially when he saw that Reinhardt, his former underling, had outshone him, which fueled his jealousy.

Reinhardt naturally noticed the chilling gaze of his former friend, but under the circumstances, he could only pretend to ignore it.

Under the watchful eye of Hesse VII, Reinhard received a ribbon and a sword symbolizing his generalship, personally awarded by the emperor. He then knelt on one knee again, allowing the emperor to pat his head.

"Rise! Young knight, I and the entire empire are proud of you."

King Hesse VII, who had barely spoken before, gave Reinhard a few words of praise when it came time to award him the medal. This special treatment was itself a manifestation of honor.

But at that moment, someone in the hall suddenly started clapping.

Upon hearing someone begin clapping, the nobles in the hall immediately understood and joined in with a round of applause. However, as the applause gradually subsided, another clapping continued unhurriedly, eventually becoming the only sound in the hall, which seemed somewhat abrupt.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the person clapping was none other than the Minister of the Army, Grand Duke Rune Best.

The Duke clapped as he slowly walked to the front of the stage.

Reinhardt was momentarily taken aback, while Hessian VII's face darkened, and his gaze toward Rune was filled with malice.

"So touching! This scene is so moving! What a beautiful display of filial piety between father and son!"

"Father!?"

“Reinhardt, you’re not young anymore, you should be married by now. There’s a secret I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time… I’m not your biological father, he is.”

Rune raised his hand and pointed directly at King Blacksin VII. This sudden and shocking revelation immediately drew gasps from the entire audience.

Rune, however, smiled in response to Hesse VII's angry outburst and continued speaking.

"Actually, it's not just you. Our Emperor is kind-hearted and used a little dark magic to infuse many families in our empire with royal blood. Your Majesty is just like a cuckoo, not only laying eggs in other people's nests, but also cursing us unlucky souls who were cuckolded without our knowledge, so that our own offspring can inherit the titles of these families smoothly, thus rendering us infertile."

"you……"

"I discovered it a long time ago, but at the time I was very puzzled. I couldn't understand why you, as the ruler of a country, would secretly do such a shameful thing. Was it simply some kind of perverted hobby? Until I found the answer in an ancient book."

Seeing that Rune was about to continue speaking, King Hessin VII raised his hand to summon the guards, but several people suddenly stepped forward from among the nobles present and blocked them.

Without exception, these people were all powerful Saint-level experts.

Upon seeing this, King Hessen VII turned around and glanced behind him, only to be astonished to find that there was no one in the shadows behind him. This finally caused a hint of panic to appear on King Hessen VII's usually calm face.

Meanwhile, Rune continued to speak eloquently, his loud voice echoing throughout the hall.

"In our world, if mortals want to achieve immortality, the only path is to cultivate to the level of a demigod and gain the qualification to enter the divine realm. However, this path requires talent that is one in ten thousand. Our emperor does not meet the requirements in either magic or martial arts, but he is a person who is afraid of death to the core and has an extreme desire for immortality, so he chose to make a deal with the devil."

"Enough! Rune, do you wish to be my enemy?"

“Your Majesty, I was once utterly loyal to you, but you were the one who turned against me first.”

"...What exactly do you want?"

"What do you want? I've spent twenty years planning this, and you'll soon find out what I want."

As Rune spoke, he turned again to face the stunned nobles in the hall, and then, as if reciting a menu, rattled off several names. Without exception, they were all heirs of the empire's top noble families, some of whom had already inherited their titles.

What Rune said next left all the family members feeling genuinely incredulous.

“These people, like Reinhardt, are all of His Majesty’s blood!”

The author says:

Author's note: PS: A major plot twist... my neck too.

Chapter 316: Revenge

In the empire, the older and more prestigious a family is, the more it values ​​the preservation of its bloodline.

In order to purify their bloodline, some families even engage in inbreeding within their own families, even if the children born are deformed.

As a result, Rune has now revealed that the eldest sons of these great families, whom everyone has carefully cultivated, are actually the offspring of King Blacksin VII. While everyone is shocked, they are even more incredulous.

Because they simply couldn't understand what King Hesse VII was trying to achieve by doing this.

As for King Hessin VII himself, he did not offer any explanation, but instead glared at Rune, who was spouting nonsense in the hall, and shouted in a deep voice.

"Duke Best, are you plotting a rebellion? You've slandered the Emperor! Even if you're a Grand Duke, I'll still send you to the gallows!"