The Grand Accord.
It is an accord that sets out the rules to be observed on the battlefield, but it is not an official treaty that was formally concluded, nor is it codified law.
At most, it is nothing more than a set of recommendations announced by the founder of the Empire and its first Emperor.
Even so, the weight carried by this Grand Accord was immense.
"Because the Emperor himself upheld the Grand Accord to the very end."
Despite being called the Grand Accord, the contents themselves are nothing extraordinary.
Do not use poison or attempt assassinations; do not feign surrender and then stab the enemy in the back; faithfully uphold any treaty once it has been concluded, and so on.
There are many clauses, but in the end, the main point is simply this: even in war, maintain at least a minimum level of trust.
Because if even this minimal line is not upheld, war becomes endlessly horrific.
"The problem is that all of this is nothing more than a set of recommendations."
No matter how weighty a rule may be, once someone is determined to break it, there is no real answer.
That is precisely why the Grand Accord was never left behind as written law.
If the other side refuses to follow it, what good is shoving a law code in their face?
"No matter how much we may surpass them in numbers and quality, and no matter how well we understand the enemy's terrain, the place we are heading for is the very heart of Krepfeld. The moment they break the Grand Accord and use everything they have, this won't be a swift, decisive battle—an atrocious melee will begin."
"Krepfeld breaking the Grand Accord? What nonsense. You accused me of being overly optimistic, yet it seems you are the one who does not understand reality."
Marquis Bernhardt snorted and looked down at Lucian.
It was a gaze that seemed to say, Do you even understand what the Grand Accord means?
"Tell me—do you know why the Grand Accord is still upheld even after hundreds of years? It's because the moment one side breaks it, a vision of hell unfolds. And that hell manifests far more clearly for the weak than for the strong."
Certainly, if one abandoned all restraint, even the weak could resist the strong.
But that would only ever amount to short-term resistance.
If both sides resorted to equally dirty methods, the strong would be overwhelmingly advantaged over the weak.
The sheer number of means they could mobilize was different, and attacks would come from all directions—how could the weak possibly endure that?
"And that's not all. The Grand Accord also serves as a deterrent that prevents the victor from mistreating the defeated at will. If the other side strictly upheld the Grand Accord, then the victor, too, must show mercy to the defeated."
To have upheld the Grand Accord was proof that, despite being able to use dirty methods, one had ultimately adhered to basic human principles.
Therefore, no matter how absolute the victor, they could not treat a defeated party who had honored the Grand Accord lightly, and were required to pass down the most lenient judgment possible.
A crime worthy of execution would instead be punished by confiscation of property;
a crime worthy of extermination of the entire clan would end with only the responsible individual being executed.
If one ignored these unwritten rules and imposed harsh punishments at will, they would inevitably be met with cold stares throughout the Empire.
"Breaking the Grand Accord means abandoning even the most minimal protections. And yet you think Krepfeld—the weaker side—would do something like that just to win once? What a truly pointless worry."
"Is that because, even if you lose, the Empire has the leeway to march on Krepfeld again?"
"Do you think it doesn't? The Empire is not something that would be shaken just because it failed once to suppress a rebellion."
They might be able to break the Grand Accord once and defeat the allied forces.
But afterward, stripped of all protection, they would be crushed by a second and third coalition army.
And that time, they would receive no protection whatsoever—so, in the Marquis's view, any being with sense would never choose such a course.
The First Prince nodded in agreement.
"Then it seems the discussion is over. Do you have anything further to say? You there… the Grand Duke's representative…"
"Brother, that is Duke Lucian."
"Ah, yes. Duke Lucian. If you have no rebuttal, I would like to end the war council here."
As if only just remembering, the First Prince nodded at the words of the Second Prince behind him.
To deny the Marquis's argument here would be little different from denying the power of the Empire itself.
Yet Lucian stubbornly shook his head.
"The Empire may indeed not be broken by a single failure. But if challenges arise from all directions, will it truly have the strength to march on Krepfeld again?"
"What are you getting at now?"
"Whether they break the Grand Accord or not, the moment they suffer even a single defeat, rebellions could erupt one after another across the land. And if that happens, Krepfeld would have no reason to bother adhering to the Grand Accord."
After all, if they managed to defeat the imperial army just once, they could maintain their independence from then on.
The imperial forces, by contrast, would sink into a quagmire after a single defeat.
They would not even have the leeway to dispatch another coalition army, let alone suppress rebellions.
"More importantly, Marquis, you spoke of a 'perfect pretext,' but where in the world does such a pretext exist? Rebellion is ultimately a matter of staking the lives of the ruling dynasty and the central power itself. It makes no sense to raise a rebellion merely to test the Empire's strength."
"So you're saying that since their lives are on the line, they'll stop at nothing? That's excessively pessimistic."
"And yet, Marquis, you remain overly optimistic. You base everything on the assumption that all circumstances will favor the Empire, do you not?"
"And you, on the other hand, base everything on the assumption that all circumstances will turn against it."
"I was taught that one must always keep the worst-case scenario in mind."
"There's a difference between preparing for contingencies and being so frightened that you can't move forward."
"Enough, enough, enough!"
Bang, bang, bang.
The First Prince slammed his fist hard against the armrest of his chair.
When silence fell, he glared alternately at Lucian and the Marquis.
"Did I tell you to fight, or did I tell you to decide on a course of action? Do not forget that I am here before you."
"My apologies."
"We beg your forgiveness."
Lucian and the Marquis bowed their heads toward the First Prince at the same time.
The First Prince accepted their apologies with composure, yet shot Lucian another sharp look as he spoke.
"And you—mind your words. The Empire is not so weak."
"If my words were unpleasant to hear, I offer my apologies. However, as war is a matter of national gravity, I cannot help but assume the worst-case scenario."
"Oh? What remarkable loyalty."
The First Prince sneered at Lucian, who refused to yield so easily.
When Lucian did not so much as flinch, the Prince clicked his tongue and looked around the room.
"It seems two courses of action have emerged. Marquis Bernhardt's swift and decisive strike, and Duke Lucian's… safety first. Which do you think is the better choice?"
At the First Prince's words, the lords fell silent, glancing between the Marquis and Lucian.
But the silence was brief.
Before long, opinions began to spill out, all leaning in one direction.
"I believe His Excellency the Marquis's view has somewhat more merit."
"Duke Lucian's thinking is sound as well, but his experience is, perhaps…"
"Even if the Grand Accord is broken, it wouldn't be too late to change our policy afterward."
As opinions supporting him poured in, Marquis Bernhardt looked at Lucian with a triumphant expression.
The First Prince, too, tilted his head as if to ask what Lucian would do now.
"It seems the Marquis's opinion carries more weight."
"I am merely offering counsel as a vassal. The decision rests with Your Highness."
"Then we may follow the prevailing sentiment and adopt a swift, decisive strategy."
"If that is Your Highness's will."
When Lucian calmly accepted the decision, the First Prince broke into a grin and shouted,
"The course has been set! We will advance swiftly all the way to Krepfeld's royal capital and show those wretches the might of the Empire!"
***
After the war council ended, Lucian let out a sigh as he headed toward his own tent.
He had thought that at least a few people would take his arguments seriously—never did he imagine there would be not a single one.
"How pathetic."
"Please don't be too disheartened."
At Lucian's sigh, Raymond approached and offered words of comfort.
Though he had not been able to attend the council, he had been stationed nearby as Lucian's guard and had heard everything that was said inside.
"The strategy proposed by the Third Young Master does have merit, but for others, it was simply too radical to accept. It's only natural that they'd be drawn to the Marquis's orthodox approach."
"What nonsense are you suddenly spouting? What 'orthodox approach'?"
"A swift, decisive strike. Isn't it common sense that the sooner a war ends, the better?"
At Raymond's words, Lucian blinked, then let out a quiet chuckle.
He then began to explain calmly, as though instructing a child.
"Do you know who's footing the bill for the costs of suppressing this rebellion?"
"Isn't it Marquis Bernhardt? I heard he had to shoulder the expense because of the matter involving the Third Young Master."
"Then who saves the most money the faster this war ends?"
"…!"
At Lucian's pointed remark, Raymond felt as though his eyes had been thrown wide open.
So he had spoken of orthodoxy—but in the end, it was merely a method devised to save his own money?
"Then what was the intent behind showing mercy and demonstrating the Empire's magnanimity?"
"If Krepfeld's royal family disappears, chaos will follow. Even if there's no full-scale war, the period during which troops can't be disbanded due to the need to maintain public order will grow longer. And the longer that lasts, the more money the Marquis will have to pay."
"And the reason the other lords supported the Marquis's opinion was…"
"Even if he's acting as a representative, he's still just a Third Young Master who isn't even the heir, versus the proper head of an established noble house. If the two clash, which side do you think people usually take? Unless one house overwhelmingly outclasses the other, it's almost always the latter."
Raymond stared blankly at Lucian.
He had assumed that Lucian, attending a war council for the first time, had failed to read the flow of the room and been overwhelmed by momentum.
But now it seemed that the one who truly hadn't grasped the flow was Raymond himself.
"In truth, whatever the Marquis's ulterior motives, it must have been a policy the First Prince found deeply appealing. Ending a war quickly is practically the same as proving a commander's competence. He must have wanted to build his reputation through this."
"Then… was this entire course of action decided purely for political reasons?"
"Well, the opinion I put forward probably sounded far-fetched as well. From the lords' perspective, the Marquis's policy would have felt far more realistic."
He understood.
This was the Grand Accord—a pact that had been upheld for hundreds of years.
At this point, it was probably impossible for them even to imagine it being broken.
But the real problem is that, in this war, the Grand Accord truly will be broken.
In his previous life, Krepfeld's rebellion was so famous that there was scarcely anyone who didn't know of it.
Not because Krepfeld had ultimately triumphed against the Empire, nor because it was later razed to the ground by the Empire's fury,
but because it was the first time the Grand Accord—long treated as an unquestionable rule—had been utterly and deliberately shattered.
So much so that, when people later asked where the age of chaos had begun, everyone pointed to Krepfeld's rebellion.
In the end, just a few years later, adhering to the Grand Accord came to be seen as foolish.
A bitter smile formed at the corner of Lucian's lips.
In a sense, this was the moment that could be called the beginning of all the tragedies that would unfold in the future.
At first, having already taken his place here, Lucian had intended to minimize the allied forces' casualties as much as possible.
But now that the Marquis's policy had been adopted, there would be no opportunity for Lucian to step in.
At best, all he could do was look after the safety of the troops he had brought with him.
"Well, it can't be helped."
He had given them every chance he reasonably could.
Having thrown away the opportunity before them out of their own self-interest, they would have no choice but to pay the price.
Above all, Lucian himself had nothing to lose from this.
Opinions others fail to understand are easily dismissed as eccentric—but the moment those opinions prove correct, the eccentric becomes a prophet.
I wonder what kind of expressions they'll wear when things turn out exactly as I said.
With a cold smile, Lucian looked back at the tent where the war council had just been held.
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