I Am Being Mistaken for a Genius Strategist - Chapter 16
I had certainly arrived at our family’s ancestral estate. That had been thirty minutes ago. Â
And yet, why—why on earth was I still inside the carriage instead of within the estate itself? Â
Father, Mother… your son has returned. I want to see you both…. Â
“So? So, how did it go?” Â
“Kaya, we can talk about the rest after we go inside—” Â
“No. Tell me now.” Â
Was this truly the kind of demand a fifteen-year-old should be making? Kaya, my dear sister, have you perhaps regressed to being a five-year-old? Â
Of course, you were the most adorable back then, but having a sister mentally stuck at five would be… a bit much. Â
“Kaya, come on now. We can tell Father and Mother everything once we’re inside—” Â
“I have to know first. And I have to know everything. So, I’m not going in until you tell me everything right here.” Â
Despite her demands, I couldn’t help but grin. Â
Honestly. My little sister. How is it that you’ve changed so little from your childhood? Â
“Brother, come on. Why aren’t you saying anything?” Â
“You’ll hear it when I tell Father and Mother.” Â
“Nooo! I want to know first! I *have* to know first!” Â
“And yet, you’ll only keep it to yourself for thirty minutes at most.” Â
“That’s fine!” Â
Though Kaya was the one pouting and whining, I couldn’t help but think back to when I had been the same. Â
Despite having nothing extraordinary to show apart from my title, she always lifted me up, calling me her older brother with pride. Â
“Why are you smiling?” Â
“Oh, just thinking about when you were little. You were always like this back then too, Kaya.” Â
“If you remember, then hurry up and tell me everything. So, how did it go?” Â
It was clear this would never end otherwise. And the victor of this argument had already been decided. Â
Dragging it out further was pointless—I knew Kaya wouldn’t back down. So, as always, I gave in to her demands. Â
“I see… So that’s how it was. Brother, you’ve done something so incredible….” Â
“Don’t call it incredible. I just did what I could— Wait, Kaya? Kaya?” Â
Startled, I reached out and cupped her face with both hands. Â
Did I see that wrong? No, I didn’t. I saw it clearly. Then why… why on earth? Â
“What’s this? Why are you crying? Kaya, why are you crying?!” Â
My chest tightened in panic. I had just come home, and my sister was suddenly in tears. Â
What kind of brother wouldn’t be alarmed and demand an explanation in such a situation? Â
“Kaya, what’s wrong? Hm? Tell me what’s going on. Please, talk to me.” Â
“No, it’s not that….” Â
“Then why? Why, Kaya? Please, just tell me.” Â
Could something have happened that I didn’t know about? Was there something our parents had kept from me? Â
Or was it something they couldn’t explain, something Kaya herself hadn’t been able to share? Â
If it was about a boy, I swear I’ll hunt down the bastard who made my sister cry and— Â
“It’s just… just that you, Brother… it seems like you’ve been through so much….” Â
“…What?” Â
“I… I’ve just been living comfortably, and… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Brother Kael. Hic, sniff!” Â
Ah. It turns out the bastard I wanted to kill was… me. This is awkward. Â
Pushing my embarrassment aside, I quickly reassured Kaya, telling her it was okay. Â
“You scared me! I thought something had happened.” Â
“If something happens to you, Brother, it’s the same as something happening to me….” Â
“But I’m not hurt or anything. I’ve returned after elevating our family’s prestige. You should be congratulating me, not crying… Don’t you think it’s a little unfair to make me feel bad about it?” Â
At my teasing, Kaya flinched and hurriedly wiped her face with her hands. Â
Then, as if nothing had happened, she exclaimed, “I wasn’t crying!” Just like when she was five years old. Â
“Nothing happened to the family while I was gone, right?” Â
“Mm-hmm. Nothing at all.” Â
“Well, it’s only been six months, so that’s to be expected—” Â
“It’s not ‘only’ six months! It’s been six whole months!” Â
“R-right.” Â
Barely managing to calm her down before she got worked up again, I stepped out of the carriage. Â
Waiting outside was Alexei, who greeted Kaya politely. Â
“It has been a while, Lady Kaya.” Â
“It really has, Alexei.” Â
To my surprise, Kaya walked up to Alexei and patted his shoulder. Â
The height difference meant she had to stand on her toes to reach, making the entire gesture endearingly cute. Â
“My lady?” Â
“Thank you for staying by my brother’s side and supporting him so well. I’ll be counting on you to keep doing so.” Â
“Of course. My leige’s safety is my safety, after all!” Â
Look at Alexei, knowing exactly how to read the room. Truly, being a steward isn’t a job just anyone can do. Â
Finally, we stepped inside the estate, where I was able to see my father and mother. Â
“Welcome home, Kael.” Â
This was my father, Arthur Clauwitz von Bertie, a count of the Empire. Â
Though his background as a soldier made him a bit stern, he was by no means a cold man. Â
He was a good father, an exemplary head of the family, and a loyal servant to the Empire. Â
Though it would’ve been nice if he’d consulted me before deciding I should join the war effort. Ahem. Â
“Welcome home, my son.” Â
The woman beside him was my mother, Reina Seharad Clauwitz. Â
As her middle name suggested, she hailed from the Seharad family. Â
Her roots lay in the County of Luken, which meant we often kept in touch with my maternal relatives. Â
In fact, during my time in the capital, attending various banquets, I even went to one hosted by my mother’s family. Â
“I’ve returned, Father. Mother.” Â
As the eldest son and heir to the county, I greeted them with the dignity expected of my station. Â
Father smiled with pride, and Mother patted my shoulder, saying I’d done well. Â
Ah, truly, nothing compares to being with my family. Home is the best place in the world. Â
For these people, for this place, I would do anything to protect them. Â
Even if it meant reluctantly playing the role of the accidental “genius tactician” or whatever nonsense people were calling me. Â
—
“…I see. So that’s how it happened.” Â
“Yes, Father. I did my best to ensure that no harm came to the family—” Â
“Harm? Nonsense. While I may be classified as part of the pro-war faction due to my military background, I have never felt bound by it, unlike some other nobles.” Â
––Thud, thud. Â
Arthur Clauwitz, Count of Bertie, tapped the table thoughtfully as he continued. Â
“The military must remain separate from politics. Not entirely detached, of course, but it must never become overly entangled. Some argue that doing so reduces the military to mere pawns, but in the end, a soldier’s role is to be the sword and shield that protects their homeland and its people.” Â
“…” Â
At these words, I could only look down in silence. Â
I couldn’t help but feel weighed down by the thought that I had become too deeply involved in politics. Â
The fact that both factions—the pro-war and pro-peace—had taken an interest in me suggested that I had already begun to raise my political value. Â
“But listen to me.” Â
Father’s gaze fixed on me, his son and heir, the future head of our family. Â
“Kael, you are not part of the military. You may work alongside it, but you are not a soldier like me.” Â
“Then why did you have me join the war effort?” Â
“Of course, it was because I hoped you would follow in my footsteps, as well as those of the previous heads of this family. But if you choose a different path, and say that path allows you to lead our family well, why would I oppose it?” Â
Was I annoyed by this? No. In truth, I was relieved. My father seemed genuinely pleased. Â
The first head of the Clauwitz family had stood beside the founding emperor, sharing in the glory of establishing the Empire. Â
His children and grandchildren had naturally followed as military figures and commanders. Â
Over time, this became a defining feature of our lineage, leaving no room for other aspirations. Â
Perhaps that’s why Father had assumed I would follow the same path without question. Â
But now, I had disrupted that assumption. Â
“Could it be that our family, known for its military heritage, might produce someone outside the military? And not just anyone, but someone so noteworthy that even the royal family and both political factions are taking an interest?” Â
It was a positive and refreshing change—a starting point for new possibilities. Â
Father, unlike me, seemed entirely satisfied with this new direction, recognizing that clinging to one role would no longer suffice for the future. Â
“Still, there is one thing that concerned me about recent events.” Â
“Concerned you? What do you mean?” Â
“The fact that both the pro-war and pro-peace factions have shown interest in you. By ultimately siding with the former, you may have made enemies of the latter—perhaps even of our entire family.” Â
It was a valid concern. Â
Even though politics operates on shifting alliances, anyone who disrupts a faction’s agenda—however briefly—inevitably becomes an enemy. Â
And political rivalries are a far cry from the straightforward battles of the military, something even Father found daunting. Â
“I’m not worried about it.” Â
My casual response seemed to surprise him. Â
“Kael?” Â
“On the contrary, I think there’s little to be concerned about.” Â
“And why is that?” Â
“The Empire’s politics are divided between the pro-war and pro-peace factions. While the neutral faction acts as a mediator, neutrality is always a precarious position.” Â
Father nodded, acknowledging the truth in my words. Â
“Even so, the Empire functions perfectly well, doesn’t it? Despite the constant rivalry between these factions. At first, I found it strange, but during this recent experience, I believe I uncovered the reason.” Â
Smiling faintly, I continued. Â
“The pro-war faction, the pro-peace faction, the Second Princess, the First Prince—all of it is being quietly observed, perhaps even orchestrated, by someone far above them. They are using it all to the Empire’s advantage.” Â
—
Once I detected something was amiss, it became easier to predict what would follow. Â
I remembered fragments from my past life—stories of kings who had done the same in a distant land during the quiet hours before dawn. Â
It had to be the Emperor. Or perhaps the Crown Princess. I was certain of it. Â
And sure enough, not long after:Â Â
“Brother! Th-the Royal Palace has sent someone!!” Â
Ah. Just as I thought.
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