Chapter 105: Making a Grave Enemy

The rustic suddenly started acting shamelessly, leaving Ruel somewhat helpless. Wearing a pained expression, he grimaced and said, “You little brat, I’ve really put my neck on the line to take you out, and yet you’re putting on airs.”

Ruel tugged hard at Shaya, but this sly country bumpkin was convinced he was in a favorable position and refused to budge. After a brief struggle, Ruel, not as strong as Shaya, finally gasped for breath and leapt up, laughing and scolding, “You cunning fellow. I knew it all along. You’ve got an honest face, but your mind is filled with twists and turns far more than when I was your age!”

Shaya clung tightly to the bed, laughing bitterly. “I was inexplicably arrested and locked up for over ten days. Anyone would be resentful, right? You catch me when you want, release me when you please? Fine then, I’ll shed this skin. At worst, I’ll go back hunting in the mountains. After all, I’m no hot commodity in Byzantium.”

Ruel frowned, equally at a loss with this man. Finally, he sighed. “Alright! Sit tight, and I’ll tell you what’s going on. But... you’ve got to keep your mouth shut, don’t spread this around, just pretend you don’t know a thing.”

The stout man sat down and stared at Shaya, sneering twice. “You don’t realize it yet, but your name has already reached Oscillia! Whether in the military headquarters or on the Emperor’s desk in the palace, there’s a dossier on you. In short... here’s the deal: you’re riding high right now. After Bonfret’s death, the scandal about him fraudulently claiming your military merits blew up. The military’s reputation is in ruins, and the Emperor is furious. Because of this, a Deputy Minister of Military Affairs has been severely reprimanded by the Emperor, the commander of the warzone headquarters resigned in shame, and over a dozen senior officers involved were disciplined. Just yesterday, news came that the Deputy Minister had submitted his resignation, and the Emperor accepted it! And all this... because of you!”

“Me?” Shaya pointed at his nose.

After all, he was a country bumpkin. The highest-ranking figures he’d ever met were General Adriek and General Ruel himself. Of course, Odin’s Hastings was notable too.

But the Empire’s Deputy Minister of Military Affairs? Such a high official was something he’d only heard about. Yet now, because of him... this man resigned and lost his position?

“Well, His Majesty has grown increasingly dissatisfied with the old guard in the military in recent years, and this was just an excuse to take down one of them. You’re merely a pretext. There’s some high-level power struggles involved, but you wouldn’t understand.” Ruel gave a bitter smile and lowered his voice. “To be honest, I’m partly responsible for this.”

“Not afraid to tell you the truth: it was my idea to let Bonfret claim credit for your military achievements. I wasn’t trying to harm you, but to protect you... You had seriously offended that pretty boy on the battlefield. That pretty boy might be a bit useless, but he was close to the Crown Prince and deeply favored by him. No matter how arrogant Adriek was, he couldn’t shield you from the future Emperor. So I thought of a way to appease Bonfret’s anger: he got the military merit, and you, who were there with him on the battlefield facing Hastings, served as a witness. That way, the military honor was set in stone, and no one could overturn it. Bonfret got the benefits and the sweet taste, but he couldn’t harm you anymore because you were his witness. Instead, he’d have to protect you.”

At this point, Ruel’s expression tightened and he smiled wryly. “But who could’ve guessed that Hastings, so bold and ambitious, would dare to infiltrate our rear single-handedly and take out that pretty boy of Bonfret’s?”

Shaya scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. “No wonder General Adriek didn’t say much about it at the time. So it was all for my sake. But I honestly don’t mind... looks like earning this military merit isn’t easy. If Bonfret hadn’t been so greedy to injure Hastings’ reputation, he wouldn’t have become Hastings’ target.”

“That’s all hindsight,” Ruel said, massaging the fat on his face. “When you were arrested, the military’s thinking was simple: they needed a scapegoat. After you were taken, your subordinates fled with the news, and Adriek was furious. He immediately led a group to the warzone headquarters. If I hadn’t seen the situation was bad and followed him, persuading him to hold back, he might have really drawn his sword to duel with the military brass. That guy really defended you fiercely. But no matter how arrogant he was, even he couldn’t stand up to the bigger powers. Besides, after this defeat, with the 13th Corps losing over half its strength, he no longer spoke with his usual confidence. I saw the danger and grabbed him to come up with a plan. The military wanted to punish you, but only on the condition that Bonfret was the real war hero. If that was true, things would be much easier!”

Shaya smirked.

“Next, we rallied all mid-level and above officers from the 13th and my 6th Corps to jointly accuse Bonfret of fraudulently claiming military merit, making the matter public so everyone would know you were the true one who injured Hastings on the battlefield...”

The fat man squeezed Shaya’s hand with a sly grin.

“This kind of thing would’ve been impossible in other corps. Once the Empire’s military command issued a gag order, no one dared speak out. But in the 13th Corps, Adriek immediately rebelled, and the entire corps followed him. So after the uproar, the news quickly reached the capital, leaving the military no time to react...”

Shaya’s mouth dropped open. “So that means...”

“That means you’re a hero now, kid!” Ruel stared at Shaya with an expression that looked rather mischievous. “Since Hastings rose to fame, no one has ever managed to injure him one-on-one on the battlefield. You’re the first in all these years!”

He paused and sighed, “Frankly, it’s a disgrace for us Byzantium soldiers. Our commanders value strategy and tactics more than sheer bravery. Recognized valor isn’t as important anymore. But the Odin people are a barbaric nation; in their army, if the leader lacks courage and strength, he can’t control his men.”

“The Emperor has been itching to take action against the military, and your case gave him the perfect excuse. Fraudulent military claims aren’t unheard of in any army, big or small. But since the Emperor wants to crack down, even the smallest pretext can be exploited. Moreover, this time, the military dug the hole for themselves! They were planning to lavish praise on Bonfret and stir up trouble. The Emperor just pushed them down the slope; they can’t even clean up the mess. They ended up burying themselves in the pit they dug.”

Shaya nodded and pointed at himself. “So... I’ve been exonerated?”

“Yes.” Ruel chuckled. “Not only released, but you’ve got a big honor waiting for you. But this time, you were close to the edge.”

At this, Ruel finally toned down his smile and spoke seriously, “When it comes to these high-level power struggles, those caught in the middle rarely have a good outcome. You’re now the Emperor’s sword, used to stab at the military bigwigs with your case. Though you’ve been freed and caused the Deputy Minister’s resignation and the punishment of many senior officers—demotions, penalties, transfers—those people lack the power to trouble the Emperor. But you, a little ant, that’s a different story!”

Shaya’s expression soured instantly.

“Congrats. You’ve only been in the army a few months and haven’t even been to the capital yet. But now, in the Empire’s military, probably one-third of the people hate your guts at the mere mention of your name. To make enemies so quickly and widely, you’re the first of your kind in the Byzantine army in centuries!”

Though it was a well-meaning warning, why did the fat man’s tone sound a bit gloating?

“Hey, fatty, that smile of yours looks rather sly!” Shaya glared.

Ruel snorted. “Your situation is extremely dangerous. The military hates you. Your name is already on some big shots’ lists—blacklists, that is. But the military has traditions; even if they mess with you, those big shots keep up appearances. At worst, they make you suffer a little, maybe give you a token military merit and sideline you in some godforsaken place to rot. Your chances of rising are slim. But I guess, you little country bumpkin, you don’t care about that, do you?”

Ruel was right; Shaya couldn’t care less.

He wasn’t from the Byzantine Empire, had little sense of belonging, and had no real concept of climbing ranks or getting rich.

Ruel then took a deep breath. “But there’s one person who hates you the most! I’m not worried about the military messing with you, but this one... if he hates you, that’s what worries Adriek and me.”

“Who?”

“Who else? You idiot!” Ruel cursed, then glanced cautiously at the door and lowered his voice. “Our Crown Prince, the Empire’s future Emperor! Bonfret was his man—rumored to be his lover, even. Now, his beloved was killed under your protection, and because the fraudulent military merits scandal was exposed, Bonfret’s name was disgraced after his death. Do you think the Crown Prince can forgive you?”