The Great Agreement.
It is a set of rules to be respected on the battlefield, but it is neither a formal treaty nor written law.
It’s merely a recommendation proclaimed by the founder of the Empire and its first emperor.
However, the weight carried by this Great Agreement is immense.
‘After all, the emperor himself upheld it to the very end.’
Though it’s called the Great Agreement, its contents are nothing extraordinary—no use of poison, no assassinations, no feigning surrender to launch a surprise attack, honoring treaties once signed, and so on.
There are various points, but in essence, it is about maintaining a minimum level of trust even during war.
Because if even that minimal line is crossed, war becomes infinitely more horrific.
‘The problem is that all of this is still just a recommendation.’
No matter how significant a norm may be, if someone decides to break it intentionally, there’s little that can be done.
That’s precisely why the Great Agreement was never made into written law.
If the enemy chooses not to respect it, what good would a legal code do?
“No matter how superior our numbers and troop quality may be, or how well we know enemy terrain, we are marching into the heart of Kreppelt. The moment they decide to break the Great Agreement and use everything at their disposal, not only will a swift victory be impossible—it will become a chaotic and gruesome war.”
“Kreppelt breaking the Great Agreement? Nonsense. You accuse me of being too optimistic, but it seems you’re the one detached from reality.”
Marquis Bernhardt Roglan scoffed as he looked down at Lucian, as if doubting he even understood the meaning of the Great Agreement.
“Tell me, do you know why the Great Agreement continues to be honored even after hundreds of years? Because the moment one side breaks it, hell is unleashed. And that hell hits the weak much harder than the strong.”
It’s true that by using unrestricted dirty tactics, the weak might resist the strong—for a time.
But that’s only temporary resistance.
If both sides employ equally vile means, the stronger party always holds the advantage.
They have more resources, more options, and can strike from multiple fronts.
How could the weak possibly hold out?
“And not only that. The Great Agreement also acts as a brake that prevents the victor from mercilessly crushing the defeated.
If the loser respected the Great Agreement, the winner must also show mercy.”
Upholding the Great Agreement is proof that, even when they could’ve resorted to despicable means, they preserved human decency to the end.
That’s why even the victor can’t treat the loser however they like and must issue the most lenient punishment possible.
If the crime warranted execution, assets are confiscated; if it warranted exterminating the bloodline, only the direct perpetrator is executed and it ends there.
Ignoring these unwritten rules and punishing too harshly often resulted in scorn from the entire Empire.
“To break the Great Agreement is to forsake even that minimal protection. And you think Kreppelt, being the weaker side, would do that just to win once? That’s an entirely needless worry.”
“Because even if they lose, the Empire would still have the strength to march against Kreppelt again?”
“Would it not? The Empire will not waver from failing once in suppressing a rebellion.”
They might break the Great Agreement once and defeat the allied army.
But afterward, with no protection left, they would be crushed by a second or third expedition.
And then they would be shown no mercy.
That was the marquis’s logic—anyone with a shred of sense would know it’s not worth it.
The imperial crown prince also nodded at those words.
“Seems the discussion is settled. Anyone else have something to add? That… the duke’s representative…”
“Brother, it’s Lucian.”
“Ah, right. Sir Lucian. If you have no further objections, I’d like to end the council.”
As if just remembering, the crown prince nodded at the second prince’s prompt.
To deny the marquis’s words now would be tantamount to denying the Empire’s strength itself.
However, Lucian shook his head.
“It’s true that the Empire won’t fall from a single defeat. But if uprisings break out everywhere at once, will we truly have the strength to march on Kreppelt again?”
“What do you mean?”
“That if we lose even once, regardless of the Great Agreement being broken or not, rebellions could erupt in all directions. In that case, Kreppelt would have no reason to respect the Great Agreement either.”
After all, if they manage to defeat the imperial army even once, they might retain their independence.
Meanwhile, the Empire would be stuck in a quagmire from one defeat, without the means to send another allied force.
“And more importantly, Marquis—you spoke of a ‘perfect excuse,’ but since when do perfect excuses exist in this world? A rebellion is a gamble with the life of a dynasty and its ruling elite. There’s no sense in starting one just to test the Empire’s strength.”
“So you’re saying, by risking everything, they wouldn’t hesitate to use any means. That sounds excessively pessimistic to me.”
“And to me, it sounds like you’re still far too optimistic. You take it for granted that everything will go the Empire’s way.”
“And you take the worst-case scenario for granted.”
“I was always taught to consider the worst case.”
“Preparing for the unexpected isn’t the same as being paralyzed by fear.”
“Enough, enough, enough!”
Bang, bang, bang!
The crown prince slammed the armrests of his chair.
As silence fell, he glared back and forth between Lucian and the marquis.
“Did I ask you here to argue? Have you forgotten that I’m the one in charge?”
“My apologies.”
“I beg your forgiveness.”
Lucian and the marquis bowed their heads in unison.
The crown prince accepted their apologies calmly but shot Lucian one last look before speaking.
“And watch your words. The Empire is not that weak.”
“If my words were offensive, I apologize. But since this concerns war—a matter of vital importance to the state—I can’t help but consider the worst case.”
“Oh really? How admirably loyal of you.”
The crown prince sneered, but seeing Lucian not back down, he clicked his tongue and looked around.
“Seems we have two stances. Marquis Bernhardt Roglan’s quick victory, and Sir Lucian’s extreme caution. Which do you believe is better?”
“……”
At the crown prince’s question, the nobles fell silent, glancing between Roglan and Lucian.
But the silence didn’t last long.
“I believe the marquis’s opinion carries a bit more weight.”
“Sir Lucian’s reasoning is valid, but in terms of experience…”
“We can always switch strategies if they break the Great Agreement.”
Hearing the opinions tilt in his favor, Marquis Bernhardt Roglan looked at Lucian with a triumphant expression.
The crown prince also tilted his head, as if asking what Lucian would do now.
“Seems the scales tip toward the marquis.”
“I merely offer counsel as a subject. The decision lies with Your Highness.”
“Then let’s go along with it and adopt the rapid victory strategy.”
“If that is Your Highness’s will.”
Seeing Lucian accept calmly, the First Prince smiled slightly and raised his voice.
“The strategy is decided! We will march swiftly to Kreppelt’s capital and show those dogs the power of the Empire.”
***
After the war council ended, Lucian let out a sigh as he walked back to his tent.
He had hoped at least someone would take him seriously, but he hadn’t expected no one to.
“How pathetic.”
“Don’t be too disheartened.”
Hearing Lucian’s sigh, Raymond approached to console him.
Though he hadn’t participated in the war council, as Lucian’s escort he had been close to the tent and had heard everything that was said inside.
“The strategy you proposed makes sense, young master, but for everyone else, it was too radical. It’s only natural they sided with the orthodox solution presented by the marquis.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Orthodox? What’s so orthodox about it?”
“The one to end the war quickly, of course. Isn’t it common sense that the sooner a war ends, the better?”
At those words, Lucian blinked, then let out a soft laugh.
Then, as if explaining something to a child, he began to speak calmly.
“Do you know who’s paying for this campaign?”
“Isn’t it Marquis Bernhardt? I heard he had to take on the cost because of the incident involving you, young master.”
“Then who saves the most money if the war ends quickly?”
”…!”
At that, Raymond’s eyes widened.
He had thought they were discussing the most logical military strategy, but was it really just a way for the marquis to save his own money?
“Then what was the point of that talk about showing the Empire’s magnanimity by granting clemency?”
“If the royal family of Kreppelt disappears, chaos will follow. Even if there’s no open war, the army will have to stay longer to maintain order. And the longer they stay, the more money the marquis will have to pay.”
“So the reason the other lords supported the marquis’s opinion was…?”
“Even if I’m a representative, I’m still just a third son—not even the heir—compared to an actual head of a noble house. If those two clash, who do you think most will support? Unless a house is overwhelmingly powerful, they’ll almost always side with the latter.”
Raymond stared at Lucian, stunned.
He had thought that since it was Lucian’s first war council, he hadn’t read the room and got swept up by pressure.
But now it seemed he was the one who hadn’t understood anything.
“Actually, regardless of the marquis’s real intentions, it was a perfect policy for the First Prince. A swift victory means proving the commander’s capability. I’m sure he wanted to use this chance to earn prestige.”
“So this decision was made purely for political reasons?”
“Well, I suppose my proposal did sound outlandish. From the perspective of the lords, the marquis’s plan seemed much more realistic.”
Lucian understood.
The Great Agreement had been upheld for centuries.
No one would even consider the possibility that it might be broken now.
“But the real problem is that, in this war, the Great Agreement will be broken.”
In his past life, the Kreppelt rebellion was so well known that no one was unaware of it.
Not because Kreppelt had defeated the Empire, nor because it was later wiped out in retribution, but because it was the first time the Great Agreement—long considered an unquestionable rule—was completely violated.
When people asked where the era of chaos had begun, everyone pointed to the Kreppelt rebellion.
“In the end, a few years later, honoring the Great Agreement came to be seen as the mark of a fool.”
A bitter smile appeared on Lucian’s lips.
In a way, this was the starting point of all future tragedies.
At first, since he had come this far, he thought of minimizing casualties for the allied army.
But now that they had adopted the marquis’s plan, Lucian would have no room to intervene.
At best, he could protect the troops he had brought with him.
“Well, it can’t be helped.”
He had given them more than enough chances.
If they had rejected that opportunity out of their own ambition, all that remained was for them to pay the price.
Besides, Lucian had nothing to lose from this.
Ideas others don’t understand are often dismissed as nonsense—but the moment they’re proven right, the eccentric becomes a prophet.
‘I wonder what kind of faces they’ll make when it turns out I was right.’
With a cold smile, Lucian turned his gaze toward the tent where the war council had just been held.
____
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