Seizing Control Of The Military

“We have also managed to capture the Second Prince, who had been staying at the Veloster Marquisate estate. He is currently being escorted to the palace.”

Hearing Count Dimentis’ report, Ian nodded with satisfaction. With both the First and Second Princes captured, the major hurdle had been cleared. If the other royals were also apprehended, the threat of civil war would be eliminated.

“There must have been casualties. What’s the extent?”

“Around 200 casualties, but thanks to internal assistance, we were able to keep the damage to that minimum.”

“It’s fortunate it ended there.”

Two hundred casualties meant deaths were included in that number. Compared to the civil war that could have killed hundreds of thousands, it felt insignificant. In any case, his task now was to seize complete control over the nation.

Many must be confused by the situation. Prince Ian, the Ninth Prince, had suddenly taken over the palace, causing great turmoil. But if he showed that the situation favored him, they would have no choice but to follow.

‘At some point, they’ll all feel they can’t resist the tide.’

It didn’t matter if some were unwilling to follow him. As long as he brought stability, it was fine. And then he would ascend the throne. Once that happened, everything else would be resolved in time. He simply had to gradually place loyal people in key positions.

“Summon all the generals from the army and navy stationed in the capital to the royal palace. I will have them swear loyalty.”

“Yes, I will call them in.”

He planned to summon army, navy, and air force generals to extract oaths of loyalty. If any refused, he was ready to cast them aside. No matter how capable, there was no reason to keep those who refused to serve him.

“After the generals, summon all high nobles tomorrow. I will show them who I am and demand their loyalty.”

“Yes, I will summon them all.”

Count Dimentis replied, his eyes filled with awe. From the start, he had been mentally dominated. To him, Ian was someone to obey without question. Especially now, as Ian’s powers had grown, their frequent encounters seemed to deepen the effect.

Watching Count Dimentis’s retreating figure, Ian lightly ran his hand across the desk before him. It was a luxurious hardwood desk with visible grain. In essence, it was the king’s personal desk. Ian was currently inside the king’s private office.

‘This feels strange.’

Sitting in a space meant only for the king felt surreal. Deep down, he thought—so I really went through with the plan. Honestly, even now, his heart was pounding.

‘The throne, huh. I thought I’d be calm, but just thinking about sitting there… makes me excited.’

Once he became king, he vowed to establish an absolute monarchy. Parliament? Liberalism? He had no intention of entertaining such notions. Even if his reincarnation made him special, he had no desire to apply his past world’s systems here.

‘There’s absolutely no reason to share power with others.’

Sure, he could shape a more progressive state, but he had zero intention of dividing the power he would gain. If that made him selfish, so be it. That was the mindset he had developed after reincarnating and growing up here.

World Era 1910, June 1st, around 6:20 p.m.

The meeting hall, lit by chandeliers, was filled with high-ranking generals. All of them bore stars. Their expressions showed confusion at being summoned so suddenly and suspicion from rumors about palace unrest.

“Do you know what’s going on?”

“Not at all. But I’m certain the palace guards are not the usual Royal Guards.”

“Does that mean the Capital Defense Command is involved?”

“Are you suggesting Count Dimentis made a move?”

“What other explanation is there? He must have chosen one of the two princes.”

“Hmm, who do you think it is?”

“Most likely the First Prince, don’t you think?”

“But the Second Prince is highly capable. Couldn’t Count Dimentis have chosen him?”

There was clear division in opinion. While discussing, they were also sizing each other up. Though soldiers by trade, generals couldn’t help but be politically aware.

After all, aligning with the right side meant more support and career advancement. Among them, Duke Elkherd von Brudwar, admiral of the 1st Fleet, sat deep in thought.

He too was troubled. Something had clearly happened at the palace earlier that day, and it seemed that the situation had concluded.

‘The problem is, who won, and who was captured?’

He knew gunfire had echoed within the palace and also near the Veloster estate, who was admiral of the 2nd Fleet. That suggested both locations saw simultaneous events.

His real worry was if only one side had been taken down decisively. But if even one faction had slipped away, it would spiral into uncontrollable civil war.

Civil war would drastically weaken the nation and allow others to surpass the Polia Kingdom. That reality deeply worried him. He didn’t care who took the throne—thus, he had remained neutral.

‘Even now, the Doicheun Empire’s movements are unsettling. If a civil war breaks out now, we’ll be powerless to act.’

In such turbulent times, an internal war would only result in missed opportunities. Just as he was thinking that, someone appeared at the entrance of the conference room. Everyone instinctively stood up.

Count Rodry von Dimentis had entered. As commander of the Capital Defense Command, his rank—Lupera (Admiral)—was among the highest. Everyone stood and saluted as he addressed them.

“Silence. The one who will soon inherit the throne is arriving.”

He purposely didn’t mention Ian by name—at Ian’s own request. The fact that Ian’s identity had yet to be revealed showed just how tightly everything was being controlled.

Normally, some rumors would have leaked out, but under strict orders, no word had spread. And so, as someone entered the room, all eyes turned, and expressions of shock appeared.

It was an entirely unexpected figure, prompting a few trembling voices.

“P-Prince Ian?”

“What brings you here, Your Highness?”

“How did you…?”

Seeing the generals’ reactions, Ian approached the table, placed both hands on it, and addressed them in a commanding tone.

“I, Ian von Polia, shall become the next king of this country. I ask you now—swear your loyalty to me.”

He deliberately used informal speech. It was time to assert dominance, and to that end, his tone and posture were meant to command authority. He had practiced in front of a mirror for days, though whether it was working was uncertain. He still felt awkward.

Murmurs spread…

Meanwhile, everyone was visibly flustered by Prince Ian’s sudden declaration. At the same time, their eyes kept darting toward Count Dimentis and the soldiers standing around the room. Among them, some generals had already done the calculations in their heads.

Though they still didn’t fully grasp the situation, judging by Ian’s words, it seemed he had seized the royal palace. The fact that Count Dimentis openly stood at his side made it clear the game was over. After a brief moment, over half the generals rose from their seats, dropped to one knee, and pledged their loyalty.

“We swear loyalty to Prince Ian.”

“To the one who will become king, we offer our loyalty.”

“We pledge our loyalty to the Lord of the Sea.”

Many pledged loyalty in various forms. Seeing this, Ian felt he had successfully passed the first test. He then looked over the remaining hesitant generals. Judging by their faces, they were unsure what to do since they had supported other princes.

“It seems you do not wish to swear loyalty to me.”

At Ian’s remark, they all flinched. They realized that not only their ranks, but their very lives might be at risk. At the same time, they couldn’t help but wonder what had become of the princes they had supported.

Seeing their indecision, Ian decided to tell them a fact they could not ignore.

“Ah, for reference—both the First and Second Princes have already been captured. They’re currently imprisoned within this very palace. Nearly all the other royals have also been arrested or are on their way here as we speak.”

At that, their expressions changed immediately. They moved next to the already kneeling generals, dropped to one knee, and pledged loyalty to Ian. Amidst the kneeling generals, Ian noticed a few who had yet to swear their allegiance.

He spotted Admiral Brudwar and Admiral Nudelria. A few more admirals also remained, their expressions filled with complex emotions. Unlike the other generals, those commanding fleets found it more difficult to make a decision.

Naturally, Ian’s voice turned sharper.

“Do you refuse to pledge loyalty to me?”

“That is not the case.”

Admiral Brudwar, of the 1st Fleet—who had previously spoken down to Ian—now addressed him with respect. That alone indicated that he was beginning to acknowledge Ian’s authority. From this, Ian sensed that if Brudwar pledged loyalty, the other admirals would soon follow.

‘Still, getting an oath of loyalty from Admiral Nudelria feels a bit strange.’

He had once been a potential father-in-law. They had even fought a war together. Their relationship made this situation awkward. But Ian knew he had to settle this.

Even if the admiral had earned fame alongside him, if he refused to pledge loyalty, Ian would have to dismiss him. No general who did not pledge loyalty to the future king would be allowed to remain.

‘When I think about it, the past rise of royal authority turned out to be a blessing.’

Despite the incidents and upheavals of the past, royal authority had grown stronger. That, in hindsight, had played out in Ian’s favor.

Strong royal authority meant that, as king, Ian’s word would carry immense weight. He could wield absolute power.

“I understand that Prince Ian has seized the palace with Count Dimentis and taken the capital. And since all the royals have been captured, the succession issue is already settled.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“What is Your Highness’s ultimate goal? That is what I wish to ask. I understand this may be an impertinent question, but if I do not ask it now, I fear I will never have the chance.”

‘So they acknowledge me as the future king and want to know my objective? I don’t exactly have one. What should I say?’

Though he intended to establish absolute monarchy, he didn’t yet have any strong national reforms in mind. After a moment’s thought, he decided to speak about something modest—his intention to help the nation progress.

“My goal? Well, once I become king, I’ll need to reform the nation.”

“Reform, Your Highness?”

“I’ll improve working conditions and cut back on extravagance. There are far too many unnecessary parties. I’ll reduce them. And I intend to greatly develop our industrial strength and trade.”

“What of the military?”

“What do you think? I plan to strengthen it far more than it is now. In fact, we need to circulate more money in the country and increase reserves to achieve that. That’s my goal—for now. What do you think of it?”

After contemplating Ian’s words for a moment, Admiral Brudwar dropped to one knee. One by one, the other admirals followed. Among them was also Admiral Nudelria. Seeing their submission, Ian realized he had finally secured their loyalty.

“I, Elkherd von Brudwar, swear loyalty to Prince Ian, rightful heir to the throne, as Admiral of the 1st Fleet.”

“We pledge our loyalty!”

With the other admirals following suit, Ian felt deeply satisfied. While some might have pledged loyalty only due to the current situation, what mattered now was that he had earned the full support of the senior military leadership. As Ian gazed over the dozens of kneeling generals, he addressed them.

“I accept all of your pledges of loyalty. I will count on you in the days ahead.”

Having secured the loyalty of the military, Ian now planned to summon the remaining generals stationed across the country to the palace soon and extract their pledges as well. Tomorrow, the gathering of the high nobles was set—and he looked forward to it.

Now it was time to secure the loyalty of the high nobles. Once that was complete, he would fully ascend to the throne of the Polia Kingdom.