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Before going to war, Cárcel was promoted to captain via special order from the emperor. It was the most significant promotion since the current emperor, who had always been stingy about promoting his officials and soldiers, ascended the throne. Though someone else was appointed commander-in-chief, it was Cárcel who would be taking actual command of the battle in Las Sandiago. Some were surprised at this revelation, but those who considered the name Escalante to be enough justification for the promotion and role were not. Even those who were surprised quickly nodded and acquiesced, meaning that, in the end, no one had any objections.

Social status was usually unrelated to one's rank in the military system, and there were plenty of cases in which younger men had received even greater promotions. There were even cases of young men being appointed as field officers as soon as they graduated from El Ledequilla. At least Cárcel Escalante had earned his achievements by participating and achieving great victory in battles despite not being recognized for everything he did upon his return.

The eldest sons of the Grandes de Ortega who cared nothing about the opinion of the other soldiers and received their first commissions through privilege didn't leave a lasting mark in history. This was also the case for members of the imperial family, and even for the eldest sons of the emperors. Rodrigo, the older brother of the current emperor and the late crown prince, was appointed naval general before he even turned twenty, and was then given the authority to command the armies on both sea and land, but that was it. He knew absolutely nothing about military strategy, and so he never made use of this command.

While Rodrigo had enrolled at the academy in El Ledequilla and had been lauded for graduating in a mere two years, he had only ever attended classes for about a week. This was the reason the military turned their back on the crown prince when he fell ill. It was in critical moments such as these that matters previously considered trivial became decisive, and honor that was only on paper tended not to last long. Rodrigo eventually died before he could take the throne, and soon after, his name was erased completely by his younger brother who became emperor in his stead.

In a hierarchical system such as the military, there was nothing more authoritative than having the loyalty of the people. But it was difficult to earn both the status and the abilities necessary to inspire loyalty, and it was even more difficult to stand out in terms of skill among the many physically superior officers. The oldest son of even the most honorable noble house needed to start out in the military by at least acting as though they were equal to their honorable comrades who may not be as high-ranking in high society, no matter how much they themselves were admired in Mendoza. Admiral Calderon had always told his grandson that if a soldier had both social status as well as a high military rank and admirable abilities, his life would be very easy.

But authority in Calztela looked incredibly different from that in Mendoza. As much as there were countless corrupt individuals in uniform, those who were truly strong were revered for it, and those who were upright were respected. Social status meant nothing, and did not promise any promotions in Calztela. This was especially true under the current emperor, who was constantly suspicious of his loyal subjects.

The emperor wasn't the only one who suspected and grew envious of others' achievements, of course. Any man in Mendoza was filled with an unreasonable competitive spirit toward other successful individuals. Though Mendoza was a city in which anyone with a noble background could coast along without ever having to achieve anything, sometimes there were men who, in addition to their titles, were very talented and successful, drawing the ire of many just as Cárcel today.

"Accept his imperial decree, Captain Cárcel Escalante de Esposa."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"The men of La Mancha have been plundering our imperial ships crossing the Strait of Alava for decades, and they have even threatened the safety of the people of Ortega for many years by appearing on the imperial coast. I have thus made them pay the price by driving them out into the open sea and solidifying the empire's prestige. Even so, I showed them mercy by not eradicating them completely. And yet, what has their response been? They have completely forgotten about the past, when they begged us for mercy and prolonged their lives. They have once again plundered and sunk Ortega's merchant ships, brutally slaughtering the sailors on them. They burned down the ships carrying my subjects and raised their glasses in celebration as they counted our gold coins and watched the men and women of Ortega wail in pain!" The veins on the emperor's neck bulged as he shouted, "I can no longer tolerate their cruelty. He who sews the wind reaps the storm! I therefore command that the pirates of the Strait of Alava be wiped out completely, and that Las Sandiago be subjugated to the empire."

"I shall follow your orders with loyalty and sincerity, Your Majesty."

Even as the emperor stood presiding over the ceremony himself, a few of the younger gentlemen of Mendoza watched Cárcel with skeptical looks, sneering and muttering about how a young man like him knew nothing of warfare strategies, even if he was the son of Admiral Calderon and supposedly very competent. They whispered that he would simply ignore the wisdom of those older and more experienced and throw the soldiers to their deaths. They also felt sorry for the officers of Calztela, lamenting over how they would have to bow down to some young upstart noble who had risen to the position overnight thanks to nothing but his noble blood. They pitied "old, loyal, noble, and righteous" officers for not being treated with the respect they deserved, feeling deeper contempt toward Cárcel. Not only was this an unheard-of promotion granted by the current emperor, this ceremony, which would have normally been held at the naval headquarters, was being hosted by the palace, with the emperor appointing the young man himself. They all criticized Cárcel inwardly, certain that this special treatment was simply due to him being the grandson of Admiral Calderon and the nephew of the empress.

This opinion had been echoed in the Imperial Council, but Duke Valeztena had actually done his very best to stop this ridiculous promotion from being awarded to his son-in-law. It was in Calztela, where bloodlines meant very little, that there was barely any objection to Cárcel's promotion. Considering these facts, it was ridiculous that the jealous young men of Mendoza could think of something so absurd.

Just as Calderon Escalante had long ago begun his military career as a second lieutenant, his grandson Cárcel had done the same. Even his superiors whose family backgrounds were not at all impressive had no complaints about his attitude, and he had been a legend among the other cadets at the military academy. The officers whose sons had attended the academy with him, had heard so many tales of his bravery that they were well aware of his reputation. Their image of him was bound to be positive, seeing that, unlike many of the other sons of nobles who only ever spoke of going to war but always stayed in the rear, Cárcel had never hesitated to fight dozens of battles in the front lines, weaving between gunfire and artillery fire without hesitation.

The reason the well-bred young men fostered such petty hostility against Cárcel was because the emperor's evident favoritism. The emperor solemnly accepted the sword held up by the chamberlain. It was in a brass scabbard adorned with sapphires, and the blade, forged from Barcanan steel, flashed in the light. The blade was extravagantly engraved up to the very tip, even bearing the emperor's name. Normally it would be the name of the person receiving the gift engraved on the sword, but this showed just how thoroughly besotted the emperor was with himself.

Inés watched the sight with a slight frown, her brow furrowed in displeasure. Duke Escalante, standing next to her, scoffed as well, which assured her that she wasn't the only one thinking the emperor's name being engraved on the sword was ridiculous. But even this was an object of envy to some. The extremely luxurious and extravagant hall in which the ceremony was being held also played a part in this.

The emperor knew all too well just how jealous young men could become, having experienced it all himself in his youth. He was making sure that Cárcel Escalante's peers watched him with burning envy, hoping for him to fall in battle, despite their supposed patriotism. The emperor was placing all admiration and hope onto Cárcel Escalante's shoulders. He was practically announcing that the responsibility of this war lay solely on this twenty-four-year-old. It was clear that if things happened to go well, he would insist that it was all thanks to him, the emperor, for making such a bold decision.

On the one hand, Inés was grateful to the emperor for saving her the bother of having to announce to as many people as possible that Cárcel was going to war, but the emperor's intentions were so blatant that she wasn't happy about it. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but be proud of how her husband stood above everyone, dressed in his splendid ceremonial uniform, as though he really was the greatest man of his generation. It was true, after all.

She hid her emotional turmoil under a calm mask and did her best to keep her eyes on this ostentatious ceremony. When Cárcel knelt before the emperor and accepted the sword, applause erupted like thunder, and her stomach lurched as his departure began to feel more real. The ground she stood on felt like the unsteady wooden planks of a ship in a storm rather than solid marble.

In order to dispel her anxiety, she recalled the emperor's wishes. He really did wish for this war to end in victory. It was inevitable, seeing that he needed to make sure that the very few achievements he boasted about to his subjects were preserved.

The test the emperor had set against House Escalante had been successfully completed the moment Cárcel expressed his willingness to go to war, and the emperor was in fact quite pleased with his wife's nephew now. Cárcel had already provided him with plenty of entertainment. The eldest son of House Escalante was so handsome that he was the perfect fodder for the front page of the newspapers, and his name helped sell war bonds as well. Even now, painters were scattered throughout the hall, drawing sketches of the scene. This all meant that the emperor would consider his and Cárcel's fate bound together, at least until Cárcel suffered loss in battle.

Inés frowned slightly, able to see right through the emperor's intentions. He wants everything to go well, and yet he is already calculating who to use as a scapegoat in case it does not.

As much as the emperor was shining the spotlight on Cárcel now, as soon as Cárcel returned in triumph, the emperor was sure to lament how the world no longer paid attention to him. Thankfully, Inés knew how to deal with the man who had once been her father-in-law. In another lifetime, she had often gone to the emperor herself to flatter him and help Oscar whenever he was feeling anxious. In other words, she could easily extinguish any small commotions the emperor caused.

The problem was that Oscar did not care one iota about his father's will.

Inés briefly locked eyes with the crown prince who had been glancing over at her regularly from the other side of the hall. She gave him a dazzling smile, making him stare at her in awe. She found it ridiculous how Alicia's eyes were glued on her as well. The two really were a fantastic match.

As soon as Inés had captured Oscar's attention, she turned her gaze toward Cárcel instead. He was just getting to his feet after the archbishop concluded his prayer of consecration. Inés had planned to smile at the sight of her husband for Oscar to see, but her lips spread into a genuine smile. She decided to bribe the emperor's painters and make this scene of Cárcel into a spectacular masterpiece. She would have several paintings made in different sizes and have them hung in the Escalante manor in Mendoza, their Calztela residence, and even at the Castle of Esposa. It was only right for their descendants to be shown just how wonderful her husband was.

Soon, Cárcel turned around and spread open his arms for her. Every noble in Mendoza watched as Inés ran into his arms. He placed his hand that was holding the sword he had just been granted on her back to support her and snaked his other arm around her waist to pick her up. They kissed passionately, as though no one was watching. The scene was printed in the Mendoza Times for a whole month.