*** 
Inside a tent pitched in a large clearing.
More than a dozen people were arguing with veins bulging in their necks.
“Shouldn’t the capital’s reinforcements naturally take the lead?”
“That’s right. By all accounts, it is appropriate for Sir James, appointed by imperial decree from His Majesty the Emperor, to command the subjugation party.”
“The main body of this subjugation is clearly the North. How can reinforcements claim command?”
At first, there had been no problems. As soon as the departure was announced, an orderly formation followed the Grand Duke at the front.
Everyone moved forward with tense faces. The deeper they went into the forest, the more painfully tight their legs became, and the air again heavily pressed down on their shoulders.
The dark energy continuously tried to invade the warm light surrounding the subjugation party.
Yet despite this, the forest was eerily peaceful. Monsters did appear, but dozens perished with a single sword energy from the Grand Duke.
The remaining monsters were easily handled by the subjugation party members and mages. Thus, until they reached the first campsite, not a single casualty occurred.
That’s when the command of the capital’s reinforcements, who had adamantly refused to take the lead, began to change their attitude.
Thinking this level was manageable enough to earn merit, they initiated a power struggle under the pretext of a meeting.
Sir James or whatever his name was, along with nobles from the capital, knights from the North, and Ante were raising their voices with reddened faces.
“Didn’t you request help from the capital because the North’s forces are weak? You should show proper respect!”
“Ha! It’s not because the North’s forces are weak, but because of the current situation that we informed His Majesty the Emperor! We are perfectly capable without the capital’s reinforcements!”
“Excuse me? Have you finished speaking? What situation! This is no different from regular subjugations! You northerners are such cowards!”
“What did you say? Capital weaklings!”
While the prominent knights and nobles from the North and the capital fought, grabbing each other’s collars, the Grand Duke sat cross-legged in his provided chair, drinking the warm tea I had poured for him.
After skillfully pouring tea beside the Grand Duke, I asked him.
“Would you like more?”
“I’m fine.”
“There are cookies too.”
“I’m fine.”
Well then, I’ll eat them myself.
As I was munching on cookies with crunching sounds, the attention of those raising their voices turned toward me.
Sir James from the capital, who had just been grabbing Ante’s collar, looked at me and moved his lips.
Ante looked at me and the cookies alternately with a bewildered face.
“Your Highness, that maid…”
“How could you bring a maid to a meeting?”
The capital’s command, with the same intensity they had been fighting with, glared at the Grand Duke and me.
Startled, I took a step back. They looked like they would devour me.
The Grand Duke, who had been sitting comfortably, stood up with a hardened expression. In an instant, his overwhelming presence made those glaring at him turn pale and freeze. The Grand Duke asked in his characteristically cold voice.
“Any complaints?”
“…It’s not a complaint…”
Wow, that man is intimidated.
With just one sentence, their aggressive momentum disappeared, and everyone just rolled their eyes.
The Grand Duke’s expression was that fierce. Nevertheless, it seemed their pride was too hurt to apologize.
The man who had pointed out my presence mumbled and turned his head. Ignoring the Grand Duke, he signaled the restart of the command dispute.
“Ahem, then let’s resume the meeting.”
“Yes. About the command authority…”
His voice lacked the strength it had earlier. And that disregard instead provoked the Northerners. Ante, the Grand Duke’s right-hand man, slammed the table.
“How dare you ignore His Highness’s words? He asked if you had any complaints!”
Oh, this is the first time I’ve seen Ante with such intensity. It was fascinating.
Following Ante, a large-bodied knight commander shouted.
“Are you refusing to answer His Highness the Grand Duke’s question?”
It was Commander Hesum of the Kalschmitz 7th Knights. The destroyer of our mansion’s fence.
He hadn’t shown his face at all while at the Grand Duke’s castle, so it had been a while.
While I was absorbed in these thoughts, the nobles from the capital sealed their lips tightly like threatened clams.
The tent fell silent as if a mouse had died.
It was my fault for eating cookies mindlessly because I was hungry. Why did I eat cookies in the first place? I’m usually smart, but the demonic energy of the Land of Blessing must have temporarily dulled my mind.
A few seconds that felt like three years passed. Cutting through the quiet air, the Grand Duke’s ice-cold voice resonated.
“From now on.”
“……”
“Those who voice complaints about my household.”
He looked at each person in front of him as if engraving their faces in his memory. At his anger-filled gaze, someone’s gulping sound echoed inside the tent. The nobles from the capital each avoided his eyes.
“Will be held responsible for their words.”
“……”
Now, everyone, regardless of whether they were from the North or the capital, was only watching the Grand Duke’s mood.
The capital people looked intimidated by his presence, while the Northerners appeared disgruntled.
In truth, I was disgruntled too.
He didn’t say anything when Ante’s collar was grabbed, but he flared up when a maid was attacked.
Looking to the side, sure enough, Ante was standing with an extremely wronged expression.
“Let’s go.”
The Grand Duke gestured with his chin for me to leave. As I hurriedly followed behind him, he turned to look back inside as we were exiting the tent.
Those who had been sighing in relief flinched.
“Ah, do whatever you want with the command authority.”
“What?”
“Your Highness!”
Everyone was simultaneously bewildered. Even the capital people swallowed empty breaths.
Toward the Northern subjugation party covered in complaints, the Grand Duke raised an eyebrow as if annoyed and asked.
“Any complaints?”
“…None.”
Ante’s eyes were as wide as saucers.
I felt sorry for him just for today.
*** 
“Your Highness, why did you hand over the command to them?”
After completely destroying the atmosphere like that.
I asked as I entered the Grand Duke’s exclusive tent, wringing out a towel to wash myself.
I couldn’t understand why, after making such a fuss over a comment about a maid, he had so readily given them the command authority.
The equally dumbfounded expressions on both the Northern and capital factions were worth seeing.
The Grand Duke took the towel from my hand, wrung out the water himself, and answered calmly.
“Direct experience is the best method.”
“Pardon?”
“They’ll likely back down in a few days. Don’t worry.”
When I stared at him intently, the Grand Duke gave me a gentle smile only I could see. For some reason, it made me feel at ease.
“Why do you think so?”
“The capital’s subjugation party has never gone deeper than this.”
“Do the monsters get stronger if we go a bit deeper?”
“Much stronger.”