While the Empire remained as busy as ever with its internal affairs, the flames of war were once again erupting in Europe. France and the Habsburgs had collided yet again. And, as expected, the point of conflict was once again the Lorraine region.

The signs that France and the Habsburgs would clash again in Lorraine had been visible for a long time. As this was a confrontation between the two great powers occupying the heart of Europe, the surrounding nations were tense, watching their every move. A steady stream of urgent dispatches continued to arrive in the Empire.

“Do these people never get sick of war? Or are they all afflicted with some disease where they’ll just die of restlessness if they don’t fight for a single day?”

As Emperor Hyeon grumbled over the report, Han Myeong-hoe stepped forward to answer.

“It is likely because they, too, have no other choice.”

“No choice? Why?”

“Because of iron and coal, Your Majesty.”

“Iron and coal? Hmm…”

Hyeon mulled over Han Myeong-hoe’s words for a moment before pointing out a discrepancy. “Iron and coal? From what I’m told, aren’t they already producing vast quantities of both from the southern new continent, the one they call ‘Terra’?”

“The south is far, Your Majesty. And the routes to and from are perilous. Is it not a frequent occurrence that they lose the coal and iron they worked so hard to mine, along with the ships and people that are even more precious? Because of that, the iron and coal mines sitting right in front of them must seem all the more tempting.”

“Even so, when a war breaks out, the number of common folk who lose their lives or are maimed is not just one or two…”

Unable to hide his dismay, Hyeon issued an order to Han Myeong-hoe. “Relay this to the Imperial Army stationed in Europe, especially the forces in Gibraltar. Tell them to pay close attention to any movements from Spain. There will undoubtedly be those who try to pull some foolish stunt while taking advantage of the chaos.”

“I accept Your Majesty’s command!”

After concluding his discussion of state affairs with Hyeon, Han Myeong-hoe exited, paused to look up at the sky, and let out a long sigh.

“Haaaah. I really thought I might finally get to retire this time… Haaaah.”

Sighing again, Han Myeong-hoe looked back at the man following him. “I say, Tong-ji. Come along. This is all work you’ll be doing from now on.”

At Han Myeong-hoe’s words, the man following him, Han Chi-hyeong, scowled. “But Your Excellency is still so hale and hearty. Why are you already talking about handing over your duties?”

“What do you mean, already… Just think about my age.”

“Nevertheless, I still have much to observe and learn from you. I will simply watch and learn from your side as you conduct your affairs.”

“Ha! A man who has served as the Minister of General Affairs says he still has much to learn? That’s so ridiculous a passing dog would die laughing!”

“According to the law, I am to observe and learn from your side for one year. And it has only been three months.”

***

The law that Seong Sam-mun had proposed in the past had passed through the Board of Audit and Inspection and received Hyeon’s final approval. According to that law, a new Prime Minister or Minister was to spend up to one year with their predecessor, receiving a formal handover of all duties. This was intended to minimize the work-related vacuums and trial-and-error periods that could occur before and after a transition of power.

However, as soon as the law was implemented and the next generation of prime ministers and ministers was selected, a fierce shadow-boxing began. It was a subtle war of nerves between the predecessors, who wanted to hand off their responsibilities as quickly as possible and enjoy their final years, and the successors, who wanted to delay taking on the burden for as long as they could.

In the end, Hyang and Hyeon had to step in once again.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! We appointed you based on your abilities and your loyalty, yet what is this disgraceful display! What is this, if not an attempt to deceive your sovereign and disrespect your superiors? Truly pathetic! Tsk, tsk!”

As Hyeon relentlessly clicked his tongue and berated them, the successors had to bow their heads, cold sweat pouring down their faces.

“We… We are deeply sorry, Your Majesty! We will do our utmost!”

“We… We will absolutely not cause Your Majesty any further concern!”

‘Just how many times is he clicking his tongue! If we mess this up even slightly, we’re finished!’

‘Dismissal or exile would be getting off easy! One wrong move and it’s a lifetime assignment to the Archives!’

While Hyeon was tightening the screws on the successors, Hyang had summoned the predecessors, led by Han Myeong-hoe.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! Just what kind of men are you! And you call yourselves the ones who led this Empire! Here I am, at my age, still striving for the good of the Empire, and where do you think you get off trying to slack off!”

At Hyang’s sharp rebuke, the elderly statesmen all bowed their heads in unison.

“We… We are deeply sorry!”

‘But you do it because you enjoy it!’

‘If someone told me to just discuss poetry while admiring the wind and the moon, I could do that all night long!’

Viciously swallowing the retorts rising in their throats, the old ministers just kept their heads bowed. Hyang’s warning continued over them.

“Do it properly. Understand? Properly! If you continue to act like this, I will personally make sure you hold your funerals at the Archives! Tsk, tsk, tsk!”

At Hyang’s warning, the old statesmen broke out in a cold sweat and bowed their heads once more.

“We… We will do our absolute best!”

‘This man… he’ll actually do it!’

‘This is the final warning! If we make the slightest mistake, we’ll really be stuck rotting in the Archives!’

Whether Hyang and Hyeon’s warnings had properly landed or not, the shadow-boxing between predecessors and successors vanished from sight.

Overtly, that is. But covertly, the war of nerves was constantly being waged. Just like what was happening right now between Han Myeong-hoe and Han Chi-hyeong.

“It’s all work you’ll have to do soon anyway. Let’s get a move on. We have many things to review.”

“Yes, I’m coming! I’m coming,” Han Chi-hyeong replied to Han Myeong-hoe’s urging, grumbling inwardly as he walked.

‘The ancient sages said to serve a man twice your age as a father, ten years older as a brother, and five years older as an equal… I’m only putting up with this because of that, really!’

Meanwhile, Han Myeong-hoe, walking ahead, was also grumbling to himself.

‘Good grief! They said he was simple, calm, and upright, but how can he be so slippery!’

Meanwhile, rumors of this subtle power struggle among the Empire’s highest officials spread through the markets of Seoul. The common people who heard the rumors all tilted their heads in confusion.

“That’s just strange… What kind of positions are those? Aren’t they literally ‘below one man, but above ten thousand’? If I ever got a position like that, I’d have snatched it up in a heartbeat. Why are they all acting like that?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Everyone’s usually dying to be called ‘Your Excellency’. I just don’t get it.”

The officials who heard this gossip—especially those from the central government—could only manage a bitter smile.

“It’s because their predecessors were such absolute legends…”

“They clearly don’t understand just what kind of people that ‘one man’ above them truly is.”

***

The report on the rising tensions between France and the Habsburgs was also delivered to Hyang. After reviewing it, Hyang’s expression turned peculiar as he muttered to himself.

“As far as I knew, the two who were always at each other’s throats at the slightest opportunity were France and England. Is this also the butterfly effect?”

Hyang suspected the butterfly effect, but the truth was, the rivalry between France and the Habsburgs was deeply rooted. It was an old animosity that stretched all the way back to the division of the Frankish Empire. In particular, the region that was now the flashpoint—the area known as Alsace-Lorraine—had been a source of endless conflict between Germany and France due to its geopolitical position and rich underground resources.

The conflict over this region only truly subsided after Europe was integrated into the European Union.

***

As it became certain that war would break out again between France and the Habsburgs, the place that was thrown into a sudden, high-stakes tension was Gibraltar. Ever since the Empire had seized Gibraltar during the previous War of Italian Unification, Spain had been biding its time, sharpening its knives for a chance to reclaim the territory. The ones who had suppressed Spain’s attempts at recapture, however, were none other than France and the Habsburgs.

This bizarre situation had been created precisely because the one occupying Gibraltar was the Empire.

Although the Franco-Spanish military alliance was creaking under the strain of France’s backstabbing and Spain’s counter-betrayal, it was, for now, still in effect. If Spain were to launch a military provocation against the Empire, France would have no choice but to side with Spain.

This was due not only to the justification of the military alliance but also to the sheer force of French public opinion, which was screaming for ‘revenge.’ The French people had not forgotten the humiliating defeat they suffered in the last war. The deployment of new weapons and the acquisition of the Lorraine region had instilled in them a new confidence, leading to rising calls for a ‘war of revenge.’

However, the reaction from the French military command was the exact opposite.

“Fight the Empire? Are you insane?”

Having encountered the Imperial military at Suez and on the Atlantic routes, the French military leadership knew the Empire’s true strength all too well. Therefore, France had no choice but to restrain Spain. The Habsburgs were in the same boat.

Spain and the Habsburgs were allied by marriage. This marriage alliance was also a military one. Therefore, if Spain entered a war, the Habsburgs would also be automatically drawn in. This state of affairs had created an ambiguously volatile relationship between France, Spain, and the Habsburgs.

• France and Spain: A strained, but active, military alliance.
• Habsburgs and Spain: A marriage and military alliance.
• Habsburgs and France: A hostile relationship.

Because of this web, both France and the Habsburgs had no choice but to pay razor-sharp attention to Spain’s movements, and they had forcibly suppressed Spain’s military ambitions.

This time, however, the situation was different. The last war had ended quickly due to France’s surprise-attack strategy. But this time, the Habsburgs were also thoroughly prepared. Military and political experts in neighboring countries, all too aware of this, were all saying the same thing:

“If war breaks out again in Lorraine? It absolutely will not end quickly this time!”

The last war had been short, giving Spain no time to try anything foolish. But if this one became a drawn-out conflict, it was certain that Spain would make a move.

And if Spain makes a move?

When this topic was raised, military officials from all surrounding nations made the sign of the cross.

“Then all of Europe will be consumed by fire.”

If Spain made a move, the Empire would mobilize. The Empire’s allies—Portugal, Italy, and Switzerland—would mobilize with it. No, it would be a blessing if it ended there. The Ottomans, seeking to seize hegemony in the Mediterranean, would surely make a move, and the Balkan Peninsula would erupt in chaos.

In the north, Poland-Lithuania would move against the Teutonic Knights, who had now lost the backing of France. And if, no, it was an almost certainty that the Habsburgs and France were weakened by their fight against the Empire, the independence factions within the Holy Roman Empire would attempt to break away. It was also certain that the residents of the French-controlled Low Countries would try to do the same.

And England, which had been quietly watching from the sidelines, would surely support the residents of the Low Countries, eagerly awaiting France’s collapse. If France weakened that much, its colonies in Terra and Gloria would become a delicious feast for the other great powers. No, it wouldn’t just be France’s colonies. It was certain that the European powers would once again clash fiercely over all the colonies in Terra, Gloria, and Africa.

“…If that happens, it’s all over.”

Everyone could foresee that the events to come would bring about the worst possible outcome. And yet, France and the Habsburgs were still marching steadily toward war.

Because, regardless of the ultimate outcome, both nations desperately needed a war right now.