Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke-Chapter 100 - Seizing Command

100 Seizing Command

Claude nodded, a smug, self-satisfied look crossing his face.

And in that moment, Cedric knew—The real war has only just begun.

With a sharp flick of his wrist, William cleansed his sword of blood, his gaze settling on the remnants of the fleeing enemy.

No more than a hundred had managed to escape, but it was enough. They would reach the main Krefeld army and report the disaster that had unfolded here.

"Tch. A shame."

Had he been just a little faster, he could have erased them all.

"You have done more than enough, my lord!" Gerard, ever the loyal aide, spoke in astonishment. "You slew their commander, rescued the First Prince, rallied our men from the brink of destruction, and crushed the enemy beyond recovery! Not to mention you personally cut down no less than seven enemy knights! What more could you possibly wish for?"

"It’s not about glory," William replied, his eyes still fixed on the retreating figures. "It’s about consequences. Those who fled will bring word to Krefeld, and now they will throw everything they have at us before we can withdraw. Had we silenced them, they’d have been left blind."

Gerard hesitated, about to object—was that not too much to ask?

But then, he stopped.

William was not lamenting out of greed.

He was not sulking for the sake of perfection.

He was simply stating what should have been done—because to him, it had never been a question of whether they could achieve it, only whether they did.

Is this what it means to see the battlefield from above?

Gerard gave a wry smile.

Even as his strategist, his own vision was lower than William’s.

William, however, had already turned his horse, making his way toward the coalition’s main camp.

The battle was over.

Now, it was time to report to the Supreme Commander.

William had barely dismounted and lowered himself onto one knee before the First Prince spoke.

"Magnificent, Lord William!" Claude’s voice rang out. "Truly, you have followed my orders to perfection—remaining behind to watch for threats, prepared to strike when the enemy moved!"

William blinked.

A quiet stillness settled over him.

His eyes flickered toward Bernhardt, who was watching with a smug smile. Then toward Cedric, whose face had darkened considerably.

Ah.

So that was their play.

William and Cedric’s actions had been, without question, an open act of insubordination.

Regardless of the results, it was undeniable that they had disobeyed orders.

Even with this overwhelming victory, no one could outright say, "Yes, I defied the Supreme Commander."

So instead, they would twist the story.

They would reframe history, make it so that William and Cedric had never acted against Claude’s will.

They would paint the First Prince as the brilliant mastermind behind it all.

It was an elegant maneuver.

One that William had no intention of accepting.

A quiet smile touched his lips as he tilted his head in feigned confusion.

"Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Claude stiffened.

"My orders, of course!" he insisted, voice raised, as if volume alone would force compliance. "Did I not command you to fall back—while secretly ensuring that you remained close, ever watchful for enemy movement? That is what you did, was it not?"

William’s brows furrowed as he turned to Blasker.

"Lord Blasker… what is this?" he asked, voice heavy with disappointment.

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"I…"

The mage hesitated, sweat beading at his temple.

Before he could respond, William pressed forward.

"I made it clear that I would bear full responsibility!" he declared. "And yet, you seek to shield me? Is this how the Imperial army upholds justice?"

"Wait, William, that’s not—"

"Reward and punishment must be given fairly!" William continued, his voice carrying across the gathering. "Honor is honor, and crime is crime! I refuse to be protected in this way!"

And then, before anyone could stop him—

William fell to both knees and bowed his head to the dirt.

"Your Highness!" he called out, his voice fervent. "I am grateful for your generosity! Truly, it touches my heart! But I cannot accept such deception!"

Silence fell over the gathering.

"I ignored your orders!" William declared. "I did not wait at the rear as commanded! I disobeyed the chain of command and led troops forward without authorization!"

"…!"

"Not only that, I dismissed the Second Prince’s counsel, acting entirely of my own accord!" His voice rang through the stunned camp. "This was my decision alone! If punishment is due, then let it be just!"

A heavy thud echoed as William’s forehead met the ground once more.

The assembled nobles turned to each other, stunned into silence.

Wait…

So the First Prince never gave such an order?

William acted on his own?

Then… what role did the Second Prince even play in this?

The implications were immediate.

Had William not spoken up, Cedric could have silently taken a share of the glory.

Instead, with a few choice words, William had cut him out of the picture entirely.

The nobles turned to Cedric.

His fists clenched tightly, but his face remained eerily composed.

Meanwhile, Bernhardt let out an incredulous laugh.

This boy…!

If Cedric had been cunning, William had been ruthless.

By openly admitting to insubordination, he had not only denied Claude the ability to steal credit—

But had also turned any attempt at punishment into a dangerous political risk.

William was no mere noble.

He was the acting representative of the Hern Grand Duchy.

Punishing him for defying orders meant punishing the house that had just saved the Supreme Commander’s life.

Neither the Emperor nor the court would allow it.

And if they tried?

Sigmund Hern would raise hell.

Claude trembled, his face burning red.

He could already hear the whispers.

The Supreme Commander had nearly led his army to ruin.

The Supreme Commander had been saved by a subordinate who ignored his orders.

The Supreme Commander had tried to steal another man’s achievements.

He was a fool. A coward. A disgrace.

And the worst part?

He couldn’t even lash out.

Not now.

Not with so many eyes on him.

His mind raced for a way to salvage this.

He forced a laugh—strained and unsteady.

"R-Rise, Lord William!"

William remained bowed.

"I cannot, Your Highness. Not until I receive proper judgment!"

Claude’s hands curled into fists.

He had to turn this around.

"Come now!" he tried, voice high and brittle. "Would I punish the very man who saved me? No, I should be apologizing for underestimating you!"

William looked up, his expression one of pure, unfiltered admiration.

"Truly, Your Highness is too merciful!" he declared. "Such wisdom and benevolence… how could I not serve with all my heart?"

"Y-Yes, well…"

Claude could only nod weakly, trying to maintain his forced smile.

William, meanwhile, subtly glanced at Bernhardt.

The old marquis held his gaze for a long moment.

Then, he looked away.

He had lost this round.

William turned back to Claude, bowing once more.

"Your Highness, the battle is won, but we must convene at once to determine our next course of action. Will you grant us a war council?"

"…Yes."

Claude’s voice barely rose above a whisper.

William smiled.

The war was his now.

And from this moment forward, the coalition would march only at his command.