Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke-Chapter 109 - Between Pride and Duty

109 Between Pride and Duty

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Soon, all of Hern was abuzz with whispers.

William’s clashes with Marquis Bernhardt, the First Prince’s blunders, the collapse of the Grand Pact, the rescue of the allied forces, and even the Emperor’s sudden appearance—

Every critical event was now common knowledge.

And as expected, word reached Kelheim.

"We must summon that fool immediately!"

Jordi’s face was flushed red with fury as he shouted at the Grand Duke.

A thick vein pulsed on his forehead, on the verge of bursting.

"The battle is over. He should have returned immediately to report! Instead, he’s lingering, shamelessly parading his own achievements! This is unacceptable!"

Joshua, far calmer, nodded in agreement.

"Brother’s accomplishments are undeniable. However, the war ended in defeat. From the Empire’s perspective, this is a tragedy. Spreading such tales serves no benefit to the throne."

Tristan, their eldest brother, also frowned.

"Even setting that aside, His Majesty himself sought to suppress this story. Yet William has gone against that intention, revealing everything."

The Grand Duke stroked his chin, deep in thought.

William’s actions were… bold.

There were certainly grounds to reprimand him.

Seeing their father hesitate, Jordi pressed further.

"Father, you must summon William and discipline him—publicly! If this continues, people will start seeing him as some kind of hero!"

The Grand Duke’s eyes narrowed.

"Publicly?"

"Yes! That way, everyone will see—"

Click.

The Grand Duke tch’d his tongue loudly.

Jordi stiffened, confused by the sudden shift.

"Why… why do you look at me like that, Father?"

The Grand Duke sighed heavily, staring at his second son with disappointment.

"You are blinded by pettiness, Jordi."

Jordi flinched.

"William’s victory was not his alone. Every knight and soldier who fought beside him shares in it. And you would humiliate him in public? Do you think the men who risked their lives for our House would appreciate that?"

Jordi froze, his mouth opening—but no words came out.

The realization hit him like a hammer.

William’s men, the knights, the soldiers—they had all fought for Hern’s name.

To denounce William’s success was to insult their efforts as well.

"Your anger is personal. You seek to diminish him not for the House’s sake, but for your own pride."

Jordi clenched his jaw, unable to argue.

The Grand Duke’s gaze swept across the room, landing on each of his sons in turn.

"The boy has been playing this game better than all of you combined."

Joshua lowered his eyes. Tristan remained silent.

Jordi gritted his teeth.

William had been nothing just a few years ago.

Now?

He was a threat.

The Grand Duke leaned back, folding his arms.

"We will not summon William."

The decision was final.

Jordi’s fists shook in quiet frustration.

William had won again.

"Remember this well. Victory is not the triumph of an individual but of an entire army. To undermine a victory is to diminish the courage and contributions of the soldiers who fought alongside you."

"…I apologize. I spoke without thinking."

Jordi lowered his head, his shoulders heavy under the weight of Grand Duke Sigmund’s cold voice.

This wasn’t a mere reprimand—it was a direct rebuke of his attitude as someone who aspired to stand above others. That realization made the sting all the worse.

"However," Tristan interjected, stepping forward as Jordi fell silent. "He’s not entirely wrong. No matter how much credit he deserves, allowing the third to be recognized as a hero in this manner is a problem."

For Tristan, a staunch believer in principles, William’s actions were far from acceptable. Even setting aside the competition for succession, the way William handled things left a sour taste in his mouth.

"If he is allowed to spread his achievements through such manipulation, what will stop him from doing it again? Once, twice—how many more times will he act on his own without reporting to Father?"

The Grand Duke merely let out a low hum in response.

"But the bigger issue here is His Majesty’s intentions," Tristan pressed on. "Why do you think the Emperor chose to avoid rewarding accomplishments and disband the allied forces so swiftly? Was it not to suppress the scandal surrounding the First Prince?"

William’s achievements and the First Prince’s disgrace were two sides of the same coin.

The war had exposed the First Prince’s incompetence, largely because he had ignored the very solutions William had proposed. The more William stood out, the more the First Prince’s failures were magnified.

"And yet, the third son deliberately spread rumors to highlight his accomplishments. Do you truly believe he was unaware of His Majesty’s intent? No, he knew exactly what he was doing. He simply chose to disregard it."

The Grand Duke sighed deeply, rubbing his temple as he let out a long breath.

"You are correct. But even so, I cannot say that William’s decision was entirely wrong."

"…What?"

"The Emperor likely wanted to cover up the First Prince’s disgrace, just as you said. But in doing so, he was also demanding silence about the sacrifices of our soldiers. Their achievements would have been buried alongside the scandal."

Tristan faltered.

"There is no denying that this war ended in defeat. But the soldiers of House Hern fought bravely and accomplished much. Without William spreading the story, they would have been dismissed as mere remnants of a defeated army."

A defeated army was a defeated army—no soldier could escape that stain. Had the truth remained hidden, the only thing people would have remembered was that they lost.

Those who had fought valiantly would have been lumped together with the retreating forces, their accomplishments erased.

"Perhaps William acted out of self-interest, but in the end, his actions ensured that the soldiers received the recognition they deserved. While I cannot overlook his insubordination, I find it difficult to condemn him for this."

Joshua, standing to the side, swallowed hard before voicing his concern.

"T-Then… does that mean you won’t hold him accountable for his actions?"

If their father chose to overlook this blatant overreach, then the succession was as good as decided.

But to Joshua’s relief, the Grand Duke shook his head.

"No, I will. If he were already head of the family, this would not be an issue. But for him to act without my approval… he has overstepped his bounds. I will commend him publicly, but he and I will have a private conversation. One that he will not enjoy."

Despite his words, the three brothers did not look reassured.