paranoianovel Chapter 957 Otto's Ambition
Chapter 957 Otto's Ambition
Chapter 957 Otto's Ambition
Aleppo.
As the starting point of the Fifth Crusade, Antioch received a steady stream of supplies from Egypt every day, which were then transported overland through the city to Lakhba, Haditha, and even Baghdad.
Recently, Otto, the governor of Aleppo and the brother of the overseas emperor, has been scratching his head because of the sudden increase in his workload.
He closed the ledger in front of him and rubbed his bloodshot eyes: "I told you I couldn't do this. He should have taken me to the front lines. I'd rather fight ten heretics than spend all my time buried in these ledgers."
Sir Baron, Otto's confidant, spoke up: "Your Highness Otto, you are clearly qualified and capable of taking on more difficult tasks. Who in this world is more trustworthy than a blood brother? Yet, since you came overseas, you have never been given a prominent position. You should make His Majesty the Emperor aware of your talents."
Since arriving in the overseas empire, Otto started as a deputy in Aleppo before being appointed governor of Aleppo two years later. He was Lothar's brother and, according to the law of succession, the first in line to inherit the overseas empire.
But it is precisely because of this that his position is so awkward.
Everyone knows that it is impossible for His Majesty the Emperor, who is in the prime of his life, to be without an heir, yet he has never married. In recent years, some of the great nobles in the empire have tried to bring up the matter, but Lothar has denied it all, which has given some opportunists a false sense of hope.
“You’re right about that. I’m connected to Lothar by blood, and I trust him completely.”
Otto smiled and then said, "But there's no need to say anything else. I know my own abilities. I already felt quite tired after being entrusted with managing a city by Lothar, let alone shouldering more responsibilities."
Otto naturally took his father's repeated reminders to heart.
Even the strongest trust can be destroyed in an instant.
He said meaningfully, “Sir Baron, I did not contribute to the establishment of the overseas empire, yet I usurped the position of Governor of Aleppo because of my brother’s protection. Isn’t that enough to satisfy me? If a person is blinded by greed and overestimates his abilities to take what does not belong to him, he will suffer retribution sooner or later. Don’t you agree?”
Sir Baron quickly said, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. I am not urging you to ask His Majesty the Emperor for more territory and titles, but rather hoping that you can share more of His Majesty's burdens. For example, His Majesty's dragon has laid an egg. Wouldn't you like to try to become the second dragon knight after His Majesty?"
"At that time, you can either guard a region for His Majesty the Emperor, or wait until the empire is stable, ride a dragon, lead your own army, and return to Europe to establish your own empire."
"At that time, you will rule the Western Empire, and His Majesty the Emperor will rule the Eastern Empire. The glory of the Habsburg family will surpass that of the Carolingian, Capetian, Anjou, Hohenstaufen, and Welf families, becoming the greatest dynasty in the entire world."
Otto hesitated for a while, but he had to admit that the prospects described by the other party were very tempting.
What he said was especially what his father longed for and hoped for most.
Losa established his business overseas and became the most illustrious monarch in the Christian world.
But Fu Gui could not return to his hometown. His father still lived in the mountain castle in the clan's territory, unable to gain fame among the feudal lords. Later, he also went abroad, leaving the old count alone to guard the ancestral land. This was his dereliction of duty as the eldest son.
Otto, who had carried Werner's expectations since childhood and even said when drunk that he hoped Werner could fulfill the ambitions of the Habsburg patriarchs and win the title of "Vice-King of Burgundy" like the Zelingen family, was now also tempted.
People who have enjoyed enough wealth and luxury will always have some spiritual pursuits.
He coughed lightly and asked, "What do you think I should do?"
Sir Baron lowered his voice: "Ahem, His Majesty and his dragons are currently in Baghdad, and Alexander's dragon nest is currently empty. As far as I know, there are several dragon eggs stored there."
"You want me to steal my brother's dragon egg?"
"You scoundrel, how could you say such a shameful thing!"
Otto frowned deeply: "Sir Baron, you have been a great help to me since I became Governor of Aleppo, and I have always been grateful for your help. But I assure you, if you say anything like that again, I will definitely send you to the gallows!"
Sir Barron quickly lowered his head and apologized.
"You can also choose another path, such as sponsoring an expedition to retrieve the dragon eggs for you."
Since the rise of Lothar, many nobles and monarchs have been trying to tame dragons, and more and more adventurers have devoted themselves to dragon hunting. These dangerous monsters were once regarded as walking gold.
Even though several overconfident adventurers perished under the dragon's flames, the hype remained undiminished.
Otto frowned and said, "To date, I have never heard of anyone other than Lothar who has been able to tame a dragon. Even an ancient nation like the Eastern Empire has only tamed one sea dragon."
As the governor of Aleppo, although most of his taxes had to be paid to the empire, he had accumulated considerable wealth over the years, more than enough to hire several teams of adventurers.
"But you are different; you share the same blood as His Majesty the Emperor."
Otto hesitated for a moment: "I will discuss this with Losa, whether it's about the dragon eggs or the idea of returning to Europe."
Sir Barron gave a wry smile. The lord he had chosen was good in every way—lenient, kind, and easily swayed—but he was just too naive.
What do dragons represent in overseas empires?
How could Emperor Lothar possibly allow you to become a dragon knight before he has even had an heir?
"I'll ask him right now."
Just do it if you think of it.
That was just Otto's nature. So, to Sir Barron's astonishment, Otto walked out of the room with a relaxed expression, and returned a moment later with light steps.
"Your Highness Caesar, what was the result?"
Otto smiled and said, "Oh, he agreed. He said that after the dragon eggs hatch, I can choose any one to tame, or he can simply capture a dragon for me to tame after the war is over."
Sir Baron paused, thinking to himself, "It seems that His Majesty the Emperor is convinced that Otto cannot tame the dragon. So, the secret to Emperor Lothar's taming of the dragon does not lie in his bloodline."
Or.
A terrible idea began to take root in his mind, an idea that, while terrifying, was also perfectly justified in the power struggle.
He subtly warned, "Be careful, a dragon is still a dragon. If you can't tame it, you might end up harming it instead."
“There’s no need to worry about that. Lothar assured me that as long as I make my choice, I will definitely be able to tame the dragon, though I’ll have to endure some hardships before that.”
"What kind of hardship?"
"He didn't say, but there's no danger to his life."
Otto reopened the ledger in front of him, humming a little tune, as if the mountain of ledgers had become less annoying under the joyous news that he was about to become a dragon knight.
...
Inside the royal palace in Baghdad.
Losa, who was busy taking over the magnificent city, hung up his communications with Otto.
"Otto is finally showing some ambition."
Losa looked somewhat relieved.
Why should he not support his brother who wants to make something of himself?
Back when he was a fledgling knight without land, he thought that after making a name for himself in the Holy Land, he would return to Europe to establish a foundation. He had already thought about the foundation of his enterprise, and he chose the Low Countries, between Germania and Gaul, to establish the Kingdom of Losaringia.
Later, King Baldwin valued him, and he stayed on, gradually rising to a high position.
"What are you thinking about? Why are you laughing so happily?"
Jeanne was a little annoyed. Everyone else was busy taking over Baghdad, but Lothar, the one in charge, was slacking off.
Lothar recounted the events, and Jeanne exclaimed in surprise, "That's strange. Otto, that guy who just loafs around all day, actually has such ambitions? How do you plan to help him become a dragon knight?"
“Just give him a spot as a member of the Dragon Blood Clan, like Charlie did.”
Lothar spoke casually. He hadn't planned to train any new dragon riders in recent years because it wasn't necessary. These gluttonous beasts had enormous appetites. In fact, given his status as the Dragon King of the North, taming a few more dragons would have been a piece of cake.