NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 199
Two months after the failed expedition targeting the Franche Empire, in the imperial palace.
The emperor, the sole sun of the empire and the master of that place, was barely containing his anger while carrying out his duties.
But was it because his heart was filled with fury?
Without considering that other attendants or palace maids could hear him, he shouted in an open area.
“Damn it!! That cursed Marquis Croilet! And those worthless Ilerias and Izza filth born from a cesspool where their mother and father mated!! Although I can’t deal with the little rat who forgot the grace of being made a marquis out of pity because he didn’t serve me to wash away the wounds from the last expedition… I’ll behead the two counts who messed up the expedition, and then turn their families into slaves. I noticed Count Ilerias’s sister was pretty at the last banquet, so she could be a feast for the eyes…”
Usually, when the emperor shouts like this, attendants nearby would offer some formal advice, like “You seem troubled, why not take a rest today?”
However, because he had fits like this almost daily, or even several times a day, no one dared to stop him.
They simply hoped the emperor would calm down and quietly handle his work.
Once he shouted, the emperor seemed to have calmed down a bit, and he issued his orders to the attendant nearby in his usual indifferent manner.
“I’m thirsty; bring me a glass of wine.”
Hearing this, the attendant poured wine into a large cup made of opaque glass and presented it to the emperor.
The emperor took the cup, which contained over 600 milliliters of wine, in one hand and emptied it in an instant before asking.
“Secretary, what’s my next schedule? I haven’t had a moment of rest for weeks due to dealing with the war aftermath… I wish I could have a break today.”
Though he worded it indirectly, this meant, “Send away anyone who suddenly requests a meeting and postpone appointments with nobles below marquis rank.”
Understanding his intent, the secretary thought of a way to satisfy the emperor.
Because with the emperor’s anger reaching its peak, he could do anything if someone crossed him… such as incurring some disadvantage.
“Today, if you handle just those documents, your schedule will be completed. I noticed you seem tired, both physically and mentally, so I was going to command one of the cute maids in the palace to attend to you… Shall I let the head maid know now?”
“Excellent. I knew it was Howard who has been assisting me since childhood.”
“It’s an honor, Your Majesty.”
Just as the secretary rejoiced over successfully winning favor with the emperor and building a good impression, the door to the emperor’s office burst open with a loud bang.
“Who dares to be so rude! Cut him down at once!! What are the guard knights doing?!!”
At this command, the knights and attendants near the emperor drew their swords and headed toward the man at the door. However, upon seeing the identity of the intruder, they all sheathed their swords.
Because the man who opened the door was none other than…
“I am Johann von Brussels, the rightful duke of the Duchy of Brussels and your regent, Your Majesty. I apologize for visiting unexpectedly, but I must report something urgent.”
The emperor frowned at the sight of him, but he could not dismiss the duke carelessly.
“What’s the matter? Though it’s my fault, I haven’t had a day off in months due to dealing with war aftermath, and I’m exhausted. It feels like I might collapse. So please make it as brief as possible.”
Usually, a regent would relay matters as quickly as possible or promise to return, but…
Noticing this was not a matter to delay, the nearby secretaries and other knights gestured for silence.
Seeing this, the emperor felt displeased that his plan of finally taking a break was thwarted, but his rationality spoke to him.
‘This isn’t just another noble; it’s Duke Brussels. Surely, it must be some horrific event I haven’t even thought of.’
Once the duke confirmed that no one else remained in the office except himself and the emperor, he spoke carefully.
“I’ve dispatched spies to the land of the traitor who now claims to be Marquis Croilet… According to their reports, Counts Ilerias and Izza have pledged their loyalty to that Croilet bastard. Plan 1 has failed.”
Hearing this, the emperor’s anger surged to the point where his face turned as red as a ripe apple.
It was understandable, as the emperor’s original plan was to shift the blame for this failed expedition onto the two counts to dilute his own fault.
Thus, ordinarily, a noble of count rank who disobeys commands and suffers defeat in battle would only face military trial for the loss of their title…
He had intended to personally preside over the trial, sentence them to death, and dramatically degrade their families into slaves before the many nobles who had lost soldiers and retainers in the expedition as a way to vent his fury…
‘Damn it, are all the responsibilities going to fall on me? It’s my fault, but if this goes on, my empire may fall.’
If he had to bear the consequences of the failed expedition himself, he could be deposed from the emperor’s position in the worst-case scenario.
“Those two hadn’t achieved much, but I made them counts because they were the first to approach me and pledge their loyalty… How can they forget that grace and abandon their duty to become traitors under Croilet? These idiots who don’t understand the most basic principles… They’re filthier than the rats living off garbage in the sewers or cockroaches!!”
Duke Brussels barely managed to suppress a sigh upon hearing those words.
“If you’re a knight without retainers, that’s one thing, but as a lord, you must prioritize the survival of yourself, your family, and your vassals. So it’s only natural if there’s a way to survive, they would flee like that… Even though the young emperor is only 30, he’s turning blind with rage and forgetting such things…”
However, the emperor was oblivious to the duke’s condescending thoughts and spoke foolishly.
In that statement, his eyes revealed a desire to escape from reality.
“Given how things have turned out, shouldn’t I hold the Duke of Orleans responsible for the last expedition? Although he didn’t engage in disobedience like those two counts, I can’t punish him with a loss of title or family slaves…”
In hearing this, the duke looked at the emperor with pity and replied.
“Counts Ilerias and Izza are the main culprits who ruined the expedition through disobedience. So if you state, ‘Everything has ended because of those two. Therefore, I shall behead them and make their families slaves to ease your grievances,’ then everyone will accept the punishment. Furthermore, witnessing those fools, whose foolish actions resulted in their execution, with their wives, concubines, and daughters turned into slaves entering their bed chambers, and the men treated like criminals in the mines would help vent your anger. They too, like Your Majesty, harbor grudges against the failed expedition, and the ones who provided the biggest cause are those two.”
“That’s why I’m trying to punish the Duke of Orleans, isn’t it?”
“However, the Duke of Orleans is a commander who made a mistake because of those two. Moreover, this war was carried out unilaterally by Your Majesty against the opposition of the nobility. Because of these two factors, even though he lost, the duke isn’t criticized too harshly. But if he’s punished beyond that? The nobles would surely think the duke was unjustly punished. Rather, it would undermine your standing.”
The emperor wanted to be angry at the criticism from Duke Brussels, who walked a fine line while maintaining a cautious stance, but he barely held it in.
Because he was the one who unilaterally instigated the war and mobilized the soldiers, while Duke Brussels had succeeded in occupying half of the Presso Marquessate until the moment of his defeat.
Moreover, regardless of the circumstances, he was also a loyal subject who did his best to protect the imperial authority as regent.
“Damn it, then what should I do?”
“However, it’s correct to direct the anger away from Your Majesty and towards someone else. So… please bestow a gift and a sword to Duke Orleans as a token of consolation for the commander of the eastern expedition army. Although the same should be done for the other nobles, the commander who ruined the front may receive even more so, as many nobles will grumble and envy about that.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor sighed, slammed his desk forcefully, and said.
“Then, that’s what I shall do. After all, Duke Orleans is one of only three dukes in the empire, right? I’ll grant you and the overall commander silks, swords, and the prestigious Golden Lion Order of the Emperor. I can’t give a medal to Duke Orleans, but I will bestow my handwritten letter and the ring treasured by the late Emperor My Father, alongside a staff symbolizing a noble who served as a commander. Now then, is there anything else?”
“Yes… besides this…”
And so, Duke Brussels and the emperor continued working late into the night to minimize the fallout from their defeat in the war.
Though no one could know what they were doing in the room, rumors spread among the attendants nearby.
‘One man is so affected by the shock of war defeat that he behaves like a spoiled child. His father, over sixty, has turned completely gray while taking care of his son who is over thirty.’
Under normal circumstances, such talk would have just been taken as ridicule and dismissed with laughter…
However, due to widespread discontent against the emperor and the regent who couldn’t properly control him, there were often graffiti on the walls of the Elysium depicting Duke Brussels giving a baby bottle to the emperor.
**
A month after the emperor of the Elaline Empire went into a frenzy.
“Your Majesty the King, Major Short of the Intelligence Corps is reporting.”
“Speak.”
“It appears that after calling the nobles, the emperor of the Elaline Empire conveyed more consolation prizes to Duke Orleans than to other nobles. Thanks to that, Duke Orleans has absorbed some of the blame the emperor would have received.”
“Whoever thought of such a tactic, it seems Elaline isn’t finished just yet. For a revolution or rebellion to occur, anger needs to be directed at a single target, and now it’s diverted to two.”
I thought the emperor wouldn’t be foolish enough to be deposed by rebellion, so that was that.
Yet for some reason, it felt disappointing. It would have been much easier if a rebellion had occurred targeting the emperor…
“There’s nothing that can be done. So, how is the Elaline Empire’s current state?”
“After letting my subordinates pose as vagrants and surveying the situation, it seems they need at least five years of recovery to launch another war. Public sentiment has hit rock bottom, their finances are depleted, and there’s a significant lack of skilled knights and soldiers.”
If the Elaline Empire needed five years, the Franche folks had already experienced warfare in their own lands, leading to an even longer recovery period.
For the time being, there was no need to worry about being declared war upon by the enemy.
“The required period for recovery turned out to be longer than expected. Well, our side also suffered nearly ten thousand casualties this time, so we can’t engage in war right away. At the same time, we need to stabilize the territories, so this is a perfect situation. Also, I can now start preparing for the foundational projects of a modern state.”
Major Short seemed to have wondered if that was his responsibility, and asked me.
“What kind of project are you referring to?”
I chuckled lightly at his question and responded.
“The advancement of military technology, development, and administrative system overhaul. Also, now that I have become a king, I aim to provide equal opportunities and obligations to the serfs… or rather, to everyone. And I plan to create weapons that will drag the dreams and romanticism of war down from the heavens into the depths of hell.”