“Be that as it may. I was about to ask before those screams interrupted us—what in the world were you planning to give that Prince Ian of Sterling as a gift? Were you going to pester me to open the imperial treasury?”
“Ah, about that, Your Majesty. In truth, if Your Majesty would grant permission, I was thinking of giving the boy one fine horse of the Empire as a gift... But is a horse not more than a mere animal? It is the foundation of a nation and an important military asset. I thought it only proper, as a subject, to first seek the permission of Your Majesty, the ruler, and follow the appropriate procedure.”
The emperor let out a hollow laugh, as if he found it absurd.
“You, a man who once served as supreme commander of the Imperial Cavalry and now hold the grand title of Master of the Imperial Stables, are being so rigid over giving a single horse to some hostage? With your authority, you could lead half the horses in this stable out and no one would say a word.”
“Whether it is one horse or a hundred, when using the property of the state for private purposes, following procedure to the letter is the duty of a subject and the solemn law of the Empire, Your Majesty.”
At the count’s firm reply, the emperor stroked down his beard with an exceedingly satisfied expression and nodded.
“This is why I keep you by my side and favor you. That stubborn nature of yours can be frustrating at times, but it is also a pillar that upholds the order of this Empire. Very well. If you wish, you may give him any horse in this stable. I grant my special permission.”
“Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty.”
“However, now that I think about it, I wonder whether that frail-looking fellow even knows how to ride properly. His homeland, the Kingdom of Sterling, has almost no cavalry, does it not? Though theirs is hardly an army worth analyzing, if my memory serves, they rely mainly on infantry tactics. As royalty, he may have ridden a horse a few times, but he likely does not know how to ride properly.”
At the emperor’s observation, Count Gross crossed his arms and agreed.
“Your Majesty is correct. He likely knows only how to sit on a horse, in the literal sense, and has probably never learned by the proper method.”
“Then choose a suitable old, docile horse for him—one that has been handled often and had its spirit tempered—to match his ability. The boy already looks as though he would break if someone tapped him. It would be troublesome if we gave him some hot-blooded, rough beast for no reason and he fell off and broke his neck. My children seem terribly fond of him; if he were injured, they would likely make quite a fuss.”
But Count Gross immediately looked troubled by the emperor’s suggestion and shook his head.
“That may be somewhat difficult. Horses raised on the soil of the Empire all possess pride in their bloodline that reaches the heavens. Even an old horse advanced in years would instantly look down upon a green novice who is not an imperial rider, snort at him, and refuse to carry him. If he were forced onto its back, the horse would likely run wild and try to throw its rider.”
“Oh? A pride befitting a horse of the Empire.”
“Yes. Therefore, once the social gathering is over, I think it would be better to summon Prince Ian here to the Imperial Stables in person. After allowing him to face the horses directly, it would be best to let him choose one suited to his own level.”
“That is a fine idea. Once the schedule for the social gathering concludes, bring him here, show him around, and let him clearly witness the majesty of the Empire’s renowned steeds. I find myself curious as well as to which one will accept that audacious fellow as its master.”
The emperor had just given the order in a cheerful tone and was about to turn away.
Dadadadak—!
From the direction of the vast stable entrance came the urgent, clamorous sound of footsteps, and a direct aide of the imperial household came running in, panting for breath, before prostrating himself flat at the emperor’s feet.
“Y-Your Majesty! I have an urgent report to deliver!”
The air in the stable, which had been warm and amicable until moments ago, froze in an instant, cold as a blade.
The emperor, whose rest had been interrupted, frowned coldly and asked in an overbearing voice.
“What is it? You disturb my repose and create such a commotion—this had better be important.”
“M-My apologies, Your Majesty! It is... the princess who came as a hostage from the Kingdom of Goti is said to have taken her own life in her residence just now.”
“...Suicide? How insolent.”
The emperor’s eyes sharpened like those of a beast of prey.
Count Gross’s face also hardened coldly.
The Empire controlled suicides among hostages with extreme severity.
The right over the life and death of hostages was the sole authority of the imperial household, and thus the hostages were not even permitted to die as they pleased.
That was the law of the Empire.
Even if one thought it unreasonable, who would rebel? Power itself was law.
“What, exactly, were the surveillance team of the Imperial Intelligence Department and the mages assigned to the hostage’s mansion doing that they failed to stop that one girl from taking her life in time?”
At the emperor’s low, sunken voice, the aide trembled violently and struck his forehead against the floor.
“T-That is... the mages in charge of surveillance... were careless because it was the period of the social gathering festival. During their shift change, they were drinking and gambling, and failed to read the mana flow and vital signs in time.”
Cold sweat poured from the aide as he continued his report.
“Those men are making excuses, saying they never dreamed a hostage would dare attempt suicide during this splendid social gathering festival, and in broad daylight at that. Should we not immediately send those impudent mages, who disobeyed Your Majesty’s strict command and failed in their duties, to the disciplinary committee and punish them severely?”
Instead of answering, the emperor rubbed his chin and stared into empty air.
“The princess of the Kingdom of Goti...”
“If it is the Kingdom of Goti, is it not one of the other kingdoms in the south?”
“That is right. Above Sterling lies the Kingdom of Tour, and above that was that petty nation of five hundred thousand people. It is laughable that they call themselves a kingdom with a population of only that much.”
In his mind, he skimmed through the list of the countless hostages from defeated nations who had been dragged in after submitting to the Empire.
But no matter how far he searched his memory, not a single fragment came to mind regarding the face, name, or any special ability of the princess of the Kingdom of Goti.
Before long, a heartless sneer spread across the emperor’s lips.
“Seeing as I do not even remember her, she must have been a typical incompetent hostage with no notable beauty, no useful ability, nothing at all.”
If that princess had possessed even the tiniest bit of usefulness to wring out of her, the emperor would have remembered her.
If her beauty had been exceptional, she would have served as a plaything in the bedchamber of the emperor or the crown prince. If her abilities had been outstanding, she would have been somewhere in the Empire doing something to preserve her life.
But the fact that she did not exist in the emperor’s memory meant that she lacked even that—that within the Empire, she had been a thoroughly worthless and incompetent existence.
“In her own kingdom, she must have lived arrogantly like a frog in a well, treated as a noble princess. Even after coming to this vast Empire, she failed to understand her position or her place, clung to empty pride, and, unable to endure the miserable reality of having to crawl along the ground, died as though fleeing from it. She was likely just another insignificant, unremarkable sort.”
“...”
“If she had possessed even a speck of ability, the Empire would have looked after her to some extent. What was it again? That prince from the southern country. She could have made a living through trade, like that prince who runs a noodle shop. I found the way he lived so commendable that I even allowed him to start a family and once ordered the servants of the imperial castle to go and buy a bowl from him, and yet...”
As if his interest had completely cooled, the emperor waved a hand indifferently, as though brushing away dust.
“No punishment is necessary. A disciplinary committee? For the death of a single foolish, incompetent hostage, there is no need to dampen the Empire’s grand day of festivities with talk of disciplinary committees and the like.”
“...Pardon?”
“Tell those mages to write and submit a single proper written apology explaining how they drank on duty and neglected their posts. And dispose of that useless girl’s corpse quietly, without word getting out. There will be no funeral. Bury her somewhere like a communal cemetery outside the city walls, or if even that is too much trouble, tell them to toss her somewhere in the wasteland.”
“I shall obey your command, Your Majesty.”
The aide bowed his head and hurriedly withdrew.
Watching him go, the emperor spat out coldly.
“How wonderful it would be if all hostages were like Prince Ian! He is the sort who would live well on his own even if thrown anywhere.”
“If that were the case, the Empire would not have been able to conquer the entire continent, Your Majesty. It would be frightening if there were so many talents of that caliber.”
“That is also true. A fellow like that is good when there is only one of him. If there were many... nothing good would come of it.”
Ian Sterling, who had proven his own value and ability, built friendships with nobles under the attention of the imperial family and earned the opportunity to receive one of the Empire’s renowned steeds as a gift.
But the death of a weak hostage who had failed to adapt to reality and prove her usefulness was treated as nothing more than a single written apology, not even worth remaining in the emperor’s mind, and was crushed miserably into obscurity.
That was the true face of the Empire—infinitely generous to victors, and horrifyingly cruel to the weak.