The emperor had said he would hand the throne to the crown prince.
But despite quite some time having passed, the emperor was still the emperor.
Could it be that, at this late hour, he had developed greed or lingering attachment to power?
Had he found it unimpressive at first, only to enjoy it once he tried it and harbor other intentions?
‘No. The current emperor is absolutely not that kind of man.’
People who inspire certainty in others generally fall into two categories.
One is those who possess the ability to hide themselves extremely well.
The other is those who are simply so honest that everything about them can be understood.
In that respect, the current emperor was one hundred percent the latter.
Even back when he was still the Second Prince, he had already been known as a simplehearted man.
On the battlefield, he was a terrifying monster, but toward people, he was endlessly warm.
A fierce general and a virtuous commander. Yet a man who had lived his life far removed from politics.
A man who loved only one woman and, despite having no children, did not even take a second wife.
A man who loved his family dearly. Who had wanted to be a good son and elder brother.
That was the current emperor. And that would not change in the future.
Then why, exactly, was the crown prince still the crown prince?
It was because the crown prince himself continued to refuse with utmost insistence.
Even today, before the imperial palace, he had petitioned for the command to be withdrawn.
‘If he refuses a few times and then suddenly accepts, he could be torn apart later.’
It was true that the prime minister and the Eighth Prince’s faction had tried to kill the princes first.
Even so, the crown prince had arrived here after eliminating his half-brother and many others.
If he went so far as to accept the throne on top of that, people would inevitably talk.
A man who killed them all because he wanted to become emperor, and even set up his elder brother as a puppet.
And when his elder brother said he could not continue, the worst kind of shameless wretch who snatched it up at once.
For a monarch who leads a nation, reputation is extremely important.
It affects not only the support of retainers and nobles, but also that of the common people.
Especially at the beginning of a reign, there must never be any blemishes.
To prevent that, existing monarchs do their utmost to lay the groundwork.
They put forward various achievements, saying this was accomplished by my successor.
Or that he did well to compensate for what I could not do because my virtue was lacking, and so on.
“Then when, exactly, will His Highness the Crown Prince ascend the throne?”
The man seated beside me spoke, as if curious.
He was one of the military figures I had come to know through a chance opportunity not long ago.
What made him unusual was that he had been stationed in the south all along and had only briefly come up to the imperial capital.
Unlike places where the concepts of nobles and domains were at least properly established,
the south’s system had been badly ruined because of those damned pirates.
During the Condor era alone, countless nobles and houses had been swept away.
Even after the empire was newly established, this did not recover easily.
At least, thanks to the Founding Emperor’s efforts, the administration’s reach did extend there.
So administrators and commanders were sent to take charge of the region.
And the man sitting beside me now, Pegels, had served in both roles.
“It won’t be long now, Pegels. You heard the news, didn’t you? In the end, word of victory came from beyond the northern border. They say the barbarians wept like children and begged for mercy.”
Through the vanguard, even the barbarians had become aware of the existence of gunpowder.
But knowing about something and experiencing it firsthand were entirely different matters.
According to what I heard, they were shocked by the roar and flames produced by gunpowder.
On top of that, the hwacha that Hessen and Polia had struggled to create also proved effective.
Its mobility was poor, but once used, it was more than enough to instill fear.
Imagine arrows falling with a roar, only to suddenly explode.
Even rough barbarians could not help but grow attached to their lives.
Thus, in the first large-scale engagement, the barbarians’ momentum was broken.
After that, Sedrun personally led the cavalry and struck at the enemy’s openings, they said.
It was like being hit again while they were still reeling after being pounded by gunpowder.
I was reminded of Sedrun, who used to say there was nothing easier than dulled enemies.
He probably said it was like eating cold soup and smashed them to pieces.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has now built the achievement of stabilizing the north while still crown prince. He has gathered all the justification and obtained a proper reason, so things should proceed smoothly from here.”
“I hope His Highness the Crown Prince ascends the throne soon. Only then will he lend strength to the south as well, will he not?”
“Are the pirates beginning to move again, by any chance?”
“I do not know what the barbarians of the north are like, but pirates are not the sort who stop coming just because you beat them back. Even after the Founding Emperor inflicted tremendous damage on them, pirates appeared again the very next year.”
“They’re remarkably persistent.”
“Even now, they merely do not appear on a large scale; whenever the winds are right, those bastards show up. Not only the commanders in the south, but even the administrators go around wearing swords every day.”
They do not rise up in large numbers like the barbarians and create another sea of blood.
If the barbarians are heavy boars, then those people are schools of sharks that smell blood.
They do not easily give you an opening. They end everything with a single surprise attack.
The Founding Emperor’s subjugation of the pirates had only succeeded because those pirate bastards lost their ships.
With no ships, the ones who had landed wandered through the south and laid it waste.
At that time, the Founding Emperor attacked them and annihilated them all at once.
“The north must be stabilized for more attention to be given to the south. I sincerely hope things go well. I truly hate seeing the people of the south suffer.”
“I would like to help more, but it is difficult for now. In any case, I enjoyed our conversation today as well, Pegels. Let us meet again next time.”
“Thank you for the tea, Lord Montebello. I will stop by again before I return south.”
I watched Pegels for a moment as he gave his farewell and left the reception room.
He was an astonishing person. Seen like this, he seemed exceedingly rational.
But from what I had heard, the people of the south followed him very well.
And they said that whenever he encountered pirates, he became a merciless monster.
After wiping out pirates, he always examined the heaps of corpses again and again.
To see if any of them were pretending to be dead. If there were, he would find them and kill them.
It was slightly worrying, but cruelty was necessary against enemies.
A soldier was someone who used anything that could instill fear.
If you wanted fewer of your own people to die, you had to be capable of doing anything.
That was probably why the people of the south supported him so strongly.
‘More importantly. Is it finally happening soon?’
With the successful conclusion of the barbarian subjugation, the building of achievements was complete as well.
Now, once the army dispatched to the north returned, everything would begin.
A prepared emperor, possessing overwhelming ability and talent in every aspect.
A person who called me younger brother would become the absolute ruler of the empire.
I was tense. I was excited. Either way, I had to keep my wits about me.
If everything until now had been about working to build his own faction,
from now on, the first priority would be eliminating factions that could become future threats.
Those who would be loyal would remain. Those who would not would be pushed out.
If it went too far, they might even be purged entirely.
“There will definitely be people who don’t understand the situation and start rampaging…”
In truth, I could already somewhat see who those rampaging people would be.
*
“By His Imperial Majesty’s command, we have swept away every threat in the north and returned! O God, protect His Imperial Majesty and the empire!”
They had judged that since the Founding Emperor had grown old and stepped down, there was now hope.
But what greeted the barbarians was pouring thunderbolts and flames.
And the imperial army, which seized the moment and pierced in fiercely.
In the end, the northern barbarians had no choice but to acknowledge their defeat.
It was not a sincere submission. Given time, they would rise again.
The empire knew this as well. Occupying the north was effectively impossible.
Militarily and financially alike, maintaining it would be an act of suicide.
But a path had opened to secure the north for at least ten years.
That alone was more than enough to call it a great gain.
“Come forward! I have already heard the news of victory you sent. All of you have worked hard! Your toil in the north was immense! The empire shall record and remember the glory you have established as immortal!”
The one who came out beyond the imperial capital to welcome the victors was, as expected, the crown prince.
It was only natural that the emperor did not leave the imperial palace.
But as a rule, the crown prince also did not leave his post unless circumstances were extraordinary.
Seen from that perspective, this implied only one thing.
“There is no need to delay any longer. Ascend the throne. This is my final imperial command.”
Exactly one week after the subjugation army returned. At last. Finally.
The crown prince, no longer able to restrain the emperor’s will, accepted the command.
From the son of a war hero. From a prince who had rendered distinguished service in the founding of the nation.
After driving out his half-brother and that entire faction and making his elder brother emperor.
He entered as an adopted son, became crown prince, and in the end became emperor.
“I swear before God. Under my reign, I shall lay every cornerstone that will make the empire prosperous and powerful. Those who follow this shall enjoy a hundred years of glory. Those who obstruct this shall face a hundred years of tragedy. All of you, follow me and remain ever loyal for the empire.”
“We obey His Imperial Majesty’s command!!”
With a new emperor taking the throne, a fresh wind blew through the power structure as well.
Those who had supported him since he was still a prince filled the ranks.
Among them, the one that became the most powerful faction was, as expected, the emperor’s in-laws.
They had supported and pushed him materially and morally, and at last made their son-in-law emperor.
Granted, they had withdrawn from public affairs for a time not long ago due to various issues.
But they were none other than the emperor’s in-laws. They were even meritorious retainers.
In an instant, their influence soared as if there were no limit to the heavens.
“Congratulations, Lord Laud. You are now His Imperial Majesty’s brother-in-law.”
“The insight of House Mentus truly never misses the mark. I am impressed.”
“Hahaha! Thank you, everyone. Our house has indeed rendered a very great service! Hahahaha!”
House Mentus immediately exerted influence in various parts of the political world.
They were the emperor’s in-laws. Meritorious retainers. From now on, all that remained was for them to soar.
Most people thought so. Even House Mentus itself did.
“Not long ago, House Mentus offered to arrange a position for me. I was right to refuse, wasn’t I, Ethan?”
“Of course. Polia. Don’t even exchange words with them. Absolutely. Understood?”
Of course, Ethan was not even looking in that direction.
After the emperor’s enthronement, Mentus held a grand banquet.
They invited not only the key figures of the empire, but nobles of every sort.
Some even said that their prestige rivaled that of the great nobles of the Condor era.
Even to that event, Ethan did not go, making one excuse or another.
He did not stop there, but also advised those he usually knew.
There is nothing good about getting too deeply entangled with the emperor’s in-law family.
Let us simply do what we must do. That is loyalty.
And Ethan once again volunteered to go as an envoy to the east.
Outwardly, he said he was going because of the engagement from the past.
But it was clear he wanted to show that he had no great interest in the center of power.
And so one year passed, and on a certain day in the second year after the new emperor’s enthronement.
“My brother.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty!”
“Brother, you remain for a moment. I have something to say to you.”