“Very well. Then we shall proceed with Option 2 for this matter. Countess Natalie, please move on to the next item.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The next agenda item concerns ‘Changes in Projected Erosion Zones and Support’…”
Leon de Reinhardt XIII, Emperor of the Annwood Empire, leaned back against his chair.
He was currently in the meeting room of the imperial palace.
Dozens of magical crystal orbs were present, each containing people passionately delivering their speeches.
Of course, they weren’t literally trapped inside. They were simply using the crystal orbs to participate in the meeting remotely from their respective offices.
‘But in a way, they are trapped. Trapped in the prison of this meeting.’
The nobles’ meetings, held once a week, were a chore most nobles despised.
Handling both major and minor issues meticulously could easily stretch the meetings well beyond ten hours.
‘Especially since subtle psychological warfare and political power struggles are constantly at play.’A battlefield where a single misplaced sentence or word could lead to your downfall—that was what the noble meetings were.
Some participants even took medicine beforehand, a testament to how grueling these meetings were.
The problem was that this particular meeting had been going on for four days straight.
Discussing the Carpathia defense, reporting the aftermath, cleaning up the mess, and planning future measures—there was no avoiding it.
‘Well, this is one of the reasons the Empire has grown so strong…’
It’s fine. All of it is fine. Except for the fact that even the emperor himself had to be involved.
‘It’s good to have talented people, but it feels like there’s been an increase in these overly passionate types.’
The desire to make the Empire a better place, combined with the ambition to showcase their abilities in front of the emperor, made it impossible for them to skip these meetings.
A prime example of this was Duke Luke.
“Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell? That’s because the Empire is in pain. If we make the Empire stronger, your body will naturally heal as well. After all, the Empire and Your Majesty are one and the same.”
“…?”
“Erosion! How dare it make Your Majesty suffer! That vile entity! I won’t let it go unpunished!”
“…It’s not erosion that’s making me suffer, it’s you.”
Duke Luke… He gets so fired up about anything related to erosion.
Given that he was directly involved in the first instance of erosion and had experienced the humiliation of defeat, his reaction wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
“…Therefore, I propose we proceed with the road maintenance.”
Even though political battles were taking place, the people involved were so competent that the emperor didn’t even need to intervene.
With the meeting dragging on for four days, the emperor couldn’t help but feel bored.
‘Ah, isn’t there something fun to do?’
He needed something exciting, something that would make the dopamine rush through his brain.
Pursuing desires—being an emperor didn’t make one any different. In fact, being an emperor made it even more necessary.
He needed something to brighten up his monotonous life. Something long-lasting, if possible.
‘Tch, the only remaining excitement was the continental conquest war…’
In reality, Emperor Leon and the Annwood Empire had the power to unify the continent, and if they had started a war, it would have gone as they wished.
If not for the erosion, that is.
‘It was fascinating at first. But not anymore. That’s not a force humans can oppose. Let alone control.’
What if they made a mistake while trying to weaponize it? What if it mutated and became even more terrifying?
There’s no point in conquering land where people can’t live.
The shrewd Emperor Leon knew that a unification of the continent in that manner wouldn’t satisfy his desires.
‘Ah… I’m so bored, so very bored.’
The weary emperor spun his chair around. He felt like he would die of boredom if he didn’t get some sort of stimulation, even from the centrifugal force.
The crystal orb reflecting his image was covered by a servant’s hand, so no one would complain.
As the emperor indulged in this minor thrill, the meeting continued.
“This time, their target was a key location. If we had lost Carpathia, the damage would have been catastrophic… It’s chilling to even think about it. Therefore, I request support for Erpia, which is considered the Carpathia of the East.”
“Oh, come on. That’s impossible. We don’t have the funds for that!”
“Our job is to find those funds. Let’s merge military units. If we reduce unnecessary expenditures, the money will come.”
The atmosphere in the meeting was quite enthusiastic.
Recent erosion battles had resulted in ten losses out of ten. The Empire, the Duchies, the Kingdoms, even the Holy Kingdom—none had been able to fend off erosion for years.
Amidst this, they had secured a victory.
Not only had they achieved the seemingly impossible—winning a battle against erosion—but the Empire had also reaped the sweet side benefit of asserting its dominance across the continent.
So, of course, morale was soaring.
There was also another reason.
Emperor Leon’s eyes gleamed as he observed the Duke Aziz, who sat in silence.
‘Duke Aziz… I knew you were capable, but I didn’t realize to this extent.’
Count Zachary, the main culprit behind the erosion incident in Carpathia, was a vassal of Duke Aziz. This was well known to everyone present.
Yet, for four days, no one had dared to bring it up.
This was because of what Duke Aziz had declared on the first day of the meeting.
“I apologize to everyone for the trouble caused by my vassal’s actions. I will ensure that Count Zachary is properly punished and that he never commits such vile acts again.”
Grind.
Duke Aziz had ended his statement by gritting his teeth.
His words and actions conveyed a subtle anger towards Count Zachary.
Everyone knew it was an act, but Duke Aziz’s preemptive move had left those who wanted to attack him at a loss.
Although there were several powerful factions that could rival the Aziz faction, none of them would act recklessly.
Because he had removed their ‘justification.’
If Duke Aziz promised to handle the matter himself, what could they do?
And Duke Aziz wasn’t done.
“We have lost precious resources due to this disgraceful incident. I propose a reduction in territory and fines as punishment…”
“The future must be our focus. We don’t have the luxury to dwell on the past!”
Count Getrio shouted loudly, as if he were scolding someone.
Count Getrio, along with the Rownter family, was a prominent member of the neutral faction.
Given that a figure like him was making such statements, the discussion about Count Zachary quickly disappeared like a mole hiding underground.
‘He’s been bought off.’
The emperor instantly realized this.
“However, the damage…”
“Tch, this is why not everyone should be involved. When you call everyone together just because it’s an emergency, you end up with clueless riffraff who don’t know what’s important.”
“Count Getrio! Are you insulting me?”
“How could I? Insults have to be of a certain caliber to be considered as such. This is just…”
“What, what did you say…!”
He didn’t even avoid provocations.
It was a deliberate move. Count Getrio had deflected the attacks meant for Duke Aziz onto himself.
With the two of them turning the meeting into chaos, the emperor saw the neutral faction struggling to suppress their anger.
‘They’ve been cleanly betrayed.’
Pulling a member from the neutral faction was harder than one might think. Being labeled as a turncoat meant they had to stick together more tightly since their power was limited.
But all members of the neutral faction dreamed of one thing: joining a powerful faction to develop their territory.
They appeared solid on the outside, but they were a soft group on the inside. That was the neutral faction.
Perhaps because of this, the neutral faction had one absolute rule.
‘Betrayal is punished by death.’
Of course, it was a political death. They’d be pressured until they could never set foot in politics again.
And once the betrayer was abandoned, the faction that took them in would discreetly drop them as well.
If the neutral faction joined forces with an opposing faction, it would cause just as many problems.
Because so many people had used and discarded the neutral faction, they were generally reluctant to accept a helping hand. But now…
‘A public betrayal?’
That meant there was someone strong enough to support them, someone powerful enough to withstand the neutral faction’s pressure.
In this case, that would be Duke Aziz.
‘He’s not just capable—he’s incredibly capable. I know that and I’m using him, but…’
It was problematic that he was employing strategies that even the emperor couldn’t foresee, but what was more infuriating was that he hadn’t reported any of this.
He used to consult on every little thing, but now…
‘It must mean he’s grown up. Perhaps it’s time to start keeping him in check.’
After the two troublemakers were forcibly removed, the meeting resumed.
The next agenda item was…
“Dwener’s petition.”
“Dwener?”
“Who was Dwener again?”
“Isn’t he the Principal of Annwood Academy? Currently the Supreme Commander of Carpathia…”
“Ah, right. I remember now. He’s the one who restored the honor of that missing student, isn’t he?”
The story of the erosion shard, the parrot, and Luterus had moved many nobles.
Not to mention the phrase, “To embrace dishonor is true honor.”
About 40% of the nobles knew who Dwener was.
And that number was growing, especially since rumors were spreading that he had defeated a high-ranking demon.
“Read it aloud.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Leon adjusted his posture. A petition? He had a feeling something interesting was coming.
“Just as no living being can survive without the sun, we cannot live without Your Majesty. I, your humble servant Dwener, present this somewhat impertinent request.”
There was a bit too much flowery language, but that was typical for a petition addressed to the emperor.
However, as Countess Natalie continued reading Dwener’s petition, her speech quickened.
The flowery language quickly disappeared, replaced by a concise summary of the issue at hand and a clear accusation.
“However, it is difficult to uncover the full truth in such a short time. Therefore, I earnestly request… Please refer to Article 12, Section 5, Clause 2 ‘Ra’ of the Imperial Law… It grants me the right to… for a month…”
“Wait, what’s that clause?”
“Isn’t Article 12 about the punishment of criminals?”
“Who’s asking? What is Section 5, Clause 2? And what is ‘Ra’?”
The nobles could be seen frantically searching their law books through the crystal orbs.
The emperor’s servants were doing the same, quickly flipping through the pages to find the relevant clause.
“When the person causing the problem is the lord of the region, the official in charge may take up to one month to conduct an investigation.”
“Ah, it’s a clause we usually skip over as a matter of custom, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s a largely unused clause.”
There was never a brave investigator who would interrogate a lord on what was practically enemy territory.
So instead of taking a month, they usually handed over the lord in a single day.
As a result, few people were even aware of this clause.
“How did he find this?”
“He must have combed through the law books all day. His determination is impressive.”
“I wonder what his intentions are.”
Dwener had latched onto a practically dead clause.
After that, the petition ended with a conclusion that was longer than the content itself. A discussion on the matter immediately began.
“What’s his intention?”
“He’s asking for a month, isn’t he?”
“Does he plan to punish them directly? If so, that’s impressive.”
“Is he planning to torture them to death?”
“No way. They’re nobles too. And besides…”
Everyone’s gazes flicked to one spot: where Duke Aziz was seated.
Everyone here knew that Dwener was a puppet placed by Duke Aziz.
The nobles frowned as they recalled this fact, but they also felt a sense of admiration.
How many contingencies had he prepared to navigate this situation? Everyone couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘Interesting…’
But the emperor had a different thought. His sharp instincts told him something else.
This wasn’t something coordinated with Duke Aziz.
‘Is this Dwener acting on his own? Or is it a threat aimed at Duke Aziz?’
Either way, it promised to be entertaining.
The emperor cleared his throat and spoke.
“Just because it’s customary doesn’t mean we should ignore the law. Send a message to Dwener. Tell him that I grant him…”
…one month.
“Mmm~ I feel more refreshed than usual. Is it because I slept for so long?”
Luna stretched her body, moving around to shake off the sleepiness.
It was only natural she’d feel refreshed after consuming the S-grade elixir Caron had given her.
I’m envious. When will I ever get to taste something like that?
“But what’s with all these flowers?”
“They’re gifts from Yuridia, Victoria, Alex, and Raymon.”
Yuridia and Victoria, who had been visiting every day, bolted as soon as they heard Luna was awake.
They said something about supporting her from afar being their role.
“Why would they do that? Did you check if there’s any poison?”
“…What?”
“They could be trying to poison me. How could you be so careless… Honestly, you can’t do anything without me!”
“Y-you’re right! Z-Zero can’t do anything!”
Rezé chimed in enthusiastically, agreeing with Luna.
A Pufferfish Rabbit daring to insult its owner? I won’t let this slide.
I reached out with the intent to yank out the idiot hair on Rezé’s head.
“Squeee!”
“I told you not to bully my friend!”
Luna leaped into the air and hooked her legs around my arm.
Luna’s first original move (?).
Flying Armbar!
I had no choice but to lie down. If I had stayed standing, my arm would have snapped.
“Seriously… some things never change. Are you okay, Rezé?”
“H-hehe… I’m fine.”
Smiles spread across both Rezé’s and my faces.
It finally felt like we were returning to our normal routine.
“Keke, flowers aren’t the only gifts we received. There are also some snacks…”
“Hmm, fortunately, it doesn’t seem like they’re poisoned.”
Chomp, chomp-.
When I turned around, Luna was already munching on a cookie the size of her face.
What kind of idiot eats to check for poison!
Sure, you can taste a little to check, but that’s supposed to be just a small amount.
Eating an entire cookie in one go? I’ve never seen that before.
“It’s good. You two should eat some too.”
Well… just grow up healthy.
I chuckled and started eating some cookies as well.
I was just about to pour some of the high-quality tea that Dwener had gifted us when…
“By the way, there’s another gift.”
“Another one?”
I nodded at Rezé, who then dove into the box.
After wiggling her bottom for a while, Rezé finally emerged, holding three small boxes.
“These are elixirs.”
“…Elixirs?”
When Luna opened the boxes, beautiful elixirs were revealed.
Well, except for the one from Victoria. That one was definitely not something I could describe as beautiful.
“These are real elixirs…”
“Keke, are you not suspicious of poison in these?”
Maybe she had only pretended to suspect poison in the flowers and snacks.
‘Maybe she was embarrassed.’
Just as I was thinking that, Luna said something completely unexpected.
“Are you stupid? Elixirs can’t have poison in them. If they did, it wouldn’t be called an elixir, it would be called a poison.”
Wow, Luna.
You’re a genius, aren’t you?
–TL Notes–
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