Chapter 171

The hallway in front of Jeilliris’s office was grandly arched, with a gilded chandelier illuminating the ceiling alongside white and red jewels.

Outside the large, costly windows, summer birds sang as the greenery swayed in the summer breeze.

As fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the blue sky, the front of the Emperor of Solentarass’s office was bustling.

“Move aside!”

“I’m first!”

It felt as if I had come to a marketplace!

“Your Majesty, we need to discuss the taxation policy soon.”

“You said to avoid discussing tax unless absolutely necessary… but it can’t be helped.”

High-ranking officials who had brought documents completely filled a cart on wheels.

“Out of the 55 bills passed in the second quarter, how many do you think the Emperor will finally agree to?”

“It seems the self-defense corps law will definitely pass. The agreement between Konel and Duke Valencius regarding…”

Legislators who had brought session reports.

“If we redevelop this area, how much will we have to allocate to the Imperial Court?”

“Shouldn’t we get permission first?”

“How about expanding the canal while we’re at it…?”

Court nobles who had come to seek various favors from the Emperor.

“We want to improve the improved model of the Emperor’s concentrated-type magic streetlight for mobile deployment.”

“We should also train armored infantry of knight rank for the Imperial Court.”

Helena and officers from the Imperial Cavalry, who had come to speak with the Emperor about military expansion.

“Commander, we need to increase by at least 500 men.”

“Hmm. I would love to increase it by 1,000 if possible.”

Barbatos and the Chief of Police, who had come to discuss the increase in police force amid the visits of high nobles.

“We’re also trying to pull in more funds to improve healing potions.”

“That’s quite an unexpected positive effect. Can I suggest a good test subject?”

“If it’s a recommendation from Sererassie, I’m always open to it.”

Guild masters and Sererassie who had come to report on the performance of the Imperial Magic Guild.

“Big sis. I see you’re all here. What brings you out?”

Dressed in a long robe with a red inner lining and a blue outer layer, wearing a cone-shaped hat, her lustrous dark blue hair and glinting gold and silver ornaments stood out.

“Oh my, it’s been a while. I need to report to the Emperor and get some budget too. Did you sleep well? You look even paler.”

“I ran into an unexpected fight. Thanks to Lady Trentia, I wasn’t hurt.”

Sererassie looked slightly disappointed.

A hint of malice clouded her delicate face.

Hadrian, who had been next to me, instinctively took a step back.

Sererassie snatched a pink potion from the pink-haired guild master beside her.

After interpreting the earlier conversation about test subjects, the color seemed rather suspicious.

I decided to go on the offensive preventively.

“Big sis, that’s guild violence. Even if you can’t set an example as a genius, is it right for a wizard who’s good at fighting to bully their seniors like that?”

I chuckled playfully, and Sererassie shot back smoothly.

“Shut up. I’m a duke, after all.”

“Does being a duke mean you can do whatever you want?”

“Firstly, that’s not for you to say. Secondly, did you think I wouldn’t?”

At once, my words caught in my throat, and Sererassie unscrewed the cork of the potion and held it out to me.

“Drink it.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a fatigue recovery potion.”

I recalled my conversation with Sererassie from a few days ago and narrowed my eyes.

“Didn’t you say that fatigue recovery potions are all drugs? Why can’t a genius like you remember what you said? Oh right, I should have told Commander Barbatos to catch all those selling recovery potions on Magic Street.”

As I suddenly shifted the topic and turned towards Barbatos, Sererassie reached out as if to grab my nape.

“You might be inconsistent too.”

“Not a chance!”

Of course, I wasn’t a fool who couldn’t react to a lazy wizard’s attack.

I lightly swatted away Sererassie’s hand and tried to push Hadrian toward Sererassie as a sacrifice with my other hand.

But electricity flowed through Sererassie’s hand.

Zzap!

“Ah!”

It wasn’t unbearable, but it was shocking enough to catch me off guard, and in that moment, my wrist was grabbed.

“Drink it when I give it to you! What sister gives a potion to her little brother?”

“No, you said that’s still under testing.”

“You won’t die, right? Besides, that senior is an expert in magical potions who contributed to the design of that blue potion you’re drinking. You can trust it.”

The pink-haired wizard smiled shyly.

“Hehe.”

It was a smile that inspired zero trust.

I rolled my eyes like a rogue and replied quietly.

“If anything happens to my body, both of you will be forced to run ten laps around the training grounds with sandbags. I’m definitely not going to die alone.”

I swallowed the suspicious pink potion.

Incredibly, it tasted like strawberry.

I felt my body warming a bit.

“Uh?”

“How is it?”

Sererassie and the pink-haired wizard asked with anticipation.

I frowned and answered.

“This isn’t a revitalizer, is it?”

“Revitalizer… what?”

“Isn’t it an aphrodisiac?”

“Why would I give that to you? Even without such drugs, Sir Grace the Lesser can do things all night long…”

“Stop making things up!”

Sure enough, it was effective.

I felt much lighter.

It felt like I had either just slept well or received a priest’s blessing.

“But you’re saying this isn’t a drug?”

The pink-haired wizard giggled as she replied.

“It’s a sort of very mild potion, you could say. When fatigue builds up, even small injuries in the body go unhealed, and this heals those. We just developed it this time.”

If it worked as advertised, it seemed like it would sell like hotcakes as soon as it hit the market.

“Then why is additional research necessary?”

“There are unexplained side effects.”

“Side effects?”

“There’s a dependency and addiction potential. Hehe.”

I called out to Barbatos.

“Commander! We’ve got two addicts over here!”

* * *

Fortunately, after verifying the new potion, both Sererassie and I, two former rogue addicts, found that its addictive properties were lower than those of tobacco.

I promised the pink-haired wizard that I would inform her of any unusual issues later, and after a long conversation with Barbatos about the recovery potion being sold on Magic Street, I entered Jeilliris’s office.

The Chief of Police was both delighted and frustrated, feeling he now had one more reason to increase personnel while lamenting the increased workload.

“Your Majesty. I have arrived!”

Jeilliris was smiling languidly and arrogantly amidst a mountain of paperwork as always.

“Duke Valencius. Duke Hadrian is here as well.”

The Emperor was indeed a superhuman.

I felt tired of waiting and wanted to sit down in the hallway, yet she was still gleaming with her eyes.

“Your Majesty’s body and mind are like pure steel…”

“I just drank a bottle of fatigue recovery potion. The effect seems good.”

“Ah.”

“Early summer is busier than late winter, and now adding visits from high nobles, I feel like I need three bodies.”

Suddenly, I caught the smell of coffee wafting from one corner of the office.

A maid had set up a small stove and was brewing coffee.

“Your Majesty. How long has it been since you had a good sleep?”

Jeilliris silently counted on her fingers.

After counting all ten fingers, she blinked.

It felt like the day was rising and setting.

“…I don’t think it’s that important.”

“Your Majesty!”

“Still, you are the last today. I think you should head out now.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“I always think well.”

Jeilliris looked at Hadrian with her languid and cruel smile.

“Let’s send you back first, then. It seems you’ve grown quite tired from spending time with Duke Valencius.”

Hadrian’s verification was swiftly completed.

“I serve His Majesty and the Empire…”

He was already known within the treasury as a diligent and capable administrative officer.

In fact, since he hadn’t practiced magic or swordsmanship, he required less verification than Helena.

If he did something suspicious, I could squash him at any time, and even if he were to face corruption, those symptoms would reveal themselves quickly, and they wouldn’t be very strong either.

What weighed on my mind slightly was that he seemed to hold some sort of guilt toward me.

Jeilliris exchanged glances between Hadrian and me, giving subtle hints to Hadrian, who bit his lip and squirmed nervously each time.

Since he didn’t seem to feel personally victimized, I didn’t bother to question him.

“Then I will take my leave.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Hadrian bowed his head and backed away.

Since he wasn’t part of the knight order, it was proper for him to withdraw like that.

Jeilliris murmured, “Finally,” as she looked at me.

“It’s a pleasant time to prepare for the oath of loyalty.”

* * *

The night grew deep.

I was the last in line, and there was no one left waiting to be received behind me.

Thanks to this, the Emperor and I could leisurely go through the list of high nobles coming from the provinces.

Counting through a series of names, I remarked, “I’m surprised it’s fewer than I expected. Of countless counts in the Empire, the direct vassals are just a handful.”

Jeilliris smiled leisurely and nodded.

“Well, even if I am the Emperor, there’s no need to have so many direct vassals, right? An Emperor is one who reigns, not simply rules.”

The political system of the Empire was feudalism, which simply meant that if vassals paid taxes, the lord would protect them.

There are several types of vassals: loyal retainers and vassals, direct vassals and secondary vassals.

Vassals are all those who swore loyalty to Jeilliris and were granted land or wealth, while loyal retainers are those among them who stay at court.

Lady Trentia serves the Emperor while receiving a salary from the capital, thus she is both a vassal and a loyal retainer. Her brother, Duke Lentia, holds land in the central region and serves the Emperor, but he is a vassal and not a loyal retainer.

Also, a ‘direct vassal’ is a vassal who directly serves the lord, while a ‘secondary vassal’ is a lower vassal serving that vassal.

So when a count serves a duke, and the duke serves the Emperor, the count is a secondary vassal from the Emperor’s perspective, meaning he is not a direct servant of the Emperor.

Consequently, among several hundred noble landlords in the Empire, the high nobles who needed to come to the capital and swear loyalty this time were fewer than expected.

I laughed upon seeing just one name on the list for the regions from the central province.

“It seems only one is required from the North. Indeed, all 64 counts in the central area are vassals of the Septentrion House.”

Jeilliris lazily mumbled, “I have not given grains to Seberik for no reason.”

“The problem lies with the West. It’s so vast with so many high nobles that there are six direct vassal dukes and 23 counts.”

“The East isn’t easy either. There’s one duke whose domain is more than three times larger compared to the other dukes.”

I recalled my memories from before the return and thought about the true objectives, relations, and weaknesses of the high nobles.

I pondered how to ensure they would loyally pledge allegiance and continue to follow Jeilliris in the future.

“Your Majesty, what if we promote the Marquess of Asenorta in the East to a duke?”

“Promotion? Are you suggesting we create another heavyweight like Septentrion?”

“The fewer direct vassals and the more secondary ones, the easier it is to manage. Asenorta has always longed for the glories of the past, so once promoted, it won’t be long before he commands the East.”

“……Indeed. To be a capable Emperor, one must also have capable vassals. I will heed your advice. What should we do about the West?”

I identified the most dangerous individuals among the Empire’s prominent nobles.

“Your Majesty, ultimately, we must seize the wave of the era. No matter how many strong figures there are, if another strong figure aligns with the Imperial Court, they won’t just sit idly by.”

“That is indeed true.”

“If we can win the loyalty of the Ironblood Party leader in the West, the Eternal Flame of the Southwest, and the Admiral of the South, the remaining ones will follow suit.”

“Very well. Let us actively make use of this. The underlings must fight for ‘us’ to reign, right?”

“We.”

Hearing that word made me feel like I might burst into tears.

“Duke?”

“My apologies, Your Majesty. Ah, I’ve prepared an area for their escort troops to be stationed. We’re even organizing a garrison outside the city walls.”

“Very well. I leave this to you. Use the budget and personnel as you see fit.”

“Thank you immensely. Furthermore…”

We discussed our future plans for a long time.

“Once you receive the oath of loyalty…”

“I will immediately move to identify Infiltrators throughout the Empire!”

Until dawn broke.