Chapter 152

In the fresh late spring, when the street trees changed their light green leaves to dark green, a sinister rumor wafted through the capital of the great empire, Silentalouon.

“Have you heard the story?”

In the bustling market preparing to auction freshly harvested barley, and in the Street of Learning filled with young people burning their youth with drinks and assignments.

“I know it. Isn’t it a story that has been passed along with wheat and barley?”

In the red-light district, where both the empty-pocketed and the well-off thought, “I should come back tomorrow,” and in the slums, which were shedding their old stigma like a garment and trying to be reborn.

“I hear Duke Valencius has recently toured the entire central region, riding every day alongside the knights and horses of that place without even taking a wyvern.”

People spoke in unison about the precarious and cruel yet beautiful journey of that man.

“But… why is everyone making a fuss over just a tour?”

“Don’t you understand? The tour itself isn’t the issue!”

Amidst all this, a porter working in a shop, after finishing a hard day’s work, gulped down beer and threw out a rather clueless question, and his fellow porters shot him a look suggesting he was saying something ridiculous.

The porter, seeming somewhat indignant, raised his voice and defended himself to his colleagues.

“You guys know that His Majesty the Emperor will soon demand a loyalty oath from the regional lords, don’t you?”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

“No matter how unrefined we may be, we work in a shop and have eyes and ears.”

His colleagues nodded, and the porter continued as if answering his own question.

“Of course, won’t they summon the vassals of the central region at that time? There’s no need to react so sensitively to a mere blood relative’s show of strength a month or two before that.”

His colleagues widened their eyes in disbelief.

“Have you ever seen a more ignorant person?”

“…It seems you are deaf and blind.”

The porter was again somewhat flustered and, recalling what he had just said, corrected any misleading implications.

“Of course, meeting with Valenciaunos isn’t something to boast about. It’s more appropriate to say it’s akin to getting a lashing. It’s definitely worth criticizing him for holding a feast full of drinks, meats, and rural maidens in such a difficult time for everyone.”

However, his remarks garnered only colder looks.

“…Does this friend really not know?”

“Does he not see what kind of dealings he made with the vassals, landowning knights, and barons while touring the central region?”

“Dealings…?”

The specialty produce of the central region was vast amounts of grain.

Right at that moment, the wheat and barley that he and his colleagues had been carrying all day were gathered from central region.

Although he was a porter, a man working in a shop immediately associated the term “dealings” with Valenciaunos trading grain with the landowners of the central region.

“Did he buy grain from the imperial family? How much did he purchase for it to matter so much?”

The colleagues, realizing the porter truly knew nothing, sighed, and one who was well-versed in various trivia lit a tobacco pipe and inhaled before speaking.

“Even the amount he just bought reaches 40%, and he purchased 70% of the fall supply.”

“!”

The porter spilled the beer he had just sipped.

“What nonsensical claim is that? How on earth will they transport that amount, no, why?”

Although the shop they worked in was a huge one owned by court nobles, their portion of the total amount handled was around 3%.

It was utterly unimaginable that even the great shops owned by the imperial family never handled amounts exceeding 8-10%, yet he had purchased 40% and 70%.

Why would the imperial family, already controlling the grain market utilizing mill guilds, act in such a manner?

Even for the imperial family, how could they possibly pay such a vast sum?

…And what despicable method was that reckless Valenciaunos going to employ to recover that money?

“That’s why all sorts of rumors are floating about.”

“Hmm.”

Watching the smoke rising from his colleague’s pipe, the porter let out a hum of contemplation.

His colleague, with a grim smile, monotonously remarked.

“They could engage in loan sharking during the famine, or they could raise the purchase price to force middlemen to buy at a loss, or perhaps it’s all for the sake of selling to the north instead of trading here. His Majesty believes the empire will be safe only with the north.”

The porter exhaled deeply upon seeing his colleague’s sardonic smile.

“I must have spoken without thinking. That reckless fool truly spends all day fixated only on harassing us.”

* * *

“Well done!”

The Emperor’s crystalline voice resonated in the spacious office.

Jeilliris welcomed me with a cheerful smile, her pomegranate-red lips curving upward.

Her yellow eyes brimmed with genuine joy like molten gold.

Seeing her bright smile after a month brought a smile to my face as well.

I bowed respectfully and spoke gracefully.

“The vassals of Your Majesty all respected the authority of the royal family, and they were responsible as regional lords, combining both martial and civil excellence. Moreover, the three campaigns against the Greenskins were not my doing, but rather the achievement of Duchess Helena.”

The last remark was meant to elevate Helena as promised, while ensuring I didn’t appear too competent.

“Duchess Helena’s?”

“Her tactics and strategies were nothing short of genius. She was aware of every detail from the beginning to the end of the battle. All I did was stand there like a smoking stick.”

Of course, I had no idea if Jeilliris would believe this, but at least it would make it evidently clear that I had no ambition for military power.

“Is that so? I’ve heard that the commander of the Golden Knights mentioned she stays late every night studying tactics and strategies, and that she has shown significant promise in war games as well. It seems that effort has not betrayed her.”

As expected, Jeilliris shifted her golden gaze from me to Helena.

For just a moment, she seemed to have the expression of finding it cute how I was pondering, but that must have been an illusion.

…Of course.

Jeilliris spoke in a languorous and arrogant tone.

“Helena, I ask you. Can you become my vanguard and burrow into the enemy to ravage them?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Can you fight from the skies, from the seas, on the land, in the mountains, in the swamps, above and below the city walls?”

“Yes, indeed! Your Majesty!”

Glancing over, I saw Helena’s complexion oscillate between pale and red with tension and excitement.

Her abundant, vibrant blonde hair was tied up tightly as if in respect of the Emperor, her bronze-patterned uniform of the Golden Knights was without a single crease, and the long black leather boots favored by officers gleamed so brightly that flies would slip if they landed.

In her red eyes, there was an intense flame that appeared as though the ash began to settle on charcoal.

…I couldn’t understand why this sister would wear such an expression over a muddy battleground.

“If you have the strength to stabilize your newly conquered territories and earn the loyalty of the people in the cities you have conquered, what reason would I have to not utilize you?”

Perhaps she hadn’t thought of that before, a crack briefly appeared on Helena’s confident face.

Even prior to my reincarnation, she was a furious warrior who charged after annihilating enemies and their cities; she was not a planner for stabilizing territories.

Yet Jeilliris merely laughed melodiously, as though she had been anticipating that.

Well, anyone with discerning taste would not think to use those sadistic eyes and ambitious red pupils for stabilizing a territory.

“Ah, haha.”

Helena realized she was being teased, but didn’t seem to know how to react when the Emperor mocked her.

As she awkwardly laughed with a face akin to the goddess of war, the Emperor waved her hand and said,

“Do not forget the memories of the last battle.”

The rattling sounds resonated from the joint rings that covered her four fingers.

“What you have learned during that time will be needed once again.”

“!”

A shiver ran through Helena’s eyes.

I witnessed the third royal family member rise in front of me.

For reference, I was the first, and Sererassie was the second.

“May Your Grace endure eternally!”

“Soon, a command will be issued.”

Jeilliris offered a sweet decree, and Helena saluted sharply before retreating from the office.

Jeilliris chuckled softly, and once again, a crack appeared on Helena’s face.

…Next time, I should let her know there’s no need for the knight order to back off like that.

It was a matter of propriety that subjects could not impolitely show their back and behind to their Emperor while retreating, but being part of the knight order gave her a far more lenient position in terms of formality.

* * *

Jeilliris gazed for a moment at the door Helena had disappeared through, then extended a large wooden box that had been resting on the desk.

“It’s medicine.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve been deteriorating due to the side effects of the Dragon’s Blessing ritual. This precious elixir made by the bio-alchemists should be taken daily.”

The box was adorned with red patterns and elegantly inscribed with the word ‘Eternal Life.’

Insane.

This elixir could only be created by the bio-alchemists of the Ivory Tower, and it boasted such efficacy that a king from some western kingdom once traded half his kingdom for ten of them.

Even Jeilliris could not easily obtain this quantity.

I sincerely expressed my gratitude while deeply bowing, analyzing the nuance of her words.

It wasn’t saying ‘I heard you’re deteriorating,’ but rather ‘I see you’re deteriorating.’

It signified she had just realized that.

With a gentle smile, she continued.

“You shouldn’t have to bother yourself with silver coins and gold coins…”

Another carriage must have arrived recently.

I received her words with a poker face.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will manage my own needs.”

The Emperor seemed to ponder for a moment whether it was alright for her to listen to this.

“…Fine. I shall let it slip this time. I am not one to chastise those who consider corruption a sin.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Now that I have taken care of those who will come, it’s time to dispose of those who will not, isn’t it?”

I immediately understood those words.

Last year, I had a rather rough encounter with two ducal families, Planities and Purioaito, and had become deeply entangled with them.

I had uncovered the misconduct the Duke of Planities had wrought through an illegitimate child, and had killed the former Duke of Purioaito who had attempted to use a dragon to assassinate Jeilliris, making his youngest daughter the new duke.

Of course, the two had no choice but to pledge loyalty to Jeilliris thereafter.

Furthermore, earlier this year, I had built a friendship with Duke Seberik of the north by supporting him with grain, and had spent nearly a month traversing the baron families and knight commands of the central region, resolving various conflicts and issues.

In other words, it meant I had gathered enough support to set the atmosphere right when the loyalty oaths were demanded.

“That truly is a wise observation. It would be best not to leave alive those who would be of no use to us no matter what measures we take.”

Jeilliris smiled, pleased with my ruthless flattery.

“Indeed, you understand my mind. It is truly refreshing to see. Before I officially demand oaths of loyalty from the great lords, I wish to cleanly eliminate those who would refuse. Take a look at this list and tell me who you think would be suitable.”

She pulled out a document from the desk and handed it to me.

The names of count and duke families were densely written on it.

‘White Shark’ Asenorta, ‘Red Bull’ Zakaarigais, ‘Sky Dragon’ Helaim.

I let out a hum of contemplation as I looked at the families that had boasted in the noble alliance prior to my reincarnation, and then I pointed to one with my finger.

“What about Gremoryus? If you grant me permission, I would rush to behead him right away.”

Jeilliris narrowed her golden eyes.

Her eyelids slowly drooping over her irises resembled a sunset.

“Black Wall. Gremoryus. Indeed, he is one who will never pledge loyalty to me. I have already executed his sister, mother, and nephews. I don’t even know how many assassins he has sent since before my ascent to the throne in support of the Crown Prince faction.”

However, the Emperor continued.

“It sounds like you intend to do it alone? Is that possible? His knights are powerful, and his castle is a natural fortress. He is a cautious man, and it will be difficult to draw him out.”

I nodded, recalling how he had died before my reincarnation.

“Yes, Your Majesty. If you remain seated, I will secure Gremoryus’s head.”

Once I met him, I had a method to send him straight to the other world.

Of course, using that method would bring about political aftershocks, but that was always the case.

The Emperor frowned, seemingly doubting my capabilities and worrying for my safety.

“Is that true? Perhaps it would be better if I went with you—”

While that scowling face was beautiful, I did not wish to see her frown, so I responded with a firm tone to assure her.

“No, Your Majesty. If you were to accompany me, he would certainly hide like a turtle using illness as an excuse.”

Only then did Jeilliris nod her head and once again pushed the ‘Eternal Life’ box toward me.

“…Make sure to take it. I won’t ask how. I no longer care. But you must not die.”

“I have no intention of doing so. I wish to follow you and live happily for a long time, Your Majesty.”

I smiled as I stood up from my seat.

Now that I had plenty of money, I was thinking of equipping myself first.

Just before I stepped out the door, her voice briefly held me back.

“I hear strange rumors circulating in the capital. Is that your intention?”

“I do not know what rumors you are referring to, Your Majesty.”

“Is that so? I guess I shall have to summon the Minister of Finance to ask.”

I figured something was amiss again; it seemed my infamy had increased yet again.

No matter, it was nothing serious.