LIGHTNOVELSTORY EP.15
My worries lingered on until the moment I met the Emperor.
Maria seemed to have a lot to say, but she didn’t ask a single question about whom I had met or what was troubling me, as if she could read my mind. I nodded in gratitude for her consideration.
What was I to do? And what could I do?
Physically ousting the Empress was out of the question, so I had to politically clip her wings. At least until Maria had firmly established her base and gathered enough power to protect herself.
The problem was how to go about it.
‘After all, I’m just the third son. There’s not much I can pull from my family.’
In the end, I had to narrow the Empress’s influence in Central Politics and eliminate a few of her lackeys, but the situation wasn’t looking great.
Even though I hadn’t managed to win over any Electors, that didn’t mean her capabilities were subpar. After all, Electors were all proud and stubborn people; convincing them through ordinary means was nearly impossible.
Just looking at my own family showed that. A house that was more or less a Duke among Electors was being ignored in the capital, and that was hardly a normal situation.
If my family, the lowest among the Electors, was like this, what about the other six families that already held the title of Duke?
Given this situation, the Empress had simply opted to eliminate other candidates rather than persuade the Electors. Furthermore, she was building a very solid base of support for herself.
‘There’s no need to mention power; we’re short on money too. Not to mention, time is not on our side.’
It might be difficult to leave within a month as initially planned with the Archbishop, but I had to get out of the capital before Maria’s plans to tie me down completely took shape.
That left me with one option.
We had to go for a justification conflict.
I’d need to induce a mistake from the Empress’s faction, seize the opportunity, and sway public opinion to set the Emperor’s purging blade into motion.
Just like I had with Yom last time.
However, one significant challenge stood in my way.
How could I draw a mistake from a faction so adept at the political dynamics of the capital?
It was none other than the Emperor who provided the answer to this.
—
“—Therefore, Wilhelm of the Brandenburg family swears loyalty to His Majesty and promises to serve the Empire.”
“Good, I look forward to your contributions moving forward.”
Of course, this ceremony was a moment for the Emperor to give a few encouraging words to those coming of age, but since I had never formally sworn allegiance to the Emperor, my conversation was kept brief.
And then, silence fell.
“……?”
Wasn’t this supposed to be a time for congratulatory words?
So why were the two of them just staring at each other without saying a word?
In the awkward atmosphere, my gaze wandered. Their standoff continued until the Emperor sighed and called for me.
“Wilhelm.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I hear you’re quite renowned in the outside world as a monster hunter.”
“That’s correct.”
Usually, I was introduced as “Bill the Monster Hunter,” but that was my personal choice. The nobles always called me Wilhelm without fail. I preferred it that way—despite how many times I introduced myself as Bill, they still insisted on sticking with “Billy” when shortened.
“Then why did you make such a choice? As a son of the Brandenburg family, even as the third son, you could have lived quite comfortably.”
The Emperor asked me the same question I often heard everywhere I went. I had a standard answer ready for it.
“Because that’s what I wanted.”
Monsters, magic, and auras were all around me.
From the moment I entered elementary school, I had been stuck in my orchard reading an endless series on the crimes of the great sinner who never published books as well as the never-ending tales of children’s mothers.
By middle school, I was a voracious reader, devouring light novels, movies, and dramas of every genre, and until I began my professional life, I couldn’t resist sampling whatever was put on my plate.
EP.15 Continued
Adventure and romance.
I can’t resist that.
Of course, I kept this thought to myself. My family still rolled their eyes at my incessant romanticism. It seemed my ideas were still too early for the world to accept.
Sigh, people are just like that. It’s only when they lose something they have that they realize how precious it was.
“Hmmm, I see. So, you’re saying it’s wanderlust. There are indeed people like that sometimes.”
But the Emperor nodded, his eyes lighting up. While he had used the term “wanderlust” to shorten my words, rare was the person who caught on to my thoughts so quickly.
…It wasn’t entirely unheard of. For instance, there was Maria. A few others also understood, but often I wondered if they actually grasped what I was saying or if they just nodded along.
“Ha! As expected, Your Majesty, you understand! If I were to elaborate, I’d need to take you back to when I was five years old and could hardly speak—”
“Ahem, your Majesty, may I interrupt for a moment?”
“Uh, um. That’s fine.”
Just as I was about to have a proper exchange with someone who understood my views, Maria cut me off and turned away.
“Are you out of your mind?!”
“No, I just met someone who gets me after so long—”
“Please remember that this isn’t a private gathering…”
“Ah, yes.”
Her reminder snapped me back to reality. When I returned to the original scene, it was now awkward for all three of us—Maria, the Emperor, and myself. The understanding figure I had just been speaking to had vanished, and the Emperor now regarded me with a look that clearly asked, “What kind of lunatic is this?”
“Well, though it’s a bit peculiar to say, is this kind of person alright?”
At the Emperor’s question, Maria squinted her eyes and turned her head away.
“…Yes, this is the kind of person I chose, after all.”
It was unfortunate that my evaluation had taken such a nosedive, but there was a silver lining: at least the father-daughter duo had started talking to each other. However, that didn’t mean they were suddenly sharing cozy familial chats. Instead, their conversation quickly turned to political matters and the political deals that would pass between them.
“So, in this case, the conflict between Count ~ and Count ~ is—”
“No, the crux of the issue ultimately lies in the mine. So if we—”
“Could you tell me what will happen to my title?”
“Now that you’re of age, I shall bestow upon you a designated title.”
I couldn’t help but find this puzzling.
Maria had always been this way. Ever since her childhood, having been attacked by the Empress, she had grown indifferent to others, often needing to sharpen her wit and suspicion just for self-preservation, which earned her the nickname “Ironheart.”
But why was the Emperor only engaging in public discussions with her like this?
I found myself unable to break into their conversation and pondered for a while.
Finally, once their discussion wrapped up, the Emperor called for me.
“Wilhelm.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I heard you met with the Empress before coming here.”
My entire body tensed up. In an instant, every muscle contracted.
I straightened up and responded to the Emperor’s question.
“Yes! That’s correct!”
When it comes to royal matters, one must always tread carefully. Thus, I remained on high alert as the Emperor waved his hand nonchalantly.
“No, I’m not here to reprimand you, so there’s no need to be so tense. I just have one thing to ask.”
“Is that so?”
The Emperor’s words relaxed my shoulders slightly. But then he continued, and that initial relief faded into anxiety once more.
“I hear your impression of the Empress isn’t very favorable.”
As soon as I heard that, I swiftly glanced over at both Maria and the Emperor’s expressions. Thankfully, neither of them showed signs of tension. Only then could I breathe a sigh of relief.
I needed to steady my heart, which was pounding from his bombshell statement.
“To be honest, yes, that’s true. I don’t have any particular grudge against her, but…”
I paused for a moment and looked at Maria.
“You can go ahead and say it.”
She nodded. If Maria said that, then I felt safe to proceed.
“Due to Maria’s request, I’ve had a few run-ins with the Empress’s faction while escorting her.”
I intentionally left out the remaining details, as they could lead to controversial implications. However, everyone present was well aware of the gist of it.
“Hmmm…”
The Emperor rested his chin on his hand, closing his eyes as he pondered.
“Indeed, the Empress does have a rather extreme side.”
What the Emperor articulated upon opening his eyes was so shocking that I almost erupted in applause.
“Traditionally, the conduct of the imperial election is to select a better Emperor. The fact that the House of Hofburg has monopolized the throne is solely a testament to the superior bloodline proving it can produce the best candidates, not a privilege passed down through lineage.”
I doubted my own ears.
Weren’t they saying the current Empress hailed from a government background? Yet, in the Emperor’s words, I sensed zero affection for his own wife.
“The reason we allow factions to compete against one another is to provide every candidate the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of being Emperor, not to endorse treacherous methods where one eliminates their competitor to seize the throne.”
Still, perhaps it was too politically charged for him to blatantly name his own wife, for the Emperor avoided doing so. However, the individuals he spoke of were clearly those loyal to the Empress; targeting them was tantamount to targeting her.
The Emperor paused and gazed at me intently.
Then he asked, “What do you think? As the son of an Elector, how do you view this situation?”
He was openly speaking to me.
Implying that he was considering the blade of purges.
And this resonated with the plans I had in mind. Naturally, I nodded.
“Indeed, I believe it is unjust. This deprives the Electors of their right to determine a better candidate.”
I understood quickly why the Emperor was performing this charade.
He wanted to demonstrate that this was not merely his own independent judgment. And being the son of an Elector, I could certainly grasp this.
As I mentioned earlier, the Electors were all rather peculiar individuals. With the tremendous power to elect the Emperor, they weren’t easily swayed by the whims of the Emperor or those around them.
And like those usually resistant to outside influence, each of them possessed strong convictions. Their criteria might differ, but one thing was certain.
If they heard a rumor that the Emperor was oppressing a particular candidate, they’d undoubtedly cast their votes for that person without question—like rebellious frogs, so to speak.
While it was true that this maintained the Empire’s overall health, it presented challenges for the Emperor in terms of eliminating political rivals.
He was subtly suggesting that I could take up that role.
I looked at Maria. She nodded in a manner that indicated she had already anticipated this.
The Emperor also refrained from outright commanding me; he merely continued to watch me silently.
In that moment, I directly accepted the Emperor’s suggestion.
“I believe this is a matter that must be addressed.”
While not wielding the absolute power of an autocracy, the support of the Emperor in a monarchical state, especially within the Empire, could provide a highly compelling justification.
It seemed like I would face quite a struggle not knowing how to approach this matter, yet that justification was precisely what I needed.
Given my desire to resolve this situation swiftly and escape the capital, I had no reason to refuse.