Chapter 3. Aah… I’m screwed… (9)
3.5 Their Story
[2.5] A Certain Empire’s Story: Let’s begin the clean-up operation.
“Your highness! There is no need for the imperial family to do this!”
“Right! We can take care of those rats ourselves!”
In a place that was louder than the town market, the emperor sighed and spoke lightly to himself.
“Annoying.”
“Your highness, saying that in the midst of the meeting is…”
“It’s ok, it’s not like they can hear what we’re talking about or anything.”
“…Bitch.”
“Oi, I’m an emperor, you know?”
“Be more like an emperor, then. Do it before I start a rebellion.”
“Those guys are being annoying though.”
After hearing this, Aruten, the man who was the Imperial Magician as well as the emperor’s close friend, scanned the people in the meeting and sighed.
“Just how much did they get bribed just to support Howling that much?”
“Probably more than half of the people here got briberies.”
“Mm… Getting rid of Howling would be hard.”
The emperor reassured the magician that the man was wrong as soon as the words escaped the magician’s lips.
“I already sent out the army, though?”
“What the fuck did you say?”
Aruten’s veins popped out, and he immediately struggled to keep the magic intact. As soon as he prevented his spell from breaking, he glared at the emperor.
“Mm… Well, the guys over there would probably bitch around for a while if I didn’t do something.”
Perhaps it was because of the wizard’s glare, but the emperor seemed to be quite nervous as he spoke.
“W, well, I sent my bodyguards along, so it should be fine….”
“Are you crazy? Who’d guard you if you sent away your bodyguards?”
“Mm… I don’t need anyone to guard me?”
“…”
Aruten was struck speechless. The emperor in front of him was the greatest idiot in the history of the empire, but was also a genius. If he wasn’t, the imperial palace would’ve nearly collapsed by now. In truth, this emperor was someone who was once hailed as the sword emperor in the past.
“…And there’s you, too.”
“…Don’t say something that disgusting. Say that to a girl instead, damn it.”
Aruten sighed as he stroked his white beard.
“Hah… You already started doing it, so you might as well deal the final blow as well.”
“Mn? How?”
“Just say it’s the imperial decree, and that you’d just kill them if they disobeyed.”
“…You’re even more daring than me?”
“I’m your friend, after all.”
The emperor looked at Aruten with a dissatisfied face, but the wizard seemed ready to ignore the emperor completely when faced with complaints.
“…Well, in any case, this should probably work out one way or the other.”
“Hmm, what about the children who are captured there, though?”
“They will have to be sacrificed for this, most likely.”
“There are a lot of children from noble families who joined to spy as well. One of them even has the right to the throne.”
“You don’t have to worry about that one. The old man from Nermia sent in the Sword Saint. Well, he sent her in to save the kid from his family, but Swin’s at the place where the heir of Nermia is, so it’s all good.”
“You remembered the boy’s name? You must’ve liked him.”
The emperor made a happy smile after hearing this.
“Yeah. He… he resembles me from a long time ago.”
“…Didn’t you say that about the crown prince as well?”
“Yeah.”
“And you know that the crown prince goes out playing with women every day, right?”
“Of course I do. He already knows how to enjoy the world at such a young age… he was born to be an emperor.”
“…Oi, are you telling me playing around is a good thing?”
“If he has the talent to become the emperor even while playing around, he is fit to be the emperor. I’m a genius too, remember?”
Aruten closed his eyes, and reminisced the past he had shared with the emperor.
He could remember the emperor playing outside while he studied magic.
He could remember the emperor seducing women while he frantically researched magic.
He could remember the emperor being recognized as a high-class knight, when he barely managed to become a full-fledged wizard.
He could remember the emperor seducing away his first love around he time he got recognized by the tower.
He could remember the emperor becoming the sword emperor around the time he became an archmage.
He could remember the emperor being crowned when he became the imperial wizard after much effort.
“Maybe I really should start a rebellion…”
When Aruten glared at the emperor, the emperor purposefully looked away.
“Hum, hum… In any case. We can’t leave Howling be.”
“…Evil always rises from time and again.”
“We still can’t leave them be.”
Aruten sighed after looking into the emperor’s eyes, and dispelled the barrier.
“…that, your highness!”
“No, before that, think of the peasants, your highness!”
“No, before that!”
“From this moment forth, I shall issue out an Imperial decree.”
Everyone turned silent from the emperor’s voice that was filled with power and authority.
And
“Let us begin the cleaning operation.”
No one was able to go against that order.
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