Chapter 437
(Kyle Calendar
Year 515: Age 22)
Audience and
Meeting
Translator : PolterGlast
On the afternoon of our second day in the Imperial
Capital, the first of the two major events of this official visit—the
face-to-face meeting with the new Emperor—was held.
In the first part, an audience ceremony was held. The flow
of it apparently involved envoys from various countries offering their
congratulations on the new Emperor's ascension, with the Emperor
responding in turn. Included among them were envoys sent by the Sura
Principality and the Turncoat Kingdom.
Then came the second part, where we, invited as state
guests, were to make our appearance.
By the time we followed our guide and were invited onto the
dais from the upper stage, the area where the throne originally stood had
already been rearranged. The throne now sat on the lower stage, and on the
upper stage were three equally luxurious seats, with two more seats prepared
behind the one closest to the center.
To begin with, the Grifonia Empire, which had
conquered neighboring countries and reigned as an absolute powerhouse, had
never welcomed a ruler of equal standing as a guest of honor.
Therefore, this was an unprecedented meeting, full of
exceptions completely absent from the Empire's history.
After being introduced with a grandiose declaration, we were
led to our respective seats. I, Krügel-heika, and Clarice-denka
sat in the seats prepared on the upper stage, while Miseri and Yoltia
sat behind me.
「Words cannot express our gratitude
that you have traveled all this way to Griffin. Furthermore, on behalf
of the Empire, I would like to formally express my thanks to the Westlights
Demon Territory Dukedom and the other nations for their immense
contributions in suppressing this recent rebellion.」
「Think nothing of it. We merely
provided assistance in accordance with our agreement as sworn allies. Now that
the rebellion has been suppressed and you are to be crowned as Emperor,
it is only natural that we come to celebrate as friends.」
When I referred to him as a 『friend』 during my outward-facing greeting, a stir rippled through
the imperial nobles lined up on the lower tier.
Well, I suppose that was to be expected? After all, from the
Empire's perspective, the Kyle Kingdom and the newly emerging Demon
Territory Dukedom were countries they had previously looked down upon as
targets for conquest.
「As the Emperor of this Empire,
I dare say this to everyone assembled here. Do not ever forget that the guests
invited here today are the saviors of our Empire!」
After making that declaration, he raised his hand. Sieghart
stepped forward from the lower tier, bowed respectfully, and after receiving a
document resting on a tray, began to read it aloud.
「In gratitude for saving the Empire
from its dire predicament, and by the name of Emperor-heika, we shall present the nations
invited today with rewards befitting their great deeds, and we shall cede a
portion of our territory to ensure the peace of the Empire. We humbly
request that our esteemed guests from each nation graciously accept these
offerings.」
Huh? Come to think of it, we had discussed the new
borderlines, but I had only heard that the rewards would be
"appropriate." If they were going to be issued directly from the Empire
to the Kyle Kingdom and the Fearalt Principality as well, it
would actually be quite convenient for me, saving me the extra effort.
「First, to the Fearalt
Principality, whose King-heika
personally led troops to assist us against the forces of the Lute, Villé,
and Cain Kingdoms that invaded the northern imperial territory, we shall
gift 100,000 Imperial Large Gold Coins as a token of our gratitude.」
Whoa! An Imperial Large Gold Coin is worth twice as much as
a gold coin from the Kyle Kingdom. That meant this was a massive
windfall equivalent to 200,000 gold coins.
「Similarly, in gratitude to the Royal
Capital Knight Order of the Kyle Kingdom, who fought valiantly to
protect the citizens of the Empire on the northern front, we shall gift
250,000 Imperial Large Gold Coins along with our deepest thanks.」
This was an exceptional sum, too. That was 500,000 gold
coins in Kyle Kingdom currency. Since 15,000 soldiers had deployed, that
was over 30 gold coins per soldier.
「And finally... to the Westlights Demon
Territory Dukedom, whose Archduke-heika
himself traveled all the way to the Empire's new territories, not only
saving us from our plight but completely annihilating the invading enemy
forces, and who achieved unparalleled success in protecting the imperial
citizens and repelling the invasion army on the northern front, we shall gift 2,500,000
Imperial Gold Coins as a testament to our gratitude.」
「「「「「Ooooh!」」」」」
The venue erupted in a collective roar, but even I could
tell it wasn't out of praise or positive surprise. Sieghart seemed to
know this as well, and purposefully paused for a beat.
「Forgive my insolence, but I must
speak. It is only natural to show our gratitude, however... with such an
exorbitant sum, the Empire's treasury will be emptied!」
「Indeed! The Empire will not
be able to sustain itself at this rate!」
「Please, consider the Empire's
honor and dignity!」
A portion of the nobles raised their voices in
dissatisfaction as if seizing their chance, but doing so in front of foreign
guests was the height of a lack of common sense. Well, to those who spoke up,
the Demon Territory Dukedom was a lesser entity; they likely thought
there was no need to show any restraint. However... I had been told by Sieghart
beforehand that this was part of a deliberate performance to flush out the
rebellious factions. Since they took the bait so beautifully, the man himself (Sieghart)
was wearing a faint smirk.
「It seems you are all laboring under
a misunderstanding. When my foolish older brother became a prisoner of the Kyle
Kingdom, the Empire paid 1,000,000 Large Gold Coins as the price for
his safe return. How do you account for that fact? Is it your understanding
that the life of the one who is to become Emperor is equal in value to
someone who merely held a claim to the throne, and who was removed from
candidacy after committing a blunder? Is that what you thought?」
「T-That is...」
「No, we would never...」
「We were merely speaking for the
dignity of the Empire...」
「Do you not understand that
deliberately exposing your shameful behavior in front of our guests damages the
Empire's dignity?」
「「「......」」」
「Furthermore, the expeditionary force
of the Demon Territory Dukedom saved the lives of 50,000 of our
compatriots on the southern front and annihilated an enemy army 120,000 strong!
And that is not all. They protected hundreds of thousands of imperial citizens
on the northern front. Do you not think that 2,500,000 coins is insufficient
for such achievements, let alone for my very life?」
In truth, this meeting ceremony was also apparently designed
to humiliate those who harbored dissatisfaction with the new Emperor—effectively
performing a public execution through words to strip them of their unifying
power. As always, Sieghart came up with the most vicious schemes.
Especially since the Empire had a tendency to look down on neighboring
countries, I had heard that decisively cutting down that mindset was also part
of his goal.
「It is exactly as Emperor-heika says. We intend to compensate for
the shortfall through the cession of territory. We shall confiscate the domains
and assets of those who participated in this rebellion, significantly
reshuffling the noble territories within the Empire. To the Westlights
Demon Territory Dukedom, we shall cede the former Roland Principality—which
was a mandate territory of His Majesty—along with the adjacent noble domains,
such as the territory of Count Jark, who aided the rebellion and turned
a blind eye to the invading army.」
「W-What! That is simply too much—」
「Calm yourself, Minister of
Finance. I dare ask: who protected the people of the regions we plan to
cede from the invaders? Who is still providing for them now that they have
become refugees?」
「T-That is...」
「Hundreds of thousands of people who
suffered the invasion fled to the Demon Territory Dukedom and are still
being sheltered today. The Demon Territory Dukedom is bearing the
manpower and costs to reconstruct the war-torn lands. Can you not see just how
grateful the citizens of the Empire are to the Demon Territory
Dukedom and its Archduke?」
「It is as you say, but... even so, it
is far too excessive...」
「It seems the core of the Empire
is far too concerned with appearances and arrogant about past glories. You
would do well to take a step back from your duties and observe reality from an
unburdened perspective. I shall grant leave to all the others who voiced
objections as well, so that you may travel the lands and witness how the people
are living.」
Hahaha, so he just gained a legitimate pretext to dismiss
them over this incident? Even so, no matter the country, there are always fools
who ignore reality and obsess only over appearances.
「Earlier, the former Minister of
Finance worried that the treasury would be emptied, but I dare say this to
you all! Can we not allocate the equivalent value from the Sura Principality,
the Turncoat Kingdom, and the assets and territories of the other
crushed rebel nobles? The Empire's dignity is maintained by showing
appropriate gratitude and sincerity for the favors we have received. Anyone who
objects to this is welcome to bring me a counter-proposal that I can find
acceptable.」
He was certainly right. Although it wasn't absolute, the
high nobles who directly participated in or supported the rebellion had all
been crushed, and I had heard their numbers accounted for as much as a fifth of
all imperial nobles.
Additionally, while their territory wasn't massively
reduced, the Sura Principality had ceded the mountain range where their
fortress line was built, as well as the strongholds beyond it, essentially
having a dagger thrust at their throat.
Although the income generated from their territory wouldn't
change significantly, it seemed they were now required to pay an enormous
annual tax to the Empire as a security fee, on top of the reparations.
On the other hand, the Turncoat Kingdom had ceded the
parts bordering imperial territory—a prominent granary region making up a
quarter of their country—and were obligated to pay substantial reparations
alongside an annual security fee.
There was no doubt that the profits from these alone would
amount to a considerable income. However... the two nations had no idea that
even harsher treatment awaited them.
Is it about time for my cue?
「We are grateful for your tremendous
consideration and for entrusting the Empire's citizens to us. In return,
we would like to present a gift that will bring peace to your great nation
going forward.」
「Oh? That is a welcome offer.」
After seeing the new Emperor nod as he said that, I
raised my right hand. At that signal, the ones who walked onto the dais were,
of course, the two people I had secretly brought along.
「The Lute, Villé, and Cain
Kingdoms invaded the imperial territory alongside the Istoria Orthodox
Theocracy, but they were defeated and subsequently destroyed by the very
Theocracy army that was once their ally. We have captured the former King
of the Villé Kingdom and sent him back to the Imperial Capital,
but the Kings of the other two nations have also perished, along with
the royalty who remained in their countries, as the price for their sins.」
As I said this, the two bowed their heads deeply, and
simultaneously, a great commotion spread through the venue. One of the reasons
for this was that information regarding the rise and fall of the three kingdoms
was heavily convoluted within the Empire due to how rapidly events had
unfolded.
「Acting upon my will, they subjugated
the bandits that had invaded the three kingdoms, and as the sole surviving
royalty, they liberated their homelands. They have now inherited their kingdoms
and have come here to bear the sins of their predecessors before the new Emperor.」
With those words, they apologized once more to the new Emperor,
their heads still bowed deeply.
「I am Courage, formerly the First
Prince of the Lute Kingdom, and she is Alicia, formerly the Third
Princess of the Cain Kingdom. The two of us have inherited the sins
committed by our predecessors, and we offer our deepest apologies to the Empire
once more.」
「Please, in exchange for offering
both of our lives as an apology to the Empire for this incident, we beg
for lenient treatment for our citizens and soldiers.」
At their words, the audience hall fell completely silent.
They hadn't even imagined that the royalty who had inherited the kingdoms would
personally appear to offer their lives as an apology and atonement for their
sins. Receiving their apology, the new Emperor slowly rose from his
seat.
「I see that both of you possess a
magnificent resolve befitting royalty meant to lead their nations. However,
have the Kings of your respective nations not already paid for their
crimes—one imprisoned, and the other two executed by a rampaging army?
Therefore, your sins have already been paid for! Furthermore, since the
liberation of the three kingdoms was achieved with the assistance of the Archduke
of the Demon Territory Dukedom, it stands to reason that the right to
decide your life or death lies with the Archduke.」
The moment he said that, all eyes instantly focused on me.
Including the less-than-friendly ones... Here, as if performing on a stage, I
intentionally began to speak in a loud, expressive voice.
「These two also have the merit of
contributing to the recapture of their lands and the stabilization of their
governance. Therefore, what we demand is that they rebuild their ruined three
kingdoms, forge friendly relations with us to contribute to the reconstruction
of the areas they invaded, and serve as the vanguard against the still-scheming
Istoria Orthodox Theocracy, thereby contributing to the peace of the Empire.
Additionally, how about atoning for the sin of your invasion by ceding a
portion of your territory and paying reparations...?」
「Hmm... the Empire has no
objections to that.」
「Of course, the two of us gratefully
accept these orders.」
This was purely a premeditated farce we had prepared in
advance, but the Empire's side was left completely speechless by the
sheer suddenness of the development and the situation that defied all common
sense. It would be accurate to say that Sieghart had been aiming for
exactly this, and it seemed his scheme was a brilliant success.
「Hahaha, with this, the entire
northern region of the Empire will stabilize, and we will prosper even
further through trade with our neighboring allied nations. We can now focus
solely on managing our vast, newly acquired territories. We gratefully accept
this 『celebratory
gift』
from the Archduke! As a result, the Empire has expanded its
territory, grown wealthier, and displayed its majesty. What say you to that?」
「「「「「As you
command!」」」」」
Led by Sieghart, those acting on his intentions responded simultaneously in a booming voice. With this, the matter was settled without room for objection. The two were permitted to take a seat, and afterward, amiable conversations were exchanged. The face-to-face ceremony concluded without a hitch. And then... I faced a night filled with anxiety.
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