Chapter 87
Chapter 30: Kariel’s Dangerous Plan (3)
As soon as Kariel stepped out of the Grand Council Meeting, he headed straight for the Emperor’s Palace.
Upon arriving at the palace after a long time, he looked at the attendant who had come to greet him.
‘The face is different, but… it feels familiar.’
It was the same attendant who had faithfully served him until his last moments in his previous life. Seeing the familiar vibe, Kariel’s eyes narrowed.
“… Are you a member of the Secret Guardians?”
The attendant simply smiled at Kariel’s mumbled words.
“The Emperor is waiting for you.”
After briefly looking at him again, Kariel nodded and entered.
The Emperor lay on the bed.
He seemed too weak to sit up and barely opened his eyes to glance at Kariel before muttering one word.
“… It’s been a long time.”
“What were you doing until things got this bad?”
Kariel said coldly while casting a glance at the attendant, to which the elderly man bowed his head in embarrassment.
“It is not his fault. The time has already passed…”
The Emperor’s complexion was pale, and the spark in his eyes was fading away.
As he said, it truly looked like there was no hope left.
“What happened?”
“There was a hidden curse.”
“… A curse, you say?”
A drug created by the Dark Mages. It was more than just poison.
And it was even worse than Kariel had imagined.
It seemed that this condition had existed for quite some time. Yet the fact that no information had leaked out indicated that the Emperor had intentionally covered it up.
‘The Count of the Border and the High Nobles knew, didn’t they?’
Kariel clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.
“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“… You would have run away if you had known.”
At the Emperor’s words, Kariel frowned.
In that moment, he immediately grasped how the situation was unfolding.
“How much time is left?”
But when the Emperor stayed silent, Kariel turned to look at the attendant.
The attendant lowered his head and answered.
“… At most, six months.”
Receiving the answer, Kariel fell silent for a long while.
If the Emperor had at most six months, it meant he would die in about three to four months.
If he had called for Kariel in this situation, his intent was clear.
“You must know why I, the Emperor, summoned you here.”
“… The Nobles will rebel.”
The Emperor’s intentions were crystal clear.
He intended to pass the throne to Kariel.
However, it seemed to be going awry. Had Kariel not stirred up trouble, the Emperor would have peacefully passed the throne to him before dying.
But because Kariel had caused a stir, the Nobles were beginning to rebel.
That meant a new arrangement had to be made.
And that was why he was directly summoned to the palace.
“You’ve already spoken with the Count of the Border and the High Nobles to some extent.”
“… Yes.”
“Don’t you have siblings?”
At Kariel’s question, the Emperor smirked and gestured to the attendant.
Moments later, the attendant returned with a report.
Kariel read the highly classified report in his seat.
“…”
“The paths of the two princes are completely different. Yet neither is going to forge ahead.”
At the Emperor’s words, Kariel’s expression hardened.
As he had said, the two brothers were handling things well in their own ways.
One was in charge of diplomacy and the military, while the other managed internal affairs and inspections.
They were slowly starting to show results in areas they excelled in.
However, it was hard to say that one was better than the other.
Besides, their inexperience was evident in some areas, meaning they needed more time.
The problem was that the Emperor had little time left.
“… What remains?”
“Coordination.”
Kariel grimaced at the Emperor’s words.
It was originally the Emperor’s job to handle this.
But currently, the Emperor was not in a state to meet with Nobles for long sessions of coordination.
“… Do you think it’s irresponsible?”
When he was young, he was a tyrant, and by the time Kariel started to engage in activity, he had neglected all matters and disappeared.
Ultimately, he continued to postpone everything irresponsibly until the end.
That was the current Emperor.
“…”
“As you think, I am a tyrant, a misfortune leading the Empire to ruin.”
The fiercely proud Emperor smiled willingly as if he were accepting this.
Seeing that, Kariel, who had frowned, quickly assisted the Emperor.
Suddenly, the Emperor coughed forcefully and spat out blood.
After a series of violent coughs, the Emperor sank into unconsciousness, as if fainting.
“Is His Majesty alright?”
“Yes, he simply fainted from the pain.”
“Is that really something to say…?”
Kariel paused in his speech, realizing the nuance suggested that there was something far worse.
“… It must be mentally exhausting.”
“Is it due to the curse?”
“The curse has befallen someone already weak-hearted. Plus, they are prescribing narcotics, adding to the strain.”
A body unable to fully rid itself of drugs.
And on top of that, a curse.
Yet the already doubting and jealousy-ridden Emperor was barely holding on.
It was only possible because the attendant was there by his side.
“What exactly does His Majesty wish for?”
It wasn’t to simply pass the throne.
“That will become clear once you ascend to the throne. However… let me tell you one thing… once you receive the throne, you will have the right to know all the secrets of the imperial family.”
At the attendant’s words, Kariel’s expression hardened.
“His Majesty…”
At Kariel’s question, the attendant shook his head silently.
The Emperor ultimately did not know all the secrets of the imperial family.
‘I see how the attendant managed to capture the Emperor’s heart.’
The Emperor had revealed the secrets of the imperial family back to the world.
At the same time, he had laid the foundation to establish the Great Empire.
That was how he wanted to be remembered.
Moreover, it must have been out of a desire to peek into the secrets of the imperial family before his death.
‘… Things have become tangled.’
Kariel thought heavily as he left the Emperor’s palace, and found two dukes waiting for him.
“We meet again, Your Highness.”
“We meet again, Your Highness.”
Seeing the leaders of the Aristocratic Faction waiting for him, Kariel frowned.
“Let’s go to my palace.”
Kariel’s words caused the two dukes to follow him in silence.
*
“Your Highness!”
As they made their way to the palace, familiar sights greeted them.
Attendants, knights, and the Imperial Guard welcomed him with bright smiles.
Yet Kariel’s expression did not ease.
“Is my room empty?”
“Yes… it is!”
“Prepare some tea.”
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, they hurriedly retreated.
As Kariel entered his room with the two dukes, a moment later, a tea set was brought in.
“How much do the two dukes know?”
“We know that His Majesty has little time left.”
Duke Devir nodded heavily at his own declaration.
“Huh… I’ll be direct. What do you want?”
“We want you to receive the throne, Your Highness.”
At Duke Devir’s statement, Kariel’s face twisted.
“Duke Welch.”
“… Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What we agreed upon wasn’t supposed to be like this, was it?”
“I apologize.”
Duke Welch remarked, bowing his head.
Duke Devir also silently lowered his head.
After a moment of anger at their demeanor, Kariel collected his emotions.
“Let’s hear it for now.”
Kariel seemed to have calmed down, and Duke Devir started to quietly explain.
The two dukes and the Count of the Border had become aware of the Emperor’s condition for quite some time.
They had begun preparing after learning one by one, as Kariel left the capital.
“His Majesty has been preparing for quite a long time.”
“It seems he has been preparing since the attendant was changed.”
At Duke Welch’s words, Kariel sighed softly.
The Emperor’s death.
This was a matter that was not even comparable to the problems Kariel had created. Thus, to quell the chaos as soon as possible, Kariel needed to take central control right now.
He had to ascend to the throne and secure the Emperor’s formal abdication.
To prevent foreign nations from taking advantage of the Empire’s vulnerabilities, stability in the center was absolutely necessary.
Kariel knew this very well, yet pretended not to, as he questioned the two dukes.
“So, what exactly is it that you want?”
“You already know that the throne won’t be held for long, right?”
“We only need to keep it until this chaos is settled; just until then, we ask of you.”
At the dukes’ statement, Kariel’s expression stiffened.
“Do you know when that might be? And if another major incident occurs, my retirement would be delayed once more!”
“…”
“…”
Both dukes fell silent at Kariel’s questions.
“Huh… Let’s say I unwillingly ascend to the throne in this time of crisis. Will the Nobles accept it?”
To suddenly elevate Kariel, who had caused this mess, to Emperor?
There would be backlash among the Nobles.
“Myself and the Count of the Border will suppress any dissent.”
Kariel laughed at Duke Devir’s words.
“Are you suggesting to even involve the Rebel Forces?”
“They will be nothing but scraps.”
At Kariel’s statement, Duke Welch spoke firmly.
As he put it, it would be likely that the scraps would join the Rebel Forces. However, they were people who would not be a significant concern for the Empire, and if they were cleaned up, it would actually make it easier for Kariel to govern the nation.
Duke Welch had already calculated this much in his mind.
However, it would cause the civil war within the Empire to last even longer.
Even if it was difficult, Kariel was determined to drag them all along.
‘They must be brought down fairly.’
It was necessary to knock down the Nobles who had looked down on the talents of the commoners, one by one.
That would fundamentally change the very fabric of the Empire.
“Even if I refuse, you plan to forcibly have me seated on the throne, don’t you?”
At Kariel’s words, both dukes fell silent.
Regardless of their abilities, simply holding the title of First Prince could help stabilize the chaos within the Empire.
That was why the two dukes and the Count of the Border were intent on having Kariel assume the throne by any means necessary.
Now, they were prepared to marry him off to a princess and put him in the position of Prince of the Empire, even if it meant occupying a principality, all to seat him on the throne.
If that were the case, it had to be utilized.
“If I become Emperor, I will push through with the current plan.”
“Do as you wish.”
“That’s fine with us.”
With the dukes’ words, Kariel sighed.
Ultimately, this was a matter unrelated to the High Nobles.
The Count of the Border dealt with local issues, while the High Nobles fought endlessly in the center for their positions.
When those who had been pushed out of the High Nobles seat descended through the generations to become Lower Nobles, then the issues would arise.
Those lacking ability while intoxicated by past glory or those who were sidelined by their families yet still trying to act important.
Even after Kariel had cleaned things up, these types still lingered within the Empire.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“I’m fine with it.”
Duke Welch underscored his resolve once more. He had calculated how much his family would benefit from Kariel’s planned actions, as well as the losses suffered from inter-faction adjustments.
Duke Devir was the same.
Considering the connections between his current ventures and Kariel’s planned actions, it resulted in more benefits.
Support from the leaders of the Aristocratic Faction naturally meant the Neutral Faction wouldn’t disagree.
Yet, their support hinged on the premise that Kariel would ascend to the throne.
“… I will take my leave for now.”
“Is that truly necessary?”
Duke Welch tilted his head.
“Principles. That’s what I will establish.”
Kariel stated firmly while looking at the two dukes with determination.
This indicated his unwillingness to accept the throne under current conditions.
“I do not wish to be buried in a pile of paperwork.”
“… Understood.”
“… Then please proceed.”
Both dukes agreed, having recently been buried under a mountain of paperwork themselves.
In order to effectively employ either revolutionaries or criminals, it was essential to prove their abilities and establish a strong foundation.
Having made a deal with the two dukes, only the Grand Council Meeting remained.
While the outcome of the meeting was practically predetermined, it was necessary to put on a performance for the naïve Nobles who were unaware of the true situation.
