After Samuel completed a special tour guided by Aaron Pierce through the floors of the Imperial Tower.
He came back to his grand palace feeling tired and resolved to strategize his next steps.
Samuel quickly showered before heading to his office.
Sitting in his office chair, he sorted through the reports detailing the nobles within his empire.
His objective: to pinpoint which nobles he would soon target to become his new allies.
However, he found out that the Grand Duke had the support of most of the nobles.
"Wait, what if I use this report to my advantage? "
Samuel grinned cunningly as he perused the document he'd acquired detailing the Imperial Council meeting led by the Grand Duke earlier today.
[The Council declined to meet the demands of the rebel forces. This decision was reached when over 87% of the nobles voted against it, with only 13% in favor, aiming to minimize both material and human losses. ]
[The Grand Duke and Marquis Maxwell proposed a plan to defeat the rebel forces in six months using... ]
The Rebellion Forces comprise citizens of the Griffin Empire who are discontented with the prevailing circumstances, banding together to challenge the existing authority and strive for change. Situated in the southern region of the Empire, their primary objective is the removal of the Emperor and the nobility, with the ultimate aim of instituting reforms to eradicate the pervasive corruption within the Empire's governance.
"If this plan works, I'll have more people to use and more choices."
Quickly, Samuel took out the magic crystal from his spatial bracelet that Magnus had given him during their last meeting.
The crystal was linked solely to the coordinates of Magnus's own, ensuring their conversation remained secure, without risk of leakage.
To power the communication, Samuel placed a low-level mana stone beside the crystal, supplying it with the necessary energy.
Samuel tapped the glass twice to initiate contact, causing the crystal to shine repeatedly as it established the connection.
In order for the crystal to function, it requires a power source. This energy can come from various sources;
For instance, a magician might infuse it with mana to establish a connection, while a knight could utilize ki for the same purpose.
Samuel, however, lacks magical or martial abilities. So, as an ordinary human, he employed the Mana Stone to energize the crystal.
After a short while, he heard Old Magnus' voice.
[Your Majesty, what's wrong? ]
After ensuring the door was firmly shut, Samuel whispered,
"Can you arrange a private meeting with the leader of the rebel group? "
Samuel asked with a smile, eagerly awaiting Magnus' response on the other end.
[Are you referring to Red Claud, the leader of the southern rebels?]
"From what I've gathered, it seems he has a troubled past with the Grand Duke. I think we could leverage that to our advantage." Samuel stated, his tone firm and businesslike.
[... ]
[Certainly, I've assisted him previously, but he harbors a strong animosity towards the noble class in our empire and has a tendency towards violence. Are you absolutely certain, Your Majesty, that you wish to meet him? ]
"Yes, I believe I can manage it."
[Understood ]
"Find a spot and a time quickly to meet with him."
[Okay]
"Remember to have your student come to my palace tomorrow morning. The security isn't very tight, so with his abilities, he should be able to get into my room easily."
[Got it, seven in the morning, right? ]
Samuel nodded, staring at Magnus' image in the magic crystal
"Please gather and share all available details on the Grand Duke and any nobles aligned with him. Additionally, provide a list of nobles currently opposing the Grand Duke. I need this information to cross-reference with my reports. Please have your student deliver all the information to me by this morning." ..
[Tsk, okay. You like..- ]
"Okay, I'll hang up now. I'm waiting for the good news. Don't disappoint me."
Then, without waiting for Magnus' answer,
Samuel cut the connection, quietly returning the crystal to his spatial bracelet.
For several hours, he kept figuring out which nobles would be helpful to have as allies at the moment. However, he only identified a small handful of individuals he could rely on. .
Additionally, he dedicated himself to memorizing the faces of all the nobles within his empire, thanks to his newfound ability to recall information effortlessly.
"Interesting."
Based on what he knew, most of the nobles in his empire were engaged in various dealings with the Duchy of Mackenzie. Only a few nobles are not connected to the Grand Duke.
"Ah, looks like I'll have to wait for Aaron's info to understand everything fully. Some of these reports are outdated."
Samuel felt incredibly exhausted after plowing through numerous reports within just a few hours.
He stashed the important reports in his special bracelet, then left his office to head to his room for sleep.
Samuel entered his room quietly, with the maid, Emilia, trailing behind, persistently questioning why he had stayed in his office for so long.
"Emilia, I've already said I'm exhausted and just want to sleep now. "
"But Your Majesty, what about dinner?" Emilia inquired, gazing calmly at Samuel's face.
"Hahhhh"
Samuel let out a tired yawn, his eyes almost shut.
"Leave. I'm going to bed. Let the kitchen know I won't be having dinner."
Emilia replied, "Good night, Your Majesty," respectfully.
"Okay, okay, just leave."
Emilia lowered her head and promptly exited the Griffin Emperor's chamber, leaving him alone.
Samuel, exhausted from the strain of his overweight frame, settled onto the massive bed and drifted into sleep.
....
6:29AM
Samuel woke up early to the sound of birds singing outside his window.
As he lay in bed, he found himself pondering the idea of magic—a concept that felt unfamiliar to someone from the 21st century.
In 21st century, firearms, chemical weaponry, and nuclear arms dominated the world who was devoid of any mystical elements.
Every fan of fantasy dreams of being reborn into a realm abundant with magic and mana, just like Samuel.
"Today I will try magic." Samuel whispered these words with a gleeful grin on his round face.
He promptly showered and dressed nicely, eagerly anticipating Aron's arrival.
7:01AM
whoosh !
Suddenly, a young man with black hair and purple eyes materialized in front of Aaron.
Aaron felt surprised to see Samuel standing there quietly.
Then he spoke, scratching his nose oddly.
"Ah, you're awake"
" What do you think? Are you blind ?"
Aaron added, "My teacher asked me to come and teach Your Majesty the fundamentals of magic."
Samuel looked at Aaron with a serious expression, trying to contain his excitement, then whispered,
"I know. We have three hours before the maid arrives in my room, so let's go now to make the most of that time."
Aaron gave a brown cloak to Samuel, who promptly wore it.
Then Aaron offered his left hand to Samuel, who grabbed it quickly.
"Let's go!"
Aaron muttered some incomprehensible words, and suddenly a white magic circle appeared under their feet.
whoosh !
Then they vanished from the room .