Chapter 39
"Outside the palace, there's no need for unnecessary formalities. Uncle, you may sit beside me."
"All right."
Because of His Majesty's order, Indra returned to his previous dynamic behavior and sat by His Majesty's side.
Meanwhile, I glanced around and linked Luthiya with my Armor ring to take human form.
However, it was not as small as the figure I had made before.
Instead, I made it 1:1 size – the same size as a human.
A warrior clad in flames stood behind His Majesty as if to protect him.
"Looks exaggerated."
"This is not a royal palace."
I said firmly.
"We must take every precaution. Besides, His Majesty, the Emperor's misfortune is everyone's misfortune. A great sovereign like you must not have any other contingency than his natural life."
"Well, then, Noah, I leave everything to you."
"Yes."
I thanked His Majesty, looked around some more, and then let Luthiya blow flames.
Flames rose from the entire body of the creature.
It's just the appearance of a fire demon.
And at the same time, the Leviathan weakly held the surrounding area.(He used intimidation)
It's not enough to knock them out, just enough to instill awe and respect in the people here.
It's just a weak threat.
Then, I check my surroundings.
In my vision is Luthiya, and the one I feel in my heart is Leviathan.
I could feel the pure respect from the people, and not a hint of animosity.
"As expected of you, Noah."
"I'm surprised you're so calm at your age. Isn't he the best of the emperor's children?"
"Yes, I'm very proud of him. That's why I gave him the title of "Wise". Same as Uncle's "Thunder", I think it's an appropriate one."
"Kakaka, mine may have been thunder, but by now it's just old man thunder."
His Majesty and Indra laughed at each other.
"Noah's 'Wisdom' is yet to come. After all, it has been decided that Noah's first battle will be by himself."[TN: it says Wise but Wisdom here is appropriate]
For a moment, everything around them fell silent.
Then, as if recoiling, the biggest cheer of the day went up.
"Is that what all the members of the royal family do in their first battle?"
"Are you going to do that all by yourself? Normally you have to be protected by soldiers."
"But it makes sense. ... since it is this Prince. ...:
In the midst of the buzz, I heard one voice after another praising me.
Although I thought about it for a moment, the people's gaze and attention naturally focused on me.
It's convenient to protect His Majesty, so let's go on like this.
No ... what if ...?
I glanced at His Majesty, and our eyes met.
When I saw that, I was convinced.
This is a follow-up from His Majesty.
He followed up on my action of glaring around and trying to protect him by announcing my first battle alone.
Otherwise, there would be no need to announce here that the decision had been made long ago, and that a certain amount of rumors had already circulated in the city.
If that's the case, then let's just go along with it.
"That's the great thing about Noah."
Mmm.
"What do you mean, Emperor?"
Indra wondered.
In the midst of the murmur of the people, His Majesty answered in a whisper that only Indra beside him could hear.
"The reason I announced what I just did was to help Noah. Noah understood that when he caught a glimpse of me, and he went along with it."
"Hoo, I'm impressed. Even I didn't understand that."
"Uncle is a bold man, but not very sensitive. It can't be helped."
"Oh, I can't be bothered with all the details."
"That's why you and your mistress have so many minor quarrels."
"Yes, indeed. Kakaka, I can leave my grandchildren in greater peace of mind."
His Majesty and Indra laughed again.
"Well, Uncle. I would like to have a word with you. Please join me in the carriage."
"Sure."
–The main point.
I understood that this was the reason why His Majesty had come all the way out here.
I beckoned to his carriage, which was waiting some distance away.
The people gave way neatly, and the carriage approached slowly.
When the carriage arrived, the eunuch accompanying him got on all fours on the spot, and His Majesty and Indra, one after the other, used his back as a springboard to get on the carriage.
Once they were properly mounted, the Imperial Guard waved their whips and the carriage began to move slowly.
I stepped to the side and put Luthier in the lead.
"So, what's the story, Emperor?"
"Umu."
His Majesty's expression faded slightly, and his mouth opened.
I felt 'Dokin' and ordered Luthiya to breathe more fire.
The people cheered as the flames rose from within its body like an aura.
"I am going to abolish the Crown Prince."
His Majesty's words were drowned out in the cheers of the people.
Indra stared blankly at him. By the look on his face, it seemed he had heard correctly.
His Majesty looked at me, gave me a "had to" look, and then continued.
"I thought it would work out, but I can't help but think that it would no longer be appropriate."
"Why?"
"Due to Gilbert's case."
"... Is that so"
Indra nodded gravely.
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Gilbert's case.
It may sound like a case of Gilbert plotting to poison His Majesty and the Crown Prince, but it is definitely not.
I stitched and weaved my way through the holes in the imperial law, and somehow managed to keep Gilbert in prison alive – I tried to prevent His Majesty from killing his child, but Crown Prince Albert forced the execution immediately.
That's definitely the case.
"That's not a mistake, but it could have been done better."
"That chilled my nerves, too. If he becomes the emperor, there will be a purge, that's for sure. I've been so disrespectful to the emperor, he could pick me off if he wanted to."
"Yeah. That narrow-mindedness, if he ascends to the throne, it will be Henry, Oscar, and Noah. Those three will be the first to be purged."
Probably.
Brother Henry, Brother Oscar, and me.
These are the people who are currently serving as Ministers being the Prince.
Probably, from Albert's point of view, we are quite an obstacle.
"I can't entrust my legacy to such a narrow-minded man."
"... That's all well and good, but what now?"
"I haven't decided."
"That's no good."
Indra said immediately.
His Majesty's consulting with Indra was probably due to the fact that he was able to speak frankly with him.
"The Emperor is old enough, at his age, it would not be surprising if he were to pass away tomorrow morning. If you abolish him and leave before the decision is made, the empire will be divided."
"..."
His Majesty fell silent.
That's right, that's what being a Crown Prince is all about.
Even in a normal family, when a parent dies, there is always a dispute over the inheritance.
In the royal family, the equivalent of that inheritance is the position of Emperor.
The crown prince is meant to prevent disputes even if the emperor dies suddenly.
It's the same as announcing a will in advance.
"I can't say anything about it if it's been decided, but if it hasn't been decided, no."
"It's not that I haven't decided ...."
The tone of His Majesty's voice became very flat.
His tone was void of any emotion and was unreadable.
"But if we announce it now, it will only cause more trouble."
"Still, it's better than not having a crown prince."
"Yes, it is. ..."
I thought about it for a while and came up with an idea.
The idea was put together with a number of realistic situations to formulate a feasible method.
Then, after it was somewhat solidified.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty."
"Hmm? What is it? Tell me, Noah."
"How about we just announce that you have a will? Announce that your successor – the de facto crown prince – is written therein."
"No."
Indra immediately denied it.
"I'm sure the content of it will be made public after the emperor's death. Then you can falsify it in any way you like."
"Yes, that's why the will is to be hidden 'inside your body'."
"My body?"
His Majesty was surprised.
"You can do so in some form. It can be as simple as an operation – like a tooth with a letter carved into it. Or some kind of magic. And if you make it known…"
"Good!"
Indra, who had rejected the idea earlier, turned and cheered.
"That's a good idea. If the emperor always has it in his possession, there is no danger of it being replaced."
"How ..."
His Majesty's eyes lit up.
"That's a great suggestion, Noah, I like it!"
He seemed to like my suggestion a lot.