The next day when the palace calmed down and the nobles were recovering from the previous night Agatha found Victor as he was walking toward his office and started her report
"As you are aware, by gaining the title of emperor you have also obtained all of the late emperor's possessions including rooms namely bedroom and office to which all of your possessions were already moved you should go see if they are to your liking"
"Yes, I was going to the office anyway so I will look over the bedroom on my way" After Victor said that Agatha turned around to go visit the elders per their request while Victor headed towards his bedroom.
Victor's new bedroom is lavish with an exotic wooden floor, a fireplace opposite the bed, expensive seating with a bookshelf full of novels and other books he collected,
In the corner, there is a door to his dresser which is a room in and of itself, and on the left of his bed are two big windows that oversee a big oak forest with an oak tree reaching only a few feet shy of Victor's window and entrance on the opposite wall
The room is so spacious that even after Victor moved all of his belongings from the crown prince's room it was still almost half empty which felt overwhelming to him but he had a feeling he would adjust quickly.
After that, he headed to his new office which was spacious with piles of books and documents and with seating for guests with his desk in the center, even a personal library which he always wanted, it was a bittersweet time for him because, for everything he gained, he lost his father with memories of him still lingering in his mind.
But before he could reminisce about his lonely past he was disturbed by Agatha bearing news
"I have things to report to you Emperor Aratus, Orvus has left the palace to continue his travels, and you should head to the meeting room to discuss your plans for the future of the empire"
"Sure, I will be there in a moment, I just have to take the needed documents oh, and please report to me when my brother returns, thank you."
After he finished speaking, Victor grabbed the documents off his table and headed to the meeting room with Agatha following him closely behind. Large circular decorated room with seats for all the nobles visiting the emperor's palace and lastly a stage prepared for the emperor himself that is the imperial meeting room
When Victor stepped into the room everyone stood up in a form of welcoming gesture, and then they quickly sat back in their seats as Victor started his speech
"I welcome you here elders, nobles, aristocrats, and representatives of the common, today I will tell you my plans for the future of our great empire, now then let us begin, in the future, I would like to have a mutually positive and beneficial relationship with the other empires, especially to Harktu if possible which could through trade hopefully lower poverty and hunger around our empire, also I would like to fund more woodcutters to lower the mortality rate in cold months which are so dangerous here in the north, and also distribute more funds to the territories to buy more knights to counter the rising criminality"
"what will we do if war breaks out?"
A man in the crowd asks, "Why would a war break out, what would they have to gain by attacking a cold and inhospitable region like our empire" Victor answers in a serious but questioning tone
Then another question came "What shall we do about the March in the southeast where the trade route was somehow interrupted"
Then from behind him one of the elders started to speak "Do not worry, my territory is very close thus I will take over the trade routes, solving the problem" to which no one objected
After that, they proceeded to talk about small territorial disputes and the redistribution of funds during the reign of a new emperor.
For some time afterward, everything went well, people were hopeful after hearing Victor's resolutions for a brighter future and Victor was determined to deliver on his promises but then reality struck, and problems that needed to be resolved started to appear more and more all the while the elders were pushing on him with their opinions that differed too much from his own and Agatha was overworking herself trying to solve rising crime for personal reasons.
Although the empire was mostly prosperous as far as he could tell, the major issues proved to be a challenge Victor couldn't find a way to solve but he kept trying nonetheless to the point of exhaustion for the well-being of his people which was the only thing that mattered to him, but this weakened state of the emperor was something some people couldn't overlook
Seeing this as an opportunity one of the elders decided that it was time to invite his granddaughter to the meeting of the elders.