...Notification from the Subjugation Compendium—Due to an increase in the soul connection between Gilbert Loto Amelia and his master, Kai Heinemann, a portion of the sealed memories will be released.
—Memory Release: 10%
When I came to, I was in an extravagantly decorated room, lounging arrogantly in a gaudy, tasteless chair.
"And? The Empire agreed to the terms, I take it?"
As the question left my lips, a barrel-chested man pressed his right hand to his chest.
"Yes. The Glitnir Empire has promised peace with our nation and agreed to the marriage between Princess Rose and the Empire's Third Prince. The knights along the route are entirely our own men; the plan is proceeding swimmingly."
He smugly delivered his report on their progress.
"I see! Fracton! I expect great things from you!"
"I shall ensure its success to meet Your Highness's expectations!"
The bob-haired man called Fracton, dressed in a black suit with a pure white jabot at his throat, struck his chest with a fist in an expression of overwhelming emotion, then bowed deeply.
"I am counting on you. The fate of our motherland rests upon your shoulders!"
"Y-Yes, Your Highness! Without fail!"
Fracton shouted with tears welling in his eyes, offered another deep bow, and withdrew from the room.
"If he fails, you know what to do, yes?"
"Without flaw. Everything was done of Fracton's own accord out of concern for the motherland. That is the story."
"Good enough, then. With this, we can finally purge that detestable woman from this country!"
I picked up the glass resting on the table and sipped the sweet wine of victory.
"..."
This was a top-grade fruit wine presented by high-ranking nobility. It was supposed to boast an exquisite flavor that ordinary nobles could only dream of tasting. And yet, in that moment, it tasted as foul as ditch water.
The scenery shifted.
The doors to that lavish room were flung open, and a muscular young man who appeared to be a military officer stormed inside. He slammed both palms onto the table right before me.
"Prince, why did you sell your own sister to such a scumbag pig?!"
He roared in fury. The civil official standing beside me winced at the officer's demonic glare.
"Sister? That woman is an enemy to all of us royals and nobles, bent on tearing down the order of this country. It is only natural to eliminate an enemy. Is it not?"
"Do you have any idea what you've done?! One wrong move, and Your Highness's sister would have become that vile monster's plaything!"
"Hmph! It is fitting retribution for a traitor!"
The young officer shut his eyes tight and shook his head.
"Now I see it clearly. You aren't fit to be king. In fact, you lack the single most important thing that makes someone human."
He spat the words at me, his gaze laden with pity and disgust.
"You bastard, how dare you say that to me—"
Furious, I surged out of my chair and grabbed him by the lapels, raising my voice, but the young officer roughly threw off my hands.
"I can't follow you anymore. Go ahead and play king of the castle all by yourself!"
Turning his back on me, he strode out of the room.
At the sudden betrayal of a subordinate I had trusted for so long, a boiling rage erupted within me.
"Damn it all!"
Cursing violently, I kicked the overturned chair again and again.
Suddenly, the vivid scenery blurred, and my vision warped.
Again. This was a continuation of that dream. The remnants of memories belonging to an utter fool who had never doubted he would become the ideal king. The pitiful end of a wretched piece of scum who had forgotten the very reason he sought the throne in the first place.
It was almost laughable. Of course the young officer had walked away. After all, this man didn't just lack the heart of a king—he didn't even have the heart of a human being.