While Yellow was making the preparations, I summoned Peiyu and Ivy from the inn.
Inside the Governor-General's office, I faced the two girls.
Peiyu held up relatively well, but Ivy looked at me lounging back imperiously behind the Governor-General's desk with an expression that said it was only now dawning on her that I was truly the Emperor.
"An emergency has arisen. I will be returning to the imperial capital ahead of you."
"What should we do, then?" Peiyu asked.
"I want the two of you to remain here and finish what I started."
"Eeeh!?"
"Us?"
Both Peiyu and Ivy cried out in astonishment.
"T-That's impossible! We could never take Master's place!"
"It will be fine. I've written down instructions detailing the exact procedure."
Saying that, I showed Peiyu five envelopes firmly sealed with wax.
"They're numbered, see? Just open them in order and do exactly as written inside. It's an emergency, so I made sure you won't have to overthink anything."
"But..."
"The time may come when you, too, are sent out into the provinces. Just like Evelyn and Zoe."
"Me too!?"
Peiyu gasped, her eyes wide.
It was no longer an uncommon occurrence for my servants and maids to be appointed as magistrates, but it seemed Peiyu had never imagined such a role would ever fall to her.
"Yes. Consider this a dry run."
"Still..."
"When it comes to pure loyalty, Peiyu, you are the only one here I can truly entrust this to right now."
"—Ah!!"
Gasping, Peiyu's eyes widened further, and she caught her breath.
It was the simple truth.
From a purely administrative standpoint, Yellow was far more reliable than Peiyu.
After all, he was a legitimate governor-general, and a retainer handpicked by Oscar himself.
Oscar was exceptionally selective about the men he took into his service, taking care never to deploy anyone incompetent who might tarnish his name.
In other words, by virtue of serving Oscar, Yellow was undeniably capable.
However, no matter how competent he might be, I couldn't expect unwavering loyalty to me from him.
When it came to executing my exact wishes without deviation out of sheer fidelity, Peiyu was the one I could place the most faith in.
Hearing that loyalty was the deciding factor, Peiyu's gaze wavered.
Her expression shifted, revealing that she had begun to think that perhaps, just perhaps, she could pull it off.
"Peiyu."
"Y-Yes!"
"The fate of the Empire is at stake. Please do this for me."
"—Yes, Sire!"
Though she may have been swept along by my momentum, Peiyu gave her assent with her own voice.
"Ivy, you support Peiyu. I might have you do something similar eventually."
"U-Understood..."
Having entered my service only recently, she likely lacked any real sense of what that entailed.
In contrast to Peiyu, Ivy's response was rather timid and vague.
For now, that was more than enough.
"I will leave Bahamut behind with you. With my explicit orders and Bahamut, whom I always carry at my side, you shall act as my imperial envoy."
"L-Lord Bahamut!? —Understood!"
Far from shrinking back, the realization that I was entrusting Bahamut to her seemed to prove how serious I was. Peiyu's expression hardened with resolve, and she answered briskly.
Telling her I would send her out into the provinces one day had merely been a convenient pretext to get through the moment, but seeing her now, I began to think that if she handled this well, perhaps it really could become reality...
"Um, Master... May I ask one thing?"
"Speak. I'll answer whatever you need until Yellow finishes his preparations."
"May I call John as reinforcement?"
"—Haha."
A laugh spilled from me naturally.
It was only natural to be delighted when someone pleasantly subverted my expectations twice in such a short span.
"Why John?"
"Like me, he would never betray Master, and he's far better equipped to handle unexpected trouble than I am."
"Hmm. Ninety-nine out of a hundred."
"Then—?"
"You are the imperial envoy. Do as you see fit."
"Understood!!"
Watching Peiyu reply with newfound vigor, another chuckle escaped my lips.
☆
Taking the horses Yellow prepared, I sped along the highway toward the imperial capital.
I started with two mounts.
Riding one, I held the long lead of the other, driving them side by side.
Without sparing a thought for their stamina, I simply applied the whip, urging them into a breakneck gallop.
Partway through the run, the horse beneath me began to falter.
The moment I sensed it, I leapt across to the spare horse running alongside.
The exhausted mount staggered and collapsed onto the dirt behind me.
Without sparing it a glance, I spurred the fresh horse onward.
This was a super express—a ride built on the premise of working horses to death.
Riding that single mount, I eventually reached a waystation.
Word had been sent ahead via carrier pigeons—which flew far faster than any horse—so two fresh mounts were already waiting for me.
By the time I pulled in, the second horse was also stumbling; we had made it to the station by the skin of our teeth.
Taking the next pair of reins, I galloped off once more.
"My Lord, you should rest, if only for a moment—"
"Quiet. I cannot spare the breath to argue."
Silencing Leviathan's worried plea, I drove the horses forward, maintaining the frantic pace.
An ordinary express was run on the premise of sacrificing horses.
However, a limited express—and the super express I had commanded—demanded that both horse and rider be pushed to the brink of collapse.
Naturally, I took no rest either, pushing onward with relentless urgency.
I switched horses at two more relay stations along the route.
In total, I ran eight horses into the ground.
A journey that normally required three full days was one I conquered in a single day.
☆
"Henry."
"Your Majesty!?"
Inside the Ministry of Military Affairs, within the Minister's office.
Seeing me stumble in, drenched in sweat and shaking with exhaustion, Henry sprang from his chair in disbelief.
"When did you return?"
"Just now. I came straight here."
"...Was this before you reached Saralria?"
"No, I rode back from Reararat."
"From Reararat!?"
Stunned, Henry began counting on his fingers.
He was calculating the days it took for his express messenger to reach me and for me to ride back from Reararat after receiving the dispatch.
"The numbers don't add up."
"I took a super express."
"You did what!?"
Hearing that, Henry's jaw dropped.
"Truly by super express?"
"Yeah. Get me a seat and some water."
"...As expected of Your Majesty. I have never seen anyone arrive via super express and remain so remarkably hale."
Henry was genuinely awed.
There were many ministers in the Empire, but as the Minister of Military Affairs who oversaw all military dispatches, Henry received and dispatched limited expresses and super expresses more than anyone else.
His shock was rooted entirely in that firsthand experience.
Then, Henry's expression hardened.
He looked at me with a stern, unyielding gaze.
"Permit me to say one thing."
"What is it?"
"While I am deeply in awe of your fortitude, a super express is not a peril an emperor should ever undertake."
"...Hmm."
"I humbly implore you to refrain from such recklessness in the future."
"I'll take it to heart."
Henry was right.
I made sure to firmly engrave his warning in my mind.
"Now then, give me the specifics."
"Yes, Sire."
Henry stood before me, speaking fluidly without glancing at a single document.
The entire situation was already cataloged in his memory.
"A rebellion has erupted in the west."
"Who raised the banner? Who is their figurehead?"
"Eiler Nuf. A collateral descendant of the renowned Grand Imperial Prince, who was the great-uncle of the late Emperor."
"A member of the imperial family, then."
"Yes, Sire."
Henry bowed respectfully.
"Their justification?"
"Well..."
"Is it difficult to tell me? Even if it is, it will reach my ears eventually. There is no point in concealing it."
"As expected of Your Majesty."
Henry drew a deep breath and spoke with grim resolve.
"They declare that Your Majesty is a tyrant who continues to tear down sacred traditions—an unforgivable sinner against the imperial line. Thus, they march to strike you down."
"I see."
I gave a faint nod.
"If anything, they took longer than I expected."
"...You anticipated this?"
"Considering the reforms I've been pushing through, a revolt of this nature was inevitable sooner or later. I've long since prepared myself mentally."
"As expected of Your Majesty. I am deeply impressed."
"What are their numbers?"
"Sympathizers are surprisingly numerous. The initial report estimates at least thirty thousand."
"A formidable force."
My face hardened instinctively.
If the initial dispatch reported thirty thousand troops...
"We should anticipate them swelling to a hundred thousand, then."
"I believe that is a sound assessment."
Henry quietly agreed.
Having served as Minister of Military Affairs for so many years, Henry's tactical estimates were an invaluable reference.
"Now then, what is our move?"
"Grant me permission to take the field."
"You would march out yourself?"
I raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
For an imperial prince to take the field was a momentous affair.
"Yes. Even if collateral, our opponent is of imperial blood—the great-grandson of the celebrated Grand Imperial Prince. Against such a foe, unless we deploy someone of extremely low standing or exceedingly high rank, we will suffer from a disadvantage in morale."
"Right. We either treat them as entirely beneath our notice, or demonstrate our intent to crush them with overwhelming force."
"Your insight is keen."
"Hmm."
I stroked my chin, turning it over in my mind.
Henry's logic was sound.
It was sound, yet... he was still holding back out of deference.
It was only natural for him to hesitate, but in that case, I would say the words myself.
"If that is the case, I shall lead a personal campaign."
"Your Majesty in person!?"
"Yes."
"It is far too dangerous! Their momentum could swell to a hundred thousand men. For you to march out in a personal campaign against such a horde—"
"I have three reasons."
Gently cutting off Henry's protest, I raised my right hand and held up three fingers.
"First, if your reasoning is correct, it will be vastly more effective for me to go than for you to take the field."
Stating the first point, I folded one finger down.
"That... may be true, but..."
"Second, this is a prime opportunity to demonstrate to the entire realm my unyielding resolve to eradicate these corrupt customs."
"...Understood."
Henry nodded, though his expression remained conflicted.
He clearly understood the logic, but couldn't readily agree when weighing it against the Emperor's safety.
"And lastly—heh."
Leaving my index finger raised, I broke into a grin.
"The Empire is a realm of warriors, and I am its Emperor. The ruler of a warrior nation cannot go hiding in his shell like a turtle at the decisive hour, can he?"
"—!"
Henry gasped.
An instant later, the tension left his brow, replaced by an expression of profound admiration and acceptance.
"As expected of Your Majesty... I misjudged your resolve."
"Well, though I am taking the field, I lack actual command experience. I will serve as a Divine Palanquin for show. Henry, you will act as the true commander-in-chief from the shadows."
"—Understood! Even at the cost of my life, I shall secure victory for Your Majesty."
Though he said nothing more, Henry's gaze remained fixed on me, filled with an ever-deepening reverence.