"...What are you talking about?"
"Haha, good! That's the spirit!"
Indra patted my shoulder with a broad, cheerful grin.
"You wouldn't be fit to serve as Emperor if you spilled your guts over a little probing, after all."
"..."
I offered a faint, bitter smile.
I didn't mind Indra's frank way of speaking, but since he had just struck the bullseye a moment ago, it stung a little right now.
"If that man hadn't sired so many brats, there wouldn't have been any problems either, I reckon."
"...Phew."
With those words, I realized Indra wasn't merely fishing. As a gesture of surrender, I let out a soft sigh.
Seeing that, Indra grinned.
"You think so too, don't you?"
"...I cannot say."
"Don't wanna hear ill spoken of your father? But I'm his uncle, so surely I'm entitled to lecture him a bit."
"..."
My wry smile deepened.
Indra really was far too outspoken.
If anyone else were here—someone like Oscar, for instance—they would be flying into a rage right about now.
Hm? If Oscar were here?
Something snagged in my mind.
However, Indra gave me no time to ponder it.
He pressed on.
"Albert, and Gilbert too. The main reason those two acted out was, of course, because that man occupied the throne for far too long. But having too many children—and too many among the younger brothers who were far more capable than they were—was just as much to blame. Am I right?"
"...That may be so."
"Albert, Gilbert, Henry, Oscar—and then you, kid. Future generations will probably write about this as the 'Five Kings Usurping Succession' or something."
"That is not a very flattering title to go down in history with."
"And that struggle over the throne continues even now. Even after you took the crown, kid. So it's only natural you'd want to keep the number of children down. You're living through it yourself, after all."
I let out another sigh.
It had been a while since someone had cut into me this deeply, so naturally, my sighs multiplied.
"I am far beneath the previous Emperor. If I can suppress a succession feud before it even starts—a feud even he could not control—nothing could be better."
"I get your reasoning, and I ain't blaming you for it."
"Is that so?"
"All I care about is that you do right by Audrey."
"Understood. You have my word."
When I said that, Indra seemed satisfied and cheerfully clapped my shoulder several times.
"Now that's a man! If you had blurted out some crap like 'I will handle it appropriately,' I was ready to smack you one."
"I am the Emperor, you know."
"Gahaha! I've kicked your old man's ass before, so it's a bit late to start worrying about that, ain't it?"
"A bit late indeed."
Though somewhat exasperated, I shared a laugh with him.
Honestly, people with a personality like Indra's were a blessing.
Being Emperor was a lonely existence.
My father had said as much, and I was gradually coming to feel it myself.
The people around me either walked on eggshells or demanded that I play the part of a ruler, making life suffocating more often than not.
That was why someone like Indra, who couldn't care less about titles, was extraordinarily precious.
"Hey, kid. Let's have a man-to-man talk."
"A man-to-man talk?"
I tilted my head, wondering what this was about all of a sudden.
"I understand why you ain't having more kids. It's a political move. I can accept that. Hell, if I were in your shoes, I might do the same."
He paused, then took a completely unexpected turn.
"But still, you're a man too, ain'tcha? Ain't you bedding women way too little?"
"Huh... Is that so?"
I gave an evasive reply.
I had been somewhat vague for a while now, but my imperial composure had completely unraveled, reverting all the way back to the Wise Imperial Prince—the kid—I had been when I first met him.
"It's far too little. Let me ask you: how many women have you bedded so far?"
"That is..."
"Three, right?"
"How do you know—ah, no, of course you'd know."
I started to ask, but stopped myself.
The Emperor's nocturnal affairs were all recorded.
When, where, and whom he embraced was meticulously documented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs through the eunuchs.
Along with being lonely, the Emperor had absolutely zero personal privacy.
Of course, that was classified information never revealed to commoners, but for an imperial prince holding the title of 'Thunder' who was also the Empress's grandfather, acquiring those records was child's play.
"Your old man, me, and hell, all your brothers have bedded a fair share of women. Far more than you, at least. Even looking through the history books, your count is shockingly low."
"..."
"Kid, you ever heard of 'true love'?"
"What?"
I blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in topic.
The conversation had been twisting and turning relentlessly.
After a moment's thought, I chose the more likely answer between the two possibilities that came to mind.
"True love... Do you mean 'interclass love'?"
"Yeah, that one. 'True love' for royalty and nobility is a whole different beast from the commoners'. For a noble, marriage is a duty; it's not something you decide for yourself. When I heard you didn't even ask for Audrey's name back then, I thought, What's this? What an extraordinary boy!"
"Because it is a duty, after all."
"To be frank, even if you were into men, you still would've married Audrey and fathered a child with her. Right?"
"Because that is the duty of a noble."
I answered without hesitation.
Yes, that was a noble's duty.
Nobles had to marry and produce heirs to bind families together or secure political alliances.
Just as Indra said, even if I were attracted to men, I would have embraced Audrey out of duty and fathered a child.
That was true for an imperial prince, and even more so for the Emperor.
Therefore, it was understood that there was no love in a noble's marriage, and that 'true love' existed only in relationships that crossed social divides.
It was a classic trope in theatrical plays, where the lawful wife, husband, or formal spouse was treated as nothing more than an obstacle to 'true love.'
"So I figured you'd just treat Audrey as business and keep mistresses on the side, kid. But you ain't shown the slightest sign of that either."
"I see."
"Hey, don't you have any interest in that sort of thing?"
"It's not that I have none, but..."
I was at a loss for how to answer.
I was a man; I couldn't claim to have no such desires even if my life depended on it.
Physically, I was in my prime, and by my own estimation, my drives were even stronger than in my previous life.
So I couldn't pretend I had no interest.
I couldn't—and yet.
"I believe fulfilling the imperial duties inherited from the previous Emperor comes first."
"That's an unusual way of thinking."
"Is it?"
"It ain't just about women. Kid, don't you have any selfish desires at all?"
"Selfish desires?"
The topic shifted once again.
"Yeah."
"Naturally, I do."
"For instance?"
"For instance... Well..."
I wasn't sure what to say.
When I tried to think of my own selfish desires, nothing came to mind.
"Look at that. You don't have any, do you?"
"It's not that I have none..."
I gave a faint, bitter smile for two reasons: because he had jumped to conclusions, and because I hadn't been able to answer immediately.
Facing my wry expression, Indra clapped his hands together with a smirk.
"All right! Then let's do this."
"What?"
"Once you return in triumph, kid, I'll teach you how to play."
"How to play?"
"That's right. How nobles enjoy themselves."
"That sounds somewhat terrifying."
I couldn't imagine it at all.
Yet what Indra said wasn't entirely wrong.
Try as I might, I had no idea how nobles indulged themselves.
If it were about a noble's duties, I could lecture endlessly, but...
After a moment's consideration, I nodded.
"...Understood."
Perhaps this, too, would prove useful down the line.
If there truly was a way 'nobles played' that I was ignorant of, learning it wouldn't hurt.
...
"In exchange, so to speak..."
"Hm?"
Indra looked at me, his expression asking, What now?
"If I remember correctly, my brother-in-law should be approaching the age for his first battle."
"Brother-in-law?...Ah, Ethan? True, it's about that time."
"I shall arrange it—and grandly so."
Indra's eyes widened in surprise.
Royalty of the Empire were obligated to undergo their first battle at some point after turning ten.
They would fight in a monster nest that was kept entirely under human control and cultivated for such purposes.
By acquitting themselves well, they were recognized as full-fledged men.
Audrey's younger brother—and my brother-in-law—young Ethan was around that age and had yet to undergo his first battle.
Normally, the Emperor wouldn't go out of his way to concern himself with the household of a cadet branch imperial prince like Indra, but because he was Audrey's brother, the matter had lingered in a corner of my mind.
I brought it forward and made the proposal.
"You're gonna set that up for him, kid?"
"Yes, grandly. Could you deploy around one—no, two thousand troops?"
"............Haha."
After staring at me for a moment, Indra burst into laughter.
Then he clapped my shoulder again, thoroughly amused.
"Impressive, kid. You planning to use me like that too?"
"I have not said anything of the sort."
"And just like that, you've gone right back to being the Emperor."
Indra laughed even harder.
"I was the Emperor all along."
"Right you were."
"That being said, I am human too. If a grandfather wishes to watch over his grandson's first battle from up close, it is only natural to grant that wish."
"Haha, fine by me! I'll personally lead about three thousand men to watch over him."
"..."
I looked at Indra and gave a slight nod.
A first battle was usually held near the imperial capital.
If Indra was going to 'watch over' it, he would naturally remain stationed near the capital as well.
And he had offered to lead 'three thousand men.'
Which meant...
While I was away, I could keep three thousand loyal soldiers positioned right near the imperial capital.
That was an enormous boon.
Right now, I needed every scrap of military strength I could muster.
Normally, an Emperor wouldn't need to fret over such matters during a personal campaign.
The previous Emperor—my father—had embarked on numerous personal campaigns, yet according to the records, he had never resorted to precautions like mine.
Hoping to learn from a wise ruler's methods, I had searched through the archives, only to be disappointed by how little there was.
After much thought, the reason became clear.
Father simply had no 'political rivals.'
Though born as the third son, almost all of his brothers died in infancy.
There had been a second son—an older brother—but he was frail and sickly, and by the time Father ascended the throne, illness had already claimed his sight in one eye.
In short, there was no one left to challenge him for the throne.
In contrast, over ten of Father's sons had survived to adulthood.
Every single one of them was whole and healthy.
Furthermore, this was the biggest factor of all:
Humans, for better or worse, are creatures of precedent.
Without a precedent, an idea never crosses their minds; but once one exists, it immediately becomes a viable option.
In just the past dozen years, there had been two attempts to usurp the imperial throne:
The former First Prince Gilbert, and the Crown Prince and Second Prince Albert.
Both incidents had been hushed up as much as possible, but those in the know were well aware.
Those close to the imperial throne—the imperial princes in particular—knew every detail.
In this era, usurpation was firmly on the table.
Consequently, unlike Father, I had to guard against rebellion and treason whenever I embarked on a personal campaign.
That was why, right now, I needed all the loyal troops I could get.
I looked back at Indra.
The Thunder Imperial Prince, renowned for being bold, unconventional, and untamed.
He was fond of me.
On top of that, we were bound by marriage.
His granddaughter was my legal wife, Empress Audrey.
Whether by logic or emotion, Indra was someone I could safely trust as an ally.
Giving a small nod, I met his gaze directly.
"Will you accept the task?"
"You sure about this?"
"Hm?"
I blinked, surprised by the question.
With the discussion settled this far, I hadn't expected him to second-guess me now.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't mind, but ain't that a bit too provocative?"
"...The message should be communicated clearly enough."
I gazed past the arbor toward the sky.
I understood his concern; he was merely double-checking.
Indra was known as an eccentric prince, drawing sharp criticism alongside high praise.
Yet undeniably, he was an extraordinarily capable man. Otherwise, the Emperor would never have bestowed upon him the title of 'Thunder.'
He clearly saw right through the delicate tension between Oscar and me.
"I appeased him and appointed him Prince Regent. The message should be unmistakable: if he remains loyal, he will be valued; if not, every countermeasure will fall into place."
"Even if that keeps him in line, won't he just be left stewing in resentment?"
I looked back at Indra.
"The law exists to regulate and punish actions."
"Hnn? What's this about all of a sudden?"
"Merely harboring a thought does not violate the law. In the extreme, even if someone secretly wishes to tear me, the Emperor, limb from limb, it is not a crime so long as it is never translated into action—or even words and demeanor."
"Oho."
"The same applies to Oscar. As long as he refrains from acting, whatever he harbors in his heart does not matter."
Pausing for a breath, I continued.
"Through everything so far, I have realized two things."
"Which are?"
"That Oscar is an indispensable asset to the Ministry of Finance, and that even with his eyes on the throne, he will wield his talents faithfully for the sake of the Empire."
"So you're saying you'll drink the poison as long as it won't kill you?"
I nodded faintly.
His metaphor was remarkably apt.
The current Oscar was certainly 'poison.'
Yet that poison was blended into the feast itself, impossible to separate.
In that case... I had no choice but to brace myself and swallow it.
"Incredible, kid... You're that philosophical about it?"
I chuckled softly.
"Naturally, I would prefer it without the poison."
"Then don't drink it."
"Yet Oscar is a talent the Empire cannot afford to lose."
"In that sense, do you and that kid see eye to eye?"
Surprised by Indra's observation, I paused, then accepted it.
He was right.
Under the broad umbrella of 'for the sake of the Empire,' Oscar and I were aligned.
Which meant that if...
"If the throne had gone to Oscar from the beginning, there wouldn't have been any problems. The reason I cannot abdicate is because I must protect Father's discernment."
I recalled a conversation I had once had with Father.
He told me that even among rulers hailed as wise, nine out of ten ended up tarnishing their later years.
To ensure that his decision to abdicate in my favor was never deemed a mistake, I could neither surrender the throne to Oscar nor permit him to revolt.
It seemed my tightrope walk was destined to continue.
Lost in those thoughts, I had spoken of that hypothetical, but...
"Haha, I wonder about that."
"What?"
"If the throne had gone to Oscar, Henry would've been the one harboring treasonous thoughts this time."
"..."
I couldn't offer a rebuttal.
"Well, nothing comes of chasing what-ifs."
Indra slapped my shoulder once more and rose to his feet.
"Leave things on this end to me."
"I leave it in your hands."
With a grin, Indra turned on his heel and strode away.
As he crossed the bridge, waving a hand over his shoulder without looking back, his retreating figure radiated sheer reliability.
"..."
Watching him go, I fell into thought, returning to the doubt that had snagged in my mind earlier.
I had set it aside while speaking with Indra, but now I turned it over in my head.
"...Things one cannot compromise on, huh."
It was about Oscar.
In every aspect, he seemed to hold the conviction that the Emperor must be absolute.
"Which creates a contradiction."
I muttered to myself, taking a sip of my cooled tea.
If he truly believed the Emperor's authority was absolute, the very notion of usurping the throne should never have occurred to him.
—Yet that inconsistency was precisely what made a person human.
No matter how deeply someone held to a principle or how uncompromising they seemed, there were always exceptions, large or small.
A person who strictly adhered to principles from start to finish wouldn't be human at all.
That led me to a deeper question.
For Oscar, the principle that 'the Emperor is absolute' was undeniably real.
The question was: just how far did his 'exceptions' extend?
"...Summon the First Prime Minister."
I called for a eunuch and gave the command.
―――――――――――― Name: Noah Ararat Emperor of the Empire Gender: Male Level: 17 + 1 / ∞
HP: C+B | Fire: E+S+S MP: D+C | Water: C+SSS Strength: C+S | Wind: E+C Stamina: D+C | Earth: E+C Intelligence: D+A | Light: E+B Spirit: E+B | Darkness: E+B Speed: E+B Dexterity: E+B Luck: D+C ――――――――――――
In the corner of my vision, my status window quietly glowed.