Inside the palace in the imperial capital.
Inside the office I had taken over directly after Father passed away.
I was facing First Prime Minister Don.
Holding a set of documents, Don read them aloud to deliver his report.
"The above concludes the list of finalists for this year's Knight Selection."
"Very well. And what did Jessica say?"
"The Low Consort stated, 'I shall do my utmost and devote myself to selecting talented individuals for Your Majesty.'"
"Just like her. Tell her to relax and do things her—no, I'll tell her that myself."
I chuckled softly.
Low Consort Jessica.
Despite being my consort, she was involved in military affairs, and for that reason, I had appointed her as a selection examiner for this year's Knight Selection.
I had considered having Don tell her to take it easy and do as she pleased, but I decided it would be better to tell her directly the next time I summoned her.
"Regarding the Low Consort, she also entrusted me with a proposal on a separate matter."
"A proposal?"
"Yes. Allow me to provide an overview first. She has proposed something akin to a 'Consort Selection,' modeled after the Knight Selection."
"A Consort Selection?"
"To quote the Low Consort: 'Through Your Majesty's generous heart, even women have been granted the opportunity to have their martial prowess recognized in the Knight Selection. Therefore, I wish for a venue to be provided where women possessing talents of a different nature may also be evaluated.' Those were her words."
"I see her point. I approve of the ideal, but everything hinges on the system. Tell her to show me a fully developed plan."
"As you command... Truly magnificent, Your Majesty."
"Hm?"
What was that all about? I gave Don a questioning look.
"Even though she is your low consort, the fact that your orders regarding affairs of state are always routed through me is truly remarkable."
"It's only natural to maintain proper boundaries."
"A stance worthy of a monarch so strict with the law. As expected—"
"More importantly—"
The moment I tried to move on to the next topic—
Both Don and I noticed something amiss at the exact same moment, and our words cut off.
Don glanced restlessly around the room, while I looked up at the ceiling.
A few silent seconds passed, and then, in unison—
Is it shaking?
It was an earthquake.
It was violent enough that the document shelves in the office began to rattle loudly.
At first, it was a slow, rolling tremor, but after dragging on for an unnervingly long time—BAM!
The room shook violently.
"Your Majesty!"
"Don't panic! Protect yourself!" I barked.
Don immediately curled up on the floor like a turtle, while I braced both hands against the desk and pushed myself up.
I looked straight up at the ceiling.
Normally, because this was the Emperor's office, no one dared to even whisper in the surrounding hallways, keeping the outside quiet. Right now, however, muffled screams echoed from all directions.
As the tremors continued, a roof tile broke loose from the ceiling, plunging straight toward me—
Yet before it could even reach me, it was engulfed in hellfire and melted away without a trace.
The earthquake rattled on for nearly a full minute before gradually subsiding.
"Your Majesty! Are you unharmed?!" Don scrambled to his feet and asked in a panic.
"Never mind that. Assess the situation, quickly!"
"Y-Yes, Sire!"
Following my order, Don bolted outside, seizing any eunuchs he could find and firing off commands in rapid succession.
☆
Two hours later, inside the same office.
Don and Evelyn, the two Prime Ministers currently present in the palace, stood before me side by side.
Clutching a stack of documents, Don gave his report.
"We have compiled the reports from the regions. At present, the greatest damage is reported in the provincial capital of Enlil Province, with reports indicating that collapsed structures are fast approaching a thousand in the provincial capital alone."
"Here is a map marking the damage from the initial reports."
Taking over from Don, Evelyn laid out a map sized to fit comfortably on the desk.
True to her word, various figures indicating reported damage were jotted across the parchment.
Taking a look at it—
"It's spreading outward in a circle centered on Enlil."
"Yes. Therefore, we can be almost certain that the epicenter lies within Enlil Province."
"Indeed."
"It is incredible, Your Majesty."
"Yes! To be able to grasp the situation across multiple regions in less than half a day after an earthquake... It is entirely thanks to the wired telegraphy Your Majesty introduced!"
Both of them praised the accomplishment, and I couldn't help but agree.
Wired telegraphy—a means of communication leagues faster than courier horses—proved its true worth during natural disasters like this.
Previously, compiling this much information would have taken several days. Being able to do it in mere hours—at least to the point of pinpointing the epicenter—meant we could respond immediately.
The fact that Humbaba's threads had held strong against a natural disaster of this scale was also a massive boon.
I stared at the map, lost in thought.
"Enlil was, if I recall..."
I raised my head to look at the two of them.
Don answered my unspoken question.
"Yes. The Twenty-Fourth Imperial Prince, Lord Jeremy, has taken up residence in his fief there."
"Jeremy, is it..."
Jeremy Ararat.
The late Emperor's twenty-fourth son, and my younger brother who was even younger than my eldest son, Shem.
That same Jeremy had assumed control of his fief in Enlil only recently. Terrible timing on his part.
"Jeremy's staff should be competent enough. We'll leave the local handling to them. Don, dispatch stored grain from the imperial capital. If I remember correctly, Enlil's climate makes it difficult to maintain large grain reserves."
"As you command."
"Secure funds from the national treasury as well. If nearly a thousand buildings have collapsed, fires have surely broken out by now. They'll need a vast amount of materials for reconstruction."
"Understood."
"Forgive me for speaking out, Your Majesty," Evelyn chimed in.
"What is it?"
"Transporting physical funds from the national treasury all the way to Enlil will incur heavy transportation costs. Would it not be wiser to employ merchants and manage this through draft notes and ledger adjustments?"
Evelyn made a fair point.
Most "large sums of money" consisted of gold coins.
And when transporting massive quantities of heavy gold coins, the costs racked up quickly—horses, wagons, porters, and armed guards all had to be paid for.
To cut down on transit expenses, one common method was partnering with prominent local merchants to procure large sums on-site using a single promissory document, in exchange for future concessions—such as tax exemptions—on funds they would otherwise deliver to the capital.
It certainly saved money, but...
"This will likely turn out to be a major disaster. The populace may fall into panic, so having visible aid arrive directly from the imperial capital will put their minds at ease."
"Ah..."
"If it buys the peace of mind of the people, a modest transportation fee is a small price to pay."
"Magnificent, Your Majesty! I hadn't thought that far ahead." Evelyn's eyes shone with genuine admiration.
"Pardon the interruption, Your Majesty."
"What is it this time?"
I shifted my gaze to Don.
Don wore a hesitant expression, opening his mouth with obvious reluctance.
"It will soon be Your Majesty's birth—"
"That doesn't matter. The day I was born is a trivial matter in the face of a disaster."
"My apologies."
"This is an earthquake; food won't run out overnight. Have the show money transported first."
"As you command."
"Then go. Evelyn, stay behind."
"Yes."
Don bowed respectfully before exiting the office.
Evelyn remained where she was, awaiting my instructions.
"Neither of these next matters is an immediate emergency, Fourth Prime Minister."
"Yes?" Evelyn tilted her head, her questioning gaze asking, In that case?
"It's regarding food storage. I want you to propose solutions from two angles: technological developments in preservation, and institutional reforms. Give me a plan within six months."
"Understood."
"I'm counting on you. This is an oversight on my part; it took a disaster for me to realize the vulnerability of territories where storing food is difficult."
"Not at all, Your Majesty. You are extraordinary. Even in a crisis like this, you remain entirely unfazed and look far into the future. You are truly the paragon of a sovereign governing from the center."
"Compile the situation regarding the aftershocks as well. You can bring me the next report in half a day."
"Understood."
With her orders in hand, Evelyn bowed and left the office to carry them out, just as Don had done.
Almost in exchange for her departure, a eunuch stepped inside.
"Your Majesty, an envoy from the Empress Dowager has arrived."
"From Mother?"
"Yes. She requests that you come see her once matters have settled down."
"Tell her I will go at once."
"As you command."
The eunuch bowed out of the office.
Right then, another aftershock rumbled through the room, and another roof tile fell from above.
This one crashed down further away, shattering into pieces across the floor.
Worried about whether Mother—the Empress Dowager—was all right, I left the office and hurried toward her quarters.