He became the most insane emperor of all time

Returning to the palace, I met with the Empress Dowager after finishing my bath.

“The empire is currently politically more chaotic than ever before.”

As I relaxed and cooled off after the bath, I personally poured tea for the Empress Dowager.

After receiving the tea, the Empress Dowager spoke as though to begin her remarks, and I nodded in agreement, saying:

“Indeed, but I’m sure you didn’t come to me just to state the obvious.”

The empire was going through a period of political turmoil so extreme that simply saying it was on the decline was insufficient.

While not all of the regents were like this, some were in a position to rebel against me at any moment, and their methods varied widely.

There were hardly any who openly wished to wear the imperial crown.

However, if the regents wanted it and had the strength to claim it, they were qualified to wear the imperial crown.

It was just that they didn’t obsess over it because the crown itself held no real value.

“Of course, Your Majesty. But ironically, because of this chaos, it is also an opportunity.”

The Empress Dowager cut the cake she had brought with her as she spoke.

“If this cake is the empire, then this knife is you, Your Majesty.”

The cake called the empire.
The knife cutting the cake.
Then, what were the pieces of cake?

“They are everyone but you, Your Majesty.”

The servants began to overhear dangerous words.

I gestured to one of the palace attendants standing nearby, and he quickly ushered the maids out.

With talk of subtle manipulation and backstabbing, it was better for commoners not to be here.

“The regents. For now, they are the ones who make up the empire.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. But not all of them are beneficial to you.”

Just as the Empress Dowager said.

Separatists.
Traitors wishing to join other races.
Demon followers.
Those immersed in heretical religions.
These were the types who now made up the empire.

“Of course, they are the poisonous pieces of cake that should not be eaten.”

But not all the pieces of cake could be discarded.

If that happened, the empire could no longer be called the empire.

That’s why those who can be embraced should be embraced.

“Then we must identify which pieces of cake are not poisoned.”

But how can one know what is not poisoned?

I can confidently say that those remaining now each have their own survival strategies.

The ones who didn’t are already long gone.

“It’s surprisingly simple, Your Majesty. The poison of rebellion can’t be held by just anyone.”

In a world where anyone can hide a knife behind their back and stab you at any moment, only those who are strong enough can afford to bide their time and wait for the right opportunity.

[Quest: Win over the Lesser Nobles]
[All political schemes require pawns. To unify the empire, win over the lesser factions.]
[Reward: Prosperity’s Favor, Level 1]

The ones too small to hold such poison.

Winning them over could be the beginning of a scheme.

“Let’s talk more in detail, Mother.”

It was a night when schemes would take root.

***

Not only commoners suffer in times of political turmoil.

Even nobles, if they are weak and lack the power to protect themselves, are inevitably swept away by disaster.

Naturally, it is often the lesser noble families who suffer, but surprisingly, even nobles of the rank of Count couldn’t rest easy in such times.

Even among Counts, the power of their family and territory could vary drastically.

Though the empire was still vast, even with its decline, the scale of conflict among the high-ranking nobles remained immense.

***

“Count Ranford’s stance is one you, Your Majesty, fully understand. So I’m sure you’ll make him a good proposal.”

“If that is the case, I’m relieved, but I do hope you understand that taking such a step is a gamble in itself, Your Majesty.”

Count Ranford, understanding the state of the empire well, knew that making even one wrong move could lead to the downfall of his family.

In fact, since the reign of the previous emperor, many noble families had been wiped out.

While new families had arisen due to various political reasons, it was no longer uncommon for territorial conflicts between families to occur.

Normally, it would be the emperor’s job to prevent such conflicts.

But now, the emperor’s authority was not enough to stop it.

So, one must not give anyone a reason to justify such actions. Though reasons can be fabricated, the most important thing in the end is power.

***

‘We are not in a position to gain such power, yet why has the emperor called for me at such a delicate time?’

He was tempted to decline the invitation, fearing that he might be dragged into unnecessary trouble.

However, Count Ranford’s influence had waned over time, so he could not refuse the emperor’s invitation.

Even though the emperor’s authority was no longer at its peak, it was still not something a family like the Ranford family could afford to ignore.

Moreover, the emperor had even sent the head butler with a carriage to personally escort him, so there was no excuse to decline.

***

“Your Majesty is a wise person, so there’s no need for concern.”

The snake-like butler of the imperial palace, Jurgen, spoke as if he were reading his thoughts, which made Count Ranford feel uneasy.

However, he didn’t show his discomfort and responded.

“Since you say so. But aren’t we heading to the palace? Why do I feel like we’re heading into the forest instead?”

“Oh, that? Well, we are indeed heading to the forest. We’re not going to the palace, but rather to the royal hunting grounds.”

“Hunting grounds?”

Why were they heading to the hunting grounds instead of the palace? Naturally, Count Ranford had such a question.

And that question naturally gave birth to doubt and unease.

Though it might have seemed like an unwarranted prejudice, hunting grounds were places where the nobles’ leisure was fulfilled, but it was also common for nobles to die in ‘accidents’ there.

Of course, it was a well-known secret that some of those ‘accidents’ could have been intentional.

“Haha, there’s no need to misunderstand.”

Perhaps it was too obvious that Ranford was worried.

The butler, Jurgen, immediately reassured him.

“I, I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s written all over your face.”

Count Ranford squinted his eyes as he spoke, feeling as though he were watching Jurgen flick his tongue like a snake.

“Why would His Majesty resort to such despicable measures against a mere Count family?”

Even if the imperial family had fallen from grace, wouldn’t trampling on a Count family be nothing?

“Cough, ahem…”

Though the butler’s words were somewhat unpleasant, they weren’t entirely wrong.

So why had the emperor called him to such a place?

Still feeling doubtful, the carriage stopped, and someone came to meet him.

“Pleased to meet you, Count Ranford. I am the gamekeeper, Jack Forest. I will guide you to where His Majesty is.”

As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, the gamekeeper who appeared from the bushes greeted him.

Ranford, still uneasy, cautiously glanced around.

But at Jack’s next words, he couldn’t help but freeze.

“Please follow me, but do so quietly and carefully. You must absolutely follow my instructions.”

“What—what’s going on?”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

With an uncomfortable feeling, Count Ranford was a bit scared, but there was no turning back now.

In contrast, Jurgen and the gamekeeper moved through the bushes as if they were used to it, lowering their bodies.

Unlike them, the Count found it awkward to lower his stance, but soon followed behind them.

“Shh, we’re near, so from here on, no noise.”

‘What in the world is going on?’

After walking for a while, nearly bent over, the gamekeeper, Jack, spoke in a very quiet voice and then looked toward the empty forest.

To the Count’s eyes, all he could see were bushes, trees, the sloping path, and occasionally uneven ground, so he wondered if the gamekeeper was playing a prank on him.

But then it happened.

“Got you, you bastard!”

“Grrgh!”

Though the forest had seemed empty, suddenly there was a rustling sound from the bushes, and someone tumbled to the ground.

With their shabby appearance and leather clothing, they looked like a thief.

Meanwhile, the person who had thrown him to the ground was also wearing light leather clothing, but he was a tall, well-built young man with silver hair.

The Count felt that he looked somewhat familiar.

“Now! Shoot!”

But before the Count could even think about his identity, those hidden around the area suddenly appeared and shot arrows at the young man.

The arrows had their tips removed, so they had no killing power, but they still flew quickly toward the young man, just like regular arrows.

“Not bad, but still not enough!”

With a battle cry, the young man swung his sword and sliced through the arrows that came at him.

The technique, often referred to as “arrow-cutting,” was commonly practiced among knights, but it was not a preferred technique.

It was generally more effective to dodge, trust in armor, or use a shield.

But the young man easily sliced through seven arrows.

Of course, he couldn’t avoid all the arrows that continued to rain down, and had to roll to dodge some, but even that was enough to impress Count Ranford.

‘He’s quite skilled. The imperial family may have weakened, but with a knight like him still in the palace, he’s not someone to be easily dismissed.’

Count Ranford’s family, the Ranford family, could never afford to have such a skilled knight as a retainer, but regardless, the young man’s prowess was undeniable.

Moreover, the unfolding battle was equally impressive.

As soon as he rolled to the ground, he sprang up and dashed toward the enemies, dodging or cutting through the arrows that came at him like water flowing.

The enemies had scattered into the bushes, shooting arrows from different spots. Even though it was an excellent ambush, unfortunately for them, the silver-haired youth overcame everything with sheer physical strength, and it turned into a disadvantage for them.

Because they had scattered, they could not concentrate to resist him and were instead picked off one by one.

“Show more endurance!”

At the youth’s command, some gritted their teeth and charged recklessly to buy time, while others tried to regroup to strengthen their defense.

However, the silver-haired youth simply dodged the ones who charged and then rushed into the groups that were trying to defend.

Thwack! Crash! Clang!

That was the end of it. He knocked down all his opponents with powerful blows from his sword.

They didn’t faint, but after taking the blows, they seemed to concede defeat and no longer resisted.

While Count Ranford was admiring this, the butler and the gamekeeper emerged from the bushes where they had been hiding.

“Good job. You’re improving every day. It’s nice to see!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, it’s the butler and Jack. What’s going on? You two are together in the middle of a training session?”

Then Count Ranford overheard their conversation and was shocked.

‘M-Majesty? Then that person… is the Emperor?’

Only then did he recall the new Emperor, whom he had seen from afar at the coronation ceremony not long ago.

But the frail, delicate impression he had from that time was nowhere to be found, and in front of him stood a young man brimming with masculinity.

“So, you’re Count Ranford? You’ve finally arrived. I’ve been preparing to meet you for two weeks. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I-I am honored, Your Majesty.”

Seeing the young man before him, who was completely different from the Emperor he had remembered, Count Ranford’s confidence immediately crumbled.