A building as magnificent as the imperial palace itself was filled with countless nobles.
This was the Imperial Assembly. Today was the day of the State Council meeting.
Ministers from every department and assembly members walked with grave, determined expressions.
They had clearly come to discuss an extremely important matter.
“I can’t believe I’m here. I’m way too nervous.”
Josef Padiya rubbed his hands together and smiled slyly.
Colrund Emir frowned at the sight.
He could feel the man’s naked ambition all too clearly.
“You’re nervous while making that face?”
“It’s a thrilling feeling. Can’t you sense this heavy atmosphere, Judge Emir?”
“Well…”
Colrund knew it too.
Something was going to happen today.
Otherwise, those old foxes wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to prepare for this meeting.
Normally, they dumped everything on their secretaries and never even looked at a single document.
Soon, Marquis Gilmore rose from his seat and surveyed the room.
“We shall now begin the State Council meeting. His Imperial Majesty will be entering shortly, so please tidy your attire.”
Rustle. Rustle.
The members quickly straightened their suits.
Colrund Emir watched with genuine fascination.
Until recently, noble clothing had been ostentatiously decorated with all kinds of precious metals and jewels.
But ever since the Midias suit shop opened, a true revolution in fashion had taken place.
A black suit with a white shirt was now the standard.
Pocket squares and neckties were the only places left for personal flair.
All of this was a change brought about by Duke Abel Carius.
The judicial robes too…
The old, cumbersome, glittering garments had been replaced by neat, deep purple robes.
Now the dignity of a judge finally felt appropriate.
Colrund’s eyes sparkled with a strange sense of renewal as he observed the nobles.
A short while later, the Emperor entered and sat heavily in the highest seat.
“Then we will proceed with the State Council meeting.”
“Skip the small stuff. Move on.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
From the moment of his ascension until now, the word ‘unconventional’ had always followed the Emperor.
Duke Carius gave off a similar vibe.
He was always trying something new and surprising people.
But the similarity ended there.
The two men differed greatly in their ‘ๅบ็บฟ’โtheir fundamental boundaries.
Abel Carius was someone you could reason with using common sense.
Emperor Karon was someone whose actions were completely unpredictable.
Just like right now.
“The first agenda item. The Kingdom of Cuiret in the south has expressed interest in an alliance.”
“What are they offering?”
“Negotiations haven’t reached that stage yet.”
“Cuiret? Never heard of it.”
“The dynasty changed recently. It used to be called the Kingdom of Rhinod.”
“Ah, that place. Wasn’t it a pathetic little island nation?”
“Yes.”
“If the proposal is worthless, have the Chancellor deal with it.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Even when discussing a national alliance, there wasn’t a single vote.
The situation was so familiar that not one member voiced an opinion.
The second agenda item followed shortly after.
Marquis Gilmore spoke with a deeply worried expression.
“Recently, disturbing and ominous rumors have been spreading among the people.”
“Interesting. What are they saying?”
“That the Chief Justice’s popularity is soaring through the roof.”
It wasn’t a discussion of national affairs, merely that one person was extremely popular.
Nevertheless, the meeting hall fell into a suffocating silence.
The Emperor’s previously indifferent expression had frozen solid.
Yet Marquis Gilmore showed no sign of stopping.
In fact, he seemed to think this was the perfect moment.
“Because public sentiment is so unstable, gathering information has also required extreme caution.”
“And? What’s the conclusion?”
“Far too many disrespectful remarks are circulating.”
“What, treason?”
“!”
Until now, Marquis Gilmore had deliberately avoided the core issue, circling around it.
All the talk of ‘disrespectful remarks’ and ‘high popularity’ had been a roundabout way of saying that one word.
Treason.
That the popular Abel Carius was coveting the imperial throne.
The chill in the meeting hall was like the frozen edge of the northern wilds.
Judge Colrund Emir clutched his violently pounding heart.
The throbbing reached its peak, yet his entire body felt ice-cold.
Cold sweat had broken out all over him.
This is insane. This is completely insane!
To speak of treason in front of the iron-blooded Emperor Karon.
This was politics that truly risked one’s life.
One wrong move and the backlash could be fatal.
But Marquis Gilmore had played his cards skillfully.
He had only mentioned Duke Carius’s high popularity.
He had never uttered the word treason itself.
Marquis Gilmore feigned a flustered look and adjusted his statement.
“No, surely he wouldn’t plan something so unacceptable. They are from the same imperial family, so such baseless rumors must have arisen by mistake.”
He denied it verbally, but pointed it out again.
That Abel Carius possessed a legitimate claim to the throne.
It was a statement worthy of a veteran politician of the Imperial Assembly.
However, the Emperor was a far more terrifying political monster than the Marquis.
He instantly saw through the true intent.
“Many people want my cousin to take the throne? How amusing.”
Emperor Karon casually brought up the heart of the matter.
Colrund’s face turned deathly pale as he blinked rapidly.
He was only attending this State Council meeting because the Chief Justice was absent.
Yet here they were, in this mad situation.
He glanced to his right and saw that Josef Padiya’s face was also ashen.
Though for a completely different reason.
“Please, don’t let any sparks fly my way.”
He kept muttering that under his breath.
Even now, he wasn’t worried about his superior; he was only thinking about saving his own skin.
Colrund shook his head involuntarily.
After all, if the Chief Justice was arrested for treason, his entire entourage would be purged as well.
While he looked away for a moment, the members began to clamor.
“Your Majesty! Duke Carius’s fame is excessively high. It is truly a cause for concern.”
“Of course, we are not doubting his loyalty. After all, one cannot see into another’s heart.”
“Indeed. We worry he might make a grave misjudgment. That is our only concern.”
“There are surely people around him whispering dangerous ideas.”
Suddenly, all eyes focused on Colrund and Josef.
Emperor Karon stared at them silently.
His gaze was so intense it felt like it could freeze them to the bone.
Then came the heavy question.
“What do you two think, as his juniors? Does my cousin harbor rebellious intentions?”
“The Chief Justice has been devoted solely to his duties and has never abused the authority granted by Your Majesty. Such a thing would never happen.”
Colrund Emir answered instantly.
Josef Padiya, however, hesitated to speak.
He was frantically calculating which side would benefit him more.
Normally such hesitation would be rude, but no one cared.
Fortunately, the Emperor quickly looked away.
“So that’s how it is.”
“They are the Chief Justice’s assistant judges. They cannot speak ill of their superior.”
Despite Colrund’s defense, the members’ determination did not waver.
They looked ready to seize this chance to replace the Chief Justice.
After all, how many high-ranking nobles had he tormented with his absurd rulings?
There were plenty of people who disliked Abel Carius.
Under the relentless pressure, the Emperor twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Then there’s only one way to prove it. We need evidence or testimony.”
Snap! Swish.
With a light flick of his finger, a figure rose from the shadows.
It was an unbelievable sight, yet no one in the room was surprised.
He was one of the Emperor’s personal guards.
A Black Agent of the Imperial Knights.
“You summoned me, Your Majesty.”
“What is the state of Abel’s security?”
“One close-protection guard and thirty Imperial Knights dispatched.”
“What about the troops in the Carius Duchy?”
“Only thirty patrol soldiers. None have learned aura.”
It was ridiculously inadequate for a high-ranking imperial family with such vast lands.
If any other local noble had only that many troops, they would have been annihilated long ago.
By monsters, bandits, or neighboring lords.
But this was Abel Carius, so it somehow worked.
The members’ faces twisted at the Black Agent’s report.
They hadn’t realized the Carius Duchy was this weak.
Not a single knight, just thirty ordinary men. What could they possibly accomplish?
Then, the Emperor muttered softly.
“Wait. You can plot treason with only thirty troops? Then what about the other nobles?”
He slowly scanned the faces of every member in the room.
Finally, Emperor Karon twisted the corner of his mouth and declared.
“Thinking about rebellion is making it impossible to govern. From this moment on, every territory in the empire shall maintain troop levels no higher than those of the Carius Duchy.”
Boom!
It was a bolt from the blue.
The members were stunned, unable to process the sudden command.
Even Marquis Gilmore, who had initiated the agenda, turned completely white.
In the end, they all prostrated themselves on the floor, begging desperately.
No territory could possibly maintain control with only thirty men.
“P-Please have mercy, Your Majesty!”
The nobles’ long-planned scheme dissolved into nothing.
“Ah, how annoying.”
I leaned back in the swaying carriage, muttering with a tired expression.
Seriously. Tax collection?
And in the Yates Marquisate that I had crushed, no less.
I was probably going to be met with nothing but resentful glares.
“I’m not used to being hated.”
“That would be troublesome for me too.”
Shugl, hanging from my pocket, shook his head.
He wasn’t saying that out of sympathy for my situation.
He was just upset because it meant fewer chances to absorb vitality.
“I just want to go to a resort right now.”
“To do that, we need to head south. The east is very far from being a vacation spot.”
This time, Cordell McNeil responded to my muttering.
I had heard plenty about how pleasant the south was for leisure.
Countless islands with diverse cultures.
Endless white beaches and sweltering tropical heat.
It was the perfect place to experience something exotic.
For imperial nobles, owning at least one island with a luxurious villa was considered a basic requirement.
I already have three, but they’re all near the capital.
The previous Abel Carius had never cared for vacations.
“I should build a villa in the south.”
“Hehe! Please do! I’ll come along and enjoy the benefits too.”
“Wow. Now I suddenly don’t want to.”
“Money exists to be spent, Your Grace.”
“I should ask His Majesty to change my escort. I don’t like you freeloading, Sir McNeil.”
“Why are you being like this? After everything we’ve been through.”
“And what exactly have we ‘been through’?”
“A close relationship where we share the shadows?”
“Sigh!”
I let out a short sigh and a helpless laugh.
At some point, Cordell McNeil and I had become friends.
Close enough to trade jokes like this without hesitation.
We had simply spent too much time together.
As we continued the lighthearted chatter, I suddenly felt the carriage come to a stop.
We had entered the Yates Marquisate some time ago, so we were probably arriving.
Cordell McNeil naturally reached for the carriage door.
At that exact moment, I quickly blocked his arm.
I had sensed a presence.
“What’s wrong?”
“Wait. Something feels off…”
Crash!
A violent impact immediately slammed into the carriage.
What the hell?! Right as we arrive?!
Emperor: only I can mess with my cousin
Looollllll those stupid nobles mess with the wrong person. And I’m not talking about our MC ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ