He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 6

Became the Crazy Emperor – Episode 6

Became the Crazy Emperor 6

“Merchants are gathering quickly. Soon, everyone will be here, Your Majesty.”

Thanks to diligently cracking down on thugs, I was able to summon the merchants while the sun was still up.

“It seems we’ve dealt with all the thugs in the capital. These merchants are quite something. Can’t they just trade honestly and live decently?”

“It’s not that there aren’t honest ones, but now even they have no choice but to join hands with the ruffians to protect themselves.”

“That’s true. With violent people around, they can’t just act like saints. It’s all because of my lack of virtue.”

“Those are excessive words, Your Majesty.”

Saying words I didn’t mean and hearing that they were excessive felt quite strange.

Though I said that, the part I was actually more interested in was that there were no more thugs to use for training.

Even so, I can’t just beat up guys who are already compliant, can I? I’m not going to kill them off, and forcing them to be beaten doesn’t help with training.

‘Well, I can always create something to train with.’

This is a world full of monsters. There’s no need to worry about not having a way to train.

“All the merchants have gathered.”

“Is that so? Then let’s go too. Ah, right, let the Prime Minister speak first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

There’s no need to tell them in advance that the one who forcibly summoned them is the Emperor.

If I reveal my identity from the start, they’ll try to excessively flatter me. Of course, they wouldn’t do that to the Prime Minister.

I also wanted to see what they actually thought of my plan.

“Well, everyone’s here. Some of you may already know me, but let me introduce myself. I am Kal Bright von Horland, the Prime Minister of the Empire.”

The Prime Minister introduced himself in a somewhat light tone, but the merchants’ expressions were not bright.

Some whispered among themselves before one of the appointed representatives stepped forward and said,

“It is an honor to meet you, Prime Minister. However, what business do you have calling us here?”

“Of course, I called you here to entrust you with important matters. Otherwise, would I have bothered to come all this way?”

“Is that so? However, there was no need to call us in such an uncomfortable manner. If you had simply called, we would have come willingly….”

“Hahaha, you’re quite bold. Or are you just clueless? Can’t you guess why we rounded you up while cracking down on the thugs you were using?”

“…….”

“If not, don’t bother arguing and just listen.”

They must have been doing all sorts of petty, shady things with the thugs.

Whether they did it because they liked it or because they would lose out if they didn’t do what everyone else was doing, the fact remains that they committed crimes.

And they couldn’t protest even if I held them accountable for those crimes here, so they had no choice but to shut up.

“Good, it seems you’re ready to listen now. Without further ado, the reason I called you here is, of course, about money.”

“Are you talking about tribute?”

When a noble, especially an official of the Imperial Family, mentions money to a merchant, they naturally think of tribute [a payment made by one state or ruler to another as acknowledgment of submission or as the price of protection].

However, the Prime Minister, who had already shared my plan, shook his head.

“Tribute is not necessary. Voluntary donations are needed.”

“It sounds like the same thing to me…….”

“Does ‘donation’ not resonate with you? Then let’s call it an investment. If you give money, you’ll be able to earn several times more, so ‘investment’ is a more fitting word.”

The merchants looked puzzled at the Prime Minister’s words.

Investment? Whether it was a donation or tribute, nobles and the Imperial Family always snatched it up.

Of course, this is because this world is still a complete medieval feudal society [a social system in which a lord owns land that is worked by vassals in exchange for military service or a share of the produce].

Currency like gold and silver coins circulates, but the market is small and the concept of capital is not well-formed.

There are merchants in such a world, but their status is different from that of entrepreneurs known to modern people.

Commonly, merchants have an image of collecting debts no matter what, but in fact, merchants in the Middle Ages were often exploited by higher classes such as nobles and clergy.

If necessary, they had to pay tribute or taxes to the lord or king, and they also had to give money for ‘repentance’ to the clergy, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.

Otherwise, they would be trampled by the army or excommunicated [officially excluded from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian Church].

This world was no different. So, it was very unusual for the Prime Minister to even bring up the word ‘investment.’

“May I ask why we would also make money?”

“That’s a good question. But let me ask you in return, what do you think is the reason why you can’t earn more money now?”

“That’s… there are many reasons.”

Of course, those many reasons included figures like lords, kings, and clergy, but they couldn’t say that to the Prime Minister outright.

“Why are you being so shy? Isn’t it because of nobles like me, especially the lords? The money that the lords extort must be no small amount, right?”

“…….”

“The church is the same… but that’s not the important thing. The important thing is that we will remove those restrictions.”

“Re, really?”

The merchants were agitated by the Prime Minister’s words, which were no different from a bombshell.

In fact, their expressions were the same as the expression he had when I first told him about this plan.

It could have been an unwelcome story for him, who was a noble, though not a lord.

But it wasn’t something that would directly harm him; rather, it was something that would further increase the authority of him, who belonged to the legal nobility.

Since the idea was to control the feudal lords by bringing in merchants, the influence of the legal nobility had to become stronger.

Of course, it was something that both the Prime Minister and the Head Butler would welcome.

Seeing the Prime Minister enthusiastically persuading the merchants because their interests aligned, I smiled contentedly.

It was more than satisfactory that someone else was working hard without me having to suffer.

“Specifically, what kind of….”

“We can support everything. We can enact laws to prevent the lords from receiving any more ‘tribute’ from you.”

“Such….”

“Not only that, but if things go well in the future, you will be able to buy the land and property of the lords who will fall into ruin. It means you can become great landowners.”

Even in the feudal system, there were landowners, but the concept of property rights often ultimately belonged to the lord.

It was either impossible for commoners, including merchants, to own real estate such as land, or ownership itself was possible, but the lord could take it away at any time.

In reality, whether it was farmland, forest, or mine, it was owned by the lord or king of the area.

“However, if you support the Imperial Family and the Imperial Family brings down the lords, there is nothing we cannot put up for sale to you as needed. This is the ultimate goal of calling you here.”

The downfall of the lords.

Just saying that much was enough for the merchants to understand what the Prime Minister wanted and why he needed money.

Most likely, the money taken from them would be used to prepare an army to pressure the lords.

Power comes from force, like spears and swords.

But an army, which can be said to be spears and swords, is a money-guzzling pig.

Apart from the feudal lords who have a base called territory, the only outside forces with money to prepare such an army are the merchants.

However, unlike the lords who have the clergy behind them, merchants do not have social authority or prestige. Therefore, even if they have money, they cannot organize an army.

“But if I intervene, it’s different. If you invest in me, you can rebuild the Imperial Army.”

After the Prime Minister finished speaking and a heated debate ensued, I interjected when the story flowed that way.

When I, who had been sitting quietly in the seat of honor, spoke, the merchants all fell silent.

“Who are you to say such things….”

“I am the Emperor.”

“Yes?”

“The one you are looking at is Franz, the owner and supreme ruler of this empire.”

“……!”

The audience froze again at my answer.

Expecting this reaction, I smiled and drew my sword from its scabbard.

Clang!

At the same time, I plunged the sword into the floor.

From that sword, the aura emanating from my mana heart spread in all directions.

Unlike magical power used for magic, aura is a power that is best applied to the human body.

Even though it was still clumsy aura, the merchants were easily overwhelmed by its energy.

“I guarantee it here and now. From now on, you don’t have to be afraid of the lords.”

The lords will have to fear you.

Because they will fear me standing behind you.

A system in which feudal lords truly submit to the emperor or disappear.

On Earth, it was called this.

Absolute monarchy [a form of government in which one ruler has supreme authority and where that authority is not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs].

That’s what I’m envisioning.

Of course, absolute monarchy is not the most ideal system.

Because there is no absolutely ideal system in the world.

And even if I establish an absolute monarchy, it will eventually become corrupt.

There is no guarantee that these merchants will not become new nobles or collude with existing nobles when they become great landowners in the future.

If that problem develops into the contradictions of the old system and becomes serious, something like the French Revolution will happen….

‘Is that my problem? By then, I’ll be dead and gone, won’t I?’

Even if families collapse, society collapses, and the country collapses in the future, and a revolution occurs, is that my business? That’s for future generations to worry about.

I only intend to do what I want, so my goal is only up to that point.

“Yo, Your Majesty. But I don’t think the lords will just stand still….”

“Of course not. Are those guys the type to just stand still?”

But I wasn’t very afraid.

How many times have I unified the world with countries on the verge of collapse or weak countries like candles in the wind?

Although it’s a human extinction scenario, I’ve actually started countless times even in worse situations.

If this world ultimately operates within the rules of the game, then I will definitely be the one to dominate that game.

I can say with certainty that there is no one who knows the rules of this world as well as I do.

“But trust me. This is an investment.”

Investment requires accepting both the possibility of profit and loss.

For me, giving me money is obviously a coin that will 100% skyrocket, but for them, the possibility of loss cannot be ignored.

“Th, th-then I will gladly invest.”