He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 13

13. The Mad Emperor

“The merchants would be pleased to hear that, but aren’t we still lacking in preparation?”

“Do you think so, Prime Minister?”

Prime Minister Bright joined me on the way back to the palace after hunting.

Unlike my relaxed response, he sighed and said,

“Reclaiming the Demon Realm is not as easy as it sounds.”

“I know. It requires logistics comparable to war. But that’s why we need to do it even more.”

Gathering artisans to make arrows, carve bows, or assemble crossbows.

From forging armor and blades to establishing a system for securing food.

Each of these things costs money, so it’s bound to be difficult.

“It will be a wartime economic system. It’s natural, but the imperial treasury might not be able to withstand it.”

“That’s why we’re targeting the Demon Realm, an uncharted territory. It’s not just a war of attrition; reclaiming it is profitable in itself.”

For example, just the hide of the giant wolf monster we caught is valuable.

The amount of leather is more than that of ordinary wolves, and the quality is incomparably better.

Moreover, monsters aren’t valuable just for their hides.

The blood of monsters has different uses depending on the type, but it’s used as a material for alchemy or various magical rituals.

Bones are also used as medicinal ingredients or magical materials, but the bones of very special monsters are as hard as steel, so they are polished and used as armor in themselves.

“And it’s not just monsters. We can secure more pastures or farmlands.”

The Demon Realm itself can be a resource and additional real estate or territory.

In the case of the Demon Realm, more precious herbs may be hidden than in other places.

In addition, there was also the possibility that mineral resources were abundant.

“You’re not wrong, but the cost could easily exceed the profit. That’s why the empire has been passive in reclaiming the Demon Realm in the past.”

As the conversation with the Prime Minister continued, we emerged from the Demon Realm.

At the hunting camp, which we used as a base camp, soldiers were already tanning the game they had hunted.

Already, this alone meant that this training was not just a wasteful consumption.

“Prime Minister, there’s a saying that saving too much is like hoarding poop.”

“I’ve never heard that saying before, but I think I know what you mean.”

Still, the Prime Minister wasn’t the type to miss out on opportunities to make money because he was afraid of spending it.

A person without that kind of guts wouldn’t become the prime minister of a country.

“But these things usually create terrible inefficiencies.”

“You mean there will be corruption.”

What the Prime Minister said was true.

Where there’s money to be made, flies are bound to swarm.

Even if you pursue managerial efficiency as much as possible, there will always be trash who try to pocket some extra money in human affairs.

And this is not something that can be solved by entrusting it to imperial officials or merchants.

Both of them would take kickbacks, so it’s hard to expect them to be clean.

“So I’m planning to create a department dedicated to surveillance.”

“What are you going to do?”

On the way back to the Imperial Palace from the hunting grounds, the Prime Minister asked, being careful about who might be listening.

He knew that it would be bad if this got into the ears of other officials.

“An intelligence organization. I’m thinking of formally creating an intelligence organization.”

Surveillance is ultimately about gathering information.

And an intelligence organization is a group that gathers information.

Surveillance is about gathering information within our own organization, but even if the risk is low, it’s not an easy task.

But that’s why surveillance was a good job to train intelligence agents.

Even if things go wrong, valuable intelligence agents are unlikely to die.

“We can root out and eradicate corruption while simultaneously training intelligence agents to spread externally.”

Right now, I’m busy gathering a blue team [a group of cybersecurity experts who identify vulnerabilities].

However, the more it becomes a team battle rather than an individual battle, the more likely there will be trolls or traitors among the team members.

That’s why an intelligence organization was essential.

“Then who are you going to entrust with that task?”

As we approached the Imperial Palace, the Prime Minister asked one last time who would be appointed as the head of the intelligence organization.

The position of head of the intelligence organization could not be entrusted to just anyone.

Ability was required, but above all, loyalty was required.

I couldn’t let someone I couldn’t trust be my eyes.

But fortunately, there was a suitable person for this job.

“Welcome, Your Majesty. Did you enjoy the hunt?”

“Jurgen.”

Butler Jurgen.

The one who has been the head butler, a position close to the imperial family for generations.

He was someone who wouldn’t betray me, at least for the sake of his own ambition.

He was also highly capable, so he was the perfect person to entrust with the intelligence organization.

“You can now discuss that matter with the Prime Minister. He knows about it now.”

“I see, that’s why you came with Prime Minister Bright.”

However, Prime Minister Bright showed an impression that he found him unpleasant.

Well, considering the fussy Prime Minister and the sly butler’s tendencies, it was only natural.

But what can I do? I’ll just have to order them to get along somehow since I’m the one ordering it.

* * *

Selina Heiness von Orlan was the daughter of the Duke of Orlan, one of the empire’s seven elector families [families with the right to elect the emperor].

Originally, she had no intention of becoming a member of the imperial family like she is now.

“Father is still not moving?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. His right-hand man, Malenberg, is also quiet.”

But now, she was more loyal to the imperial family than to her own family.

It was an unwanted marriage between families, but no one had given her as much heart as the previous emperor.

So she hated her own family, who tried to use her to control the emperor.

“Keep watching. Give more rewards to the maids I’ve planted as spies.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The maid who was loyal to her received the gold coins and kissed the Empress Dowager’s hand.

The sight was a strict chain of command that was hard to see even among male intelligence agents.

“So my father is not paying attention yet. That’s fortunate, but…”

This tightrope walk won’t last long.

The Empress Dowager sipped her tea at a table near the window, thinking about the flow of the political situation.

“My father will pay attention soon.”

In the meantime, she deliberately acted as if she had been rejected by the emperor and cut off the connection with her family.

But as long as she expands her power for the sake of her son, Emperor Franz, it is only a matter of time before this disguise is discovered.

“So increasing intelligence is a good choice, but…”

Still, there are limits to that alone.

Intelligence is an act that corresponds to the eyes.

Those who have opened their eyes can see who is attacking and how, and use power in the name of military power appropriately.

But in the end, intelligence is just eyes.

Even if you recognize the attack, if you lack the power to stop it or don’t have friends to fight with you, you will be overwhelmed.

Butler Jurgen and the Empress Dowager each trained male and female intelligence agents, so intelligence has increased dramatically.

That was not a perfect way to rule out future instability.

“There is a limit to increasing military power, so we must increase alliances…”

She is gathering weak nobles, but the weak nobles are still too small to be reliable comrades right now.

To check a powerful force, it must ultimately be a powerful force.

You have to be friends with someone who fits that size, but the problem is whether there are such people.

“The most comfortable thing to do is a political marriage, but…”

As she did, the easiest and fastest way for a noble to make friends is through a political marriage.

But again, there was no one who could become a suitable partner.

The family that was useful was hostile to the imperial family.

Those who weren’t were a little less useful.

“Besides, I don’t know what Franz thinks.”

Franz, who became emperor as an adult, could get engaged to someone right away.

But it was questionable whether Franz would want that.

He would feel the need, but he would probably think that there was no suitable partner, as Selina herself thought.

But still, wondering if he had any thoughts or plans to make an alliance, the Empress Dowager decided to ask him directly.

“Is anyone outside? I’m going to see His Majesty.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will accompany you immediately.”

As soon as she made up her mind, the Empress Dowager left the room and headed to where Franz was.

According to the butlers and maids, the emperor was training in the training hall.

Arriving in front of the indoor training hall, the Empress Dowager quietly opened the door and looked inside.

“Ah……”

Inside, the emperor was shirtless, holding a sword and closing his eyes as if concentrating.

With his muscular body that had become firm, he was a very beautiful and wonderful figure in harmony with his long silver hair.

-Swish.

Soon, blue energy emanated from his sculpted body, and the wooden sword he held was filled with blue energy.

Chuck, swish! Thwack!

Soon, the emperor opened his eyes wide and swung his wooden sword.

He cut down the straw bales that had been set up as targets in all directions.

Even though it was a wooden sword without a blade, the aura surrounding it replaced the role of the blade and cleanly cut the straw bales.

Clap clap clap-

“Excellent, Your Majesty.”

“Mother.”

Empress Dowager Selina felt overwhelmed as she looked at her son, who had grown up so wonderfully and beautifully, and applauded without realizing it.

While the maids wiped the sweat from the emperor’s face and body, the Empress Dowager approached the emperor.

“It’s good to see you training so hard.”

“I’m just lacking in training. But what’s wrong?”

“It’s not that, but…”

The Empress Dowager said what she had been thinking.

Intelligence is increasing without hindrance while working with Butler Jurgen.

But this alone could not lower the increasing attention.

Eventually, checks will come in, and as there is still no proper alliance, we need a friend.

She only said that much, and did not mention the political marriage.

But her intelligent son would not be unaware of what she meant.

“Alliance. The problem is that there is no suitable partner, but there is also the issue of trust. There is no guarantee that they will not betray us even if we proceed with a political marriage.”

Franz was more negative about political marriages in a different direction.

Unlike Selina, who could not objectively evaluate her son, the emperor did not overestimate his charm.

Even if someone had a political marriage with him, there was no guarantee that she herself, as well as her family, would not betray him.

It was a thought that was possible because Franz had no illusions about family.

His theory was that anyone could betray those they shake hands with, unless they had a weakness.

“Instead, I have a friend with a weakness.”

“Who is that, Your Majesty?”

A friend who desperately needs the emperor’s authority right now, has power, but is in difficult circumstances.

“I think it would be good to bring in the Church, Mother.”

Coincidentally, the Pope wants to meet the Emperor.

They seem to want a lot from the Emperor, whatever they want.

Franz decided to make them friends to move forward with in the future.