He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 145

Became the Crazy Emperor – Episode 145

Even if a country is ruined and turned to ashes, the people usually remain in their place.

If they are lucky, they might rebuild their nation from the ruins.

And the Elves’ nation was destroyed. So, what will become of them?

I don’t know either. But one thing is certain: they will be the ones to determine their own fate.

I will make sure of it.

“Are you really going to do this?”

“Why? Do you have a problem with that, Nakan?”

“It’s not so much a problem, but… why are you being so generous…”

The Dark Elf Nakan, who became the new king of Elvengrad, wore a dubious expression.

It was because he was puzzled that I wasn’t forcing any unfavorable treaties on him.

It must be quite unexpected for him, who had expected to be set up as a puppet.

“Granting autonomy to the new kingdom… no, practically leaving it alone without interfering in its internal affairs? Furthermore, acknowledging my legitimacy? Why are you going so far?”

“I don’t have an obligation to tell you that, do I? Besides, these aren’t exactly bad conditions for you, are they? Then is there any need to worry about it?”

“That’s… but…”

Nakan looked at me, not abandoning his doubts.

He must suspect that my intentions aren’t pure. And that’s the correct answer.

I wasn’t supporting him with pure intentions either.

“You just need to do your job without thinking about anything else: ruling the kingdom. I have no intention of interfering in how you rule it.”

“Really? What if… I become hostile to the Empire?”

“Of course, you’ll pay the price accordingly. Surely you’re not thinking of doing that?”

“Of course not. Why would I betray an ally who helps me?”

“That’s all I need to know.”

I patted Nakan on the back and turned away from him.

He would hardly be able to perceive my subtly hidden intentions. Even a seasoned Dark Elf wouldn’t be able to imagine it.

“Your Majesty, I am also curious.”

However, it seemed that Nakan wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand my intentions.

While walking through the half-burned streets of Elvengrad, Stella asked me.

“Why are you treating the Elves so generously?”

“Generously? I’m not being that generous, am I?”

I pointed to one side of the street.

There, young High Elves were being taken away by slave traders.

After conquering the Elven Kingdom, Wood Elves and Dark Elves weren’t exactly punished, but High Elves were an exception.

Some of them were sentenced to death, and the remaining families were taken as slaves.

In the Empire, slavery isn’t very common due to the doctrine of ‘not enslaving fellow Imperials,’ but that doesn’t apply to Elves who aren’t Imperial citizens.

Well, I don’t know exactly what kind of slaves they will be or how they will be used, but it’s none of my business.

“We’re enslaving the criminals, taking the mining rights to mineral resources, and imposing heavy reparations. This alone is quite a heavy punishment for them.”

“Emperor, that’s too paltry a spoil for a conqueror.”

Instead of Stella, Igritt answered my question.

Well, it was understandable that she, a born warrior, would see it that way.

“Igritt, should I have worn the Elven crown here, then?”

“A conqueror would have done so.”

“If I really wanted to conquer them, I would have. But who would benefit from me conquering them?”

The Elves’ land will never be the same as before because the World Tree has burned down.

I don’t know for sure, but famine will continue for a while. Am I supposed to take responsibility for that land? Why?

“Of course, I could exploit them without caring how many die. But then the remaining Elves’ anger would be directed entirely at me.”

“Are you afraid of that anger?”

“No, I’m not afraid of the anger directed at me at all. What I’m afraid of is the anger directed at the Empire after me.”

As long as I’m alive, the Elves can’t beat me or the Empire no matter what they do.

So that’s not what’s scary. But what I need to be wary of is what happens after I die.

“If their anger is directed at the Empire, my successor will suffer the consequences.”

And anger sometimes becomes a strong driving force.

The reason why Germany, which had nothing after losing World War I, showed such potential until it lost again in World War II, was entirely due to the anger it had accumulated in the past.

As someone who knows the lessons that Earth’s history teaches, I have no intention of just taking that.

I need to subtly make that anger directed and dispersed towards someone else.

“Could it be that…”

“Yes, I’m passing it on to their new king.”

That is, to Nakan right now.

Indeed, I demanded war reparations from him, but I completely guaranteed autonomy in the governance of the kingdom. I even recognized his legitimacy.

“But does that mean his rule will be smooth? Not at all!”

The Elves aren’t fools. They won’t tolerate being ruled by those who are treated worse than them.

If they think that he is ruling them with the support of a foreign emperor, they will consider it even more tyrannical.

“Conflicts will arise everywhere. Warlords will run rampant. The real question isn’t why I recognized Nakan.”

Why I only recognized Nakan is the essence.

I had already identified the leaders among the remaining Wood Elves and High Elves.

But I didn’t give any recognition to them.

That was a device to make them act even more recklessly.

“Because I only recognized Nakan, they will become more desperate and rise up. It will be a headache for Nakan, but the Elves will be divided that much more.”

“Then… then if time passes…”

“The country will be divided. Probably, they won’t be able to unify easily for at least hundreds of years.”

It may seem like an evil plan. Even Stella, who is strict with the Empire’s enemies, had a slightly horrified expression.

But I had no qualms.

Why? Because I gave them a choice.

Who to serve as king, whether to fight each other, or whether to somehow reconcile.

I didn’t threaten them with a knife to do that. I left it all to their choices.

I just naturally knew what choices they would make, but I didn’t say it.

“So, their fate will be determined by themselves.”

“Indeed… If that’s the case, I can understand. It’s a punishment befitting their sins.”

If even Stella is convinced, my plan must be pretty good.

I shrugged and walked through the streets of the once-beautiful city, which still smelled of ashes.

The Elves were begging or being hanged for looting. Some were prostituting themselves or joining the Imperial Church for a piece of bread.

It was the brutal plight of a defeated nation.

“Your Majesty, a letter from the Imperial Palace.”

At that time, the captain of the guard came to me and handed me a letter.

“My mother is urgently looking for me?”

After reading the letter, I was puzzled that my mother, of all people, was looking for me.

“You must return.”

Stella looked regretful at that.

Unlike Igritt, she couldn’t leave the Eastern Territory carelessly.

“Yes. But Stella, you have to come with me too.”

“Yes?”

“My mother wants to see you too. I don’t know why.”

The reason why she was calling her wasn’t written.

Anyway, it was time to return to the Imperial Palace.

* * *

“Mother.”

Some time later, I returned to the capital, Augsburg, and met my mother, Empress Dowager Celina.

“Welcome, Your Majesty. You must have had a hard time returning from a long expedition.”

“It wasn’t that much to worry about.”

“That’s right, I trust Your Majesty as well.”

The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea and put down the teacup.

“Perhaps you came too hastily because of my letter?”

“No, I was done with my business anyway. But what did you call me for?”

Upon hearing my question, my mother glanced at Stella and Igritt, who had accompanied me.

Come to think of it, the letter also said to bring Stella and Igritt without fail.

“Hmm, before that, there’s something I wanted to ask.”

“What is it, Mother?”

“How have you been getting along with Stella and Igritt lately?”

“How do you mean? We’ve just been doing this and that together.”

“…”

…Somehow, the eyes that were staring at me were meaningful.

But I couldn’t quite understand the meaning.

“…Well, fine. Let’s get to the point. Actually, I received a letter from Sarah.”

“From Sarah?”

Sarah is the granddaughter of Duke Orland, who is now the governor of the Southern Territory. She had been active with me in the last civil war.

“Things don’t seem to be going well in the South. It seems like they need help there. It seems like they need excellent warriors and priests…”

“So that’s why Igritt and Stella are needed.”

“Yes, but perhaps… Your Majesty will go there directly as well?”

At the Empress Dowager’s question, I immediately nodded.

Well, I had visited the Western and Eastern Territories once each, and it was about time to inspect the Southern Territory as well, so it would be good to go there.

In particular, the Southern Territory is an important place that needs to be linked to the Central Territory, which is like my direct control.

“Okay, then do that.”

“You’re surprisingly willing to allow it.”

“Trying to stop Your Majesty now would only mean that I don’t trust Your Majesty… and I really want it to happen this time.”

“This time…?”

“Well, there’s something like that.”

Empress Dowager Celina smiled after saying something meaningful.

“Then, would you excuse us for a moment? I have something important to say to Igritt and Stella.”

“Yes, I will.”

I don’t know what she’s trying to say to them, but I’m not really interested in getting involved in women’s affairs, so I decided to step back quietly.

* * *

“It seems like this is the first time the two of you have met like this.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

“…What’s going on?”

As the Emperor left the room, Stella answered the Empress Dowager’s greeting politely, and Igritt responded with a blunt attitude.

The Empress Dowager didn’t particularly rebuke Igritt’s attitude. Rather, she thought it was like her.

“It’s not that, I just have something I want to ask the two of you. To be exact, there’s one more person, but I couldn’t call that person here.”

“If there’s one more person…?”

“Duke Orland’s granddaughter, my niece, Sarah.”

The Empress Dowager answered up to that point and then elegantly drank her tea again.

“Do you know what’s missing in the Empire right now?”

“Missing? Not really…”

“I don’t know.”

Clang!

At the two people’s answers, the Empress Dowager put down the teacup somewhat roughly.

“Empress.”

“Yes?”

“And successor. Those two things are missing.”

At the Empress Dowager’s words, both Igritt and Stella’s expressions hardened. Both of them had a somewhat flushed complexion as a bonus.

“But… there are three women around the Emperor.”

“Th-that…”

“Stella, Igritt.”

Before they could say anything, the Empress Dowager said coldly.

“Make the Emperor, Franz, decide quickly.”

It was truly an unreasonable order.