He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 161

I Became the Crazy Emperor – Episode 161

Though the wedding was over, we naturally couldn’t spend much time enjoying our happiness.

Courtiers like the Prime Minister and the Empress Dowager suggested a honeymoon of at least half a year, but I opposed it.

I argued that I had too much to do and couldn’t afford to spend my time so leisurely.

“A honeymoon for that long? Can you say that after seeing the Empire’s financial situation?”

“We also need to integrate the Church and manage the appointment of clergy as teachers…”

“The capital was almost attacked. We don’t have time to dawdle if we want to strengthen the military’s alert status.”

To be precise, my wives all opposed it as well. Their arguments were all logically sound, so the officials couldn’t persuade us any further.

Hmm… It’s good that we’re on the same page, but I feel a little sad somehow? Of course, that thought disappears whenever I’m squeezed dry by them each night.

“Still, it’s definitely good to have the Empresses, Your Majesty.”

“Well, my wives are doing a good job. The Prime Minister’s workload must be decreasing a lot.”

I said, guessing the reason why Prime Minister Bright looked so carefree these days.

As I told him, my three wives were each doing their part well.

Stella helped resolve the diocesan conflicts within the Church and assisted in deploying clergy to the nationwide education project.

And Igrid, along with the Commander of the Imperial Guard, re-examined the Empire’s defense posture and helped foster elite soldiers.

Reconstruction was important, but the recent demon threat during the wedding made it impossible to delay strengthening our defenses.

“Haha, that’s true, but I am most pleased that Your Majesty is diligently handling state affairs.”

“…Oh, so you’re happiest that I’ve become a stamping machine. You treacherous subject.”

“Heh, if you’re dissatisfied, please grant me permission to resign.”

“I won’t allow it. I want you to work with me until you die.”

Even as I exchanged frivolous jokes with the Prime Minister, I was, in fact, sitting on the throne.

“You two, the audience will begin soon, so maintain your composure.”

And right next to me, in the Empress’s seat, was Sarah.

If there was one among my three wives with the most important task, it was undoubtedly Sarah.

The politics of the entire Empire, as well as economic policies, passed through her hands.

Of course, that doesn’t mean she was manipulating them as she pleased.

She engaged in fierce debates with prominent court officials every day, repeatedly drafting and reconsidering each policy.

The amount of work was beyond what I or most people could handle, but Sarah did it while also performing her duties as Empress.

One of those duties was receiving petitioners with me.

“Telling me to maintain composure now when I never had it in the first place… it’s not something I’m used to.”

“Don’t say that, dear. You are, without a doubt, the Emperor of the Empire.”

“No, but I’ve always been wandering outside, haven’t I? Wouldn’t the people know that I’m far from composed?”

“No, not at all. Your double has been acting so well that you have an image of being strict, serious, and solemn.”

Ah, that Mirror guy? No wonder he was grinning when I went to give him pocket money for playing around.

“Isn’t that a good thing? Just try to act dignified now.”

“I heard nagging causes wrinkles…”

“Quiet!”

Ugh, it seems I’ll be particularly under Sarah’s thumb.

Anyway, in the midst of all that, the petition audience began.

“…Therefore, please, I beg you, to resolve my injustice.”

“It is a pitiful case, but it was also your lack of caution not to secure any collateral, considering the possibility of fraud. Therefore, I reject the request to execute the accused and confiscate their property. I only order compensation for the amount of the damages.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

During the audience, all I did was sit on the throne and pretend to be solemn.

That’s because, while listening to the petitions was my role, making judgments and finding solutions was up to Sarah and the officials.

In a way, it was a blatant delegation of state affairs, but the petitions that came in during the audience were generally not very important.

“The effectiveness of this audience is questionable.”

“Isn’t it a good thing to listen to the people’s grievances?”

“Only listening to the people in Augsburg [the capital city]? Even then, if we properly introduced a judicial system instead of me, we wouldn’t have to do such trivial things.”

“Are you thinking of giving up judicial power? To do something like a constitutional monarchy?”

“Well, that’s something to consider slowly. If we were to do it, the first thing we’d need is a constitution.”

There are laws in the medieval world. But they are thoroughly based on customary law, not well codified, and not well applied to kings or nobles. Even then, the number of judges, who can be said to be the administrative power, is insufficient, so the absence of law is common in the provinces.

So, if we really want to resolve the people’s grievances, we need to introduce a judicial system rather than this haphazard audience.

“A constitution… you mean that even the Emperor can be punished by law, the one we discussed before.”

“Yes. It’s about giving up one of the Emperor’s powers, immunity. Naturally, the nobles would be the same.”

“It’s unrealistic. There will be tremendous chaos and opposition.”

“Of course, there will be. But I have the power to enforce it. It’s just that it’s not time yet, so I won’t do it.”

The reason I mentioned a constitutional monarchy and got scolded by the Empress Dowager wasn’t because I really intended to become a constitutional monarch.

It was merely to create a framework so that even if my descendants weren’t as special as me, they could still rule smoothly.

Some things, including the constitution, I will try in my generation, and some things I will leave to future generations.

Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that the Empire will run smoothly in future generations.

It could collapse right after I die, or it could be divided into several pieces again… Honestly, that’s beyond my control.

I’ve done this much, so if my descendants mess it up, that’s a fate I have to accept.

Of course, I haven’t eliminated all threats to the Empire yet.

“You really are something special, for an Emperor to think about such things.”

“What’s more surprising is me. You’re the only one among my wives who agreed with that idea?”

Stella and Igrid both opposed my idea of reducing the power of the imperial family in the long term, including the Empress Dowager.

That was natural. Stella was a priest, and Igrid was a warrior, and both of them thought the authority of the leader was very important.

Stella simply found it difficult to give up the divine right of the Emperor, and Igrid opposed it because incompetent people could take power. Both were reasons that suited them.

“Well, since I’ve become a member of the imperial family, it’s not a good thing. It’s even less so if you consider my family.”

“Then why did you agree? It seems like my mother doesn’t like you very much because of that.”

“Because I fully sympathize with what you’re worried about. I don’t know, but there’s no guarantee that my children or the other two will be like you. No, it’s probably absolutely impossible to be as good as you.”

That’s the only way to prevent the country from declining like it has in the past, even if such an Emperor comes to power.

…That was Sarah’s position. Surprisingly, it was exactly the same reason why democracy took root on Earth.

For a moment, I even suspected that Sarah might be from Earth. I even wondered if I was in a Truman Show [a reality show where the subject is unaware they are being filmed] with her.

“Anyway, it’s too early now. But I hope the day will come when I see everything you’ve envisioned.”

“…Yeah. I hope so too.”

After chatting for a while, several audiences passed.

Although it was close to complaining, the audience was definitely a boring task.

There were big fraud and assault cases, but from my point of view, they were all trivial.

“A humble old man greets the supreme ruler of the Empire.”

So, the audience with a shabby old man who was next in line was nothing special.

-Emperor, be careful.

“…?”

At that moment, for a brief moment, the beating of my heart became a voice and whispered to me.

That voice was familiar, one I had heard before.

“Leonis?”

“What did you just say?”

“…! Be careful!”

At that moment, I immediately covered Sarah with my body.

“This is a gift from the Demon King to Your Majesty.”

Boom!

At that moment, the old man straightened his bent back with a bitter smile and exploded on the spot.

Then, along with a thick poisonous fog, lower-level demons of hell appeared from a small summoning circle.

“Sarah, are you okay?”

“I, I’m… okay.”

“Stay with the Imperial Guard.”

Swish-

I immediately drew Silver Rose. The demons began to mercilessly attack the petitioners and guards around them.

Thanks to the quick action of the Imperial Guard, the petitioners were not killed immediately, but the poisonous smoke was a problem.

“Everyone, get away from the smoke! I’ll burn the smoke away!”

Whoosh!

I ignited the flames of purification on Silver Rose and burned all the poisonous fog spreading in all directions.

-Kieeeek! Fire with divine power!

-It’s hotter than hellfire!

The demons of the corruption type were immune to poison, but the flames that burned even the poisonous fog caused great damage to them.

“Legion! Kill those vile demons! Protect His Majesty!”

“Death to the demons!”

The Commander of the Imperial Guard rushed forward and gathered the Imperial Guard.

The Legions, who had already invaded, rushed at the surrounding demons like angry bulls, slaughtering them indiscriminately.

[Silver Blade Storm Deployed]

[Neural Acceleration Rate 330%]

[If the neural acceleration continues to run wild, severe rebound may occur.]

Whirr, Slash! Thwack!

I also chopped the demons into pieces as if grinding them all with Silver Rose, which had been transformed into a blade whip.

There was some emotion in that hand.

These guys, they clearly targeted Sarah, not me.

Thinking about it made me feel a sense of intense anger beyond dizziness. I wouldn’t have cared if they had targeted me, but they targeted my wives like they did at the last wedding.

Since that happened not once but twice, I couldn’t help but feel emotional.

“All the demons have been defeated.”

“What’s the damage?”

“Fortunately, everyone is safe. The petitioners are also safe… Ah…”

“What’s wrong?”

The Commander of the Imperial Guard stopped with a stiff expression as he was about to report. When I asked in doubt, he said with a serious expression.

“Your Majesty… Empress…”

“…!”

At the words of the Commander of the Imperial Guard, I turned to where Sarah was, and at that moment, I felt a dizziness as if the world was turning upside down for the first time in my life at the sight before me.

“Sa, Sarah…”

“…You.”

Sarah was bleeding, stabbed by a poisonous thorn that I didn’t know when it had been planted.

It must have been that the guys were persistently targeting her during the melee.

“I’ll call Stella.”

“Please, I don’t want to die like this… There’s so much I’m looking forward to… with you…”

I hurriedly called Stella.

“How is it? Can you heal her?”

“Your Majesty…”

“Stella?”

“This… I can’t heal it.”

“…Why? You’re definitely a great healer, aren’t you?”

There are almost no diseases that Stella cannot cure. That’s because she is the one directly blessed by Lustra, the guardian deity of the Empire’s purification.

“If it were a disease or poison, I would have definitely healed it. But this is neither. This is a curse.”

“You can easily heal curses too, can’t you?”

“If it were a normal curse, I would have. But this curse has already disappeared. Strictly speaking, only blessings remain. The problem is that it’s a blessing of darkness.”

“What does that mean…”

Sarah was dying with a tremendous fever. But this is a blessing?

“Sarah is experiencing a magical power surge right now. The magical power in her body is amplified and overflowing, destroying her body. The activation of magical power is generally a positive effect, so it’s recognized as a blessing. Of course, it becomes toxic when it’s excessive like this. It’s a very clever curse that uses that phenomenon.”

“…Then what’s the cure?”

“…I don’t know. It’s unprecedented for me…”

Stella answered heavily. I felt a sense of heaviness in my heart.

Am I going to lose Sarah like this?

That shouldn’t be. The Empire needs her.

But more than that, I just didn’t want to lose Sarah.

Even though we didn’t share very deep emotions and our relationship continued.

It’s a connection that was made when I became Emperor. It’s my connection. It’s mine.

I didn’t want to lose it again due to external forces.

Thinking about it made my heart beat as if it would explode with anger.

-Emperor. Control your anger.

“…!”