He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 3

Having spent considerable time playing Parallel Interactive games, I was quite familiar with their game interfaces.

And that familiarity proved to be a significant advantage as I navigated this particular Parallel Interactive game.

[Policy Decision]

[Internal Affairs Status]

[Diplomatic Status]

[Religion and Faith]

[Character Status]

……

The sheer number of elements could overwhelm newcomers, creating a significant barrier to entry.

Fortunately, my experience with Parallel Interactive games allowed me to quickly grasp most of the interfaces.

Although I still needed to dedicate some time that week to reconfirm all the functions.

“But this… this is new, even to me.”

[Character Status]

Unlike previous installments in the series, this function focused on developing ‘me,’ the leader, rather than solely managing the country’s policies.

“Your Majesty, is there a reason you’ve suddenly taken an interest in training?”

“Why do you ask? Is there some reason I shouldn’t train?”

“That’s not it, but I’m only asking out of concern. It seems like a sudden shift to embrace something you’ve always avoided.”

The captain of the guard’s question was laced with genuine concern.

I, too, hadn’t been particularly fond of physical activities back on Earth.

However, in this world, most forms of entertainment seemed to revolve around physical exertion.

Of course, here it served as practical martial arts for self-defense, rather than mere amusement.

Regardless, I was determined to learn.

Having arrived in a fantasy world where swords and magic were real, I couldn’t simply remain a desk-bound ruler, could I?

“You needn’t worry. Despite appearances, I’m quite confident in my physical capabilities.”

“Is that so?”

The stoic captain of the guard gave me a subtly skeptical look.

It was a somewhat impudent expression to direct at the emperor, but I didn’t mind his honesty.

Besides, my confidence wasn’t entirely unfounded.

[Combat Power 10]

[You possess exceptional military talent. You excel at commanding and training soldiers, developing weapons and tactics, and demonstrate unparalleled aptitude for direct combat and martial arts.]

I possessed the highest possible score of 10 in all three fundamental abilities of a monarch: governance, diplomacy, and combat.

And there was more.

[Innate Martial Talent]

[Your body is at its peak potential. With repeated training and practice, you will transform into a being without limits, capable of mastering any martial art.]

My base stats were already exceptional, but thanks to [Innate Martial Talent], a trait signifying the highest level of physical potential, I could already feel a tangible difference in my body, even before commencing any training.

I felt so light and energized that I was certain I could learn anything quickly.

Wouldn’t it be easy to build a body capable of hitting 500 in the three major lifts [squat, bench press, and deadlift] right now?

“Alright. Then let’s begin with the fundamentals.”

The captain of the guard immediately instructed the trainees to bring wooden practice swords.

“After a light warm-up, swing the wooden sword and strike the scarecrow.”

“Aren’t you going to teach me a stance or something?”

To my question, the captain of the guard replied stoically, yet kindly.

“There is no such thing as a completely identical swordsmanship, as some swordsmanship masters say. How could there be, when people are all different?”

“Hoo, is that so?”

“Yes, even if the movements appear the same, they differ subtly or greatly depending on the person’s physical differences and talents. Therefore, it is best to examine those individual characteristics first.”

The captain of the guard’s words were quite insightful.

I hadn’t watched much wuxia [a genre of Chinese fiction concerning martial artists], but I had assumed that whether in fantasy or wuxia, swordsmanship typically involved established forms or techniques.

His explanation made sense, so I swung the wooden sword at my own discretion and struck the scarecrow as he instructed.

“Hoo?”

My body felt light, and I could easily channel strength into my movements. The sensation of striking with the wooden sword was noticeably different from the start.

I soon felt a pleasant surge of excitement as adrenaline coursed through me.

Compared to my weak physique in my previous life, it felt like I had transformed into Superman overnight.

Thwack!

“Please stop for a moment, Your Majesty.”

“Hoo, how was it?”

“It’s very excellent, Your Majesty.”

“You don’t need to praise me simply because I’m the emperor.”

Despite my words, the captain of the guard shook his head and said.

“No, Your Majesty. I was sincerely more impressed with your movements than I anticipated.”

“Is that so?”

“Although your movements lack refinement due to your inexperience and lack of formal training, you are the first person in recent memory to demonstrate as much talent as Your Majesty has. Have you secretly practiced martial arts before?”

I didn’t believe he was simply flattering me, and I couldn’t help but smile at the almost embarrassing praise.

To be honest, I was benefiting from cheat-like abilities, but it’s hard not to feel good when receiving compliments.

“I’ve never done anything of the sort. Wouldn’t you, who have been observing me, know that better than anyone?”

“Then I suppose I must attribute it to innate talent. It may be presumptuous to say, but you are worth teaching.”

“Haha! You can say that as much as you like.”

I laughed heartily at the captain of the guard’s words, and soon I began various training exercises.

The training was quite practical, and it continued in the form of sparring with a squire of the guard knight using wooden swords.

Of course, I wasn’t thrown into a full-fledged sparring match with a beginner right away.

“When attacking, use controlled movements like the squire. Avoid movements that are too broad or too passive.”

“Defense should not only block the sword, but also aim to create an opening to counterattack by deflecting it.”

“Counterattack boldly! And anticipate the enemy’s counterattacks as well!”

After teaching basic attacks and defenses, we engaged in quite intense sparring.

The squire refrained from using excessive killing moves against the emperor.

However, he also didn’t let his guard down, knowing he couldn’t afford to be pushed back by a beginner.

As a result, I lost 9 out of 10 sparring sessions, barely managing to end the last one in a draw.

[You have acquired the skill ‘Imperial Swordsmanship Level 1’.]

[The body’s training level has been greatly activated.]

“Hoo, I suppose it was impossible to win after only one day of training.”

“It’s amazing that you’ve accomplished this much for your first time.”

Of course, even if he was just a squire, it would be a disgrace for a member of the Imperial Guard to lose to a beginner, even one with cheat-like talent.

Even in a declining empire, the emperor’s guard couldn’t allow that to happen.

“Let’s stop here for today. Any more would be too much.”

“I agree.”

“However, I must ask again: why are you suddenly so engrossed in training?”

The captain of the guard seemed to retain some curiosity, and he posed the question respectfully.

Now that I thought about it, I had expressed my confidence, but I hadn’t explained my reasoning.

“What do you think the future of the empire holds, Captain of the Guard?”

“That’s a sudden question. I hesitate to answer rashly, as I am merely a soldier and Your Majesty’s bodyguard.”

“It’s alright, tell me. I value honesty.”

The captain of the guard was wary of expressing political opinions as a soldier, but he seemed emboldened by my request for honesty, and he soon offered his candid assessment.

“To be honest, the outlook is not very good.”

“I think so too.”

The captain of the guard and I were in agreement, as a matter of course.

I had learned a great deal about the history of this world and the empire over the past week.

“Internally, rebellion or a coup could erupt at any moment, whether from civil unrest or ambitious lords.”

Externally, the situation was even more dire. The demon race in the north, the elves, the greenskins [orcs and goblins], and the beastman allied nations led by the lizardmen in the south all posed significant threats.

Humans were scattered across the vast continent, but the days when they reigned supreme were long gone.

Now, humans outside the empire’s remaining territory lived as slaves or as vassals to other powers.

“At this rate, the empire’s collapse is only a matter of time. I intend to prevent that. And I won’t cower in the imperial palace like a coward.”

What kind of monarch did a dying country need?

A benevolent, compassionate, and virtuous monarch who bestowed good governance?

That’s what the vassals wanted, but I didn’t necessarily agree.

In times of turmoil, in an era where war was commonplace, a crazy monarch, perhaps even a tyrant, was needed.

Yes, like Richard the Lionheart [King of England known for his military prowess].

“You don’t mean you’re going to the battlefield yourself?”

“Am I, the emperor, going to say that I shouldn’t go when I want to?”

It was a common belief that a monarch shouldn’t recklessly venture onto the battlefield and risk death, but the reality was somewhat different in the Middle Ages.

A monarch who couldn’t lead his troops in battle didn’t earn their trust. Conversely, a monarch who fought alongside his soldiers inspired far greater morale than one who remained behind.

In a medieval fantasy world where individual martial prowess was even more pronounced, the difference would be even more significant.

“The wars that the empire will face in the future… I intend to be at the forefront of those battlefields, more than anyone else.”

There’s a saying that if your head is weak, your body suffers, but that statement also holds true in reverse.

If your body is weak, your head suffers.

If I, who had become the emperor and wanted to live as I pleased, didn’t want to suffer while using my head, I had no choice but to train my body.

And I already possessed the perfect talent to do so.

‘Actually, this seems more fun.’

What about using modern knowledge, like in domain or alternate history web novels?

It’s not that I couldn’t do it, but was there a need to?

Realistically, there was also the question of whether I had to rely on it, but I didn’t want to be stuck at my desk in a stuffy room.

I was going to charge onto the battlefield myself and become stronger than anyone else.

Some might question whether I was truly an Earthling, but right now, I was undeniably a person in a medieval fantasy world.

And the emperor at the pinnacle of power.

I could do whatever I wanted. I didn’t want to hold back my desires any longer.

Of course, that would mean killing people or causing their deaths.

Whether directly or indirectly, someone would die because of me as long as I remained the emperor. I had to accept that if I didn’t want to die myself.

‘But I don’t want to act according to modern sensibilities just because I was a modern Earthling.’

It would be difficult to live as I pleased if I was bound by such constraints.

I had finally become the emperor, so I shouldn’t be shackled by the past.

“Then I’ll ask for your help again tomorrow, Captain of the Guard.”

I thanked the Guard for his hard work and returned to the palace to rest.

* * *

“So, His Majesty has made such a decision.”

Captain of the Guard, Ulfman von Meinheartz, was lost in thought as he considered the emperor, who had undergone a complete transformation since his ascension.

The emperor’s crown prince days, as he remembered them, were of a boy who was unremarkable, only appearing slightly intelligent.

And he had never engaged in physical training, so the knights and generals of the Imperial Army, including the captain of the guard, had paid him little attention.

“But the ambition he displayed today was the complete opposite.”

In the captain of the guard’s opinion, the empire was already in a dire state, and only worse things lay ahead.

Whether it was internal rebellion or external invasion, the empire would face the greatest crisis since its founding.

In times like these, a weak leader wouldn’t suffice.

A virtuous monarch who fostered the literary arts and implemented reforms was also necessary, but in extreme situations like the present, an emperor with martial talent to overcome the crisis was essential.

And today, the captain of the guard had glimpsed such hope in the emperor, and his heart pounded with renewed purpose.

“I witnessed not only his resolve, but also a talent of unfathomable depth. It was certainly not ordinary.”

Even though he was holding a sword for the first time, his posture was unlike anyone else’s. And although he lost all but one sparring session, the emperor seemed only slightly out of breath, even after the squire had sparred continuously ten times and was nearly exhausted.

If the captain of the guard hadn’t deliberately stopped the sparring, the squire would have lost several more times.

The captain of the guard had intervened partly to save the squire’s pride.

The captain of the guard had never witnessed such perfect innate martial talent.

“If I guide His Majesty properly, he will surely become a strong monarch. If that happens, there may still be hope for the empire.”

To achieve that, he must dedicate himself even more fully.

The captain of the guard sensed his destiny and strengthened his resolve.