He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 57

Became the Greatest Crazy Emperor – Episode 57 (57/300)

Became the Greatest Crazy Emperor 57

“I find you more fascinating. Not a mage… since you just used Aura.”

“Oh, you recognized it? Impressive.”

Most people mistake it for magic at first glance, but he immediately recognized it as a technique using Aura, not magic.

That means he’s at least at a level where he can distinguish it.

“Recognizing that much is nothing special for me. Care to join me for a drink?”

Crack! Snap! Ughhh!

Some thugs were still around, but the middle-aged man’s guards were taking care of them, so it didn’t seem like I needed to step in.

“Sure.”

Leaving the mess behind, I sat across from the man.

He handed me a glass and started pouring liquor.

“It’s cheap, but quite drinkable. Not as good as the stuff from the North, though.”

“Are you from the North? You seem like a noble; are you traveling?”

“Something like that.”

“A bit modest for a traveling noble, aren’t you?”

It’s not that commoners don’t travel, but nobles tend to travel in luxury, unlike commoners.

But the middle-aged man in front of me seemed to be a high-ranking noble, yet he only had a few guards with him.

“Aren’t you the same? You look like a noble yourself. A rather highborn one at that.”

“Not to toot my own horn, but I am.”

“Hmph, and yet you’re pretending to be an ordinary traveler. Though that pretty face of yours isn’t helping with the disguise.”

There was a subtle barb in his words, but I felt a strange sense of connection despite it being our first meeting.

Even if he wasn’t as aware as I am, with my modern memories, he was a noble who didn’t care too much about status.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t even asked for your name. But asking for names seems contradictory when we’re both traveling incognito, don’t you think?”

“Can’t argue with that, but let’s at least exchange aliases. I’m Frost.”

“I’m Shadow.”

He gave an alias that anyone could tell was Northern, so I gave the alias Shadow in return.

While we were talking, Frost’s guards finished off the thugs.

“You said you were from the North. Those men look like knights from the North.”

Frost’s guards were all giants.

“They’re Kalibalians [a race of large, strong warriors from the North]. Commonly called Northern barbarians. But try not to call them that in front of them. They don’t like it much.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But what brings you here from the North? Hiding your identity and all?”

Of course, I was hiding my identity as well, so he didn’t have to answer, but he surprisingly did.

“I’m heading to the capital. I was just passing through the Western Territory.”

“How coincidental. I was just about to return to the capital myself.”

As I told him, I was about to return to the Imperial Palace, so it wasn’t a lie.

“If you don’t mind, I could give you a ride?”

The reason I offered was, of course, to keep an eye on this unusual and suspicious person.

He wasn’t likely to be a spy… but he didn’t seem to be traveling for ordinary reasons, so I needed to watch him.

If his destination was the capital, where the Imperial Palace was, I had to be even more careful.

Of course, if he were truly suspicious, he probably wouldn’t reveal that he was going to the capital.

“You’re very kind. It’s not necessary, but… well, having some company on the way wouldn’t be bad. Let’s do that.”

Frost readily accepted my offer, and we ended up traveling together to Augsburg.

* * *

As I traveled to the capital with Frost, I was able to become quite friendly with him.

He was in his forties, a significant age gap from me, who was just over 20 by this world’s standards, but we spoke casually to each other.

“It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve been here.”

“Before I was even born, huh?”

Of course, 20 years ago was before I was even transmigrated into this world.

“Hearing that makes me realize I’m getting old.”

“Should I start using honorifics now?”

“Don’t bother; it’ll only make me feel older.”

We exchanged silly jokes, but he really didn’t seem to mind that I wasn’t using honorifics.

It could have been due to the typical Northern man’s easygoing nature, but it was also because we didn’t know each other’s exact identities.

“By the way, the atmosphere is completely different from 20 years ago.”

“What was it like back then?”

“It was like a lifeless corpse. Like a crumbling empire.”

“…….”

“But now, there’s vitality. Of course, I don’t know if it’s a resurgence or just a final blaze.”

I gave a wry smile at his words.

Whether the empire’s flame would become a flame of rebirth or just a fleeting blaze depended on how I acted in the future.

“Anyway, this is where our journey ends. Thanks for telling me about the recent rumors.”

“It was nothing.”

During the journey, I told him about various news from the Central Territory, mainly about the things I had done.

Of course, I left out that I was the one who did them, and instead said that the Imperial Family or the Emperor had done them.

“Then this is it. It’s a shame to part ways, but if fate allows, we’ll meet again someday.”

“……Maybe. We might meet again very soon.”

“Hmph, I hope so. Then I’ll be on my way.”

Frost said those words and began to walk away with his guards into the crowd.

At the end of the direction he was heading was the Imperial Palace.

“Hendrik.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Return to the palace. We need to prepare to welcome a guest.”

“Yes, I will escort you immediately.”

From the moment he entered the capital, I knew his identity.

Hector Frost von Oskiper.

The only elector [a noble with the right to elect the Emperor] in the empire allowed the title of Grand Duke.

So-called Grand Duke of the North.

He was an enormous figure to meet by chance.

* * *

“Welcome to the Imperial Palace, Grand Duke. If you had given us prior notice, we could have treated you with the utmost hospitality, but I am sorry for the inconvenience.”

“No, it is my fault for visiting without notice, Chancellor Bright.”

The Grand Duke felt a sense of time passing as he looked at Chancellor Bright, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, and couldn’t help but think, ‘Are you still here?’

“The matter is so important that I had to come in person. So please forgive my rudeness.”

“His Majesty will understand. He knows that the Grand Duke would not do so for frivolous reasons.”

“That may be so, but I have never met him.”

This time, the Chancellor gave a wry smile at the Grand Duke’s words.

The previous Emperor and the Grand Duke had been close friends since their youth, but there had been no contact with the newly enthroned Emperor after the late Emperor died from overwork.

Although he said that to the Grand Duke, the Chancellor could not know exactly what the Emperor actually thought of the Grand Duke.

“But since he is such an enlightened person, there is no need to worry.”

“Well, I heard many rumors on the way. He certainly seemed to be taking unusual steps.”

The radical and progressive actions of boldly promising concessions to merchants and gaining their cooperation, reorganizing forces around minor nobles, and destroying the Karstein family, which had some power.

Although radical and progressive, it was true that he had injected some vitality into the empire, which had been in a state of listless collapse.

“But such things can collapse with just one mistake.”

“…….”

“Ah, I apologize, Chancellor. I didn’t come here to give you a hard time. Anyway, I must see His Majesty right away.”

“Of course, His Majesty is waiting. Please come this way.”

Having come to the Imperial Palace and revealed his identity, the Grand Duke changed into ceremonial robes for the audience and headed to the audience chamber.

As an elector with the title of Grand Duke, not just Duke, he received even more elaborate treatment.

Of course, it would have been difficult to do so if he, like other electors, was virtually rebelling against the Imperial Family, but at least for now, there was no outright hostility.

“I don’t have to return my weapon?”

“His Majesty has given special instructions that the Grand Duke may wear his sword.”

Special treatment was applied to him, even allowing him to carry a weapon.

The Grand Duke thought it was fortunate that the Emperor, whom he had never met, was still showing goodwill.

“The Shield of the North, the Adversary of the Mazoku [demonic race], the Ruler of the Barbarians, Grand Duke Hector Frost von Oskiper, the Oathkeeper of the North, enters!”

It had been a long time since he had come to the Imperial Palace, but the scene in the audience chamber was as he remembered it.

The Imperial Guards and Imperial Palace officials and the Emperor’s retainers lined up on both sides.

Although it was said to be shabby compared to the empire in its heyday, the majesty of the empire that he remembered still remained.

The only thing that had changed was that the person sitting on the throne was different.

“Hector of the North, a subject of His Majesty, greets His Majesty, the Supreme of the Empire.”

He walked to the throne where the son of his friend, the late Emperor, was sitting, and knelt to pay his respects.

But when he approached him, he felt a strong sense of unease.

“Raise your head, Grand Duke.”

Feeling as if something was prickling him, the Grand Duke raised his head.

On either side of the throne where the Emperor was sitting stood the Wolfman Captain of the Imperial Guard and a knight in black full-body armor, who was usually treated as a low-ranking knight.

“It’s good to see you again so soon.”

“……!”

And on the throne was a familiar young man whom he had already met.

The one with long silver hair, who had identified himself as Shadow.

“Sorry for deceiving you, Grand Duke. But we didn’t reveal each other’s identities, so please forgive me generously.”

“……As you wish, Your Majesty.”

“Then let’s get straight to the point. What is the reason for you, the ruler of the North, to come here so quietly?”

Even after learning each other’s identities, he spoke in a dry tone.

The Grand Duke also spoke in a dry tone, excluding the friendship they had shared during their previous journey.

“It is a very important matter, Your Majesty. I would like you to dismiss those around you.”

“Okay, everyone except those who need to be here, step back.”

At the Emperor’s command, the officials and retainers except for the Chancellor immediately left the audience chamber.

The Captain of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Guard remained, but they were the ones who would keep their vows of silence no matter what they heard.

“Then tell me, what brings you here?”

“That is-”

Shhh-

“First, I need to ask. What is a Mazoku doing here?”

“……Grand Duke!”

At the Emperor’s question, the Grand Duke naturally rose to his feet and drew his sword.

Then, with a speed that the eye could not follow, he rushed towards the Emperor.

The Emperor, the target of the sword, as well as the Captain of the Imperial Guard, were shocked and drew their swords, but the Grand Duke’s surprise attack was faster.

Clang!

However, the Grand Duke’s sword, which was trying to cut down the Mazoku who had stolen the Emperor’s appearance, was blocked by a knight.

At the same time, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, as well as all the Imperial Knights, aimed their swords at him.

The Grand Duke rebuked them.

“You fools! This man is not the Emperor! He is a Mazoku who stole the Emperor’s appearance!”

“I know.”

“What……!”

But when the knight, whose face was covered by a black helmet, answered that way, the Grand Duke was surprised by the familiar voice.

The knight immediately took off his helmet to show his face and said.

“To recognize that, you are not ordinary, Grand Duke.”

Seeing him with the same appearance as the Emperor, the Grand Duke could only find it difficult to understand this situation.