He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 88

I Became the Unrivaled Mad Emperor – Episode 88

I Became the Unrivaled Mad Emperor 88

Numerous pirates were exchanging cannon fire and engaging in brutal close-quarters combat, ship to ship.

The pirates who had received the blank patents of nobility had all betrayed the Pirate Admiral.

“You bastards! So, you’ve taken to licking the nobles’ boots!”

“Shut up! We’re nobles now, too!”

Their morale was surprisingly high.

It was only natural; these men, treated like beggar pirates until now, were on the cusp of becoming nobles, their spirits soaring.

If it were just empty promises, they wouldn’t be so easily fooled—they weren’t fools. But they were truly going to pay the price and become nobles.

Some had already received noble titles as examples, thanks to that ‘otherworld blank patent of nobility’.

“That noble title is going to plummet in value, though, Kehehehe!”

“You’re wicked, Franz, dear brother.”

“It was your idea, so you’re wicked too.”

“……Well, I can’t deny that.”

Of course, I wouldn’t make pirates nobles just because they’re pretty.

Naturally, there was a hidden malice behind this.

Once the civil war ends, the value of feudal nobles will plummet according to my will.

Of course, the nobility itself won’t disappear entirely, and some nobles will still indirectly govern their territories.

“But it will be very different from now. Because you’ll make it that way, dear brother.”

“Of course. In my empire, there will be no nobles who just loaf around.”

To act like a noble, they’ll have to become competent, whether they like it or not.

Maybe not in my successors’ era, but under my rule, they won’t survive otherwise.

I’ll make them endlessly compete and fight each other, and if they’re incompetent, they won’t survive.

The same went for those pirates.

Most of them, even if they receive noble titles, probably won’t be able to maintain them for long. Since they’re fundamentally pirates, the chances of them being incompetent are high.

But conversely, those who survive will be worth reforming.

Such individuals would become a check on the existing nobles who will still remain in the Southern Territory.

Of course, political skill would be needed to make that happen, but it’s not a difficult task.

“The empire will surely rise again. But your plans can’t be a centennial scheme, dear brother.”

“I know. It’s easy to collapse as soon as I die.”

Watching the pirates fighting each other like beasts, I didn’t deny Sarah’s words at all as I replied.

My plan is, after all, based on the idea of strengthening the royal authority by having the monarch use their abilities to make the subjects fight each other and maintain balance.

It’s the most ideal method for a monarchy, and in Earth terms, it’s a philosopher king governance method.

In that it relies on the ability of a single person.

However, this method had a clear limitation precisely because of that.

“Whoever my successor is, it will be difficult for them to follow me.”

No matter what genius becomes king after me, it will be difficult to do the same. Because it has already surpassed the level that can be achieved even by a genius.

Well, in this case, rather than whether they’re a genius, the chances are high that my successors won’t have cheats like the status window, so the difference in combat power will be too great.

Even if not limited to combat power, but to political power, have I done some extreme things?

Those are things that are impossible to do the same just because they inherited my authority.

“It doesn’t matter. There’s no such thing as an eternal nation anyway.”

“……Are you okay with the empire that your son will inherit being shaken, dear brother?”

“Sarah, if a king starts putting personal feelings into governance because they’re thinking about their children, that’s the beginning of the end. History proves that law.”

“…….”

Although I said it somewhat cynically, at least it wasn’t wrong.

Because countless kings in history have already proven that.

The more a king is obsessed with their descendants, or the more they are obsessed with eternal life, the more the country is doomed.

“It’s not like I don’t have any intention of setting the stage appropriately. But if they can’t make it on their own strength on top of that, they weren’t originally qualified to wear the emperor’s crown.”

So, if the empire shakes again or collapses?

Well, what else could I do? It’s a matter for future generations anyway, so it’s not something I need to think about.

“And originally, development is accompanied by ups and downs. The empire can be eternal, but it won’t be immortal.”

Rome lasted for over a thousand years, but how many civil wars broke out like folk games during that time?

Even after its destruction, Rome’s identity continued and was eternal, but Rome itself was not immortal.

I just hoped that the empire would be something like that as well.

“Then shall we go find your grandfather?”

Swish-

[Mana Heart Output Increased]

[High-Speed Movement Deployed]

Drawing the silver holy sword, I immediately leaped between the ships, quickly rushing towards the pirates.

“What, something’s coming!”

“Block it! Shoot!”

Rat-tat-tat! Tat! Tat!

The pirates fired their magic-triggered pistols, but it was difficult to hit me, who was jumping from ship to ship at a very high speed.

Soon, leaping onto the pirates’ ship, I took out a magic pistol from my chest and aimed it.

Click-

“The Marksman of Magic Bullets is coming.”

Bang!

The magic circuit engraved on the gun shone, and the bullet was fired.

The magic bullet, imbued with magic and controllable at my will, flew towards the pirates.

“Cough!”

“Kuaaaack!”

The magic bullet didn’t just penetrate one person but aimed for others as well.

It stopped only after penetrating about six people and losing all its momentum.

But it wasn’t just the magic bullet that was rampaging.

Swish! Thwack!

“Shoot! Ugh! W, wait!”

Tat-tat-tat!

“Cough…….”

While the magic bullet was rampaging, I too danced with my sword like a fish in water among them.

Cutting and slashing like lightning with high-speed movement, and when a volley of fire came, I grabbed any nearby pirate and used them as a shield to block the bullets.

If there had been anyone among the pirates who could shoot magic bullets, it would have been difficult to act so easily, but the remaining guys felt strongly like small fry.

“They’re the guys left behind to buy time.”

It’s the Pirate Admiral’s base, but their skills are too poor for that.

There’s no way pirates wouldn’t have elites, so they must have deliberately left these guys behind to buy time to escape.

“I can occupy it easily without even using the Empire’s Soul.”

The Pirate Admiral himself felt like he’d been missed, which was unsettling.

Of course, the Pirate Admiral’s forces had been greatly reduced because there were quite a few guys who were caught with noble titles.

As a condition for granting titles, the treasures plundered from the nobles were also returned, and of course, a considerable portion was skimmed into my pocket.

“I wonder if Duke Orlant is alive?”

If the fleeing Pirate Admiral took him, it would be a bit annoying.

Of course, I wouldn’t be sad even if that old man died.

It’s something Sarah would be more sad about. Even if the Southern Territory is re-pacified, the fact that the Orlant family is half-destroyed doesn’t change, so Sarah needed the Duke.

“Oh, Duke. You’re alive? I guess you’re not destined to die here?”

“……Haa, why did you only come now, Your Majesty.”

“Well, be grateful that I came even now.”

But fortunately or unfortunately, the Duke was found in the pirate hideout, looking haggard.

Even though he was haggard from being tortured, he still looked hale and hearty, so there seemed to be no need to worry about his life.

“Grandfather. Are you okay?”

“Sarah, it’s you. I’m fine. It seems like you’ve been working hard. But…… aren’t you using too rough of a method? Selling titles to pirates.”

Even though his granddaughter was worried about him, Duke Orlant said something like a reproach.

To call it an old man’s tactless greed…… it was actually something he could say.

“I had no choice to save Grandfather.”

“I’m grateful that you’re worried about my safety, but you should have thought about the family more than me.”

“I saved Grandfather even by doing that for the sake of the family.”

Sarah told Duke Orlant, who was late in grasping the situation because he had been captured, about the events that had happened and the prospects she had shared with me.

“……You had a very dangerous plan, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, no, is the arrow of blame turning towards me?”

After hearing Sarah’s words, Duke Orlant looked at me with hateful eyes.

He looked resentful or disappointed, but he also seemed to acknowledge it to some extent.

“Looking far ahead, it’s a very dangerous idea, but I admit that it’s a beneficial plan for Your Majesty right now. But I trust that you will fulfill what you promised me.”

“That I’d make you the second-in-command of the empire? Of course, I’ll do that. You are now the Governor-General of the Southern Territory.”

To him, who was originally the Prince-Elector of the Southern Territory, the position of Governor-General might seem like a loss, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.

The Pirate Admiral was also the Prince-Elector of the Southern Territory, so the Southern Territory was originally divided between two forces.

However, now that Duke Orlant has become the Governor-General of the Southern Territory, he has effectively become the second-in-command of the empire.

The Southern Territory is the wealthiest place in the empire, so the Governor-General of that place is no exaggeration to say is the second-in-command.

Of course, the Governor-General has a bureaucratic character unlike the Prince-Elector, so his power may not be as great as the Prince-Elector.

At least his official authority has increased.

“I kept my promise. But keeping that position is up to you, Duke.”

“You’re cunning. But as an emperor, it’s the best choice. I’ll have to be especially good to Your Majesty in the future.”

“Haha, are you even thinking of flattering me?”

“Maybe. While I’m at it, I even have information to give you as a bribe right away.”

“Information?”

Even though he was just captured, Duke Orlant was already regaining his spirited appearance, using all sorts of schemes.

“Don’t you still want to catch the Pirate Admiral?”

“It would be good to catch him if I could.”

I regained Duke Orlant, but I missed the Pirate Admiral himself.

While I was coaxing the pirates, I regained a considerable number, but he still took quite a few treasures with him as he fled.

As I told him, it would be better to eliminate him to prevent future troubles if possible.

“I know his location. I’ll tell you that.”

“What do you want in return?”

“I don’t want much, just grant me a simple request later. I guarantee it’s a request that will also be helpful to Your Majesty.”

I don’t know what the Duke wants right now.

But even though the Duke prefers schemes, he’s not someone who uses clumsy tricks.

Since he said with his own mouth that it would be a ‘request that would be helpful to me,’ there would be no lie in that.

“I will. Where did he go?”

“He headed to the Bopulus Archipelago. He was originally trying to lure Your Majesty there.”

“He did. Then that’s a bit strange? Is there any reason to go there?”

Now that he’s been caught in my scheme, even if the Pirate Admiral goes to that archipelago, it’s become difficult for him to try to ambush me.

If he hides there now, he might end up being trapped, so he’s going there on his own?

“There’s another reason for that. You should hurry. They are in contact with the Naga Clan.”

The Naga Clan is a sub-category of the many beastmen races.

“They are beastmen who live in the sea, but they are especially dangerous. They are skilled in evil black magic, so they are avoided even among the beastmen. As Grandfather says, you should hurry.”

Listening to Sarah’s words, I also felt a bit of a sense of crisis.

Pirates cornered on the edge of a cliff and black magic users of the sea…… I couldn’t help but feel an ominous premonition.