400 – New Sun – 2
In the heart of the Imperial Palace, there is a building called the Temple of the Sun. Because it is the living space of the emperor, it is the most noble place in the empire.
So, normally only a handful of servants who were called by the emperor could step in, but now close to 100 people gathered in front of the solar palace and prostrated themselves.
“Your Majesty! This empire cannot advance without Your Majesty’s clever rule! Please relinquish your will!”
“””Please take your will!”””
As Jeon Seung-gong shouted from the front, high-ranking officials with the titles of Minister and Department Manager all hit the floor and shouted along.
Of course, it was an act close to showing off. There are quite a few elderly noblemen among public officials of the department manager level or higher, so if you seriously pierce the head, someone might be taken away. In the first place, I couldn’t dare to show blood in front of the emperor.
“Your Majesty! Your subjects still want you! Please rescind your abdication!”
“””Reap it!”””
Following the previous victory, this time, the minister who shined at the top of the civil servants belonging to the administration shouted. Originally, this should have been done by the Minister of the Imperial Household rather than the Minister of Finance, but unlike anyone else, he is suffering from the sin of not resigning.
‘I’ll rest my throat.’
Unfortunately, I was suffering as well. I don’t know how many times I’ve shouted out the call now, a little over an hour since I fell down in front of the solar panel. Since some time, Jeon Seung-gong and the minister have nothing to say, so they are reusing the same sentence.
However, I can’t help it. It is an open fact that the declaration of abdication is sincere, needless to be said many times, but rather, since the emperor is sincere, we must sincerely ask for his will to be inherited. Wouldn’t it be bittersweet if no one was sad at the end of the emperor who had worked so hard for the empire for decades?
Yes, this is the last consideration and respect of the servants for the old emperor. Let’s hold on to that thought.
‘…Still, I hope it ends as soon as possible.’
I feel like sighing. There are some things that I have to return to according to the club time, but I feel like I’m going crazy because the back of my head hurts from earlier. All eyes are on him as he is prostrated with his ministers in the row right behind the victory ball.
Damn it, I didn’t want to be in the front row like this. I was just trying to mix with the managers.
“Aren’t you a minister-designate? In a way, you’re like the last minister appointed by His Majesty, so you should be with the ministers too.”
However, the minister’s words were strangely persuasive, and he was brought to the front row. When the emperor emerges from the solar palace, he is immediately in line of sight.
And the emperor might be disappointed if the young guy is too tidy on the subject that comes into view right away. Thanks to that, compared to the other elderly noblemen, he had a rather strong head piercing. Not only did his neck rest, but his head also appeared to be broken.
It’s really sad.
When the show of tears reached the second hour of the performance, the emperor and the crown prince finally came out of the solar palace.
“How do gentlemen leave behind their duties and harm themselves?”
At the words of the emperor who deliberately scolded, the successor who was in the lead lowered his head and opened his mouth.
“As a vassal, there is no duty more weighty than supporting Your Majesty. However, since you have revealed your will to abdicate to Your Majesty, to whom you have to devote your life to serving, the lowly vassals simply beg you to relinquish that will. .”
“I understand the loyalty of the gentlemen, but my will is firm. Honey, raise your head.”
“How can incompetent people who can no longer serve You raise their heads in front of Your Majesty?”
The emperor let out a big sigh when he saw the courtesy of the verbal fight and the servants bowing their heads at the same time. However, even with the emperor’s sigh, those gathered here did not show any agitation.
In the first place, under normal circumstances, the emperor, who extremely refrained from expressing emotions, would not sigh in front of his subjects. Meaning that all of this is like smoke.
“The Lords do not serve the human Corvus. Whether they obey the will of the great emperor, they serve the emperor Eimanka XVI, and now the will of the great emperor will be obeyed by the crown prince.”
I began to raise my head one by one at the remarks to finish acting soon. It’s because if the emperor insists on ending it but still bothers him, that’s disloyalty.
Looking at the servants who raised their heads like that, the emperor placed the crown he was wearing on the head of the prince who was quietly standing in the city.
‘Crazy.’
This is a bit embarrassing. No matter how much the abdication was declared, the crown prince had not officially ascended the throne, so putting the crown on an heir was too much.
Perhaps the crown prince had the same idea, he didn’t even think of taking off the crown and froze as it was. Right now, she felt sympathy for the crown prince.
“The noble will of the great emperor reached me through the 14 ancestors. Now, as the 17th-year-old Aimanka, the crown prince must uphold the will of the great emperor, and the nobles must faithfully support the rightful successor, the crown prince.”
However, the emperor declared again in front of the hardened crown prince and agitated subjects.
Now, the rightful emperor who will obey the will of the great emperor is not himself, but the crown prince.
“Sir Honey, go back to where you belong. When you gather again, worship the new sun.”
“””I will obey Your Majesty’s wishes!”””
The abdication has been confirmed.
***
It’s heavy. The crown on his head was too heavy.
Although it is not the formal crown used during coronation ceremonies, but rather the abbreviated laurel crown used in everyday life, a terribly heavy pressure is pressing down on the whole body.
‘Is this a weight I will have to endure in the future?’
I almost reached out for the crown inadvertently, but I held it in. Now that the abdication has been finalized, now that the emperor and officials are watching—I can’t take off the crown myself. He must not show the burden of his name as emperor and try to avoid it.
As the emperor said, the will of the great emperor from now on must be me. The rightful owner of this empire must be me.
For the sake of the imperial family and the empire, you must endure this weight and move forward. Even for the sake of the Crown Prince, who will succeed me, surely.
“Prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Father.”
Seeing the officials slowly withdrawing, the emperor quietly opened his mouth.
“How is it?”
This is a question that can be thought of as out of the blue depending on what you hear. No, I wonder if the question is even correct.
Strangely, however, I could understand the father’s meaning from that brief statement. It’s really strange.
“It’s heavy and scary, but I won’t avoid it.”
The emperor did not show any reaction to that answer. He didn’t show his displeasure at the weak words, “Heavy and fearful,” And he didn’t even nod when he said he wouldn’t avoid them. He was still silent as he watched the bureaucrats withdraw.
“That’s enough.”
After being silent for a long time, the emperor entered the solar palace again with those words.
Confused. What did you mean when you said it was enough? In the sense of being wary of the weight of the crown? Or does it mean not to run away anyway? Maybe it’s both.
‘That would have been enough.’
Yeah, that’s it. If it’s me who promised to be wary of the weight of the crown but not avoid it, then that’s all I need.
As my father said, I will be the owner of the empire from now on. It’s time to listen to my heart, not my father’s true intentions, and move on. Now it has to be.
With that resolution, I moved to the crown prince’s palace. I will be busy soon as the palace will prepare for my abdication soon.
…It took some time before I headed to the solar palace to return the crown to my father.
***
After returning to the academy with the principal, I had a brief face-to-face meeting with the principal.
“Sooner or later, we will be temporarily closed again.”
“There seems to be a lot of inclination this year.”
I answered with appropriate words to the principal’s comment about school closures.
It is sad to see an existing emperor step down, but it is an undeniable celebration that a new emperor ascends the throne. To the point that the Imperial Academy had to close in commemoration of that day.
“The minister is right. This year has been a joy indeed.”
At my answer, the principal gave a small smile.
However, we cannot be certain whether that smile is a smile of sincere joy or liberation from a series of major incidents. Although it seems likely to be the latter with a high probability.
“Seeing a new sun rise again in my lifetime, I must have lived a long time.”
I suddenly thought of Beatrix at the laughing principal’s words, but I hurriedly brushed off my thoughts.
Because Beatrix is of mixed blood, it is only appropriate to treat her as 20% of her age. Anyway, yes.
“That means you devoted yourself to the imperial family and empire. It’s something to be proud of.”
So, pretending to give a good word to the principal, I made up my mind. Beatrix is a beautiful lady in her twenties (human age) who devoted herself to the Imperial Family and Empire.
Anyway, I decided to think so.
The change of emperor is a big event not only for the empire but also for the continent.
“It is said that His Holiness the Pope is going to personally bless His Majesty the new Emperor. It is only natural that the Church and the Empire have had friendly relations for hundreds of years.”
“…I see.”
So the news that the abdication was confirmed quickly spread to the continent through the empire’s diplomatic channels, and even Tanian, a major member of the Holy Church, learned of the abdication.
In fact, what is even more surprising is that the pope personally participates in giving the blessing. As Tanian said, considering the friendly relationship between the Empire and the church, it was natural, but the declaration of abdication happened today. Did you learn about what happened today on the same day and decide on the Pope’s departure on the same day?
‘Isn’t it too fast?’
It’s a crazy speed of work. At first, I thought the cardinal was coming because Tanian spoke so calmly.
“If a new emperor ascends the throne, will Ainter become emperor instead of prince? That’s great!”
“Then I won’t be able to talk to you again.”
In the meantime, I saw Luteis giggling as he patted Ainter on the back, and Laterer making a subtle joke.
I forgot about it for a while. When the crown prince ascends the throne, Ainter becomes the emperor’s younger brother, not the emperor’s son.
‘The prince and the emperor.’
The feeling is definitely different between a son and a younger brother. Somehow the latter seems more prestigious.
“It’s okay. Your Highness the Crown Prince will become more noble, because I will remain the same.”
Toward the two princes, Ainter shook his head with a gentle smile.
‘I don’t think so.’
I looked away quietly, holding back my itchy mouth.
It’s a pity, but if you’re the younger brother of the emperor, you’ll get a title and a fiefdom, so it won’t be like that. Maybe roll with the emperor’s limbs.
Still, I think it’s a better future than facing a purge under suspicion from the brothers.