403 – Age 16 Eimanka
A week has passed since the crown prince ascended the throne. In the meantime, all the nobles of the empire came up to the system and swore allegiance to the new emperor, and delegations from various countries bowed their heads respectfully.
It’s natural, but there was a time when that naturalness collapsed. In the past, I had a hard time appeasing and placating nobles who refused to come to the island for bizarre reasons, and fighting a war of nerves with kingdoms that didn’t send envoys to the empire.
Now, however, the Emperor of the Empire is not the old Eemanka XVI, but the young Eemanka XVII. This is the era of a powerful emperor with a duke as his maternal relative, not a helpless emperor with no support base as a collateral. Even maternal relatives are not traitors who try to manipulate the emperor, but loyal subjects who try to serve them with loyalty and love.
‘Order was right.’
When I close my eyes, I still remember what happened during the abdication ceremony. The emperor who stood tall in the midst of the blessing of the pope and the oath of allegiance of the dukes. The emperor who showed off the stability of the imperial family by taking his grandson as the crown princess upon his accession to the throne.
It is truly like a dream. Decades ago it was faster to count what you have than what you don’t have, but now it’s hard to find what you don’t have.
‘I’m standing right now.’
Yes, this is the emperor. This is the empire
Emperors who follow the will of Eemanka the Great should be honored. This continent’s only empire deserves to be reverenced.
It deserves to be a pillar of peace for the subjects as well as the dignity of the imperial family and empire.
“Your Majesty. We have arrived.”
While I was thinking of the image of the emperor advancing confidently amid the cheers and applause of everyone, I heard the voice of Baron Antrach sitting in the coachman’s seat.
‘It will only be in the manor.’
With that thought in mind, he opened the carriage door. If he had resigned from the post of minister of the palace, he would spend his later years comfortably in the manor, so why was he serving old people and things like that? It is absurd to even volunteer for the role of a coachman for an old subject.
I want to forcefully send him down, but unfortunately, it is useless because I have known the stubbornness of Baron Antrach for a long time. So I have no choice but to keep him by my side.
“I’m going to go with the Baron of Antrach, so the sirs should be on standby.”
“Your Majesty, please take your word for it. The beliefs will serve you.”
When I spoke to the imperial knights at the entrance of the National Cemetery, the knights opened their mouths in agitation. It was a natural reaction when the escort target said that he would bite the escort and move.
“Don’t worry, there is no safer place in this empire than here.”
Still, he firmly shook his head and pushed away their loyalty. The place I’m going to now is the safest place in the Empire, but at the same time, it’s also a place I want to visit quietly.
You might not like it if you just visit and make a fuss. I’ve always hated crowds.
“As a servant in this work, I fully understand the hearts of the Lords, but His Majesty the situation wants to move lightly, so what can I do. Let the Lords follow.”
When Baron Antrach urged them to stand by, the knights were even more flustered and did not know what to do.
“Or do you not believe in the security of the system? The Royal Guard Corps will be disappointed.”
“Oh no, sir!”
“It’s a joke. I said something funny.”
Only then did the knights bend their will at the sight of Baron Antrach bursting into laughter. I put a clue that it was a joke, but ‘don’t bother me more and stay still.’ You must have fully recognized the meaning of the word.
After watching the scene, I moved to the National Cemetery. It’s not comfortable to be by my side even after all my old subjects retire, but there is no one who knows my heart better than the Baron of Antrach. It’s hard to deny that it’s comfortable to be by your side.
“When you’re old, you have to watch your grandchildren play tricks, but you’ve come to resent them from the younger ones.”
The Baron of Antrach, who caught up behind me, said with a smirk.
It’s not even worth reacting to. He speaks well, saying that if he was afraid of resentment, he would not have come this far.
“Brother should do that much for younger brother.”
At that, Baron Antrach flinched as if in surprise, then burst into laughter.
There was a time when he treated the Baron of Antrach like an older brother, even though his memories were fuzzy. The father of Baron Antrakh and my father were close friends who faced each other, and that relationship continued to us as children. Thanks to that, Baron Antrach and I were like brothers.
That relationship also collapsed when I became emperor—but now that I have escaped the title of emperor, I have been talking about those days for the first time in a while.
“Yes, that’s right. If you’re a big brother, you should be.”
After saying that, Baron Antrach remained silent. I don’t know if the baron recalled the past like me, or if he simply had nothing to say.
‘It’s the past.’
There is a saying that the older you get, the more beautiful your memories of your youth are. I am no different either.
The beginning of the coronation is not a beautiful memory even thinking about it now that everything is over, but the time before the coronation was certainly beautiful.
Me, Baron Antrach, and Huang—
“Your Majesty.”
I was a little startled by the sudden voice. No matter how much I was thinking about something else, I came close to it and didn’t notice it.
As I turned my gaze to the side, I saw the National Cemetery Caretaker gently lowering and lifting his head. Outwardly she was a woman with blonde hair and gold lining that flowed down to her waist,
‘Are you already in the imperial area?’
His true identity was the former Dragon Lord who hid his identity in order to closely manage the tomb of Emperor Eimanka.
As soon as I entered the imperial area, I felt a sense of wonder at the appearance of the squadron rod that appeared like the wind. Even if you normally try to find it, an invisible entity will appear as if you have been waiting for it when you set foot in the imperial area. Because it’s a dragon, something is different.
“I’m going to move with the caretaker now, so the baron stays with me.”
Of course, it was a secret that only the emperor knew that the manager was the previous dragon lord, so he ordered the baron of Antrach to stand by and moved along with the former lord. The conversation you will have with the squadron road from now on is a conversation that no one should ever hear.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As usual, Baron Antrach agreed to that order.
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The former squad leader walked ahead of me and didn’t say anything. I also kept silent because I couldn’t carelessly talk to the being who was the companion of the great emperor.
“You’ve put in a lot of effort.”
The one who broke the silence was the Squadron Lord. Instead of the polite voice he had heard in the presence of the Baron of Antrach, he heard a voice that was overbearing and hard—but at the same time warm.
“I was very worried that his empire and his descendants would disappear. I was afraid that he would be relegated to a historical figure rather than a revered founding father.”
“I only apologize for causing concern to my incompetent descendants.”
“You have no obligation to apologize to me.”
The former squad leader stopped walking and looked at me, smiling faintly.
“I don’t deserve to hear your apology either. He’s a wonderful kid who reestablished the will of Eimanka, so it’s not too much if I express my gratitude.”
Then he gently lowered his head. Not as a greeting to the situation as the manager of the national cemetery, but as the former Dragon Lord and companion of the great emperor, he bowed his head to a mere descendant.
I’m embarrassed. Receiving this kind of greeting from the hidden elder of the royal family made me feel like an immoral child. Even so, the reason why he couldn’t dissuade the elders must be because his body stiffened at the unexpected sight.
“It’s enchanted, so even if you shout there, no one will hear. So relax and come back.”
He raised his head and smiled again, then bumped his palms with those words.
‘Huh.’
Then my body was standing in an area that could only be reached after a long walk.
It is a somewhat outskirts of the imperial district, and it is a place with a plain tomb compared to that of an imperial family member.
“…I’m here, Empress.”
In front of the tomb of the empress who left me and I could not protect.
“I tried to prepare myself as I walked, but I arrived earlier than expected.”
Bewildered, he opened his mouth as if to make an excuse. Squadron Lord would be considerate, but from my point of view, it felt like I was stabbed with a knife out of nowhere.
“Still, it’s good to see you soon.”
I kept my mouth shut for a while. Because I questioned whether I had the right to say such things to the empress.
However, since the words have already been spoken, what can I do? And right now, I want to pour out all the things I want to say, whether they deserve it or not.
“Gilbert, that child became emperor. Unlike me, the cheers were loud, so you might have heard them too.”
Carefully, he reached out and touched the empress’ tomb.
“I am no longer the emperor. This is the first time in the history of the empire.”
Unbeknownst to me, the corner of my mouth went up. It’s something I’ve thought about before, but I think I’ll take all the names of being the first in the empire.
“Since I’m not the emperor, I don’t have to work hard anymore.”
After saying that, I laughed out loud. No need to try. I no longer have any duties or missions, so I can just live a normal life.
But what does it mean? I’ve abandoned everything and lived until now, so what’s the point if I can live a normal life now?
“…f*ck it.”
That’s why the harsh words came out. Since she was in front of the empress, she tried to restrain herself, but she couldn’t stand it.
“It’s unfortunate. If the blood of the royal family flowed in me, how much it would flow, and if I resembled the emperor, how similar it would be. As you know, my father was no different than a count.”
It has long since lost the identity of the imperial family, and it has long since become distant from the rights and duties of the imperial family. I was a noble Corvus, not an imperial Corvus. I thought that was my destiny.
“However, don’t you suddenly ask a young guy who just became an earl to become an emperor, and don’t those called marquesses try to produce an empress in that gap? It’s very shocking.”
But, ironically, my fate was higher and tougher than I thought. I thought it was a distant collateral, but it turned out to be a ‘lucky’ close collateral.
I didn’t really want to know.
“I thought I was going crazy. Because I, who can’t even be a Countess, end up marrying a woman I’ve never seen before, who promised to marry you in this empire. I’ve never felt so resentful of Ennen as I did back then.”
Even the empire inherited by force was on the verge of collapse, and the marriage partner was the crystallization of greed and arrogance without love or duty. I was furious that I was being punished like this for what crime I had committed.
Why the hell should I be in this situation? The one who ruined this empire was the goddamn direct descendant and emperor, so why should I, who had been split long ago, have to bear the karma?
Still, I couldn’t help it. I had no choice but to put aside my resentment and anger and accept it.
‘Because I’m Rivnoman.’
Since I have enjoyed the life of an aristocrat just because I am a descendant of the great emperor, shouldn’t I be responsible just because I am a collateral?
‘Because I wasn’t a victim.’
And no matter how unfair I am, there is nothing more unfair than the people who fell into grief after meeting the terrible cancer soldiers.
The subjects who met the hateful and hateful dark soldiers who failed to properly obey the will of the great emperor, failed to properly protect the mandate of heaven, failed to fulfill their mission to calm the world and feed the flesh of all people. Those subjects, not just me, are the biggest victims.
That’s why I accepted everything. Abandoned everything at the same time.
“…I thought that was my mission.”
The fact that the throne had come to the collateral, this was the last chance Enn and the great emperor had given Livnoman. If I miss this opportunity, then the downfall of the imperial family, the collapse of the empire.
I thought it was a luxury to be swayed by personal feelings. I thought it was a sin to pursue personal happiness. I thought it was incompetent to settle for the present. When I act on my emotions, my subjects suffer. Empires tear apart when I pursue happiness. If you settle for the present, you cannot protect the Mandate of Heaven.
I am not a mere human, but a stepping stone carrying the feat and karma of Livno. It is only a halfway point where the splendid glory of the great emperor must be passed on to the next generation.
I ran with that thought in mind. Perhaps he couldn’t completely abandon his emotions, so he made you the empress, but considering that Gilbert became the emperor, it was the right choice.
I thought so hard. If that’s not the right choice, then I’m letting you die.
“Oh, you know what that kid said? He said he wouldn’t throw anything away.”
He burst into laughter. The remarks denying the days I had abandoned everything came from my son and the successor emperor, but I was rather willing.
“That child can do it. I made it that way.”
Doesn’t that mean I ran properly? Isn’t it an environment where the current emperor can embrace everything without having to throw away everything like I did?
“I really, really made it that way. I gave up my life… Giving up my fatherhood in front of you and your child, an empire that made it that way.”
I can be sure of this. Fortunately, I was able to gain the fortune of the empire with my single life.
“So…”
But even with that confidence, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything further. Even though he promised to pour out everything he wanted to say, he couldn’t open his mouth.
Thanks to that, I finally opened my mouth after being silent for a long time. If it’s not today, I won’t be able to tell you forever.
“So, if Ennen allowed us to live our next lives—wouldn’t we then be born as commoners, neither royalty nor nobles?”
That’s right, I don’t need the purple coronet of royalty or the blue blood of nobles. If I have a next life, I want to live as a commoner.
If I, a commoner, meet you, a commoner as well, I will be able to marry you without political intervention. We can become a couple with pure congratulations.
And I live in a small house on the outskirts of the village, not in the city, and in the morning I go out to work in the nearby fields. It doesn’t have to be a field with a wide horizon, it’s enough for my wife and children to eat and live.
It might be good to raise chickens or pigs. If you grow hard and eat eggs, and the children complain that they want to eat meat, wouldn’t it be perfect to catch and eat it from time to time?
Of course, living as a commoner would not be a peaceful and smooth life. No, regardless of status, people live together, so sometimes you might fight.
But just like the ground becomes harder after rain, we will soon reconcile after fighting for a while, and we will live our lives laughing as if nothing happened.
Yes, I can live like that. Like a normal human being, ordinary and nothing special, just like that.
…If you live like that, you can say it every day.
“I love you, Seleden.”
The words that Emperor Eimanka XVI never dared to say.
“It’s the first time in 30 years.”
Now that you have taken off the title of emperor, these words will never reach you who have left my side.
After I said that, water drops fell on the back of my hand on the tomb.
‘Rain?’
I raised my head thinking that the empress in the sky might have answered, but the sky was clear without a single cloud.
When I lowered my head again, water droplets still dripped on the back of my hand.
This is a strange thing.
***
The situation that disappeared with the caretaker His Majesty returned after quite some time.
Of course, now that His Majesty has withdrawn from the situation and completely taken his hands off work, there is no harm in spending too much time in one place. Rather, the longer you stay, the more willing you are, as it is obvious whose tomb you would have seen in the imperial district.
“You’re tired. Let’s go back to the palace.”
Then he smiled slightly at the words he left as he climbed into the carriage.
His Majesty, who had thoroughly suppressed his emotional expression for decades, confidently said that he was tired. Now I feel relieved as I seem to have let go of the toughness I had been acting as an emperor.
Because I moved somewhat in a hurry. Even so, it was hard work to adjust it so that His Majesty in the carriage would not be uncomfortable, but it was tolerable.
“Your Majesty. We have arrived.”
Fortunately, His Majesty must have been satisfied with my adjustment, and I was able to reach the imperial palace without any notice.
“Your Majesty?”
But it’s strange. His Majesty, who was supposed to react right away, didn’t show any movement. After that, I called His Majesty several more times, but it was the same.
…
“Your Majesty, excuse me.”
He opened the door of the carriage just in case, and checked His Majesty.
Then he could see His Majesty, who had a faint smile on his face and quietly closed his eyes.
“…Corvus.”
Unbeknownst to me, I called Your Majesty’s name. It was a name that came out really casually, probably because we were talking about older brothers and younger brothers at the National Cemetery earlier.
However, I couldn’t help it. Because His Majesty’s appearance now was the image he recalled of those days.
Since His Majesty became emperor, it was the first time I saw a relaxed expression.
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‘I had a hard time.’
That’s why I went back to those days for a while.
To the days when he was an older brother who encouraged his younger brother.