The difference from the last time he came to the ecliptic and applied for an audience was that he had purchased a mansion in the ecliptic and had a butler and employees who resided there managing it.
It was definitely more comfortable than staying at a luxury inn. It was possible to apply for an audience in advance and come when permission was granted, but deliberately arriving early and waiting was a kind of propaganda effect.
While waiting for an audience permit, he treated sick people in the imperial capital and chatted with some visiting nobles. It shows some kind of influence. However, the heavyweights expected to come did not appear.
A few days later, the permission to visit was dropped and he entered the imperial palace to face the emperor.
“long time no see. your majesty”
“Right.”
The Emperor’s complexion was not good. The emperor had been in poor health for some time. In fact, the reason why I came was related to him.
“You are in poor health.”
“It’s all like that when you get older.”
no. Although the age of the emperor is no longer on the small side, the reason why he suddenly deteriorated was another reason.
“May I request a private session?”
After thinking for a while, the emperor gestured and let everyone leave, leaving only one escort knight.
“So, what is your important business?”
“It is related to His Majesty’s health.”
“Have I been poisoned?”
Did you know? If I had known, why wouldn’t I have dealt with it?
“Yes, did you know?”
“Who told you that? Are you also a guardian spirit?”
“Yes, it is.”
The emperor gently bit his lower lip. The current emperor was a competent emperor, but it was a case of refusing the help of the guardian spirit. It’s not wrong. It seems that the emperor wanted to do well on his own without relying on anyone’s help. It actually happened because it was a peaceful time.
“Has he still been watching over the Aether Empire?”
The emperor murmured as if he were sighing.
“I will cure the poison for now.”
The poison was removed very simply. It wasn’t a very strong poison in the first place. It was a chronic poison that poisoned slowly. It wasn’t long before the emperor ingested the poison.
“Thank you. Is this the power of a saint?”
“It is.”
“So what did he say to you?”
It wasn’t that I was thinking of something like that. Once the current emperor died suddenly, the empire would be in chaos and he wanted to prevent that.
“Aren’t you going to ask about the poisoned beast?”
“hahahaha, what do you know? He must be one of the ugly sons anyway.”
In fact, it was as anyone would have expected. But this time, the emperor was a little wrong.
“Not one.”
“huh?”
The emperor’s eyes widened.
“It is obviously the crown prince who ordered Hadok. But how do you think that would be possible? The Imperial Intelligence Service is not such an easy place.”
The Emperor moved his gaze out the window and looked up at the sky.
“Is the second one stuck?”
“Yes, even the prince may not know, but the second prince did the cleaning.”
“Right. Was it a mistake for me to entrust the management of the intelligence department to the second?”
Right now, the crown prince’s talent for radish is quite good, but the other part wasn’t. It was a talent that would make him a useful officer if he looked after him well, and he was not a suitable person for the position of emperor.
So, the emperor entrusted the management of the intelligence department to the prince so that he could assist him. This prince had no other talents, but he had a talent for making friends with people he put under him. He showed off his talent from a young age and maintained a close relationship with almost all employees in the imperial palace.
“And one more thing.”
“Maybe a third?”
“You must know that Prince Three hangs out with members of the aristocratic faction, right?”
“That is how it was done.”
Of course, that’s how it started. The three princes pretended to be pushed out of the power structure and joined the aristocratic faction that was in conflict with the imperial family, playing the role of a kind of spy.
“That was how it started. But everyone has ambitions.”
The nobles of the aristocracy are by no means incompetent. He had seen through the shallow acting of the three princes right away. And it really succeeded in appeasement.
“Right. My youngest was like that.”
Now, the emperor went beyond collapse and looked aloof.
“The source of the poison is the Three Princes. To be precise, the nobles of the aristocracy. And the three princes handed it over to the crown prince.”
In other words, all three princes were unknowingly involved in the poisoning of the emperor.
“If the crown prince’s attempt this time succeeds…”
The result was obvious. A civil war would have broken out. The prince with legitimacy and military authority, the prince with information and personal connections, and the three princes with the power of the aristocrats on their backs would have devastated the Aether Empire.
I’m here to stop it. It was enough to just kill the princes, but it was unacceptable to ruin the empire that Aether and I had created.
“Right. So what do you want to do?”
“To be precise, it is the will of the Guardian Spirit, not mine. I will remain neutral as always.”
For the time being, I evaded it by using a guardian order. If the Akasha Countess officially takes on this task, things become complicated. Conversely, it can be very easy. The prince I support will become the emperor as it is. If that happens, I will either become the real power manipulating the emperor behind the scenes, or I will be the target of the removal of the new emperor who has taken power.
“So, what did the Guardian Spirit say he wanted to do?”
“They told me to properly preserve the Aether Empire.”
“You are making a difficult request.”
The emperor sighed again. It could be an easy task as an emperor, but a difficult task as a father. Still, there is plenty of time left. Also, as long as he doesn’t eat poison, the emperor will be healthy enough for at least 10 years from now.
“Shall we ask the guardian spirit?”
The emperor was troubled. So far, I have tried to run the empire without the help of the Guardian Spirit, and I have done so. However, that is when there is a competent emperor, and I don’t know who it will be, but if one of the princes becomes emperor now, he may desperately need the help of the guardian spirit.
“Will you do that?”
In the end, the emperor broke his will. I left the palace and visited the emperor again a few days later.
“Guardian spirits will choose the prince most suitable for the revival of the empire.”
Over the past few days, I have been watching the princes closely. And he concluded that he didn’t want to play the real life, but he might have no choice but to do so.
He knew that the princes weren’t that great, but their temperament and talent were worse than expected. If this is the case, it might be better to just pick the guy who listens best to you.
From noble mtl dot com.
The princes were incompetent, but the aides who followed each of the princes were quite talented. It was because the children of the Guardian Spirit that I had found and entrusted to Yuri in the past were dispersed. So it seemed to me that if he gave me some important advice from time to time, nothing too bothersome would happen.
The emperor silently nodded. In fact, even if the emperor refused, there was no way to stop the guardian spirit.
“I think it’s fortunate, though, that Guardian Spirit would use an easier method.”
Did you hear me? Killing all but one is the easiest and fastest way.
“If it’s possible, ask for help, just like in the case of His Majesty the Ether Emperor.”
It’s a tough request. In other words, the emperor asks that no one die no matter who becomes the next emperor, and that the person who becomes the emperor is given legitimacy. There’s nothing I can’t do, but I have a lot of work to do.
“All right. Let me tell you that.”
Having said that, he left. did not refuse If you try to do it and it doesn’t work, there’s nothing you can do about it. A certain prince might suddenly come to his senses.
I decided to contact the crown prince first. First of all, there is no human in the direct line of the imperial family who does not know the Guardian Spirit, so it will not be difficult to contact them. I thought so.
He sent an alter ego and lightly hit the prince on the back of the head as he tried to go to bed at night.
“Who are you!”
The prince drew a nearby sword and screamed. Thanks to this, the escorts in the vicinity rushed in. I moved the pen I had prepared and wrote on the paper.
-It is a guardian spirit.
But something amazing happened. The prince swung his sword and cut off the pen, then shouted.
“What are you talking about those ghosts!”
Are you crazy? Hasn’t this bastard seen even the history of the Aether Empire? I seriously thought about whether it would be better to just kill him. Still, I endured it by blowing a magic bullet to the back of my head, causing it to bubble and fainting. And I wrote one more note.
-You are eliminated
Anyway, the prince was eliminated just like that. There would be no case for the crown prince to ascend to the throne.
The next day, I went to visit this prince. He was sitting in his office in the intelligence department and doing his business. Compared to the crown prince, however, this prince tends to work hard. It just doesn’t do the job well. After this prince saw the work, the officials below him did the same thing one more time.
In a sense, it could be said that he was the worst superior, but he had a good reputation, so no one was very dissatisfied with it. He picked up a pen and wrote in front of the prince.
-It is a guardian spirit.
The prince blinked a few times and then started looking around. That’s why I don’t see my alter ego. I moved the pen again.
-Prince, why did you condone the emperor’s assassination?
This prince suddenly turned white, snatched the paper I had written on like a hawk prey, put it in his bosom, and hurried outside. would have run away
“under!”
I, who was watching this scene from the mansion in the imperial capital, was dumbfounded and was speechless for a while. Everyone thought they weren’t proper guys, but I didn’t expect it to be this much.
The next day, I visited the three princes for the last time. The three princes often spent time in salons run by aristocrats rather than in the imperial palace. There was everything the three princes wanted. Drinks, women, and supportive people abounded. It was natural that it would be more comfortable than the imperial palace.
Last but not least I wasn’t expecting much. According to what I’ve seen so far, this guy’s personality is the most messed up. He wasn’t that great of an older brother, but he was a guy who was full of an inferiority complex and a sense of victimization toward his older brothers.
I decided to make contact as soon as I entered the salon in the morning. It was because I was drunk most of the day other than this time. Sure enough, as soon as he entered the salon, he immediately drank the strong drink.
-It is a guardian spirit.
A piece of paper and a pen suddenly appeared. Then, as if nothing had happened, he poured another glass and rubbed his eyes.
“Am I already drunk?”
I felt something rising inside me, but I decided to give it one more chance.
-You are not drunk. I am a guardian spirit.
“So what did the Guardian Spirit do to a guy like me?”
After leaving the state, I finally found someone I could talk to.
-Why did you deliver the poison to the crown prince?
The guy snorted and answered.
“Isn’t it natural to give them to eat and die? If either my father or my older brother dies, I could become the emperor. ha ha ha!”
It was quite an immoral answer, but that level was common in imperial fights, so I didn’t care. Rather, a king or emperor must have some ambition. It is also a place to climb.
-What would you do first if you became emperor?
The three princes poured another glass of alcohol and gulped it down, then raised one corner of their mouth and smiled.
“I will kill them all. I won’t let a single one of those who used me or who ignored me live.”
I don’t know if that’s true or not, but this guy is wrong too. I immediately burned the paper on which I had written. The guy looked at it, smiled, poured another glass of alcohol, and lifted it up into the air as if toasting.
“Cheers to the guardian spirit who has already passed away”
Is this kid over the line?
The next day, I went to see the emperor again. Since the last audience, the request for an audience was being made on the pretext of checking the emperor’s health. In fact, just in case you didn’t know, every time you met, you were casting the power of healing once.
“Your Majesty, I’m risking rudeness to ask, but have you ever had an affair?”