156 – 160
Report from Nikea.
“Yohannes… has finally died.”
Along with the dreadful report that he was brutally murdered by mercenaries, I ponder on the part where they sent his head.
Yohannes, an imperial subject and the prince of Nikea.
The fact that he died so cruelly at the hands of mercenaries… Could it be advantageous for us?
Currently, it is reported that Sabenelli has retreated from Dupol, and the imperial army has successfully entered Adriak.
Sabenelli… intriguing.
Hearing reports of his exceptional skill causing trouble on the Dupol front, Sabenelli becomes quite intriguing.
If he does well, could he help me escape from this hellish office?
Although they haven’t surrendered yet, they will soon.
With that in mind, I contemplate how to deal with that mercenary unit.
Hmm…
It is also reported that mercenaries on the front lines in Yar are leaving the front and heading towards Byzantion.
Given that there is a sea in the center of Nikea, without ships, they cannot cross.
The only route is through Byzantion towards the east of Nikea.
Currently, they are waiting in Byzantion for my judgment.
“I should order them all to be killed, right?”
No, some should stand trial as criminals who killed the king of Nikea as prisoners.
And I feel it would be wise to punish the mercenaries who cruelly killed the king of Nikea to gain favor with the people of Nikea.
Currently, Agrifa has captured all of Yohannes’ family as prisoners.
As they are also a royal family of a nation, they are being held in the palace rather than a prison.
The proud people of Nikea probably hold some resentment towards the empire.
I plan to shift that sentiment onto the mercenary unit that killed King Yohannes.
I didn’t expect it to turn out this way, but… well, it’s not so bad.
With that in mind, I order Agrifa to exterminate the mercenaries.
As there may be a shortage of troops stationed in Byzantion, I also order William to provide support.
“Phew… once Sabenelli is subdued, it will be over.”
No matter how skilled Sabenelli may be, creating supplies out of thin air is nearly impossible.
Thinking this way, I now begin in earnest to draft tax reform and a bill to dissolve the Imperial faction.
At that moment.
-Knock knock!
“Who is it?”
– Empress Mother has arrived.
With the sudden visit of my mother-in-law, I stand up from my seat and pay attention to my appearance.
Alright, everything seems fine.
“Please, let her in.”
As I finish speaking, the door opens, and my mother-in-law enters.
“Mother-in-law. Is everything alright? You should have summoned me instead…”
Despite my apology for leading my elder, a member of the imperial family, to where I am, my mother-in-law smiles mysteriously and nods.
“If I tell my busy son-in-law to come or go for state affairs, would he comply?”
At that, I give a wry smile.
“Yes. But what’s the matter?”
In response to my question, my mother-in-law smiles faintly.
“As you suggested, I’ve given a hint to Theodora.”
Upon hearing that, I nod.
“Apparently, she summoned the judges. She inquired about the right of refusal.”
Knowing that she called the judges, I had already informed them in advance.
In case she asks about the right of refusal, instead of evading, act as if it’s difficult to speak about and then eventually reveal it.
That way, she will firmly believe it.
She must be aware that I intervened in the lawsuit against the imperial family before.
A suitable act is required.
“Fine, since I played along with your idea, now it’s your turn to play along with mine.”
No… Mother-in-law. Why are you saying such things? I did it for you and your daughter, didn’t I?
And using words that could be misunderstood by others…
Embarrassed, I speak.
“Pardon? What… is that supposed to mean?”
“As an elder of this imperial family, it is your duty to ensure that Thea and you bear a child.”
That statement is not incorrect.
If the Emperor dies without children, the inheritance right passes to Joy, but it is difficult to call it a legitimate succession.
Because I am related to the Emperor as a sister.
Sometimes wars break out due to an Emperor dying childless.
Or even if there are children, they might only have daughters.
Although inheritance laws are established, depending on who becomes the Emperor, the rise and fall of the family are at stake, so sometimes forceful resolutions are sought.
“True, but… now is not the time for that…”
I must consider her as a virgin to be able to nullify the marriage cleanly.
“I don’t understand why you are so afraid of Thea and her child, but it seems necessary for the two to be closer.”
-Swish…
Sitting next to me, my mother-in-law speaks.
“So, how about reuniting with that child? If Nicaea loses in the upcoming war, you will gain Epirus, Aetolia, and even Nicaea, won’t you?”
Then she takes my hand.
“In that case, even Thea, who will gain a larger territory, will feel a bit relieved. So, reuniting with the two might not be strongly opposed by Thea and the child.”
In response to that, I reply with a troubled expression.
“I understand the points you’re making, but…”
I understand enough as a mother-in-law.
As an elder of the imperial family, if the Emperor doesn’t produce a successor soon, the empire might be destabilized later.
But no matter what… there’s a cold wind blowing between her and me, and yet she suggests reuniting…
Of course, even if we reunite, I have no intention of doing such with her.
I must quietly step back so that she, too, will retire and not send assassins to me, living peacefully on the new continent.
When I have such thoughts, my mother-in-law speaks with sad eyes.
“Are you saying you have no intention of giving me a grandchild?”
“No… I mean…”
Feeling burdened by the pitiful look in her eyes.
If an adult makes such a face, it’s too burdensome, isn’t it?
“I granted your request, but does that mean you won’t grant mine?”
If I say I won’t, I’ll have to surrender to my mother-in-law, who might cry.
“I… I’ll agree. But I still don’t want to have a child…”
As I speak, my mother-in-law grabs my hand, vigorously nods her head, and interrupts.
“Ah! I know! Whenever you feel like it(?), you can do it. Just keep sharing a room with me for a while, and you’ll surely start wanting to fulfill your desires. I have no intention of rushing things.”
To start wanting to fulfill desires… I overflow with survival desires every day.
But why bother telling my mother-in-law I’m afraid of pregnancy assassination and therefore avoiding nighttime activities? I can only awkwardly smile.
***
I tear open the letter from Roman.
In summary, it orders to kill all mercenaries, and if necessary, even call William, to brutally kill and display the bodies so the citizens of Byzantium can see them.
As expected.
Honestly, I don’t like those mercenaries either.
Even though Ioannes has rebelled, he is a king of a country.
It doesn’t make sense for him to die at the hands of despicable Babylonian mercenaries.
The only way to kill him is through a fair trial of law.
“Orders must have been issued. It’s time to finish them all.”
Agrippa, fearing they might be exterminated, at least supplied them with minimal food.
If he calls William and gradually cuts off the food and supplies, the enemies will soon face death.
And so, Agrippa sends a letter to William.
***
Though the matter with Sabinelli is not yet settled.
I believe it will be soon.
I asked Agrippa to recruit Sabinelli, Alexander, and other outstanding Nicaean officials.
Nicaea is a country traditionally advanced in academia.
In ancient times, Nicaea was considered the center of the world, preserving the ancient heritage for a long time.
And they have had many outstanding individuals from the past.
That’s why I want to appoint Nicaean officials to the imperial positions and throughout the empire.
Although… they may be quite displeased with me for the death of their king, I will soon step down.
They will be valuable assets during Theodora’s reign, so I must recruit as many as possible.
Especially Sabinelli.
Although Sabinelli may be a rebel, his abilities are outstanding to an unbelievable extent.
From disrupting the enemy’s focus in Adria, seizing the Toulouse fortress, to stopping the Nicaean army in Thessalonica and capturing the enemy’s capital, Byzantium, dealing the final blow.
One of the two will undoubtedly be the top graduate, but Sabinelli, who has accumulated numerous achievements, is no less.
Although he has not surrendered yet, he will soon.
There’s not much he can do.
Well, time will tell. For now, I must handle urgent matters first.
“After the mercenaries are settled, report to the council, and then prepare for the victory parade.”
Victory parade.
When winning a war, it’s a tradition for generals and soldiers who contributed to the victory to parade through the streets of Rome.
And it’s customary to show the spoils and prisoners to the citizens of the empire.
The person who stands at the front receives great honor.
Perhaps William and Agrippa should be at the front.
There are no plans to call William and the Golden Knights to the capital.
Instead, the idea is to station William and the Golden Knights there to thwart any suspicious activities from the Kingdom of Nicaea.
Well… the justification seems reasonable.
Roughly like this, the civil war will be managed.
“And… now we just need to clean up the devil worshippers.”
If I were to explain the reason I’ve coveted power so far, it’s to prevent the resurrection of the demon king.
And although I’ve kept my tail well hidden until now, I slowly revealed myself by mingling with the anti-government protesters.
And I will never overlook their actions.
Only then…
Can I leave Rome.