198. The crooked crown (2)
The sun has gone down on the day when everything from the coming-of-age ceremony to the grand coronation ceremony was held at once.
The glowstone-lit streets were still full of spectators, but the cheers were noticeably less than during the day.
The carriage that toured the islands finally returned to the palace, and the official schedule of the coronation ceremony came to an end.
But I still have work to do.
It was called separately by Arya.
“Are you feeling better, Your Majesty?”
“Ugh. Your hair looks like it’s about to break.”
A single room.
Arya lifted the crown with her trembling hands.
The crown slipped from her hand and was about to land on her lap, but my body reflexively jumped out and held the crown.
“Thank you…”
“No.”
Arya hurriedly withdrew her hand and stepped back slightly behind her.
Anyway, it must have been difficult for Arya’s body to endure such an arduous march.
The weight of that thick clothes must have been enormous, but I had to carry the crown on my back as well.
“Did you decide to shake off the pretense after you ascended the throne?”
“Didn’t you like to see it?”
“No. It’s the opposite. I thought it would be a waste for only me to know His Majesty’s real face.”
“Yes, you bastard…”
Arya seemed to have decided to put her acting aside as of her today.
As a lumberjack to become an emperor, the cold, cool and rational woman who was perfect was gone.
Only a young monarch, who is easily driven by emotion and turned into a tyrant, is left.
But that wasn’t the only anxiety factor.
Because Arya is the person that includes all of that.
As long as there is someone by her side who will hold her well, she will be able to reign as the perfect monarch.
“Come to think of it, you were a knight directly under the Emperor of the Empire.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Well, then… Do you remember what I said before?”
What did you say before?
She diligently worked her head through her memory for a short while.
Looking at the context in front of her, it was easy to guess what Arya was trying to say.
“Yes. Just as you wished, Your Majesty.”
“Huh? What do you mean?!”
“I can finally serve you. From now on, I will be loyal to you.”
“Keep······.”
“Do you have any problems?”
“No!”
She seemed to be in a very bad mood.
Have you accumulated too much fatigue today?
Arya’s eyes, which had been turning her head for a moment as if angry, returned to me.
A smile appeared on her face as she scanned me from bottom to top.
“From what I’ve heard, you didn’t fill the position of the Imperial First Sword or the duke.”
“It’s not that I’m not satisfied, it’s just that I couldn’t accept it because of the circumstances…”
“Then let me meet the conditions well. I think you know what an official position you want. Isn’t that a position where you can wield power comparable to that of an emperor with appropriate responsibilities and work intensity?”
“·······.”
I was speechless.
It’s because she was stabbed right in the middle.
From noble mtl dot com.
As if she knew it, Aria laughed happily as she looked at me who had become mute.
“You’re an honest guy! It’s good. There’s a place prepared for you, such a greedy bastard.”
“·······?”
A reasonable amount of responsibility and work intensity are given, but there is actually a position where you can wield power comparable to that of an emperor…?
Unbeknownst to me, I couldn’t help but make a puzzled expression.
Even the king and duke of the dukedom become subjects who cannot say a word to the emperor the moment they leave the duchy.
It would be better to say that a major minister who has no land or actual power but has strong speaking power has more power.
What the hell does Arya mean by dream office?
“I will give you the position of Regent.”
“Regent? Is there such an office?”
“No. An office that I just selected and resurrected among the distant ancient offices.”
“·······.”
Are you kidding me?
Anyway, it seemed like they were trying to give me an official position that was only a façade.
I have no choice but to show that I am loyal to the empire, especially the imperial family.
I was a little displeased, but I was going to accept it as it was.
At least Arya won’t try to purge me unlike Gustav.
“Huh. You prepared it yourself, but you don’t ask about the official position at all.”
“Tell me about the role of Regent.”
“It’s difficult to clearly define what that job is about. Yes, let’s say you’re assisting me. Isn’t it true that military generals have an aide-de-camp? If Jim is a general, then you are the same as that aide-de-camp.”
“Are you saying it’s a role that helps and assists with overall work?”
“Yes. You will be able to take charge of all emperor duties, including policy formulation, approval, and execution. Also, as second in protocol, you can pretend to be the emperor’s deputy when I am absent-“
“Your Majesty. Please wait. I must have heard something wrong.”
“No. You probably got it right.”
Arya jumped up and looked down at me as if I was cute as I stumbled in embarrassment.
I really heard it right…?
In other words, it means that he has the power of a monarch who co-rules with the emperor.
“Of course, Jim will take precedence in all decisions.”
“That makes sense.”
“You must be busy studying. So, as long as he finishes all the work in progress, he can take an indefinite leave of absence at any time. Of course, this only applies until graduation.”
“·······.”
The fisheye was dumbfounded.
I have great power, but I can only work when I want to?
This was already beyond the level of a dream job.
I couldn’t tell if it was a dream or real life.
“You have an unbelievable face. It’s amazing. You’re making that kind of expression too.”
“That’s surprising…”
“Aren’t they the benefactors who made me avenge my father’s enemies? There are two of them.”
“·······.”
Are you referring to Henderson, whom he killed himself, and Gustav, who was instigated?
“If it wasn’t for you, I would have lived my whole life without knowing it. Besides, wouldn’t it be possible to design the future you want when I give you this much power?”
“The future I want…”
“Don’t be fooled. I’m already aware that you treat Jim like a puppet. Jim finds it very unpleasant to be toyed with. So I’ve decided to leave it to you myself rather than being manipulated. “
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“Tsk. I still pretend…”
Arya snorted in displeasure and sat on her throne, crossing her legs.
It was full of facts that would be difficult for Arya to know.
From the fact that Asylum, which is just a pseudo-religion, swallows the empire in the future, to the fact that humans will wage an all-out war against demons…
If I told the agitated Arya everything, she could have gone on a rampage and ruined her work.
She didn’t ask further if she knew it well either.
“What are your responsibilities as a Regent anyway?”
“There is only one. When my life is in danger, do whatever it takes to keep him alive. I will give you the office if you promise to take responsibility for that.”
“When your Majesty is in danger, I swear to save you by any means, even at the cost of my life.”
“You forgot to say Dear Aegis.”
“I thought you didn’t like it, so I removed it on purpose.”
“hahahaha!”
Arya burst into another cheerful laugh.
Anyway, he seemed to like my attitude.
Arya, who had been laughing as she held her stomach for a while, smiled as she wiped away her tears.
“Okay. I’ll give you the first assignment. I know now that the Imperial University is on vacation, so I won’t be taking leave from the first day.”
“What is the first task?”
“Find the demon who spread the power to Asylum’s followers. That’s the first task.”
“·······.”
The first task of absolute power, which is no different from co-ruling with the emperor, was to find the criminal.
Actually, I didn’t have to run 30,000 miles.
Because I already know who it is.
.
.
.
“Huuu00uuu…!”
My feet rolled on the bed and the mattress sank.
But even so, she couldn’t stop the groaning of Aria, who had a hoarse voice.
When she thought about what happened earlier, she felt very sorry for herself.
Surely, Schluss Heinkel had said before that he would accept it without hesitation if he confessed when he became an adult.
He is not a man who breaks his promises.
So all I had to do was say one word.
Pluck up the courage to say just one word…
“I was a coward…”
Until now, I only thought that I was living my own way.
I thought there was nothing that could frighten me.
But just a moment ago, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I parted my lips, words wouldn’t come out as if someone had grabbed my neck.
What was it that made you scared?
With just one word, I could have Schluss Heinkel as my wife, but for what reason…?
“Oh.”
Coming to her realization, Arya let out her sigh.
I’m afraid Schluss Heinkel won’t love me.
I was afraid of that.
The love he confessed earlier was for the emperor, not for the opposite s*x.
But just because she is forced to marry now, will she be able to receive his love?
Perhaps in your heart you are drawing someone else.
Or even if it’s not the case, I wonder if the relationship will break down because I have doubts.
For the first time in her life, Aria was having such trouble.
Gulp······ Gulp······
She suddenly felt thirsty, so she grabbed a glass of water by her bed and drank it.
She said and then she swore.
I promise to return Schluss Heinkel’s heart, at least until the vacation at the Imperial University is over.
As expected, the best scenario was for the guy to court himself.
However, it was questionable whether a girl born in women’s clothing would really do that.
“Damn it…”
Arya felt like her throat was burning again.
***
“Saint, the elders of the family are begging. Please visit the Vatican just once… Could you bow your head to the Pope just once?”
“·······.”
The expression of Iris, the saintess of Flechette, hardened.
Now, not only in the Vatican, but also in the family.
Please bow down to the pope.
She couldn’t figure out why she was doing this when, as Iris, she had never taken an attitude against the Holy See.
She just thinks it would be so disheartening for the Pope to be friends with a suspiciously famous student in the same class at the same school.
Recently, the torch has become even worse.
The Holy See used to make a fuss, almost in a fit, when Schluss Heinkel was involved.
“It’s vacation now. If you visit-“
“Okay. Please tell the elders that you will consider it.”
“That, I’ll be in trouble if I communicate like that…”
“I’m really sorry.”
Her attendant went back sullen, and Iris sighed deeply.
Once Iris occupied an overwhelming position within Pleshette, even if all the adults in her household gathered and voiced one voice, her Iris could not be forced to move.
After all, it was the family that Iris resurrected, and she was the same family as Iris’ head.
But this time it was so serious that it was understandable that the adults in the family kept urging it.
I couldn’t help but be nervous because the family that had revived with faith was about to be abandoned by the Vatican.
‘The wind is definitely changing.’
The prevailing prediction that Schluss Heinkel would soon fall was completely wrong.
Emperor Gustaf, who was carrying out his purge, died, and Arya, the grandson of the Crown Prince, who actively employed Schluss, took the throne.
The wind has now completely turned towards the Schluses.
The Vatican, which even started to turn away from the imperial family, was now just a setting year.
But the power of the setting sun was still too great to ignore.
The Holy See was strong enough to subdue the barely resurrected Plechet family with a last resort.
‘That doesn’t mean I can’t stand on the losing side.’
Knowing the future, I had to choose an option that would destroy the family even more.
Following Schluss Heinkel, humanity had to be sustained.
That’s how Iris decided to completely turn her back on the Holy See.
He didn’t mind even if the name of the saint was deprived.
In the first place, I had never helped anyone with the hope of a title like that.
‘I’m a bit afraid of retaliation…’
How will the Holy See, which has issued such warnings, retaliate?
I’m sure they won’t hit you with force.
Iris closed her eyes tightly in her worries.