“To return to the capital was daunting as the piled-up workload came flying at him. With the sudden passing of the Emperor leaving positions vacant, Karl had to take on the duties of the Imperial Investigative Department as well as temporarily fill those empty seats.”
“Upon his return to the palace, Karl headed straight to the Arghuman Palace where the financial and administrative offices of the court were located, unable to go back to his own residence.”
“After receiving briefings from the financial bureaucrats and ensuring no new issues had arisen in his absence, he found that the Arghuman Palace was efficiently carrying out its tasks even without its master.”
“Next on his agenda was a visit to the military base. One of the most crucial and weighty responsibilities held by the Emperor was the military command authority. With the power to maneuver the empire’s forces, the Emperor wielded immense power, a role temporarily taken on by Karl.”
“As the Emperor’s death remained shrouded in secrecy, even Karl’s role as the interim military commander had not been disclosed to the public. This necessitated discreet movements, making the tasks even more challenging.”
“Despite the hardships, Karl did not utter a word of complaint. After inspecting military outposts and bases, he still had a lot of backlog to address.”
“As the sun gradually dipped below the horizon, casting a dim light around him, Clovis prepared a simple meal for Karl who had been buried in paperwork without taking a break.”
“Silent acknowledgment followed by a statement, ‘You should eat.’ Karl, engrossed in his documents, was approached by Clovis who offered to set up the meal next to his paperwork.”
“At last, Karl lifted his head slowly, showing signs of fatigue as Clovis swiftly poured water into a cup for him, noting his tired expression.”
“‘Start by quenching your thirst.'”
Thirsty to the point of forgetting even his thirst, buried in piles of documents, he was feeling disoriented. After quenching his thirst with a gulp of water, Karl put down the papers completely from his hands.
“Just returned from the South, isn’t it a bit too much for you to handle?” asked Clovis.
“If I don’t do it today, tomorrow’s me will have an even heavier burden,” Karl replied.
Was it so? Upon reflection, it was indeed something Karl had to do. If not done today, the tasks would only become more burdensome in the future. It seemed that the century of power and the extent of responsibility were directly proportional. The higher one climbed in positions of power, the more they had to protect and achieve.
With the throne empty, Karl had to move busier than anyone else. Clovis looked at him with a complex mix of pity and awe.
“A messenger from Rodrigo has arrived. Apologizing for not notifying you due to being on duty, he reports that he has assigned the report to Commander Tecla,” Clovis relayed.
“Is there anything noteworthy about Rodrigo’s actions that we should pay attention to?”
Rodrigo was the commander who led the imperial army and could be considered just below the Emperor in terms of military control.
The fact that Rodrigo, instead of returning immediately upon the arrival of the interim military authority, delegated the task to a subordinate was somewhat perplexing.
If Karl was not uncomfortable with being the interim military authority, he should have eagerly come forward to report directly to the imperial army.
The meal was a secondary pretext; in reality, Clovis had come to see Karl to report on the movements of Franzotian bureaucrats, including Rodrigo. Clovis set the table for Karl.
“Nothing surfaced so far, but there are unsettling things that make one uneasy,” Clovis said.
“Events like today, indeed,” Karl responded.
Although Rodrigo did not openly support Franz in his business endeavors, he was very interested in the enchanted stone processing industry.
Originally, the right to process and sell the mined enchanted stones was exclusively given to Count Louisette, but those in the know were aware that the true owner of this business was Duke Toskur. That was also the reason behind Celeste’s unwarranted involvement with Franz.
The Louisette family and Franz are intertwined over the magic stone. Since their relationship was not made public, people simply connected Celeste’s connection with Franz as just a friendship.
Since the relationship was involved on that side, it was practically considered a pro-Frantz faction. This tendency was evident in everyday life as well…
“Other officials we need to confirm are.”
“Commander Gregory went out on an inspection of the eastern and western regions and is returning immediately. He received news that the damages from the flooding of the Manus River in the west were substantial enough to warrant military intervention, so as soon as the confirmation was completed, he received his orders and departed.”
The Emperor holds the military power in the Empire. Beneath the Emperor are three commanders: Rodrigo, who commands the Imperial army; Kasell, who commands the capital’s army, and Gregory, who commands the entire non-capital military force spanning east, west, north, and south.
Rodrigo was more of an opportunist, while Kasell and Gregory were staunch and reliable military men, so there was no specific concern about them.
When the imperial power changes hands, the direction of the military power becomes the most critical issue.
Maximilian ascended to the throne as Emperor, and within two years, the discipline of the Imperial army deteriorated significantly due to the criticism of the new military power’s young age.
Whether intentional or not, the absence of the highest authority led to these consequences. It was not that Maximilian was incompetent, but rather, he was deemed incapable of leading due to his young age.
With the throne vacant, a fierce struggle among those close to the next Emperor for the position was imminent. The one who wields the military power would essentially become the master of the next throne. Therefore, Rodrigo’s arrogant behavior was akin to a red warning signal.
Tap, tap.
Karl’s finger tapped the table. It meant he was deeply contemplating. There was not much time left to hide news of the Emperor’s death. Within a few days, news of the Emperor’s death would spread throughout the Empire.
Until then, Karl was determined to take on all the Emperor’s authority, even temporarily. Once everything was made public, it would be too late to act.
Moreover, one couldn’t be sure what schemes the sinister Franz might be planning, so swift action was necessary.
“Well… um…”
Starting to speak hesitatingly was unlike Clovis. Why was he hesitating to say something difficult again? When Karl looked at him, Clovis hesitated, glanced around, and whispered.
“What… about dealing with Viscount Louisette?”
Celeste. He hadn’t forgotten about her, but thoughts of Celeste that he had momentarily pushed to the back of his mind due to political matters suddenly flooded back.
He became a father overnight. He had his doubts, but could it really be true?
The blue eyes, which Franz had thought were empty, were actually mirroring me. Karl leaned back on the chair armrest.
It was a strange feeling. It didn’t quite hit Karl that there were beings in this world resembling him, beings he had created.
Also, the idea of having a close relationship with someone and creating life was hard for Karl to believe. Perhaps the memory of Celeste from two years ago made it even more unbelievable.
“Is this something I should think about and decide?”
“Yes?”
Clovis’s eyes rolled. Karl’s calm and dry tone felt somewhat severe. Surely he wasn’t pretending not to know?
“Naturally, we should become a formal family.”
“What do you mean…?”
Marriage!
Clovis jumped and straightened up, surprised.
“Why do you look so shocked? Wasn’t that what you said?”
“What did I say?”
“You said, ‘You must take responsibility, Your Highness.’ Eyes wide and voice raised.”
“Oh…”
That’s right. He remembered how he had jokingly mentioned taking responsibility when an uncertain child and a suspicious woman appeared in Urentum.
Did His Majesty take my words as advice? Clovis’s mouth twitched.
