“Honestly, let me tell you. Even after knowing your ‘brilliance’—”
The Emperor’s gaze briefly shifted towards Damien. It seems he didn’t talk about my abilities with others. If he had, he wouldn’t need to beat around the bush like this.
“—I have indeed prepared for war for a while. There were times I wanted to wage war without you knowing or hoped you would acknowledge my ambitions. But it seems that causing a world war isn’t really your style.”
That smile the Emperor wore while saying this… was not a bitter smile.
“So, I seriously thought about why you despise war so much. Is it because you lack patriotism for the Empire? Are you concerned it might complicate things if you succeed me as Emperor? Or perhaps you fear your precious sister might get caught up in the war?”
The Emperor shook his head.
“No, it’s not that you lack patriotism. I believe you worry about the future of the Empire in your own way. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have given advice every time I asked about the Empire’s future, nor would you have been furious at the corrupt nobles.”
Uh…
Well, I was just trying to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to myself. Plus, I only got mad at the corrupt nobles because they were blatantly doing crazy things. If they had just taken bribes and acted for their own benefit, I probably wouldn’t have reacted as much.
“And you don’t seem to have ambitions of becoming Emperor. Rather, you show greater interest in your sister becoming Emperor. To me, your actions suggest you want her to become Emperor sincerely. Whether it’s trust in her abilities or a reluctance to take anything away from her, the result is the same.”
Alice’s gaze shifted back to me.
But this time, the expression wasn’t one seeking to pick a fight. It was a bit more complex than that.
And that gaze was slightly more uncomfortable than before, so I averted my eyes from Alice once again.
To be more specific, I tried to focus on the Emperor.
“You show no hesitation in shooting people. However, the ones you shoot deserve it. That’s why you feel discomfort in pushing ordinary citizens of the Empire into war. On the surface, you portray yourself as a ruthless war machine, but to me, you seem profoundly human. Yet, at the same time, you are wise enough to see into the future.”
The Emperor smiled again.
That smile was… well, it felt like a type of smile that wasn’t fitting for someone like the Emperor.
Rather than feeling dangerous, it was that kind of smile one wouldn’t expect from an Emperor, as if he were looking at a commendable daughter.
“Therefore, over the years, I imagined the Empire you would want. This is, in a way, my challenge to you. To establish a mighty Empire that is the strongest in the world, one that no one can oppose, in a way you can’t possibly deny. That has been my goal for the past few years.”
Uh…
Not letting out a sound was a testament to my growth in patience.
Good job, me! To develop such incredible patience!
…No, wait, I haven’t grown at all!
I got so caught up with the original work that I nearly screwed up!
Until now, I thought the Emperor was preparing for war. The Empire would eventually become the Evil Empire, and several heroines would be at death’s door or definitely dead, and my goal was to prevent that.
But what if the premise itself was wrong?
What if the Empire wouldn’t become the Evil Empire, and the Emperor turned out to be strangely righteous, and a world war simply didn’t happen?
Well, from a fundamental perspective, that would be a good thing. None of the protagonist’s party would get hurt while achieving their goals.
The problem is that this means the future is completely skewed.
It’s been drastically different from what I thought.
And it started happening much longer ago than I imagined.
“Have you found your answer…?”
“Almost.”
In response to my question, the Emperor continued to smile as he spoke.
“It’s not perfect. I can say it’s less perfect than the world-conquering plan I had in mind. However, if we consider the ‘possibility,’ this route carries less risk. It’s nearly impossible to achieve an ideal conclusion, but that means even if I fail, I can certainly come to a positive conclusion. This answer was entirely thanks to you. For that, I appreciate it.”
“……”
I paused for a moment before asking again.
“Can you answer me about that answer?”
“Of course.”
The Emperor nodded with a smile and began laying out his plans one by one.
“First, the colonies will gradually gain independence. The borders will slowly revert to their pre-occupation state. During this process, all modern facilities built on their lands will become theirs.”
“……All the benefits the Empire gained from them would disappear.”
“Will it? Do you think they can catch up to the Empire just because they gain independence?”
Absolutely not. Just like Korea can never catch up to the United States.
“Unilateral exploitation always has an end. In that case, it’s better to nurture them properly so they can engage in fair trade with us in the long run. They will gain independence, but they will remain in our alliance. By gradually resolving the issues they face for several centuries, we can create a dependence and form an unbreakable alliance.”
The Emperor spoke as if he were enjoying himself.
“And if others see this relationship and want to join our alliance, we will gladly accept them. We will unify the currency under the Empire’s and guide the military arms to be unified as well. They may not belong to us anymore, but it will be hard for them to survive without the Empire.”
“……But to realize that thought, Your Majesty would need to live for centuries.”
“Then it would be necessary to make that happen.”
“Are you saying you’ll create heirs that can follow your ideas to the letter?”
“Exactly.”
I looked at Alice.
“Ah, and of course, Alice will be one of those heirs. You will be one too.”
“Are you saying you want to split the throne?”
“There can only be one person ascending to the Emperor’s seat. As you wish, that seat will be held by Alice.”
Seeing my flustered expression, the Emperor explained further with the face of a kid that landed a punch on a pro boxer.
“I will divide my absolute imperial authority and hand it over to those who will never yield it. They will not be swayed by the nobility’s words, but rather, they will ardently detest the nobility, yet be individuals that the nobility will never be able to perfectly handle.”
Ah.
I think I slightly understand what he is talking about.
“Who on earth…?”
When Alice asked absentmindedly, the Emperor chuckled.
“The people, my daughter.”
With a playful smile, the Emperor continued.
“I will pass on my absolute imperial authority to those common folk before I die.”
Strengthening the council’s authority. Universal suffrage.
If the nobility had even a shred of power stronger than the Emperor’s, there would have been fierce backlash. But in the Empire, there’s no one who can obstruct the Emperor’s thoughts.
You can’t kill all the citizens.
The fact that the Emperor’s power is transferred to the people means that power will be distributed so finely that it seems immeasurable, but in reality, it is quite different.
There’s no way to take away that tremendous power until all the citizens are dead.
Even if you slaughter 10% of the Empire’s citizens, the remaining 90% will still possess it.
“Actually, all the systems to do that are already in place. My job is simply to plant my thoughts in the minds of the people. I may not live eternally, but there is still plenty of time left. Thirty years is enough time to educate a generation.”
“……”
“How about it, my daughter?”
The Emperor leaned slightly towards me as he spoke.
“This is the answer I present. A way for the Empire to become the center of the world that you absolutely cannot refuse. What do you think?”
I had no response to that question.
It’s not a perfect plan. There’s no such thing as a perfect plan in this world. There’s no perfect system, and there’s no perfect politics.
I’m not even specialized in that area.
But, but…
Dictatorship is bad, and I’ve grown up surrounded by countless media where empires appear as the villains.
I lived in a republic, raised with the education of such a nation. I grew up hearing that humans are equal and rights should be distributed evenly to everyone.
In that sense, the Emperor has really understood my tendencies quite well.
What the Emperor’s words that I hear now are simply because he has made it justifiable.
Unquestionably.
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