Chapter: 400
In the depths of the palace, there stands a building called the Sun Palace. Being the living quarters of the Emperor, it’s pretty much the most noble spot in the empire, and because of its significance, it remains closed off during the New Year’s Ball—truly a holy place.
So normally, only a select few servants summoned by the Emperor can set foot there, but now nearly a hundred folks were prostrated in front of the Sun Palace.
“Your Majesty! This empire cannot move forward without Your Majesty’s wise governance! Please, reconsider your decision!”
“Reconsider your decision!”
As the Vice Captain shouted from the front, ministers and high-ranking officials bearing titles like Executive Manager all hit their heads to the ground in unison.
Of course, this was more for show. Among the senior civil servants, a few were old enough that if they truly banged their heads, someone might just get carted off. After all, one cannot afford to bleed in front of an Emperor!
“Your Majesty! Your loyal subjects still wish for you! Please withdraw your intent to abdicate!”
“Withdraw your intent!”
Following the Vice Captain, the top-ranking Minister from the Administration joined in. Normally it should’ve been the Minister of the Imperial Household calling out, but he’s in a bit of a pickle because he can’t resign like the rest.
“Man, my throat’s getting sore.”
Sadly, I was in the same boat. It had been just over an hour since I was prostrated in front of the Sun Palace, and I honestly lost track of how many times I’d echoed the same plea. At this point, even the Vice Captain and the Minister were running out of variations for their speeches.
But what could we do? It’s no secret that the abdication declaration is genuine, and since the Emperor is serious, we have to put our hearts into begging him to reconsider. It would be pretty bitter if no one showed sorrow for the Emperor’s last bow after he’d struggled for decades for the empire.
Yeah, this was the last act of respect and care from the subjects to an aging ruler. I kept telling myself that as I endured the agony.
‘…Still, I hope this wraps up quickly.’
A sigh nearly escaped me. Besides the need to return for club activities, my neck was killing me. Naturally, lying prostrate right behind the Vice Captain, I was getting way too much attention.
Damn, I didn’t want to be in the front row like this! I just wanted to mix in with the Executive Managers.
“You’re the Minister designate, right? You’re basically the last minister appointed by His Majesty, so you should be up front with the ministers.”
Somehow, the persuasive voice of the minister had drawn me to the front row. Once the Emperor stepped out of the Sun Palace, I would be right in his line of sight.
And with how clean-cut I look, the Emperor might get jealous! So, I was banging my head harder than the older folks—a real balancing act of trying not to break my neck while still making an impression.
What a sad predicament.
As the tearful pleas reached the two-hour mark, the Emperor and the Crown Prince finally emerged from the Sun Palace.
“Why are you all neglecting your duties and harming yourselves?”
Feigning a scolding tone, the Emperor’s words made the Vice Captain, who was at the front, bow his head and speak up.
“There is no weightier duty than serving Your Majesty. However, our humble selves can only plead that you withdraw your intent to abdicate, a ruler whom we’ve dedicated our lives to serve.”
“I understand your loyalty, but my intention is firm. Now, lift your heads.”
“How can we, the incapable ones who can no longer serve Your Majesty, dare to lift our heads before you?”
The ceremonial argument continued, and with all the subjects bowing their heads at the same time, the Emperor let out a heavy sigh. Yet, not a single person present stirred at the Emperor’s sign of emotion.
Under normal circumstances, the Emperor wouldn’t even express a sigh in front of his ministers. This entire act was more or less a farce.
“You are not serving a mere human corpus. You serve Emperor Eimancha XVI, who holds the divine will, and now that will shall be upheld by the Crown Prince.”
As the Emperor warmed up to ending the charade, people began to shyly lift their heads. Disregarding the Emperor’s command would be seen as disloyalty.
After scanning the now-visible subjects, the Emperor quietly placed his crown on the head of the Crown Prince standing before him.
‘What the?!’
This was a bit shocking. No matter how you look at it, even if he declared abdication, the Crown Prince hadn’t officially ascended to the throne yet. Putting the crown on the successor seemed a wee bit excessive.
It seemed the Crown Prince had the same thoughts, too, as he didn’t even think to remove it and just froze in place. I felt a flicker of sympathy for the young man at that moment.
“The noble intentions of the divine have come to me through fourteen predecessors. Now the Crown Prince shall be Eimancha XVII, holding the divine mandate, and you shall serve him loyally.”
Yet, the Emperor proclaimed again in front of the frozen Crown Prince and the shaken subjects.
The rightful Emperor to uphold the divine will was now the Crown Prince, not him.
“So, you may return to where you belong. The next time we convene shall be to honor a new sun.”
“We will heed your mandate!”
And thus, the abdication was confirmed.
*
Heavy. The crown resting on my head felt incredibly heavy.
Despite being a lesser version of the formal crown typically used for coronations, it cast a terrifying amount of pressure across my entire body.
‘Is this what I must bear going forward?’
I instinctively reached for the crown but held back. Now that the abdication was confirmed, with my father and the officials watching—I could not take the crown off myself. I couldn’t show any sign of weakness or reluctance under the weight of being called Emperor.
As my father said, I must carry forth the divine will. I must become the legitimate ruler of this empire.
For the sake of the imperial family and this nation, I must endure this weight. Even for the Crown Prince who will follow in my footsteps, I must.
“Crown Prince.”
“Yes, Father.”
As I watched the officials slowly back away, my father quietly spoke up.
“What do you think?”
Depending on how you take it, that seemed like an odd question. I even questioned if it was really a question at all.
But bizarrely, I understood my father’s meaning from that short statement. What a strange feeling.
“It’s heavy and frightening, but I won’t run away.”
In response, my father showed no outward reaction. He neither frowned at my weak admission nor nodded at my refusal to flee. He merely continued watching the officials retreat in silence.
“That’ll do.”
After a long pause, my father said that and walked back into the Sun Palace.
I was confused. What did he mean by that? Was he telling me to be cautious under the crown’s weight? Or perhaps to not run away despite it? Maybe it could mean both.
‘That’ll do, I guess.’
Sure, that’ll work. If I’m determined to carry the weight of the crown without backing down, that’s me being okay right now.
As my father stated, from now on, I’m the master of this empire. It’s time for me to listen to my own heart rather than interpret my father’s true intention. This is how it has to be.
With that determination, I made my way to the Crown Prince’s Palace. Preparations for the abdication were about to commence, so I should be getting busy.
…It was slightly after that when I once again headed back to the Sun Palace to return the crown to my father.
*
After returning to the academy with the Principal, I had a brief meeting with him.
“We’ll likely have another temporary break soon.”
“Seems like this year is full of celebrations.”
At the Principal’s mention of a break, I answered with an appropriate quip.
It’s sad that the current Emperor is stepping down, but there’s no denying that the new Emperor’s ascension is something to celebrate—even to the point that the Imperial Academy would take a break to honor the day.
“Indeed, the Minister is correct. This year surely is a joyful one.”
The Principal smiled softly at my response.
However, whether that smile reflected genuine joy or relief at the series of large-scale events that followed, I couldn’t be sure. Chances are it was the latter.
“It appears I’ve lived long enough to witness the rise of a new sun again.”
At the Principal’s chuckling reveal, Beatrix suddenly came to mind, but I hurriedly shook off the thought.
Beatrix is a half-blood, so it’s only fair to consider her age as 20% of mine. Anyway, that’s the excuse I’m sticking with.
“That just goes to show how dedicated you’ve been to the imperial family and the empire. You should take pride in that.”
So, with that as a guise, I offered kind words to the Principal while also steadying my heart. Beatrix is a beautiful lady in her 20s (human age) who has devoted herself to the imperial family and the empire.
That’s the conclusion I’ve reached.
The change of Emperors is not just a big deal for the empire, but a significant event across the continent as well.
“The pope himself is said to be giving blessings to the new Emperor. The relationship between the church and the empire has been friendly for centuries, after all.”
“…I see.”
And thus, the news of the abdication confirmation quickly spread through the empire’s diplomatic channels, reaching known figures of the Holy Kingdom, including Tannian, mere hours after the announcement.
However, what amazed me even more was that the Pope would personally attend to give his blessings. Although, considering the long-standing friendly relations between the empire and the church, it did seem appropriate. Yet, announcing the abdication today and the Pope deciding on his foreign visit the same day?
‘Isn’t that a bit too fast?’
Now that’s some crazy speedy work. I initially thought Tannian had been so nonchalant that he meant the Cardinal was coming.
“With the new Emperor’s ascension, will Ainter become the Emperor’s younger brother instead of just a prince? That’s impressive!”
“Then, he won’t be able to speak to the prince disrespectfully.”
In the midst of all this, I noticed Rutis chuckling as he patted Ainter on the back, while Lather made a sly joke.
I had temporarily forgotten about that. Once the Crown Prince ascends, Ainter will officially become the younger brother of the Emperor.
‘A prince versus an emperor, huh.’
Surely, the titles bring different vibes. There’s something about the latter that feels far more authoritative.
“It’s fine. It just means His Highness becomes even more noble, while I remain as I am.”
In what felt like a gentle smile, Ainter shook his head.
‘Yeah, I bet it’s not.’
I held my itchy tongue and averted my gaze.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but as the Emperor’s brother, Ainter will surely earn titles and lands. He might also end up as the Emperor’s right-hand man.
Still, it’s definitely a better future than facing suspicion from his brother and being threatened with elimination.
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