Chapter 174

Eye of the Typhoon (4)

"Whew."

Arnold, crown prince of the Messiah Empire, let out a long sigh.

The succession ceremony would take place in two days. It meant he would finally be able to wear the imperial crown he had always dreamed of.

The process had not been particularly difficult. His brothers, who might otherwise have become his rivals, had each found their own paths.

"Soon, I’ll have to call you ’Your Majesty’ instead of ’Brother.’"

While Arnold was struggling to calm his nerves, someone approached him.

Recognizing the familiar voice, Arnold turned his head.

Unlike Arnold, who was the very picture of a handsome young nobleman, the other man had a thick, bushy beard.

He was also considerably larger than Arnold, making him look more like a general than a nobleman.

Even so, apart from the beard, the two men looked almost identical.

He was Arnold’s younger brother and the current Minister of Culture.

"...Paulo."

"Just because you’re becoming emperor, don’t start giving your little brother work."

Paulo casually took the seat beside Arnold.

Since they were alone rather than at an official function, they could speak freely as brothers.

Arnold looked at Paulo, who enjoyed living as a man of leisure—or, more accurately, an unemployed bum—before speaking.

"So, how is the team you support doing?"

"Not bad. They found a good manager, so they’ve been winning."

"If you embezzle funds from the imperial budget, you’ll be executed immediately."

"The fans will beat me to death before that happens."

Arnold chuckled. Paulo was as carefree as ever.

He was an eccentric who had absolutely no interest in power and cared only about enjoying himself.

Even his favorite pastime was sports, which was far removed from a life of debauchery.

There were rumors that he occasionally gambled away a fortune, but never enough to warrant serious concern.

"Anyway, congratulations on becoming emperor. Do you have any policies in mind?"

"Plenty. But before that, there’s a mountain of problems to solve."

"Come to think of it, I heard the magic tower in the Iris Kingdom rose into the sky?"

"That’s hardly the only problem. There’s Alvenheim, the Holy Kingdom, and much more."

"Father certainly chose an incredible time to hand over the throne."

Arnold gave a bitter smile. He could not think of anything with which to refute Paulo’s remark.

Still, Robert was already growing weak. That was why they had moved the succession ceremony forward.

They could hardly postpone it now.

"Speaking of Father, what does he plan to do from now on?"

"He said he plans to build a villa in the mountains. Apparently, he wants to live alone somewhere with fresh air."

"A villa in the mountains? Where?"

"I don’t know either. He wouldn’t tell me the details."

Robert, who would soon become the retired emperor, had been secretly preparing all manner of things without Arnold’s knowledge.

His actions had gone beyond suspicious and become outright bizarre, so Arnold had quietly investigated. What he discovered left him speechless.

Robert had ordered wooden planks supposedly ideal for building a house.

Arnold could not understand his intentions, but at least it seemed clear that Robert no longer had the slightest interest in the throne.

"By the way, Brother. Have you heard any news about Reva?"

Reva was the youngest of the three brothers. Exceptionally devout, he had become a paladin.

With Eldorado currently in turmoil, Arnold could not help paying close attention to any news concerning him.

"I have. Fortunately, it seems nothing has happened to him yet."

"Did you also hear that he was originally on the purge list, but the Holy Kingdom removed him because it was wary of our empire?"

Paulo spoke casually, despite how grave the subject was.

Arnold’s expression hardened as he nodded.

"I heard everything. Ludwig, was it? Apparently, Reva had originally been connected to his faction."

"And that Ludwig entered the Forest of Four Seasons. From what I’ve heard, he’s still alive."

"For the Holy Kingdom, it’s a problem whether he’s dead or alive."

From Eldorado’s perspective, Ludwig was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.

Normally, they could have used his entry into the Forest of Four Seasons as an excuse to declare him missing.

Socially speaking, he would have been as good as dead.

But someone capable of communicating with the outside world now lived within the Forest of Four Seasons.

"If Ludwig meets that man and exposes the truth..."

"The Holy Kingdom will immediately descend into civil war."

Paulo spoke with certainty, and Arnold did not disagree.

Despite holding the position of Minister of Culture, Paulo possessed excellent political instincts.

Whenever they had time, the brothers exchanged opinions like this and tried to predict how the political situation would unfold.

"Civil war may be unlikely. They don’t have a Hero."

"That’s true. But if a civil war does break out, they won’t be able to keep Alvenheim in check."

That was the greatest problem. They would no longer be able to use the Holy Kingdom to contain Alvenheim, the nation of the elves.

Eldorado was situated between Alvenheim to the north and Mephisto to the south.

That was why Eldorado had kept Mephisto in check when it had run rampant in the past.

But now, Mephisto had become peaceful while Alvenheim’s movements were growing increasingly unsettling.

Eldorado therefore needed to keep Alvenheim in check, but it would be unable to do so if it descended into civil war.

If that happens, Alvenheim may turn its attention toward our empire.

The Messiah Empire was practically Alvenheim’s neighbor, with only the Forest of Four Seasons between them.

Moreover, the Messiah Empire shared a border with the Iris Kingdom.

If things went wrong, they could be attacked from both sides. They needed to remain vigilant.

Of course, Alvenheim might attack Eldorado first. The people of Alvenheim were every bit as devout as those of Eldorado.

They might interfere in Eldorado’s internal affairs under the pretext that the pope had become corrupt.

That would create a different kind of headache, as the Messiah Empire would have no justification to intervene.

They might find themselves forced to sit by and do nothing. It was a troubling situation in every respect.

"Everything aside, we don’t know what Alvenheim’s true objective is... That’s what makes this so difficult."

"The queen claims she intends to plant trees..."

"You should never take the words of a madwoman at face value. The elves have collectively lost their minds because of that queen."

Arnold did not disagree. Whether in reality or on the Gallery, the elves were hardly in a healthy state.

Many of the older generation of elves were still relatively sane, but the younger generation was the problem.

As if they had all been hypnotized, most of the younger elves had sworn absolute loyalty to their queen.

They were nothing like the gentle and peaceful image usually associated with elves.

"We’ll have to handle it somehow. We may also be able to determine what Alvenheim wants before long."

"If things become urgent, shouldn’t we recall Sir Menethil?"

"Sir Menethil..."

When Paulo mentioned Sir Menethil—in other words, Ash—Arnold murmured quietly.

Robert had also told him to seek Ash’s help if a problem ever arose within the empire.

Even if Alvenheim caused trouble, Ash would likely be enough to restrain them.

But this was a world where military might translated directly into political power. What would happen if they placed Ash at the forefront and became dependent on him?

The title of count alone would no longer be sufficient compensation. Arnold also had to consider how much power would gather around him.

"That’s something we should consider carefully. Becoming too dependent on him wouldn’t be good. More importantly, shouldn’t his own wishes come first?"

"That’s true. So, do you have anyone else in mind? Like Father, I think you need to raise at least one person to prominence."

It was a perceptive observation. Arnold groaned thoughtfully.

There was one decisive reason Robert had earned the nickname "the Emperor of Internal Affairs."

It was his discovery of numerous talented individuals, including Ash.

As long as someone possessed sufficient strength and ability, Robert recruited them immediately without caring about their social standing.

Ash simply stood out more than the others. Many talented individuals who had received Robert’s support were active throughout the empire.

"I’ll find someone suitable at the academy. Or perhaps..."

"Perhaps?"

Arnold could not finish his sentence. For some reason, one particular person came to mind.

A man who was probably doing all manner of things to survive in the Forest of Four Seasons right now.

Arnold could not meet him in person, much less use his authority to pressure him.

If he followed his heart, he would stop concerning himself with Grylls altogether.

However, the rewards he received whenever they traded were far too tempting to abandon.

Ordinarily, I’d leave it to Count Gorgon...

Count Gorgon had successfully completed an enormous transaction. He had received a fully matured mandrake from Grylls.

Thanks to that, Robert had regained consciousness and was even able to hold the succession ceremony.

And recently, he discovered a sky whale and even ambergris.

A sky whale, known as a mythical creature, and golden ambergris.

All-Father and Praise the Sun, whom Grylls was close to, had received portions of them without paying anything in return.

Even the entire budget of the imperial palace would not have been enough to purchase such treasures!

The ambergris alone was astonishing, and no one knew what he might discover next.

Should I begin sponsoring him in earnest, or should I pretend he doesn’t exist and act accordingly?

The fruit was far too sweet.

But the difficulty of harvesting it was equally high.

Moreover, Arnold would have to continue supporting Grylls while concealing his identity.

He would rather die than let anyone discover that damned username of his.

"Brother?"

"...I should take my time considering this matter. It isn’t as though I absolutely need such a person."

"Hmm. That’s true."

If nothing else, he could put Count Gorgon forward.

He could conduct transactions with Grylls through him.

Since Count Gorgon was an ambitious nobleman, he would gladly accept the role.

The more Count Gorgon distinguishes himself, the stronger my own authority will naturally become. That’s not a bad idea.

The more Arnold thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

Even if a deal with Grylls failed, there would always be another opportunity.

"Then, Brother, when are you going to get married?"

"Hmm? What?"

"Marriage. You need an empress."

"An empress..."

There was one duty that could be considered the most important obligation of an emperor or king.

Producing an heir.

It was not a choice, but a duty.

Normally, Arnold should already have had a spouse, but circumstances had become somewhat complicated, leaving him without one.

"I suppose I should start looking soon. There’s so much to do."

"Weren’t you originally engaged to Lady Mercedes?"

"I was. But you know as well as I do that Lady Mercedes contracted an incurable illness and could die at any moment."

The incurable illness of Selena, the eldest daughter of the Mercedes family, was a fairly well-known story.

At first, everyone assumed she had simply been born with a frail constitution. Before long, however, the imperial family discovered that she had contracted an incurable disease.

After all, the Mercedes family had firmly broken off her engagement to the imperial family. Even for a ducal house, that was an act that wounded the imperial family’s pride.

Since it was far from a rational decision, the imperial family had conducted a separate investigation and discovered her illness.

Strictly speaking, it was not incurable but merely extremely difficult to treat. However, the Mercedes family had kept the matter secret, so the imperial family had not uncovered that much.

"But according to recent rumors, Lady Mercedes has been taking frequent walks."

"Could she have recovered?"

"Perhaps. Though I have no idea how."

Selena had ceased all public activities a year ago.

That had given rise to all manner of rumors, the most prominent of which claimed that her chronic illness had worsened.

She had suffered from an illness serious enough to end an engagement with the imperial family, only to suddenly recover?

She must have received considerable help. If she attends the succession ceremony, I’ll have to speak with her.

He needed to discover who had helped her.

Anyone capable of curing an incurable illness was undoubtedly an extraordinary person.

One particular individual immediately came to mind, but Arnold dismissed the possibility.

Lady Selena was famous for despising—no, outright loathing—the Gallery.

Furthermore, there was no guarantee that a fully matured mandrake could cure an incurable disease.

An elixir might heal injuries and neutralize poison, but it could not cure disease.

"Even if she has fully recovered, our families have already fallen out publicly, so renewing the engagement would be awkward. Is there no other suitable candidate?"

"That’s for you to find, Brother."

"Whew. Why is there so much to do?"

Becoming emperor was certainly appealing, but now that the moment had arrived, Arnold found himself overwhelmed by responsibilities.

He was almost envious of Robert for dumping everything onto his shoulders and leaving.

Arnold fell into thought for a moment before turning toward Paulo.

"No."

"I haven’t even said anything yet."

"I already told you. I intend to spend the rest of my life relaxing."

"Now that I think about it, that makes me angry. You want to keep your position as Minister of Culture, don’t you? Then help me and do some work."

"What could I possibly do? You’d be better off calling Reva."

"That blockhead is incapable of doing any work. Besides, I don’t want to work with someone so fanatically religious."

The brothers sincerely worried about governing a nation filled with chaos.

Meanwhile—

"Hmm-hmm~ This fishing rod should be more than enough. I’m very pleased with it."

Robert, who would soon become the retired emperor, eagerly looked forward to carefree days after dumping everything onto his children.

He had already secured a suitable plot of land and the materials needed to build his house. All that remained was the succession ceremony.

Once the ceremony was complete and he had handed over his responsibilities, he planned to immediately build a villa on a nearby mountain.

I wonder what that man is doing right now.

What else would he be doing?

"Wow. They’re good fighters."

He was enjoying himself immensely in the Forest of Four Seasons.

Two kangaroos were currently engaged in a fierce battle before his eyes.

Other kangaroos surrounded them, making the scene resemble a fighting arena.

"Should I post this on the Gallery and ask who everyone thinks will win?"

An unexpected "arena" had appeared in the Forest of Four Seasons.