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Chapter 136 part 1

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Translator: “Hakou”                             Editor: “Weasalopes”

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The margrave who took the lead in promotion race by obtaining Landbarn.
And The marquis who rushed with the expeditionary force to catch up.
Their goal is the status of the Imperial Chancellor. Currently, that seat is vacant.

(It’s my win if I can bring down Awoke which will become the impetus of the Kingdom downfall)

Thought the marquis who leads the expeditionary force.
What he meant by win is winning against his rival, the margrave.
The former government office located in the town square of Land barn. The Marquis is currently renting a room there.
When he looked down from the window, he could see his subordinates who gathered in the town square preparing to move to the east.
As soon as everything’s ready, he planned to capture a small town on the way to Awoke and set up an encampment there.

(Let’s show that we can answer His Majesty’s expectation)

The western mountain range, which used to be the border, could be seen on the far west of the city walls.
the Marquis whispered to himself while looking at those mountains in the distance.

***

A nation with the largest territory and the strongest national power in the Ost continent. That is the Empire.
However, there are signs that their influence was starting to decline in recent years.
The authority that was once concentrated on the emperor was diluted over a long period of time and distributed between the nobles and the bureaucrats.
At that time, the Empire was no longer a terrifying existence in which the absolute monarch was free to exert its power, but was becoming a group of various powers that were trying to win the emperor.
It could also be said as an institutional fatigue over the passing years.

『The Empire is nearing the end of its life』

There were many country leaders who thought of such a thing.
It was called as “the country of the setting sun” due to its territory being in the western part of the continent.
Until the current emperor climbs to his current position.

***

「How about making the crown prince disinherited?」

The time goes back to about twenty years ago.
When the present time emperor was still a crown prince, such a voice was heard from one of the people gathered in a room at the back of the palace.
The current emperor is weakening, and the generation will have to change soon at this rate.
The person who said that considered the crown prince unfit for the next emperor.
A prince who was born from the legal wife of a noble family as the eldest son.
Despite its impeccable origin, many voiced doubts about his qualities early in the palace.
That was because he hasn’t been a 『good child』

「If this goes on, it might be impossible to do public affairs」

One of the officials in charge of ceremonies said with a difficult expression.
When asked to attend a ceremony, the crown prince will always ask the ceremony officer what the significance of the ceremony is.
It’s unlikely that he will be convinced with the given answers, and he will brush it off by saying, “Such a ceremony is meaningless.”
For now, he did attend and meet the minimum obligations.
However, with how he is every time, it is not impossible for doubts about his disposition start to appear.

「You must fulfill your responsibilities as a member of the royal family」

One day, the empress, who is his mother, advised him so.
She has a gentle and serious personality, this was also the case for his father who was the emperor at that time. They were worried about their son’s actions and the way he thinks.

(I don’t want to be like father and mother)

Returning to his room, the crown prince thought.
The long and profound history of the empire contains many events.
The actions of his ancestors became precedents, and the precedents eventually changed to conventions.
The custom that is born one after another has created many ceremonies and created a wide variety of events.
Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily. Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily. It was always the anniversary of something and some kind of event was held for it.
And the royal family was overwhelmed on how to cope with those ceremonies.

(To be made participate in every meaningless events until they runs out their lives)

That is what the royal family is today.
It is the nobles and bureaucrats who steer the country.

「As if such bullshit story exists!」

The crown prince slammed his fist against the desk.
He would give up if he were told that his family line was solely dedicated to attending ceremonies.
However, the emperor is “The most powerful person in the Empire and leads the country”. That’s what he was taught.
But what lies in front of him is a completely different reality.
Used by the nobles and bureaucrats, they are forced to attend ceremonies without rest. And it wears down their life.
In fact, there were many of those who have been crowned have a short life.

「I’m going to change that myself」

He made such decisions inside his adolescent heart.
Since then, he has been observing his surroundings, studying the law, and working to gather comrades.
In that time, he still attended several public affairs although he kept his attendances at minimum, and the rest of it was pushed to his little brother who was a 『Good boy』
And finally, the time has come.
That condition was debilitating.
He might have used up all of his entire energy. The crown prince thought.

***

The stage returns to the room at the back of the palace, slightly away from the emperor’s private chamber, who was still trying his best to keep breathing.
One of the people who gathered in the room, the Empire prime minister spoke.

「The crown prince doesn’t fit to serve as the next emperor. We have no choice but to put the crown on his brother instead」

When the prime minister looked around, everyone in the room nodded once.

「Though I said that, only His Majesty had the authority to pass the crown. However, that seems impossible under his current condition」

The imperial seal can only be applied magically by the current emperor.
And if the emperor lost his life, the authority automatically transferred to the crown prince

「Therefore, let’s have the crown prince take the throne for some time. And after that, have him peacefully transfer the throne to his brother」

I see, the ceremony official nodded.
Then he asked a question with concern.

「However, this depends whether the crown prince agrees to it or not, isn’t it?」

「I will make him to. If push come to shove, there’s no choice but to resort to Lord imprisonment」

The prime minister made a nasty smile.
Lord imprisonment is a practice of forcibly imprisoning the lord, who is said to have a bad track record, by the decision of the vassals.
Although the emperor has a legal power, he has no one to control.
An emperor who doesn’t listen to the will of the nobles and bureaucrats were often abandoned in this way.
And this time, the case of such a thing happening will rise by one.

「Well then, let’s go with this plan」

Everyone in the room agreed and the meeting was closed.

***

A few days later, the news of the emperor’s death spread throughout the empire.
And as the next emperor, the crown prince took the throne.
Two days later after the funeral of the previous generation that was held grandly and quietly. The empire prime minister heads to the emperor’s office.
He went to demand the transfer of power. He also brought a few strong guards with him in case it was denied.

「Mu?」

As he walked down the corridor, he found that the door in the front was closed.
As long as he remembers in his career as the empire prime minister, this door was always opened.
The guard tried to open it, but it was locked.

(Was it His Majesty doing?)

I frowned.
We will come to make an unreasonable demand. Did he perhaps predict this would happen and do this kind of thing?

(What a meaningless struggle)

After a click of tongue, I ordered one of the guards to get the key.
And then some time passed after that.

(He’s late)

There’s also one thing that made me curious.
No one has passed by this corridor ever since I waited here.
A place near the emperor’s private chamber. Certainly, there are only a few who come and go this place usually, but that doesn’t mean no one will go through here at all.
I signaled the guards and decided to go back the way I came.

「What?」

The door on the way to the corridor. It was closed and locked.
It was still opened when I came. There’s no mistaking it.

(We’re being locked up?)

I looked outside from the window in the corridor, it was the fourth floor. There’s now way out.

「Destroy it」

I ordered the guards.
However, the thick oak door won’t budge with the guards physical strength.

「Use your sword! Is that item on your waist just a decoration, huh!?」

They pulled out their swords as ordered, but it was only a ceremonial sword. It can’t be helped.
The empire prime minister grimaced after seeing that.

(There’s something going on)

A dark cloud of anxiety began to spring in his heart.
What is happening right now is definitely not in his favor. He was sure of that.

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