Book 11 Chapter 13
Episode 265
#10 The Empire's Prime Minister's Epilogue.
The path of hardship began after he was appointed as Archmage.
Since receiving the handover from Seigan Wolf Blado, he had been busy beyond measure.
Seigan appeared to have regained considerable health compared to when he was rescued from Beshansidug.
“Wait for me, Rain Ludwig. While you’re buried under this wave of work, I’ll return stronger. We’ll compete again then.”
His duties were divided into three parts: one was administrative oversight, which involved attending the Imperial Council and making decisions on overall imperial governance.
He suffered from grueling work, sleeping less than five hours a day, but he had never once been late for an official appointment.
“Time to wake up. 87% chance of trouble if you don’t get up now. Today, a court session will be held in the morning. You must wake up immediately.”
This was because of Mir the alarm clock (Mir sleeps less than two hours a day).
The day began with small, delicate, fern-like white hands shaking his body.
Aki and Nen overslept again today… Mir, who doesn't learn bad things from such older sisters, is admirable.
“Then let’s go today, Mir Mir.”
Mir acted like a secretary, coordinating Rain’s schedule and stamping various minor documents.
She started walking on two feet earlier than her older sisters, and now she always carries an ancient book the size of her upper body.
“My name is Mirngadia. It is a Dragonic word meaning wisdom. Not Mir Mirngadia. Such a Dragonic word does not exist. I request correction.”
“Mir Mir Mir?”
“Nor is it Mir Mir Mirngadia. Is your hearing damaged, unable to hear my words?”
“Mir Mir Mir Mir?”
“???”
“Hahahahahaha.”
“Laughter? Brain damage is suspected. High probability of an epileptic seizure.”
“It’s not like that.”
Mir was so cute that Rain ended up messing up her hair into a bird’s nest again. Mir was quiet.
Mir, with dragon eyes surrounded by pure white eyelashes, skin whiter than the first snow of winter, and looking like a doll, was incredibly popular wherever she went.
She was as docile as a doll when someone stroked her head or pinched her cheek, and her wisdom was so astounding that even imperial scholars were flustered.
Watching her being adored by everyone was also a source of happiness and pride.
He thought, "I wish the Dean and my parents had felt the same way looking at me."
“Well, Mir, I have to appear in court, so wait patiently.”
In contrast to Mir, Nen was full of energy… To put it negatively, she was a troublemaker.
He once thought the parenting difficulty levels were Aki (spicy), Nen (medium), and Mir (mild), but it wasn’t like that at all.
The spicy one was Nen, not Aki! Compared to Nen, Aki was at a cute level.
“Nen is missing? How did that happen? Where?”
Once, while he was on an inspection tour, Nen disappeared, and his heart almost burst.
The place he found Nen was in the sewers.
But as soon as he arrived at the sewers, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
“Just*&@★ice!”
“Just*&@★ice!”
“Just*&@★ice!”
It was strange enough that dozens of goblins were mimicking human speech with their grotesque vocal organs, but weren’t they also cleaning the sewers?
In each iris, a cross-shaped pupil identical to Nen’s eyes floated. They had been brainwashed.
And Nen was swinging her fists, preaching to the goblins.
“Eating without paying is evil (惡)! He who does not work shall not eat is justice!”
“Just*&@★ice!”
“Just*&@★ice!”
“Polluting sewer water and causing trouble for people is also evil! Doing honest work is what you must do!”
“Just*&@★ice!”
“Just*&@★ice!”
“No matter how hard it is, do it with evil (惡) and grit! Vomit out all evil from your body with a powerful roar to the front! Execute, evil!”
“Aaaahhhhhh!!!”
Hearing the inside story from Mir, who could be considered an accomplice, it was like this:
Nen, who could read people’s minds, had come here after reading the city administrator’s petition, hoping to lessen Rain’s grueling work…
Even though he knew her brave intention, he couldn't help but get angry then.
“Do you know how worried I was? What if you disappear without a word!”
“Ugh…”
“Rain, Nen did it with good intentions, stop it.”
Nen, with tears welling up in her eyes, was small and delicate. She was different from Aki, who at a similar age had been trained in martial arts.
“I was so worried…”
He worried and worried and worried again.
Could he truly leave these children in this world and depart… could he send them to that distant world, like the Dean?
Therefore, his other duty, inspection work, involved examining sites and treating the sick and injured, while also searching for relics of the gods.
‘There must be a way. A way for me to do something more for these children.’
What he then discovered was a ruin hidden in each peak of the Eternal Mountains in the eastern part of the Empire.
They lay dormant beneath the mountain peaks, uniform in appearance, but their purpose was unknown.
Mir deciphered the characters of light that emerged above the ground.
“Tarhye Rondel.”
At that moment, his eyes widened.
With the sound of intricate gears meshing and rotating, the ruins majestically rose simultaneously from each peak.
They were pyramid-like structures with no particular distinguishing features, but a mysterious hole was drilled in the center, where one could reach.
Miria, who was examining it, said,
“This looks like a place for a sword to fit in?”
“A sword?”
“Yeah. About the size of a longsword? The shape of the hole is exactly like a blade.”
Tarhye Rondel…
He didn’t know what this was for or why it was built, but he marked its location, as it might be useful to the three siblings later.
While watching the three siblings tumble about in the wind that caressed the plants, Miria said,
“Are you feeling down?”
“Because I don’t know what the First Pillar or the Old King might be doing right now, and I feel like there’s too little I can do.”
Even the black mages who used to crawl out like cockroaches when he wanted to live peacefully had completely disappeared…
“Rain, do you know how old Aki is now?”
“Of course, I do.”
“She’s only three years old. And she’s already like that at three. What do you think Aki will be like when she’s ten, or thirty?”
Aki is potential.
The being who showed him the possibilities of the world. The world (世界) itself, as Rista had spoken of 300 years ago.
“So don’t worry too much. If you keep sighing, the children will get anxious.”
Is it okay, though?
Is it okay to enjoy this peace, even just a little?
These days, he found himself empathizing more and more with Karenden’s feelings. He wished to leave behind a world without conflict…
Still, this trouble was nothing compared to what happened in his third year as Prime Minister.
“Now that the Empire has regained stability from the threat of the Abyss, I intend to launch a new Imperial Integrated Educational Institution.”
That matter began with an announcement from Emperor Raida Eijin, and first, the Imperial Council members expressed their doubts.
“What do you mean by an integrated educational institution?”
“As you all know, unifying subjects whose binary thinking between nobles and commoners has already solidified is not something that can be rushed.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“Then, when they are young, that is, before the minds of those who will lead the next generation harden, we have no choice but to instill new ways of thinking.”
“Your Majesty, in short, are you saying that you will gather students in one place and educate them, regardless of their noble or common status, just like other magic schools?”
“You have understood correctly.”
“Please reconsider, Your Majesty. We anticipate significant opposition. Especially from the Prince-Electors; we cannot even guess what kind of resistance they might show.”
“Am I not the Sun of the Empire? Must I be concerned with the moods of the Prince-Electors?”
“That is not what I meant, Your Majesty…”
“Archmage.”
The name of the one who enjoyed the honor of sitting immediately to the right of the Emperor’s throne was Rain Ludwig.
The Archmage of the Imperial Ministry of Yellow River Affairs and the Empire’s Prime Minister, a silver-haired young man.
The magic world calls him Yonghyeon.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Enroll your daughter in the elementary division of the integrated educational institution.”
A moment of silence passed.
It was the first time the ministers had heard such a dumbfounded voice from the Archmage, who was famous for skillfully handling all matters.
“Pardon?”
“You have your daughter, Setsunen, do you not? She will be an example.”
“If Your Majesty wishes to set an example, would it not be better for Your Majesty to take the initiative?”
“I truly wish to, but what can be done when the child is still in the Empress’s womb?”
Raida Eijin married Krista Warden, the successor to Count Warden and a new star (新星) of the magic world, to expand his influence into the eastern part of the Empire.
- Becoming Empress through a political marriage piled up nothing but bad things, but *huff*, it’s quite good that you can no longer escape from me?
That person who used to chatter loudly beside him is now the Empress…
Now, he had to respectfully salute her every time they met, which was incredibly inconvenient.
Furthermore, that person even used her status as Empress to order his magical education and guidance.
‘I don’t have biological children yet either, you son of an Emperor.’
It was already a known fact that Aki was a Red Dragon, but that Setsunen and Mir were dragons was still a secret.
It was fortunate that their physical growth was slow.
“If Yonghyeon’s daughter is admitted to the educational institution, then even the great nobles will send their children there, competing with each other.”
“…”
“And they’ll receive secret orders to build connections with your daughter. It pains my heart to use innocent children this way, but it’s all for the future of the Empire.”
“…”
“Of course, there will be no special exceptions. Your daughter must also definitely take the exam and pass to enter.”
I’m screwed.
That was the only thought he had.
After returning to the continent and observing Setsunen…
- Forcing someone to study is evil (惡)! Letting a new child of a new nation sleep on time is justice!
- If you only have a heart that loves justice, studying is unnecessary! Setsunen’s life is solely about justice!
- Studying is evil (惡)! It makes Setsunen, the embodiment of justice, suffer so much, so it must be evil (惡)!
But he couldn't openly defy the Emperor's command with everyone watching, and above all, looking at that person's expression, he seemed sincere.
“I am honored, Your Majesty, but may I offer one petition?”
In that case, he had no choice but to refuse in a roundabout way.
“Speak.”
“I wish to enact the Aki Protection Law; please grant your approval.”
“Aki Protection Law?”
“As Your Majesty knows, there are many pests… subjects clinging to Aki these days. I wish to legally protect Aki from them.”
The Emperor laughed as if dumbfounded and looked back at the ministers.
“You ministers listen too. The Archmage is about to compile a very great new law. Now, speak.”
If it had been another council member, they wouldn't have dared to make such a playful remark in front of the Emperor, but the fact that the two were like friends was already well-known throughout the Empire.
“If a man looks at Aki for more than 3 seconds, 3 years imprisonment. For every second beyond that, the sentence will be extended by one year, meaning penal servitude.”
“I approve.”
He's accepting this?
Is he saying, 'Let's see how far this goes?'
“Y-Your Majesty?!”
While the ministers stood dumbfounded with their mouths agape, Yonghyeon raised the stakes.
“If one speaks to Aki, 10 years imprisonment.”
“Hmm, I permit it.”
“Your Majesty!!!”
You, Emperor…
In that case, I will resort to my ultimate move.
“If one dares to propose marriage to Aki, it is punishable by death.”
“Granted.”
“Your Majesty, though it was my humble request, may I dare to ask again if you are serious?”
“Of course. Does the Emperor not have absolute immunity? I was thinking of suggesting Aki as an imperial concubine; what do you think, Minister?”
“Dare I say, I am merely deeply concerned that the Empire might be erased from the map on that day.”
What an act of treason!
If another subject had made such a remark, they would have had no excuse even if their head was cut off for treason.
But the Emperor and the Archmage merely looked at each other, and soon the Archmage lowered his head with a sigh.
“I will do as commanded. However, I fear it will be difficult to give an an assurance as to whether Nen will actually pass, so I humbly ask for Your Majesty’s understanding.”
As he walked out of the council chamber with a deeply worried expression and along the imperial corridor, Aki and Miria approached him.
“Why do you look like that?”
“Dad’s expression is very bad.”
Miria, being in a marital relationship on paper and also a bodyguard, could freely roam the imperial palace.
“Hmm, I’m really in big trouble.”