Chapter 39

"Outside the palace, there's no need for extra formalities. Uncle, sit beside me."

"Understood."

Due to the Emperor's command, Indra returned to his previous boisterous behavior and sat beside the Emperor.

On the other hand, I glanced around and linked Ruteeya to the armor ring, transforming her into human form.

However, it wasn't the small size like a doll.

I made her 1/1—meaning the same size as a human.

I positioned the warrior enveloped in flames behind the Emperor, standing guard.

"Excessive."

"This is not the palace."

I stated firmly.

"We must be fully prepared. Besides, an accident to the Emperor—Emperor—would be a misfortune for all the people. A great ruler like the Emperor must not meet with any unforeseen circumstances other than a natural death."

"I see, then Noah, I'll leave it to you."

"Yes, sir."

I bowed to the Emperor, then looked around and made Ruteeya breathe fire.

Flames rose from her entire body, making her look like a true fire demon.

At the same time, I had Leviathan exert a weak pressure around us.

Not enough to knock anyone down, just enough to instill awe and respect in the people.

It was a weak level of intimidation.

After confirming everything around me,

All I could see was Ruteeya, and all I could sense was Leviathan.

The people's pure respect was palpable, and there was no sign of any ulterior motives.

"Indeed, Noah."

"Your composure at this age is surprising. Among the Emperor's children, you might be the best, right?"

"Yes, he is my pride. That's why I gave him the character 'wise.' It's a fitting character, just like your 'thunder.'"

"Hehe, my thunder is just thunder, but I'm only a thunder father these days."

The Emperor and Indra laughed together.

"Noah's 'wise' is just beginning. After all, he has decided to go on his first solo campaign."

For a moment, the surroundings fell silent.

Then, as if in reaction, the loudest cheers of the day erupted.

"Is this the first campaign that all the royal family members do?"

"Is he doing it alone? Usually, soldiers protect them tightly, right?"

"But it makes sense... This prince makes sense..."

Amid the murmurs, voices praising me could be heard one after another.

I thought for a moment, but the people's attention and gaze naturally focused on me.

It was convenient for protecting the Emperor, so I decided to go with it.

Or... could it be...?

I glanced at the Emperor, and our eyes met.

Seeing this, I was certain.

This was the Emperor's support.

When I surveyed the surroundings and took action to protect the Emperor, the Emperor supported me by announcing my solo first campaign.

Otherwise, there would be no need to announce it here, as it had already been decided long ago and rumors were starting to spread among the people.

So, I decided to go along with it even more.

"That's what makes Noah great."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean, Emperor?"

The puzzled Indra.

Amid the people's murmurs, the Emperor answered in a low voice that only Indra could hear.

"I announced this to help Noah. He understood it just by a glance and went along with it."

"Wow, impressive. I wouldn't have noticed that."

"Uncle, you are boisterous but lack subtlety. It's understandable."

"Yeah, I can't deal with such intricate matters."

"That's why you and your wife always argue over small things."

"Exactly. Hehe, I can leave my grandson with even more peace of mind."

The Emperor and Indra laughed together again.

"Uncle, I have something to talk about. Please join me in the carriage."

"Sure."

—The main topic.

I understood that the Emperor had come out for this purpose.

I beckoned and called the Emperor's carriage, which was waiting a little distance away.

The people made a clear path, and the carriage slowly approached.

When the carriage arrived, the low-ranking eunuchs accompanying it got down on all fours like dogs, and the Emperor and Indra used their backs as stepping stones to board the carriage one after another.

Once they were both inside, the driver flicked the reins, and the carriage slowly started moving.

I walked beside it, with Ruteeya leading the way.

"So, what's the talk, Emperor?"

"Yes."

The Emperor's face darkened slightly, and his mouth opened.

I secretly "thumped" and ordered Ruteeya to breathe more fire.

As flames rose from her entire body like an aura, cheers rose from the people.

"I want to depose the Crown Prince."

The Emperor's words were drowned out by the people's cheers.

Indra looked bewildered, but it seemed he had heard it clearly.

The Emperor looked at me and sent a "do it" glance, then continued.

"I thought it could be managed, but I can no longer consider him suitable."

"Why?"

"The Gilbert incident."

"...I see."

Indra nodded solemnly.

The Gilbert incident.

Just hearing that, it might sound like Gilbert had planned to poison the Emperor and the Crown Prince, but it was definitely not that.

I had found a loophole in the imperial law and managed to keep Gilbert in a de facto life sentence—trying to prevent the Emperor from being forced to kill his own child, but the Crown Prince Albert had insisted on immediate execution.

It was definitely that incident.

"That was not wrong, but there were other ways to handle it."

"I was also scared. If he became Emperor, a purge would definitely happen. I've been disrespectful to the Emperor many times, so I would be on the receiving end."

"Yes. His narrow-mindedness would target Henry, Oscar, and Noah first. These three would be the first to be purged."

That's right.

Brother Henry, Brother Oscar, and I.

We are the current princes and ministers.

Albert probably considers us quite obstructive.

"I cannot entrust my successor to such a narrow-minded man."

"...I agree, but who's next?"

"I haven't decided."

"That won't do."

Indra immediately spoke out.

The Emperor probably consulted Indra because he could speak frankly with him.

"The Emperor is getting old. At this age, he could pass away suddenly. If you depose the Crown Prince and die before deciding, the empire will split."

"..."

The Emperor fell silent.

That's the thing about the Crown Prince.

Even in ordinary families, when a parent dies, the inheritance can cause disputes.

For the royal family, the equivalent of the inheritance is the throne.

The Crown Prince is decided to prevent disputes even if the Emperor dies suddenly.

It's the same as publicly announcing a will in advance.

"If you had decided, I wouldn't say anything, but if you haven't, it won't do."

"...I haven't decided."

The Emperor's tone became extremely flat.

It was a tone that conveyed no emotion, impossible to read.

"But if I announce it now, it will only cause more disputes."

"Still, it's better than not having a Crown Prince at all."

"Yes..."

I thought for a moment and came up with an idea.

I refined the idea by aligning it with several realities to make it feasible.

Once it was more or less solidified,

"May I speak, Your Majesty?"

"Yes? What is it, Noah?"

"What if we only announce that Your Majesty has a will? We can announce that the successor—essentially the Crown Prince—is written in it."

"No, that won't do."

Indra immediately rejected it.

"The content of the will should only be announced after the Emperor's death. Then, it can be easily forged."

"Yes, that's why the will should be hidden inside the Emperor's body."

"Inside mine?"

The Emperor was surprised.

"Find some way to do it. A simple surgery—like a false tooth with the text engraved on it. Or some kind of magic. If we announce this—"

"Great!"

Indra, who had rejected it earlier, suddenly cheered.

"That's a good idea. If the Emperor always carries it himself, there's no risk of it being tampered with."

"Indeed..."

The Emperor's eyes sparkled.

"Amazing, Noah! That's a great idea!"

It seemed he really liked my suggestion.