Chapter 107

The Emperor lays down his judgement against the First Prince and the Duke of Toulouse.

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Episode 107. About 1 year (34)

At the Emperor's shouted command, all of the councillors in the throne room dropped to one knee, a posture that signalled absolute submission, the highest honour that could be shown to a monarch. Kyle kneeled alongside them.

At the Emperor's orders, several Imperial Guards unsheathed their weapons and quickly exited the throne room.

"... Second Prince, please rise."

Even after Kyle was given permission to rise, the Emperor did not order the councillors to do the same. He was not the kind of ruler who would let a prime opportunity to demonstrate his authority pass him by.

"Your Majesty.... This is all a misunderstanding..."

"Silence! Don't you dare open your mouth, Your Grace. I will listen to you only after the First Prince arrives."

"....."

The waiting time seemed insignificant to the Emperor, but for the councillors it felt very different.

After fifteen minutes had passed, the First Prince entered the throne room with his guards.

The councillors were forced to swallow their remarks as they watched him enter the room. He was dressed to impress.

"...Y...You...called...? Fath... Your... Your Majesty."

The Prince stood there dressed in fancy gold riding clothes, unable to help his quivering mouth. His riding boots shone to polished perfection and he still carried a leather riding crop he had unwittingly brought with him. Even his dark turquoise silk jacket was so ornate that it was almost blinding.

The Emperor, unimpressed by his appearance, frowned, and the First Prince quickly dropped to one knee beside the councillors.

"... Were you going somewhere, First Prince?"

“T...T...To the racing stable I sponsor... To deliver some encouragement...!”

Clang!

"Are you insane! Five days ago, I almost lost my life, and now the Palace is in chaos. And you decided now was a good time to leave?!"

Emperor Louis Amure was incredulous. This man was undeniably his eldest legitimate son, but despite the Toulouse blood in his veins, he had regarded his eldest differently from the other Princes.

It had always bothered him how little he had been involved with his eldest. Franz was now more than 30 years old and had yet to receive the position of Crown Prince. Louis had chosen to refrain for political reasons, yet some part of him felt guilty for depriving his son of his rights as the first born.

But today, he was deeply grateful that he had postponed the appointment of the Crown Prince.

Even though the issue at hand hadn't been touched upon yet, the First Prince had already been caught in another transgression. The Prince bowed with his head touching the floor, displaying the same degree of supplication as Baron Paliport.

Even the tactless First Prince was fully aware that this situation was unfavourable to him.

"Now. Explain, First Prince. Did you order Baron Paliport to do this?"

"Do what?"

"Did you order him to hand over military secrets to the Skandoans!"

Even from a distance, you could see the Prince's eyes widen in alarm. His once ruddy face paled to a bloodless white.

"Wh... What do you mean...?"

"Tell the truth. After this, you'll never get a second chance...."

"I... I just did what Mother and Uncle told me to... I only did what I was told... Un... Uncle please... Tell me what to say..."

Moments earlier, Joseph had been primarily irritated about being forced to kneel on the hard marble floor, but at the sight of his brother's pathetic submission, his irritation melted away like snow and he felt joy fill his heart.

The Duke bowed his head deeply.

"Your Majesty, the First Prince was merely trying to save the Second Prince some trouble. He intended to deliberately misinform the Skandoans by providing false military secrets. But those bastards-!"

“...!”

The Duke raised his head and looked directly at the Baron and Orlando.

"... Conspired to sell real military secrets. Your Majesty, I'm certain I ordered them to provide false information on purpose. Isn't that right, Your Highness?!"

"...Yes... Yes, of course, it's as Uncle says."

The First Prince eagerly accepted the Duke's words under the assumption that it was the only way to save his neck.

"Your Majesty, I'm not saying that the First Prince and I, Your Humble Servant, are without fault. I made a grave mistake by appointing such traitorous vassals to such an important matter. From now on, I will manage my vassals much more carefully, Your Majesty."

"Yes. Yes! Everything he says is true, Your Majesty... It's my fault for not managing my vassals well, Your Majesty!"

Baron Paliport, who still lay bowing and trembling on the floor, lifted his eyes slightly and glared at the Duke with a murderous expression, his teeth gritted.

[.....They're planning to lay all the blame on you regardless. They care little for loyal vassals. Whether or not you are useful is far more important to them. But you already knew that, didn't you, Lord Paliport?]

The Baron had expected this, but when the people he had devoted his entire life and loyalty to laid the blame on him so readily, he couldn't contain the rage that ignited in his heart.

He was about to refute the Duke and First Prince's accusations when he remembered what the Second Prince had told him.

[This incident won't be enough to destroy the Duke and First Prince. It will only be a minor blow. So I advise that you avoid getting yourself killed.]

[I've already decided which path I'm going to take.]

[...I'm sure you have a back-up plan, but even the best weapon must be used strategically. Why use a spear when a sword would be more fitting?]

[.....]

[You will serve for the consequences of your actions, but if you are ever in crisis again, bring your back-up plan to me and I'll help you. So, plead your case, but don't push it too hard. It will be up to His Majesty the Emperor to judge.]

He didn't understand the Second Prince's words clearly at the time. But now that he was in this situation, he vaguely understood.

If he came forward and claimed the Duke's account was false, he would only be persecuted further by the Duke and First Prince. In any case, it was up to the Emperor to decide whether or not it was true, and the decision would later be decided in Court. It was what it was.

‘There's no use using everything I have now. I need to think about the future! They will pay for exploiting me like a dog one day.'

The Baron swallowed his resentment and lowered his eyes again.

Meanwhile, the Emperor was laughing.

"Ha.... You really expect me to believe that now?" He asked through clenched teeth.

The Duke bowed his head deeper.

"Your Majesty, why would I, a Duke and a public servant of the Empire, and His Highness Franz, the future Crown Prince, commit such a futile act? It's inconceivable. His Highness was merely concerned about the future of the Empire and only wanted to assist His Highness the Second Prince."

“Are you saying that you conducted a military operation without the knowledge or consent of the head of the Military? Does that make any sense, Your Grace?”

"Prince Franz asked me to notify the Second Prince in advance, but I insisted on keeping it a secret."

"....."

Kyle listened in silence. He didn't step forward to refute the Duke's arguments, nor did he argue the charges levelled against the Duke and First Prince.

"Do you see me as a child who can't tell the difference between the truth and an outright lie?"

The decision was in the Emperor's hands.

In response to the Emperor's condescending remark, Prince Franz interrupted the Duke.

"..... Yes. It's true, I insisted that the Second Prince be informed in advance, but my uncle... I mean, the Duke didn't... wouldn't... and..."

"...Why?"

The Duke responded as if prepared.

"Because, as Your Majesty knows, there's a saying that often appears in the Military Code. ‘To win you must deceive your enemies, but deceive your allies as well.’ So that's what I chose to do."

His gaze was steady, and his voice unwavering. His demeanor implored the Emperor to believe in the truth of his words...

"......"

No one commented further. In any other case, the Emperor might have taken the Duke at his word.

But the Duke, councillors, Kyle, Franz and Joseph all knew the truth. The Duke was trying to bury the lead to a greater conspiracy.

However, this time, he had chosen the wrong situation to manipulate.

The Emperor had always been dependent on the power of the nobility. He had been raised in the Imperial Palace from a young age and had never attempted to change the status quo because he was acutely aware their power was greater than his.

Even when the Toulouse family blocked his desired policy at every turn, he didn't care to change it.

He didn't want to endure such a long, drawn-out process, and wasn't motivated enough to do so. He felt that these processes, albeit frustrating, ultimately led to the good of the Empire.

That was the crux of it. The Emperor didn't mind the method used as long as he felt the result benefitted Oceria.

He had chosen to follow the advice of the House of Toulouse as a way of protecting the Empire and preserving his authority. He was able to recognize the difference in power as a good thing.

But the situation was very different now.

The Duke's flimsy excuses would not be enough to get him off the hook for communicating with the Empire's enemies in the middle of a war.

Moreover, the Duke's manoeuvring in the presence of all the councillors of the Empire was too nakedly blatant to be ignored.

"..... Amusing, Your Grace. I have given you and your family a hundred concessions, but this time you've gone too far."

Even the Duke was uncertain how this would play out. His hands curled into fists where they rested against the floor.

"Hear me!"

The Emperor rose from his throne, scanned the hall, and commanded in his most solemn voice.

“The crimes you've committed have shaken the foundations of the Empire. You deceived the government, and communicated with our enemies, which resulted in the loss of many precious lives. Your sins are too great to forgive. There is sufficient physical evidence and testimony, but since Your Grace is also a noble of the Empire I will punish you accordingly. The House of Lords shall prepare a trial for you. In the interim, you will be stripped of your status as Minister of State and Minister of Finance, and will be prohibited from entering the Palace until the trial is over.”

There was a stir inside the throne room. House Toulouse's power had always been on par with that of the Emperor.

Of course, it was a severe offence, but House Toulouse was immensely powerful. The councillors were aghast that he could be stripped of both positions for such an offence.

Kyle stared at the Emperor as he laid down his verdict.

‘... I'm sure there will be a flurry of counter-appeals.'

It was what it was. House Toulouse commanded the loyalty of more than half of the Empire. The trial would be delayed indefinitely, and the appeals would be endless.

Kyle snorted inwardly, the Emperor's tactics were far too naive for his taste.

‘He's planning to revoke one title and then give one back to him as a pretend concession...'

Then, the Emperor turned towards the First Prince.

"As the light of the Empire, the First Prince has done something unthinkable. He committed a terrible act against the citizens of this nation, the very people he should strive to protect, and callously chose to conceal it."

The First Prince stared in dismay, his mouth hanging open in shock.

The Emperor continued.

"In committing this crime, he neglected his station. The Prince will also be forced to step down from his position as the Deputy Minister of Finance and deprived of his rights as Prince of the Ocerian Empire until his trial is complete. He is hereby banished from the Palace until he receives my summons.”

"Ah!"

The First Prince stumbled to his feet as if he had suddenly regained his senses, and frantically approached the Emperor on his knees.

"Father. I really only did what I was told, I never meant to collude with our enemy! Fath....."

"Pull yourself together, First Prince!"

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