Chapter 10
Bloden answered in a playful tone, but Raven swallowed in shock.
Countless questions rushed through Raven’s mind.
The name sounds like a woman’s. What is her status? When and where did you meet her? What exactly happened between you? Does she know you are His Majesty? Could she be a fraud? Your Majesty… are you in your right mind?
But Raven carefully chose only one question.
“Your Majesty, forgive me, but maintaining the army — including the Dullahan — must consume an enormous amount of magical power.”
Ignis Fatus — the being Bloden often shortened to “Ignis” — was a high-rank spirit.
Because of the nature of the curse Bloden was born with, his life would not be in danger like his predecessor’s had been, but still…
“If you also keep Ignis Fatus summoned here, your return to your original form will become much slower.”
For Raven, saying this was only natural. Bloden’s answer would immediately reveal how important this woman named Hailey was to him.
Bloden replied calmly.
“That’s the plan.”
Oh, this is bad, Raven thought.
That meant Hailey was already far more than just an ordinary person to him.
Suppressing a sigh, Raven spoke politely.
“Then would it not be better to escort her comfortably to the Imperial Palace?”
“No. She thinks I’m an orphan, and she’s raising me right now.”
“…Pardon? An orphan? Raising Your Majesty?”
“That’s why you’ll tell the palace I’m staying in the North. Move nearby and pretend to be my neighbor while assisting me. Oh, and Hailey knows my name as Baron, so don’t make a mistake.”
Raven doubted his own ears. He could not understand Bloden’s intention.
“You will be twenty in two years. At that time, you must personally rule the nation. If you remain here…”
“I’ve already cleared out the Gates. Until then, I plan to enjoy a bit of vacation here.”
“….”
Raven was speechless.
The Empire believed Raven, the Emperor’s aide, was human. In truth, he was a Death Knight who had made a contract with the previous Emperor, Rienda. That contract had passed on to her son, Bloden, and thus Raven continued his loyalty.
Skilled in both close combat and advanced magic, he secretly gathered information in the palace by eavesdropping on nobles and serving as the Emperor’s aide.
The most common information he collected concerned the nobles’ misunderstandings about Bloden.
To them, Bloden appeared anywhere between ten and fifteen years old.
Thus, the nobles believed that the more Bloden used his power, the more his mind and body regressed due to the curse.
They rarely met him in person, and the regent, Duchess Beldonbury, subtly spread false information. It was no wonder they were mistaken.
Bloden knew very well what public opinion among the nobles was like. For now, he left it alone because the regent was managing the Empire reasonably well.
“If you wish to take firm control of imperial authority comfortably, it would be best to stay in the palace when the Gate situation allows and frequently show the dignity of a strong adult. If you continue appearing as a child, others may look down on you.”
At Raven’s sincere advice, Bloden replied:
“I know. But if I stay like this a little longer, someone will show signs of rebellion. I’ll use that as an excuse to make examples of a few of them. Isn’t it the perfect justification to clean out rotten water?”
“…That is also reasonable.”
Raven nodded.
Given Bloden’s overwhelming strength, it would certainly be easier to eliminate them all at once. And since Bloden could command more subordinates than any emperor before him, there was little for Raven to worry about.
“Good. So what’s the situation in the palace?”
“With Your Majesty’s direct rule approaching, everyone is busy calculating their own interests. Lady Beldonbury says she will find a suitable Empress to support your reign.”
“My Empress? Anna Beldonbury?”
Bloden laughed lightly.
“The woman who didn’t even teach me statecraft because she wanted a puppet emperor is busy scheming, I see.”
Reading his displeasure, Raven remained silent.
“Leave her be. She thinks what’s mine is hers and is managing it carefully. Let her work for me a little longer, then I’ll remove her at the right time. Ah, she’s returning.”
Seeing a bright light approaching from afar, Bloden gave his final order.
“Make a suitable excuse at the palace and move here quickly. I’ll be more comfortable once you’re here.”
“I obey.”
Raven bowed and left.
As Bloden had said, Regent Anna Beldonbury was very busy with her schemes.
There were less than two years left until the Emperor would reach the age of twenty and rule directly.
Until recently, Anna had not worried much.
As long as monsters kept pouring from the Gate in the Northern Mountains, Bloden would be tied down there.
Whether he came of age or not, real power in the palace would naturally remain with her. Under the excuse of assisting the Emperor, she could continue ruling the Empire.
But an unexpected variable appeared. Bloden had stormed into the Gate — the source of the monsters — and completely wiped it out. It was an unprecedented victory.
Previous emperors had only dealt with monsters that came out of the Gates. None had attacked inside.
And now, there would likely be no problems for the next three years.
This was effectively a declaration that Bloden intended to end the regency and stand as the true ruler of the Empire.
To Anna, it was like a thunderbolt.
That cannot happen. This power is something I barely secured.
For the past ten years as regent, Anna had tasted just how sweet power was.
She had originally been the daughter of the Duke of Roan.
She possessed beauty and noble status, yet she could not live freely. She was merely a tool for a political marriage to restore her family’s influence.
Anna knew this well and had long given up on dreams of happiness.
Still, she had expected to marry an unmarried man of similar status — not to become the second wife of the Duke of Beldonbury.
Worse, the Duke had a child from the previous Empress.
And Anna hated children.
Unable to even respond from shock, she listened as the Duke of Roan commanded her:
“That child is our Emperor. Since he is young, it will be easy to coax him. Make him rely on you and cling to you. If you succeed, the Roan family will rise even further.”
Anna followed her father’s orders and did her best to charm the child.
But Bloden did not bend to their will.
He was impossible to read. Most of the time, he wore an indifferent expression. No matter how gently she coaxed him, he answered in a flat tone, showing no sign that his heart was moved.
Then something unexpected happened.
The Duke of Beldonbury died suddenly, and by imperial law, Anna became the regent.
Stunned by her sudden position, she began receiving instructions from the Duke of Roan.
“From now on, you will do as I say.”
He acted as if he were the true Emperor. If Anna failed to follow his orders, he even struck her.
At first, she trembled and obeyed.
But soon a question arose.
Everyone bows to me. With a single word, I can change the fate of the Empire. I am powerful. Then why must someone as powerful as me be beaten and ordered around by my father?
Everyone in the Empire bowed to Anna — except Bloden.
Even her father, the Duke of Roan, had to show her respect in public.
Shouldn’t he be the one obeying me? Then why does he dare to slap my face? How dare he?
The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became.
The Duke of Roan continued giving her orders, unaware of her thoughts.
After long consideration, Anna had him assassinated. Naturally, her younger brother inherited the ducal title.
After that, she used the imperial budget to donate enormous sums to the temple.
The priests, having tasted money, sided with her. They already disliked the Emperor for controlling demons and ghosts as his servants, so they quickly supported Anna.
From then on, politics moved according to her will.
Of course, many powerless commoners died under the oppression of nobles — but that was none of Anna’s concern.
The lives of the powerless, especially those without even proper identification, were worth less than livestock.
Soon, Anna began to dream even bigger.
No matter how she thought about it, she had ruled the Empire well. Considering she had never formally studied governance, she must have been born with talent as a ruler.
If someone has supernatural power, they can simply eliminate the monsters. There’s no need for the throne to remain in the same bloodline forever, is there?
