15.

The Emperor walked down the stairs and stopped in the middle. (A/N L-stairs btw)

He looked at the people kneeling one by one, his eyes landed on one person and smiled.

"Rise." The Emperor ordered and everyone raised their heads before standing up.

"I, the Emperor, Gilltian Jedgar F. Roguepalace, officially declares that the Civil War is over." The nobles clapped their hands with a smile on their faces.

"Now that the war is over, accept this small reward from the Royal Palace, enjoy the party tonight." Gilltian said and returned. He didn't sit on the throne but he let the others enjoy the night.

"Oh. I thought it would be interesting, but now I'm bored again." I said while Wilhelm laughed.

"Gilltian still have a lot to learn. Although he did announce the end of the war which kept the nobles happy, what he said at the end made the atmosphere awkward." Wilhelm said with a sigh.

"Looks like the big rewards will be given in the shadows." I said and Wilhelm agreed.

"Should we claim our rewards?" I said which made Wilhelm slightly confused.

"You're going to use the favor you won from the debate?" Wilhelm asked me but I shook my head. I walked forward and avoided the people and headed to the veranda.

"Our territory is a huge one, and we kept it safe from the Revolutionary army, isn't that a huge military merit?" I asked Wilhelm.

"But how does that cou-... oh." It suddenly hit Wilhelm as to why it is a huge military merit.

"That's right. Because of our large territory, we have an incredible amount of subjects. If the revolutionary army managed to snag half of our population, this war would drag on for quite a long time.

Because the revolutionaries doesn't have any influence in our territory, they failed to gain massive supporters.

I can even bet that the way they'll entice the populace is by saying that I'm just a kid, an incompetent child." I said enlightening Wilhelm.

Wilhelm suddenly thought of something and almost called me, a crazy person.

"That's why you proposed to help those business upstarts then followed it by proposing to increase financial support towards villages especially at the edge of our border." Wilhelm felt shocked. He thought that it was just a move to just improve the village and increase their product diversity. But to think that it was also a move to reduce the subject's doubt about the new ruler.

"You're crazy! What if it didn't work?!" Wilhelm finally snapped and called me crazy. He thought that what they were doing is making the territory better and show that I am competent by improving the territory's situation.

Seeing the changes happening in Wilhelm's face, I felt satisfied.

"It does sound crazy but its just a huge opportunity I can't pass up. Uncle, although you emphasized that improving the territory will prove that I'm a competent ruler and stop the nobles from hounding me, you forgot that the nobles aiming for my territory are not just the enemy.

If I only focused on making the territory better, the revolutionary army will take the fruits of our hard work, the people living inside the territory.

A lot of nobles forget that its the commoners who provides for almost 60% of their income from just the the tax alone. That 60% doesn't even include the manpower they offer for the territory.

Imagine this, if you don't have people working for you, how are you going to make the products that you are going to trade to other territories? With just the specialist and a few people?

It would take them a long time to produce one item then, but because they have tons of workers, they can make hundreds or thousands of products that they are going to sell inside and outside of their territory.

That's how important people are inside a territory, and thanks to those stupid nobles and their stupid manhunt, the people of their territory became scared, scared that it will be their turn and fled away from the noble's territory. With people fleeing, where would they get their soldiers? How will they expand? Get people by raiding? What if they can't raid the place containing many people?

And there's only one territory who welcomed commoners openly." I explained with a smirk to Wilhelm who's eyes became wide as saucers. I didn't need to finish it since Wilhelm is smart enough to know what I'm about to say.

Wilhelm was still processing my words when he heard me spoke.

"Just come out. Why hide? Do you think that kind of dress will hide you?" I said without looking at the person's hiding spot.

Wilhelm turned his head around and saw the person hiding. He faced me and bowed lightly.

"I'll take my leave, Young Lord." He said and left like a fcking ninja.

"So, why are you hiding, your highness, Lady Adjest?" I asked her.

"I-I was looking for you inside but I can't find you." She said.

'Is this the cold Adjest that I know?' I laughed so loud in my head. I thought that if I met the Adjest from the past run, I'm going to show her this scene for a VERY, VERY, long time.

"The place is crowded inside. So I went outside to breathe in fresh air." I said to her holding myself back from laughing.

"I-Is that so? I-I've heard you say that commoners are important, is that true?" She asked me.

'Hey, where's the ferocious Adjest from our last meeting? Did she get scared to come out?' I thought to myself.

"They are the life and blood of a territory while the ruler is the soul that holds it together. Do you understand?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"Why do you ask then?" I asked her.

"My teacher asked me a difficult question about the current state of the Empire. She asked me why did the Duke of Blackwod sheltered and protected the commoners." She said to me.

"I see. No wonder you asked me that. What do you think is the answer?" I asked her again.

"Hmmm. I don't know. I don't really get it." She said while thinking of the answer.

"You will... in the future." I smiled as I looked at her. She's a person who will grow up as someone who doesn't care about status, and connections. When Professor Pugman Nipheleka berated her and told her to quit the party, she did, without a second thought.

"Then are you mad of nobles? Also father said that you shouldn't speak bad words." Adjest said with her hands placed on her hips.

'She remembered it? Also is this girl lecturing me? Although the Adjest from the past run spoke rarely, when she opens her mouth, what will come is a cuss. And this girl wants to lecture me?' I thought before answering her question.

"Alright I won't speak bad words. As for the nobles, I'm not mad at them. I'm mad at how they run their own territory." I said but Adjest made a confused face.

"Forget it, you won't understand it yet." I said and Adjest was about to speak again but Uncle Gilltian showed up with Uncle Wilhelm beside him.

"There you are. I can't find you inside. Thankfully, I found my mentor and he told me you're outside." Gilltian said while smiling.

"Like I said, I'm just out for fresh air. Besides, the moon is just beautiful. Can't help but stare at it." I said making Gilltian chuckle.

"You don't like the atmosphere inside?" Gilltian asked me.

"What's the point? Making connections? Although making connections isn't bad, what'll they offer in return? Marrying their daughters? Besides, they're afraid. Afraid of me." I said while Gilltian just smiled wryly.

"Because you're famous but not in a good way. You're the only one who sheltered the commoners, the nobles' enemy. You also made the manhunt army to retreat without even fighting. And now, you brought knights wearing armors made from a legendary metal followed by a mage regiment. Who wouldn't be scared?" Gilltian asked me but I just laughed it off.

"The commoners." I said lightly.

"It looks like you're going to shelter them for a long time." Gilltian said seriously.

"Yes. Just because the Civil War is over, it doesn't mean the discrimination between nobles and commoners will lessen. I fear that the discrimination will only worsen." I said which made Gilltian frown.

"Do you have any idea on how to prevent it?" He asked me but I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Don't know, you're the Emperor, surely you'll be able to think of something and... oh. You need to improve your speeches, you left the place with an awkward attitude." I said which made Wilhelm chuckle, hearing his mentor's chuckle, Gilltian felt embarrassed.

Seeing her father being embarrassed, Adjest, as a good daughter, retaliated.

"Father, he said bad words." Adjest said and pointed at me which made the three of us freeze. It took us a few seconds before time moved again for us, our faces were close to laughing out loud but Gilltian's glare made us hold it in.

Gilltian suddenly put me in a headlock and scratched the top of my head with his knuckle.

"You're teaching my daughter bad words, huh?! I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget!" He knocked on my head three times.

"You want to beat me but why do you have tears falling in your eyes? Are you holding out on something?" I said and Gilltian's headlock tightened. I could hear him trying hard not to laugh.

Adjest looked at his father who punished me with a smug smile on her face.