Chapter 17

Being the Emperor was an exhausting endeavor. This thought constantly occupied Makoto's mind, day in and day out. The recent days had been a whirlwind of responsibilities and just like any day, this was no different.

"Your Majesty, I strongly suggest that you reconsider. We can't keep delaying the supplies any further. Doing so might prolong General Esdeath's mission in the Northern Border," a minister stated, concern evident in his voice.

"I understand the potential implications, but I have a different plan for those supplies," I calmly replied.

I was currently in the midst of a meeting with several state ministers, among them the temporary acting Prime Minister, Shoi. Initially, apart from Shoi, who appeared nervous in taking on the role of Prime Minister albeit temporarily, the other ministers remained somewhat skittish in my presence. However, as we continued to meet regularly over the course of several days and they observed that none of them faced the threat of execution, they gradually became more at ease. Eventually, they actively started sharing their opinions, and their initial hesitance dissipated.

The main topic of discussion right now revolved around General Esdeath's ongoing mobilization to eliminate the army of the Northern Tribes. From my knowledge of the series, I realized that I had arrived a few months earlier than the canon events were supposed to unfold.

In the show, Najenda had hoped that the Northern Tribe, led by their hero "Numa Seika," could stall Esdeath's return. However, she had underestimated Esdeath's army and power. Now, as the Emperor, I wanted to take an active role in delaying Esdeath.

Esdeath had been deployed just a day before the previous Emperor, Makoto, fell into a coma. My objective was to keep Esdeath stationed in the Northern Border for as long as possible. The most effective way to achieve this was by continuously disrupting the logistics of her army. Without proper provisions, her troops would be forced to scavenge for themselves.

The longer I could keep Esdeath away from the Capital, the better it would be for me. Personally, I had no desire to align myself with Esdeath. There were three main reasons for this decision. Firstly, her psychopathic tendencies were concerning. Her lack of empathy, sadistic nature, and enjoyment of inflicting pain on others made her unsuitable for the renewed Empire I aimed to build.

Secondly, her reputation was tarnished. Throughout the years, Esdeath had been the Empire's instrument for eliminating various individuals, including not only enemy armies but also innocent civilians. She would wipe out entire tribes, leaving no survivors. This reputation had spread within and beyond the borders, which could potentially harm the image of the future Empire I envisioned.

Lastly, I doubted my ability to control her safely. This was perhaps the most challenging aspect. I did not believe Esdeath to be completely loyal to the Empire, and maintaining control over her would be a precarious task.

At present, no one was aware of my plan to delay Esdeath, not even General Budo or Prime Minister Shoi. I intended to maintain this secrecy for as long as possible. I was still contemplating a strategy that would prompt Esdeath to voluntarily secede from the Empire. By achieving this, I would have the freedom to openly label her as a traitor without tarnishing the Empire's image.

"Esdeath may be powerful, but depriving her troops of food and water will significantly slow them down. This will provide the Northern Tribes with more time to fortify their defenses, potentially resulting in more casualties when the inevitable clash occurs. I worry about the families of those soldiers who may be lost due to this delay", a minister added with worry in his voice.

While it's true that such a scenario may occur, it's not a concern that weighs heavily on my mind. From what I understand, all of Esdeath's troops are complicit in her crimes. If they were to face justice on Earth, each and every one of them would be charged with war crimes. It is true that they were following orders, but that does not absolve them of responsibility.

"My decision on this matter is final. Inform General Esdeath that they must conserve their supplies until we can deliver to them the next batch of provisions. If need be, inform her to set up camp for a while so that they can gather supplies themselves before they continue marching. I hold unwavering faith in General Esdeath's exceptional strategic prowess. I am confident that she possesses the skills necessary to dismantle any defenses that the Northern Tribe may establish due to this delay", I replied.

I could discern the questioning looks on the faces of the ministers, and even acting Prime Minister Shoi seemed to doubt my decision.

"Then... What are we to do with all those supplies, Your Majesty?", another minister asked.

"I would like to give it to the people of the Capital!", I said with a smile on my face.

Due to multiple wars within and outside the border, The Empire was in a deep recession, and many people in the capital couldn't afford to eat regularly. I wanted to demonstrate to the people that I am actively fulfilling my word to make the Empire great again. This would further enhance the common folks' opinion of me.

"Well, that could be arranged," the eldest minister stated, his hand resting thoughtfully on his chin. "Perhaps tomorrow would be the soonest possibility," he added, considering the logistics.

"Good, ensure that it is done efficiently," I stated firmly to the old minister.

Turning my attention to the acting Prime Minister, I requested, "Now, I would like to receive some updates."

Acting Prime Minister Shoi rose from his seat and retrieved a folder containing a collection of classified documents. He began, "General Nakaido has discovered that Saikyu, the former Prime Minister's right-hand man, is in command of multiple assassin units. Currently, he is assessing the scale of this group and determining whether they can be brought under control. He has already started gathering them in a classified military outpost within the Empire".

As the word "assassins" hung in the air, a wave of unease rippled through the room, evident in the ministers' tense postures and darting glances among each other. It was no secret that the whispers of Honest's assassin troops had reached their ears before, yet they had mostly not bothered to see if such claims were true or not. Just like true politicians, they had most likely decided to remain oblivious to the assassin group that Honest was creating at that time.

They most likely decided to act naive in this regard. Especially when Honest was still in power back then. They probably didn't want to poke their noses in things that might potentially kill them.

"General Hemi has begun reviewing the files of imprisoned military officials to investigate potential cases of wrongful accusations by the former Prime Minister. Additionally, his lieutenants are now conducting investigations at different military outposts to uncover any instances of corruption within the ranks of the military", Prime Minister Shoi continued.

"How about the other matter?", I asked.

"Your Majesty, the Capital Guards have begun entering the noble houses within the capital, demanding unpaid taxes from the past few years," Shoi reported, handing Makoto a stack of papers containing the current tally of nobles who had started paying.

"Thank you, Minister Shoi," I acknowledged, taking the documents and skimming them. "Has there been any resistance?", I inquired.

"Some nobles have tried to resist, claiming they have already paid, but the Capital guards were prepared and proved that the documents they possessed were fake," Shoi replied.

Due to the recession, the Empire was in dire need of funds. Addressing the financial aspect was one of my top priorities to gain the necessary resources to tackle other problems. Working together, acting Prime Minister Shoi and I began investigating the nobles and discovered numerous counterfeit documents, falsely indicating that taxes had been paid. Acting swiftly, we compiled a list of nobles in the capital who had evaded payment.

There was no doubt that the former Prime Minister was behind this scheme. He most likely instructed the nobles to pay him a smaller amount than their yearly taxes and in return he would provide them with forged documents as proof of payments to the Empire.

"What about arrests?" I asked.

"Multiple arrests have been made. Not only for those who refused to pay taxes but also due to disturbing discoveries within their mansions. In one noble family's estate, multiple bodies were found, bearing signs of torture before their deaths," Prime Minister Shoi revealed with a hint of anger in his voice. Such vile acts were abhorrent to him.

"I want them prosecuted with the full extent of the Imperial Law. Their nobility titles strip from them, all their belongings confiscated by the crown, and once they are hanged for their crimes, which I'm sure would be the verdict, I want their bodies exposed like those of the spies that General Budo captured, and their crimes shown to the public. It would be a sign to the ordinary civilians that the Empire will not let such crimes go unpunished. Even if you are a noble, the law must always be respected", I declared, with a cold and unwavering voice.

"I fully support that decision, Your Majesty," Shoi affirmed.

*********************************************************************************************************Author's notes:

I'm not sure if people would like this chapter.😅😅

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