I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 19

I ordered Jereuth not to kill the children. That was clearly a different choice from what my future self had made.

I didn't know how that choice would change my future, so I was considerably worried.

So I wanted to check the , but I couldn't read the diary at ease because Elly was in the room.

And honestly… what would change by checking the future now? In this situation that has already left my hands.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the destination, like a sailboat letting itself be carried by the wind.

Slurp―.

Drinking the tea Elly had made for me, I gently closed my eyes and thought.

‘The Purge will begin soon with the assassination of Viscount Krain. A great many people will die. A great many people… I suppose so.’

I have to be strong. I kept telling myself that, brainwashing myself.

But I am not a cult leader who can arm himself with narcissism. I am not a tyrant who can sacrifice others for the beliefs and future I desire.

So it wasn't easy to brainwash myself.

…I just needed it. Someone to lean my head on without any thoughts.

***

At the same time, in Duke Vaimal's office on the top floor of the East Palace, which the Vaimal Ducal Faction had occupied.

“So… the number of supporters for me, Duke Vaimal, is 20% more than that Panshin bastard?”

As Duke Vaimal spoke, unable to hide his smile while looking at the document, Viscount Krain quickly stepped forward and said.

“That is correct, Vaimal ‘Your Majesty’.”

“……‘Your Majesty’?”

The duke asked back with a momentary question, then, realizing Viscount Krain's intention, laughed heartily.

“Haha! Viscount Krain, you rascal. You called me that last time too, what blasphemous words are these! Calling me ‘Your Majesty,’ this is a person who's going to get into big trouble! I am not yet king!”

“Well, on this matter, I dare say ‘Your Majesty’ is mistaken. You are already ‘Your Majesty,’ so isn't it rather blasphemous not to call you ‘Your Majesty’? ……Isn't that right, everyone?”

As Viscount Krain slyly looked around at the other nobles and vassals, they too, without exception, stepped forward and agreed.

They, who had lost the opportunity to flatter Duke Vaimal to Viscount Krain, could not fall behind others this time.

—Viscount Krain is right, ‘Your Majesty’!

—I advise that we should prepare for the coronation ceremony right away!

—Just a coronation ceremony is not enough! We must announce the beginning of the ‘Vaimal Royal Family’ to the entire kingdom, so we must collect taxes and hold a grand party and coronation ceremony!

—Let's also build a statue of Your Majesty and a new palace named after Your Majesty!! For that, even the commoners will shed blood and sweat with a smile!

—‘Vaimal Kingdom,’ may it be eternal!!

They were all sycophants, sycophants, and more sycophants.

It was as if only the kind of people a king or leader should keep at a distance had been gathered.

However, to Duke Vaimal, the shouts of the sycophants sounded only like the cheers of loyal subjects.

The duke's lips twitched with pleasure.

“You people are truly… Well, you can look forward to it. When I ascend the throne, I will give a reward to everyone here that will not disappoint. Wealth, land, people, anything!”

—As expected of ‘Your Majesty’!

—Long live ‘His Majesty Vaimal’!

—Eternal! Eternal! Eternal!

The fact that 20% more nobles supported Duke Vaimal meant that victory was practically guaranteed. Because of that, all the nobles were smiling.

With the exception of just one person.

‘If Duke Vaimal becomes king this easily… there’s no opportunity for me to distinguish myself.’

The one thinking this was the Head of the kingdom’s 1st Knight Order, Charlemarton, who supported Duke Vaimal.

Charlemarton was greedy. He had come from a noble family on the frontier and had distinguished himself to rise to the position of Knight Captain of the kingdom, but he wanted more wealth, land, and women.

So Charlemarton entered Duke Vaimal's faction for even greater success.

But after Charlemarton became part of Duke Vaimal's faction, he didn't have much opportunity to distinguish himself. After the war with the demons, the kingdom was peaceful ‘for the nobles,’ and there were no morons who dared to attack Duke Vaimal.

‘I need to distinguish myself before Duke Vaimal becomes king… so that I can get more scraps from the table.’

The problem was that the current situation was too peaceful and favorable to Duke Vaimal, so there was no opportunity for him to be active.

While all the nobles were laughing and chatting, Charlemarton's worries deepened.

‘Wait. By the way, it's strange that the 3rd Knight Order is too quiet. If the crown prince arbitrarily hands over the throne to a duke, Jereuth or the 3rd Knight Order should have risen up long ago.’

Although he was an opportunist and a knight who had betrayed the king, Charlemarton, as a knight captain who had fought in the war with the demons, had a sharp intuition of his own.

‘It would be better if the 3rd Knight Order caused a disturbance so I could have a chance to suppress them. I think it's fully possible if I just avoid that monster Jereuth, kill as many knights as possible, and finish off Jereuth after other knights have worn him down.’

Charlemarton's contemplation was written all over his face. The ‘old fox’—Duke Vaimal—did not miss that contemplative expression.

“Head of the 1st Knight Order. Why are you the only one with such a stiff face? At such a fine moment?”

At Duke Vaimal's designation, all the nobles and vassals looked at Charlemarton. Being the center of attention of so many people at once would have been burdensome, but Charlemarton said without a change in expression.

“I apologize, ‘Duke’. I was lost in thought for a moment.”

At Charlemarton's emphasis on ‘Duke,’ the nobles exuded an air of displeasure. They disliked him calling Vaimal ‘Duke’ instead of ‘Your Majesty’ in this situation where victory was certain.

And calling Vaimal ‘Duke’ was, in effect, no different from implying that Vaimal would not become king.

Naturally, the nobles had no reason to look favorably on Charlemarton, who was saying unlucky things before a major event.

—Ahem! Knight Captain, what rudeness is this! To call His Majesty ‘Duke’!

—The Knight Captain seems to be someone who doesn't know the mood at all.

—Tsk tsk… This is why guys from the frontiers are like this. No matter how long they stay in the capital, their hick nature shows. They have no sense, no sense at all.

—What does it matter if his swordsmanship is said to be comparable to Jereuth's? There's nothing in his head!

Despite the insulting words directed at him, Charlemarton did not react and only looked at Duke Vaimal. Receiving that gaze, Duke Vaimal quieted the nobles with a gesture and asked.

“Head of the 1st Knight Order, what is it that you dislike so much? When our victory is certain.”

At the duke's words, Charlemarton thought this was an opportunity to raise his own value.

An opportunity to instill a sense of crisis in this atmosphere intoxicated with victory, to highlight his presence as the ‘Knight Captain’ and assert his authority.

Charlemarton said calmly.

“I am not sure if victory is certain. It's true that for now, many nobles have said they support Duke Vaimal and not Duke Panshin, but we don't know what kind of change of heart they might have on the day of the Throne Handover Ceremony.”

“……A change of heart on the day of the Throne Handover Ceremony? What do you mean by that?”

“Literally, that among those laughing and chatting here, there may be traitors.”

—Knight Captain!!

—That, that bastard, what does he take our loyalty for!

—He's slandering us because he's a traitor, ‘Your Majesty’!

—Punish him severely!!

—He's spouting that nonsense because he hasn't achieved any merit in making Your Majesty king! He's trying to distinguish himself by any means necessary!

Charlemarton ignored them and continued to speak.

“Duke. Now is not the time to be laughing and chatting like this, but a time to rally our supporters. At the same time, we must also be wary of Duke Panshin's movements. As you know, Duke, Duke Panshin is a greedy man and not one to sit back and give up the throne. It's possible that Duke Panshin could lose his reason and start a civil war.”

“Hmm… that story again? That Panshin will attack me?”

“It’s a matter of possibility. If at this point, your forces were weaker than Duke Panshin's, what do you think you would have done, Duke?”

“……”

“You probably would have ordered me to lead the knights and attack Duke Panshin immediately. So that by the time of the Throne Handover Ceremony, you would have reduced the number of the Panshin Ducal Faction―.”

—Knight Captain! Are you now spouting the nonsense that ‘His Majesty’ would start a civil war?!

—‘Your Majesty’! Throw that morale-lowering person into the dungeon! We can beat Duke Panshin even without that one guy!

—You bastard, you're a spy for Panshin, aren't you?!

The voices of the nobles grew louder, but this time too, Charlemarton decided to say what he had to say.

He seemed to have mastered the art of ignoring nobles.

“You must also pay attention to the 3rd Knight Order, not just Duke Panshin. The crown prince said he would hand over the throne to the nobles without any consultation with the king, but aren't they too quiet?”

“Hmm… that is certainly true.”

“That's right. Duke, Knight Captain Jereuth is old, but he should not be ignored. He could be a more dangerous existence to us than Duke Panshin. As you know, Duke, he is a ‘monster’ who gained more fame than any other knight on the continent in the war with the demons.”

“……”

“I will say it again. Duke, the moment when victory seems to be in sight is always the most dangerous. If you are too quick to be certain of victory, you are bound to be caught off guard. So please allow me to attack Duke Panshin first before we are attacked. Then I will cut off Duke Panshin's head before the Throne Handover Ceremony and―.”

Charlemarton expressed his opinion plausibly, but.

For Duke Vaimal to listen any further, it was a thorn in his ear.

“Ahem! That's enough, Knight Captain.”

“……”

“I know what you're trying to say. But I know Panshin better than you do. That bastard is certainly not one to sit back and have the throne taken from him, but he is even less of a man to take a reckless gamble. With my chances of becoming king so much higher, why would he attack me, knowing what kind of fate he would suffer later?”

“Duke, then at least pay attention to the 3rd Knight Order―.”

“The 3rd Knight Order is also no problem. They won't move without the king's order. And as you know, the king is a cripple cooped up in his room, just waiting for the day he dies. I heard he can't even relieve himself properly without a maid. What guts would such a person have to use the 3rd Knight Order to pull any tricks?”

“……”

“So don't say pointless things and create anxiety. That actually weakens the unity of the nobles who follow me—my loyal subjects.”

With his words not getting through at all, Charlemarton had no choice but to nod his head.

‘Fuck… I have to distinguish myself somehow.’

“……I understand, Duke.”

—That, that! He says ‘Duke’ to the end!

—What's the use of a knight who's so cowardly!

—Tsk… A bastard who knows nothing, having luckily become a knight captain.

—This is why frontier nobles are no good!! Not all nobles are the same, you know?!

As the nobles shouted again, Duke Vaimal burst into a hearty laugh and said.

“Don't be like that. The Knight Captain must have had his own thoughts when he spoke. I am a person who listens to all opinions equally. You all know that, right?”

—As expected of ‘Your Majesty’!

—To listen to even such useless opinions, you have the qualities of a wise ruler!

—Long live!!

—Even the Minotaur, which is said to appear once in 1,000 years, would bow its head to Your Majesty's generosity!

The nobles once again offered flattery and adulation.

Squeezing through the nobles, Viscount Krain stepped forward again and said to Duke Vaimal.

“‘Your Majesty’. I believe there is some truth in the Knight Captain's words.”

Duke Vaimal did not expect Viscount Krain to say such a thing. Because he was his fervent supporter and received his favor, and until now, he had spoken as if he was certain of his victory.

“……What? There's some truth in the Knight Captain's words?”

“Yes.”

“Are you saying I could lose to Panshin?”

“That's not what I mean, I agree with the Knight Captain's words that Duke Panshin might do something foolish. Doesn't a cornered rat bite even a griffin?”

“Does that mean… Panshin is the rat and I am the griffin?”

“That is correct. Of course, a rat can never beat a griffin, but even a griffin can feel a sting if bitten by a rat.”

At Viscount Krain's unique flattery, Duke Vaimal's expression softened.

“Haha, that's right! And they say a griffin gives its all no matter what it hunts, so I should give my all too. Alright, so what is it you want to say?”

“I will go meet Duke Panshin once. As the Knight Captain said, I will go and see if that bastard is preparing to attack us.”

“What if Duke Panshin really is trying to attack me? You would be in danger.”

“Isn't it the way of a loyal subject not to spare his life? And if he killed me, Duke Panshin wouldn't even be able to find his bones, so would he dare touch me? I am one with His Majesty Vaimal, after all.”

“That's true too!!”

As Duke Vaimal laughed, the other nobles joined in in agreement.

—As expected of Viscount Krain!

—He's much more valiant than the Knight Captain who only spouts words!

—That kind of job should be done by the Knight Captain!!

—I will go with you!!

To the nobles shouting loudly, Viscount Krain said loudly.

“I will go ‘alone’. Since it was my plan.”

“Good, Viscount Krain. Go and come back. Is there anything you need?”

“There is nothing I need. I will be back soon.”

Shunk!

With those words, Viscount Krain respectfully—as if saluting a king—bowed to Duke Vaimal and turned around.

Then, looking around at the other nobles, he headed towards the office door with an arrogant expression and gait, as if boasting that he was the future king's second-in-command.

As Viscount Krain passed by Charlemarton, he thought.

‘Charlemarton, I know why you're trying to force anxiety. You want to distinguish yourself before Duke Vaimal becomes king. But Charlemarton, you can't. All the glory is mine. When I come back from meeting Duke Panshin and prove that he has no intention of attacking, you'll become a scarecrow who hasn't achieved any merit.’

Smirk―.

Viscount Krain passed by and sneered silently at Charlemarton. Charlemarton saw it and frowned, but couldn't say anything.

Viscount Krain continued his sinister thoughts.

‘When Duke Vaimal becomes king… I will have myself enthroned as a duke. Then even that bitch Elly Heinem will crawl at my feet.’

A piece of trash dreaming of a much younger girl, Viscount Krain.

He dreamed of a turbulent future, but that future was highly likely not to be so bright.

Why? Because knights wearing black masks—assassins—were roaming near the East Palace, the residence of the Vaimal Ducal Faction.