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

Chapter 23

At Leonardo's single command to raise their heads, everyone looked up at him. No one dared to refuse his words.

However, the reasons why the knights of the 3rd Knight Order and the surviving nobles followed Leonardo's words were different.

The surviving nobles followed Leonardo's words because they didn't want to displease the ‘absolute ruler,’ while the knights followed his words out of respect for Leonardo.

“……”

Leonardo, seated on the chair, scanned the nobles for a moment without a word. The nobles who met his gaze trembled in fear. It would have been a little less frightening if he had said something, but since he said nothing, the nobles cowered even more.

Soon, Leonardo spoke calmly.

“You all seem curious. Why you were spared when all the other nobles were purged.”

“……”

“The reason is simple. It is because I will need your help and strength to lead this kingdom in the future. I cannot supervise all places by myself. For that, I asked Captain Jereuth to filter out the nobles worth sparing from the Purge, and you were chosen. By Captain Jereuth, that is. So, thank him.”

At those words, the nobles' expressions brightened a little. Because it meant that at least they would not die.

But then, Leonardo suddenly started to say something completely unexpected. To the nobles, those words felt no different from a death sentence.

“But that doesn't mean you are without any sin. You are responsible for this kingdom becoming this way. As the price for that sin, I will confiscate all your assets.”

“……?!”

At Leonardo's words that he would confiscate all their assets, a change occurred in the nobles' expressions. Leonardo's words about confiscating their titles and assets could not possibly sound pleasant.

Until just a moment ago, the nobles had the mindset of ‘Please just let us live. We will do anything.’ But humans are such cunning creatures that as soon as they heard Leonardo's words that he would spare them because he needed them, a greater greed arose.

However, the nobles could not bring themselves to voice their complaints. In a situation like this, who would dare to show dissatisfaction?

But Leonardo read the dissatisfied expressions on the nobles' faces and spoke to them coldly.

“If you have a complaint, speak up. I will take measures to ensure you have no complaints.”

As Leonardo spoke.

Shunk.

The knights standing behind the kneeling nobles raised their swords again. Those sharp, cold, blood-soaked swords touched the necks of the nobles.

Needless to say, this was a threat. A threat to kill them if they had a complaint, so that they would have no complaints.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

After the nobles remained silent for a while, Leonardo nodded his head.

“I am glad that no one has any complaints. I don't want to kill any more people either.”

“……”

“But just because I don't want to kill any more people, do not make the mistake of thinking that I won't kill any more. Your era is over. Now, it is my era.”

Having made his intentions clear once again, Leonardo continued to speak.

“Since everyone seems to understand, let's talk about something more productive. First, from now on, there are no nobles in this kingdom. Only royalty and commoners. Therefore, the ‘former nobles’ here will be called not nobles, but ‘administrators’ of the kingdom.”

“……!”

At those words, the nobles' eyes widened once again. To abolish the status of ‘noble’ meant that he was going to take away even the last right they possessed.

The assets that had already been confiscated could be earned back somehow later, but titles were different.

Unable to give that up, the nobles trembled and, without realizing it, raised their voices.

—We, we nobles are beings whose special authority and rights have been recognized by God from birth! That is something not only Your Highness the Crown Prince, but even the king cannot do as he pleases! Unless you are a God, Your Highness must also respect the nobles and follow the law!

—Count Vestren is right! It is written in the continental law based on the holy scriptures that those who are nobles are different from birth, is Your Highness going to break that continental law?!

—God Haia will be angry and bring punishment upon this kingdom!! Are you not afraid of God's wrath!

When one person shouted, the other nobles, not to be outdone, mustered up courage and shouted. They were so agitated that they had forgotten that the knights had their swords to their bodies.

The nobles' veins stood out. It did not seem easy to quell the nobles' momentum with words.

However, Leonardo did not hesitate in the slightest and, without changing his expression, made all the nobles shut their mouths. Perhaps feeling the need to firmly break the nobles' spirit, Leonardo's voice was cold, and his tone of speech had changed.

“From now on, my word is the law. Not God, not the holy scriptures, not the continental law.”

“……”

“So shut up.”

At that one phrase, the nobles shut their mouths.

‘His word is the law… he’s crazy. He’s crazy, that’s a tyrant.’

‘Until now, no king, no noble, has ever said such a thing.’

‘……Arrogant. Frighteningly arrogant.’

The old nobles were overwhelmed by the words the young boy said nonchalantly as he looked down at them.

Continuing to look down at such nobles, the boy continued to speak.

“If you work hard according to my instructions, I will let you live. But if you deviate even a little from my purpose and expectations, your blood will also be smeared somewhere on this banquet hall wall. So shut up and nod your heads at my words.”

……Nod.

The nobles, no, the former nobles who had now become ‘administrators,’ shut their mouths and nodded their heads according to Leonardo's command.

Seeing that, Leonardo rose from the chair on the dais and said.

“Then I will command you. I will bring you paper and pen, so send a letter to your respective families. To organize all assets and send them to the capital.”

—……Yes.

The administrators answered powerlessly.

And Leonardo spoke to Jereuth, who for some reason was looking at him with admiration.

“Captain, please bring the administrators paper and pen to write letters. They are still administrators working for the kingdom, so we can't have them writing letters on their knees, so please bring chairs and desks too.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

Jereuth answered firmly and gestured with his eyes to Vice-Captain Hagen who was behind him. Then Hagen took a few knights and went outside.

One of the administrators, who was watching Hagen and a few knights leave the banquet hall, carefully opened his mouth.

“Y-Your Highness. If you are going to confiscate even our assets and titles… then what will we and our families eat to live?”

“I will give you a salary.”

“A salary… are you saying you will give us money?”

“Yes, every month. You will be able to live on that money.”

“……”

“Of course, if you work hard, I will raise your salary. I will also promote those who are diligent and skilled. But you cannot buy land. If you start to acquire land, you will try to build up power again.”

“……”

“From now on, all land in this kingdom is the property of the royal family.”

All power in the world comes from money and land.

But now, the crown prince was saying that all land would be his, and he would give salaries separately.

That meant that Leonardo would hold the nobles' leashes and shake them for the rest of their lives.

The nobles, who were not ignorant of this, bit their lips again. If they had to live on the money given by the king from now on, they could not disobey his words.

The administrators had no choice but to admit it.

That their era was over, as that tyrant had said.

Along with that sad fact, the administrators realized. The sickly twelve-year-old crown prince they had thought was a cripple was, in fact, a seasoned politician who had been preparing to become a tyrant.

The administrators tried hard to hide their mournful expressions. Because they didn't know what would happen to them if they showed such an expression to a tyrant.

Leonardo took his eyes off them and said to Jereuth.

“Then, Captain, I have said all I need to for now, so I will return to my room. Captain, you must be very tired, but please take care of the aftermath.”

“Your Highness, there is no need to ask, you can just command.”

“……Yes, thank you.”

As Leonardo crossed the banquet hall and walked towards the door, all the knights bowed their heads to him. The fact that the knights bowed their heads without being told meant that the knights recognized Leonardo as their master.

There were various reasons why the knights recognized Leonardo as their master, but it was generally for these reasons.

‘The Captain killing the nobles' children. That was insubordination. Nevertheless, His Highness the Crown Prince said it was his sin, that all responsibility was on him. He is indeed a person worthy of the loyalty that the Captain has recognized. And to overwhelm the nobles with a few firm words… I didn't know he was such a charismatic person.’

A knight of the 3rd Knight Order, Peralta, whose swordsmanship was very lacking but whose wisdom was outstanding.

He pledged his loyalty to a boy much younger than himself with an expression that could not hide his thrill.

The other knights were the same.

***

After leaving the banquet hall.

I returned to my room with Elly.

On the way back to the room, Elly seemed to want to ask me something, but for some reason, she didn't say anything.

‘Come to think of it, Elly seemed to be looking for someone in the banquet hall earlier, is it related to that?’

I thought about asking first but decided against it. If it were really important, Elly would bring it up first.

Flop.

I sat down on the edge of the bed powerlessly and lay down, then said to Elly.

“Elly, I'm sorry, but I want to be alone, so could you please leave?”

“Yes, Your Highness. But that…”

“Yes?”

“……It's nothing.”

It was clear she had something to say, but Elly didn't say it. Instead, Elly quietly left the room.

“……”

I looked at the spot where she had been standing for a moment, then got up from the bed and went to the bookshelf. I was going to check the .

‘The Purge ended stably. And I also spared quite a few useful nobles to use when I rule the kingdom. So… there shouldn't be any problems from now on. My ending must have also changed from being executed by hanging to something much more peaceful.’

Was it thanks to that thought? I felt a little bit of relief in my heart.

With such a comfortable heart and hope, I took out the and opened it.

‘First, let's check the future closest to the present.’

Just as I was about to open the front part of the diary.

—Fliiiiiiiiiiiiiip!

“!”

The diary opened on its own, and soon, the last page was revealed.

The page where my ending was written.

Continental Calendar ———, —th Month, —th Day

A considerable amount of time has passed since the Purge.

After purging the nobles, there was no force that dared to oppose me. I, who had seized power through the Purge, came to reign as a being feared by all.

My life before and after the Purge was 180 degrees different. Meals became much more lavish, and I was able to live a life truly befitting a ‘crown prince.’

There was almost nothing I couldn't get if I wanted it. Be it people, food, or anything else.

With no nobles to put me on the gallows, my heart was at ease.

‘Since I killed all the nobles who oppressed the kingdom's people, a rebellion won't happen. The kingdom's people will live well on their own without the nobles who tormented them. So… I just need to live quietly until I die of old age.’

I will admit it. I let my guard down. Since there were no nobles to put me on the gallows, I thought there would be no problems.

But that was my misunderstanding.

Even though I purged the nobles, I was put on the gallows.

Grasp—!

A cloth bag that obscured my vision was placed over my head, and a hard, thick rope was tied around my neck.

Soon… I will be executed by hanging.

Reading up to this point, my hands trembled.

‘……What? I was put on the gallows even though I purged the nobles?’

I couldn't believe it. No, it would be more correct to say that I didn't want to believe it.

The original ending in the was that the nobles would put me on the gallows.

So I thought I could survive if those ‘nobles’ were gone, and that's why I purged the nobles.

I killed people to live.

But… was that not the answer?

‘Who on earth put me on the gallows? Did one of the surviving nobles start a rebellion? Or did a foreign enemy invade? Why on earth? Who? When? How?’

My heart, which had become comfortable, was constricted again.

Tension rose, a cold sweat broke out, and honestly, annoyance and displeasure also surged.

But more than anything, ‘curiosity’ surged. Who, why, when, and how would put me on the gallows.

It was when I was harboring such questions.

Scribble, scribble—.

As if answering my questions, or as if giving a warning to prepare in advance, new content began to be added to the .