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

Chapter 56

Late afternoon at the Lous family estate.

The head of the family, Lous, sat in his office chair, gazing blankly at the window where beautiful light streamed in. The sunset glow coming through the glass of the terrace window was exceptionally beautiful today.

As if the end of the continent was approaching.

Outwardly, Lous didn't seem to be preoccupied with any particular worries, but his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts and calculations. Most of those thoughts were, of course, about the ‘rebellion’.

‘After the new recruits' basic training is over, the 3rd Knight Order will leave the capital for a ‘war on crime’ in other cities and territories. Basic training for new recruits usually takes about a month… so the 3rd Knight Order will leave the capital in about a month.’

Therefore, he had only about a month to prepare for the rebellion. At most, it would be around 5 to 6 weeks.

‘Honestly, since there isn't enough time to thoroughly prepare for a rebellion, I hope many nobles will side with me.’

First, Lous intended to draw ten families into the rebellion. Those ten families had deep ties with the Lous family for generations.

‘They all have many complaints against the Crown Prince, so they won't refuse my proposal. If the rebellion succeeds and I become king… hehe.’

Lous, deep in serious thought, chuckled insidiously to himself. A laugh escaped him at the thought of the numerous pleasures and enjoyable things he could obtain and do if he became king.

It was then.

Saaaaaaak—!

Suddenly, the outside of the window darkened. Just moments ago, a beautiful sunset had been streaming through the window.

“……What is this?”

Lous looked out the window more closely. The outside looked as if the entire estate had been covered with a black cloth. The light was blocked out as if a curtain had been drawn.

Lous's expression hardened. Something was amiss.

To get a better look at the situation outside, he stood up from his seat and approached the window.

“……”

The moment Lous brought his face to the terrace window.

Tak— Tak— Tak— Tak— Tak— Tak— Tak— Tak—!

A flock of crows landed on the estate's terrace and windowsills. Dozens of them, all at once.

What was even more chilling was that all the crows were staring directly at Lous.

Every time Lous moved, the crows' eyes followed him.

“Wh-What is this……?!”

The outside suddenly darkened and the terrace was filled with crows? No one would see this as a normal situation. It was a situation beyond abnormal, it was terrifying.

Still, Lous tried his best to remain calm and was about to use magic. He didn't know what the situation was, but he first intended to get rid of the crows that seemed to be watching him.

―Gulp.

The moment Lous swallowed dryly and extended his hand to cast a spell—

Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—!

The crows suddenly cawed hideously in unison. As if warning Lous, who was about to cast a spell on them.

At that, Lous, who was about to cast magic, was startled and fell on his butt.

Thump!

“Sh-Shit…… wh-what!? What is this?!”

Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—! Caw—!

“I-Is there no one outside?! Hey! Is anyone there!!”

Lous shouted roughly, opened the door as if to break it, and went outside.

What he saw then was… a flock of crows feasting on every living thing inside the estate.

At the horrific scene, Lous recalled a rumor he had heard long ago during the war with the demons. A rumor related to the ‘Red-Haired Witch Seria’.

‘The witch Seria……. There was a rumor that her hair was red because of the crows. That her familiars, the crows, had drunk so much blood that her mana itself turned red, causing even her hair to turn red…….’

As a mage, Lous had known for a long time that it was a nonsensical rumor. For mana to turn red and hair to turn red because a familiar drank too much blood was, magically speaking, completely unfounded.

But seeing this scene firsthand, Lous could understand why such a rumor had started.

“Uh, uh, uh……?!”

At the sight of such a horrific scene, Lous forgot to run away and made dazed sounds like a madman. His whole body trembled like an aspen leaf.

In the midst of this, three crows that looked like the leaders of the flock that had attacked the estate toddled up to Lous.

Tak— Tak— Tak—.

One crow was holding a shiny black dagger in its beak. It might be due to the crow's habit of liking shiny things.

The second crow was holding a pen. It was quite a luxurious pen.

The last crow was holding three pieces of paper. One was the letter Lous had sent to other nobles to incite a rebellion, and the other was a letter he had never seen before.

The last piece of paper was a blank white sheet.

Thud—.

Thud—.

Thud—.

The three crows each placed the items they were holding in front of Lous. The dagger, the pen, and the letters and paper.

The crows offered no explanation. But Lous understood that their actions meant for him to check the letter.

In the end, Lous, managing his trembling hands with great effort, knelt and opened the ‘letter’.

As he had feared, it was a letter written by the ‘Red-Haired Witch Seria’.

I know everything you were trying to do.

I also know which ten families were going to join the Lous family in the rebellion.

Therefore, write a confession admitting your sins on the paper I gave you and stab your own heart with the dagger I gave you. Then my crows will forgive you.

—Seria Loushart

It was a short letter. But upon reading it, Lous realized his fate.

‘She… knew everything? That I was trying to start a rebellion?’

How on earth?

—that thought crossed Lous's mind.

‘I haven't even explained about the rebellion to the other families yet……?’

While such a dazed despair dominated Lous.

For some reason, Lous thought of Crown Prince Leonardo. That young tyrant who had looked down on the nobles with a cold gaze in the blood-soaked banquet hall.

‘Don't tell me…… the Crown Prince found out? But how did he find out? How on earth?’

As if time had stopped for him, Lous couldn't even blink. Then, a crow tapped the paper and pen with its claw.

Tuk-tuk-.

It felt like it was urging him to confess quickly.

A pressure not to make things tiresome for each other.

“Hh…… Hhhh…….”

Trembling in fear, Lous had no choice but to pick up the pen. He knew that dragging it out would not change his fate, but only increase his suffering.

The people being pecked to death by crows in the estate's corridor were proof of that.

Ssk-ssk—.

Lous wrote down his rebellion plan in detail on the paper.

Tak—.

Lous, who had been writing the confession with a trembling hand, wrote the last line and put down the pen.

…….

How on earth did you find out I was planning a rebellion, Crown Prince Leonardo?

As Lous completed the confession, a crow took the confession in its beak and looked at Lous. A gaze that said— isn't there still something left to do?

Tuk-tuk—!

The crow that had brought the dagger angrily pecked at the dagger with its beak. This was a clear urging. An urging to pay for his sins himself, quickly.

Lous felt regret.

‘……I should have abandoned my greed and bowed before the Crown Prince. That mad tyrant was not someone an ordinary mage like me could dare to rebel against.’

Although Lous had given up on his attachment to life, there was still something he was curious about.

‘How on earth did he know? That I was planning a rebellion?’

After deep regret and questioning himself.

Lous picked up the dagger.

Puk—.

Blood splattered on Lous's confession.

***

“It's over. I've also obtained Lous's confession. A crow will bring it.”

Seria, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, opened them and spoke calmly.

At her words, Jereuth turned his gaze from the window. He had been looking at the Lous family estate, visible in the distance.

Jereuth nodded and replied.

“It's a frightening magic still. Truly a mage who terrified countless demons. Did Lous confess willingly? Without saying anything about being framed or such?”

“He confessed willingly.”

“I see.”

“More importantly, Jereuth. Isn't there something you should say before praising how great my magic is?”

As Seria spoke with a slightly sharp tone, Jereuth replied apologetically.

“I'm sorry for doubting your loyalty to His Highness.”

“If you're sorry, then it's fine.”

Seria answered curtly, as if it was not fine at all. It seemed she was quite resentful of Jereuth for doubting her.

“By the way, how did His Highness know that the Lous family was planning a rebellion?”

“I don't know.”

“You don't know? You didn't ask? It's about a rebellion.”

“What would change if I asked His Highness? Since His Highness has already designated the Lous family as ‘enemies’, they are the enemies of the kingdom.”

“……Jereuth. That's a dangerous thing to say—.”

“‘Dangerous thing to say’?”

When Jereuth frowned slightly, Seria shut her mouth. She had acknowledged her slip of the tongue.

“I know that His Highness is not someone who would order someone to be harmed without reason. Even during the Purge, he ordered that the children not be killed, as they were innocent.”

“He ordered the children to be spared during the Purge? That's leaving behind embers—.”

“That's right. Sparing the children is like leaving behind embers. So I killed them all.”

“……”

“It was the same this time. His Highness did not order the Lous family to be purged. He just said to report back for now.”

“……But we purged the Lous family. Without receiving an order.”

“I was just helping His Highness make a choice he had to make anyway, faster and easier. It's the natural duty of a vassal.”

“……”

“In any case, you should have understood the meaning of my words. His Highness is someone who contemplates deeply before killing someone. He's different from the rulers we've known so far.”

Having finished speaking, Jereuth headed towards the door.

Then, he stopped his steps and turned back to ask Seria.

“Seria. If you had used the magic you just used during the purge of the nobles, it would have been much easier. Why didn't you use it then?”

“Hmm…… that's because of the characteristics of that magic.”

“Characteristics?”

“Yes. That magic is a ‘barrier magic’. It exerts absolute power inside the barrier, but it can be easily broken from the outside. Also, any mage of a certain level can detect the barrier before it's completed and escape. It's a magic that's difficult to succeed with, as much as its power is great, so I didn't use it.”

“I see.”

“In the first place, I could have eliminated the Kingdom Mage Corps without that magic anyway.”

As expected of the former Mage Tower Master, her confidence was apparent.

“So, are you going to report to His Highness now? That you've purged the Lous family?”

“I should.”

“Can I ask one more thing?”

“Ask away.”

“Why did you, who follow Crown Prince Leonardo so devoutly, purge the Lous family without His Highness's order? Even for you, purging one family—no, ten families—is not a matter to be taken lightly.”

“……”

Jereuth thought silently for a moment before answering in a difficult voice.

“Because I wanted to lighten His Highness's burden.”

“His Highness's burden?”

“Yes. He… no. Forget it.”

Jereuth, trailing off, thought to himself.

‘Because he truly does not like killing people. It's not that I like it either.’

***

After entrusting Jereuth with the matter of the Lous family's rebellion.

I checked the . To see what would happen in the future.

…….

The good thing is that Seria was not involved in the rebellion.

However, Jereuth, along with Seria, purged the Lous family and ten other families that were likely to join them, and even obtained confessions.

In other words, he purged a number of families in an instant without my command.

Jereuth acknowledged his crime and came to me to seek forgiveness.

Tak—.

I closed the , sighed, and thought.

‘It's a very good thing that Seria wasn't involved in the rebellion……. but I need to think about the fact that Jereuth purged the Lous family along with Seria.’

The content of the diary was correct. I did not give Jereuth an order to purge the Lous family.

Of course, I would have eliminated the Lous family one way or another, but my intention was to first find out the relationship between Seria and the Lous family.

After that, I was going to calmly think about how to deal with the Lous family and Seria.

Therefore, Jereuth purging the Lous family without my order was an act of his own accord. It was something that could not be permitted.

But.

‘Even so…… I'm grateful to Jereuth.’

I had already made up my mind to purge the Lous family. But if I had to actually order Jereuth, 「“Get rid of all those bastards.”」, I would have had all sorts of second thoughts.

Because the thoughts of a timid and weak modern person still remained in me.

But Jereuth handled the matter without me having to go through such deliberations. He had scratched the itch for me without me having to dirty my own hands.

……Yes, I decided to think positively like that.

‘They did what had to be done. Both Jereuth and Seria.’

My power in the kingdom is immense, but it is not yet properly established. Not only has it been a short time since I seized power through the Purge, but seeing as the Lous family tried to rebel, my power is not yet solid.

As such, I cannot show any weakness to anyone. Especially to the former nobles who could potentially become my enemies, I need to constantly emphasize that I am a ruthless and cold-blooded person with no blood or tears.

‘There will be many more incidents like this in the future…… so I'll have to steel my heart even more now.’

As I was organizing my thoughts.

―Knock, knock.

―Your Highness, it is Jereuth.

Jereuth's voice was heard from outside. The said Jereuth would come, and it seemed he had already arrived.

“Please open it.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

When I spoke to Elly, who was standing by the door, she opened it. Jereuth entered.

Jereuth's expression was not much different from usual. But he seemed to be watching my reaction somehow. It was probably because he had purged the Lous family without my permission.

As I had thought before, I had no intention of getting angry at Jereuth. On the contrary, I was only grateful.

So I decided to speak first.

“Commander. Have you purged the Lous family?”

“……Yes?”

Jereuth's stiff expression broke as he asked back in a dazed voice. Then he continued awkwardly.

“……How did you know I purged the Lous family?”

“I just thought you would, Commander.”

“……”

Jereuth lowered his head.

“I am sorry, Your Highness. Without even receiving Your Highness's command—.”

“It's alright. No, rather, thank you. For making a difficult choice on my behalf.”

“However, from now on, please do it after receiving my command. I also need to get used to giving such commands.”

I spoke my thoughts and feelings honestly. I was grateful that he had taken care of purging the Lous family, but if something like this happened in the future, I asked him to let me give the command.

“I understand, Your Highness. From now on, I will listen to Your Highness's command before acting.”

“Yes. Is there anything else you wish to say?”

“No.”

“Then you may go. You must be busy with recruiting new soldiers and various other tasks.”

“Yes. Then I will take my leave.”

Jereuth's expression and voice were much brighter than when he had entered the room.

***

Jereuth, after leaving Leonardo's room.

He recalled Leonardo's words just now and let out a dry laugh.

‘……He is a person one cannot bring oneself to hate. No, one cannot help but respect him.’

Jereuth had been quite worried internally. It was only natural, as he had purged a family without his command, even if it was for Leonardo's sake.

‘But His Highness brought it up first and even said he was grateful…….’

Ha—.

‘It's beyond respect, it's almost frightening. I'm afraid my incompetence will disappoint him. To avoid that, I must work as hard as I am lacking.’

Jereuth walked quickly towards the 3rd Knight Order barracks. There was still much to be done for the recruitment of new soldiers to give his lord, Leonardo, even stronger power.

***

The Lous family and ten other families had conspired in a rebellion.

The rumor that the Crown Prince had found out in advance and purged those families.

That rumor spread throughout the entire royal castle in an instant, and the Crown Prince's reign of terror once again made the officials fearful.

His ruthlessness was once again engraved in their minds.

What made the officials even more fearful was that this purge was carried out solely by the ‘Red-Haired Witch’ Seria, not the ‘Tyrant's Sword’ Jereuth. This made the officials realize that the Crown Prince was a very powerful being even without the 3rd Knight Order.

However, what frightened the officials more than anything was the ‘Crown Prince's ability’ itself. It was because the Crown Prince had discovered Lous's rebellion, which none of them, his fellow officials, had even had an inkling of.

The officials could not even fathom the extent of his information network and means.

With this incident, the officials genuinely accepted that their comeback was now impossible.

As they say, if you can't avoid it, enjoy it? Some of them even sincerely vowed to pledge their loyalty to Leonardo.

In times of turmoil, the weak are bound to follow the strong. That is human instinct.

***

Two days after the purge of the Lous family, in front of the royal castle walls.

Until recently, the area in front of the royal castle walls had been occupied by beggars who begged from nobles and some wealthy merchants.

But now, the scene was quite different. Numerous tents, the kind one would see on a battlefield, had been set up, and a large number of people were lined up in front of them.

From young boys who seemed to have just shed their childhood, to heads of households in their early to mid-30s, the prime of their strength.

All of them were applicants for the ‘Kingdom Army Recruitment’ that had begun with Crown Prince Leonardo's proclamation.

“Those who volunteer as new recruits for the Kingdom Army, line up here!”

“Line up in rows of fifty!”

“You are volunteers for the King's army! Maintain order! Those who do not maintain order will be disqualified from applying to be a soldier!”

Leonardo's ‘Recruitment of New Soldiers’, which had been thoroughly secured through the purge of the Lous family, was beginning.

The reconstruction of the kingdom was beginning in earnest.