BXBX NOVEL Chapter 126
Chapter 126
“….”
The conference hall was filled with people, yet only one person sat at the head table, deep in thought.
The Minister of the Imperial Household Ministry and the Chamberlain stood beside him, maintaining a respectful silence so as not to disturb his contemplation.
“He must have said the same thing to you. And I will do the same.”
The Emperor had met countless people. As the pinnacle of power, there was no shortage of those who coveted his throne.
To gain power, one must first learn to deceive others. And to deceive others, one must deceive oneself. Thus, hypocrisy is born, and hypocrites are made.
There were those who claimed to serve the people of the empire but ultimately sought their own gain.
Those who spoke of loyalty but were ultimately driven by the allure of sweet rewards.
Those who claimed to think only of the country but secretly prioritized themselves and their families.
Yet, the Emperor did not blame them.
How could one be purely good?
Humans are a collection of desires. They have things they want, and to achieve them, they sometimes deceive and are deceived.
As long as they did not cause undue harm to others in the process, the Emperor was willing to overlook their deceptions.
Such was the case with the Duke, his former political partner.
Such was the case with the Elves beyond the Empire.
And now, such was the case with the new Queen of Lasker.
“…How pitiful.”
The Emperor truly pitied the young man, Karl Adelheit.
He had rejected such immense glory, something others might strive for their entire lives and never achieve.
It would have been better if his refusal had been a pretense, like the hypocrisy of others, to further elevate his reputation or a calculated political move.
Had he refused in order to gain something greater, I would have thought, ‘Not bad for a young man,’ and let it slide.
‘But that wasn’t it at all.’
Having been in that position for so long, the Emperor was confident in his ability to judge people.
An old man who had survived the endless struggle for power was practically a monster.
The Emperor was confident that his judgment had never been wrong.
From that perspective, Karl was speaking from the heart. There was no ulterior motive.
The burden of being called a hero. The guilt of having outlived those he had eaten, slept, and fought alongside. The immense responsibility of enjoying this while they were gone.
Karl said he wasn’t doing this solely out of guilt for them. But could that truly be the case?
Could he truly let go of that guilt?
The Emperor doubted it. It was a nightmare that the survivor had to bear.
‘He will probably live like this for a long time, perhaps his entire life.’
The Emperor had been pleased to hear that the Empire had such a fine young man, a scion of the nobility.
But now, he saw a wounded child, still bearing unhealed scars. The war was over, and Karl knew it, but he couldn’t easily let go.
The Emperor understood, but he couldn’t say it. What right did he have to say such a thing?
An Emperor must never lose anything. Even if he did, he must reclaim it.
Therefore, he had never lost anything. Thus, he could not say that he understood.
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince awaits your presence.”
“…Let him in.”
At the Emperor’s command, the Crown Prince entered the conference room a moment later.
Perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere, he spoke cautiously.
“I heard you were looking for me, Father.”
“You must have a general idea of what happened today, my son.”
“Yes, Father.”
The Crown Prince knew that there had already been several meetings about establishing a medal named after Karl Adelheit, and that the Emperor had been positive about it.
But now, something seemed amiss. He didn’t know the details, but—
“My son.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Have their sacrifices truly been justly rewarded?”
“…Father?”
Caught off guard by the question, the Crown Prince tried to discern the Emperor’s intentions.
However, he still lacked information. He needed to find out why his father would say such a thing.
“I am not wise enough to understand your words, Father.”
“I am not asking you to understand. This is just… a lament of mine, who has only received loyalty.”
“Father!”
The Crown Prince, the Minister of the Imperial Household Ministry, and the Chamberlain hastily prostrated themselves.
What a shocking thing to say! Why would he say such a thing, especially in front of others?
The ruler of the Empire must never appear weak.
“How pitiful. Truly pitiful. I am grateful to the Empire for having such heroes, but it pains me that we have lost so many of them.”
“… ”
“We do our best for them, but how can it be enough? The dead do not return, and what can I say to those who remain?”
A young man who, simply because he survived, strives to help those in similar situations.
The Emperor fell silent for a moment, then looked at the three kneeling figures and spoke.
“The establishment of the Karl Adelheit medal will be canceled. Instead, prepare a new proposal to improve the treatment of Imperial soldiers.”
“Yes, Father.”
You will care for those who fought and were injured. I will embrace them, you, and all those who serve the Empire.
Despite my confidence in my efforts, I realize once again that I was mistaken. Recompense for sacrifice should be endless, yet I harbored the arrogant thought that this was enough.
* * *
Damn. I’m sweating bullets. Karl, you crazy bastard.
Even if that’s how you feel, wasn’t that a bit too bold in front of the Emperor?
I was nervous as I spoke, worried that I might displease the Emperor.
Lately, the incidents I’ve been causing have been so large-scale that I’m afraid the Emperor might feel burdened, and the first to be screwed would be me and my family.
Fortunately, our Emperor only responded with a ‘Very well’ as he looked at me.
His expression wasn’t great, so I was a bit worried, but it seems to have ended well, thankfully.
With another storm behind me, I returned to the academy—
“Lav!”
“Master… Senior Karl.”
Lav, with visibly sunken eyes, appeared before me.
“… Are you okay?”
She seems very busy.
Correction! She seems incredibly busy and exhausted.
As I mentioned before, Lav’s midterm results weren’t exactly stellar.
Eloise, who seems far removed from studying, even got higher scores.
‘That was quite surprising. Eloise was smart!’
If Eloise had heard this, she might have retorted, ‘What’s that supposed to mean?! Why did you assume I was dumb?!’
Anyway, disappointed with the results compared to her efforts, Lav embarked on a bone-grinding second attempt.
She already didn’t appear before me often unless it was absolutely necessary, due to her Sharpshooter trait.
Now, it’s become even harder to see her.
You know, that kind of position. A character who’s clearly been around for a while but keeps getting forgotten because they haven’t had any screen time.
Lav is slowly heading in that direction.
“I’m fine. I’m totally fine.”
“…You don’t look fine at all.”
This won’t do. A Sharpshooter who’s even received the Silver Star Military Order of Merit can’t be this miserable.
“M-Master?”
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Senior?”
“Ah, yes. S-Senior! Y-You really don’t have to…”
“Quiet, and just look straight ahead.”
I carefully massage Lav’s shoulders. For the record, even Selena approves of my massage skills.
She says that after a session, her stiff shoulders feel relaxed and the dull ache disappears, helping her focus better on her studies.
I think it’s probably because of my grip strength. I’ve swung a greatsword countless times and grabbed many Kanfras by the scruff of their necks with these hands. It would be weird if I didn’t have strength.
“Wow. Your shoulders are literally rock hard. Have you been studying like this the whole time?”
“Well… I was so pressed for time that I didn’t even notice.”
“Take it easy. Take it easy.”
These aren’t shoulders, they’re practically rocks.
Even if a Sharpshooter has to wait like a stone sometimes, their muscles and joints shouldn’t turn into stone.
“Eek! H-Hic!”
Every time I apply pressure, Lav lets out an amusing little moan.
Is it from pain? Or is it because it feels good?
“How’s that? Do your shoulders feel better?”
“W-Well…”
“Well, what? Speak clearly.”
“I mean! I-I think I might know if you could do it a little longer!”
“…Is that so?”
I’ve noticed lately that Lav is quite the sly fox.
Well, I suppose she wouldn’t have achieved that much against the Kanfras if she were just a pushover.
“…Senior Karl.”
“You want five more minutes?”
“I would be grateful if you… No! I mean, I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
I asked, pressing down on her shoulder.
Lav lets out a strange, “Eek!” and flinches.
“Senior, you… Well, it’s just… You’re very kind, both then and now— Hyaagh! I-I mean it!”
“Kind? I’m just trying to help you do well.”
“To me! To me, that’s a very kind thing— Aghgyaack! Th-Thing to do!”
Alright, alright, I get it. Please stop with the weird screams. It’s too funny, and I’m losing my grip.