Episode 196 Crisis of the Empire (5)
At his words, the emperor asked again.
“Please. Please think again.”
When did the leader of the most powerful country bow his head?
I swear, the nobles had never seen the Emperor like this before.
However, Ray was not interested in whether the Emperor’s head was bent down or sideways.
It is said that sometimes he behaves like an adolescent girl, but it was not easy to get his mind back once he had turned around.
Ray muttered in front of the emperor as if he wanted everyone to hear.
“You treat me like a saint only when you feel sad. Until just now, I told you to leave immediately.”
At those words, the emperor glared at the central nobles.
There was no one who could look into those wide open eyes.
Is this what it means to kill a person with a look?
If he waited a little longer, it seemed that even blades would burst out of the emperor’s eyes.
The embarrassing nobles yielded to the Emperor’s will.
“…You made a mistake. I offer my sincere apologies.”
“Who dares to tell the saint to leave? You can have as much as you like!”
It was an instant to change his attitude.
I’d say he’s really good at politics.
If the opponent came out this politically, he was also confident that he would match the mood.
Ray said, raising two fingers.
“If a merchant misses the right time, the price of the goods goes up. The price goes up because it keeps popping up. Write down the history of each family in detail on the parchment. And…”
He paused for a moment before continuing, lifting the corner of his mouth.
“Give me one-third of your family fortune. I tried to help out of loyalty, but since you’re reluctant, I’ll move you with money.”
All of the mouths of the audience, who had been forced to smile at the remark that made it impossible to tell whether it was a bandit or a saint, were shut.
“….”
“….”
What did he just say? They look back at each other with the same gaze, but often shake their heads at each other.
Someone said with a smile on their face again.
“Could you say it again?”
“Give me the money.”
“….”
It took only 3 seconds for the words to disappear.
At his words, a nobleman suggested it while frowning.
“Ask for money is a bit… overly straightforward. If so, how about 10%? I think there are enough of them, but…”
Despite attempts to negotiate, Ray’s expression didn’t change, and he didn’t even move.
“When you get old and become senile, you do that too. I should never do that.”
It’s a rude remark, but it’s them who are sorry.
Besides, I can’t even press it with force, so I feel frustrated and I’m going crazy.
“…20%.”
“good bye.”
Seeing him turn his back as if he were really about to leave the battlefield, the emperor’s eyes shone with blood as if he were about to go out in hellfire.
It was not possible to become a traitor by violating the imperial order, and it was a situation where you could not point fingers at the saint as a madman, so it was embarrassing.
They looked at each other and looked at each other as if they were unfair.
“Isn’t that too much? What will we live on if we give up three-quarters of our property!”
At the words of a nobleman, Ray glanced at him.
You can see how well he’s been eating by looking at his bloated body and the greasiness on his face.
This could lead to myocardial infarction due to obesity.
“If you don’t like it, quit. I will return to the Holy Land.”
If you don’t want to spend money and don’t want to disclose your power, there’s nothing you can do about it.
Whether the empire is eaten by wyverns or bandits is out of the question now.
Anyway, whoever eats it will be better than the current small people.
As he strode through Daejeon without hesitation, the nobles were at a loss.
As a result, tendons sprouted from the emperor’s eyes as if tears of blood would flow, and Gregory was touching the handle of his sword as if he were going to draw it at any moment.
Under pressure from all sides, the central nobles eventually raised their hands.
“I see! As an apology, you should do that much…!”
“I intended to do as you wished from the beginning. Great.”
“What a great gut!”
As if they had put an iron plate on their faces, those who had been pushing people 10 minutes ago brazenly spoke up.
Ray lifted the parchment from the table, narrowing his eyes.
“…Once it’s decided, there’s not much time, so hurry up. I write down the strength of each family in detail and how many troops can be secretly moved at once.”
“….”
With a disapproving expression, each person picks up a pen and starts scribbling on the parchment.
I said I’d do it, so I can’t do it.
Rather than die here, it would be better to hold back tears and reveal the history of the family.
Their unwillingness to do so was reflected in their actions.
Ray nodded his head as he slowly moved his pen.
“You write so leisurely. In the morning, the empire will be completely on fire.”
The listening emperor is upset.
As such, the number of times Gregory touched his sword continued to increase.
Swallowing their saliva, the speed at which they moved their pens increased.
Ray stood to one side and looked at them.
Judging by the amount of writing on the parchment, it seems that there are quite a few troops that can be called military power.
Well, there may be some hidden troops among them, but if there is no big difference, there is no need to worry about it.
What he wanted to know was how many surplus troops were left in each family.
Ray thought as he glanced at the imperial family sitting frozen in a corner.
‘This is obviously something the nobles joined forces to bring in troops. Otherwise, I can’t move like this stealthily.’
If the imperial family had been used, there would be nothing the emperor would not know about, and there would have been a limit to the forces they could move.
On the other hand, what if you gathered the nobles’ private soldiers little by little?
If you gather one or two high-quality personnel and form a small elite, it is possible to hit the wyvern rare.
As he glanced at Gregory, he, who was standing next to the emperor, took something out of his bosom and handed it to him.
“This is the number of nobles enlisted annually.”
“great job.”
There is something worthwhile in advance.
If there are nobles who have less or more enlisted soldiers compared to this, you can intensively investigate them.
While they were working hard, thinking about their power, Ray passed by, glancing at the parchment without them knowing.
‘The only thing I can trust is the central nobility. It’s because the probability that those who are held tightly by the emperor will plan a rebellion is low.’
That’s why he asked Gregory to gather the central nobility.
If local aristocrats are involved, there is a risk that the story will turn into a headache.
Of course, there was nothing that I couldn’t catch, but I had to finish all the work by morning, so it was relatively limited.
After some time, when nobles submitted parchments, Ray was looking through them one at a time.
Disparate content popped up from the beginning.
“This is strange. Baron Clude.”
The baron who had been called responded quickly.
“Why is that?”
“The number of privates submitted to His Majesty at the end of the year and the number of privates entered now do not match. The power is the same, but the number has increased? Why did you increase the number of enlisted men?”
“…”
Baron Clud glanced at the emperor.
Then he looked straight ahead with a frown.
He was infinitely scared because he was not a marquis or a duke, and answered hesitantly.
“That’s… the number of enlisted soldiers is far too small to wipe out the monsters in the Territory…” ”
But what if we increase it without saying anything? Do you know that other territories don’t increase because they don’t have monsters?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I have nothing to apologize for. The next Count Ophel.”
“yes.”
He who guided Ray from the imperial castle slightly lowered his head.
“The number of knights is very inconsistent. Why is that?”
“It’s because of the Seungmu system.”
“Seungmu system?”
“yes. Originally, active duty knights cannot participate in the Seungmu Festival. That’s why there are cases where you return to being a semi-knight or put your knighthood aside for a while and participate in the Seungmuje. This is such a case.”
“Hmm… yes. Then there is nothing to be concerned about.”
“Thank you for a good look.”
The profits they have earned as enlisted soldiers so far are staggering.
The more enlisted soldiers you have, the more convenient it is to operate the family guild, and the better it is to expand your territory by driving out monsters.
As such, Count Opil complied with the established standards and was reluctant to hire private soldiers.
I couldn’t help but look good.
Did you compare the time like that? All the parchments were sorted and divided into those with significant differences and those with no differences.
The thicker the difference, the thicker it is, whereas the remaining ones are not much.
It must be proof that there were so many people who committed corruption without the emperor’s knowledge.
The emperor, looking at the scene, couldn’t lift his face in shame.
How could they not be ashamed when their private parts were revealed to the saints of the Holy Land, not from the same Empire?
said Ray, tapping the parchments.
“What about the rest? This was very much trying to make a nation out of a family. What the hell does it take to lead a family like this?”
“….”
“….”
“You weren’t thinking of a rebellion, were you?”
As he smiled and said it as if he were joking, the blood disappeared from the faces of the members of the royal family, including the nobles.
The crime of insurrection and the crime of rebellion.
It is the most serious crime along with disobedience to the imperial order.
If it turns out to be true, the ringleader will destroy the three generations.
The family itself, from parents to children, is destroyed.
It was natural for the atmosphere to freeze in an instant when such a heavy joke was thrown casually.
Ray, who intended him, scratched the back of his head and said exaggeratedly.
“Why are you doing this? ha ha ha. Let go of your face. You all don’t think so, do you?”
A lifeline descended from the sky and the nobles quickly grabbed it.
“That’s right! How dare you rebel without knowing His Majesty’s grace! This is unforgivable!”
“How can human beings come up with such vulgar things! Isn’t rebellion a betrayal of the heart? It should be sprouted!”
Likewise, Ray, who was able to elicit an exaggerated reaction from them, lifted the corner of his mouth.
He approached the emperor and Gregory and secretly cast magic.
With his back turned away from the nobles, he decided to raise mana, and only a very weak mana rose and the magic was cast.
“Silent. Listen to what everyone is saying right now. We rebel on purpose tonight. There must be a culprit among them.”
“…What is that…”
“Your Majesty, pay more attention to the surroundings when you move your mouth. There’s nothing good about knowing that magic was used right now.”
The emperor nodded slowly at his gesture as he spoke in a whisper.
After paused for a moment, Ray held up the parchment in his hand and looked at the two as if he understood.
“Cancel.”
Rey, who hurriedly dispelled the magic, muttered in a loud voice.
“It’s embarrassing. I can’t find out who did it, so I can’t catch the culprit.”
When the bait was thrown, biting fish appeared one after another.
“What do you mean? You mean you can’t catch me even after doing this?”
“I’m sure you didn’t talk like you were going to catch it earlier, did you?”
Ray shrugged at their protest.
“That doesn’t work. There must be so many people who have committed corruption.”
There must be dozens of people stabbed by that one word.
Ray took a piece of parchment out of his pocket and showed it to them who were dumbfounded for a moment.
It looked very similar to the wyvern lord’s mana contract he had given to the emperor.
“Fortunately, what is this? This is the Wyvern Lord’s mana contract. I was promised to do you a favor last time, so let me ask you to forgive me with this.”
It was just a parchment slightly scorched with mana after scribbling on a mana contract or something.
However, if you look at it from a distance, anyone can see it as a mana contract.
Those who were deceived by his words swallowed their saliva.
“Is that…really?”
