ushernet Chapter 198 : Chapter 198
Chapter 198 : Chapter 198
The swordsmanship tournament held during the Emperor’s birthday festival.To the Emperor’s cautious suggestion of participating in that tournament, Leonardo answered immediately.
“Excellent.”
“…You also answer promptly. I thought you would hesitate a little.”
“Because I am confident. But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“What is the prize for winning? Since it is a tournament held during the Emperor’s birthday festival, the prize must be grand.”
When Leonardo asked, this time the Emperor answered in a slightly pensive voice.
“It depends on the skill of the tournament winner, but I generally grant a wish that I can grant. Money, honor, title, anything. But that would not be a tempting prize for you. Since you said you did not even desire the chance to obtain the entire empire.”
“That is not necessarily the case. There is something I want.”
“What is it? You who even refused to become my son and the next emperor?”
The Emperor asked as if he were genuinely curious.
He was curious about what Leonardo, who had effectively refused the chance to become the next emperor of the empire, would want.
‘Does he want my daughter? There are many beautiful children, so that could be it.’
—The Emperor thought so, but he was wrong.
“Please allow me to arbitrarily take the people of the empire I desire. About 30, 40… no, about 50 people.”
“People? Do you mean slaves?”
“Anyone. If you allow that, I will go to the tournament and perform a sword dance for the Emperor.”
‘To take the people I want.’
At a glance, it might seem like nothing special.
In fact, it was the same for the Emperor.
‘He wants to take people? Does he intend to take someone from the royal family and hold them hostage? That can’t be it… ah.’
As he was thinking, the Emperor understood Leonardo’s intention.
‘…This one intends to take talent from the empire in fields that his own kingdom lacks. He intends to take knowledge and information.’
Being an emperor with a great desire for talent, Leonardo’s request to take ‘people’ was understandable.
‘He will take the talent that the Plank Kingdom lacks and make his own kingdom even more prosperous and powerful.’
For that young king to have such thoughts.
The Emperor coveted Leonardo even more.
But on the other hand, he was also worried.
‘The Plank Kingdom is already strong. But what does it mean to gather more talent to become even stronger?’
Perhaps.
‘With that power… he might be planning to attack the empire.’
If that were the case, the Emperor could not tolerate it.
The empire he had built with such effort, he could not let it be destroyed even after his death.
The King of Plank was very similar to him, so he might start a war of conquest someday.
But then.
“As Your Majesty may have noticed, the reason I want to take the empire’s talent to my kingdom is to make the Plank Kingdom even more prosperous and powerful.”
“…I suppose so.”
“But do not worry. I will not attack the Angla Empire under any circumstances. The same goes for other empires or kingdoms. I will never launch a preemptive strike.”
“Not launching a preemptive strike means… if someone attacks the Plank Kingdom, you will not only defend but also retaliate?”
“Is that not obvious? One must return what was received several times over to not be looked down upon.”
“Hmm…”
“That being said, I will make it clear once more. There will be no instance of me attacking the empire, so please do not worry. I am simply trying to take talented individuals so that the people of Plank can live happier and better lives.”
The young king spoke as if he had read the mind of the emperor who had sat on the throne for decades.
Whether those words were true or not was unknown.
But one thing was certain.
‘This one… I like him too much. Really.’
To read the Emperor’s mind.
It was an impossible thing.
‘But he is too much like me.’
He himself had been the same.
When he was young like the King of Plank, all he wanted was for the then ‘Angla Kingdom’ to prosper.
But as the kingdom gradually grew stronger, it was checked by the surrounding kingdoms.
‘So in the end, I drew the sword of revenge. In the process, I found myself waging a war of conquest without knowing it, and in the end, I gained the name I did not want, ‘Emperor of Iron and Blood.’’
Would this young king be different?
No one would know.
Human destiny is a complex thing that even the gods cannot know, so only time can tell.
‘In any case… I should get some insurance. At least the minimum insurance that can prevent that young king from attacking the Angla Empire after my death. I don’t know if it will work, though.’
“I will allow it. However.”
“However?”
“Three of the people you take must be my daughters. It does not matter whether you marry those daughters or not, but you must produce a son and send him to the empire.”
“…”
“Then I will allow you to take scholars or artists from the empire. But those who belong to the army are not allowed.”
Konstan, who had been quietly listening to the conversation between Leonardo and the Emperor.
He no longer knew how to react to the conversation between the old emperor and the young king.
‘Is His Majesty… worried about being attacked?’
Otherwise, there was no way he would say, 「“If we are to prevent you from attacking the empire, we must at least have a hostage.”」
‘Of course, the Plank Kingdom’s army is unusual. But… hmm.’
Konstan’s heart was heavy.
Because he somehow felt and saw it.
‘The power over the continent that the Angla Empire had… seems like it will go to that young king.’
No, it definitely would.
When the ‘Emperor of Iron and Blood’ could not overcome the years and fell into an eternal sleep.
‘His Majesty knows that too… so for the safety of the empire, he intends to hold the King of Plank’s son hostage. So that the empire will have strength even after his death.’
As befitting a vassal trusted by the Emperor, Konstan had grasped a considerable part of the Emperor’s intentions.
But he had not fully understood.
The Emperor and King Leonardo—those two look-alikes—had slightly different thoughts.
“Well. For whatever reason, if I were to decide to attack the Angla Empire, my son being held hostage would not be an obstacle. I might be saying this because I do not have a child yet… but a son can be had anytime, whereas an opportune moment, once missed, is gone forever.”
“…”
“If I judge that the Angla Empire will be harmful to the Plank Kingdom, I will definitely use any means first. And once I start making a plan, it will surely be accomplished.”
“Is that how you occupied the Jerpan Archipelago as well?”
“Do you know about it?”
“I do not know the details, but I know to some extent. It seems you brought down the Jerpan Archipelago not only with military force but also with diplomatic methods.”
“It was not grand enough to be called a ‘method.’ It was just that the envoy of the Jerpan Archipelago was wise.”
“Hmph, is that so.”
Puff—.
Emperor Caturos smoked his pipe and continued.
“Yes, you are not a person who would miss an opportunity or a crisis over a child. But one never knows how things will turn out. I can declare it because you are like me, but abandoning family is not an easy thing.”
“…”
“Even if you, after much deliberation, decide to abandon your child and turn against the Angla Empire, that in itself is a help. In the few days you are deliberating, the Angla Empire will be able to prepare for your attack.”
“Are you saying you will give me three of your daughters to buy those few days?”
“Three are not enough. Take them all if you want.”
“…No, that is fine. Having many wives seems like it would only create internal chaos in many ways. Rather, I think the story has strayed. We are talking as if we are going to war tomorrow.”
“Haha, that’s right. When we are on such good terms now.”
The Emperor’s words contained many meanings.
The fact that they were on good terms ‘now’ seemed to imply that the relationship between the Angla Empire and the Plank Kingdom would sour someday.
‘I hope I’m wrong… but the next emperor will probably not be able to lead the empire properly. And then he will make a foolish choice. Either by starting a war to divert internal chaos outward, or by failing to prevent a civil war.’
Taking advantage of that gap, other kingdoms would covet the empire’s fertile land.
Dynasties that had their land taken in the past might rise up again.
‘At that time, what judgment will the Plank Kingdom, no, that king, make?’
It was obvious.
If it seemed the Angla Empire was going to fall anyway, he would take it himself before others did.
‘I was like that too. I remember now. How I ended up starting a war of conquest.’
After thinking for a long time, Emperor Caturos said in a slightly tired voice.
“Then let us settle it like that. You will participate in the swordsmanship tournament, and if you win, you will take the empire’s talent.”
“Yes.”
“I will look forward to the swordsmanship tournament. However, it would be better not to be too complacent. My empire has many talented individuals. And—.”
“And?”
“In the empire’s swordsmanship tournament, no armor of any kind can be worn. Only a single sword can be held. In other words, you could die. Do you understand?”
At a glance, it sounded like a threat, but the Emperor had no intention of threatening him.
Rather, he was a little worried. Worried that the young king he coveted would be struck by a stray sword and die.
But as if such worries were unnecessary, Leonardo said with a smile.
“If I was fated to die in a tournament, I would have died long ago. My fate is not so weak.”
“…”
“Oh, and I haven’t given you your gift yet.”
“Ah, yes. The gift.”
Because it was a gift from a person whom he himself, and no one else, had acknowledged.
The Emperor was, for the first time in a long time, quite looking forward to a ‘gift.’
Ssk—.
Leonardo took the gift from the box.
It was… an ‘egg.’
“A gift that no one else can give, a ‘Griffon’s egg.’”
“…A Griffon’s egg?”
“Yes. I barely managed to get it by persuading the Alpha Gryphon, so please raise it with care. It is known that a Griffon considers the first person it sees upon hatching from its egg as its parent. However.”
Leonardo finished his words as he handed the egg to the Emperor.
“Even if it is a parent, if it is not satisfactory, they say it will attack, so please be careful. For your reference, even a baby Griffon is not to be underestimated.”
“Hmm… I see. How long will it take for this egg to hatch?”
“It will hatch within five years.”
“Hatch within five years…”
The Emperor thought for a moment.
He nodded his head as if truly satisfied.
“I can give this to the one who will become the next emperor. Then, if that one is not even worthy of being acknowledged by a Griffon, he can be ambushed by the baby Griffon and die.”
He spoke cheerfully on the outside.
But inside, his heart was very anxious.
Because of the concern that he must obtain a successor who could stand against the young and capable king before his eyes.
***
A week later.
Bang—!
Kaboom—!
Numerous fireworks exploded in the capital of the empire, the Emperor’s city, the ‘Imperial Capital.’
Along with that, drums celebrating the Emperor’s birthday sounded from here and there, and the citizens and travelers began to look forward to the festival that was about to begin.
Among them, the most anticipated event.
It was, of course, the ‘Swordsmanship Tournament’ in which anyone from the empire could participate.
As the Angla Empire revered strength and the sword, the swordsmanship tournament was always the biggest event.
Moreover, this year, there was talk that some from the delegations of other kingdoms invited for the Emperor’s birthday would also participate, so the anticipation was even greater.
However, the person the people were most looking forward to was—.
“Did you hear? Sir Knight Jereuth is participating in this year’s swordsmanship tournament!”
First, Jereuth.
And second.
“The King of Plank, who came leading the ‘Jet-Black Fleet,’ is also participating, they say!”
“Wow, the king is participating himself? What if he gets hurt or dies?”
“Isn’t that what makes it so cool? It’s like our Emperor in his youth!”
“Oh… that’s true! His Majesty the Emperor also won the swordsmanship tournament!”
That’s right. The people of the empire, the travelers, everyone was looking forward to the great hero Jereuth and the King of Plank.
And what was most anticipated along with that was—.
“But what if those two fight? Will they really fight until they shed blood?”
What would happen if a king and his subject were to fight in a swordsmanship tournament, that was it.