Morris's Grand Entrance as Noble Faction Leader. Emir, Why Are You Here?

Ronald the Finance Minister, participating in the grand hall council, was extremely anxious.

Is he still not coming?

It was because Morris, who had announced his intention to attend the council in the grand hall, had yet to appear. Just when would he show up? Ronald, growing ever more restless, inwardly stamped his feet while waiting for Morris.

At that moment, the emperor's humming voice echoed through the hall.

"Hmmm hmmm."

For the past few days, the emperor had seemed in high spirits, for reasons unknown to him. Thanks to that, the council's atmosphere wasn't bad.

The grand hall council was mostly led and dominated by the emperor's faction. The biggest reason was the absence of Siegfried Duke, who would normally check the emperor and Gaston Solarion Duke.

"……Please approve the expansion of the Defense Ministry's budget."

"So be it."

Even now, no noble raised any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠objection to Gaston Solarion Duke's proposal. Nominally, the noble faction and emperor faction were divided, but in reality, it was the emperor faction's unchecked dominance.

The emperor's good mood was surely because of that.

"Ronald Count is awfully tight-lipped today? Won't you say something?"

The emperor asked, looking at Ronald Count.

"Do you mean this humble servant?"

"Yes. You're the Finance Minister, after all. Even if someone recommended you for the position."

It was a jab at how he'd become Finance Minister with Emily's help. The emperor chuckled as he finished speaking. It was laughter utterly lacking in the dignity befitting an emperor of a nation.

That was when it happened.

"Your Majesty, the Magic Department Minister has entered the grand hall to participate in the council!"

A soldier entered and reported to the emperor.

"Magic Department Minister? You mean Morris Dmitry?"

"Yes!"

He was a man who never attended grand hall councils unless something major occurred. Due to the special nature of the Magic Department, he was also someone who didn't need to participate. For such a person to now join the council?

Question marks filled the minds of everyone in the hall, including the emperor. Everyone except Ronald.

"Let him enter."

No sooner had the emperor's words ended than the grand hall's doors swung wide open.

A man possessing noble beauty stepped forward gracefully, one measured step at a time. The strongest mage, the man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hailed as the empire's mightiest human. It was Morris Dmitry.

"I see the Sun of the Empire."

Feeling the piercing gazes, I bowed before the emperor.

"What brings the Magic Department Minister here? I thought there'd be no need for you today."

"I have come to report an important matter to Your Majesty."

"An important matter?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

Before opening my mouth, I surveyed the room. Gaston Solarion Duke, the leader of the emperor faction, stared at me in surprise. The noble faction nobles, excluding Ronald, wore similar expressions.

The sudden appearance of the Magic Department Minister. The empire's war hero. Why was this man here?

Feeling their stares, I slowly opened my mouth.

"I am here to report the atrocities committed by His Majesty Emperor Ryuclid."

"What?"

The emperor's eye twitched as he looked down at me. It was a face utterly different from the leisurely smile he'd worn moments ago.

"What did you just say, Minister?"

"Rather than me saying it with my own mouth, this might be more convenient."

I pulled a small mana stone from my bosom.

The words the former emperor had spoken to me poured out from the mana stone into the world. It was his own confession of what he'd done to the empress.

The nobles gasped in horror upon hearing the countless tortures the emperor had inflicted on the empress. They had long known the emperor was vicious. But to torture her to death himself!

Then, upon hearing how he'd thrown her to the Imperial Guard, sighs of anger and pity began rising here and there.

"How could this be."

"What is this?"

"Is this story true?"

"That's the emperor's voice."

"But you know this is the Imperial Palace. Mana doesn't work here……."

The Imperial Palace where mana doesn't work. At those words, all eyes turned to me.

The palace, filled with mana rifts, doesn't properly activate magic, let alone mana stones.

That's right. Mana stones don't activate here.

"Couldn't it be a forgery?"

An emperor faction noble posed the question to me. The emperor said nothing. He hadn't expected me to reveal the secret he'd only told me, right here.

Captured by betrayal, he glared at me with bloodshot eyes.

"You think it's a forgery?"

I said, looking at the noble who'd questioned me. Then I pulled out a new mana stone.

"It's the same thing. A recording device."

"Wh-what? How?"

Everyone looked at me in panicked voices.

The countless books I'd found in the dungeon of the succubus transcendent, Lilith. Among the lost ancient magics, I'd read about mana stones that could use mana even in mana rifts.

I'd found one and secretly recorded the emperor's confession of his crimes against the empress. That was this mana stone.

"H-how?"

Everyone stared at me in bewilderment at the mana stone's clear performance.

"If this voice isn't enough, I can provide related evidence as well, Your Majesty."

"Where is the empress?"

The emperor ground his teeth, glaring at me.

"Worried now? About the empress you tore apart and shattered."

"Tell me! I asked where she is!"

"She is currently resting outside the capital for recuperation."

"Morris Dmitry! You dog bastard!"

BAM!

The emperor slammed the throne. His eyes, fixed on me, burned with rage.

"You dare betray me?"

Was it fury at the betrayal? Or shame that his secrets were exposed? Losing rational judgment, the emperor drew his sword and rose from the throne.

Such an extreme reaction. It was as good as admitting his actions himself. To the point I didn't even need to present more evidence.

"Your Majesty!"

Gaston Solarion Duke urgently stood and restrained the emperor.

"Please calm yourself. There are many eyes watching."

"Solarion Duke! Step aside. I'm going to kill that traitor right now!"

"Your Majesty!"

The emperor looked at me with bloodshot eyes. Those bulging veins turning red. I'd seen it often. Usually closer to arousal than anger, though.

"Your Majesty, no emperor in history has ever harmed an empress with his own hands. If Your Majesty is the sun of the empire, the empress is the empire's moon."

I said to the emperor with a gentle smile.

"Harming the empire's moon is something that cannot be overlooked, even by Your Majesty. I believe we must thoroughly investigate and deliberate on the punishment."

"Morris! I'll kill you with my own hands!"

"Your Majesty, haven't you enjoyed yourself plenty until now? Now it's time to pay the price."

This wouldn't lead to the emperor's dethronement. But it would spark countless voices within the emperor faction.

Even a famously cruel emperor had lines he couldn't cross. One was touching the emperor's consort, the empress.

Voices questioning if they could trust the emperor would rise, and defections would follow. That meant the emperor's power was weakening.

And that was the purpose of this accusation. To declare to the nobles that I was now the emperor's enemy, while inciting division in the emperor faction.

"Who dares punish the emperor of the empire!"

The emperor, seemingly out of his mind, swung his sword wildly in a rampage. If Solarion Duke beside him hadn't blocked it, several nobles would have lost their heads already.

"What will you do, Solarion Duke?"

"What do you mean?"

Anger laced Solarion Duke's voice as he spoke to me.

"Isn't forming a special investigation team to probe the imperial family your responsibility, Solarion Duke? Surely the emperor faction won't overlook this incident?"

"Have you been hiding your fangs all this time, Morris?"

"Of course."

If he refused to form the special investigation team, the emperor faction's legitimacy would plummet. The lesser of two evils. Solarion had to choose the better option.

"Fine. We'll form it and investigate."

"Solarion Duke, even you!"

The emperor, looking as if he'd lost his reason, screamed at Solarion's choice.

"I'll volunteer for the investigation team, so please add me to the list."

"……Understood."

With that, my business here was done. If I'd gathered more weapons, I could have used this as a fatal blow to dethrone the emperor.

But I needed to shake the growing internal forces of the emperor faction.

I can always acquire new weapons to dethrone him.

I'd just find stronger ones than now.

My first step as the noble faction's leader was a success.

"It doesn't seem like we can continue the council. I'll take my leave."

Leaving the raging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠emperor behind, I exited the grand hall. Ronald followed me. And behind him, quick-witted noble faction nobles trailed after.

Everyone here knew. Who the new leader of the noble faction was.

The tension released, and a sigh escaped me naturally.

"My head hurts."

In the carriage returning to the mansion, I clutched my throbbing forehead.

Now I was openly opposing the emperor. Annoying troubles were surely ahead.

Returning safely to the mansion.

"Hm?"

Passing the garden, I spotted Emir at our mansion's entrance.

"What is it?"

"Uh, uh?"

Emir, who had been fidgeting hesitantly in front of the mansion, stuttered in surprise upon seeing me.

"Isn't today the day you go to the temple?"

"Th-that's…… I decided not to go."

"Why?"

Emir averted her gaze, unable to answer. But only for a moment.

"You said you'd help me get stronger. That you could teach me."

"Ah."

"So I came."

"Even with Batram there?"

"You're stronger than Mr. Batram, Morris."

"Solarion and Dmitry……."

"When teaching me the sword, please don't think of my status. Just see me as a disciple receiving your guidance."

"Is that your conclusion?"

"Yes."

I carefully examined Emir's face. Dark circles under her eyes, as if she'd agonized all night. How much had she wrestled to say this, to make this decision?

She who'd lived her whole life as a Solarion. It couldn't have been easy.

"Understood. What about Solarion Duke's opposition?"

"I have a way."

"Understood. Then starting tomorrow, we'll begin sword training."

"Yes, got it."

Emir's face brightened.

"Will you have some tea before you go? You look tired."

"No. I just came to say this today. We should take it step by step anyway."

"Understood. As you wish."

Emir's departing footsteps seemed light. Was that humming I heard, or just my imagination?

Gazing at Emir's back, I lifted my head at a gaze I felt from somewhere.

And there.

Leaning against the window, glaring at me and Emir, was Seria.