The Emperor Has Changed (2)
I stared at the final sentence of the edict for a long while.
[As part of the empire’s Normalization, effective immediately, all territories shall undergo a full reexamination of tax management, private military operations, unauthorized use of force, and unofficial subjugation records.]
They’d phrased it so prettily. Private military operations. Unauthorized use of force. Unofficial subjugation. That was exactly what I’d just done.
“...I’m screwed, aren’t I?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Across from me, the butler’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
“Young master.”
“Pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“I already did.”
“Then forget it.”
“I’ll try.”
The butler didn’t press further. I turned back to the edict. The opening sections were fine. More than fine—they were statements I couldn’t argue with.
[Effective immediately, the empire shall conduct a comprehensive review of all foreign aid provided without compensation.]
Correct. That needed to happen. The empire wasn’t some continental charity fund, handing out money and resources to every outstretched hand.
[The empire shall investigate the current status of personnel dispatched abroad and immediately recall any unjustly assigned individuals.]
Also correct. Kingdoms short on talent had been whining for years while hoarding imperial experts who never returned. That wasn’t a dispatch; it was a donation.
[The national treasury expenditures and imperial resource outflows shall be audited.]
Right again. Too right. And that was exactly why it left a bad taste in my mouth.
“Why is it all just correct statements?”
“Pardon?”
“The Emperor.”
The butler offered no reply. It wasn’t the kind of question that invited one. I wondered how the people of this world would interpret it. His Majesty has changed. He has drawn his blade. The Ariel Empire is rising once more. Yes, that was how it would look to anyone who didn’t know better.
But not to me.
I’ve read the original novel. I know exactly what kind of man the Emperor is.
The continent’s greatest military power. The empire’s highest authority. The imperial prerogative that could silence nobles with a single word. Stubborn to a fault, always brushing aside his subordinates’ advice with a hollow laugh. And his political sense?
“...”
I chose my next words carefully. Insulting the Emperor required caution. Noble society had ears everywhere—walls, doors, even the backs of servants’ heads. So I softened it as much as possible.
“A man who stuck a straw in the treasury and turned neighboring kingdoms into an all-you-can-drink bar.”
“Young master.”
The butler’s face hardened.
“I toned it down.”
“Could you tone it down any further?”
“That would be a lie.”
“...”
The butler fell silent. Lies were bad, after all.
In the original novel, the Emperor had never been this kind of man. Reexamining foreign aid? Recalling dispatched talent? Auditing the treasury? He hadn’t done any of it. That man had given everything away—money, resources, people.
I hadn’t finished the novel, but up until the point I dropped it, that was how it went. He’d even dressed it up with nonsense about a great nation’s duty, an emperor’s proper conduct, and mercy toward smaller kingdoms. Fine words. Especially when spending someone else’s money.
The one who cleaned up that mess wasn’t the Emperor.
Lady Verka. The original protagonist. The woman who pulled out the straws stuck in neighboring kingdoms, recalled the empire’s talent, and restored the treasury to order. So if we were being precise, Normalization wasn’t the Emperor’s word. It was Lady Verka’s.
Yet now the Emperor was moving first.
“This is strange.”
I tapped the edict with my finger.
“Far too strange.”
The carriage wheels rattled over the dirt road. Normally I wouldn’t have noticed the sound, but today it grated on my nerves.
Until a moment ago, my mood hadn’t been terrible. I’d caught the bandits. Their equipment had been suspiciously high-quality, but I’d caught them anyway. No more fading into a single line in the original novel. I’d thought that was the end of it.
Then one imperial edict had doused that satisfaction cold.
“Young master.”
The butler spoke quietly.
“Is it because of what happened today?”
“...I don’t know yet.”
“You protected the territory, young master.”
“That’s true.”
I folded the edict. The butler hesitated, then bowed his head.
“I’ll begin compiling the damage records.”
“Do that.”
The carriage slowed. A jolt.
“Young master, we’ve arrived at Ramal Village.”
I tucked the edict into my coat.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
“I need to hear what people are saying first.”
**
Ramal Village was livelier than before. Doors opened, people emerged, and bound bandits were dragged through the streets. Nothing about it was bad. People had survived, the road was open, and the men I’d caught were being hauled away.
“I heard the young master came in person,” someone whispered.
In person. That word bothered me.
“Not the knight order—the heir himself drew his sword, they say.”
“He’s a model for the entire empire.”
A model? Hardly. Right now, my coat held the exact opposite of praise.
[Private military operations.]
[Unauthorized use of force.]
[Unofficial subjugation records.]
The same scene. To these people, it looked like a noble personally saving their village. But if the imperial family decided otherwise, it could become: Cian Kaindel conducted private military operations and unauthorized use of force. Therefore, proceed with arrest.
That wouldn’t happen. Who punishes someone for subjugating bandits in their own territory? It didn’t make sense. I was worrying over nothing. I shook my head.
“Young master!”
The caravan master came running, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.
“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, the transport route is alive again.”
“Transport route?”
“Yes. Supplies for the three northern villages pass through here. If it had stayed blocked today, this month’s ledgers would’ve been a complete mess.”
Ledgers. That was the most trustworthy thing he could have said. Far better than empty phrases like Thank you, I’ll never forget this debt, I’ll follow you for life.
“Good.”
I nodded.
“As long as the ledgers survived.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind. Go get the carriages moving. Time is money.”
“Ah, yes! Understood!”
The caravan master bowed quickly, then spoke again.
“The debt for subjugating the bandits on our behalf—”
“Wait.”
He stopped.
“What did you just say?”
“Pardon?”
“Subjugation?”
The caravan master’s face stiffened. Beside me, the butler gave a very small cough.
“Did I... make some kind of mistake?”
“Not a mistake, exactly.”
I gestured toward the bandits being dragged away.
“This wasn’t a subjugation.”
“Pardon?”
“I simply protected the territory.”
“...”
The caravan master looked confused. Understandable. Catching bandits was a subjugation. What else would you call it? The problem was that common sense didn’t always keep people alive.
“Again.”
“Pardon?”
“Say it again.”
The caravan master bowed his head in a panic.
“I will never forget the grace you showed by protecting the territory, young master.”
“Good. Remember it that way.”
He still looked dazed.
“And forget about any debt.”
“Pardon?”
“Go. Get those carriages moving.”
“Ah, yes! Yes, young master!”
The caravan master hurried off. In the back, people were bowing. An old man removed his hat. A woman held her child close. A small child waved at me before a parent pressed their head down.
Not a bad sight.
“Young master.”
The knight commander approached, voice low.
“The prisoner transport is complete.”
“The boss?”
“Alive.”
“Good.”
Dead would’ve been inconvenient. I had quite a few questions.
“The confiscated items have been set aside untouched.”
“Don’t touch them.”
The knight commander’s eyebrows moved slightly.
“Will you not examine them now?”
“Not yet.”
I looked around. Villagers, the caravan master, the bandits being dragged away, and our own territory soldiers.
Too many eyes.
Things like this always leaked eventually. And when words leaked, they usually rolled in the worst possible direction.
“Record everything first.”
“Records, sir?”
“Damage details, prisoner list, troop movement logs. Don’t miss a single thing.”
The knight commander didn’t answer immediately. His gaze drifted toward my coat.
“You’re thinking of the imperial report.”
“...”
I nodded instead of replying.
“How should we handle the confiscated items?”
“Just the list.”
“And a detailed investigation?”
“At the mansion.”
“Understood.”
The knight commander bowed, and I turned back toward the carriage. Whispers rose again behind me.
“The young master himself...”
I clicked my tongue softly.
“That damned ‘himself.’”
Words meant as praise somehow kept sounding like accusations.
**
By the time we reached the mansion, the sun had nearly set. The moment I stepped down from the carriage, Roman approached.
Normally I would’ve received the follow-up report from Ramal, given a few instructions to the staff, then washed up and rested. But not today.
The imperial edict was still in my coat.
“Young master, shall I report to the Count?”
“Do it. Has Father returned?”
“Not yet.”
“Understood. I have things to handle first.”
“Pardon?”
Roman looked up slightly. I walked into the mansion as I answered.
Honestly, catching a few dozen bandits wasn’t enough reason for the imperial family to punish someone immediately. If that were the case, half the empire’s lords would be losing their heads tomorrow morning. Every territory used troops. When bandits appeared, they caught them. When magical beasts appeared, they caught them. When a caravan route was raided, they sent soldiers. When a tax convoy was blocked, they sent knights.
If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be lords—they’d be tax-eating scarecrows.
Did the imperial family not know that?
Tax and private military management. Unauthorized use of force. Unofficial subjugation records. This was a net.
Did you all use troops? A single sweep across the entire empire. No one could say they hadn’t. If a lord couldn’t even catch bandits on their own land, they weren’t a lord—they were a village gatepost.
So this edict wasn’t a blade meant to take heads right away. It was a net to drag everyone under investigation.
They’ll leave the ones they like and crush the ones they don’t.
Convenient method. Not even choosing side dishes from a prepared table.
“To the conference room.”
“Whom shall I summon?”
“The administrator. The record keeper. The knight commander.”
“And anyone else?”
“That should be enough for now. Also, prepare all the confiscated items we brought back.”
“As you command.”
Roman bowed. When told, he moved immediately. That was certainly convenient. In my previous life, just scheduling a single meeting had been enough to drive people insane. Here, you simply called and they came.
The problem is, someone above me can do the exact same thing.
If the Emperor said “investigate,” we’d be investigated. Not metaphorically. Literally.
**
I changed clothes and headed for the conference room. Roman walked beside me.
“Is everyone gathered?”
“Yes. They’re all in the conference room.”
“Good.”
We walked toward the conference room.
The knight commander will be there, the administrator, the record keeper... Okay.
That much was fine.
“Cian, it’s been a while.”
At the conference room door, I saw that face and my breath caught for a moment.
“......What are you doing here?”
Why was she here?