It's Not a Rebellion, It's a Revolution
Claudia von Reinhardt walked down the corridors of the imperial palace. Sweat drenched her entire body. She glanced briefly at the mirror. She removed the hair tie from her long black hair and tied it tight. She patted her forehead, face, and neck with her handkerchief to wipe away the sweat. Then she headed toward the emperor's office.
Knock—
After knocking, she said, “I, Claudia von Reinhardt, Minister of War, request an audience with Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
“... Enter.”
The voice that came from inside was not the emperor’s—it was the empress’s. Claudia opened the door and entered. Elysiss Floren sat on the office chair, her expression heavy with worry.
Claudia asked her, “Um, where is the Emperor...?”
The Empress paused for a moment, forced a smile, and then answered, “Would you like a cup of tea?”
“... I don’t have time for that. Where is the Emperor?”
“What’s the matter?”
Elysiss asked anxiously.
Claudia gritted her teeth. “It’s a rebellion.”
“A rebellion...?”
“General Leon Eisen has gathered the remnants of his army and declared his march toward the capital.”
“Leon... Leon? No, that’s impossible.”
“Such thoughts are now a luxury. We must convene an emergency council meeting immediately.”
Clang—
Elysiss, who had been boiling tea in the kettle, dropped it. Her hands trembled. “No, Leon would never do something like that...”
Claudia slammed her fist into the wall. “Her Majesty the Empress! This is what has actually happened!”
She glared at Elysiss, her fury rising. “We must summon the council immediately in the name of the Emperor!”
“... Alright.”
Elysiss left the office with a vacant expression. Claudia watched her walk toward the imperial bedroom. “... So they really are two pathetic creatures.”
She shook her head. Not long after, the Emperor Ulyssian von Nicator burst out of the door in his pajamas. “Minister of War! Summon the council meeting right now!”
“... Yes.”
That ridiculously handsome Emperor looked like a childish child who could only throw tantrums. Claudia suddenly thought: Has the Nicator Empire lost its heavenly mandate? If so, it might not be strange for the one who receives the mandate to change. And the one who will receive the mandate will be Leon Eisen.
Slap—!
She slapped her own cheek with her palm. It was not the time yet. First, she was still a citizen and subject of the Nicator Empire. For now, she had to protect the country from the hands of the traitor.
* * *
In response to the Emperor’s orders, the representatives of the six departments gathered in the imperial office. Claudia von Reinhardt, Minister of War. The Minister of Finance, Minister of the Interior, Minister of Law, Minister of the Palace, and finally the Commander of the Imperial Guards.
Claudia, having taken her seat, officially reported. “Currently, the number of troops gathered near General Leon Eisen’s estate in Anhelm has reached five thousand. Commander of the Guards, how many Imperial Guards remain?”
“... No matter how we scrape together, it’s only two thousand.”
The Commander glanced at Ulyssian and whispered, “Most of the Guards were sent to the battlefield...”
Ulyssian slammed the table. His hands trembled. “How dare...!”
Everyone looked at his face. And they sighed. Everyone felt it. The heavenly mandate of the Nicator Empire had ended. “How dare that bastard take away His Majesty’s army?!”
Ulyssian gulped down the wine in front of him. It was distilled wine. Drinking it in a council meeting was already a sign of losing one’s mind. Claudia closed her eyes tightly, and the Commander looked desperately at the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance nodded and said to Ulyssian, “Your Majesty, did I not tell you to pay the compensation to the defeated soldiers? If we pay it now, the army that has joined the traitor might scatter...”
“Shut up!”
Ulyssian, drunk with alcohol, shouted. “They are all losers! There is no money for losers!”
“... Yes.”
The Minister of Finance stared at the Emperor’s neck. His arms. His fingers. The crown on his head. He knew the price of that necklace, bracelet, ring, and crown. Even just selling those would allow part of the five thousand soldiers’ compensation to be paid in advance. And he saw the Empress standing behind the Emperor. If he included all the jewelry dangling from her body and dress, it might cover all the compensation. The Minister of Finance shook his head at the Commander of the Guards.
At that moment, the Minister of the Palace spoke to Ulyssian. “Your Majesty, what you have just said is absolutely correct. There is no need to care for the defeated soldiers. Moreover, they have become traitors—how can we possibly save them?”
“Hmm. As expected, the Minister of the Palace understands my mind well.”
Ulyssian laughed.
Claudia glared at the Minister of the Palace. *That scoundrel.*
The Minister of the Palace continued, “Leon Eisen is a traitor who does not know the Emperor’s grace. What we need now is not negotiation, but decisive punishment.”
“That is indeed the right thing to say. Minister of Law! Prepare the proclamation immediately!”
The Minister of Law, who had been staring blankly, snapped back to his senses and answered, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Then he left the office. “I will go back. You all handle the rest!”
Ulyssian took Elysiss’s hand and went outside. The Minister of the Palace followed the Emperor out. The moment he heard the sound of their footsteps fade, Claudia slammed the table and shouted, “FUCK!!”
The Minister of the Interior, who had been silently watching the retreating figures, finally opened his mouth. “Minister of War. The public sentiment in the capital is not good.”
“Quite the opposite. It’s not some other general—it’s Leon Eisen.”
“First, save the soldiers. You can hire mercenaries...”
The Minister of Finance sighed and lifted the imperial financial ledger. “Do you know how much the Emperor and Empress spend on luxury goods? The treasury is empty. If we sell those luxury goods, things will improve a little...”
“His Majesty would never do that.”
The Commander of the Guards bit his lower lip. Blood trickled from his lips. “First, Minister of War... I will summon the Guards.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“I will report once prepared. That’s all.”
Claudia patted his shoulder encouragingly. The Commander of the Guards left the office with a gloomy expression. Only Claudia, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of the Interior remained in the office. All three sighed at the same time.
Claudia muttered, “The heavenly mandate of the Nicator Empire has ended.”
“... If only the late Emperor were still alive.”
The Minister of the Interior recalled the recent past. But he soon shook his head. “I will squeeze money out of the trade guilds however I can.” “... Yes. I hope it works out.”
The three had reached an agreement. Even though spring was coming, the air flowing through the capital was as cold as winter.
* * *
Proclamations were issued across the entire Empire in the Emperor’s name. Some of them reached Anhelm. I was sitting on the rooftop of the estate, receiving Theresia’s report. “Read it.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Theresia’s hands holding the proclamation did not tremble. “In the name of the Emperor of the Nicator Empire, Leon Eisen is declared a traitor. The defeated soldiers under him are to be classified as rebels. A blockade order is imposed on Anhelm. All provincial armies and the capital’s troops must obey the Emperor’s command to exterminate the traitor...”
I laughed. “Not bad.”
Theresia asked, “What do you mean?”
“I was officially made a traitor over there.”
It was hard to hold back my laughter. I spat out the gum I was chewing into the ashtray and picked up my pipe. “Hoo.”
Celine took the proclamation from Theresia and scanned it with magic. “The imperial seal, the Ministry of War’s stamp, and the Ministry of Law’s stamp are all on it. This proclamation cannot be revoked.”
“Excellent.”
Clap—clap—
I clapped and stood up. Below the estate, the soldiers stood in orderly formation, each armed. I looked at the five standing behind them. “Now Ulyssian has no choice but to kill me. And I have no choice but to bring down the Emperor.”
“Is that good news for us?”
Theresia asked. “The justification is now too clear.”
I looked at Maribel and said, “Maribel, if the court announces a proclamation to pay compensation to the defeated soldiers, how would those soldiers have reacted?”
“They wouldn’t have scattered, right?”
“That’s right.”
I made a donut with the cigarette ember and answered, “That bastard Ulyssian did a great job.”
The soldiers stood in positions where they could see me well. I gestured to Natalia and instructed her to cast an amplification spell. My voice began echoing around the estate. “Have you seen the Emperor’s proclamation?!”
“Uwahhhhhh!”
They yelled, thumbs down.
I didn’t say much. “We are not traitors. We are revolutionaries.”
“Waaahaaaa!”
The soldiers cheered. “The current Emperor has lost the heavenly mandate. Therefore, we will only carry out a dynastic revolution. Revolutionary army, march toward the capital!”
Under the deputy officers’ command, the soldiers began moving in unison. Watching this, I naturally thought: The Empire is finished.