Ch.146146. The Stage

“Ember. I’m sorry, but I have a favor to ask you.”

When Erick delivered this request along with the news that he had vanquished the Demon Lord, Ember was dumbfounded.

It wasn’t the first time Erick had asked her for a difficult favor.

Each time, rather than feeling disappointed, she had felt concerned for him. She wondered how few people he must trust if he had to impose overwork on her too.

Until now, she had only thought about trying not to be a burden to Erick because of her limited abilities. After working continuously, she had unknowingly developed skills that allowed her to manipulate fallen nobles of her parents’ generation.

‘But this is a completely different kind of request.’

Purges, and essentially a reign of terror.

Whether this attempt succeeded or failed… no, it wouldn’t fail. Either way, it was a plan that made her worry about how the name Erick Wellesley would be judged by future generations.

And without needing to worry about historical judgment, it was a situation that raised concerns about the many days Erick would have to live through from now on.

“Erick. As far as I know, Masters…”

“Age more slowly. Just look at Commander Waynelight, who honestly doesn’t look a day over forty.”

“You might have to live with people’s resentment for a long time. Of course, they wouldn’t show it to your face… but still.”

“I know. I know how people will think of me.”

Ember was about to ask, “You made such a plan knowing that?” but she kept her mouth shut.

‘Well, Erick wouldn’t do this without understanding what situation would unfold.’

Erick had clearly already made up his mind.

Adding her concerns now would only increase his stress. She questioned whether that was the right thing to do for Erick, the Hero who had vanquished the Demon Lord.

If that was the case, it was better to simply accept Erick’s request. Shouldn’t there be at least one person who supported him unconditionally?

“Alright, Erick. What do you need me to do?”

“…Thank you.”

“You can thank me later.”

The role Erick assigned to her was simple.

To bait the nobles obsessed with get-rich-quick schemes and identify targets for purging.

The method was relatively straightforward.

He had already arranged with the Prince to hold a banquet that would gather many nobles.

You need to dress up and attend, provoking the nobles.

Then I’ll take care of the rest.

That was roughly the order.

A simple task, but one likely to bring devastating consequences. It could also cause Ember’s reputation to plummet.

However, having accepted it, she had no intention of turning back.

But before ending the call, there was one thing she wanted to ask Erick.

“Um, Erick. You just said you coordinated with His Highness the Prince…”

“Yes. He was the person I spoke with before contacting you. Of course, I’m not trying to overthrow the imperial family, but people will think so, so I needed to get consent. I also desperately needed royal help to lure purge targets.”

“And His Highness the Prince agreed to this?”

“Yes. Happily… well, not quite, but I didn’t need to persuade him much. His reaction was more like ‘it was bound to happen.’ His Majesty the Emperor also gave permission.”

“……”

The Emperor’s eldest son, a man so close to the throne that it wouldn’t be strange if he were named Crown Prince tomorrow, had accepted such a proposal.

Ember was momentarily speechless.

But separately, she understood why Erick had prescribed such a drastic remedy.

Most of the privileged class was too corrupt to be persuaded, and those who might cooperate had become lethargic, just staring blankly at the sky. Erick seemed to want to sort out the chaotic situation before the latter group completely gave up.

“I understand, Erick. See you in a few days.”

Ember deliberately put strength into her response.

But even as she did so, her hands were trembling slightly.

A collateral descendant of a baronial family, raised gently in the Empire’s 3rd District. Honestly, for Ember, sharing the governance of the only rapidly growing territory in the Empire was already a huge burden. Taking on “this kind of task” on top of that made her tremble.

Still, she needed to steel herself.

Because to remain by the Hero’s side, she needed to become stronger than she was now.

***

…A week later, at the Imperial Palace.

A grand banquet hosted by the imperial family was held.

Before Cordana, this would have been nothing special. The upper class of the Empire routinely enjoyed social events like banquets and balls, finding any excuse to hold them.

But now the social scene itself was very subdued. This was because the majority of nobles who made up society had not recovered from the aftereffects of Cordana.

There were still some families that remained intact or had even become wealthier, but they had been managing their expressions for two years out of consideration for the ruined families.

In the midst of this, when the imperial family hosted a banquet, people couldn’t help but flock to it.

Abundant food, music, and prestigious attendees.

At a glance, it resembled the scene before Cordana, but the conversations taking place in that splendid banquet hall faithfully reflected the current state of affairs.

“I heard they’re building a reservoir in Lord Ordellon’s barony with lottery funds? No, damn… Ah, sorry. Just because he’s a member of the Hero’s party doesn’t mean he should enjoy such preferential treatment.”

“Of course, it’s true that Lord Ordellon’s barony is very underdeveloped. I’ve heard they even raise rabbits for fur and meat. But when the lottery revenue comes mostly from the capital and the duke and marquis territories, it seems… unfair that only the countryside benefits, doesn’t it?”

“It’s even stranger that the Hero manages the lottery funds in the first place!”

“That’s right, exactly. We need to speak up to ensure the funds are used appropriately…!”

“Phew~ It feels better to get this off my chest. I didn’t know there were so many people who shared my thoughts.”

“No, think about it. We all know the Hero is working hard. But it’s never good when power becomes concentrated in one person.”

“Exactly. There’s no guarantee that it won’t unconsciously turn into tyranny. I really thought highly of him when I served in the Royal Order…”

“By the way, how much will they bring back from the Demon Lord’s castle? I heard they persuaded the Beast King, so might it end sooner than expected?”

…Money talk was everywhere.

There was no one cheering for the Hero’s party, who were “presumed” to still be active in the Demonic Land, nor anyone engaging in elegant conversations about music, theater, or literature as in the past. This was because almost all arts had collapsed.

But shortly after, those heated discussions came to a halt.

It was because of a guest who appeared at the banquet hall a bit late.

Tall for a woman, with intellectual features, blonde hair, and blue eyes.

As eye-catching as her beauty was her attire.

A red dress dyed with extract from the safflower that grows only in the great forest, and jewelry crafted by dwarven hands. It was even made of platinum.

Of course, showing off wealth at a banquet was common, but the problem was that the protagonist was merely the daughter of a viscount family.

Ember Hyde.

A woman who couldn’t even attend the Academy but suddenly enjoyed excessive luxury thanks to her father, an elite official, being selected by Erick Wellesley. Her face was well-known due to frequent appearances in the capital, but she had never appeared at social gatherings until now.

Some nobles cautiously approached her after reading the room.

A viscount’s daughter who was acquainted with the Hero but had a relatively humble background. Moreover, she came alone without her father, so she couldn’t be more vulnerable.

In the past, there would have been a process of subtly ostracizing a noble making their first appearance in society to tame them, but the nobles were in an impatient state.

Those who attempted direct conversation with her were daughters and sons of ducal and marquis families.

Given Ember’s status, it would be normal for her to feel intimidated, but for some reason, her attitude was confident.

“Lady Hyde. You’re not familiar with these occasions, are you? Since many of us have been socializing since Academy days, it might feel a bit exclusive…”

“I don’t think it’s exclusive. You’re all surrounding me even now. …Oh, and Lady Clodine over there, though we’re meeting for the first time, you seem somehow familiar.”

“…Me? Why?”

“A young man from the Burko family, who was once in marriage talks with you, is now working at a scroll workshop in our territory. Despite being demoted to commoner status along with the head of his family, he works diligently. He even received three packs of cigarettes as a performance bonus.”

“……”

What’s with her? A momentary bewilderment appeared on the nobles’ faces.

It was a situation that was neither clearly rude to point out, nor easy to laugh off. But having started the conversation, they couldn’t just back down.

Eventually, after reading the room, they went straight to the main point.

The progress of the expedition to the Demonic Land, the distribution of spoils from the subjugation, and inquiries about the lottery funds.

Only a few were speaking, but most of the banquet attendees were listening intently, hoping to get even the smallest clue from Ember’s words.

…However, Ember’s answers only brought disappointment.

“Well, I’m not sure if I should be the one to mention this. …But I have heard him explicitly state that even if they succeed in defeating the Demon Lord, they won’t bring back any spoils.”

Not bringing back any spoils at all. The nobles’ faces suddenly turned serious.

Regardless, Ember continued speaking calmly.

“And the lottery funds? I can tell you this for certain. He said they have detailed spending plans laid out for the next five years.”

It meant there would be no room for nobles to get involved.

It didn’t take long for this message to spread among the nobles at the banquet.

Most reactions were of disappointment, and not a few were fuming.

“Really? He’s going to keep everything to himself? How is that acceptable?”

At some point, people began criticizing the Hero without even being cautious.

This isn’t right, why is the imperial family just watching, perhaps this banquet was arranged just to placate us, we must stop the Hero’s solo run.

As if they no longer cared about the banquet, the nobles continued their indignant discussions.

And finally.

“For the Hero’s own sake, he must be restrained at this point. As soon as His Majesty arrives, I will personally report this.”

The declaration of the Duke of Arknight, who ruled the largest territory after the Emperor. When several nobles, emboldened by this, expressed their intention to join, the numbers quickly grew.

The banquet hall had transformed into a forum for denouncing the Hero.

‘How could it come to this…’

Ember looked at them and sighed.

Then she slipped out of the banquet hall to inform Erick, who had already reached the vicinity of the capital, about the situation.

She decided not to think about what would unfold next.