Ch.173Chapter 173 – The Miracle Man

“A miracle, this is a miracle!”

The Emperor rejoiced like a child receiving a toy as he felt the sensation of hair on his crown.

His joy was not the artificial happiness that people put on in social situations.

It was pure joy, truly delighted that his wish had been fulfilled.

Seeing his happiness made me smile without even realizing it.

Who would have thought I’d be smiling at the sight of a grown middle-aged man being so happy?

But then again, wouldn’t it be strange if he didn’t rejoice after being freed from a burden he’d had to carry his entire life?

“Hahaha! I am truly delighted! My long-standing concern has completely disappeared! Count Pathos Severio! How shall I repay this great favor you have bestowed upon me?”

The Emperor was in such a good mood that he jumped up from his throne, grabbed my hand, and kept shaking it enthusiastically.

Ah, please calm down first, mister.

“Come to think of it, I have nothing I can give you right away. Most items are stored in the imperial treasury, and to retrieve them, I must hold council with my ministers… This is truly troublesome, truly troublesome…”

“Is there some problem, Your Majesty?”

I asked the Emperor.

Why should he worry about giving me a reward?

From what he said about needing to consult with his ministers, it seems the Emperor cannot issue rewards on his own.

“What you have given me is truly significant. However, to provide compensation, I must go through the ministers’ council. Even though it is my property, I must obtain consent from my subjects to use it…”

Ah. So that’s how it is.

Even though it’s his own property, he still needs to go through his ministers’ council.

In one way, it prevents the Emperor from being wasteful, but from another perspective, it restricts even his authority over his personal property.

‘At times like this, it seems true that the Emperor is merely a puppet of the sixteen great houses.’

I thought people were joking when they said the Emperor was a puppet of the great houses…

But why do I get the feeling it’s not just a joke, but that the Emperor truly is nothing more than a figurehead for the sixteen great houses to smoothly divide their pie?

That even an individual needs his subjects’ consent to dispose of his personal property.

If someone tried this with our country’s Emperor, wouldn’t the Prime Minister tear them apart right after the meeting?

‘Or maybe they’d just prostrate themselves before the Prime Minister’s gaze.’

Well, with the Prime Minister around, most nobles wouldn’t dare defy the Emperor.

After all, the Prime Minister is essentially the head of the vast administrative network spanning the entire empire.

‘I wonder if there are any good medicinal elixirs for the elderly in the Eastern Continent?’

The Prime Minister might appreciate some elixir for his health.

As for me, being a novice in combat, it would probably just make me a bit stronger and help me live longer without minor illnesses.

‘Wait a minute.’

But wouldn’t that be good? It’s not bad to find a beautiful wife and live healthily for a long time.

Besides, Regina, who’s practically my fiancée-to-be, has lived longer than me…

The fact that she’s older than me now means she might live longer than me in the future, right?

‘Should I also do some training?’

Not training to become stronger, but training to live longer.

“Hmm, for now, it would be best for you to return to the guest quarters prepared in the imperial palace and rest.”

“I understand. I would be grateful if you called for me once a decision is made.”

“I apologize. It is due to my lack of ability that I cannot quickly bestow upon you a suitable reward.”

Listening to the Emperor’s words, an idea occurred to me.

If what the Emperor said is true, then it’s essentially the ministers who decide the amount of compensation I’ll receive.

The Emperor will want to give me as much as possible, while the ministers will try to reduce my reward by any means.

They won’t be able to give me nothing. If they gave no reward at all, it would be disrespectful to the Gelebrio Empire.

Moreover, I was invited as a state guest of the Liu Empire, so giving no reward would lower the Liu Empire’s prestige.

‘In that case, I should target the ministers.’

If it’s the Liu Empire’s ministers who decide my reward, why not solve the problems they’re facing?

‘Among the Liu Empire’s ministers, there must certainly be those suffering from various ailments due to aging, such as hair loss or erectile dysfunction.’

If the Liu Emperor himself has hair loss, how could his ministers be exempt?

Besides, with age comes various issues like urinary problems including erectile dysfunction, or decline in physical abilities.

Especially, middle-aged men with wives are said to dread every night.

Come to think of it, though my memory is a bit hazy, I recalled the complaints from pot-bellied middle-aged married men at my former workplace on Earth.

‘Look at this. Eel, oysters, asparagus… my wife’s got plans for me tonight.’

‘Damn it, I’m already exhausted, but ever since my wife hit middle age, she’s been on fire every day, it’s killing me.’

‘No wonder you’ve had such dark circles under your eyes lately…’

‘She wants me to quit smoking and drinking. Says she won’t give me allowance otherwise.’

‘…Hang in there, man.’

…Could this be my future?

Moreover, unlike the monogamous South Korea, in the Gelebrio Empire, nobles can have as many wives or concubines as they can afford.

First, Regina is confirmed as my official wife…

Next could be either Eterna or Aisen, though Aisen isn’t my type, so let’s exclude her cleanly.

Even if she’s in her growth phase, Aisen is an adult, so she’s fully grown.

Professor Emelda Carmen might be another option.

‘But why am I suddenly thinking about this?’

I guess the term “erectile dysfunction” had more impact than I thought.

“Your Majesty, may I presume to share a thought?”

“Have you thought of a good solution?”

“May I have your ear for a moment.”

I whispered my minister recruitment strategy into the Emperor’s ear.

To put it simply, it was a straightforward plan: ‘Use my abilities to win over the ministers.’

I’m not good at complex plans, so this direct approach is all I could think of.

“Hmm, certainly… if we proceed as you suggest, we might be able to persuade even the most stubborn ministers.”

“Among the ministers you know, are there any who suffer from hair loss or who are scolded by their wives for not performing well in bed?”

“More than you might think. Most of my ministers come from great houses, and women from great houses all practice martial arts, making them more sexually demanding than ordinary women. That’s why my treasury is full of potency-enhancing elixirs to give to my ministers.”

Oh ho. Potency-enhancing elixirs.

Perhaps I should ask for one later.

“If I were to marry someday, could I send you what’s called a wedding invitation? I would send a cart full of excellent elixirs for men as a wedding gift.”

“I am grateful for your words alone. However, persuading the ministers comes first now.”

“Yes, that’s right. Among the ministers, there are three who wield great influence.”

“Who might they be?”

“The Minister of Finance, the Minister of Administration, and lastly, the Chief Minister. In Western Continent terms, they would be the Finance Minister, Administrative Minister, and Prime Minister.”

In other words, I needed to win over the top three officials in the civil service hierarchy.

But it wasn’t difficult.

If I knew the problems each person had, I could help them in any way possible.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

In the main hall of the Imperial Dragon Palace, located at the center of the Imperial Dragon Fortress, various ministers stood in rows on either side of the central aisle before the Emperor seated on his throne.

“The reason I have gathered you all is that our honored guest has solved a long-standing concern of mine, and I wish to bestow upon him a suitable reward.”

The Emperor spoke about Pathos who had helped him and wanted to discuss the reward to be given.

Currently, the Emperor was wearing his crown, so his hair was completely hidden.

As soon as the Emperor mentioned rewards, some ministers were already thinking of objections.

This was because the faction leaders they belonged to were all in opposition to the current Emperor.

“Your words are most wise. For an esteemed guest invited in the name of the Empire, it is only right that we provide fitting hospitality.”

“I agree as well. His abilities are truly remarkable, and I believe there is nothing to lose by befriending him, Your Majesty.”

“I think it is right to give him a substantial reward as an example to other nations, Your Majesty.”

But what was this?

The leaders of the factions to which the ministers belonged were all agreeing with the Emperor’s proposal?

However, there was one thing these men had in common…

“Ahem.”

“Hmm-hmm.”

“Erm-hmm.”

All three of them appeared somewhat younger than before.