episode_0032

After giving Theodora the cabinet agenda document to memorize.

Today again, Theodora is looking at documents in one corner of the office with a frown on her face.

-Flutter!

She seems to be in a bad mood, but the sound of turning pages can be heard loudly.

Soon the sound of sighing is heard again.

“Ha…”

“Why? Is there anything else you don’t understand?”

Theodora nodded slightly at my words.

“What is it?”

Saying that, I go to her side and read the part she is reading.

“Oh, this?”

What she is looking at is the current Ministry of Military Affairs proposal to ban spices.

Currently, spices here are sold very expensively.

Since spices are not produced in the empire, the Eastern trade route imports them in large quantities, and although it is a relatively small amount, the United Kingdom supplies a large amount of spices that are difficult to ignore.

Therefore, due to the import of spices, a large amount of gold and silver is leaked overseas.

But the problem here is the eastern trade route.

When spices were purchased from the East, huge amounts of gold and silver went into the Babylonian Empire, which had long been a rival to the Empire.

The Ministry of Military Affairs is taking issue with this.

“How much gold is lost that you need to ban spices?”

She was born into the royal family.

No matter how expensive the spices are, you won’t even realize it because you are a class that can eat them freely.

“Wait a minute.”

I sit at my desk and rummage through my drawers, looking for the document I received last time.

“Here it is.”

I say this while showing data that calculates the items the empire imports each year.

“If you look here, the amount the empire imports per year is more than 10 million gold.”

Theodora makes a silly face as if she can’t guess the number I’m talking about.

“But… the empire is running fine, right?”

That is correct.

We also sell a lot of food products such as wheat, wine, dried fruits, and iron to the Babylonian Empire.

War weapons and scrolls are especially popular.

In the hot desert, we cannot ignore the water-related scrolls that most people purchase in Babylon for farming.

But does she really know and say these things?

I’m curious so I ask.

“That’s not wrong, but do you know why?”

Theodora frowns at my words, ponders, and then opens her mouth.

“I know that we also export a lot to Babylon.”

Since I seem to have a vague understanding of this part, I think I can skip it, so I return to the topic.

“Correct answer. We also export a lot to Babylon. Then, did you see where this agenda was posted?”

She nods her head at my words.

“Ministry of Military Affairs.”

“ That’s right, the current Babylonian Empire has actively pursued an expansion policy and has successfully expanded to the east and north.”

In other words, we got the abundant rivers in the east and the ice caps in the north that we had longed for, and we became stronger.

And he often provokes the eastern part of the empire.

“So, the Military Department does not like Babylon, but they are more worried because gold keeps flowing into Babylon from the private sector.”

In other words, it is natural that Babylon does not like the situation in which the weapons and scrolls needed for war are purchased from the empire using the gold and silver flowing from the empire to expand its power in the surrounding area.

Is there something he doesn’t like about what I’m saying, or is it because he doesn’t want to admit what I’m saying?

“Hmph!, I don’t understand why the Military Department, which protects the empire, is scolding me for such a small amount of money.”

I say that as if I were dumbfounded.

“A penny… It’s a huge amount of money, right?”

In fact, it is an amount that far exceeds the annual imperial budget.

“No, considering our outstanding civilization and technology, and the wheat grown in fertile soil…”

While listening to Theodora, I cut off the conversation because I felt it was a waste of time.

“Theodora: Do you know that 10 million gold is more than the amount allocated to the imperial family for a year?”

“Uh… Um… Well… But…”

To what I said… she rolled her eyes around to retort something.

This place basically uses gold and silver to make currency.

If you calculate the amount of gold in 1 gold to be 3.7g, it is about 37 tons.

Phew… I didn’t think I would know it well from the beginning.

In the first place, the former emperor wanted Theodora and Joey to marry great nobles and live normally, so it is natural that he did not know much about this.

Yes, you just have to learn them one by one.

Theodora speaks in a weak voice.

Like a girl who doesn’t want to lose her happiness.

“Well… Then let them ban spices…?”

I shake my head at those words.

“No? If we ban it for no reason, will the side effects only be greater?”

In any case, nothing that the Military Affairs Department is worried about will happen.

Soon it will face a great disaster.

And if spices are suddenly banned, it is obvious that nobles, free cities, and people of the empire will all dislike it.

Not only that, but people working in related industries may become unemployed overnight.

There is only damage and no real benefit.

There is no need or reason to do it.

“But if you reject it too blatantly, the Ministry of Military Affairs will also be offended. Refer to what is written next to it and speak at the cabinet meeting.”

While saying that, I was about to go back to my seat.

-smart…

[His Majesty the Emperor, His Highness the Grand Duke has come to eat.]

“Tell them to come in.”

As I said that, a maid came in with a shiny metal cart, and Theodora said with a tired look on her face.

“Do you… eat here too?”

I nod my head at those words.

“Yes, it’s easy once you get used to it.”

If you actually go to a restaurant to eat, it takes a lot of time to move around because the imperial palace is so large.

So now I’m coping like this.

While I was saying that, the maid put down a plate of sandwiches in front of me and Theodora.

Then, he lowers his head and pulls the cart out.

“This is…?”

There are sandwich-like foods here, but no modern sandwiches.

It’s a culture here to eat anything on bread, but it was a bit of a shock that there wasn’t a sandwich with vegetables, ham, and cheese on bread.

“It’s called a sandwich. Try it once and it’s easy to eat.”

While saying that, he finished reading the paper while holding a sandwich in one hand.

“Ha… why do I… have to do this.”

Of course, ignoring Theodora’s complaints.

Theodora’s sighing did not stop until late at night.

“Ha…”

“Haaam~”

Theodora is yawning and stretching, feeling sleepy.

She asks, looking at me intently.

“But what are you looking at?”

“Academy Papers.”

Let me say this while flipping through papers on interesting topics.

It is a currency that can replace gold and silver…

“Are you not sleepy?”

At those words, I put down my thesis for a moment and speak.

“I’m sleepy, but I have to do what I have to do.”

She says with a strange expression on my face.

“I’m sleepy so I’ll go to bed.”

She tried to get up like that.

“Wait.”

When I called her out, she gave me a questioning look and said,

“Why?”

“Would you like to talk for a moment?”

Theodora nods her head obediently with a sleepy expression.

“Like.”

-dump.

I get up and sit on the sofa.

“Don’t you want to get back the power that was taken from me?”

He stiffens his expression slightly at my words and nods his head weakly.

“Isn’t it obvious? What you are doing now is exceeding your authority.”

okay! It should come out like that.

I think to myself, smiling at her words.

“Really? What would you like to do if you got the power back from me?”

Did you not expect what I said?

“Yes?”

He continues to speak to Theodora, who questions blankly.

“So, what will you do for the empire first when you get your power back?”

“That… that… for the people of the empire…”

Is it because it’s a sudden question?

“What policy will you implement for the people of the empire?”

I say this to her who is worried about something I said.

“You don’t mean to say that you will implement policies for the poor and powerless in a routine way, right?”

-I flinch.

“Is that… strange?”

“No, it’s not strange. But what are you going to do?”

She flinched slightly, then frowned and opened her mouth.

“That’s… I’m not sure yet.”

That’s a good thing. I would have been disappointed if you spewed out such strange nonsense.

I think I’m starting to understand my current situation a little bit.

That is why it speaks to her as if the devil is whispering to her.

“If you do me a favor, I can give you back a little bit.”

At my words, Theodora looked at me with bright red eyes…

-gulp.

says

“What is that…?”

Is it because my mood seems unusual? The sound of passing the needle seems to be unusually loud.

“No big deal, just find a policy that can help the empire’s finances. Then I’ll give you back some authority.”

Actually, I plan to do so.

I am living such a difficult life because I am so caught up in my work that it feels amazing to be alive every day.

Thanks to this, now, if I find a talented person who can relieve me of my work, I desperately want to hire them, no matter how evil they are.

Well… if I actually do that, the Pope won’t leave me alone.

Anyway, Theodora is the emperor, so she’ll probably work harder, right?

Let’s speak with a serious expression while hiding my sinister intentions.

“I will accept that offer… Is that all you have to say?”

Looking at her speaking with a solemn expression, I feel like I have overcome everything.

Good good! One more slave is created like this.

I feel so good that I feel like crying, but I try to hide it.

“Okay.”

She, with an expression full of spirit, speaks grimly.

“Then I’ll go to bed, because it looks like I’ll be busy starting tomorrow morning.”

“Theodora, wait a minute!”

Saying that, I hurriedly called Theodora, who was about to leave the room.

“Why again?”

I say to her as I wave the cabinet agenda paper.

“I have to take this with me. ah! And if possible, I’ll read it all by tomorrow morning and briefly take a test tomorrow to see if I understand the background or flow.”

At my words, Theodora’s solemn expression from earlier disappeared and she took the Cabinet meeting agenda document with a haggard face.

-Squeak… Boom!

The door seems to be closed wider than usual, but well… I’m satisfied because there might be one more slave.

Imperial Slave No. 0 B.

Agrippa, the first slave of the empire.

Theodora, Slave No. 2 of the Empire.

How impressive is this line-up?

And I think that even if I get out of there later, this empire will last as long as those slaves live.

And I… I get to spend the rest of my life in peace in the New World.

At that time, I will sleep in all day and live a lazy life.

Not like now.

“Ha…”

With that sigh and hope for the future, I continue to struggle in the sea of theses today.