episode_0160

The incident that led to the extinction of the Count Sigmillus family.

It was a disaster in which everyone in the Sigmillus family, a famous family in the empire that had produced outstanding wizards for generations, became prey to monsters overnight.

Because everyone involved was murdered, the discovery was delayed, and it took more than two days for the screams coming from the mansion and the demonic energy leaking out to become known to the public.

“This is… .”

“Oh my god… !”

The knights who were hurriedly dispatched after hearing the report were speechless at the terrible sight.

The former splendid appearance was gone, and the Sigmillus Mansion was full of devoured corpses and nests of insects.

The marble floor was slimy with slime, and the walls and pillars were filled with strange cocoons.

Monsters resembling maggots were crawling everywhere and leaking sour mucus.

When I looked up at the ceiling, monsters that were a mixture of moths and caterpillars were clinging to each other and flapping their wings.

The skin of a human face was stuck to its wrinkled tail.

Between the eye and mouth holes of the leather, a tentacle with sparse hairs protruded and writhed like a genital organ.

“Uwaeeek!”

One female knight vomited as soon as she saw it.

There were no articles criticizing her.

A newcomer who has just joined the Knights. It was an overly provocative sight for a first mission.

It took two hours for the knights to remove all the monsters and purify the mansion by burning it down.

The mansion was searched, but no one was alive.

It was truly a strange thing.

Although there were many monsters… If it were an ordinary noble family, they weren’t enemies strong enough to annihilate the Sigmillus family, which was overflowing with wizards.

After confirming the investigation team’s report, the Imperial Knights identified Ophelia, the only one whose whereabouts were unknown, as the prime suspect.

While conducting experiments involving monsters, which were prohibited under imperial law, he was discovered by his family and was accused of killing everyone and running away.

Not long after she was designated as a suspect, countless additional evidence was discovered, as if they had been waiting for it.

It was an unusually quick turnaround for a knight corps.

Research records on monsters. Circumstances where the Robe of Concealment was smuggled, hidden, and secretly copied.

Details of the mobilization of large amounts of unidentified funds and fabricated alibis to hide his movements.

The data was sufficient to confirm that Ophelia, who was merely a suspect, was the culprit.

A wanted order for Ophelia van Siegmillus was issued throughout the empire.

Witch Ophelia.

After over a hundred years, the word witch reappeared in the world.

“Witch?”

Isabella burst out laughing when she saw the wanted letter.

—-

Originally, it would have been a matter of finding Ophelia and arresting her, even if it meant mobilizing numerous knights.

Even so, it was something that nobles talked about for several months.

However, the rumors about Ophelia were erased from everyone’s minds within three days.

Because a problem dozens of times more serious than tracking down an evil wizard or the destruction of a count family has occurred.

The emperor died.

The official cause of death was a heart attack due to old age.

The dirty truth that everyone is talking about is… A murder of fortune that occurred while raping a maid who was about the age of his granddaughter.

It was a death worthy of Ferdinand II, the king of the empire.

==============

It was two days after I returned to the special pavilion when I heard the news of the emperor’s death.

“… Did he die in the end? Then what will happen to the next emperor?”

“The senile emperor died before he could choose a crown prince… It will be decided by the vote of the elector.”

Friede, who had arbitrarily occupied the sofa and sipped black tea, shrugged his shoulders and answered.

No, I know that it will be decided by vote after 30 days.

The question I’m curious about is how the voting results come out.

Although Leopold has a close relationship with the secular electors, even if Ernst brings in just one of the three, the victory or defeat will be overturned.

Both princes must be very busy right now.

“Then, will Empress Isabella take the place of emperor until the vote?”

Friede shook her head.

“I don’t know about Kahar, but the empire isn’t that simple. While the throne is empty, all matters will be discussed and decided at the palace council. The Prime Minister, the Duke of Vienne, the Empress, the princes, and various nobles gathered together.”

“I hope the meeting will go well.”

So, I think we will waste a huge amount of time conflicting and keeping each other in check even when deciding on a trivial issue.

“It’s better than following the Empress’ wishes, right? At least for you.”

“That’s right… That’s right.”

Everyone knows that I support Leopold.

If Isabella or Ernst had been in charge of state affairs, they might have had to endure all kinds of pressure for 30 days.

“I don’t know why you got involved in the empire’s throne struggle… Anyway, it’s better to be careful. Because now you are nothing more than a thorn in the empress’s eyes.”

Friede, who got up from the sofa as if she was about to leave, gave advice with a light sigh.

Seeing the serious expression on his face as if he was genuinely worried, I couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

From the beginning, I planned to hold back for a while.

Since Isabella had master-level knights at her command, it would have been a risk of her life to hastily set out to subdue monsters at this point.

I’ll be able to take down about three or four of those bug knights, but I’m bothered by the fact that I don’t know how many there are.

If you are in the middle of catching a monster and more than seven or eight attack you at once, it will be difficult for even me to survive.

—-

Even after Friede left, I lay down on the sofa and thought about this for a while.

Lana, who was watching me, quietly went down to the restaurant.

the death of the emperor.

It wasn’t something that was completely unexpected. I had heard from Ludwig that the emperor was on the verge of death.

However, he wasn’t originally going to die at this point… The fact that he died so suddenly probably means that someone intervened.

Based on the circumstances, it was definitely Isabella, but I couldn’t be sure.

After all, it would be Leopold who would benefit from this incident.

Since the emperor was dead, if Ernst could not persuade the Leopoldist elector within the 30-day time limit, that was the end of it.

Thirty days. It is a time that cannot be said to be long.

Even if we were wary of the growth of the Leopold school, it was an overly extreme method… .

What is Isabella thinking?

Everything they did was too incoherent to have the goal of making Ernst emperor.

3 Isn’t everyone in the prince’s faction full of human waste?

Even though the situation is unfavorable, wouldn’t they kill the emperor and make time run out?

It was the same with Claire.

Even though you abandoned her so easily, it would have been a golden opportunity to assassinate me, but you let it go to waste.

Since there were only three bug knights deployed against me, I thought from the beginning that the three would be the end.

However, after that, when we broke through the siege, three or four more people appeared.

If seven people had attacked at once from the beginning, they might have been able to kill me, but thanks to them dividing their strength and attacking me, I was able to defeat them individually.

I was wondering whether I should view this as strategic incompetence or that he had no intention of killing me in the first place.

No, isn’t it a common decision for anyone to kill me and retrieve Claire?

My mind was confused by the unpredictable movements.

======[Ernst]======

The interior of the imperial palace.

The entire room, illuminated by light purple lights, was filled with thick smoke like fog.

“I heard that Lady Sigmillus lost her life. Is it true, mother?”

Ernst asked his mother, Isabella, as if questioning her.

I frowned, feeling dizzy every time I took a breath.

Isabella was lying reclining on the translucent drapery-draped bed, deeply inhaling the hookah pipe she had left next to the bed, and smiling strangely at her son.

Around her, boys and girls who had fainted from drugs and pleasure were spread out helplessly.

Looking at this, Ernst tried not to show his disdain.

“Claire? Well, maybe he’s dead? At least I won’t have to see it again.”

“You look so calm. Weren’t those words important to your mother too?”

Ernst didn’t like her, but he thought Claire van Siegmillus was quite a useful talent.

3 She was a woman who was close to not only the prince’s faction but also the nobles belonging to the neutral faction.

Since he lost her, it would be difficult to expect him to expand his influence through the social world in the future.

“Important words? Hehe… , Ernst. You still don’t understand power.”

Isabella half-raised her body, laughing at Ernst in a relaxed manner.

The thin blanket slides off, revealing my pure white naked body.

Ernst slightly shifted his gaze.

“Ernst, take note. There is nothing important to say in this world. To me and to you.”

Even though Isabella showed her naked body, which clearly showed signs of an affair, to her son, she calmly exhaled the smoke from a hookah as if she didn’t care.

“All people are the same. The roles assigned are different… In essence, they are all just chess pieces. These are insignificant consumables that are bound to disintegrate after completing their duties. Even if something breaks, there are plenty of people who can take its place. Is there any need to obsess over every single thing like that?”

It was a difficult statement to completely deny, especially for Ernst, who had a lot of experience in commanding the military.

It was true that on the battlefield, soldiers were nothing more than chess pieces.

However, even in his opinion, the attitude of viewing people as expendable was not the mindset that a leader of an empire should have, let alone a commander.

‘As expected, this woman should not be given real power.’

Ernst bowed his head and pledged once again.

Still, I couldn’t kick Isabella away now.

Although they were called the Ernst faction, the central force of the Three Princes faction was in fact no different from Isabella’s subordinates.

As befits the nobles this woman gathered, they were all dirty trash… Those were the framework of the Three Princes Sect.

Fortunately, there were quite a few pure Ernst supporters among the military nobility, but they were not an easy opponent for Leopold to defeat on their own.

Therefore, getting rid of Isabella at this point, after ascending to the throne, would have been tantamount to committing suicide for Ernst.

“… Chess horse. Did you think that way about your father?”

“Ferdinand? Do you really think this mother killed him?”

Of course I thought so.

Because there was no one else but her who would have done something like that in the first place.

“Isn’t that so? Due to the sudden crucian carp, our faction was in quite a bit of trouble. What on earth were you thinking, doing something like that? .”

Ernst’s voice contained a faint accusation.

If the succession vote of the electors took place at this point, there was a high probability of defeat.

There was a high possibility that the secular electors would support Leopold.

Of course, Ernst also had plans to attract the secular elector to his side.

Ludwig might not be able to do that, but one of the other two would be fine.

Since Prince Palun is always suffering from battles with beastmen, he might be able to persuade them if he hands over the empire’s troops and even some masters.

The possibility was low, but considering the situation of the beasts, which had become quiet these days, it was expected that a large-scale invasion would occur someday, so I planned to gain support by providing full-scale support at that time.

The Duke of Vienne always wanted to obtain a completely independent dominion like the Archduke Faelun… All they had to do was cede the western or southern territories.

If that wasn’t enough, it was worth persuading him by suggesting an arranged marriage like Leopold did.

It would be a departure from the centralized power that Ernst had hoped for, but ascending to the throne was a more urgent matter.

It was doubtful whether both issues could be resolved within 30 days.

” Difficulty is actually an opportunity given to you. This is because the moment of choice was brought forward before the electors’ minds were firmly set on Leopold. The rest is up to you, right?”

‘That’s easy to say.’

As if she had guessed what Ernst was muttering to himself, Isabella smiled mockingly and waved her hand.

It means to stop going out.

With her other hand, she was stroking a boy.

Ernst obediently left Isabella’s room.

It wasn’t a particularly nice sight to see, and there was nothing more to say.

____

A few days later.

The 4th Prince Matthias, who was receiving priestly training in the Holy Kingdom, returned to the Empire after hearing of his father’s death.