Reincarnated as an Emperor ~ Will the Emperor at Birth Survive? - Chapter 13: Silver Bloodthirst

Chapter 13: Silver Bloodthirst

I’m six years old. There have been many changes since I’ve arrived here.

First of all, the Steward, Helck, has less work.

To be precise, only the liaison with the Regency Faction will be done by another person. I’m very happy about this. I don’t like the fact that he was using me to make money. Serves you right!

Officially, Helck is still the steward, so the Regency Faction has to go through him. So, they created a new position that was separate from the steward position. Incidentally, this was the Regency Faction’s specialty.

The position was ‘personal attendant’. The title given to that person was ‘head attendant’ in Aquicurl’s cultural region. I also heard they created a poison taster position.

Well, I’ll explain about this ‘head attendant’ later.

The problem was the person who I was introduced to as my personal attendant was a nine-year-old boy named Timona Renan, who was so beautiful that he could be mistaken for a girl.

And this silver-haired boy is always directing his bloodthirst towards me.

… I really wish he would stop it.

According to the Regent Faction, the boy was appointed since the Regent wanted to give her son a future close aide (or friend) and he was the poison taster because they felt that the results would be more accurate if it was done by someone close to my size (it seems that the effectiveness of the poison amount is proportionate to one’s weight). 

Well, I know why he’s directing his bloodlust at me; ‘It’s the role of the head attendant’.

This culture doesn’t exist in Bungdalto culture (like the Raul Dukedom, or near the imperial capital) or in Lothar culture (most parts of the Empire), but among the aristocrats of Aquicurl culture (the so-called Aquicurl region), homosexuality exists.

The ‘head attendant’ is in other words, the ‘favoured child’ of nobility. He was chosen to be my ‘male’ partner.

What the fuck? I didn’t ask for this. I’m not interested in males.

So, at first, I was wary and annoyed that he was pointing his bloodlust at me. You didn’t have to accept the job if you were going to turn your bloodlust at me. I thought it was strange for him to look at me like that.

I finally understood the situation after Count Palatine Vedett explained it to me.

Apparently, Timona’s father, an Aquicurl Baron, knew about Timona’s aversion to homosexuality, and has refused all advances from the other Aquicurl aristocrats up until now. But he was told that it was the ‘Emperor’s wish’ this time, so he couldn’t refuse and reluctantly accepted.

… They used my name as they liked and tricked them into believing that it was my wish.

It was an action that trampled on the dignity of this boy and me.

I will never forgive them.

Furthermore, according to Count Palatine Vedett, this was the Regent’s own decision.

Lord Aquicul, who was originally a member of the imperial family and was born in the imperial capital, had no interest in men, but the Regent was born and raised in the Aquicurl region, where this was the norm, therefore she brought this boy here.

I’m not opposed to homosexuality, but don’t force it on me.

I’m going to kill that old hag. I don’t care if she’s my family or not.

… I’m sorry, Timona. I can’t say this to him while I’m acting the fool, so I’ll have to endure this murderous aura in silence for now.

If I don’t do something about this soon, then he’ll seriously stab me.

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My education has started. It was worse than I expected.

Religious studies only glorify the western sects of this nation. “The Western Sect is right! The best! The rest are heresy and bullshit!” I was made to listen to things like this every time.

So, I tried to run away from religious studies from then. I really wanted to say, “You guys are bullshit!” And it was a waste of time.

Art and culture was yup. Deny Aquicurl culture and glorify Lothar culture. I can’t believe the faction’s influence was so evident.

… Can you stop cussing and criticising Timona Renan, who stands next to me? Each time it happens, I fear that his bloodlust will increase. I’m really starting to lose my mind.

Languages was even worse.

First of all, they’re teaching me too many languages: Bungdalto language, Holy One language (like Latin on Earth), Lothar language, Aquicurl language, Warung language, and Theanabe language. These are the languages spoken in the Empire.

That’s too much, and the languages of the surrounding nations are added to the list.

Well, all the languages in the Empire are heavily influenced by the Lothar language, so it wasn’t impossible to learn them.

Also, children have brilliant minds. They can remember a lot after repeating it a few times. Youth is great.

However, the biggest problem with the language class was that I wasn’t taught any letters.

The classes were all in listening format. I listen, repeat, then talk. That was all.

That reminds me, I heard that in my previous world, there were a good number of European Kings who couldn’t read. Maybe that was just how it was. If they can’t read, then they won’t find illegal documents or anything.

But this was a problem. I want to be able to read as soon as possible, and I don’t want the Chancellor or the Chief of the Ministry of Ceremonies to find out that I can read.

But this was quite difficult. I was being watched by people from both factions even during my history class with Count Palatine Vedett.

I have to learn, but I can’t. However, I’ll just have to endure it for now…

Horse riding? I just got to know the horses and ride them. Thanks to that, I’m able to ride, so I’m not troubled.

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Today was my history lesson with Count Palatine Vedett.

“Do you remember what you learned in the previous lesson, Your Majesty?”

“Hmm, I do. We covered up until the ‘Great Schism Period’.”

The Lothar Empire, which once existed in this land, was historically known as ‘Former Giorus Dynasty, Lothar Empire’. This nation has existed since Year 101 on the solar calendar and was originally the Lothar Empire.

The ‘Former Giorus Dynasty of Lothar Empire’, including the time when it was ‘Lothar Kingdom’ was a dynasty that lasted for about 20 generations, or about 350 years. In the early to middle of the period, it was a hegemonic state west of the Heavenly Mountain Range.

Incidentally, the ‘Heavenly Mountain Range’ was a large mountain range located in the centre of this continent, stretching out from the north to the south. It was a steep mountain range that can be seen from the capital on a clear day.

It was Year 53 on the solar calendar when the Holy One Church was accepted. At that time, the Lothar Kingdom, which believed in the same polytheistic religion as the ‘Great Monarchy Kalnaan’, located to the south of the Empire, was in a peculiar situation where it was superior to the Great Monarchy Kalnaan in terms of power, but the Lothar Kingdom had to pay homage to them in terms of religion. In the midst of this, the Lothar Kingdom, which had accepted the Holy One religion and made it its state religion, took its name from the legendary ‘Hyperion Empire’ and changed its name to the ‘Lothar Empire’.

Thus, it became the largest nation on this continent in both name and reality and enjoyed a period of prosperity.

However, in Year 220 of the solar calendar, a rebellion called the ‘Great Rebellion’ broke out due to the tyranny of the Chancellor, and in the Year 222, the imperial capital, Odunau fell. Although it was quickly reclaimed, the authority of the Empire was undermined, and frontier regions and vassal states frequently declared their independence. In addition, civil war broke out (Year 234 – Year 239) because of religious conflict between the Holy One Religion’s Western Sect and Inheritance Sect). This was followed by a series of rebellions and the ‘Great Schism Period’ began (Year 245 ~).

This was a rough summary of what was taught in the previous lesson.

By the way, there is a moment when I feel uneasy while taking this class; it was when Count Palatine Vadett’s showed his hardcore ‘faith in the Lothar Empire’.

“Excellent. You are so smart, Your Majesty. Now, let’s continue. Today, we will talk about the establishment of the Bungdalto Empire. There are a lot of nations in this lesson that have ‘betrayed’ the Lothar Empire, so be careful not to associate with them.”

… It might have been a mistake to ask Count Palatine to teach me history after all.

The Former Giorus Dynasty of Lothar Empire was destroyed in the year 248 of the solar calendar. It was destroyed by the Ghafur mercenaries, Grakion.

The following year in 249, the Chancellor, who had escaped the capital just before the fall of the Empire, with a set of treasures used by successive emperors, ascended to the throne as the successor of the Lothar Empire in the fortified city of Haulow. This was called the ‘Phetail Dynasty of the Lothar Empire’.

The one that destroyed that was the ‘Later Giorus Dynasty of Lothar Empire’. This nation was founded by a member of the imperial family from the Giorus Dynasty who raised an army with the locals. This nation had a ‘legitimate successor’ according to Count Palatine Vedett.

However, they were destroyed by the ‘Seldonal Dynasty of Lothar Empire’ because they tried to revive the political system of the Former Giorus Dynasty and made the remote frontier city ‘Odunau’ their capital.

The ‘Seldonal Dynasty of Lothar Empire’ was the successor to ‘Phetail Dynasty’ and made Harlough its capital. The Phetail Dynasty called itself the ‘Lothar Empire’ because it held its treasures and the Later Giorus Dynasty called itself the ‘Lothar Empire’ because of their bloodline, but this had nothing to do with this nation.

“The Phetail Dynasty and Seldonal Dynasty are sometimes referred to as ‘fake dynasties’.”

In connection to this, ‘Phetail People’ and ‘Seldonal People’ don’t exist, but it was used as insults to describe ‘deserters, thieves, cowards, disloyal people, people who only have big reputations, vain people, liars and fools’.”

… I wonder if this was true.

“Now before we get to the founding of the Bungdalto Empire, let’s talk a little about the Bungdalto people.”

The Bungdalto people were indigenous people who lived in the area where the current Ghafur Republic was now located (the eastern part of the north of the Empire). One of the tribes (like a branch family), the Gabe tribe, made great achievements in the middle to late period of the Former Giorus Dynasty, and were granted the title of Landgrave. At that time, the other Bungdalto tribes, who had been driven out of their homes by the nomadic Ghafur tribes, also came to the area, and the Gades, who were only one tribe, became the head of the other Bungdalto tribes.

As the fief of the Landgrave was remote, it wasn’t involved in any religious civil wars or vassal independence fights. However, because the fief was the frontline against the Ghafur nation, it was unable to send troops when the Former Giorus Dynasty fell. But they were able to protect one of the royal family members, which led to the establishment of the Later Giorus Dynasty. At that time, they married into the Giorus family and became a Duke, the most conspicuous noble family in the nation.

However, the Later Giorus Dynasty moved its capital to Odunau, a remote part of the nation.

“Unfortunately, around this time, the Ghafur Kingdom declared imperialism.”

The grandson of a Grakion, a Ghafur mercenary (apparently, a ‘hero’ in the Ghafur nation), who once destroyed the Former Giorus Dynasty, declared that they were an ‘Empire’ with the treasure he once looted from the imperial capital. He invaded the land of the Later Giorus Dynasty… or rather, the land of the Bungdalto tribe who were at the national border.

Both nations had high offensive and defensive capabilities. The war between them also dragged in neighbouring nations and was known as the ‘War of Nations’. It was from this that the Ghafur nation went from a kingdom to an ‘empire’ and finally a republic.

During this war, the Seldonal Dynasty invaded the Later Giorus Dynasty. In response to this, a rebellion broke out between the Bungdalto tribes (apparently they were dissatisfied with the fact that the Gade tribe, which was originally only one tribe, had become the head tribe), so they were unable to help in the fall of the Later Giorus Dynasty.

“However, at the time of the fall of the Later Giorus Dynasty, some officers succeeded in escaping the besieged Imperial Capital with the imperial flag, coat of arms, imperial crown and imperial seal. They delivered them to Duke Bungdalto, the future Emperor Cardinal, who was related to Giorus House and according to the Imperial law, was a rightful heir to the throne. Emperor Cardinal, who had just suppressed the tribal rebellion, recaptured the territory of the Later Giorus Dynasty within a year. He also deeply invaded the Seldonal Dynasty’s territory and proclaimed his ascension to the throne at what is now the Founding Hill, not far from the enemy capital, Harlough. He named the Empire, the Bungdalto Empire.”

This happened in the Year 310. This was currently the Year 461. The 150^th anniversary of the founding of the nation was last year.

But isn’t it too… convenient for him to end that kind of war in just one year? As a royal family of the Bungdalto Empire, I should believe this, but… it was more normal to think that the Bungdaltos abandoned the Giorus House.

He wouldn’t have been able to accomplish that much in a year if he hadn’t meticulously planned and prepared well. No matter how you looked at it, Emperor Cardinal waited until he had good reason to act.

But if he had actually abandoned the Giorus House, then I don’t understand why this Count Palatine Vedett (a devotee of Lothar) would obediently obey the Bungdaltos. Is he planning to kill me at some point? Or… are there certain circumstances he hasn’t told me yet?

“That will be all for today’s lesson. Please take care, you two.”

… I’ll have to investigate this sometime.

By the way, Timona Renan was also taking classes with me. I don’t know if history class was the only class he paid attention in, but I didn’t feel his bloodlust.

… He directs his bloodlust at me as soon as class is done though. I’m dubious about having a potential close aide aiming for my life.

… Hah.