210. Shoot Towards the Emperor (2)
After the Pope left, Beorn was quietly looking at the map placed on his desk, with piles of reports just sitting there. The tactical map, which filled one wall of his office, depicted the complex spheres of influence of civilized society.
Pinning the church’s problems on the Emperor. This wasn’t the job of an Inquisition Officer. No signs of heretical circumstances or corruption had been found in the Imperial Palace, and it wasn’t right for a priest to meddle in secular affairs.
So, perhaps this was his own fault. Beorn thought so. Hastily requesting the declaration of a Holy War. That’s why the situation had spiraled out of control like this.
As Beorn sighed and picked up his teacup, there was a sound at the door.
-Knock knock.
“Come in.”
Beorn slowly turned his chair to face the door. It opened, and Fernandez walked in.
“Are we starting already?”
“Yes, Monastery Head. It won’t take long.”
The tone was light, as if he had just returned from inspecting a neighboring town. But the one who spoke was the Inquisition Officer who had unofficially dealt with two Great Demons.
Beorn nodded and gestured for him to sit. Fernandez took the teacup from Beorn and sat across from him.
“From my personal standpoint, I’m concerned about this matter.”
“Intervening in secular affairs?”
At Fernandez’s words, Beorn silently took a sip of tea. It tasted bitter.
“His Majesty used us first in the Imperial Palace, so we should do the same. But the teachings of the Lord do not advocate for retaliation.”
“If the Empire splits, it will benefit civilized society in the long run.”
“…What?”
Fernandez spoke without a hint of laughter.
“The Emperor is arrogant, and the Empire is powerful. The Eastern Kingdom sends vast amounts of war support to the Empire every year, and at this point, after the 50-year war has ended, the tax rates imposed on the Eastern Kingdom Federation to maintain their own economy are rising daily. The unease of secular monarchs is actually due to the current peace, because the Emperor and the Sultan are not at war.”
“Peace is the problem?”
“Yes, Monastery Head. The Emperor is propping up the authority of the Imperial Palace with gold to prevent it from collapsing due to war failures. That gold comes from the granaries of the Eastern Kingdom, and the Empire’s legions, once focused on the western expedition, are now seen as monsters devouring maintenance costs.”
Fernandez stood up and walked over to the map. He drew a long line from west to east as he spoke.
“The Emperor needs war. If he can’t touch the west, he doesn’t have many options left.”
The southern jungle wouldn’t bring in money. And there’s a specific reason the Imperial Palace can’t touch the southern jungle.
To the north, there’s only a vast ocean. Beyond that, of course, lies the northern continent, but there’s still a severe lack of information to send an expedition, and the initial investment cost to assemble a fleet to cross the ocean is excessive.
So, from the Imperial Palace’s perspective, the only place left to go is the east. The reason the Eastern Kingdom Federation willingly supported the Imperial Palace’s western expedition was precisely that. It was a subtle request to turn their attention away from the east.
But now. At this point, when the east has become the only region the Imperial Palace can focus on, peace has instead become a dagger for war.
“The war with the Sultan ended too quickly and without any profit. Moreover, the silk road across the wilderness has been blocked, the wasteland has turned into greenery, the Federation of Nobles has firmly united, and even the Legion of Wraiths lurks in various parts of the wasteland.”
The Empire’s public opinion was already weary of the western expedition. Fifty years is by no means a short period, and the vast amounts of capital and manpower sacrificed for this were collapsing the authority of the Imperial Palace.
So, from the Emperor’s perspective, he needed a victory. A clear victory that could leave a mark and satisfy the people.
The secular royal families of the east must also know this situation. That’s why the attention is inevitably focused on the Holy War declared at this point. The hypersensitivity of secular monarchs stems from a survival instinct.
“We must prevent a war between the Eastern Federation and the Empire. It won’t be a loose and sluggish war like the western expedition. The Empire will set the entire continent on fire until it completely devours the east.”
“So we must dethrone the Emperor…”
“Yes, the throne is elective. Therefore, dissatisfaction with the current Imperial Palace and political instability will subside with the transfer of the throne.”
“Good. So what do you plan to do? How do you dethrone the Emperor, who is robustly guarding the Imperial Palace, and how do you elect a new Emperor?”
“The fall of a great power always begins with internal strife. Monastery Head.”
*
The spring wind blew low beneath the spire. The Pope had left abruptly, and Fernandez and his party did not undergo any purification rites or heresy trials. Whether this was fortunate or not, Kirhas couldn’t tell.
She rested her chin on the windowsill and grumbled.
