I Became the Master of the Empress

51 – Episode 51

Ioanes, King of Nicaea, is in a good mood as many good things have happened recently.

Sitting at a large, ornate table, he cuts off a luxurious cigar, gently puts it in his mouth, and lights it.

Ioanes takes a sip of smoke, enjoys the rich taste and scent, and exhales white smoke.

“Ha…Yeah. “How much are you taking?”

“10 Tons of gold from Epirus and 30 tons of flour from Egypt…”

-Boom!

“You look like a damn lion cub!”

The aide answered while sweating as he looked at Ioanes, who hit the desk violently and roared.

“Please… fix your highness.”

Hearing those words, Ioanes took a rough puff on his cigar.

‘You damn bastard. ‘I knew you would somehow behave badly, but you behaved so blatantly.’

Although they have taken control of Epirus and Egypt to some extent, they are not yet in a position to overwhelm the imperial nobles.

Although there is plenty of gold and food, there are still not enough troops to compete with the imperial faction.

‘Time… we still need more time.’

Ioanes, who thought he needed time to fight the imperial faction someday, calmly opens his mouth.

“Phew… Okay. I need to fix it. “Isn’t it a situation where we can’t not give it to you right away?”

“That’s right… The imperial faction shouldn’t realize that you have taken control of Epirus and Egypt just yet.”

Ioanes trembles slightly at those words.

‘I’m angry, but there’s nothing I can do. But… Don’t think that you can easily achieve what you want.’

“Sabinelli. “What do you think?”

Let Ioanes talk to the man watching from behind the aide next to him. A young man named Savinelli comes out and speaks.

“I have no choice but to hand it over first. “If you break the imperial order for no reason, an inspector who knows nothing will come and the rumor will spread throughout the empire.”

Ioanes answers those words.

“I know too. But it’s so unfair to just have so much gold and food taken away. “Isn’t there something you can do to punch a lion cub?”

Sabinelli says those words with a gentle smile.

“Yes.”

Ioanes smiles brightly and says those words.

“What is that?”

Look at Ioanes, whom Sabinelli urges, and give a glance to the aide.

“Aide, go out.”

“Yes!”

Savinelli, who soon saw him leaving the room, opened his mouth.

“Soon the Grand Duke will have to resolve the divided anti-imperialist faction.”

At those words, Agnes nods his head.

“I think the same thing… But there is no movement right now. “We need to quickly recruit people like the anti-emperor faction who have defected.”

“The Archduke will have no intention of recruiting them.”

Ioanes said as if he was surprised by those words.

“Okay then. Are you trying to subdue them through war?”

Sabinelli nods his head at those words.

“Probably certain. Otherwise, there is no way we can ignore the breakaway faction that is courting the Archduke for long.”

Ioanes speaks as if he is dumbfounded.

“It’s hard to guarantee that we will win because we don’t have Valorant. Why fight a fight you might lose? “You don’t seem that foolish, do you?”

Sabinelli says as if he agrees with what he said.

“I think the same thing, but there must be something going on. “From the information I recently heard from Roman’s Part 5, I understand that various preparations are being made.”

Ioanes speaks as if he is interested in the words.

“Preparation? “Are you talking about the Ministry of Intelligence?”

A new department, the Intelligence Department, that Debian wants to create.

‘But I don’t think it’s possible to take part in this war right now?’

To build a spy network, there are more than one or two things you need to prepare.

Ioannes obtained the proposal published by the Archduke in Part 5 through an acquaintance.

And when I first saw the proposal of the Archduke, who was as cunning as a snake.

I thought it was an ingenious idea, but I thought it would take a year to prepare, no matter how quickly I planned it.

It seems like he knows how Ioanes feels.

Sabinelli steps forward.

“I think that the intelligence department is the first move to win this time and shake us up. In other words, the Archduke will not think of his defeat if war breaks out this time. “It could be because I believe in something hidden.”

At those words, Ioannis touches his chin and falls into thought.

“Hmm… I guess we can’t say that we will always win any war.”

In fact, there is quite a history of hundreds of thousands of armies losing to tens of thousands of armies, and there are also cases where great lords lost wars to small barons on the border.

So, in war, the word absolute does not exist.

‘If you’re not stupid enough to not know that, there’s probably something going on.’

“That’s right. Then let me ask you again. So what should we do so that the Archduke won’t like it?”

Ioanes spoke as if he had noticed those words.

“Okay… I guess I should get involved in that war.”

At those words, Sabinelli nods his head and says.

“That’s right. But you shouldn’t show it off too much. “If the Archduke just wants to kill us both, it will be difficult for us to be safe.”

“Puhahahahaha!, Good… Good! “Then how should I give them water?”

Sabinelli smiles sinisterly at those words.

“In times like this, the best thing to do is to throw money away.”

“Money?”

“If we distribute the gold we have to the defecting anti-emperorists, won’t they hire more mercenaries? That much damage could be done to the Grand Duchy. Otherwise, the war will drag on for that long.”

Ioanes felt better after hearing those words.

There were already rumors that the empire was short of gold, and it is said that the Grand Duchy sold a large amount of gold to the empire.

So, from the perspective of the Grand Duchy, if the war drags on for a long time, it will inevitably suffer a huge blow.

“hahahahaha! That’ll do it then. “Then that’s it!”

Ioannis laughs out loud because he feels good at the thought of returning the humiliation he suffered several times over.

***

Today, again, I go to work at the office.

“Huh?”

I see two letters on my desk.

One is from… Ioanez.

What is this guy saying?

Tear off the seal that sealed the letter and read the letter.

-Flutter.

[Dear Archduke Francesco]

A letter that starts off well.

[I would like to thank you for handing over Epirus and Ezib to me as you promised.]

[But I have doubts about the order to transport a huge amount of gold and food from Epirus and Egypt to Roman.]

[Out of consideration for my friendship with you, I will tolerate it this time, but I hope that something like this will not happen in the future.]

[Your close friend Ioane.]

“Pfft…”

Dear is a mess. What can you do if you don’t persevere?

It is now a secret that Ioanes swallowed Epirus and Ezib in one gulp.

If it is known that Epirus and Egypt, which are under the emperor’s direct jurisdiction, have rejected the emperor’s orders, an inspection team is sent to Epirus and Egypt.

Since Agnes had no choice but to be eaten by the emperor faction, all he could do was give him money and food and keep his mouth shut.

Did I send you this letter for no reason because I couldn’t do anything?

Well… It looks like he’s going to make a fuss. At best, I’ll throw money at it.

With that thought in mind, I read the next letter.

This is a letter from the Grand Duchy.

The sender is Mary.

I open the red seal with the Grand Duchy’s seal and read the contents.

[Brother. The engagement with Agrippa ended well.]

[And the flowers will bloom soon.]

[So, when the wind blows, you just have to do what you do.]

A short letter whose meaning is difficult to understand at first glance.

This is something only I, Mary, and Agrippa know.

“Hmm… But Mary’s handwriting has become neater while I haven’t seen her.”

I was really bad at writing in the past.

He heads to the fireplace carrying the letters and puts some firewood into the fireplace.

Then, she moves her mana to create fire at her fingertips and burn the firewood.

-Hear… Howl!

I start my day by inserting a letter into the dancing flames of rags on firewood.

“Soon… There will be war.”

We should announce a declaration of war.

The story about Agrippa and the date of war is already over.

A week after the engagement ceremony.

That is, today.

It is the day to announce the promised declaration of war.

You must be busy today too.

“Haa…”

I sighed and left my office and headed to the bathroom.

I see a familiar man with brown hair and say hello.

“You came early today. Lucius?”

Slave No. 4, Whom I purchased at a high salary some time ago… No, this is my aide, Lucius.

“hahahaha… Did you sleep well?”

I say this out of concern as I look at Lucius, who has dark circles on his face.

“I slept well. But what’s going on so early in the morning?”

Lucius takes off his coat, shaking like a zombie.

“I couldn’t finish all my work yesterday, so I went to work early today.”

I am worried about Lucius saying that, so I speak cautiously.

“It looks like you didn’t sleep well. “How about staying at the imperial palace instead?”

Lucius shakes his head violently at my words and speaks hastily.

“Poetry… I don’t like it!”

I say this, feeling sorry for those words.

“Tch, I could have pampered you more.”

Lucius speaks with a white face at my words.

“Are you really the devil?”

“I brought him here with a high salary, but I have to work that much.”

Lucius is paid quite a lot for a civil servant.

In modern Earth terms, his annual salary is probably over 200 million.

It may seem expensive, but it doesn’t reach the salary that nobles receive.

But seeing Lucius go through various things is annoying, so I just sing loudly and pamper him hard.

At that time, it was funny to see Lucius opening his mouth like an idiot, as if his jawbone had fallen out.

Ah… FYI, there is no concept of Labor Standards Act here, so although I work overtime every day, I am not obligated to pay more.

Thought that he might run away, he wrote in his letter of appointment that his retirement would be with the consent of the empire.

I refused at first, but when I said that I didn’t want to lose a talented person like you to another kingdom, Lucius, moved by his nostrils, readily agreed, so it was easily accomplished.

Tsk tsk… It’s simple.

“Anyway, I have work to do, so I’m going first.”

With that said, I head to my office.