A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

233 – How to Dispose of Waste (2)

A madman who calls himself Master Kverth has appeared.

The master is right.

You can use a pseudonym, but of course it should not be your real name.

“Is it okay for the Emperor of the Empire to appear at the Barcelona Governor-General in Gibraltar at such a late hour?”

“Emperor of the Empire. What do you mean? I am Master Hverth. As you said, would the Emperor of the Empire be in Gibraltar at this hour?”

Although it was strange to see him wearing a bluebird mask with blue feather decorations, he was definitely not wrong.

“Well, it’s the territory of Gibraltar in the Kingdom of Nostrum. It’s not even an official visit from the emperor.”

“That’s right, hehe.”

“Then, since there is no imperial emperor, can we talk comfortably?”

“…”

The corners of his mouth are pouting and he’s smiling as if to say, ‘If you’re going to do something, just do it, ‘but this man is a person who would just laugh it off even if I actually did it.

Instead, it will make me carry that much political burden later.

“There is only one tea, so drink it quietly.”

“No. It’s okay. If I stand you up, I might end up being hated.”

Astasia is snuggled up behind me, glaring at Master Kverth.

However, both Astasia and I noticed it right away, but Master Kverth is not giving Astasia a single glance.

The conversation will probably continue until the end.

“The reason I came like this is not for anything else, but to talk to you about the qualities of a ‘prince.'”

“Are you a king?”

“Even if you are not the emperor, it is also a basic attitude that you should have as a person at the top of any organization.”

“I know you came here to tutor me or give advice, but it’s not a good time.”

“…Huh?”

Master Kverth narrows his eyes.

“I’ve already learned a lot of things about kings.”

“Ha, you learned from someone greater than me?”

“Yes. If we talk about ‘domination’ in this world, it belongs to someone who is better than anyone else.”

I take a quick look.

“Hmm… “

Without giving any details, let’s look at Master Kverth’s reaction.

If you were to ask here, ‘If there is such a person, could you at least introduce me?’, I would say it’s okay, but…

“Indeed. If that’s the case, then it’s acceptable.”

“…”

This man seems to ‘know’.

‘It’s dangerous.’

I had a guess, but if I knew, it would be even more difficult to talk about it.

Because stabbing without knowing is different from stabbing while knowing your greatest weapon.

‘I don’t feel like it’s speculation, but I can’t let my judgment be misled by what I think is positive about it.’

Let’s admit it to some extent.

If it were this person, Master Kverth, he might have noticed a long time ago.

The strongest weapon possessed by the Nostrum royal family, ‘return’.

That the power and miracle of return was given to me too.

Well, in that case, you can use it in reverse.

“Is that so? So, you don’t have to come at such an late hour. Everything is going according to plan.”

“Can I listen to it? If there is someone who has better emperor studies than me, I think he will at least become a unified great emperor who ruled the continent.”

“The Emperor of the Unification of the Continent said that the only person he can keep by his side in the dark of night is someone who is willing to give up his life at any time.”

The Habsburg Unification Emperor was like that.

“…”

And that would be the same for Habsberg and Master Kvers himself in front of me.

“As expected, there was a reason I was attracted to it.”

Master Kverth crossed his legs and smiled faintly.

“Gray Gibraltar, Governor of Barcelona. You are, of course, my successor.”

“…”

“So, I have no choice but to suggest it further. No, take it. Even if you don’t have it now, it will fill those around you one way or another.”

“The shadow of the empire… “Your illegitimate children?”

Clap, clap, clap.

“That is correct, Earl of Gibraltar.”

Take off the mask.

“You’d rather take off your mask from the beginning.”

“Isn’t the atmosphere important? And taking off the mask like this has its own meaning.”

“A gesture to speak more honestly?”

“I learned it well. I don’t know who taught it, but I taught it very well.”

Master Kvers, the Habsburg Emperor smiles.

“A king cannot even do chores. We need people under him who will work hard. Whether it is a desire for power, ambition, or a desire for wealth, we need people who will work hard and have a strong desire in any way.”

“So, did the deposed crown prince and his shadow come to another country and intervene in the civil war just to try to sit on the emperor’s throne?”

“I apologize for that. I thought I had organized it in my own way, but it seems there were more people who were more extreme than I thought.”

Summary.

“I disposed of as much useless trash as possible, but I never thought that people who I thought would not pose much of a threat would go beyond the open gate of the canyon and do something like this in Nostrum.”

Of course, talking about ‘people’.

“So, I will help you. No, even if you don’t get help, I will do it.”

“Aren’t you planning to send shadows to work under the Governor-General in Barcelona? 300 people.”

“100 for men, 200 for women. Rest assured. There will be no threats to you or Astasia.”

“Even though they are the ones aiming for the positions of crown prince and princess?”

“It is true that thanks to you stepping on the Marquis de Barcel this time, all of those shadows no longer dare to step forward.”

The emperor chuckled, pretending to slit his throat with his thumb.

“A monarch is only a king if he has great power. If you look down on him even a little, the things below him will soon dare to climb up to look at you from the same height. Do you know where the king should be?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

There are so many metaphors that I wonder what I should say first to please the current emperor, and whether I should bother to please him, but-

“The pinnacle of humanity. The peak of the mountain. The top of the sky. The highest point that looks down on all mankind.”

If I satisfy the emperor quickly, shouldn’t I be able to sleep comfortably like Astasia?

“Now, the pinnacle of humanity.”

Clap, clap, clap.

“That’s the correct answer, Count. I’ll give it 99 points out of 100.”

“Where did you miss the 1 point?”

“It’s just petty jealousy stemming from something I didn’t teach you.”

The more we talked, the more uncomfortable it felt as if thorns were growing in my throat, but I did my best to suppress the discomfort boiling inside.

“I see. I don’t know if there will be a next time, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

Next to me, holding Astasia’s hand tightly under the blanket.

“As you wish. No, that’s what I hoped for. Even if we fill the entire staff working at the Barcelona Governor-General’s office with imperialists, who would say anything? Gibraltar is already half a family of imperialist traitors.”

“Halfway?”

“If the whole country was imperialist, it would not have been Gibraltar of the Kingdom of Nostrum, but it would have retrieved the kingdom’s flag that had been hung on the castle wall and put the empire’s flag on it.”

I pointed to the Nostrum flag that was fluttering beyond the window, far away on the castle wall.

“The Gibraltar family will not become traitors. Even if Gray Gibraltar leaves Gibraltar for some reason, there is no reason for the entire family to be insulted by Nostrum’s loyal soldiers.”

“Is one Gray Gibraltar enough to be humiliated?”

“If someone needs to be criticized, it’s better for me to take it.”

“Then, what about their child?”

I bring up the topic that is most difficult for me to mention.

It has to be that way.

“The next king of the Kingdom of Nostrum… Isn’t he engaged to the actual queen, Naria Geo Nostrum?”

“You’re evil. We got engaged, but that’s for the next generation.”

Hehe. It’s just a joke.”

Even if I’m joking, it feels like I’m walking on thinner ice than ever before.

“That’s why I’m talking about it. The 300 shadows who work at the Government General will be targeting the next generation. You and Astasia’s child.”

“Are you targeting my childhood friend?”

“I don’t know, that’s right. You’re stretching your imagination with a child that hasn’t even been born yet. Anyone can do that. Nostrum’s loyal soldiers nominate the child born from his marriage with Naria Geo Nostrum as the next king, Just like trying to marry the child of Gray Gibraltar and Astasia.

“…”

“There are bound to be a lot of people who think like that even among those working at the Barcelona Governor-General. The maids working at the imperial palace also dream of receiving the emperor’s favor and becoming concubines, which is the imperial palace and politics.”

“It’s not wrong and I can’t refute it.”

Anyone can dream.

“Good. Anyway, even if I block it, I won’t be able to block everything, and if I try to stop it, it will send out many times more shadows than that.”

“I think I can block them all, right?”

“But while I’m using the dragon and cleaning up the corpses, the time I spend with Astasia is more important.”

You can’t waste precious time with Astasia trying to remove shadows and deal with everything crawling up from below.

“Hmm… “

The Habsburg Emperor seems to be lost in thought somewhere.

“I am always grateful, Your Majesty Habsburg.”

Should I try fishing?

“Thank you to me?”

“Yes. At least this one.”

“This one. What is it?”

“Of course.”

It’s a gamble, but it’s also ‘sincere’.

“I am grateful for allowing Astasia to be born on this earth and protecting her until she came into my arms.”

“Are you thankful for that?”

“Of course. A world without Astasia is unthinkable.”

I turned my gaze away from Habsburg and looked at Astasia, pulling her her her her her her.

“Now I can’t live without Astasia.”

“…”

Don’t look at the Habsburgs.

Looking at it now, it makes no sense to even say this.

“Indeed. Is that so? If so, well.”

It is up to you to let your imagination run wild.

Even if you make a wrong judgment because of that, it is also your own misjudgment.

“I understand. If you are, then that’s the way it is.”

I just poke at it and go in.

“The men can be used as security guards, and the women can be used as maids, butlers, secretaries, etc. They all inherited my talents, so they are all capable of taking care of themselves.”

“It’s not like you can’t walk around in the sunlight or anything, right?”

“We have eliminated all such people, so you can rest assured.”

I’m not sure if this is a good thing to say.

“If it gets dirty or becomes trash that could carry germs, you can use it with confidence because we only collected it from people who don’t mind throwing it away like rags. You can even cut it up.”

“Or is it okay to turn him into a vampire and make him an object of vampire hunting?”

“…As expected.”

The emperor grins.

“Did you also learn it through kingship?”

“No.”

“Then… You resemble me, after all.”

“It’s an honor.”

“Then, have a good night.”

The emperor disappeared.

* * *

Three days later.

After the train passed through the Gibraltar Gorge, about 300 people wearing navy blue uniforms appeared at Barcelona Station.