Chapter 153: The Legislative Emperor Noah
“…phew”
I secretly let out a small sigh as I received the golden plate from the soldier.
The plate was divided into two main parts: the upper and the lower.
The upper part contained information such as the place and date of birth and the names of those who witnessed it.
The lower half displayed the status.
Naturally, my name was present on the status, and it read “Chester Nouf.”
“This feeling…”
I held back the words “Is this the real thing?”
I glanced around, noticing the soldiers were paying attention to me.
If I were to say that in this situation, it would effectively confirm it.
This golden plate serves as a “birth certificate” for those related to the Imperial family.
When a member of the royal family is born, their date of birth, place, and the names of witnesses are recorded, and it is kept under strict security.
Now, this plate is magically treated to prove its authenticity, but in long ago, merely having the wealth to process gold indicated a noble status, leaving remnants of that tradition.
By the way, mine exists as well and is stored in the royal palace.
However, I have never seen it myself.
Such things are like an umbilical cord from birth; unless one has a particular interest, they wouldn’t think to look at it.
Returning to the subject, the plate appeared.
And the owner’s name read “Chester Nouf.”
I recognized the name.
It should be the name of Eila Nouf’s eldest son.
I let out another light sigh.
As I did, the soldiers began to murmur.
“That’s it, right?”
“Then this guy is the son of the false Emperor?”
“It’s not uncommon for heirs to be let loose.”
It seemed that some soldiers were aware of the true nature of this golden plate, and that quickly spread.
Then it turned around.
“I see! The Majesty saw through it!”
“Has he personally come to nip the next rebellion in the bud?”
“Impressive! As expected of His Majesty!”
Although catching Chester was merely a coincidence, that did not seem to be how the soldiers viewed it.
“The plan backfired…”
Humans are creatures prone to strong assumptions.
And when those assumptions “flip,” they generate a further assumption with multiplied strength.
This time my concealment likely led the soldiers to perceive me as the “useless Emperor who only bullies the weak.”
That was intentional, so it was fine—rather the best outcome.
However, by securing Chester, the heir of the rebel leader, who would become a new source of trouble if he survived, my concealment gave rise to the interpretation of “deceiving the enemy through one’s allies.”
Simultaneously, it likely also brought the notion of “willing to be covered in mud for the sake of achieving a goal”—”despite being the Emperor” as part of the deal.
As proof that this was not just a misunderstanding, the soldiers I brought along began to look at me with expressions of respect, without exception.
☆
“As expected of Your Majesty,”
Henry said once we were alone in the tent.
“Stop it; you know better than anyone that it was a coincidence.”
Saying this, I sat on my chair located in the deep center of the tent.
The tent, contrary to appearances, was furnished with a respectable-looking office desk that wouldn’t look out of place in a palace, on which I placed the golden plate.
“Even having luck on your side is a quality of a great ruler, particularly at critical moments, it is even more so.”
“If that continues, one would unwittingly become reliant on it. I do not wish to become that way,” I said.
“If that is how you think, it is unlikely that it will happen,” he responded.
“…”
“What about Chester Nouf?”
“There should be no option other than execution.”
I answered immediately, and there was no change in Henry’s expression when he heard it.
Yes, there was no choice but execution.
“The blood relative of the mastermind, and moreover, the eldest son. Though a collateral branch, the Nouf family is connected to the royal lineage. In the case of the royal family being implicated in a rebellion, both main and accomplices are subject to be executed.”
“Your Majesty chose not to amend this part, it seems.”
“Indeed.”
I nodded firmly.
Having been the Minister of Justice for over ten years, I had made several amendments to the laws during that time.
The law is the law, and as such, it must be upheld.
However, just because a law exists does not mean it is always right, and when the law is wrong, it must be amended.
That was my stance during my time as the Minister of Justice.
“Back then.”
“Huh?”
“I thought His Majesty was great every time a law was revised.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because His Majesty never retroactively applied the law even once during these law revisions.”
“Of course. If retroactive application were allowed during law revisions, it would essentially be distorting the law and creating exceptions. That would undermine the integrity of the law.”
“I completely agree with you. I admired how strongly you adhered to that, not just in ordinary times but even during reforms.”
“I see.”
I smiled faintly, but quickly suppressed it. While I was somewhat pleased to be complimented on my stance regarding the law, I didn’t have the luxury to revel in it right now.
“……”
“Is something wrong?”
“Henry.”
“……Huh?”
Henry seemed a bit surprised, then responded with a serious expression. He must have sensed something from the tone of my voice.
“Do you know why the decapitation is considered the least severe among the executions in the Empire?”
“Uh… well, that’s…”
Henry struggled to answer. It seemed he didn’t quite understand either the intention or the nature of the question.
“Let me change the question. Do you know how long a person remains conscious during beheading?”
“Huh? That is… probably a few seconds?”
Henry looked visibly confused as he chose his words carefully, answering to what was an entirely different question.
“That’s right. While it’s difficult to study, it is said that it lasts around a few seconds. This is based on anecdotal evidence, anyone who has witnessed a person being beheaded would likely give a similar answer.”
“That’s true… in battle, I think it might feel even shorter.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Since our spirit is roused in the battle, the blood gushes out violently—though that’s my interpretation.”
“I see. That’s precisely what I was going to discuss.”
I chuckled softly, and Henry looked even more puzzled, tilting his head.
“The reason why disembowelment is the most severe is that it is a fatal injury but does not cause immediate death.”
“Ah…”
Henry seemed to have realized something.
“Indeed, a person whose torso—specifically the area around the waist—is cut in half has no means of healing, and they will continue to live until the blood remaining in their upper body flows out past lethal limits. Naturally, it is excruciating, with records mentioning cases where individuals suffered for as long as half a day before dying.”
“Beheading is instantaneous, hanging is a little longer, and disembowelment is half a day… so the duration of suffering is what makes the difference.”
“There is also the meaning of exposing their suffering, but essentially, that’s about the gist of it.”
“I see…”
Henry nodded, looking at me further. His expression clearly said, “I understand the explanation, but what’s your point?”
It was indeed a very disconnected conversation, it was no surprise it didn’t connect.
I glanced briefly at the golden plate on the desk.
“Are you suggesting a pardon?”
Henry was taken aback.
It seemed like he finally connected the dots in his mind.
Yes, I was indeed trying to talk about that boy, Chester.
I had been going around in circles to lead to that premise.
The connection had been made, yet I shook my head quietly.
“That’s impossible.”
I shook my head again and continued.
“As Emperor of the Empire, I cannot overlook the male line of a traitor. A daughter can be spared in various ways, but…”
“That’s true.”
“However, Henry, you are correct to sense it. It pains me to execute that innocent boy with disembowelment.”
“……”
Henry stared at me in silence, as if asking what I intended to do.
“Deliberately lighten the guard.”
“Are you suggesting we let him escape?!”
“Yes.”
“Your Majesty?”
Henry looked at me as if he couldn’t believe it. I returned his gaze with a serious expression.
“We must, of course, pursue the fugitive regardless of life or death.”
“—Huh!”
“It’s sufficient to bring back only the head.”
“……As expected of Your Majesty.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes.”
Henry bowed and exited the tent.
Just a few days ago, he had done something similar, back then, he had feigned a pursuit to the scouts.
However, this time it’s a serious pursuit, aimed at catching up and “killing on the spot.”
Once I was alone, I muttered to myself.
“This is the limit of the Emperor… no.”
If I were just the Emperor, I could manipulate things however I wanted, disregarding the rules. Historically, those kinds of people have been called tyrants.
But I cannot do that.
“Father…”
If I become a tyrant or a fool, it would tarnish the name of my father, who designated me as Emperor.
It’s a condition that has shackled more than half of the emperor’s authority.
The law must be strictly upheld as law.
I believe that is the minimum requirement I impose on myself.
[TN: I’ll be honest, I am in need of money right now to upgrade my laptop, so I am working a bit more on translations. Hopefully adsense will fulfill the gap. Thank you]
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