[Imperial Point: 1]
The glow of the message lingered in Kaiser’s mind like warmth against winter skin.
For the first time since wearing the crown, genuine joy stirred inside his chest.
He almost wanted to laugh.
Maybe even spin the imperial seal around like a child who had stumbled onto a hidden treasure.
He glanced across the hall.
The ministers were still talking, making the court hectic.
Kaiser leaned against the armrest of the throne, cheek resting lazily against his fist as amusement flickered through his mind.
Tsk.
Tsk.
Tsk…
‘When I truly become Emperor, every single one of you will pay for this.’
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
But fate rarely moved according to a man’s wishes.
A figure rose from the left side of the court.
Tall and dignified, dressed in ocean-blue robes embroidered with silver clouds.
A jade-studded belt hung around his waist, marking his authority.
His presence was calm, refined, yet dangerous in the same way a sheathed sword remained dangerous.
Lord Chancellor Athan Vermiel.
Representative of the Imperial Treasury.
Former head of the Bureau of Silver Scales.
A man infamous for his flawless memory and his ability to trap opponents with words before they even realized they were cornered.
In his hands rested the same petitions Kaiser had approved moments ago.
“Your Majesty,” Athan said evenly, “may I ask what reasoning guided the approval of these five emergency petitions without prior review from the Finance Tribunal?”
The hall fell silent.
Kaiser blinked once, the excitement inside him cooling slightly.
“They were urgent.”
Athan inclined his head politely.
“That is understandable.
However, the Imperial Treasury is already strained after last season’s winter relief efforts and the expansion of western frontier outposts.
Redistribution without proper auditing may create instability.”
He lifted the scroll slightly.
“Especially when grain is granted without repayment guarantees and military protection is extended beyond core provincial jurisdiction.”
Kaiser straightened in his seat.
“Those people are still citizens of the Empire.
If they are suffering, the court should act.”
Murmurs spread through the hall.
Some approving and others were wary.
Athan remained expressionless.
“And when the next province demands the same?
And the next after that?
Shall we empty the treasury in a single afternoon of sympathy and leave the capital vulnerable?”
Kaiser opened his mouth, but a voice suddenly resounded in his head.
Deep and absolute.
“Withdraw some of the petitions, Kaiser.
This is not the time.”
His body stiffened instantly.
He knew that voice.
William Von Dawn.
His father.
The true shadow ruling the Empire.
Kaiser’s jaw tightened hard enough to ache.
He did not even need to look at Athan to understand.
The old fox had received the same transmission.
Sure enough, Athan released a faint harrumph and sat down smoothly, like a man who had already secured victory several moves ago.
Kaiser exhaled slowly.
With a flick of his fingers, the petitions returned to his hand.
“I rescind the three petitions.”
His voice was flat.
The scribes recorded the decision immediately.
Quiet discussions swept through the court once more.
Kaiser frowned inwardly, because now, his interest was in direct conflict with the factions that was present in the court, and he didn’t know what he could do to take more power into his hands.
With his feeble political power and his non existent cultivation was both something that the court saw as perfect for the puppet emperor.
In this court, everyone knew that, and because of that, most of the factions would stop him at every turn if the puppet emperor showed any signs of rise.
Although that was the case, Kaiser was not afraid of any of these factions, because even though he was worthless, the Throne he sat…
No one dared to defy.
Because the people that stood behind this Throne was not something anyone in this court could defy easily.
There was a reason why Dawn Empire’s rule has already lasted for Nine Thousand Years till now.
The plan that he had till now was that he would just obey his father, and after fulfilling his purpose as a puppet emperor, he would abdicate and peacefully cultivate for the rest of the life.
But seeing that his system reacted to some form of political power, the plans truly couldn’t keep up with reality.
Now, although he didn’t want to push too hard, he wanted to cultivate some sort of faction that stood behind him.
With Kaiser pondering his future, the court session eventually ended.
Scrolls were sealed.
Orders were finalized.
Ministers bowed to one another with practiced smiles while already shifting their attention toward private schemes and personal interests as they departed through the towering doors of the Golden Throne
Kaiser remained seated upon the Throne of Dawn until the very end.
Only after the final official left did he finally rise.
He walked through the silent palace corridors at an unhurried pace.
The hem of his imperial robes dragged softly across the polished sunstone floor, muting the sound of his footsteps.
The moment his chamber doors shut behind him…
Bang!
His fist slammed into the bed.
“Damn it all!”
Feathers burst into the air like frightened birds.
Kaiser stood there breathing heavily, fists clenched, eyes burning with frustration and humiliation.