Emperor Johannes thrust the documents submitted by Count Belts at the Minister of Works. Anger raged in his eyes.
The Minister of Works, whose infidelity had been discovered by the emperor, immediately knelt down and apologized.
"Please forgive me! It was just a momentary lapse of judgment!"
"Engaging with another man's wife is a grave offense! As a minister, you should know this! Moreover, it was your subordinate's wife! What were you thinking!?"
"That... Bettyna approached me! Please forgive me! I was tempted! I was set up!"
"Would you engage with a subordinate's wife just because you were tempted!? If you were tempted by my consorts, would you engage with them!?"
"That... such a thing..."
"It's the same! It's a poor excuse to say the woman who tempted you is at fault!?"
Johannes' anger did not subside.
He had entrusted the Minister of Works with his duties for many years. Despite even arranging for the minister to marry a friend's daughter, the minister had repaid his kindness with betrayal, making Johannes' blood boil.
His anger was not solely due to this. The woman with whom the minister had an affair was the wife of Count Belts, whom Johannes trusted and favored.
It was Johannes who had ordered Count Belts to investigate his wife. When he assured Count Belts, who was hesitant, that he would handle any issues, it was because Johannes held him in high regard.
A key premise of Zandra's plan was Johannes' trust in Count Belts. Johannes believed that Count Belts was not the type to plot and bring down his superior. Indeed, Count Belts was far from such a person.
This is why Johannes suspected that the "Minister of Works" had used his capable subordinate's wife to protect his position.
Zandra had anticipated this. Normally, such a situation would raise suspicions that the wife was used to bring down the Minister of Works, but Johannes' trust in Count Belts and Count Belts' character prevented such thoughts.
Johannes had already heard that Count Belts had been tormented by his wife, which made him sympathetic.
Thus, Johannes' decision was swift.
"I am relieving you of your duties as Minister of Works! Go home and await your punishment!"
"Please forgive me! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!!"
"Summon Count Belts!"
Johannes announced this, still seething with anger.
After a while, a hunched Count Belts appeared before Johannes.
The first words out of Count Belts' mouth were an apology.
"I am sorry! My ex-wife's misconduct is due to my lack of supervision!"
"Belts... what are you saying? You don't need to feel responsible for such things."
"But... "
"I trust you. While your naivety that allows you to be deceived by a bad woman can be seen as a flaw, I appreciate it. You are serious and dedicated to your work. I have long wanted to entrust a ministerial position to someone like you. Would you consider taking over as Minister of Works?"
"I cannot accept such a great responsibility! My wife committed a crime! Punish me!"
"She is no longer your wife. Moreover, the fault lies with the Minister of Works. Being tempted is no excuse for infidelity. I do not intend to punish you for this, and I will deal with anyone who defames you."
"Your Majesty..."
"I will reappoint you. Count Belts, I appoint you as Minister of Works. Work even harder for the country."
"... I will not forget this kindness. I will fulfill this great responsibility for the sake of the Belts family."
With that, Count Belts accepted the position of Minister of Works.
After a few words to Count Belts, Johannes dismissed him.
He then sank into his throne and sighed.
"The situation is intensifying."
"Franz..."
A man of Johannes' age appeared without permission.
The man with silver-gray hair wore a white civil servant's uniform. Only one position in the empire allowed him to wear it.
The head of the civil servants, the Chancellor.
The man's name was Franz Sebeck. The absence of "von" in his name indicated he was not of noble birth. He had risen from the son of an innkeeper to the position of Chancellor, the highest-ranking civil servant in the empire.
To Franz, Johannes said:
"The struggle for ministerial positions is a constant in the imperial succession. The current ministers should be aware of this. Therefore, they must be cautious. Being tempted into an affair with a subordinate's wife is unacceptable. It will eventually harm the empire. If not addressed now, it could affect me as well."
"I have no objections to your decision. However, is it wise to appoint Count Belts as a minister without further investigation? There is a scent of intrigue in this matter."
Franz, who had served as Johannes' advisor since he was a prince, saw nothing but suspicion surrounding Count Belts.
He deliberately did not investigate further because he was forbidden from interfering in the imperial succession. Otherwise, he would have thoroughly investigated the matter.
"If it is intrigue, so be it. Count Belts has the ability, and he is not the type to plot. Therefore, he can be trusted. Besides, a person who cannot even plot is not fit to be an emperor."
"That is a strange thing to say. When you were a prince, I was the one who handled the intrigue, was I not?"
"That is a necessary quality for an emperor. The ability to recognize talent in others and delegate tasks. Both are essential for an emperor. I recognized your talent early on, which is why I entrusted the intrigue to you. Thanks to that, I am sitting here."
"Your Majesty jests. Even without me, you would have secured the throne. You were that clever."
Franz paused, lost in thought about the past. Johannes did the same.
Their children were about to walk the same path they had once walked. It would be a bloody path, and Johannes knew this but could not stop them.
The imperial succession had made Johannes who he was today. The experience would serve him well as emperor.
The empire, though a strong nation, was not a hegemonic power. It had rivals, and it had to fight against them. Therefore, a strong and capable emperor was always needed. The imperial succession was a selection process and a training ground for the emperor.
If one could not even navigate this, they were not fit to be emperor. This was a tradition passed down through generations of the royal family.
"Once, Your Majesty played the role of a foolish prince. As the eldest son, you were called a dissolute prince."
"Leading in the imperial succession is dangerous. It increases the risk of assassination. My son was like that..."
"No evidence of the Crown Prince's assassination was found. We investigated thoroughly. Do you still suspect assassination?"
"Yes, I am certain. The Crown Prince was assassinated. He was excellent but too kind. That was his weakness. If only he had someone to complement him..."
"That is just how things work. In that regard, the current fourth faction is interesting."
Franz's words made Johannes smile.
He agreed with Franz.
"Do you think so too? At first glance, it seems like a faction united by Leonard's charisma. But there is definitely someone working behind the scenes. Otherwise, it could not have grown so rapidly."
"You suspect Prince Arnold, don't you?"
"Yes, he reminds me of myself. He seems to be playing the role of an incompetent prince."
"I agree, but unlike you, I don't sense any ambition for the throne. He also seems to be taking the blame for everything. He doesn't retaliate, and the nobles have come to look down on him."
"I don't know what he is thinking. But during the last incident, he was the first to send Erna. He even broke his own bracelet to ensure that Erna and the knights were not blamed. This shows that he was thinking about what would happen if Kiel fell. He is not as incompetent as people say. Of course, I might be overestimating him."
"Is that why you made him your aide? That left Leonard's faction without a leader."
"Yes, that was part of it, and I admit I was a bit emotional. I didn't like his calm demeanor. He looked like everything was going according to his plan, and I don't like that look."
Franz held back from saying, "That's a case of kinship hatred," as he knew Johannes would deny it.
However, Franz understood.
Arnold was more like Johannes than Johannes realized.
Johannes had a purpose, the goal of becoming emperor. But he did not sense that in Arnold.
A person without a purpose or strong beliefs can cause chaos. If they have power, the chaos can be even greater.
If Arnold had a strong resolve, he would do everything to overcome this crisis. Johannes wanted to see that.
Only when he overcame it would Arnold and Leonard be recognized by Johannes.
"For a while, we will watch the performance of the two black princes."
"Two black princes... a good name. They are two halves of a whole. Leonard, who walks the righteous path, reminds me of the Crown Prince. If Arnold can support him from the shadows, they might take the throne."
"Perhaps. The other princes are also exceptional. In a different era, any of them could have been emperors. Their chances are slim for now."
"That is a good thing. When excellent people compete for the throne, a wise emperor is born. The empire will be safe."
This was the best news for Johannes, who always thought of the empire.
However, he thought to himself:
I hope the bloodshed among the children is minimal.
Thinking of something he could never say as an emperor, Johannes moved on to the next state affairs.