Even as the child of the emperor, it's not possible to meet him every day. The emperor, who governs the vast empire, is very busy.
The emperor almost always holds meetings with his subjects, but only those in important positions can attend. Currently, only the second prince can participate in the "Council of Ministers," the imperial council.
However, that day, all the princes and princesses in the capital were ordered to attend the Council of Ministers.
"Unusual, isn't it? I wonder what it's about?"
"It's something that happens once a year, if that. There must be some kind of report."
It's unrealistic to expect a common-sense suggestion like stopping the bloody struggle for the throne. Our parents believe that only those who win the struggle for the throne are worthy of being the emperor of the empire.
Before being parents, they are the emperor. They openly state that their duty is to prepare an excellent successor who can maintain and develop the vast empire. They would likely turn a blind eye to some sacrifices for that purpose.
"Report... I hope it's a good one."
"Nine times out of ten, it won't be a good report."
While having such a conversation, we headed to the "Throne Room," where the emperor's throne is located.
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"Everyone, thank you for your hard work."
"We pay our respects to His Majesty the Emperor."
Everyone knelt and bowed to the golden-haired man sitting on the throne.
Johannes Reks Ardor, the thirty-first emperor of the Ardorasia Empire, is fifty-one years old but looks like he's in his early forties.
He is the emperor of the empire that has lasted for over six hundred years and our father.
Surrounding him are only high-ranking officials, both civil and military.
Their gazes are fixed on us, the children of the emperor. There are eleven of us.
"Nine princes and two princesses. It seems no one is absent. My eldest daughter is at the border, but it's fine to leave her be. I am pleased, my children."
Including our deceased eldest brother, our father has thirteen children in total. He looks at us with satisfaction.
The eldest is twenty-eight, and the youngest is ten. It's rare for all of us to gather like this.
Among us, a particularly large man spoke up.
"Your Majesty, what is the matter this time? If it's war, I would like to go. I will show the enemy the might of the empire without hesitation!"
The large man in red armor is the third prince, Gordon Reks Ardor. He is one of the generals and the strongest warrior among the "princes."
Some might describe him as dignified, but to me, he seems arrogant and overconfident. He is belligerent and a hawk in the military. If he becomes emperor, the empire will continue its expansion policy, possibly leading to the unification of the continent. For those who seek military glory, he would be a good emperor.
For those who do not want war, he would be a terrible emperor.
"Gordon, you're as always."
"Always talking about war. You're too much. Look, even His Majesty is troubled."
Seeing our father's wry smile, a woman with long green hair spoke up.
The woman in a black robe is the second princess, Zandra Reks Ardor. Her face is beautiful, but her eyes are cold, giving her a harsh impression. Her personality is probably reflected in her eyes. Indeed, her harsh impression is not wrong.
Among the three older siblings, Zandra is the most cruel. She favors forbidden magic and is reviving it, which is well-received by the mages.
If she becomes emperor, the empire will become a magic powerhouse. However, it will also be a mad country that tolerates inhumane research.
"Hmph, a weak mage wouldn't understand. The glory of a warrior is to excel and die on the battlefield. If you interfere, I'll crush you."
"Really? Such a dangerous statement. If you want glory so much, I'll give it to you as a gift."
The atmosphere in the room tensed instantly.
Who is more dangerous? It's as if she said, "I'll kill you."
I can't believe they can argue so much in front of the emperor. What kind of nerves do they have?
As I thought this, a man with blue hair cleared his throat.
"Please forgive the rudeness of my younger siblings. Your Majesty."
The man bowed.
He is the closest to the emperor among the children. He is tall and wears glasses, with sharp eyes.
The second prince, Eric Reks Ardor.
He is the only child who can attend the Council of Ministers as the Foreign Minister and is a genius who handles diplomacy with other countries. He is evaluated as being more intelligent than the crown prince and is currently the man closest to the throne.
If he becomes emperor, the empire will undoubtedly be stable. However, his calm and cold rule might make the people feel suffocated. As a realist, he won't let potential rebels live. If he becomes emperor, we will definitely be killed.
That's why we must be in the struggle for the throne.
Gordon and Zandra glare at Eric, who is apologizing on our behalf. He has taken the good part.
"Very well. Competition is good. I became emperor through competition."
The competition will eventually turn into a fight to the death.
Everyone in this room knows this. The emperor tolerates it because he believes it is for the good of the empire.
"Alright, I want you all to compete. That's why I gathered you here."
"A contest of strength is what I want."
"Wait, Gordon. Don't oversimplify things. How would you compete with your ten-year-old youngest brother? That's why I'm reviving a festival that hasn't been held in decades."
"A festival, you say?"
Eric's words made our father nod and smile slyly.
In his youth, he was a renowned general who never lost in battle. His occasional hearty laugh reflects this side of him.
"The Knight Hunting Festival. It's a festival where each royal guard unit competes based on the rarity and size of the monsters they hunt. It was frequently held when monsters were more common in the country, but it has been discontinued recently because adventurers are excellent. I want to revive it."
The royal guards are the elite of the empire, directly under the emperor, and distinct from the knights who serve the lords.
They are the emperor's trump card, sent as reinforcements when the army is struggling, bringing victory. Their loyalty is solely to the emperor.
If they are mobilized for a festival, it will be a grand event.
"I see. Monsters have been more active recently. However, will the Adventurer's Guild allow it?"
The job of adventurers is to protect the people from monsters across the continent. In other words, hunting monsters is their job. While they do take on other types of requests, most of their work is related to monsters.
For adventurers, a festival that could take away their jobs would not be enjoyable.
"There's no need to worry. I have obtained permission from the Guild headquarters. The branches across the empire have been unable to handle the recent increase in rare monster attacks, so they want us to do it. The Duke of Kleinert has also been troubled by monsters."
I can't take that at face value.
The branches of the Guild in areas where monsters are rare, like the empire, are maintained by the empire. This means, "Please help us when monsters appear."
However, the Guild in the Duke of Kleinert's territory did not do enough to justify the maintenance costs. Silver operated through a different route, and since Silver solved the problem, it can't be considered the Guild's achievement.
Considering this, the correct conversation would be:
"Are you saying you can't slay monsters despite the high fees we pay?"
"I'm sorry..."
"We're going to hold a festival to slay monsters in our country. Please approve it."
"Well, that... we can't really approve it..."
"Then send us excellent adventurers."
"That's a bit difficult..."
"Which one will it be?"
"...Then, the festival..."
That's probably how it went.
Our father, who has such unruly children, wouldn't let the incident in the Duke of Kleinert's territory go unused.
The Guild headquarters must have been in a difficult position, caught between the local adventurers and the empire.
Recently, more monsters, especially high-level ones, have appeared in the empire. If no measures are taken, not only the people and crops but also the adventurers could be harmed. In that sense, having the elite Imperial Royal Guard hunt rare monsters is a good strategy. The festival would also generate revenue and reassure the people.
The emperor has come up with a good plan.
However, the question is how he intends to use us in this festival.
"I understand. So, you want us to lead the knight units and hunt monsters?"
"Indeed, Eric. You are perceptive. I will assign the knights to you myself. You can go out together or wait for good news. In any case, I want you to make the festival exciting."
The emperor concluded his speech. By assigning the knights himself, he is preventing any attempts to secure excellent knights for oneself.
The option to wait or go out seems to be a consideration for those who are not good at leading. However, knights do not swear loyalty to those who cannot lead. This is a fatal blow to those who aim for the throne.
The emperor wants those who aim for the throne to at least have the spirit to stand in the same place, even if they don't fight. If they can't show that, they don't deserve to aim for the throne.
"Your Majesty, I understand the festival, but I have one question."
"What is it, Gordon?"
"What will we get if we win? I won't be motivated by something trivial."
"Hmm, that's true. What do you want?"
"Of course, the position of crown prince."
Gordon stated this without hesitation.
Zandra glared at him as if she could kill him with her eyes, and Eric, while calm on the surface, is probably frustrated inside.
"You are honest. Very well, I will be honest with you. The position of crown prince cannot be decided by such a festival."
"Of course, if the crown prince were decided by such a festival, other countries would laugh at us."
"You're right, Zandra. However, there must be some reward. Therefore, I will appoint the winner as a special ambassador. The country to which they will be sent will depend on the future actions of other countries."
Everyone held their breath.
If a prince or princess serves as a special ambassador, the country to which they are sent will likely consider them a strong candidate for the throne. The appointed person will also establish connections with that country.
For those who aim for the throne, this position is highly desirable.
The least beneficial for this position is Eric, the Foreign Minister, but he would still want it. Moreover, as a Foreign Minister, having his diplomatic field taken by another candidate would damage his pride and reputation.
Since he has something to lose, Eric will take it seriously.