・・・・・
Up until now, Benjamin had only one wish for Lucas. To act like a crazy tyrant.
“Please continue to act capriciously, display your cruel nature without restraint, and ruthlessly cut down anyone who fails or succeeds. That's all Your Majesty needs to do."
At the time, Lucas had brushed off those words as insignificant, but now he keenly understood their meaning. Benjamin's perceived value of Lucas was solely based on his status as the emperor.
Lucas grew increasingly displeased with Benjamin's arrogance in applying the same metric of 'usefulness' to him, thereby underestimating him.
After realising this, Lucas began to lose interest in acting like a madman at Benjamin's behest. While Benjamin's instigation had played a role in Lucas becoming a tyrant, his innate disposition was largely to blame. However, the greatest cause was Claudia. His frustration at being unable to get close to her had driven him to unleash his madness. The reason he had invaded and trampled even the small kingdoms that had swiftly surrendered was entirely due to this.
'There’s no real need for that anymore... Besides, why should I follow Duke Lamberg’s instructions?'
His rebellious instinct kicked in, and he suddenly didn’t want to do it just because he was told to. Moreover, Lucas had begun to enjoy meeting Claudia under the pretext of sponsoring the arts. Now that the bothersome Constantine was out of the picture, he believed that nothing else mattered — he only needed to make Claudia his.
Regaining his peace of mind made him more lenient than before. Unintentionally, he began to distance himself from Benjamin. Consequently, the nobles who had previously kept quiet out of fear for their lives started to flock to the Emperor’s side one by one. The most prominent among them was Count Disroyal.
"Your Majesty?"
Lucas paused at the familiar voice and turned to look in its direction. Searching for new artists to sponsor had become his new hobby and part of his daily routine. This time, he had come to see the most popular play in the capital, and by chance, he encountered Count Disroyal.
“Quite the persistent coincidence.”
"I wonder how many times this has happened. I guess it’s not for nothing that they say tastes cannot be hidden."
When perspectives and views on a work aligned, conversation flowed naturally, leading to enjoyment. Lucas moved to the imperial palace and engaged in a spirited discussion with the Count about the play they had just watched.
“The content and structure were perfect, and the relationships between the characters and their dialogue were excellently crafted. It was a masterpiece.”
Then, Count Disroyal smiled amiably and agreed with everything Lucas said, affirming that it was absolutely correct.
“Lately, there seems to be a particularly strong movement toward seeking truth. The play briefly touches on what the glory and honour of the empire really mean at the end of the play.”
"It's probably because the war has been dragging on. What else can we do but let the people relieve their pent-up frustrations in such a manner?"
The numerous benefits gained from the war all went to those in power, but it was the people who had to bear the cost. Even if the nation's survival was not at stake, and it was a senseless war that only led to death, why would ordinary citizens, not even soldiers, volunteer themselves to take part?
"Let the brave subjects of Roxitant willingly lay down their lives to defend their honour for the eternal glory of the Empire."
Lucas thought that this so-called 'honour' was actually just a tool to manipulate the foolish masses. In the play, it was dressed up as 'social hypocrisy' or 'collective order,' but in reality, that was all it really was.
"Would it be alright to leave it as is?"
Count Disroyal paused for a moment, hesitated, and then whispered worriedly.
"It might be fine now, but there's a risk it could turn into a dangerous ideology later..."
Dangerous? Like starting a rebellion? Lucas scoffed as if it were ridiculous.
"Forcefully suppressing it will only cause more resistance and backlash. It might flare up briefly but it will eventually subside, becoming quiet again before you know it."
It was not a dangerous ideology, just a passing trend. No matter how much they suspected and got angry, it was of no use. After all, the people couldn’t do anything about their grievances and would just hold their breath and keep quiet.
"Just provide them with enough bread and circuses. [1] Then they'll be content with reality."
Thus, a timid rebellion expressed through art was the most desperate resistance they could muster.
"Let's just leave it at respecting their freedom of expression."
Lucas concluded that the act of continuously seeking and uncovering the truth was the driving force of creation. If they interfered and imposed restrictions, the development of culture and art would also stagnate. Then they wouldn't be able to enjoy such masterpieces.
“Why don’t you stop talking nonsense and just enjoy the play?”
He then asked indifferently.
"Of course, I understand Your Majesty's intentions."
The Count of Disloyal bowed respectfully, making sure not to offend Lucas.
"But if I may humbly suggest, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to cool down the overheated atmosphere for a while."
"How so?"
"By demonstrating that Your Majesty's authority is still strong throughout the empire."
What the Count proposed was a new type of circus.
"No matter how I think about it, now is the perfect time. Isn't this the time when Sir Constantine is powerless and the temple is in chaos? We must ensure that all is recognised as Your Majesty's benevolence."
In other words, it meant to bring the temple's supporters to their side. After all, they were followers who had gathered their faith in a shallow and flimsy way. It was a simple matter to draw them over here. All it would take was the spectacle of a circus so magnificent that it would never again be seen in history, neither in the past nor the future.
"The name of the circus could be, hmm... 'Night of Heroes'! It will be an extravagant festival."
Lucas's interest was piqued when Count Disroyal raised his voice and proclaimed grandly.
"And above all, it's an opportunity to curb Duke Lamberg’s influence. How much longer will you tolerate Duke Lamberg’s overstep in his regency?"
Even though Lucas was quite drunk, he expressed his displeasure at the blunt use of the word 'regency.' While it wasn't entirely wrong, people tended to get upset when their sore spots were prodded.
"How rude."
"Ah, please forgive my rudeness. I became so enraged by Duke Lamberg's outrageous behaviour that I lost my composure."
Then the Count quickly apologised and bowed his head politely.
"But the Duke has long since crossed the line. If he had merely offered advice as a loyal subject, I would not have intervened like this."
And then he began to persuade, gently soothing and cajoling.
"He has taken upon himself the duties that Your Majesty should bear, as well as the rights that Your Majesty is entitled to. How dare he exploit Your Majesty's trust and favour?"
Lucas neglected his emperor’s duties and rights because they were bothersome, and he never trusted or showed favour to anyone. Lucas gave a twisted smile, fully aware of the Count's transparent desire to have Benjamin dismissed immediately.
In truth, while the capricious Emperor was a concern, what the nobles truly feared was Benjamin. Offending the Emperor might cost one their head, or in extreme cases, result in the annihilation of their entire family. But crossing Benjamin meant facing the most miserable end a human being could endure.
A tyrant alone was difficult enough to handle, but behind that tyrant stood a devil. Moreover, with two heroes at his side, who would dare defy their will?
Benjamin monopolised the territories and spoils of war as if he were the emperor himself, distributing them according to his whims. This was because Lucas had no interest in anything but the bloodshed of war itself, indifferent to what came after.
The nobles had no choice but to silently accept the leftovers Benjamin chose to give them, gritting their teeth.
Even the representative of the aristocratic faction, Duke Depallacion, remained silent and acquiesced to the situation, leaving no room for action. The young, naive nobles who dared to assert their rights were either executed by the Emperor or met untimely and mysterious deaths. As a result, the empire was completely at the mercy of Benjamin, who could manipulate it as he wished.
But finally, the time had come. The previously amicable relationship with the temple had soured to the point where their hostility was evident, and the Emperor had clearly begun to harbour resentment toward Duke Lamberg. High-ranking officials would surely seize this opportunity. Count Disroyal was a close confidant of Duke Depallacion. It was obvious that the Duke was behind the Count's current actions. Lucas also knew this, so he didn't really trust either side and had no intention of taking sides.
However, as everyone feared, it was true that Benjamin was increasingly overstepping his bounds. It seemed that he was even eyeing the throne.
“I am of no value unless I am the emperor…”
Lucas muttered Benjamin's thoughts under his breath as he took a sip of his drink. He felt an urge to kill him.
・・・・・
"Your Majesty, there are mountains of things I want to say, but there are more pressing matters to attend to, so it would be best to address those first."
Benjamin came to see Lucas and got straight to the point without any preamble.
"What is it?"
Lucas responded, unable to fully conceal his defiant expression. Now, it wasn't just the smoke wafting from the cigarette Benjamin was holding, but even the sound of his breathing that was starting to annoy him.
"I believe I mentioned before that the Head of Silentium, the Intelligence Bureau, has sided with Chamberlain."
Lucas recalled that the leader there was a woman and that she had leaked fabricated information as per Irene’s instructions.
"I only recently obtained information that they had already completely taken over the arts industry several years ago."
"...What?"
"It all started with Irene Amber's resourcefulness. Three years... No, it must have been four and a half years ago."
All of this was something Benjamin had inferred through Shayne Speare and Mozzarella. He found it strange that the period when Irene had changed slightly from before and the period when Silentium’s power had expanded exponentially coincided exactly, and so he investigated. As a result, he discovered that Shayne Speare and Mozzarella were just the tip of the iceberg. All of the arts and culture were already being controlled by them.
"In any case, all art must be thoroughly reviewed and censored."
Benjamin argued that banned books and similar materials should be identified, and strict punishment should be imposed if they were secretly distributed.
"It would be best to stop supporting the artists right away."
The idea was to completely eradicate artistic culture, as it was unclear how they might incite the people. Benjamin made a reasonable and valid argument. His work was quick, accurate, and wise — nothing like the foolish Constantine’s handling. But even so, Lucas couldn’t shake his dissatisfied gaze. He twisted his mouth into a crooked smile and replied.
"I don’t want to."
“...”
That single phrase became the spark. Benjamin felt all the patience he had built up to its limit crumble away. He didn’t respond at all, simply adding a smile like a dazzling mask. And in his mind, he made a decision: Lucas D’Arrian Roxitant. He would drag that fool out and replace the emperor.
・・・・・
"Ah, Duke Lamberg."
Cedric stumbled and wobbled precariously down the hallway when he finally found Benjamin, the one he had been searching for all this time. He grinned and waved his hands in the air. Even such simple gestures seemed so light as if they could be blown away by the wind.
“What’s going on?”
Cedric, who stopped in front of Benjamin, bit his lip nervously.
“I have something to tell you, but could we please move to a different place for a moment?”
He asked, gripping the hem of Benjamin's clothes as if he were clutching him by the collar. It seemed both threatening and desperate. His fully dilated pupils had the wild look of a madman, as though he would die if Benjamin didn’t follow him immediately. Benjamin stopped, smiled gently, and then replied in a voice full of sincerity.
"Of course."
They headed to Cedric's quarters. As soon as he entered his room, Cedric collapsed onto the sofa, his body sprawled out as if he were on the verge of death. He smiled weakly, seemingly trying to appear at ease and reassure the other person, but his hand trembled as he lifted the teacup, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
"The item you gave me last time was quite useful."
“It's a neat product. I'm glad it was helpful."
Benjamin’s attitude toward Cedric had always been one of kindness, from the beginning until now. At first, he thought it was just the capitalist approach to dealing with valuable customers, but it wasn’t. To be precise, when Lucas’s usefulness had diminished, Benjamin had just kept Cedric around to make space for a new replacement.
The first was a fool showing signs of becoming a tyrant, and the second was a bastard so broken that he was already half-dead. Weren’t both of them in a perfect position to be used as puppets?
However, it seems that he had rushed to a hasty judgment regarding the tyrant. Wasn’t a tyrant someone who would expel even their closest aides if they bothered him?
Benjamin resolved to entirely eliminate one side. The time had come to use the remainder that had been kept in reserve for emergencies.
He was meticulously prepared. After calculating countless possibilities and ranking them, he had completed all the preparations, ready to act the moment the decision was made. Cedric’s case had been no different.
"Ugh...!"
Benjamin used the ember from his cigarette to light the tip of a candle. A faint flame flickered and grew in the room. As soon as he did, Cedric let out a groan, then flinched and shivered.
"I was just trying to brighten the room because it was so dark..."
Benjamin asked, "Are you alright?" with a tone of exaggerated concern that bordered on being insincere and off-putting.
“Put it out now!”
"Hmm, how can we have a conversation when it's this dark?"
“Fi-fire, get it out of my sight quickly. Fxck!”
Even curses slipped out. Cedric was so terrified by the simple act of lighting a candle that his face turned pale, and tears streamed down his cheeks. After carefully observing his reaction, as if scrutinising it, Benjamin extinguished the flame as Cedric had requested. Only then did Cedric slowly uncurl his crouched body and roughly rub his tear-streaked eyes with his palms.
“Haha, Duke Lamberg... Are you sure this really has no side effects? Right now... I feel like I’m going to die."
One day, as soon as the effects of the medicine wore off, everything in the world started to feel overwhelmingly threatening and terrifying. The fear was so intense and directionless that he was gripped by the frightening thought that his heart might just burst.
"I regret to inform you, but no medicine in the world is free from side effects."
"Damn it..."
As Benjamin had said, there was no medicine in the world without side effects, but Cedric had never experienced pain this intense before. Moreover, when Benjamin had first given Cedric the drug and tempted him, hadn’t he sweetly whispered that it would make him feel endlessly good?
Cedric squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, then slowly opened them, his eyelids trembling.
"Are there no more of those items you brought in?"
Addicting someone to drugs was far too easy. In fact, Benjamin's method was simple. At first, he gave Cedric a new drug with no side effects, allowing him to enjoy it without any suspicion. Then, gradually, he mixed in a highly addictive and potentially lethal substance, slowly increasing the dosage. The moment it became addictive enough to cause withdrawal symptoms, that was the end of it. No, the very act of touching Benjamin's 'medicine' in the first place was a mistake.
All power was in Benjamin's hands. In Cedric’s world, Benjamin was an absolute god. Now, weakened by drug addiction, Cedric would be swayed by Benjamin’s every word until his dying breath. Benjamin rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a small bottle filled with powder. And he spoke as if trying to calm Cedric, whose eyes had turned fierce as he charged toward him.
"Oh dear, please don't get so worked up."
‘I thought you wanted to feel at ease?’
"It seems that, unexpectedly, you like having your patience tested?"
Benjamin asked, waving the bottle in front of his eyes as if teasing him. Cedric gritted his teeth, trying to hold back his seething anger and curses, and reluctantly asked in a trembling voice.
“...What should I do?”
Then Benjamin lazily leaned against the back of the sofa and crossed his legs. With a satisfied smile on his lips, he answered leisurely, as if enjoying making him wait.
"If you behave obediently and respectfully, I will give you the reward you deserve.”
Translator's Corner:
[1] This expression originates from the Latin phrase "panem et circenses" (bread and circuses), coined by the Roman poet Juvenal. It refers to the strategy used by Roman rulers to maintain control over the masses by providing basic necessities (bread) and entertainment (circuses), thus keeping people content and distracted from pressing societal or political issues.
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