Volume 7 Chapter 11 The Roman Emperor's Bad Reputation
With an overwhelming presence and explosive development, Margrave Birk is crushing me. I say, "let's calm down for a moment, Margrave. We haven't even introduced ourselves yet."
"Very well, I remember, Marquis Württemberg."
"That's right. I'm still a young noble who's just started out. You can't buy information that detailed with money, can you?"
"Hmm...that's true. I got a bit ahead of myself."
Margrave Birk calms down, sitting back in his chair. I clear my throat lightly and introduce myself.
"I'm Wade Gravitas Württemberg, appointed by Alexander the Emperor as Marquis Württemberg."
"I-I'm Ridge of Noble Karditsa~desuwa! T-The daughter of the Margrave or rather Marquis Karditsa family."
"I'm Count Romantini Manheim. Please treat me kindly."
"It's an honor to be visited by Marquis and Count for a young noble like myself. I'm grateful."
Margrave Birk, who had us speechless with his curse technique at the beginning, still maintains his composed demeanor. I can't help but think that's impressive.
Maintaining a humble attitude is to make the other person feel good. As the saying goes, "The more you lower your head, the more you'll be respected," and that's indeed true. The more dignified the person, the more they'll lower their head, and that's the true art of social etiquette.
On the other hand, there are fools who look down on people who are humble. But those kinds of people are already marked as "not ordinary" by the curse technique at the beginning. So, being humble only raises one value.
Value. Something that can't be replaced with money.
I think, "Nobles are terrifying," and I'm not just saying that. The more I interact with them, the more I realize it.
I glance at Roman once, confirm that he nods, and then speak to Margrave Birk.
"So, let's get to the main topic quickly. Margrave Birk is in favor of moving to the Alexander Empire, right?"
"Yes, of course. You can't follow someone like that. Even if they're a good ruler, you never know when they'll kill you."
"...I only know the Roman Emperor by reputation, but is he really that cruel and evil?"
When I asked Margrave that, Ridge looked down, Roman fell silent, and the Margrave began to speak, saying, "It's a bit of a difficult explanation, but..."
"He's 90% wise and just in his actions, but 10% of the time, he's deadly. That's the kind of person the Roman Emperor is."
"...Can you tell me more?"
"Yes. For example, the Roman's Emperor basically governs well. As a summoned hero, he has excellent technology from another world, after all."
He makes sure there's no famine, no heavy taxes to suffer under. He creates a country where people can live happily, and that's the Roman Empire.
"But sometimes, he commits atrocities that can't be forgiven, and that's also the Roman Emperor."
For example, Margrave Birk said.
"The old Greek royal family. I was originally from the Greek territory, and at first, the old Greek royal family submitted to the Roman Empire, which led to their absorption."
The original submission of the old Greek royal family was a process of being absorbed into the Roman imperial family through kinship.
I remember Clay, who's not here. I heard he was the third prince.
But...
"However, soon after the Roman Emperor married the Greek princess, he massacred all the members of the Greek royal family. A war broke out, and unnecessary blood was shed, leading to his rule."
"...Do you know why he did that?"
"I don't get it. The scary thing here is that the emperor's judgment was completely off the mark. I've heard that the Roman Emperor and the Greek royal family were on good terms until just before the tragedy."
After that, it was like living in hell for a while.
"Many nobles criticized the emperor. But since the emperor himself had immense power, the critics were killed one by one, and in the end, no one dared to speak out."
"...That's..."
It's just too extreme. I can't understand it. It sounds like a story about a sudden descent into madness.
But what really gives me the chills is what happened next.
"But at the same time, the emperor was pushing forward with the liberation of the elf sl*ves. The nobles who participated in the liberation were all 'excellent leaders' and didn't seem like the masterminds behind the tragedy."
"..."
If someone is causing a senseless tragedy, you'd think they'd be crazy at that point. But that wasn't the case. The Roman Emperor was carrying out his plans simultaneously.
It's a mix of sanity and madness. That's what's unsettling. I can't even imagine what kind of person he was. It's a feeling that's hard to shake off.
"My rebellion was based on personal feelings. I don't have any noble or territorial ambitions, nor do I have any desire to oppose the emperor's rule. I don't have any complaints about that."
But Margrave Birk protests.
"Even so, I can't follow that emperor. No matter how excellent he is, there's a 1% chance he'll kill me brutally, and I can't associate with someone like that."
"...Thank you. I think I understand the Roman Emperor now."
I bowed and said with a smile, "Do you mind if I hear something different? It might be a nice change of pace."
"Yes, of course Then, let's see... How about a story about curse?"
"Ah, that would be helpful. We've also been wondering what a curse master is, anyway."
The 2 of us laughed, and Ridge whispered something in my ear.
"...Wade-sama, where did you learn such noble manners?"
"My old man."
"Hmm."
As Ridge says I'm a remarkable person, I shrug my shoulders.
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