I Became the Master of the Empress

38 – Episode 38

The morning after going on a secret trip.

Time to eat with my wife’s family.

“Hey, do you have a lot of work to do today?”

My mother-in-law’s words made me, Theodora, and Joey look puzzled.

“It’s just a little bit, but if you have anything to say, I’ll make time in the afternoon.”

When I spoke with a shy smile, my mother-in-law spoke with a kind smile.

“I don’t plan on taking up much of my busy time. “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about for a moment.”

“Mom? “What are you going to talk about with your brother-in-law?”

Joey, who was next to my mother-in-law, asked a question, but seeing her smiling kindly and finishing her meal without saying anything made me wonder again.

“Yes, then I will visit you in the afternoon.”

With that said, the meal ended.

Afterwards, on the way to my office with Theodora, she asks me.

“But why did your mother ask to see you alone?”

“Well? I don’t have any guesses, right?”

I don’t actually remember talking to my mother-in-law alone.

So… I don’t know what you’re going to say.

“Hmm… That’s strange. “There’s no way your mother would ask to see you for no reason…”

I also nod my head at Theodora’s words.

“I think so too.”

The Empress Dowager is the elder of the imperial family and at the same time, she is loved by the people of the empire.

I think she is asking to meet with me because that person wants something.

Honestly, if you ask for something, from my perspective, I have no choice but to listen.

She is a lifesaver lady and I forced myself to marry her lovely daughter.

It is natural that it must be followed as a human duty.

“Your Majesty the Archduke? See you here.”

“Oh? Agrippa? “Are you going to my office now?”

Agripa happens to come out from the cloister and briefly bows and speaks to Theodora.

“Yes, I still have something to report to you…”

She looks at Agrippa, who trails off, and looks at Theodora next to her.

If you’re giving me a little notice like that, I guess it’s something Theodora shouldn’t hear.

“Theodora, I have something to discuss with Agrippa…”

As I carefully trail off her words, Theodora nods her head as if she understands.

“You two can come and talk and do whatever you want. “I have somewhere to go anyway.”

“Huh? “Where are you going?”

At my words, she gently turns around and smiles softly as she speaks.

“Secret.”

When she said that and looked at her blankly as she left.

“Grand Duke, come to your senses.”

“Oh… Really? But what happened?”

“A letter has arrived from Princess Mary. Last time, it was related to the bank that was decided to be established in the Grand Duchy.”

Hearing those words, I look around and say.

“Then let’s go to my room… No, let’s go to your room.”

My office is no longer my own space.

Recently, Theodora has also been studying in my office every day.

“Of course.”

Let’s follow Agrippa and arrive at his room.

Agripa hands over a piece of paper.

[To my stupid brother.

As my brother told me, I bought 30-year imperial bonds with 30 tons of gold and used those bonds to create a trading company and a bank.]

A short article.

“Really? I did it faster than I thought. Agrippa, you must go to the Grand Duchy quickly.”

Now Agrippa and I have organized a bank and a chamber of commerce to make up for the lack of funds.

I plan to run it under my own name and rob the Emperor faction’s treasury.

“Yes, then I will sign a contract as you said?”

“Yes, the dwarves, Epirus, and the merchants and guilds of Nicaea… sign contracts with everyone you can afford.”

Agripa nods his head at my words.

“But wouldn’t there be a lack of money?”

“If I can’t decide, I’ll have to borrow it from my uncle.”

The United Kingdom is overflowing with gold these days, right?

I believe that if my lovely nephew asks me to borrow it, I will lend it to him.

Well… I guess I’ll have to put up collateral instead.

“Well… First of all, I understand.”

I nod my head at those words.

“I have work to do first, so I’ll go first.”

He said that and left the room.

And when we arrived at the office…

“Huh? “There really isn’t one?”

She feels a little empty seeing Theodora not in her office.

Is it because I see it every day? It feels a little empty because it comes and goes.

But where on earth did he go?

Thinking like that, I finish my work.

***

“Meet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

I see three old men in front of me.

Three people who are said to be the best in the empire.

I smile as I look at the magic professors, the elf, the alchemy professor, and the technology professor, the dwarf, respectively, at the academy.

“Everyone must be busy, but thank you for taking the time to come here.”

Three people waving their hands as if they disagreed with what I said.

“No! “We can only thank you for calling us to serve the empire.”

“Okay. “Thank you for saying that.”

Three people nod their heads at my words.

“Hmm… We looked for what His Majesty ordered last time.”

I am very excited about those words and ask.

“Is that so? “Have you had any good results?”

The alchemy professor nodded at my words and took out a small glass bottle from his pocket.

Only white powder is visible inside.

“If this is the case, Your Majesty’s wishes will come true.”

I ask as I see white powder for the first time.

“What is this?”

The alchemy professor speaks triumphantly as if this is a great discovery.

“Do you know how farming is done, Your Majesty?”

I shake my head at those words.

Agriculture is an important industry for the country, but unfortunately, I do not know how to farm.

If that person… Would you know?

I suddenly have this thought, but I don’t think he knows much about farming.

It’s impossible for someone from a noble family to know much about farming.

“No, I don’t know.”

The magic professor nods his head at what I say, takes something out of his pocket and says.

“Now, please look at this.”

It shows a map with a round castle in the center divided into four districts.

“What is this?”

When I ask, the magic professor says.

“The current farming method of the empire is like this. “Here, we farm on one piece of land divided into four districts…”

He then points to the land next to him and continues.

“The next year we will farm here, and the next year will be here. Farming takes place like this. “It’s called fallow.”

I am puzzled by that statement, so I ask.

“Then the three lands are not idle? “Why are you farming like this?”

I don’t understand.

Are you intentionally making fun of the land while farming?

“That means intentionally not farming in order to maintain the soil’s strength.”

“Intellect?”

“Yes, if you farm haphazardly, your intellect will decline and you will eventually not be able to farm. “Every farmer in the empire knows this.”

I feel a moment of shame at those words.

“Hmm… I see. But what is that white powder?”

What are the leaves and the powder that we are talking about?

The alchemy professor smiles and speaks at my words.

“If you have this powder, you can farm without having to fallow the fields.”

I say that in surprise.

“Really? “Does such a thing exist?”

The alchemy professor nods his head and says to me.

“But it’s not easy to make.”

The technology professor answers those words.

“To make that powder, you need equipment that can maintain high temperature and high pressure.”

The wizard continues with those words.

“And we need magic to create high temperature and high pressure in that device. It requires a completely different form of magic than the one-time-acting scrolls we’ve had so far. Therefore, it will require a huge investment and a lot of time.”

I nod my head and say those words.

“Don’t worry, the empire’s funds will never dry up.”

I asked curiously as I saw the three people nodding their heads at those words.

“However, as far as I know, I heard that the Grand Duke went to the Academy to inspect research that could be helpful to the development of the empire. “I’ve never heard of such a groundbreaking product.”

If something like this existed, Debian wouldn’t have stayed still.

Actually, I only thought of sending a letter to the professors asking them to let me know if there was anything that could be helpful to the development of the empire, but I only sent the letter because I remembered that Devian went to the academy before I got married.

So I didn’t have much expectations.

But I tried it because I couldn’t think of any other way to do it.

If he goes to the academy and sees this, but he doesn’t develop it, isn’t it because it’s not as useful as he thought?

I ask out of fear that I might get scolded for investing this, but…

“The Academy does not cooperate with the Archduke. “Most of the professors hate the Archduke.”

“That’s right. The day the Archduke visited the Academy. “Many professors were busy hiding the data they were researching.”

That statement is puzzling.

I think of him sitting in his office every day, always thinking about the empire and its people, and brooding over documents all night long.

Why do you hate Debian?

I’m asking because I’m curious.

“Why is that like that?”

Three people nod their heads at my words and kneel in front of me and speak.

“Aren’t you making fun of the true owner of the empire and ruling the empire as if you were the emperor? We all just follow His Majesty the Emperor.”

“That’s right. And you mock the Imperial Council and become a traitor to His Majesty, the Lord of the Empire!”

With those words… I get a strange feeling that feels both good and bad.

Debian…

For some reason, I don’t like it when professors here badmouth Debian.

Is my husband… A husband?

Do I feel bad because they criticize my husband?

I don’t know either.

But one thing is certain.

There is no one in this empire who puts in as much effort for the empire.

Even though the method used against me was wrong.

I know how much he values the empire.

So, in order to change their minds, I open my mouth cautiously.

“Hmm… I appreciate your loyalty. But the Archduke is Jim’s companion. And he is truly a loyalist who works hard day and night for this empire.”

They shake their heads and say what I say.

“Your Majesty! He is a wicked treacherous traitor. “Do not believe him.”

“That’s right! Don’t you know how the Imperial Diet and the Supreme Court were bribed?”

I feel offended by what professors say.

It’s not wrong, but why do I feel bad?

I also think that his methods are wrong, regardless of his effort or dedication.

However, there is no reason for these professors to be criticized as treacherous.

He is proud and arrogant to be considered a treacherous person.

Debian is a treacherous person who studies policies for the people of the empire and for the empire, but they are a little… A little angry that they don’t know what Debian does.

Still…

I struggle to hold back my anger, thinking that if we can just make a lot of that powder, the future of our empire will be bright.

“First of all, I value your loyalty. But how much money would it cost to make that?”

Hearing my words, the technology professor takes out a piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to me.

“It will cost about this much.”

“Huh…?”

My head starts to hurt when I see the amount far exceeding my expectations.

***

The review of the plan to create a new national agency has been completed.

“Ugh!, It’s over. At las…”

I don’t know how many times I read and edited this.

30 Tons of gold were recently brought into the imperial treasury.

Although the amount of gold in the Grand Duchy’s treasury has decreased significantly, this is something that cannot be helped.

Right now, Roman is shaken, so it’s important to sort things out…

Anyway, we can fill the national treasury while dealing with the anti-emperor faction.

“Now, shall we go see my mother-in-law?”