Oukoku e Tsuzuku Michi

Chapter 561: Weight of the Throne

「I am pleased to be in Your Majesty’s presence......」

A man bows his head in front of me as I sit on the throne.

I don’t know his name, or rather I forgot it after hearing it once.

「Whatever. State your business.」

This guy is bowing not to me but to the throne, and he is probably clicking his tongue with his head facing down.

Fine with me, I don’t care if an old man is courteous to me or not.

「――if you could.」

The man begins to speak without reservation.

If I were to summarize what he said, it would be that the management of the kingdom territory has gone awry.

The personnel selection which had been done by the King and Kenneth previously can’t be done by me or Adolph who have shallow knowledge about the kingdom’s nobles.

Additionally, we don’t have enough money.

A plan has been made for the personnel selection and expenditure.

I glance at the plan and then return it to him.

「Sure. Do as you want.」

The man makes a surprised face.

You proposed the plan, why would you be shocked?

「......pardon me, but is there anyone Your Majesty would like to recommend?」

「Not really.」

He’s probably asking about relatives or proteges, but I don’t have such people.

If I send Adolph to manage the kingdom territory, this place would collapse as soon as tomorrow.

「Then I will tell them to serve faithfully.」

「’Kay.」

In the first place, I can’t select personnel.

I’m not qualified because I don’t know anyone, and even Adolph and Leopolt only know famous nobles and core bureaucrats. If someone tells me the assistant at the demesne of the so-and-so region is suitable for the job――I can only nod and say “oh, is that so?”

The man turns to leave the room repeatedly tilting his head in confusion, unable to comprehend that someone like me, who is known as a violent usurper, would listen to his opinion without trouble.

「Well, come back if you screw up. We’ll think of another plan.」

The man stops moving.

He kneels on the floor again with a frightened face.

「If I am inept, I am prepared to take responsibility with my life.」

「Why would you take responsibility? Only the person who made the mistake will be on the chopping block.」

The man makes a surprised face again.

「Thank you for your kindness. I will tell the appointees to stake their life――」

「Nobody is actually going to die because of a failed job. That was a metaphor. Or are you the kind of person who will have replacements even if the ones you recommended are killed off?」

It seems my image has become warped.

Looking back, it was likely incorrect when I started to serve Goldonia.

Erich is probably at fault, although I treated him a hundred times worse, so I will have to accept this.

「If that is the case......then I will include Your Majesty’s gracious words when I tell those in charge to do their best.」

「Yes. Tell them to work hard so they don’t lose their jobs......and also not to think of anything strange.」

I emit a bit of bloodlust in the last sentence.

If they revolt, I’ll have to lop off their heads for real.

The man exits the room.

「Fuu, I was in trouble because of how sudden he showed up. Can you get me a drink?」

I extend my hand out as I sit on the throne.

「Yes, right away.」

A maid waiting on the side passes me a cup containing water and fruits.

「My shoelace has loosened. Fix it for me.」

「Yes, Your Majesty.」

The maid kneels and tightens my shoelace.

「Your Majesty, your collar is crooked. I will adjust it.」

「Please do.」

Another maid straightens my collar.

She’s pretty busty, so I can see her cleavage when she presses up against me.

「Your boobs are big. You will inevitably attract other men’s eyes. Be careful of those beasts.」

「Aau, I appreciate the warning. I-I’m embarrassed of how big they are.」

When I smile, the maid thanks me shyly.

She didn’t refuse me or exude any lewd air because I couldn’t muster a single ounce of lust.

Now it might seem like the maids attending me are doing tasks that I’m perfectly capable of doing myself, but it’s not like I’m drunk on the omnipotent power of the king or taking pleasure in ordering women around.

「Aegir-sama, still no good?」

I move my hand, wanting to pat Celia’s head.

......it’s moving at a snail’s pace.

「Yeah, I can’t move my hips. And as you can see, my arms and legs are in this state. Also, a big-breasted woman doesn’t stir my desire. They appear to me like works of art.」

Making love with Lucy until morning has drained all my stamina and sexual urges.

After Lucy went to sleep in another room in the morning, Nonna and the others ran over, but I couldn’t move my body, let alone embrace them.

「I was worried that you’d pass away, seeing as you wouldn’t move even when Pipi was jumping on you.」

Everyone wanted to have passionate sex corresponding to what Lucy received, but I couldn’t answer their requests.

「This is the first time I’ve seen Aegir-sama’s thing so small. Your testicles were the size of tangerines and your penis when limp was merely 15 cm......I had to search under the bed to make sure it wasn’t torn off.」

「It’s pathetic, don’t talk about it so much.」

My exhaustion was so severe that even being sandwiched between Nonna’s breasts and having three girls lick my dick couldn’t make me recover, which saddened them.

Lastly, Brynhildr tried biting my neck, but I collapsed due to anemia and we had to call it a night.

「As we speak, Nonna-san is holding an emergency meeting in the inner palace. I left because my priority is taking care of Aegr-sama.」

I should be resting, but Leopolt and Adolph insisted for me to remain on the throne.

Additionally, I can’t lean on anyone’s shoulder.

My reign depends on terror, so I can’t allow myself to be seen as weak.

「If you have to use a cane, it can create doubt of an illness and trigger a rebellion.」

That’s why I’m here, pretending to stroke Celia’s head in place of using a cane.

「Because of that, I give off the impression of a pet......」

Celia’s cute, so it’s not a problem.

But this situation is not good.

「I at least have to regain my sexual desire.」

「Your health comes first! What will you do if an assassin attempts to kill you!?」

Also, the attendants and maids seem to respond better when I interact with them without lust.

My image among the girls is that of a rape king who pulls women indiscriminately in bed, so when I talk to them in a refreshing manner like I did with the big-breasted maid earlier, I think their scared faces will change to smiles and their rigid attitudes will relax.

「An unexpected achievement. Mu, that perfume smells nice. Can you come closer and let me smell it?」

「Y-yes. It’s embarrassing......」

The attendant leans over and lets me sniff the scent on her neck.

Of course, I don’t look at her with lecherous eyes or grab her ass.

Celia leans over to counter, but she gives off a weird scent.

I remember smelling it this morning.

「Eh, ah! It’s a piece of this morning’s pickles! This is because Irijina-san sneezed next to me!!」

「Go wash up.」

Celia runs off.

「It’s probably hard to do it by herself. All of you, go help.」

「「「Understood.」」」

The attendants also chase after Celia.

There are no guards to begin with.

It’s because allowing armed soldiers near me without having their background checked is dangerous right now.

Besides, it’s already been proven many times that a few assassins can’t kill me.

It should be fine now.

「Adolph has continuous meetings until night time and Leopolt is checking the security of the capital. Nobody is here.」

A short pause after my voice echoes in the spacious throne room, Rebecca peeks out from the shadow of a pillar.

「Hey. Long time no see.」

「It has been a while, Your Majesty and new king, Hardlett.」

Rebecca kneels politely, keeping a strict air about her.

It was almost like she didn’t want to give me anything to pick at.

Apparently this time is extremely important to Rebecca.

But I don’t like talking to her in this kind of atmosphere.

「You’re being so unduly distant. Raise your head and talk like you always do.」

「The rude words and actions I have said in the past are worthy of being punished by death, but thanks to Your Majesty’s warm heart, I still hold the position of Chief Intelligence Officer. To show that I am Your Majesty’s eyes, Your Majesty’s ears, and Your Majesty’s confidant, I have no choice but to be a hundred times more loyal and faithful than any other――」

Not only is she kneeling, she also touches her hands, which are balled into fists, and her forehead to the floor.

This makes it harder to talk to her. Since there is nobody else here, let’s prank her a little.

「Your loyalty is admirable. In that case, I have an order to give you.」

「Anything you command.」

Rebecca lifts her face.

She has a serious and nervous expression like I’ve never seen before.

I reply with a pompous attitude and tone.

「Strip, Rebecca. Lay bare your upper body and expose your breasts. That is an order from the king.」

「Wha-!? ......u-understood.」

Rebecca answers in a choked voice, then tightly shuts her eyes and slowly slips her clothes off.

Just before her meager breasts are exposed, I tell her to wait.

「Cover your nipples with two fingers. Seeing your breasts fully will not arouse me. It is an order from the king.」

「V-very well, Your Majesty.」

My demands continue.

「Curl up your body like you are embarrassed. Also, glare at me like you are frustrated. This is also an order from the king.」

「U-understood......」

There’s more.

「While hiding your breasts, curse at me. I will allow rude remarks. And as you keep your fingers over your breasts, remove your socks and let me smell――」

「Enough!!」

Rebecca loses her temper and points a finger at me.

She quickly realises her erect nipples are visible, and grabs her clothes to cover her body.

「Hahahaha, this would have been fine from the start. There’s nobody else here and we aren’t individuals who are fussy about standings.」

「Grrrrr.」

As expected of a spy like Rebecca, she puts her clothes back on swiftly, and pops her head out of her shirt, growling at me.

Now that she’s calmed down, we can talk.

I’ve always wanted to ask her.

「Why did you help me?」

「Insurance. You are now sitting on the throne. So my insight was correct.」

I can’t accept that explanation.

「The odds on that bet were terrible. I had a far higher chance of losing. If I lost and it was discovered that you supplied me with information, you would have been done.」

That risk is not worth it simply for an insurance policy.

Rebecca gazes downward, then a small smile forms on her face.

「The position of chief intelligence officer is a feared position that acts as the king’s eyes, ears, and confidant.」

A portion of great nobles are not afraid of even ministers but are afraid of Rebecca.

Evidence of tax evasion, use of prohibited goods, scandals of family and relatives......if any of those get dug up and reported to the king, it’s clear that they would suffer more damage than if they got into a fight with a minister.

Her public standing is low, about the extent of a minor bureaucrat, but if Rebecca stares at anybody, they would cower and try to win her over with money and goods.

「Still......an intelligence officer is a job in the shadows, that is the ceiling, and there is nothing above that.」

「True, you couldn’t go from an intelligence officer to a minister or great feudal lord under the previous king.」

Even if she is influential behind the scenes, it is also only relevant behind the scenes.

She is feared by many bigwigs, but she can’t become a bigwig herself.

「If I want to move higher......the only option is to move the ceiling, right?」

Rebecca smiles provocatively.

I return the smile.

「Take your time to see how high the new ceiling is. With that said, it’ll be problematic if you have the position of feudal lord or minister, right? For now, you’ll continue as you have been and manage the intelligence officers.」

「Yes.」

I leave the politely thanking Rebecca with one more comment.

「I’ll give out those earlier orders occasionally. I’ll be looking for openings to mount you and make you my woman, keep that in mind.」

「......I am prepared. Honestly, I sent you information half a day late because I was worrying about that.」

I smile at Rebecca as she stares at me with damp eyes, telling her it’s a joke and to stand behind the throne.

That’s where a chief intelligence officer should be.

Alright, next.

Next to enter are......Myla’s house Hyuutia and Gretel’s house Beltz.

Beltz is the bigger and more distinguished of the two houses, but they are now both meekly lined up next to each other, shivering like borrowed cats.

I hear whispers as the heads of their respective houses face the floor.

「W-will we be held accountable for staying locked in our houses and not acting?」

It would be a different story if they had made a promise, but they probably didn’t want to be associated with the betrayal, and punishing them for that would be too unreasonable.

「But we have a blood relative in His Majesty’s chambers. It’s possible we may be spared.」

Obviously, you will be spared. I’m not going to crush Myla’s house and Gretel’s house over such a trivial reason.

I would bury them if they mentioned that the girls were irritating though.

「You’re too optimistic. His Majesty is a stern individual who cut down anybody who didn’t obey him......such standard thinking does not apply to him.」

I did it after they disobeyed me.

If you don’t do anything, I won’t kill you even in the bathroom or the back alley.

「Our sliver of hope is in the fact he is a womanizer......I am prepared to offer up my wife and daughters to His Majesty as lovers.」

Normally, I would be interested, but because I’m totally lacking a sex drive, I won’t be tempted by women.

I’ll at least ask for their ages and physical features and save them for later.

「Raise your heads.」

The two family heads face me.

Then they turn pale and step backwards.

I’m just sitting down, why are they frightened?

「Of course they’ll be scared.」

Rebecca says with a sigh.

「They were summoned by the usurper king infamous for being violent and cruel, and there are no attendants or followers here except me, the chief intelligence officer. This suggests they will be executed.」

「Is that so?」

I wave my hand to clear that idea from their minds and reassure them.

Except I am still unable to muster enough strength in my arm and can only lift it up to my neck level.

I am also unable to shake my head rapidly from side to side, so it seemed as if I was making a gesture for their throats to be slit.

「「Eeeeek!!」」

This is so troublesome.

Rebecca, you do the explaining.

「Haaah......I guess I can, considering I know at least the family structures and relationships.」

As expected of an intelligence officer.