Everyone Under You, Assemble

Military Police Commander Arsen.

A demon man who followed me in the war against the Seven Sin God and earned merit.

When I was being emperor, he was the southern branch commander of the military police.

A hundred years later, now, he’s serving as commander.

He got promoted.

But suddenly Arsen made a menacing expression.

“You dare impersonate His Imperial Majesty! Unforgivable!”

“……Ah, right. It would be strange to believe. I’m not the Dalai Lama.”

If some gentleman visits Prince Suyang plotting treason and says he’s Yi Seong-gye?

It’s stranger to believe it.

But Arsen shouted while not drawing his sword or calling the guards outside.

He was confused, looking at the rank insignia floating in mid-air above my hand, spinning around.

Whether I’m pulling tricks, or…… truly the emperor’s reincarnation.

“Who’d believe some punk showing up a hundred years later is the emperor? So I’ll show you proof.”

“……”

I stood and pulled out the contents of the paper envelope I’d tossed on the desk earlier.

A key and half an orb.

Items that had been sleeping in a rental vault at the capital’s bank.

I’d hidden them before, and no one retrieved them in a hundred years — and even if they found them, they wouldn’t know their use.

“Let’s see.”

I turned toward the bookshelf on the wall.

I pulled out all the books from the bottom shelf and pressed a slightly protruding part in the corner.

Grrrind.

Then the bookshelf that only looked built-in slid sideways.

A double wall.

And the third drawer from the top.

“W-wait. How did you!”

Behind me, Arsen let out a shocked cry.

“You bastard, I ordered this made and checked everything afterward. Didn’t you hear from the previous commander?”

“I heard, but…… No, you can’t be His Majesty! Our Majesty didn’t look like you!”

“Lucky you stayed ugly for a hundred years.”

I retorted while opening the drawer.

Click.

Inside was half an orb.

When I combined it with the orb half I brought…… click, they fit together perfectly.

I turned and showed Arsen the completed orb.

“See, did you see this?”

“Wh-what’s so special about that? I definitely heard the military police commander should absolutely obey whoever completes that orb, but……”

Arsen had an extremely confused expression.

The bookshelf alone was top secret only the commander knows, yet I’m smoothly revealing it — of course he’s surprised.

But the main event starts now.

I pressed the button on the orb firmly.

Then brilliant light poured out and displayed a three-dimensional image in mid-air.

A hologram.

A magic phenomenon at work.

“Ah, ahhhhh……”

Arsen trembled seeing the person in the image.

It was my past life self, Sirik.

<I am the Millennial Empire’s first emperor, Sirik Karakas.

And the owner of this orb is the legitimate successor of the Karakas imperial household!

Those who disobey are traitors! If anyone destroys the orb or harms its owner, they are traitors to the Millennial Empire! The empire’s citizens must never forgive them!>

A resonating voice.

And the image vanished.

“Y-Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Arsen desperately reached toward the image.

Even shedding tears.

“Hey, why panic so much? It’s a magic phenomenon.”

Magic phenomenon.

Creating supernatural events that transcend normal physical phenomena.

Magic lamps, refrigerators, bombs — these were tools using magic phenomena.

And creating these magic tools is the demons’ unique ability.

I’d secretly had demons make that hologram image.

Arsen blinked and looked at me.

“……C-could it be? A-are you r-really His I-Imperial M-Majesty?”

“If you still don’t believe, should I talk about old memories?”

I recalled the past anew.

“Five years after the military police launched, who’d be appointed to the vacant southern branch commander position was quite the hot topic. By merit alone, you deserved it, but demon Urken already held the north. Having both positions held by demons looked bad, so dark elf Kuana being chosen was the prevailing opinion, and you didn’t really expect much either, but……”

I chuckled.

“People before race, all the same empire’s citizens! So I kicked the asses of those who opposed and chose you.”

Ah, reminiscing about old times makes me happy.

That was when I was working enthusiastically.

While Arsen stared blankly, I recounted.

“After twists and turns, on appointment day. You were extremely nervous in the waiting room. Talk was going around that I favored you, or was I pushing demons too much? Thanks to staying up all night, you came to your senses to find you’d worn mismatched shoes.”

“……H-how do you know that?”

“How would I know? When I knocked and entered the waiting room, you were holding your shoes and sniffling. A huge demon bastard clutching shoes and crying — I really wondered what the hell.”

“N-no……”

“I know, man. You were just confused by the surrounding attention, flustered by various gossip, and in five minutes you’d have to go on stage wearing mismatched shoes. If you went like that, your nickname for over a thousand years would be Mismatched Shoes.”

I smiled gently.

“Would I let someone who followed me through battlefields soaked in blood become a lifelong laughingstock over one wrong shoe?”

“Ah……”

“I threw away the elf chancellor who said he had to finish quickly and go to the Noble Assembly, and took the stage.”

With an unscheduled impromptu speech, I bought Arsen time.

“When I came down after joking enthusiastically, they complained about damaging the emperor’s dignity. But as long as my dignity got damaged a bit to save you, wasn’t that enough?”

Remembering this era makes me happy.

“Right, you had such a huge frame it was hard to find fitting shoes too. Did you end up going home?”

“……No. I managed to find some at the official residence.”

Arsen was also smiling unconsciously.

Objectively, what I did then wasn’t much.

Just buying time to change shoes.

But for the person getting promoted, it was a very meaningful day, and the fact that I, the emperor, showed such detailed consideration — Arsen was tremendously moved.

And only Arsen and I knew this fact.

“……Y-Your Majesty.”

“Yes.”

“You are His Majesty!”

Arsen’s face contorted.

Tearful eyes.

“Your Majesty!”

When Arsen spread both arms and rushed at me, I quickly dodged aside and extended my hand.

Successfully grabbed Arsen’s clothes to stop him from charging and hitting the wall.

“Are you a cow? Your emotional expression is a body tackle? Well, you do have horns, a tail, and a mountain-sized frame.”

“……Your Majesty! It is you! That annoying yet affection-overflowing speech habit — only our Majesty has that!”

When Arsen tried to hug me again, I grabbed his head and pushed him away.

“Ugh, gross, don’t cling. Lower your voice. They’ll hear outside.”

“It’s fine! The soundproofing is perfect! No, but first…… let me hug you a bit. I can’t tell if this is a dream or what! Everything looks blurry!”

“That’s because tears are blocking your view.”

I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and tossed it to him.

I brought it just in case, and he’s really crying his eyes out.

A grown demon uncle looking at me with tears welling up, really……

“Ah, calm down. Let’s talk.”

I pushed Arsen away and sat on the desk.

Arsen wiped his tears and approached hesitantly.

At least he believes I’m Sirik……

“How did this happen? Wasn’t Your Majesty deceased?”

“I died and reincarnated. Ah, you know what reincarnation is, right?”

“That religious thing? Where people die and are reborn as people?”

“Right. So I pop reincarnated across a hundred years.”

Arsen was skeptical.

Well, reincarnation is a bit unfamiliar in Karakas.

Before I established the empire, it was a world ruled by the Seven Sin God — the general perception was that the dead became the god’s slaves.

Of course, there were religions preaching reincarnation……

Arsen’s face gradually brightened.

“Well, finished understanding the situation? Finished being moved?”

I clapped my hands to change the atmosphere.

“Bow your head.”

“……What?”

“Didn’t you hear?”

When I frowned, Arsen awkwardly bowed his head to the ground.

I looked down and clicked my tongue.

“Your head got heavy after becoming commander? Three seconds to bow when I tell you to? Later will you refuse to bow?”

“……N-no!”

“Stand up.”

Arsen stood up again……

“Bow.”

Thud.

Arsen hesitated, then immediately bowed.

Repeated thirty times after that.

“Hgk, haaaack……”

Arsen’s breathing roughened.

Just continuously bowing is hard, but this is hard in its own way.

Doing 108 bows makes your whole body tingle.

When Arsen sweated profusely, I smiled and said,

“Is it hard?”

“……N-no! I’m heated up!”

“Why? Suspecting I’m pulling tricks? Some human bastard suddenly appearing after a hundred years saying he’s Sirik — you should think he’s crazy, right?”

“No! Only our Majesty drives people like this!”

“Is the person before you definitely the emperor?”

“The person before me is definitely our Majesty!”

A resounding answer.

I smiled unknowingly.

He became military police commander but this bastard hasn’t changed.

I extended my hand while speaking.

“Give me your jacket.”

“Yes!”

Arsen hurriedly took off his jacket, then tried to take off his pants too.

I was shocked and snapped.

“Ah, just do what I tell you. Why do you always do one more thing?”

“……I-I’m sorry. I’m also quite confused right now.”

Arsen looked bewildered.

I smiled while rummaging through my pocket.

“You got cocky after getting promoted, but when the emperor dead a hundred years ago drills you, everyone’s like that.”

“……No. I’m saying this hoping this isn’t a dream.”

Arsen choked up again.

“Thank you for returning, Your Majesty. Since that tragic day, I’ve been counting the days waiting only for today.”

“I came back and keep seeing shitty situations?”

“……Pardon?”

“You’re not managing the kids?”

Arsen froze.

I kept moving my hands while speaking.

“The military police are taking bribes? On top of that, hurling all kinds of insults at passengers? They act like this to me, a noble, so how exactly do they treat ordinary passengers? What? And if you offend the military police, you can’t use the railway?”

“N-no, that’s……”

Arsen hesitated, then suddenly bowed his head.

I kept moving my hands while speaking.

“Who told you to bow? Return to position.”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty! I have nothing to say!”

“Return to position.”

“……”

Arsen ignored me and kept bowing.

“Hey, there! I said return to position.”

“I’m sorry! I have no courage to face you and speak! Just allow me to report like this!”

“I’m uncomfortable, so quickly return to position.”

“……”

Silence.

I clicked my tongue.

“Should I just go home?”

Whoosh!

Arsen quickly returned to attention.

I kept moving my hands while speaking.

“So what is it? Make excuses. What, extorting passengers for your own coin game?”

“I’m sorry. But that’s…… well, you shouldn’t just scold the kids unconditionally. Of course, I’m absolutely not saying they did well, but……”

“I told you to make excuses. What is it?”

“……There’s no money.”

“What are you talking about? I made the military police budget especially generous……”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Arsen was bowing his head deeply as if it were his fault.

“Are you saying the budget got cut now?”

“Yes. They reduced the Railway Military Police’s authority and also reduced the scale. The Railway Military Police now number 120,000.”

“The railway lines must have increased more, right? But the numbers decreased?”

“Yes……”

I thought briefly and said,

“Political fighting? The military police budget got cut because you lost to that?”

“……”

Arsen answered only with a nod.

I pressed my head and sighed.

“Ah, right. I’m not saying it’s forgiven, but you guys weren’t the only mess. Who manages the finance department?”

“Who else would it be? That wicked celestial bitch!”

Arsen shouted as if spitting blood.

I spoke in disbelief.

“Hey, I understand you have feelings, but be careful, okay? She’s still my wife?”

“How can Your Majesty be so magnanimous? How can you still embrace those wicked bitches?”

“……”

What?

Of course, I split from my wives and haven’t seen their faces in a long time.

But only a very few people knew the reason.

Even Lisera or Orca wouldn’t know?

Arsen shouted.

“Those wicked things conspired and assassinated Your Majesty!”

“What?”

“Everyone knows those evil bitches wearing the guise of empresses stabbed Your Majesty in the chest! Now! Since you’ve returned like this, those evil things should all be……”

“Hey, what are you talking about? I didn’t die like that.”

At my words, Arsen froze.

“……What?”

“Would I die to the empresses?”

“……”

Arsen’s blank face.

But matching the circumstances, I became serious.

“Wait. Is such a rumor going around? That the empresses conspired to kill me and divide and rule the empire?”

“……Yes, everyone suspects that. Wasn’t it true?”

“No.”

When I corrected him, Arsen bowed his head.

“I apologize. The Fifth Empress has been gradually reducing the military police budget.”

“Jumping from wicked thing to Your Highness event.”

I clicked my tongue.

Celestials and demons also have bad relations.

Plus with the misunderstanding that they killed me, Arsen’s eyes must have been truly on fire.

“Really, places needing fixing everywhere. First, you know about the bombing terrorism?”

“Yes!”

“Then we should suspect the Imperial Military first, right?”

“……That’s correct. However, I was just pondering where to start unraveling things.”

“I’ll resolve that. Cooperate.”

Arsen was about to answer immediately but hesitated.

“Why bother doing that? You could just show that image to the Imperial Military, couldn’t you?”

“Ah, this is one-time use.”

I bit the thread with my teeth and said.

Arsen panicked.

“……What!”

“Obviously. Originally this was my successor’s emergency item. If this could be used multiple times, things would get more complicated.”

I made it so the emperor fleeing to the military police during a coup or emergency could gain authority.

If this fell into a traitor’s hands, things would get more complicated, so I limited it to one use.

Of course, there’s a recharging method, but…… not right now.

Arsen stuttered.

“……N-no. Then you should have shown it where more people were.”

“Then things get more complicated. Most importantly, terrorists are roaming around. To completely clean up those bastards, hiding my identity is better.”

They’re not just ordinary terrorists but connected to the Seven Sin God’s servants.

Not insignificant.

“A marquis bastard provides assets, bombs leaked from the Imperial Military used by railway crew for terrorism? This means it’s spread throughout the entire country. We must completely root out these bastards called the Empire Liberation Army.”

“That, well……”

Arsen spoke carefully.

“……If I hadn’t believed Your Majesty, what were you going to do?”

“I was confident I’d make you believe. Mismatched Shoes.”

“Still, there’s always a chance.”

Instead of answering, I held out the jacket.

Arsen stopped asking mid-sentence and reflexively received it.

“Uh……”

“It’s been a while, so I’m not good at it. Sorry. It’s a bit clumsy.”

I’d sewn the rank insignia I’d torn off with telekinesis back on with thread.

This is why I carried the sewing kit today.

Looking down at the rank insignia, Arsen trembled finely.

“Even with this, can’t you believe?”

You can’t pull people in with authority alone.

Sometimes they’re moved by such small considerations, gestures, and dedicate their lives.

Arsen, clutching the jacket tightly, teared up again.

“……You really are His Majesty. You remembered everything from that time without missing anything.”

“A demon uncle with a mountain-sized frame was memorable.”

I smiled and said,

“Now, Arsen. I’m going to dig into the Imperial Military. Support with the military police.”

“……Of course.”

Arsen swallowed his tears and paid respects.

“Our Railway Military Police pledge absolute loyalty to His Imperial Majesty who has returned!”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

I clapped my hands.

“Let’s see if that’s true by putting you to work from now. Assemble all the military police executives, those in the capital, within one hour.”

“What?”

“Since we’re here, let’s do a thorough cleanup.”

If we’re going to work, I need to organize.

Who’s above and who’s below.