Both of Them

The empire was a nation built by the sword.

Me and those who followed me, the Imperial Military united as one to fight and banish the Seven Sin God.

Naturally, the military’s influence had to be strong.

Also, historically, upheavals occurred frequently in the empire after the first emperor, right?

So I’d established various measures to prevent coups in preparation for the future…….

And here’s the Grand General speaking so cheerfully?

Wondering if Lerik had blocked everything in advance, I asked suspiciously.

“Someone’s planning a coup? Who?”

“I’m confirming that.”

“Ugh.”

I just threw a chair outright.

Crash!

At the sound of it hitting the wall, Lerik and Arsen, who’d been bowing their heads, flinched.

“The bastard who’s Grand General is confirming? Confirming what? Your IQ? My patience?”

“……I-I’m sorry.”

“Why are you saying this in such a bright voice? Are you excited and thrilled because there’s a coup?”

“……Ah, well, you speaking sounds just like Your Majesty. No, you are Your Majesty.”

“Were you a puppy wagging its tail just because master’s standing at the front door? After tearing up every sofa in the house in the meantime?”

“I’m a wolf though……”

Thud!

Arsen headbutted Lerik in the torso.

Lerik got angry even in this situation.

“Ah, why! I was informing Your Majesty in case he forgot!”

“You stupid wolf. Is that important right now?”

“It is important! How would you like it if I called you a purple demon?”

“Shh, shh…… Your Majesty will get angrier.”

I glared at both of them for a while, then asked.

“Arsen, what do you think of those words?”

“……I will grasp the situation and report shortly.”

“You’ll grasp it starting now? Did you forget why I created you all?”

In case of a coup, one of the control mechanisms to stop the Imperial Military was precisely the Railway Military Police.

The Grand General says he’s confirming signs of a coup, and the Military Police commander says he’ll try to grasp it?

Look at the state of this country.

“Should we just watch the empire collapse together? Hmm? Sit here shooting the breeze, peeling tangerines, and cracking your heads?”

“……Y-Your Majesty. Please calm down.”

“Do I look calm? Memories of wanting to quit being emperor are suddenly flooding back, you know?”

When I growled, Lerik shouted.

“Th-there’s a reason!”

“……”

Right, Lerik lacks political insight, but he’s not truly incompetent.

There must be some cause.

As I calmed myself a bit, Lerik stood up and read the room.

“Your Majesty, may I rise and report?”

“You’ve already risen.”

Though grumbling, I told Arsen.

“Hey, Arsen. You get up too.”

“……I-I’m fine.”

“Shut up and if you don’t get up, I’ll shave your head bald.”

Arsen also quickly rose from his spot.

Both had been continuously bowing their heads to the floor, so their foreheads were red.

Watching them both with displeasure, I told Lerik.

“What’s the reason you couldn’t organize things while suspecting a coup?”

“It seems to be mostly humans.”

“So?”

“The humans inside the military don’t trust me very well.”

As I frowned, Arsen stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, please set aside your anger for a moment. I will provide supplementary explanation.”

“Speak.”

“Actually, this is a problem occurring not just in the military and Military Police, but throughout imperial organizations.”

Arsen spoke cautiously.

“Conflict is arising between humans and other races.”

“So why?”

“……Do you know who the five Grand Generals are?”

“The Central Grand General is right next to you.”

“The other four aren’t human either.”

Arsen spoke haltingly.

“Within the Imperial Military, among the generals—those with stars—humans are extremely few. Didn’t you come to our Military Police leadership meeting once? Even there, humans were very few. At most Third Officers.”

“What are you saying……”

I pressed my forehead mid-sentence.

I got the sense of what Arsen was trying to say.

“Yes, it’s the lifespan issue. Not just the Imperial Military, but everywhere, gaps are widening between humans and other races. The heads of organizations, the superiors are mostly those who’ve served over a hundred years already…… but humans can’t live that long.”

“……”

The two before my eyes right now.

Lerik and Arsen were comrades who’d fought alongside me during the era of battling the Seven Sin God.

But what happened to my human comrades?

The human heroes, those brilliant ones who fought while eating and drinking with me, aged and disappeared.

The humans I knew when I was emperor—a hundred years later, now, there’s no one.

Arsen spoke.

“It’s not that humans lack ability. I also saw many outstanding human colleagues when fighting the Seven Sin God. My predecessor was human, and Your Majesty is also human, right? Though it may seem unnecessary to say, I absolutely don’t discriminate against humans. However……”

“Humans die earlier compared to you all. The comrades who fought the Seven Sin God all disappeared.”

“……Yes. And the next person must fill that position.”

During my reign.

About twenty years after the fight with the Seven Sin God ended, many were still active.

Humans were also generals in the Imperial Military, actively serving in management positions and as heads of various organizations.

But they aged, retired, and disappeared.

Then successors filled those positions.

Successors who’d served the organization long.

Other races.

“So now there are no humans among the Imperial Military generals?”

“……Yes. Rifts are occurring inside each organization. I didn’t want to mention it because it seems like an excuse, but didn’t Your Majesty also see it? That our Military Police members act quite rudely at railway sites.”

“……”

“Even if I know about it, I can’t suppress it unconditionally. Because the field’s lower ranks are mostly humans……”

Understanding, I organized.

“So within the same organization, humans became menial workers and races with long experience seized management positions and monopolized high ranks. So internal division is occurring?”

“The Imperial Military is especially severe. A soldier’s opportunity for advancement is war…… but there isn’t any.”

At Arsen’s explanation, Lerik nodded.

I touched my chin while becoming lost in thought.

Hearing it, I was starting to understand.

During my reign, such problems didn’t exist.

This arose during the hundred years that passed.

“Even Mirei, whom Your Majesty favors, has served over eighty years. But humans cannot do that. As you well know……”

“Outstanding talent that stands out within a group isn’t that numerous. Ultimately, you end up prioritizing and promoting those who’ve shown contribution and loyalty to the organization longer.”

Then…… humans had no path to advancement within imperial organizations.

You passed the civil service exam and proudly entered the imperial government?

The moment you entered, talents with over a hundred years of service would be blocking above your head like mountains.

“They’ve served over a hundred years, so of course their work capabilities are different, plus various connections and evaluations too. Humans can’t hope for promotion opportunities. Only a very few succeed.”

“Yes……”

“But artificially pushing humans forward is also discrimination. Ultimately, humans are stuck at the bottom, and stagnant old-timers who’ve been there long become the organization’s superiors.”

I clicked my tongue.

“So this was the terrorists’ claims. That other races dominate the empire.”

The Empire Liberation Army, the terrorists had their own basis.

From the eyes of humans born after the war, other races would seem to be blocking their opportunities for success and advancement.

“So Lerik, you can’t even grasp that your human subordinates in the Central Army are preparing a coup?”

“I have some suspicions but no certainty. I was worrying about whether it might explode if I recklessly touched it. Actually, going on the eastern inspection tour was also for that reason.”

Lerik rubbed his forehead while answering.

“I planned to take Uren Sagittari and Dargal Sagittari and question them to confirm. Within the military, claims are strong that the two should be punished in a military tribunal.”

“No.”

“……Then complaints will grow larger.”

Lerik was still half-doubting whether I was Sirik.

I glared at him.

“You’re worried about that, yet you openly insulted the empress?”

“……Yes?”

“Bow.”

Arsen hit Lerik’s side and bowed his own head.

Lerik bowed his head again while uncertain.

I looked down at the two and spoke.

“Lucky you? Insulting my wives happily for a hundred years? Was it fun?”

“……N-no. I didn’t!”

“No, you can do it. You can. You can insult me where I’m not around too.”

“Absolutely not! I’d rather bite my tongue and die! Your Majesty!”

Lerik tried to jerk his head up but hit his chin on the floor.

Though it must hurt, his eyes brimmed with tears as he looked at me and shouted.

“How could I dare harbor vile thoughts toward Your Majesty! I’d rather tear open my chest!”

“But you can harbor them toward my wives?”

“Th-that’s……”

“Do it then? Insult my wives and children while hiding like you insulted me, bastard. I’m starting to regret trusting you as my subordinate.”

Lerik sobbed.

“I-I was wrong. I won’t do it again, Your Majesty. So……”

“You’re going to break your jaw doing that.”

Even if wolf beastmen are sturdy, putting weight on the jaw and forcibly speaking?

As I watched with fascination, Lerik shouted resolutely.

“I’ll die! If Your Majesty cannot trust my loyalty, then strike off my head!”

“Loyally bow your head properly.”

“……”

Lerik corrected his posture and bowed his head again.

I pressed my forehead and spoke.

“I can’t hand over Uren and Dargal. Lerik, inform the Central Army of that and don’t do anything more.”

“Yes? Then……”

“If coup talk is rising above and below the surface, I should just sweep it away. I tried not to if possible, but……”

I thought Lerik had the Imperial Military, the Central Army firmly in his grasp.

If rifts arose inside the organization due to lifespan differences, the story changes.

I organized.

“I can’t sweep away all the soldiers. What did the kids do wrong? Compile a list of suspicious guys and submit it. Ah, don’t limit it to humans. Other races might be cooperating too. No, even so, you’d need someone with stars to pull off a coup.”

“……Yes.”

“If they launch a coup, normally it’s dissolving parliament, controlling media, establishing a new government……”

I thought briefly and spoke.

“The Fifth Empress is in the palace. They’ll probably try to capture her. For the symbolism. And also……”

As I spoke, footsteps sounded.

I’d firmly ordered no one to enter?

A beastwoman beauty entering the break room with black and white hair flowing.

It was Lang Ei.

“……”

Lang Ei saw me, and Arsen and Lerik bowing their heads.

She quickly went beside Lerik and bowed her head.

“Lang Ei, what are you doing?”

“……I also did wrong.”

“……”

Lang Ei, who should be at the police station, must have learned the situation and rushed over.

Coming and reading the atmosphere, doing this to improve my mood.

The sight of three people commanding the capital’s police, Military Police, and military bowing their heads side by side was spectacular.

As I clicked my tongue, Lerik urgently told Lang Ei.

“N-no. What fault does the Tiger Immortal have……”

“Who’s ‘Tiger Immortal’ and who’s ‘assassination woman’? Your titles are flexible?”

“Th-that…… toward the Tiger Immortal, how could I dare……”

Lerik was a wolf beastman—naturally he respected Lang Ei, first among beastmen.

Ranking even among the same empresses.

I’d been extremely wary of this.

Arsen made a groaning sound.

“……Your Majesty, I will thoroughly educate Lerik. So he never speaks terrible words to the empresses again.”

“I also did wrong, Sirik.”

Seeing Lang Ei’s hair spread on the floor made me uncomfortable.

I waved my hand.

“Everyone get up.”

Arsen quickly rose, and Lang Ei also rose.

However, Lerik was still bowing his head.

“……I’ll stay like this a bit longer.”

A shrinking voice.

I spoke indifferently.

“Thinking that’ll improve my mood? Tearing up all the sofas in the house and reading the room?”

“……N-no. I really did act terribly. I’ll just stay like this.”

“Get up.”

“……”

“I said get up. That’s an imperial command.”

Even when I repeated it, Lerik only hesitated.

Unable to watch, Arsen grabbed his arm and forcibly pulled him to his feet.

I spoke simply to Lerik.

“Don’t make me do this next time. Understood?”

“Yes! I-I’ll keep it in mind. I’ll watch my words.”

“Watch your thoughts too.”

I frowned.

“Lang Ei and Iselen are the same empresses, all my wives. If you trust more because they’re the same race as you, and look down on different races, what are you trying to do? Don’t you know that if the Grand General does that, the entire Imperial Military becomes that way? Won’t the kids below you follow your example?”

“I’ll fix my thoughts too!”

Lerik shouted loudly.

I nodded and turned to Lang Ei.

“Lang Ei, we need to stop a coup.”

“How should we do it?”

“First we need to confirm which guys are plotting.”

I thought briefly, then turned to Arsen.

“Arsen, the Imperial Military hasn’t contacted Uren and Dargal until now, right?”

“Yes. I sent them all away.”

“Neither are fools. And the Imperial Military aren’t fools either. Since this is a civilian hospital, they’ll probably use every means to make contact, so pretend not to notice.”

“Block official contact but turn a blind eye to unofficial contact transmitted through nurses or doctors?”

Arsen at least had some sense.

I nodded and asked.

“Lerik, so who are the candidates? You’re not really completely clueless, right?”

“Quite many humans serve within the Imperial Military. Especially children of prominent families within the twelve houses naturally consider service.”

“Because I was with the Imperial Military.”

If aiming for the second emperor, they’d think military service experience and the Imperial Military’s recognition were necessary.

“Those humans from the twelve houses divide roughly into three groups. House Sagittari that Your Majesty knows, and the other two.”

“It’s not Sagittari.”

Uren and Dargal were used.

Lerik nodded.

“Sagittari has many humans serving, but the other two are somewhat problematic. They’re families ranking within the top four of the twelve houses. As you know……”

“The twelve houses’ rankings are what gossips say, roughly determined by territory size, soldiers and knights commanded, plus capital combined.”

Who’s this year’s promising emperor candidate?

A popular street gossip.

“For a hundred years straight, last place was Librata, Kedrik was eighth this year, and Sagittari was fifth. One of the four Great Ducal Houses?”

For a hundred years, positions one through four among the twelve houses only changed internally.

Families ranked fifth and below had never risen.

Those gossips called by the unofficial title of the four Great Ducal Houses.

Special powerhouses even within the twelve houses.

Lerik nodded.

“Two of them are suspicious. But they each command many factions, so I can’t touch them carelessly.”

“Then wipe them out.”

“Yes? Which side is plotting the coup isn’t yet……”

“Both of them.”

If soldiers are playing factional games, you kick them out.