Emperor of Steel

Chapter 312: Gigant Development 1

Sponsorship from the Nemesis Imperial palace.

Emperor Rudolf was eagerly calling out the Imperial family members to enjoy refreshments.

However, his eyes weren’t on the Empress but on the sword match which was happening behind her.

Ka! Kang!

With a wooden sword, but with that of an aura, the sound rising around.

The one practicing was a sixteen-year-old boy with another.

They were the Baroque Prince Lian and the 2nd in throne Barto.

By age, Barto was the most popular one, but with the 3rd Empress giving out a royal birth, Lian was termed as the royal prince.

In addition to the two sons, Rudolf had five boys and seven girls from 1 Empress, and 4 Empire concubines.

Among them, the eldest daughter born from the Empress had been released to the royal family of a neighboring nation’s noble families.

“Your Majesty, the skills of the prince have increased by a lot.”

Rudolf shook his head with a smile on his face.

“Still it is tough. It still is tough for him to win against Barto.”

Lian, who had a great deal of skill with a sword, was already an intermediate Sword Expert.

However, Barto was already a member of SS knights and was starting to be at the Master status as well as a Sword Expert.

No matter how great Lian was when compared to his peers, taking down Barto was impossible.

However, the result from the match ended contrary.

Barto, who staggered from Lian’s strong blow, revealed a gap between the two and Lian took advantage of it and made the final blow.

“Your Majesty! Our prince has won!”

Jacquelin clapped her hands with a huge smile on her face.

Rudolf too nodded.

“Right, this is one strange turn of events.”

When the princes who were done battling headed their way, he got up and praised them for their ability.

“Lian, it looks like you trained hard. Continue to devote yourself like that in the future too.”

“Yes. I will do my best, father.”

Rudolf then whispered to Barto.

“You did well. The next time, you don’t need to deliberately give the win to the prince.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

Rudolf touched Barto’s shoulders and patted, him, to which Barto smiled and bowed to him.

He had a different attitude from the other wives and their kids.

Unlike the other wives who were all given the title of Queen, Rudolf declared the princess of the Song Empire, Jacquelin as the legislative Empress of the Baroque, and the other Queen were given rather low power in comparison.

Normally, the prince and the women were forced to have a bland relationship than a loving one.

Whenever talking with Emperor Rudolf, Barto tends to use the military term to refer him and not the familial term.

The reason why emperor Rudolf shared such a kind of relationship between his wives and kids was because of the influence of his childhood quarrels with his half-brother, Reichard.

He made sure to draw a line from the very beginning to show everyone their respective positions in the family.

There have been a few who have resisted such actions, but a few of them were used to give an example and the others decided to comply with the order of the Emperor.

Of course, it wasn’t like their powers were being crushed and were being forced to act in the name of dominance.

Instead of empowering the queen’s like the Empress, they were given preferential treatment in domestic trade and foreign trade or their kids were given high ranking positions in the office.

Naturally, the children of the queen’s thought that ‘It is better to take the treasure when the prince is going to work hard’.

Barto was such a kind of kid, in the later years when Lian’s reign started, he had a healthy goal of becoming the Commander of the Imperial army and receiving the title of Arch Duke.

Not just that, no other queens or princes had any reckless ambitions in them.

It was all due to the strict principles and discipline that Rudolf gave, and on the other hand, it was because of keeping the bonds of brother and sisters from cracking.

He was the Emperor of the empire, but he was a kind father to his whole family.

“But, the youngest one’s face doesn’t look good.” Said Rudolf.

Rudolf turned over to look at the upset child.

It was the crown prince Martel, who was 5th in rank.

“Hehehehe! I am sorry, your majesty. I read a book until late at night, and I seem to have caught a cold.”

“Tch, you need to train to keep your fitness.”

Martel was more interested in learning stuff from books than fencing.

Even though he was just 10 years old, he had a full time appointed teacher.

“Please inform the doctor and ask them to send in medicine. And don’t get stuck in the room just because you like books. Only when you look at the world with your eyes, will your insights expand.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Rudolf smiled as he looked at the youngest kid acting politely.

Although he had suffered from an injury to the head due to the domestic problems in the empires and the battles, all those disappeared when he met the kids.

For Rudolf, his family was the one which would heal him of his tiredness, even if he went crazy with thoughts or was about to die for an incurable illness.

‘Let it be Lian or any other princes, there has to be a person like that to clear out the troubles. And then, even after my death, there won’t be any problem in maintaining the Imperial or the empire.’

When Rudolf was keen in his thoughts, he could see Count Voltas enter the place.

‘What is it again?’

The Emperor’s expression went distorted again.

It was because there were very few things which Voltas would report to him.

He thought that the good news would be Luke was in the process of death due to poison.

“What is it, Count?”

Rudolf asked, hoping that it was good news.

However, Voltas betrayed the Emperor’s hopes from the very looks of it.

“I am very sorry, Your Majesty. The Imperial Parliament has just informed that the Majesty is being called for a hearing.”

“What?!”

Rudolf woke up from his seat.

Looking at Voltas’s face, he did expect it to be a bad thing, but the news was much more shocking than he had imagined.

Rudolf wasn’t the only one who was surprised.

The faces of Empress, the queens, and the princes—their sisters were all serious.

“Brother, if it is the Imperial Parliament, then it surely is…?”

When Lian was speaking under his breath, Barto replied with a stern expression, “Yes, Prince. It is the legislative group that coordinates disputes among the nobles and monitors and advises the Imperial as well as the executive groups. Some of them even hold hearings.”

“Then for what purpose would they have asked for a hearing?”

“Well, that is something even I am not aware of. If gone there, the details will be given out.”

At the words of Barto, everyone’s eyes turned over to Rudolf’s, and Voltas who was flustered.

“No, the nobles on our side aren’t even slightly aware of what the noblemen are preparing for the hearings.” Said Rudolf.

“That, those nobles were said to have secretly moved over, it was said that nothing about them could even be understood until they arrived in the morning.”

“Huh! This is ridiculous…! Yeah, how could such a reason be given for a hearing?”

There had to be a very good reason for the Imperial Parliament to request a hearing.

If not, those who were requesting for the hearing would face a political backlash for such actions.

Moreover, the opponent wasn’t a normal noble or an Emperor.

“It was said that the reason was because there has been unrecorded help of giving the knights and the Gigants without the consent of the Imperial Parliament. Perhaps, they have noticed the Majesty’s involvement in the civil war of the Holy Arthenia Empire.”

To send the troops from Baroque Empire, the Emperor had to obtain consent from the Imperial Parliament.

It was long ago that the nations of the Rhodesia continent were almost guilty of involvement due to unrestricted dispatch of the troops over to another place for the intervention of civil war.

However, this time around too, the Emperor ignored the legal proceedings and sent the knights.

Of course, it wasn’t like they were openly sent.

They had sent the knights camouflaged as the mercenary troops of the Flying Dragons, the problem was that it had been revealed.

From where did that information even leak from?

“Dammit, call for Lazlie right away!”

“Understood, your majesty.”

Rudolf’s sweet break and refreshments had ended there.

Without being able to spend time with his family, he hurried back to the office.