How to Live as a Tyrant’s Spoiled Brat Chapter 207

(207)

Jaylilith explained, twitching the joint ring.

“If Marcus donates his lands to the Imperial Family, I will give you a share. Don’t worry, I won’t send you to Instrumentum.”

"ah."

“From here to here, the villages, estates, lakes, cities, villages, forests, and mines written down. This is one-third of the Great House Instrumentum. The governors I send will take care of the administration, but on paper, it’s all yours.”

It was a territory the size of a countship.

For a moment, I felt like everything in front of me was dizzy.

Now I was no longer a grand duke in name only, without even a place to stick an awl.

She continued, her white, neat teeth shining.

“Taxes will rise every year. Most of them will be in kind. If you want, I will buy them all in one go and give you gold. Don’t worry, I will give you a good price.”

“I am so grateful to you.”

I received title deeds to countless towns, cities, mines, lakes and manors with an unrealistic feeling.

It was enough to fill a large briefcase.

Jaylilith smiled and took a small box out of her desk drawer.

“Now that you have a fief, I must give you the rights to it as well.”

"your majesty?"

“Put out your left hand.”

I obediently held out my left hand, and she took an intricately crafted silver ring out of the box and put it on my little finger.

A sensation like an electric shock arose and subsided from the tip of my finger that touched lightly.

An extraordinary magical power was felt from the ring.

It was a seal ring that could be used to stamp magic seals.

She said with a leisurely smile.

“If you ever meet a skilled wandering knight or a trustworthy sword expert-level mercenary, you may take him as your knight.”

To get a knight you had to give him money or land.

It was said that he had even been given the right to give up the title he had just received.

Bring in knights, hire administrators to manage the funds, and build castles.

We call that a 'permanent residence'.

"your majesty?"

This was… …clearly permission for me to create my own power.

And giving land, money, and power to the first in line to the throne was, historically speaking, downright crazy.

My loyalty has not changed for the past 40 years, my guilt has not changed for the past 50 years, but the human heart is as tough and fragile as a reed, and it sways when the wind blows.

But Jaylilith, the emperor with a beauty that seemed not like a human being, leaned towards me slightly with a dangerous smile like a carnivore.

Sharp teeth appeared and disappeared between red lips.

“I told you, I trust you.”

While I was unable to say anything, she pushed the pile of documents on one side towards me again.

“So… … I will give this to you too.”

This document was in the form of the emperor bestowing spoils of war.

It must be something Helena captured from the fallen noble league.

However, the name written on that document had a weight that made it difficult to just say 'thank you' and accept it.

[Nibelungen]

“No, Your Majesty, this is… … isn’t it Marcus’s unfairness? Even if you, even if you give this to me… … .”

It is an airship larger than a large warship.

It is a piece that requires a lot of Marcus' skills and manpower.

Even if I were to receive this, I wouldn't be able to operate it alone.

As I was making that stupid expression, wondering if what I was guessing was right or not, Jaylilith snickered.

“You always think too much. Are you looking at Jim’s face? I don’t feel bad about Jim being someone’s fear. People hesitate more when betraying something they fear than something they love, and they can’t love something they don’t fear. Yes. It’s Jim’s job to give assurance. You’re right.”

She paused for a beat and then continued.

“The Nibelungen, Marcus’s machine knights and cavalry corps, his battle mage corps, the research mages from the workshop he was raising… … I will give them all to you.”

For a moment, I had an illusion of the Jayliliths in front of me multiplying into three and then reuniting.

* * *

I barely managed to catch my breath.

A huge amount of money and a huge army came into my hands.

It was enough to wipe out a kingdom at any moment.

A bright voice echoed endlessly throughout the office.

“I will also keep the maid I mentioned last time by your side. You may also grant her a title as you wish.”

“I was confident as I prepared this oath of allegiance. I should not be busy with office work. My job is to select talented people, place them in the right positions, and trust them.”

“I… … have become too big of a being to interfere and rule over every little thing. The mere fact that I step forward becomes an honor to the other person.”

When Cariosa invaded the palace, if Jaylilith had stepped in, she would have been subdued in an instant.

Then Cariosa will gain a reputation as a great lord that Jaylilith must step forward for.

As she is an essential cog in the defense of the Eastern Sea, Jaylilith cannot kill Cariosa.

It ends up just increasing the authority of the enemy for no reason.

Jaylilith looked at me with dreamy eyes.

“I will leave pure magical research to the ivory tower. That is what they have been wishing for for the past thousand years, so I will grant it. My Imperial Magic Workshop will focus on the instrumentalization of magical technology. And you… … will hold Marcus’s leash and coordinate the relationship with Celerazi.”

I felt a surge of excitement, as if I had inhaled the Milky Way.

“May I understand this to mean that you are entrusting me with the magical engineering unit created by Marquis Marcus?”

“That is correct. I will not stand to see you bleed alone. Besides, who can I trust with such a task? There are not many people with the fame and authority to hold the Iron Lord Marcus in their hands. The nobles of the capital’s court are not enough. You must make your mark through notoriety.”

“I will definitely repay your trust.”

But for a moment, I was intoxicated by the trust she had given me, and my instincts as a 40-year veteran administrative official awakened in me.

"your majesty."

“Speak.”

“Somehow I feel like I’ve been given a task rather than a reward.”

As a close friend of Sereraji, I knew very well that magic was a subject that would cost endless amounts of money once it was properly studied.

It was clear that all the money coming from the territory would be used to maintain the mechanical engineers and to fund magical engineering research.

In other words, in a situation where there was no money left, but work was piling up!

He held the leash of the most dangerous lord in the West.

And… … if the dog on the leash gets into an accident, it’s the owner’s fault.

For a brief moment, a dimple appeared on Jaylilith's face.

It seemed like he was holding back laughter.

“I will give you a raise.”

“!”

I dared to commit an act of blasphemy.

“Even if the salary of a counselor increases, it is still a salary of a counselor! My maid receives more money as a palace manager than that.”

“Archduke Valen. Do you dare to disobey the imperial command now?”

Jaylilith brought out the logic of invincibility.

I couldn't say anything, so I raised both hands and begged for mercy.

However, since Soletaras and mercy were words that did not go together at all, the supreme imperial mandate was not withdrawn.

She continued, giggling.

“Admiral Jo will send the gold he has plundered from the emirs of the southern emirates. That too will be divided according to the royal share.”

“!”

“Thirty percent is your share. It will cover both research and maintenance costs, and there will be more than enough left over.”

I nodded my head repeatedly.

“Your Majesty the Emperor’s grace is as great as Mount Tai.”

The atmosphere became somewhat lighter.

But even in the midst of all that, there was a lump that stimulated one side of my heart.

She gave me power and wealth and the right to maintain them.

It's only natural that loyalty should be rewarded, but I also wonder if I've been given too much.

I gave my enemies too much power before the return, and I purged them by picking on their mistakes.

Of course, I'm sure Jayliless wouldn't do that to me.

Because no one would use tricks against someone who can be crushed with a finger.

But if I can't bear this weight… … .

As my mind became increasingly confused with such thoughts, I heard Jaylilith's voice.

“I’ll be fine, oppa. You promised me, right? You’ll become stronger.”

I looked up in surprise, and saw Jaylilith with her usual arrogant and languid expression.

"you?"

A pair of bewildered eyes came at me as if asking why.

I said, shaking my head.

“No. It was a mistake.”

The sadistic, playful voice I heard then was something I would never forget for decades.

“Maybe not?”

* * *

After receiving all the documents and finishing the oath of allegiance, I decided that I couldn't just sit around and do nothing.

I didn't plan on doing that in the first place, but my shoulders felt heavy because so much work was pouring in.

But it was certainly a huge gain to have Marcus and his knights in hand.

Besides, I already know how to operate them, I know the importance of magical engineering, and I know how to coordinate them with existing forces.

I felt like no one could handle them as well as I could, and my sense of responsibility grew.

Looking at the stars outside the window, it seemed like daybreak would occur in an hour or two.

The moment I said that I was about to return to the villa, Jaylilith got up from her seat and put on her shawl.

“Follow me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I was curious about what was left, but her expression was strangely subdued, so I followed without saying a word.

Jaylilith's mouth was set in a hard line, and her eyes were irresistibly determined.

But as she rode in the carriage behind the main palace, I couldn't help but ask her a simple question.

“Your Majesty, may I ask where you are going at this hour?”

“This is the Imperial Palace Magic Workshop. The people there are always awake.”

“… … .”

I knew from 40 years of experience that it was just a joke she made to lighten the mood.

“Your Majesty, that is something to be commemorated!”

… … In other words, what I just said had such a strong resonance that even she felt awkward.

The Imperial Palace Magic Workshop is the only one of the many magic workshops established by numerous monarchs that has managed to reach the foot of the ivory tower.

They were elephants that ate up vast sums of money, and they were also the birthplace of the original technologies that gave the imperial family an edge over other great lords.

But for us twins, it had a slightly different meaning.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Deep into the night, the only sound inside the carriage was the rattling of wheels.

Jaylilith and I were the Grand Duke and Emperor, and even before and after our return, we often visited the Imperial Magic Workshop.

I met my sister Sereraji every day in that huge tree, and I also visited Jaylilith in person every week to receive reports from the wizards, and scold them, give them ideas, praise them, and give them additional budget.

But we never went to the Imperial Palace Magic Workshop together.

I would rather call the wizards to the main palace, or I would go and listen and report to Jaylilith, but I would not go with them.

This has been the case not only for the past year and several months, but also for the 40 years prior to the return.

“… … .”

The Imperial Magic Workshop was a source of knowledge and power for me and Jaylilith, but it held an added meaning for us twins.

I cursed inwardly.

To erase the growing guilt and self-loathing.

'Come save me someday.'

But it was the kind of thing that the more I tried not to think about it, the more I thought about it, so I had no choice but to try to control my expression in front of Jaylilith.

… … I wanted to blow my head off.

In the distance I saw a huge tree that looked like a barrel.

The tree next to Jaylilith was like a museum displaying my sins.

In the meantime, her words shook me even more.

“I guess I’ll have to go down a little.”

“!”

… … The experiment was conducted on the lowest floor.

I nodded, feeling my face getting paler by the minute.