I Try To Enjoy My Life But This Woman Keep Calling Me Villain-Chapter 167: Interlude

|3rd POV|

A group of people sitting behind a massive round table. All the people sitting behind the table are wearing expensive clothes, jewelry, and a crown that is full of precious gems and metal. These people are the Twelve Pillars of the Bulkon Empire.

They are the most powerful and richest nobles in the entire empire.

They are just below the emperor in terms of power.

"Announcing! His Highness, Lord of Everlasting Empire, The Brightest Star, Chosen One, 43rd Emperor, Emperor Lothric Izalith Yurloth Bulkon!"

All twelve people stand up and bow at the man walking through the massive door. The man is in his late thirties. The man has blood-red hair and light green eyes. He has a delicate face that leans more on the feminine side. Even when he is in his late thirties, he looks like he has just reached his early twenties.

He is wearing a royal mantle and holding a specter in his right hand.

He walks to the small throne behind the round table, and the servant takes his mantle before he sits on the throne. He looks at the people around him for a few seconds before saying.

"What is for today’s discussion?"

One of the people, a middle-aged woman with golden hair and blue eyes, stands up and says.

"We have a few things we need to discuss, Your Highness. There is the adventurer project, news from the south, and a tax report."

"Let’s hear the project first."

"Of course. More than two hundred adventurers are leaving for the Bulkon Empire in the past three months. We will send them to the test so only the best adventurer can stay while the rest will die."

"Hmmm, good. We cannot reward those who are weak. Let the weak die, and the strong survive and be rewarded handsomely. Which region can we take in two years?"

"If our calculation is correct, the one in the north will be the one that falls first. We get information about a dungeon that will soon explode and release untold monsters into their kingdom."

"Good. Good. Monitor the dungeon and cut all information regarding that dungeon from reaching their government."

"Of course, your highness."

"Now, let’s talk about the news from the South."

"Of course. There is news about monsters coming from the Verlagan Kingdom’s western side and quite a few people from Lokah going to the western frontier. The council wants to know if we should attack them, as the Verlagan Kingdom is the hardest to crack using our usual tactic. We can ask the other kingdoms that are relying on us to feed their people. They will happily offer their soldiers to us."

The emperor thinks for a few seconds before saying.

"No. Let’s watch them for now. A war with them will cost us too many casualties. Remember what happened twelve decades ago when we decided to attack them with our army."

The people in the room grimace when they hear that word. The previous emperor decided to attack the Verlagan Kingdom after he took the throne and was humiliated by the Verlagan Kingdom. His army cannot even move past Lokah City.

It was the most humiliation their empire ever got in their entire history. The current emperor did not want this to happen once again in his reign of power.

"We will continue our long plan. We can play the long game. Anything else?"

"Yes. There is a rising star party from the Verlagan Kingdom."

"Oh? Tell me more about them."

"Of course, Your Highness. They are called the Six Stars Party. They are an S-rank party that has already completed an S-rank mission. They consist of six members: two vanguards, three archers, and one healer."

"Oh! S-rank party, huh? Invite them to our empire."

"Should we use the premium treatment, Your Highness?"

"Yes. They are an S-rank party, and I know the lowly king will try his hardest to ensure this party stays in his small kingdom. Make sure you offer them something greater than that lowly king offers."

"Of course, Your Highness. I will make sure to give them the premium treatment."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Sadly, this is bad news, Your Highness. Our plan of overthrowing the Rezghi Family is thwarted. All of our spies are gone after that small noble is executed by the family head of the Rezghi family."

The emperor frowns at that news and says.

"How about the poison? As long as it is still working, we can still put someone that supports us to lord over Lokah City."

"Sadly, no. The spy outside Lokah City informed us the couple are expecting a child soon."

The emperor slams his hand on the table, and the people flinch at that. They know the real nature of the emperor. The commoner and other nobles might think of him as a benevolent, just, and wise emperor, but this is so far from the truth.

The current emperor is a sadistic, cruel, and lustful individual.

The people in the know make sure no one can reach the hidden room underneath the palace because the dark truth will come out about the thousand years’ image all the emperors of Bulkon Empire tried to cover.

They know that the emperor is also unstable. Anyone can become his victim of madness, as it has been two years since their fellow pillar member disappeared without a trace after he decided to reject the emperor’s idea.

They know what happened and the fate of that man. They know that man suffers something worse than death itself, and they do not want to experience it themselves.

"How did this happen?"

The woman quickly says.

"It is happening because of an outside obstacle. A Grandmaster from the Gipan Kingdom arrives in Verlagan Kingdom and heals the couple. He is the one that heals the couple."

"Grandmaster of the Gipan Kingdom, you say? What kind of Grandmaster is he?"

"From the spies in the capital, he is a Grandmaster in Medicine."

"Grandmaster of Medicine, huh?"

The emperor thinks for a moment and says.

"Rope him in. I want him to be our ally instead of the Verlagan Kingdom."

"Of course. I will tell the luring division to make him our ally. Can I ask a question, Your Highness?"

"I’m in a good mood. Ask away."

"Can I ask why we need to rope him in? I’m not saying your idea is bad, of course. It is a great idea to reduce Verlagan’s power, but the Gipan Kingdom is a distant kingdom, and we will not get profit, at least not in the long run."

The emperor looks at the woman silently, and after a few seconds of silence, the woman starts to sweat and is ready to apologize, begging for the emperor to forgive her. However, the emperor smiles and says,

"I will answer your question."

The emperor likes his reputation, and watching his subordinates look at him in terror and fear makes him feel happy.

"The reason why I want him to join us is because of the title of Grandmaster. Do you remember how one of the Grandmasters helped the Verlagan Kingdom when they were in crisis?"

The people in the room nod because they still remember what happened in the past. It was a famine because of a disease that destroyed many plants. Lucky for them, a Grandmaster of the Gipan Kingdom visited their kingdom and healed the land with his magic.

"Because of another Grandmaster, the Verlagan Kingdom is still alive. I want that piece. I want that piece on our side. The piece that keeps our target alive and strong. We can afford a long game, and I want to start sowing the seed to reap the profit later."

The people nod their heads in understanding. The woman bows her head and then says.

"Thank you for granting me this insight, Your Highness."

"Is there anything from the South?"

"Not at the moment, Your Highness. However, there is a rumor of a noble coming from the Southern Continent in Lokah City."

"Oh? Tell me more."

"Before our spies get killed by the Rezghi, they manage to send a letter about a group of people from the Southern Continent visiting Lokah City and having a talk with Benham. That man even threw a feast to welcome these people."

"A merchant?"

"Yes. We think that they are merchants from the Southern Continent, and the Verlagan King wants to create a deeper tie with them."

"But why Lokah City?"

"We did not have that answer yet, Your Highness. Our spies are working hard to dig deeper. Should we move our spy to investigate this even more deeply, Your Highness?"

The emperor thinks for a few seconds before saying.

"No. We did not need to send more. Just keep an eye and ear on them. In fact, send more spies to investigate this Grandmaster of the Gipan Kingdom and the Six Stars Party instead. I want the description of their faces, how they fight, and even their background."

"Of course, Your Highness. We will start investigating them."

"Great. Now, let’s discuss the tax. I wonder if there is a family that will dare to cheat me after the last one."