Ray looked at the duke without saying anything. There was a physical record confirming it; he could not deny it, so he simply admitted it and shifted the blame onto the previous Emperor. Since the previous Emperor was dead, it was a clever and quick response. In that case, what about this? The period of the Fifteenth Emperor's reign.
[3 Years Ago (Poisoning the Administration): "You used your appointment authority to fill sensitive positions within the Ministry of Finance and the Postal Ministry with people loyal to you. As a result, every piece of information entering or leaving the throne passed through your personal filter, completely isolating the previous Emperor from the reality of his people."]
"That is slander, Your Majesty." He was still speaking calmly when Ray spoke.
"Beside me is one."
He pointed at Sislin, who stiffened in his seat. He had known nothing about any of this. Before he could even defend himself against the implication, he found the duke staring at him with bloodshot eyes. The duke had been wondering where the Emperor obtained his information, and now he had found the traitor. Sislin himself was confused, but he tried to maintain his composure.
Since Ray had decided to expose him, there was nothing left for him to say. He wished he could receive the same punishment as everyone else and end this matter. Paying a financial penalty in exchange for shedding the shame of treason sounded acceptable, even if it meant becoming the duke's enemy from this moment onward.
Amid the psychological turmoil consuming Sislin, Duke Philip, and the nobles, Ray remained calm while Rei continued coldly, as though he did not care about any of this—and indeed, he did not. In a frigid voice that forced everyone into silence, he continued.
[2 Years Ago (Manufacturing Crises): "You issued secret instructions to the Ministry of Agriculture to delay the distribution of wheat seeds to provinces loyal to the throne, causing a limited famine. You then distributed supplies from your duchy's reserves in order to undermine the people's trust in the Emperor's ability to feed them."]
"Your Majesty... this man..." The duke pointed a trembling finger at Rei, who paused for a moment and looked at him with a cold gaze, as though watching an amusing performance. The duke continued, his voice shaking. "He is turning my generosity and contributions to the Empire from my personal stores into false accusations and fabricated charges! How dare he question the intentions of House Philip and claim that I was responsible for that famine? Who is this person?"
[As I said, you may stop me whenever you wish.]
"Are you asking me to confess to something I never did? Everything you are saying is nothing more than baseless accusations without evidence. You have even twisted the great service I rendered to the Empire in overcoming that famine into a charge that paints me as the cause of it." The duke unintentionally raised his voice as he lost control of his anger. "How dare you?"
[Then what about this?]
Ignoring the duke's outrage, Rei continued calmly.
[Current Year (Inciting Legal Rebellion): "Very well. The final document is the most dangerous. You drafted the 'Emergency Charter,' granting the Prime Minister the right to assume absolute authority in the event of the Emperor's 'incapacity.' Simultaneously, you financed rebel groups and directed them to attack supply caravans, creating the chaos necessary to justify activating this charter and transferring the throne to yourself through legal means."]
[The remaining documents contain evidence, including dates, times, and records of the people you contacted. Would you like those displayed as well?]
The duke froze in place like prey caught in a trap.
Was there really evidence?
He stood on the edge of a blade. Refusing to speak would be a silent confession, while accepting the challenge would be a gamble that could burn away everything he had built. As he gathered himself to tell one final lie, Rei decided to end the game.
Rei did not wait for the duke to open his mouth. Instead, he surprised everyone with silent magic, as though he had summoned it from nothingness. A magic circle emerged from his palm and projected luminous documents that appeared like ghosts from the past returning for revenge, while a massive display spread across the hall, causing evidence to rain down upon everyone like merciless rainfall.
A heavy silence descended. Their astonishment at this magic, cast without a chant, quickly evaporated before the flames of the documents that began consuming the composure of those present. Masks fell from faces; some drowned in confusion, while others hid behind silence. At that moment, the Duke of the West stared at the Duke of the North with sharp eyes like arrows, firing questions that had no answers.
At first, the duke had entered the hall believing he was merely a visitor who would read the Emperor's intentions and leave safely. To him, those punishments had been nothing more than empty threats without value.
Then the Duke of the West's eyes widened in shock when he saw his own name among those scandals. At that moment, he realized the filthy game the Duke of the North had dragged him into. This was not merely the exposure of evidence; it was a stab in the back that made him realize he had been nothing more than a manipulated pawn. Nor was he the only one. The whispers of the nobles rose like the buzzing of angry bees surrounding Duke Philip, while Morgana watched his expression crumble piece by piece with every document displayed until he muttered in disbelief.
"H-How...?"
Where had this information come from? When? How?
No one had an answer. Yet the precision of the dates in those documents was like nails being hammered into the coffin of his pride. The duke was not the only one terrified; a chill spread through every noble present as they realized they stood beneath the scrutiny of an intelligence network that overlooked nothing. Amid this fear, the Emperor sat calmly, offering gentle smiles that only made the situation more terrifying.
How had the face of that gentle "rabbit" suddenly become the face of a "devil"?
Fear filled the hall, and that fear needed an outlet.
The perfect victim was the Duke of the North.
Suddenly, fear transformed into anger, and that anger—which they could not direct toward the Emperor—became poisoned arrows aimed at the duke. The pressure mounted until he nearly lost his reason and used magic to intimidate everyone in self-defense. However, the moment the Knight Commander standing behind Ray placed his hand upon the hilt of his sword, the duke retreated as though waking from a nightmare.
Now, after all his cards had burned away...
What could he possibly do?
That was what piqued Ray's curiosity.
Despite the chaos, he did not intervene. He allowed the nobles to vent some of their bottled-up emotions and left the duke to bear the burden. Morgana watched the scene coldly. She would never forget the day she had been thrown into prison, forced to endure physical and psychological torture at the hands of the guards, only to be dragged to the guillotine and made to shoulder all the blame after death.
All of that had happened because of the person who had placed her upon the throne after the Emperor's suicide and secretly controlled everything. Then, after gathering sufficient support, he used the Charter to transfer authority, making her bear the blame for every failure. Because of her Dark Attribute, the Church had been among the strongest supporters of her execution.
A living hell in life, and cursed even after death.
The man who had sought to become Emperor had ultimately transformed the Empire into a state subordinate to the Church.
She sighed and looked at Ray.
He had said he would not execute or punish him now, but what exactly was he planning?
"Alright, please calm down."
Rei dismissed what had appeared to them as magic and stepped back behind Ray, who spoke. His voice was low, so the Knight Commander struck the floor with his sword, signaling that the Emperor wished to speak.
"I know that all of you are angry, but at the moment we have more important matters to address. Duke Philip, you will be removed from the position of Prime Minister due to your abuse of the office for personal gain. The benefits you obtained will not be reclaimed, but you are required to pay a fine equal to 40% of your assets. Do you have any objections?"
The duke fell silent in confusion...
Then he frowned...
Was he serious?
With all this evidence, why not exploit it, place all the blame upon him, ease the people's anger, and be satisfied with these meaningless punishments?
His mind was in complete disorder, and Ray pulled him back when he repeated the question.
The duke could not understand what sort of game this boy was playing. With obvious impatience, he replied, "No, I do not."
That did not mean he intended to comply.
Of course he objected. There was much he wanted to say. But a single wrong word would turn every noble against him. Even if everyone seemed angry now, if the need arose, many of them would not hesitate to remain at the duke's side.
And so the same question resurfaced:
Why wasn't Ray executing him?
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End of Chapter
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