"If there is one reason that makes me want to reclaim my position, it is because I do not want to die this quickly without having enjoyed this new world.
Then, when another reason appears, like 'Morgana,' I am willing to fight to my last breath since she may perish with me. But now, as I see these reports whose echoes have reached even the palace— even if half of them are fabricated to give the Emperor hope to endure until the end— I am willing to begin thinking of a way to save this Empire.
I do not care how many there are. If there is even one person, an old man on a street corner still shedding a tear in fear of this Empire's disappearance, that alone is enough for me to work for."
"Cecilion!"
"At your command."
"Help me issue a royal announcement."
This was nothing strange, since the Emperor had kept issuing announcements after every event, and announcements had become nothing but nonsense asking the people to trust without anything in return. The aide himself had kept insisting on their necessity until no one cared anymore about the words coming from the Imperial Palace.
Look at his face—he seems happy about it!
"What speech does Your Majesty wish to issue this time? It is a wise decision, since the people are eagerly awaiting your words after the news that shook the capital regarding the Western Duke's independence."
"No. This time I will not issue just an empty piece of paper. I need something stronger, something that neither this Emperor nor any Emperor before him has done.
Inform all parties to prepare. A live broadcast to the entire capital will be issued before the meeting with the Master of the Blue Tower."
"A broadcast? Your Majesty, the budget does not allow for that!"
"I will use gold from the royal treasury. Prepare."
"That… what a wise decision. As you command."
What makes him happy is that I will use what is not supposed to be used. It is good that he does not suspect anything, but his face is annoying. He probably thinks that nothing the Emperor says can change the situation, that it might even make it worse. But one who raises his nose to the sky will never see the ants.
I can easily earn the people's anger if I go out speaking arrogantly. That would be the end. But sometimes it is better to adopt a simple approach to calm the situation a little, and to hope that your words reach the hearts.
I must prepare myself as well. I am not used to speaking poetic words out loud. I feel afraid already, but I will not hesitate. What those stars need is hope that their light will reach somewhere, and this is the only way I can think of.
Now I must go out and work a bit on taking gold out of the treasury. Since my foolish father fled with the storage ring containing money and food, I have no choice but to carry the gold with my own hands to the servants outside, since they are not allowed to enter the royal treasury.
With that thought, I moved. Preparations took until noon. The broadcasting crystal was prepared, energy stones were purchased, and the mage responsible for linking the broadcast channels to the plazas was summoned.
After that, I did not choose to go out. I remained sitting in the office filled with documents, and the broadcast would be conducted inside it without cleaning the place— I ordered that. I did not even prepare myself. In the same exhausted state after carrying all that gold, and in the same flashy clothes, I ordered the broadcast to begin.
In front of me stood mages holding a glass orb, and behind them stood Cecilion.
I gestured for him to step back several times, but he pretended not to understand. It does not matter. A screen appeared above the orb, meaning that every plaza in the capital now showed the same screen.
The empty screen was left for a moment so the citizens could comprehend the source of the broadcast, and that it was from the Emperor himself. They had been informed an hour earlier, and this time it was not just an imperial announcement on a piece of paper whose ink had dried. That made everyone curious about what would be broadcast— and that curiosity was enough.
The Emperor appeared— the one who had not appeared since the day he announced he had become Emperor and married the cursed princess. No one's feelings were good, as the Duke had also manipulated public opinion.
From the plazas to the cities still under imperial control, the Emperor's image began to reflect on the screen. He was not wearing jewel-encrusted crowns. He was not smiling arrogantly. He looked tired, exhausted, his frail body seeming as if it could collapse at any moment. Even those golden eyes looked dull.
The scene behind those piles of paper was exhausting to look at. Everyone fell silent unconsciously. Then the Emperor smiled a faint smile.
[Children of the Astra Empire. I am the fifteenth Emperor, Leonardo Ray Clint. Well, you already know that. I apologize— I prepared a speech, but I seem to have lost it somewhere here, so I will speak directly.]
Did the Emperor just apologize? That was the first strange thing. The audience looked at one another in confusion. First, why was the broadcast coming from the royal office, which even relatives were forbidden from entering?
[I have asked for your trust many times, and I have received enough. My father, who abandoned his position, did the same. This is a fact everyone knows. And that the Empire is collapsing— that is also a fact that needs no hiding. Your trust is what allowed it to endure until today.]
[I truly thank you for your endurance. "Astra" is the name the First Emperor gave this Empire after his dragon companion "Aster." But Astra means stars. Recently, I saw the light of these stars shining as they never had before in this darkness that struck the Empire. You are those stars— the ones who burned themselves for this Empire, so that the Empire could shine.]
[I ask you to endure a little longer. I am not asking for your trust, but for your patience. Dawn is near, so do not give up before seeing the sunrise. The pressure has eased, and I have begun working to restore your better days. I ask for your endurance and patience. I have ignited myself for your sake, and I will not fall until the last star in the Empire's sky disappears— so do not be that last star. Now, let us move to what matters.]
What is this young Emperor rambling about? What does he even mean? Confusion covered everyone's faces.
[Given the situation, I have some news. First: the tax law. The Empire exists to ensure your safety and provide facilitation, and in return you pay taxes. But even if safety from monsters is provided, some black stars have begun causing trouble. We will deal with that. Until then, tax collection will be temporarily suspended for three months.]
In any case, no one was paying taxes. So Ray first decided to turn the failure of tax collection into "imperial generosity."
[Second: gold, mana stones, and mana crystals will be relied upon in transactions during the reforms. The value of mana stones and crystals will be tied to gold, and an announcement will be issued regarding this— so that the Empire's currency, which has suffered a heavy blow, may recover.]
[Finally: all soldiers will be withdrawn from allied states. Kingdoms subordinate to the Empire will be granted the right to independence. Fines will be imposed on sectors that declared temporary independence, while charges of high treason will be directed at sectors that incite war and chaos. Special punishments worse than execution will be imposed on instigators and participants.]
[This time, for your sake, I will not be merciful. The army will return. Imperial dealings with external kingdoms will be temporarily halted for comprehensive internal reform and restructuring of the system. I ask for your assistance in this as well.]
[How do you help me? This is simple: ensure the safety of your family— that is enough. If you have no family, help your neighbor. If you have no neighbor, find someone who needs help. If you cannot, then help yourself endure. Every person you help is a new light healing the Empire, and your endurance is medicine for this Empire. This announcement ends here.]
[Remember: an Emperor without a people is not an Emperor, and a people without an Emperor are not a people. If you feel despair, remember that the First Emperor did not build the Empire alone— he was only a leader. I will be a leader in this crisis, walk in his footsteps, and restore to you the honor of being children of this Empire.]
[This is only a calamity, and it will pass. Do not be among those who worsen the situation. This is an age of chaos none of us asked to enter, so please do not make it more chaotic.]
[Thank you for listening. I hope to hear good news from you. Ah, I almost forgot— a series of reforms will be launched that may be confusing. Those who understand, help others understand. And I apologize for these clown clothes; it was urgent. Farewell.]
Ray ended the broadcast in a spontaneous way that made most people laugh. Well, that was somewhat good— at least better than those cold speeches. It was truly exhausting. Most of the elderly sighed; the fear they had lived with for years was draining. Many may not understand what the Emperor is trying to do, but this was enough to temporarily calm frightened hearts and prevent them from sliding into madness.
Living through days where they watched themselves burn for the nobles' happiness increased their anger daily. Yet they had hope in the previous Emperor, who had been a radiant person— until news of his escape came. Then a prince no one knew ascended the throne suddenly, and while everyone waited anxiously, the first thing broadcast was a lavish wedding. At that moment, the thread of hope snapped, and trust was lost. Then speeches about trust emerged and turned into material for mockery. But now…