He became the most insane emperor of all time

“Your Majesty, will you be attending the court meeting today?”

It had been a week since I became emperor.

I had been successfully avoiding work.

It would be nice to say that I didn’t come here just to laze around, but the truth is, I was indeed living a life of leisure.

Although the state of the country was a mess, the royal family wasn’t exactly in dire straits, so I spent my days enjoying delicious banquets and idly looking into various matters.

The first few days were fun.

The food was delicious, though it didn’t have the modern flavor I was used to. There were no sodas, but I could freely enjoy alcohol that looked expensive just by glancing at it.

So, I ate, slept, read books, and spent time learning about the “system.”

I lived a ridiculously lazy life, but after a week, I started getting tired of it.

“Are the ministers gathered?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. They are all waiting for your arrival.”

So, from today onward, I decided to start doing some work.

Not because I liked it, but because this world was unbearably boring.

What’s the point of being an emperor? There are no computer games, no idols, no web novels, no variety shows, and no clubs like the ones I rarely went to before.

Soccer? Baseball? What is that, food?

If I don’t do something dynamic, I feel like I’ll die of boredom.

“Alright, what are the agenda items for today?”

A little later, I sat on the throne in the meeting room and asked the ministers, who were lined up before me with stiff posture.

“Yes, Your Majesty, if we start with the most important items…”

“Don’t start with that. Just tell me what the issues are.”

Once again, the chancellor began speaking, but I cut him off and ordered him to just tell me everything.

He had submitted the documents with the agenda items written on them, but I didn’t feel like reading them all, so I had him speak instead.

Wouldn’t I notice if the reporter lied?

No, I had [Emperor’s Eye].

[Name: Karl Bright] [Position: Chancellor of the Gross Empire] [Stats: Administration 8, Diplomacy 6, Combat 2] [Disposition: Competent, slightly corrupt, diligent] [Current Thoughts: It would be better if the Emperor looked at the documents directly… tsk tsk, I’m worried about the Empire’s future]

Through [Emperor’s Eye], I could easily read the chancellor’s thoughts.

[Emperor’s Eye]
You can read the thoughts of the emperor’s subordinates based on their loyalty, either conditionally or probabilistically.
You can see the information and value of things needed for governance.
You can view the personal information of all empire citizens.

‘As expected, this ability is incredibly cost-effective.’

Choosing [Emperor’s Eye] was definitely the right decision.

Using that ability, I read the chancellor’s unspoken thoughts, then asked him directly.

“What are you thinking? Are you having disrespectful thoughts about me?”

“No, Your Majesty. I will speak in order.”

Even though I had seen through his impolite thoughts, the chancellor responded without changing his expression.

Given his competent demeanor, he was exactly the kind of person who would be useful as a slave.

But as I listened to the agenda items he was presenting, my reaction was, “This is so boring.”

“The taxes aren’t being collected well? Given the state of the country, wouldn’t it be strange if they were?”

“The local lords are rebellious? Of course, if you’re on a sinking ship, you’ll be thinking of saving yourself first.”

“The people’s sentiment is unstable, so you’re suggesting increasing punishments? Can’t you think of ways to stabilize the people’s sentiment instead?”

The chancellor had been singing the same tune all week, asking for approvals. I had wondered if there was an important matter, but it turned out to be a waste of time.

Everything was either impractical or things that didn’t even require my input as the emperor.

Perhaps these were issues brought forward with the intention of deceiving me, thinking that I, as emperor, would be easily manipulated.

“Now I understand. You can stop talking, Chancellor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then, which matter would you like to approve first?”

“I will approve nothing.”

“…Pardon?”

The chancellor seemed unable to grasp the flow of the conversation, responding with confusion.

Not just him, but the other ministers also looked taken aback.

“H-however, Your Majesty, the state matters can only proceed with your approval…”

“Are you really asking me to approve this nonsense after you’ve done nothing?”

“…”

When I spoke so bluntly, their faces turned pale.

No matter how much a country is in decline, the emperor is still the emperor.

If I wanted to, I could easily separate the heads of these ministers.

Naturally, seeing my displeasure, they were drenched in cold sweat.

This felt surprisingly good.

I realized that this is probably why historical tyrants acted so recklessly. It was the strange thrill of absolute power.

“The agenda items alone show how poorly these were prepared. Did you think I’d just stamp them mindlessly without even looking?”

The emperor continued his harsh words without hesitation.

“The contents of the agenda are pathetic, and yet the issues the country urgently needs are nowhere to be seen. Is this an attempt to insult me?”

The more I ranted, the more their eyes wavered.

Although the country was on the brink of collapse, as long as the empire existed, the emperor’s power remained formidable to the ministers.

In fact, the more the country declines, the more the emperor’s power grows stronger, even if the state itself is in shambles.

“It’s a common characteristic of fallen nations.”

It’s not just the emperor—only the power of the ruling class grows stronger.

Typically, corrupt or ambitious ministers ruin the country, so one might think that the king or emperor would be reduced to a puppet. However, in truly ruined countries, that isn’t the case.

Ministers, whether they are traitors or power-hungry, can’t generate power themselves, so they maintain or even strengthen the authority of the king or emperor.

They just play along and enjoy their luxurious lives while working with the king or emperor in various ways.

“I’m probably the emperor installed with such intentions.”

I was likely placed in this position as a figurehead, a totem to maintain the status quo of corruption.

Of course, there must be loyal ministers who care about the country, but inevitably, there will be many of the opposite kind as well.

So, I had become the emperor with the intention of being comfortably controlled, but now that I was acting tough, it must be causing confusion.

And if I pointed to someone and said, “Kill that person,” it would be possible to have them executed without question.

But I had no intention of doing that.

“Why would I? I just want to live my life the way I want. If I start killing corrupt officials, my own power will diminish.”

Of course, depending on the power dynamics, but from what I had learned over the past week, if I were to focus solely on my power, killing the corrupt officials wasn’t necessarily the best choice.

If I were to openly say, “I’m going to reform the empire! So, all corrupt officials must die!” it would be a different story, but I wasn’t planning on doing that.

No one likes living in a cesspool, so I could reform the country.

But at the very least, I had no intention of directly leading the reforms.

I didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention either.

Most importantly, I didn’t want to end up dying while working.

Ultimately, my goal was to live however I wanted.

“Review and bring it back again. If any of the proposals are subpar or not essential, there will be no approval.”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“I will take my leave now. Captain of the Guard, follow me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I would do enough to ensure the empire didn’t completely collapse during my reign, but my primary focus was on doing only what I wanted.

The trivial matters were for my ministers to handle.

***

“Ugh, what on earth is His Majesty thinking?”

The Empire’s Chancellor, Carl Bright, murmured to himself as he left the council chamber.

The emperor, who had ascended to the throne at the age of 18.

From a young age, he had shown exceptional talent, and the chancellor had hoped that perhaps his ascension might be a good opportunity after the sudden death of the previous emperor.

The late emperor wasn’t a terrible ruler, but neither was he a good one.

At the very least, he was not the emperor who could revive the empire, which was facing dire internal and external circumstances.

“But His Majesty… ever since he ascended, his actions have been rather… strange.”

He had immediately rejected all approvals and had refused official duties for the entire week.

But it wasn’t like he had been completely indulging in luxury either. He enjoyed lavish banquets and drank heavily, but that was hardly a flaw for an emperor.

He had never once touched any of the palace maids, which was quite the opposite of the usual behavior for emperors.

Moreover, he spent a lot of time reading. He often asked the palace servants questions about things he was curious about, not even bothering to maintain his dignity.

Though he hardly spoke with the chancellor himself.

“It’s as if he’s changed a bit… but no, I wasn’t close enough to know his true personality.”

His behavior since becoming emperor hadn’t been very remarkable, but the reckless actions he showed today were something the chancellor had never seen during his time as crown prince.

However, considering the status of a crown prince, he may have been hiding this side of himself for some reason.

“If that’s the case, it means he was concealing his true intentions all along. Now, what could his real goal be…?”

As the chancellor’s thoughts deepened, he sensed someone approaching and turned to look in that direction.

“Chancellor, what are you so deeply contemplating?”

“Oh, Housekeeper Jurgen? It’s nothing important.”

The one who spoke was Jurgen Heinenberg, the head butler of the royal palace.

Although he held the title of housekeeper, his role was not to directly manage the household staff. Instead, he oversaw the butlers, who in turn managed the servants and handled the palace’s various tasks.

However, the housekeeper was no mere figurehead. In fact, he was at the center of power.

Within the palace, the housekeeper was essentially the emperor’s personal assistant.

Dirty work that even the chancellor couldn’t handle was often dealt with through the trusted housekeeper.

‘It seems like this man is quite pleased to see the emperor behaving this way.’

In fact, the late emperor had not trusted Jurgen much.

Though he was not a great emperor, he was not a tyrant either, and he kept a steady rule, never allowing the housekeeper to wield his extensive power too freely.

The emperor was moderate in his indulgence, so while the housekeeper nominally held power, he had little chance to exercise it.

But now, with the current emperor taking an unexpected path, it was likely Jurgen saw it as an opportunity.

The chance to become a power broker.

“Could it be that you’re troubled by what His Majesty said in the meeting?”

“I can’t deny that. As a subject, wouldn’t it be natural to feel concerned?”

“Heh, His Majesty surely has his own thoughts. Our duty is to serve His Majesty’s will, is it not?”

The chancellor listened to his words and thought that Jurgen was just pleased that things seemed to be going his way.

But on the other hand, what if the emperor truly had a purpose behind his actions?

‘After all, many of the proposals submitted were quite out of touch with the situation.’

For example, a proposal about “taxes not being collected well” had been raised, but the analysis of the causes was either insufficient or intentionally lacking important details.

And the proposed solution was to collect taxes more harshly, which, even the chancellor could see, was a poorly thought-out plan.

Other proposals were similar. They either ignored reality, were out of touch, or, in some cases, seemed designed to deceive the emperor.

‘If the emperor intentionally ignored approving these proposals, maybe he’s planning something after all.’

“Chancellor, you seem lost in thought again. Even when working, take care to rest. You might fall ill.”

“Ahem, thank you for the advice. I will take my leave now.”

The chancellor, leaving Jurgen behind, quickly departed from the room.

Jurgen, the housekeeper, watched him with a sly, calculating gaze.