A Snake’s Life Ch 11

Chapter 11

 

Zerpell felt uneasy about leaving Shuiren behind, but he had no choice. Today’s meeting was attended by the Emperor, the Pope, and even the central nobles.

To think he felt this uneasy about leaving someone alone.

Perhaps it was because of the look he had seen earlier. Those eyes had looked quite shocked. The way Shuiren had looked up at him as if resentful had actually seemed cute. If Shuiren had known that, he surely would have gotten angry. He would definitely have hit him with his tail. Though Zerpell had assigned an attendant to Shuiren, he still worried about what might happen.

Thinking such things, he was surprised at himself. Since when had he grown so attached?

He smiled faintly, then soon arrived at the meeting room and erased his smile as if it had never been there. As he stood expressionlessly in front of the meeting room, the knights opened the doors upon seeing him. He entered the room. As expected, the highest seat was still empty. Zerpell sat in the seat next to it. Glancing to the side, he saw the Pope, whom he had met before, giving him an unpleasant smile as a greeting. He gave a slight nod in response and looked around at the faces surrounding him.

They were all people only thinking about how much they could gain. There was no sign of the dignity one would expect from nobles of the Empire. In a time when the Emperor had no interest in the ruined lands and politics caused by war and drought, corrupt nobles who were only increasing their wealth were running rampant. The biggest problem among them was the tax system. The Empire had an established tax rate. However, due to war and famine, these nobles were unreasonably raising the tax burdens on the suffering populace. Since the Emperor only cared that the taxes reaching the palace remained untouched, this was possible. As a result, the number of commoners falling into poverty was growing.

Though there were exceptions, they were too few to make a difference. After some time had passed, the doors opened with the loud voice of a knight announcing the Emperor’s entrance.

He entered, accompanied by many people, and was dressed in garments adorned with jewelry so extravagant it hurt to look at. With a haughty attitude, he plopped down in the highest seat. The seated nobles all stood and bowed as he entered, and only sat again once he gestured. The Emperor spoke in a lazy tone, as if it were all bothersome.

“Then let us begin the meeting.”

With those words, tension spread throughout the room. The first topic was the matter of taxes. The border regions were still suffering the effects of the war and an ongoing famine.

“Your Majesty. The situation is dire due to the damage from the war and the famine.”

This was said by the head of a count’s household who protected the border. Normally, he wouldn’t attend due to the distance, but he had come seeking aid. His clothing, devoid of any adornments, clearly reflected the current state of affairs. In contrast, some nobles were wearing expensive jewelry, making the difference even more stark. One noble, stroking his chin, spoke. A ring with a large gem was on his finger.

“A famine is the same everywhere. Exceptions cannot be allowed.”

In other words, he was against it. Most of the central nobles were safely settled in the capital. To them, the war was already over. So their response was: what’s the point of bringing it up now? But that only showed their ignorance of the post-war crisis. Even if they were aware, reducing taxes elsewhere meant their own taxes would increase, so none welcomed the idea. As expected, Zerpell couldn’t help but laugh. The Emperor simply watched arrogantly with his legs crossed.

“Even if famine is everywhere, compensation should be given for the damages caused by the war.”

Zerpell spoke firmly. A noble, glancing at the Emperor’s mood, tried to speak slyly. But his words were ignored entirely.

“Your Highness. But we provided sufficient support during the war.”

“Support? What support are you referring to? Food? Supplies?”

As he spoke coldly, the nobles who felt guilty coughed and averted their eyes. Though food had been sent, sand was mixed in to increase the weight, and supplies rarely arrived intact. The Emperor, who had hoped Zerpell would die, turned a blind eye even though he knew. No one there was unaware of this. Thus, proper supplies had almost never arrived.

“Then if the damages of the war belong to a single territory, shouldn’t they also receive some share of the spoils gained from that war?”

Though directed at the nobles, the comment was actually meant for the Emperor. This was because all the spoils had gone to the royal family. Those dissatisfied with the current system, the nobles fed up with the Emperor, and the people who had gained titles through their war contributions, all raised their voices, saying they needed to help the devastated lands.

At the same time, they requested tax reductions for their territories. Those who had fought alongside Zerpell supported him. They were, in truth, those who secretly wished for a revolution or the Emperor’s dethronement. Zerpell had already been handling many duties on behalf of the Emperor, and there were nobles who acknowledged his capabilities. Some had even been exchanging letters with him to share opinions.

In summary, this meeting was a clash between the Emperor’s faction and the Crown Prince’s faction. The conflict between the two factions intensified. Since the Emperor remained silent, the discussion began tilting in favor of the Crown Prince’s faction. In response, the Emperor’s faction claimed that their lands were also suffering from famine. But their ornate clothing proved otherwise.

“Then take off those flashy decorations on your clothes first.”

“W-what did you say?”

“Did I say anything untrue?”

This was more a battlefield than a meeting. Feeling that no conclusion would be reached at this rate, Zerpell tapped on the table to draw attention. Those who had been bickering like a swarm of bees quieted down, watching him closely.

“What is Your Majesty’s opinion on this matter?”

In the end, it was the Emperor’s decision that would finalize the issue. Zerpell asked, looking straight at him. They shared the same golden eyes, but unlike Zerpell’s eyes that shone with resolve, the Emperor’s eyes were clouded, like mist. As if he had been waiting for this moment, the Emperor reached a conclusion that made all previous discussion meaningless. Resting his chin on his hand, he smirked and said:

“Very well. There were plenty of spoils gained from the war. Use those to aid the territories. The regions that haven’t recovered yet shall have their taxes reduced.”

Though there were murmurs of dissatisfaction among the nobles, none dared to object. Typically, when tax revenue decreased due to famine or other reasons, other territories’ taxes would be raised to make up for it. That was the nature of national governance. However, since the spoils would fill the gap, taxes flowing to the palace wouldn’t increase. In other words, their own wealth would remain untouched.

The Emperor’s goal was to resolve the matter of the rain ritual in a public meeting watched by all. Thus, he sided with Zerpell on the tax issue.

Zerpell had already seen through the Emperor’s scheme. From the moment the Emperor, who hated giving up anything of his own, readily sided with him on taxes, he had anticipated this.

“By the way, Crown Prince. I heard you plan to conduct a rain ritual?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Considering your age, this is a good chance to test if I can entrust this seat to you. Try to succeed with the rain ritual. I believe you understand what failure would mean.”

“Of course. I will live up to expectations once again.”

“…Very well. I shall look forward to it. I hope you’ve learned how to make it rain on the battlefield.”

Perhaps the Emperor didn’t like his attitude, as he stood up harshly, clearly displeased. As he passed by, it was only natural that he glared at Zerpell. The Emperor intended to settle everything with the rain ritual, which would be witnessed by both the nobles and the people. He saw it as a perfect opportunity to make use of divine power. Though Zerpell was unaware, the outcome had already been decided. The Emperor smirked as he left, eager to watch Zerpell fall.

The nobles closely observed the psychological war between the two. They refrained from speaking until it was over, watching to see who would gain the upper hand. The moment the Crown Prince returned from the battlefield, the power dynamic began to shift, and they were contemplating which side to align with. The Emperor’s reputation had already long since hit rock bottom among the people, while Zerpell’s was rising in contrast. Among the people and even some nobles, there were already voices advocating for his ascension.

Is this the sun that could fall at any moment, or the rising sun of now?

The meeting ended vaguely, and with the Emperor gone, there was no reason to stay. The nobles began to leave one by one, watching for any signs. Among them, the Pope approached Zerpell.

“His Majesty is rather cold, isn’t he? It would have been nice if he’d offered some words of encouragement. I suppose it’s because he hopes you’ll grow stronger.”

“Let’s hope that’s the case.”

At the Pope’s falsely concerned tone, Ian behind him snorted. Zerpell replied indifferently to the Pope’s words. With the Emperor gone and no one left to flatter, the Emperor’s faction tried to provoke Zerpell’s temper, but when he didn’t budge, they scattered. Only the nobles of the Crown Prince’s faction remained. Concerned about the rain ritual, they asked:

“Your Highness. What do you plan to do?”

“I’ll have to trust my luck. I don’t have the power to make rain fall.”

Though self-deprecating, his eyes shone with resolve. Whether he succeeded or failed, there was only one path forward. They moved to another location to continue their political discussions.

Having escaped the nobles, they were now walking through the corridors back to the palace. Ian sighed as he spoke, perhaps worn out from dealing with the nobles.

“It’s gotten quite late.”

“It couldn’t be helped. This is only the beginning.”

“Are you really going to leave it to luck?”

Cedric, who had been quietly following behind, asked. Without turning back, Zerpell kept walking as he answered.

“There have been times when I almost died. Do you think I’ll collapse over something like this?”

It was also a vow he made to himself. Ian and Cedric, knowing this all too well, followed silently behind him.