The ceremony of the Crown Prince was performed in a dignified manner.


    The Crown Prince himself did not seem to understand what was going on. But he is only two years old.


    The ceremony was so extravagant that it was hard to believe that this was a royal family in exhaustion. Now that I''ve taken control of the country, taxes and other revenues are coming into the treasury more than ever before.


    It is not a bad thing for King Hasse and me to be able to increase the authority of the state with this. It is important now to show that the royal family has power.


    This will increase the chances of Hasse going to the battlefield. At least, there will be minimal confusion when Hasse is killed in battle.


    However, the plan to send Hasse to his death has not yet been completed.


    We will go ahead with it if we think it is feasible. As it stands, Hasse and I are still in this together. We can''t open a new dynasty until we unify the nation.


    But it is difficult to say whether we will be allowed to take away the royal family after the unification.


    If the whole country thinks that you are a usurper, there will be people who will oppose you at every turn. If that is the case, it will be more trouble than it is worth.


    Then it is easier to arrange the story if the king dies in a time of war. In a time of war, a strong leader is needed.


    Let''s ask our senior professions here.


    Oda Nobunaga, in your case, how did you oust the king?


    --It is unusual to have a question from you.


    Perhaps that''s why Odanobunaga is in a good mood.


    --My country is very special. We have a king from the beginning, so to speak, and a general under him. The general is in effect the reigning king.


    I see. So it''s a military regime. That''s a common story.


    --The Ashikaga Shogun did not have much military power of his own, so it''s not exactly a military government, but it''s definitely a shogun standing at the top of the military. He also has the highest rank in the military. Oh, the ranks are given by the king who has no power.


    Oh, I see. Then he''d have a good reason to be higher than the general. If he''s superior to the general, he won''t have to obey.


    --You''re a quick thinker, after all. You''re right on the money. That''s why you didn''t have to think too much when you took power. I knew that the court would eventually put me in a higher position. I would have the right to open the Tokugawa shogunate once I was higher than the Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki.


    It is indeed nice to have a separate objective rank.


    Once I am greater than the one I served, there is no more treachery or treachery.


    --Though Yoshiaki did many unnecessary things in rebellion against me before that happened. ....... It was depressing, but killing him would surely make him look bad. I wanted to avoid that. There have been others who have killed generals in the past, but none of them have ever achieved greatness from that point on.


    This Oda Nobunaga seems to be a maverick, but in fact, he is a cautious man. That is why he is worth listening to.


    --May I?　Now is the time to be very careful what you say. People unconsciously want to avoid helping a rebel. Rarely is there a man who is willing to do what is thought to be evil on his side. Bringing down the king is easy. The problem is where to go from there. Isn''t that what it''s all about?　It''s easy to break a teacup, but it takes time to clean it.


    I''ll keep that in mind. You''re right. You have to think carefully about your next move.


    Until now, I had vaguely thought that we should destroy the forces that carry the former king in the west.


    But if Hasse becomes the "founder" of the Kingdom of Sirwil, it will be difficult for him to take the throne from there.


    --It would have been easier if this country had the concept of Zenkyo. But Japan didn''t have it either, so we can''t say it is a luxury.


    What kind of system is Zenjo?


    --Emperor...... well, a king. It is the act of a king who, lacking in virtue, peacefully hands over the throne to a man he deems worthy of it. In principle. Usually, the soldier has too much power and has no choice but to give it up. And after the handover, the family that was originally the king is usually beaten to death.


    That''s because you never know when the opposing forces will take over if you leave such a thing unattended.


    --That''s how it is. Still, if people know that it exists as a system, they would be comfortable with taking that system. But here in the Kingdom of Sirwill?　If no one knows the precedent there, we can''t use our hands.


    I see.


    What''s our next plan?


    We may need more than just an army to conquer the west. Fortunately, the area around our stronghold of Maust has never been more peaceful than it is now, thanks to the defeat of the rebels. We could even consider Maust.


    During the ceremony, I was thinking about all this in my head.


    Which is the fastest way to be a king.


    Which is the surest way to be king?


    It does not matter if I am the only king.


    Unless my family can become king for generations to come and take over this kingdom, I will end up being just another one-time tycoon in a turbulent world. Then we are no better than Eirs Kartis.


    If we do not win in the end, we will only bring misfortune to those around us.


    Suddenly, I noticed Rumi looking sadly at his brother Hasse.


    Hasse''s eyes are filled with tears of joy at the thought of her son becoming Crown Prince, but the expression on Rumi''s face has a very different meaning.


    "What''s the matter, Rumi?　It''s a spectacular ceremony. You shouldn''t look so glum."


    "I know. But ...... now your brother can go into battle."


    The result is that you can''t keep Rumi''s wish.


    "As Regent, I could not continue to refuse Your Majesty''s wishes. Forgive me."


    "Yes. It was all your brother''s own decision. ....... But I''m getting more and more scared lately. ......"


    Rumi snuggled up next to me and said in a voice that no one but me could hear.


    "I''m wondering if you ...... think the royal family should be destroyed. ......"