Emperor Ulis

Albert’s mother passed away when he was very young.

Her family was quite small, merely a viscount household with some local influence in their town, unable to offer Albert any significant political backing.

Her position as one of Ulis’s consorts was entirely due to her remarkable beauty.

In Albert’s hazy recollections, his mother possessed skin like mutton-fat jade, with hair and eyes as profound and lustrous as the night sky.

As a result, Albert inherited soft black hair, handsome and heroic features, a tall and slender physique, and muscles as white and firm as marble.

Master Valentin, being a distant relative of Albert’s mother, naturally possessed no significant resources either.

Indeed, one could say that apart from his noble title, everything he achieved on his legendary path was earned through his own efforts.

The two families had actually been separated by five or six generations; their renewed connection was only possible due to Master Valentin becoming the Dean of the Arcane Branch of the Imperial Academy and Albert’s mother marrying into the imperial family. Politics, after all, was a game of banding together for warmth—whether one desired it or not, once involved, it was a necessity.

In his previous life, Master Valentin, after the imperial civil war, promptly brought a group of academy scholars and instructors to Albert, becoming the primary source for his future mage corps.

However, in this life, he could not afford to wait that long.

The power Master Valentin represented had to be utilized sooner rather than later.

Enticing him to his fiefdom was out of the question; setting aside whether he would even be willing to travel to the desolate, bitter lands of the North under stable circumstances, his status as a legendary professional and the Dean of the Arcane Branch meant that he was not, for the time being, a power Albert could openly claim.

If such intentions were truly harbored, his father would likely arrive with legal officials to have a ‘talk’ that very evening.

Seated in the carriage, Albert pondered these matters as they traveled, arriving unknowingly at the Palace of Palbourg, located in the southern part of Saint Mir City.

The Palace of Palbourg, serving as the residence of the Imperial Emperor, had stood for over three hundred years.

It was situated in the northern part of Saint Mir City, and over these three centuries, it had undergone continuous renovation and expansion, eventually covering an area of two hundred and forty thousand square meters. It encompassed three main halls, eighteen side halls, nineteen courtyards, and countless other structures.

As a winter residence, the Palace of Palbourg featured exceptionally thick walls and abundant heating facilities throughout its premises.

The total number of rooms within the palace’s buildings amounted to over three thousand six hundred, constantly housing more than ten thousand people, including guards, servants, ministers, and nobles, leading the citizens of Saint Mir City to dub it “a city within a city.”

Naturally, the Sweet Spring Palace, another imperial residence, also enjoyed this “fine reputation.”

Albert and Jo entered the palace together, guided by a servant in search of his father.

Along the way, Albert couldn’t help but feel perplexed about why his father had suddenly summoned him.

‘I haven’t done anything particularly noteworthy recently,’ he mused.

Having been reborn, Albert had scheduled most of his plans for after his enfeoffment, paying little attention to matters within Saint Mir City, and his father was no exception.

After all, his fiefdom was practically set; what could he possibly do in a mere month to change the Emperor’s mind and shift his domain from the remote North to the prosperous South?

‘Am I supposed to go slay a dragon and earn the title of Dragon Slayer?’ he wondered.

‘That’s unrealistic, and away from the familiar environment of my previous life, the advantages of my rebirth would be significantly diminished. A careful comparison shows it simply isn’t worth it.’

After passing countless structures, Albert was finally led to the palace’s music hall.

Leaving Jo outside, Albert entered alone.

Below, on the performance stage, a symphony orchestra was playing. Amidst the melodious strains, Albert watched his father, who sat alone in a box’s lounge chair, engrossed in the music, and couldn’t help but recall the Emperor’s life story.

The Emperor’s name was Ulis Hugh Caldwell.

His life had been remarkably ordinary, especially when compared to his predecessor, Emperor Franz III, who had spent his entire life in conquest, expanding the Caldwell family’s territories immeasurably.

In Albert’s childhood memories, Ulis had always been accompanied by official documents.

He achieved no great deeds in his lifetime; his existence was perpetually consumed by work, work, and more work. His sole interest lay in listening to symphonies, so much so that he had a magnificent music hall built directly within the imperial palace—the very place Albert now stood.

Saint Mir City’s reverence for music was also largely attributable to him.

He had become a ninth-rank professional even before his ascension, yet two years prior, due to a lack of diligent practice, he had fallen to the seventh rank.

If one were compelled to cite his achievements, it would be his consolidation of the territories seized by the previous emperor, transforming those lands into a source of wealth for the Caldwell family rather than a burden.

By virtue of those lands, Ulis, in the latter half of his life, became one of the few truly authoritative emperors in the empire.

However, in his previous life, immediately after his death, the empire plunged into chaos under the leadership of Albert’s elder brother, Aion.

The empire fragmented, and for reasons known to ‘someone’, Albert returned defeated from Saint Mir City. Thereafter, for the rest of his life, he was unable to set foot in the South or reclaim all the Caldwell family’s territories. Thus, Ulis’s singular achievement transformed into a rather bleak and tragic joke.

“You’ve arrived.”

Ulis turned his head, offering Albert a slight smile as he spoke.

“I am here, Father.” Albert glanced at the white hairs at Ulis’s temples, then bowed slightly and inquired, “Father, is there something important for which you’ve suddenly summoned me?”

“There is a matter, indeed.” Ulis shifted his body, settling more comfortably in his lounge chair. “You certainly caused quite a stir yesterday…”

“Yesterday?”

Albert paused, then immediately realized Ulis was referring to the auction.

“Hmph, that old fool Duke Maximilian—he’d already profited so much from his governorship, yet he still coveted the territory of Heidelberg… The Count of Heidelberg came weeping to me, begging for my help to resolve this matter.” Ulis scoffed, shaking his head as he explained the situation’s origins to Albert. “I removed Duke Maximilian from his Chancellor position, but the old man was still unrepentant, intending to cause trouble for me at the court assembly. Your actions yesterday served as a good warning to that old rascal…”

This was easily understood: people were already apprehensive about accompanying him to cause a stir with the Emperor, and then his son lost such immense face at a crucial moment, making it truly difficult for anyone not to doubt his own capabilities.

“It was merely my duty as your son…” Albert bowed and said, “So, Father, how do you intend to deal with the Wittelsbach family next?”

“Deal with them how?”

Ulis pondered for a moment, then dismissively waved his hand. “What else is there to do? Just send them back to Preste to cool their heads.”

The Wittelsbach family was the house to which the former Chancellor, Duke Maximilian, belonged. Preste, a ducal fiefdom within Bari Province, had been held by the Wittelsbach family for generations, for over eight hundred years to date.

From Ulis’s words, it was clear he did not intend to severely punish the Wittelsbach family, nor did he even plan to revoke the governorship of Bari Province.

This was typical, however; the Emperor had never severely punished any nobles in his lifetime, and this instance was merely business as usual.

He had acted similarly in the previous life.

Albert secretly sighed inwardly.

‘It seems I’ll have one more formidable enemy in the future,’ he thought.

With the empire in turmoil, it was not only the various imperial princes who would seize the opportunity to rise.

Many nobles also coveted the esteemed throne of the Emperor, carving out their own territories during times of imperial chaos.

The Wittelsbach family, naturally, was no exception.

Leveraging the political advantages afforded by the governorship of Bari Province, the Wittelsbach family, in the previous life, had, under Ludwig’s leadership, controlled the entire Bari Province, constantly expanding outwards. They even participated in the final battle to defend the imperial capital.

As for the Count of Heidelberg in his previous life, he ultimately failed to retain his territory.

“What are you thinking about?”

Seeing Albert silently looking down, Ulis raised his head and asked.

“Your son was merely wondering if your punishment for the Wittelsbach family might be too lenient, Father? Such a light touch will not instill fear in them.”

Albert quickly replied.

Yet, what he said was not incorrect; he genuinely wished for a harsher punishment for the Wittelsbach family.

If Duke Maximilian could be stripped of his governorship, the Wittelsbach family in the future would not become so inflated, and Albert would consequently face one less formidable opponent.

“No need, let’s handle it this way,” Ulis sighed, furrowing his brow. “Your enfeoffment is already decided, and with only a month left, it’s difficult to change. However, I will give you a few more things before you depart.”

‘Hm?’

Albert froze, then couldn’t help but inwardly let out a bitter laugh.

‘Does Father think I’m trying to curry favor with this matter?’ he wondered.

He quietly raised his head to glance at the old Emperor—Ulis’s body was still robust, and he unconsciously adopted an imposing posture, as if the desire for power was etched into his very bones, influencing every decision he made from a standpoint of self-interest.

“Thank you, Father…”

‘Although the Wittelsbach family won’t be severely punished, receiving a few extra things before my departure is an unexpected bonus,’ Albert thought.

Albert thought.

“No need, it’s what you deserve,” Ulis said, shaking his head, then beckoned to Albert. “Come here, let me see.”

Albert, not understanding why, walked up to Ulis.

Ulis’s face suddenly softened with affection, and he stroked Albert’s cheek with his right hand, murmuring, “Another one leaving…”

“Father?”

Albert’s voice held a trace of confusion. ‘Had I just misjudged Ulis?’ he wondered.

‘Did he genuinely just want to give me more things? Or was he putting on a performance to secure my loyalty before I left? Or perhaps both?’

‘After all, human hearts are always complex.’

However, Ulis had no intention of explaining; he settled back into his lounge chair and continued discussing other matters.

“That half-elf, do you have any thoughts on her?”

“Thoughts?” Albert was perplexed, unsure why Ulis had suddenly brought up Fú Nī Yà.

“Don’t get too deeply involved.” Ulis merely uttered this before shifting the topic. “As for that wealthy merchant named Kǎ Dá Lā, you decide how to deal with him; he’s just a minor character. However, that young man from the Wittelsbach family, whom you humiliated at the auction, will surely seek retribution at the farewell banquet a month from now. You should be cautious.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Albert nodded.

“Oh, and your imperial elder sister will also be returning these next few days to attend your enfeoffment ceremony. Remember to greet her.”

“Imperial elder sister?”

Albert recalled that such an event had indeed occurred in his previous life.

‘My imperial elder sister returned to Saint Mir City to attend my enfeoffment ceremony,’ he remembered.

“I will go and greet Imperial Sister.”

He quickly affirmed.

Hearing this, Ulis smiled, then waved his hand at Albert.

“There’s nothing else… You may return now. Be careful on your way.”

“Yes.”

Albert nodded, then slowly stepped out of the box.

Before closing the door, he cast a glance at the white hairs at Ulis’s temples, and his heart involuntarily tightened.

‘Being an Emperor is truly an exhausting task,’ he mused.

‘My father, barely in his forties, has aged so much, and in another year, he will inexplicably pass away.’

‘If I become Emperor in the future, will I also end up like this?’

‘I distinctly remember wanting to live a hundred years…’

Albert couldn’t help but lament.

At that moment, the symphony in the music hall reached its crescendo, the lingering melodies sounding both like an ode to a hero’s epic and a farewell to a withered old man.

Escorted by the music’s farewell, Albert departed from the Palace of Palbourg.