Side Story 49. [After Story] The Third Generation of the Imperial Family
Year 682 of the Imperial Calendar.
Thirty years after the final battle against the monsters.
Everblack Empire. Imperial Capital, New Terra.
Imperial Palace.
“…”
I was deeply troubled.
Lucas, who had come to my office as soon as he arrived at work, looked at me with a worried expression.
“My lord? Are you all right?”
“…”“You seem unsettled. Is something wrong…?”
After a heavy silence,
I cautiously opened my mouth.
“My daughter… I’m talking about Stella…”
“Yes.”
“She’s showing signs of Regression, don’t you think?” (TL Note: as in, she’s gone back in time)
Glancing sideways at Lucas, I lightly tapped the desk with my hand.
“No, don’t make that ‘Here we go again’ face! I’m being serious!”
“Your Highness, you always get worried about regression whenever the princess slightly disagrees with you… It’s not regression. It’s just adolescence.”
“Our Stella is twenty years old now! It’s not adolescence!”
“Twenty is still just a kid… Ah, was that a bit disrespectful?”
“Of course. I’m going to tattle to Stella about it later.”
As I grumbled, Lucas reluctantly asked,
“So, what happened this time?”
“Stella graduated recently, right?”
“Yes. And at the top of her class too…”
Lucas’s face filled with deep emotion and pride.
“To think that a daughter born under your care, who was always dead last in school, would never miss the top spot even once… They say a dragon rises from a humble stream, and it’s true.”
“So you’re mocking me to my face now?”
“I’m just showing a little loyalty to the future power, my lord.”
“Show it to the current power—me—instead!”
I ranted, brushing my bangs back as I continued explaining.
“Anyway, here’s what happened yesterday…”
“Congratulations on your graduation, Stella.”
Audience Chamber.
I greeted Stella, who had come to meet me, with congratulatory words.
Of course, I had attended her graduation ceremony and celebrated her there as well, but this was our first time meeting privately afterward.
For the record, Stella had taken about a year off during her studies to travel abroad.
It was a trip with multiple political purposes—getting her acquainted with world affairs, leaving an impression on the world as a princess—but mostly because Stella herself wanted to experience life overseas.
Thanks to that, her graduation was delayed by a year, but she still managed to complete the academy’s entire curriculum at the top of her class without any trouble.
Smiling brightly at my congratulations, Stella bowed to me respectfully.
“Thank you, Father.”
I immediately whined.
“Can’t you just call me ‘Dad’ instead of ‘Father’?!”
“No.”
Stella flatly refused and chuckled softly.
“I’m going to be the future Emperor of this nation. I must adhere to proper etiquette and law.”
I instantly pretended to cry.
“Boohoo… Please, just once…”
“Oh fine, Dad. Stop being so sad.”
Beaming!
Seeing my instant radiant smile, Stella murmured, “Hopeless.”
“Mother always says I’m exactly like you, Father, but honestly, I don’t see it. I think we have pretty different personalities.”
“She’s confusing you with Serena. You’re the spitting image of your mother. Beautiful, smart, lovable…”
“Ugh, that’s so cheesy, stop it! Mother says the exact same thing every day!”
Caught between her lovey-dovey parents, Stella shrieked.
Chuckling, I gestured with my chin.
“Anyway, what would you like as a graduation gift, my daughter? Just say the word! Dad will get you anything!”
This was 100 percent genuine!
What better use for the Emperor’s power than to spend it all on buying a graduation gift for my daughter?
“There’s nothing I desperately need… Ah!”
Stella snapped her slender fingers.
“Come to think of it, there’s a stock I want to buy. Could you help me out, Father?”
“What?”
I blinked in surprise.
“Stock?”
“Yes. I know of a company that’s bound to rise in value in the future. I want to invest in it.”
“See, see! She knows a stock that’s going to rise in the future?”
Back to the present.
I was passionately explaining to Lucas.
“She knows the future! Isn’t that the ultimate proof of regression?!”
The concept of corporations existed quite early on Earth, and unsurprisingly, this fantasy world—where money games developed quickly—also had a thriving stock market.
Stella wanted to invest in a toy company. She said the quality was excellent, it was very popular, and it was bound to become famous worldwide soon…
Lucas tilted his head.
“Maybe she just genuinely wants to invest in a good company?”
“Do you really think so? Think about it. Stella has always been extraordinary since she was little… Always mature for her age, never missed the top spot in school, and above all, always did exactly what would make me happy. She was never anything but perfect… If all that was possible because of regression…?”
“Isn’t it just because you’re a doting father, my lord?”
Lucas sighed and motioned with his eyes.
“So, did you buy the stock for her?”
“Of course I did! How could I not buy the gift she wanted?!”
I shouted excitedly.
“And I secretly bought some under my own name too!”
“What?”
“See? From my perspective, this is an investment that can’t fail!”
I began explaining the ‘invincible logic’ I had discovered.
“Now, if Stella’s prediction is correct and the company’s stock rises, that’s a profit, right?”
“Well, it’s pocket change for you, my lord, but still, it would be a good thing.”
“But what if Stella’s prediction is wrong?”
I grinned broadly.
“Then both Stella and I would lose money!”
“…Is that a good thing?”
“It is! It would prove that Stella isn’t experiencing regression! Which means, whether this investment succeeds or fails, it’s a win for me!”
“Isn’t that just delusional optimism…?”
Ignoring Lucas, who looked utterly dumbfounded, I continued recalling what happened later that day.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of a cane echoed through the Audience Chamber hallway, and soon, an elderly man with white hair and a white beard appeared.
“Oh, look who’s here. Stella’s visiting.”
The Former Emperor. My father.
Traha ‘Peacemaker’ Everblack had personally (probably out of boredom) decided to visit the Audience Chamber.
Stella’s face lit up instantly, and she ran over.
“Grandpa~!”
“My little star!”
The Former Emperor and the princess embraced warmly.
Watching Stella shower her grandfather with affection, I shivered in frustration.
“What about me?! You’re so cold to me, but with His Majesty the Former Emperor—!”
“Well~ Grandpa has retired from the frontlines. I don’t have to be so formal with him. Plus, he must get so bored. I should at least shower him with some grandchild affection.”
Traha roared with laughter and stroked his beard.
“That’s right, that’s right. My little star is indeed smart. It’s such a relief you take after me and not your father. They call that a generation-skipping inheritance, don’t they?”
“Yeah, yeah, keep twisting things however you like…!”
Moments like this were annoying, but I truly respected my father.
It’s already been fifteen years since I ascended the throne.
The more I govern this country, the more I’m amazed at how difficult it is. And the more I admire the groundwork my father laid so that I could rule freely without interference.
“I’ve been realizing more and more lately just how much Your Majesty’s preparations have made governing easier for me.”
Since His Majesty the Former Emperor was here, the three generations of our Imperial Family gathered around a table for a simple tea time.
I personally poured tea into Traha’s cup and spoke sincerely.
“If it weren’t for those preparations, I wouldn’t have been able to govern even a fraction as well as I do now.”
“Hoho. Leaving behind such groundwork is simply the duty of the previous generation.”
After sipping his tea, Traha smiled warmly.
“And you, too, must lay down the groundwork for our little star.”
While pouring tea into my cup, Stella smiled brightly.
Traha continued.
“I was a warlord. A conqueror who ruled the world by force. Maybe the Everblack Empire’s legacy of blood, power, and strength reached its peak in me.”
“…”
“But that method had its limits. You can suppress the world with power, but such rule can never last forever.”
Traha gazed at me quietly.
“That’s why I wanted my son, Ash, to become a virtuous ruler. I did my best, as a warlord, to prepare a foundation for the next generation.”
Thus, Traha had continued to wield his sword till the end.
He cut away the seeds of corruption in the nation, eliminated the noble houses that could interfere with my rule. As a warlord, he soaked the six thrones in blood for the sake of the future.
“But that too was the way of a warlord. Ash, you must now warm the six thrones by the way of a virtuous ruler, for Stella’s sake.”
“…Shouldn’t you worry first about whether I can truly become a virtuous ruler?”
“Hahaha!”
Traha laughed heartily and pointed out the window.
“Fifteen years since your reign began. There’s no more war in the world. Monarchs are at peace with one another. There’s not a single beggar on the streets. The people praise your name. If this isn’t a golden age, what is? Watching you realize your ideals fills me with joy.”
Traha then shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, it’s all thanks to the solid groundwork I left behind, of course.”
“Tch…”
I couldn’t deny it, but still…
“However, your problem is that you’re too kindhearted. I heard you emptied the Imperial treasury again to solve the famine in the East? At this rate, the Imperial family’s wealth will continue to decline.”
“Ugh.”
“Frugality is good, but authority comes from a full purse. While replenishing the nation’s stores, think of ways to restore the Imperial treasury as well.”
After saying that, Traha turned his gentle gaze toward Stella.
“By the way, if your grandfather was a warlord, and your father is a virtuous ruler, what kind of monarch do you want to become, my little star?”
Without missing a beat, Stella answered,
“I want to be a tyr-.”
Both Traha and I leapt up and cut her off at the same time.
“That’s not allowed-!”
“Geez, it was a joke. A joke.”
Covering her mouth and laughing, Stella’s eyes crinkled into crescents.
“I want to be a wise ruler, just like you two. Though it won’t be easy!”
“A warlord, a virtuous ruler, and then a wise ruler…”
Traha chuckled lowly.
“If that happens, the three generations of our Imperial Family will be remembered as quite the fine line of Emperors.”
Though I was still far from being truly called a virtuous ruler, and Stella’s succession was still far off.
Well, daydreaming like this was its own kind of joy.
“By the way, any interest in romance?”
“None!”
At Traha’s question, Stella answered sharply and chuckled, placing a hand over her chest.
“I am destined to become the Emperor of this nation. Romance can come later. Right now, there are far more important and exciting things to focus on.”
“Ooh…!”
“Besides, when the time comes, won’t I be able to line up a whole parade of handsome men in the palace courtyard and have them march in formation a dozen times?”
“T-That’s not okay…”
At Stella’s terrifying ambition, Traha shuddered and shot me a look.
“She’s got shards of madness like her father.”
“And who do you think her father takes after…?”
“Not me. Definitely not me.”
When I glared at him, Traha pretended not to know and quickly changed the subject.
“So, what are you interested in these days?”
“Economics! It’s so much fun to track the flow of money!”
“Our granddaughter is taking after her grandmother, getting interested in playing with money. That’s an excellent thing. A monarch must be well-versed in financial matters. Just look at your father. No talent for saving money at all.”
“You’re dissing me so casually it’s like breathing…”
The talk about economics naturally shifted to the toy company stock I promised to buy for Stella.
Expressing great interest, Traha took out a memo and jotted down the company’s name. I leaned in and whispered cautiously.
“Your Majesty, the Former Emperor?”
“What.”
“Are you planning to invest too?”
“Of course. Wouldn’t you?”
Traha grinned broadly, baring his teeth.
“Let’s have the three generations of the Imperial Family all invest together. The Former Emperor, the Current Emperor, and the Future Emperor—all backing the same company. There’s no way it could fail, right?”
And then, a few years later.
The toy company that the three generations of the Imperial Family had invested in lost its quality due to reckless expansion and completely collapsed in the market.
Eventually, it was delisted, went bankrupt, and the stocks became worthless scraps of paper.
Stella experienced the bitter taste of life and her first investment failure all at once.
I lost money too, but I was happy to confirm that Stella wasn’t experiencing regression.
As for Traha, he scouted out the company’s rival afterward and invested there instead, profiting greatly when the rival company flourished. What a master.
And then…
“Gaaaaaah!”
Lucas, who had secretly emptied his emergency fund to buy the same stock after overhearing our conversation, was utterly destroyed. He practically coughed up blood.
To make matters worse, he got caught by Evangeline and was relentlessly nagged afterward.
Thus, even the Imperial Family’s three generations (+ the Captain of the Royal Guard) learned the brutal lesson that the stock market is a merciless jungle.
Invest wisely, everyone…
–TL Notes–
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