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‘To realize this plan, we absolutely need the approval of the Imperial Family.’

As Rupert waited at the easily recognized main gate of the Imperial Palace, he recalled the words uttered by Esteban.

“The second son of the House of Marquis Somerset, Sir Rupert, has been verified.”

Having now passed the identity check performed by the palace guards, Rupert proceeded through the entrance.

Due to the vastness of the Imperial Palace, it was customary for attendees to be accompanied by attendants for guidance, but having visited several times and knowing the way to some extent, Rupert headed towards the audience chamber where the Emperor resided.

‘I’ve been chosen as a protagonist twice and have visited Lady Ioleen multiple times. Moreover, I’ve been here a few times to meet His Highness Crown Prince.’

Rupert thought that among the nobles without specific titles, he probably visited the palace the most.

So much so that even the attendants who worked in the palace recognized him and greeted him.

“Thank you for coming. Sir Rupert, it’s your turn next, so please prepare yourself.”

“Yes, understood.”

Julius, the head attendant of the Emperor, busily moved between the audience chamber and the waiting room, coordinating the entry of attendees.

Having met Rupert during the selection of protagonists, Julius briefly informed him of the etiquette and precautions necessary for the upcoming meeting and then departed once again.

‘Finally meeting him. Still, considering the circumstances, this seems relatively quick.’

For Rupert, heir of the Marquis House and a professor at the Imperial Academy, it was never an easy task to face the Emperor.

In fact, this meeting, requested two months ago, was finally coming to fruition today.

This was something only Rupert could manage; for most nobles, requests wouldn’t be accepted at all, and even if they managed to secure an appointment, waiting six months was not uncommon.

“Hmm… His Majesty is inviting you in.”

After sitting and waiting in the waiting room for a moment, it was soon Rupert’s turn to enter the audience chamber.

In previous encounters with the Emperor, he had always been surrounded by others, so he hadn’t felt excessively nervous. However, this time it was a one-on-one meeting, and even Rupert couldn’t help but feel tense.

Although he had recently met a goddess, the Emperor held a divine authority within the Empire.

In fact, the Emperor was even more dangerous than a goddess, as he could directly do harm.

“Sir Rupert, or should I say, Professor Rupert—it’s easy to mix up with how young you are.”

“Thank you for granting me an audience, Your Majesty.”

“No, it was time for you to come.”

The Emperor responded to Rupert’s words with an unexpected remark.

As a result, Rupert’s mind began racing in a hurry.

‘Time for me to come? Was there something I needed to see the Emperor for?’

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall anything related to the Emperor recently.

However, there was no way he could question the Emperor’s statement, so all he could do was nod as if accepting it.

“Your Majesty, as a loyal subject of the Empire, I have brought items to present to you.”

“Items?”

“Yes, right here.”

Rupert stepped a bit forward, lifting the prepared items with both hands and bowing his head.

Then, one of the attendants waiting beside the Emperor closely inspected the items before handing them to the Emperor.

“Books and cards.”

“That’s correct.”

The items presented to the Emperor by Rupert were indeed books and cards.

“Rupert’s Fables?”

As the Emperor picked up the book and read its title, Rupert immediately followed up.

“It’s a book made for the children who will be the future pillars of the Empire. The contents are educational stories containing lessons useful for their upbringing.”

“Oh.”

Perhaps intrigued by Rupert’s words, the Emperor began lightly reading through the book.

<Rupert’s Fables> contained several short stories.

Indeed, as Rupert said, the educational content was intuitively presented, and it was written in a way that would captivate the interest of children.

“Do you know what this implies?”

“I am not foolish enough to present something to Your Majesty without understanding its significance.”

The Emperor asked with a meaningful expression, and Rupert confidently replied.

Upon hearing Rupert’s answer, a slight smile emerged on the Emperor’s lips, allowing Rupert to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

‘I got it right!’

The Emperor was also quite satisfied.

‘Whether this was his own thought or with help from others, he clearly grasps my intent.’

The current Emperor, Leonious Bell, had goals he wanted to achieve during his reign.

‘I must strengthen the imperial authority before Alex inherits it.’

When the Empire was founded, the imperial authority was powerful, but as time passed and peace returned, it weakened.

Conversely, during the peaceful times, the power of the nobles continuously grew, and they now surpassed the royal family’s influence comfortably.

However, there was no compelling reason for nobles of such power to unite, and since the supporting factions of the royal family were still strong, everything seemed fine on the surface.

Yet, the Emperor knew that the time would come when the royal family would be subordinated to the nobles, and this was deeply troubling.

‘The moment the royal family is controlled by the nobles, the disintegration of the Empire begins.’

What followed was predictable. Each regional lord would claim to be a king, and no matter how hard the Empire tried, it would be torn apart uncontrollably.

By that time, the royal family would be merely a kingdom with larger power than others but no longer be called an Empire.

Countries on the continent that had been waiting for this moment, including enemy nations, might return to an era of warring states before the Empire was founded.

The Emperor didn’t want his son, Alex, to experience such a horrific future.

To prevent that, it was essential to break the power of the imperial nobility.

That’s why wars against Sylvania were initiated, and the Emperor discreetly supported new noble factions, exacerbating conflicts between old and new nobility.

However, this alone wasn’t enough.

No matter how powerful the Emperor was, it was unreasonable to continue to instigate wars without justification, and even if conflicts arose between newly supported nobles and old ones, it ultimately resulted in the increase of noble power, serving only as a temporary measure.

Ultimately, the Emperor needed a force from another social class to counterbalance the noble power, and that was the common people.

“Father, please allow the distribution of this book to the citizens of the Empire.”

Coincidentally, the distribution proposal for the comic book, <Kingdom of Ice>, which his daughter Ioleen had asked of him, was quite intriguing.

By giving commoners the opportunity to learn through the comic book, it would greatly benefit their growth.

Though some commoners were rising in status, led by the merchant class, their numbers were still disproportionately small compared to the overall population.

This was largely due to the fact that most lacked the minimum requirements necessary for advancement to the upper class.

Since they did not know how to read, a necessary condition to hold important positions, commoners were usually exploited under the nobility’s rule.

Learning to read was a tedious, difficult task that took time, and for commoners, getting their practical work done was far more important than acquiring literacy.

‘I must not let this happen! Otherwise, I’ll be waiting forever for others to read it for me!’

‘That’s why I should learn to read! They say with this comic book, one can roughly understand the meaning of the text.’

‘I heard Hans learned to read while working at the merchant association in the next village. Let’s take him something and learn from him!’

Yet, those commoners began to independently start learning to read, and the fact that it was due to the comic book was still hard to believe.

“It would be great if this book could be distributed to people all over the Empire.”

“With your command, I will ensure that Your Majesty’s grace spreads to all the citizens of the Empire.”

Of course, it was clear that there were still more commoners who could not read than those who could.

However, the growth rate was remarkable.

Furthermore, if the commoners’ standards rose through such educational books, they would genuinely emerge as a new force capable of countering the power of the nobility.

‘If that time comes, the royal family may remain a stabilizing entity that balances the conflict between the nobility and the common people.’

If all went smoothly, the Emperor couldn’t help but feel pleased at the thought that by the time Alex ascended the throne, this plan might be nearing completion.

“I admire your will to support the Empire. I will provide funding for the distribution, so consult with the head attendant when you return and report back.”

“Thank you immensely, Your Majesty!”

Rupert’s response brought satisfaction to the Emperor.

Though he had been annoyed by the former Crown Prince incident, observing his subsequent behavior made him think Rupert was very clever.

He was bold, capable of planning and executing his actions, and even though gaining respect from those around him is challenging, none among his acquaintances spoke ill of him; he was of good character too.

It seemed beneficial to have such a talented person beside the Crown Prince, but the Emperor once more considered it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pair him with Ioleen.

“Oh, and this too?”

Finally, after placing down <Rupert's Fables>, the Emperor’s eyes caught sight of another item that Rupert had presented—a card.

“Is this a new card that’s currently in fashion?”

“That’s correct.”

The Emperor had already heard about this.

“I’ve been told that both nobles and commoners have been having disputes in the streets over it frequently…”

While the Emperor was recently looking favorably upon Rupert, he still found the concept of this new item hard to comprehend.

‘Why are they so crazy about it?’

Hearing reports that even nobles had gotten into fights over a mere card left him quite baffled.

“The cards I presented to Your Majesty will certainly aid the authority of the royal family.”

“This?”

“Yes, I have a plan in mind. It is…”

The Emperor, initially bearing an expression of disbelief at the idea that a card could benefit royal authority, gradually changed his expression as he listened to Rupert’s forthcoming explanation.

By the time the talk came to an end, he was smiling broadly.