Emperor! Can You See Stats!? Chapter 1

TL: Keriv136

Ed: Keriv136

This chapter is only around 2100 words in English but it was a pain to translate. The author uses weird phrases and idioms on occasion which are a pain. Anyway, here is Chapter 1. I fixed it up and added a little flavor from what the author wrote for better readability. Let me know your thoughts on the translation! Thanks for reading.

Chapter 1 – Return (back in time) First Prince

"Imperial Highness!"

"Imperial Highness!"

His consciousness had returned. He had obviously had his head cut off by a guillotine. It was such a vivid feeling having his throat penetrated by a sharp blade.

Have I arrived in the afterlife?

"Your Highness Eurius!"

Hmm?

It had been a long time since he had been called Emperor.

Where the h.e.l.l is that annoying voice coming from?

"Now you're treating this old man like he's nothing!”

"Lord Marius!"

Eurius, the emperor that had been executed, stared in shock at the owner of the voice.

"Did you come here because you're dead? Even in the afterlife you're still just a grumpy old man!"

Eurius was beside himself with joy. The old man, Marius, who was looking directly at him was someone who had taught him since his childhood. However, unlike what Eurius remembered, the old man's face was much more wrinkled.

"Are you making fun of this old man's convictions?"

Does he still have a bad temper? I feel like I've returned to my childhood.

It would be great to say this was all a joke, but there wouldn't be a good reaction from him. At the moment that Eurius attempted to apologize for calling him a grumpy old man, he was interrupted.

"If you continue to act like this I will tell the Emperor!"

"Who is the Emperor?" Eurius found himself asking curiously.

Wasn't he the Emperor? Apparently he had been called your highness, but not Emperor. Marius's face began to change, becoming more and more purple as his anger grew.

"You haven't been paying attention! I clearly explained all this in your lesson today!"

He stood up energetically, in contrast with his age, and left the room.

Emperor? Lesson? Conviction?

Eurius was puzzled as he looked around the room. This looks familiar. As he looked around the room his attention was suddenly drawn towards a mirror.

What the h.e.l.l?

In the mirror, reflected back at him was not the man who was executed in his thirties, but a 15 year old boy.

"There's no one here!"

Eurius hurriedly rang a bell. What if he was right?

"Did you call me?"

A servant enters the room in a hurry.

"What is today's date?"

The servant was puzzled for a moment but then gave a reply.

"No way."

Again, the answer was the same.

Eurius, after hearing what the servant said, plopped down on his chair. The date was twenty years before the day of his execution. He had gone back in time to when he was fifteen years old.

How could this happen…

Eurius grabbed his head in surprise. Was everything that he had experienced just a dream? No, it couldn't be! It's impossible to have such a vivid and lifelike dream. This is undoubtedly a reality.

Now what?

Hope begins to emerge in Eurius who had been living in despair. In this second life, he could undo all his regrets. He knew most of the events of the next twenty years. Things like, who knew what, who was loyal, and important people who would stand out.

Leonhart.

He thinks of his younger brother who forced him off the throne.

It won't be so easy this time.

No, this time he must survive.

Above all, I need to raise everyone's opinion of me.

He made many mistakes in his past life.

I was just too young.

Born as a member of the Royal Family within the blessed environment of the Imperial household, he was able to inherit a vast empire without doing anything. He thought that no one could stop him from becoming Emperor.

It was all a big mistake.

His blessed environment was all an illusion. No, he was indoctrinated to believe that. The provincial forces turned their backs on him and those he thought he could trust left him. He was inexperienced and had no way of stopping them from leaving him.

Though it was too late, he attempted to regain the people's trust, collect talented people and strengthen his authority.

Within four years of his ascension to the throne, the empire was divided in half and a decade of intense civil war began. The land was devastated and the national power of the empire fell.

The result of this is something he already knew.

I failed and ended up being executed by my own brother.
At first he resented his brother, but now he realized that it was only natural for it to happen. Although the truth was all around him, he failed to see it and instead looked naively forward into the future, but this time it would be different.

Sitting in his chair, Eurius's head spun with plans for the future. However, he couldn't help having troubled thoughts.

[Player's rights acquisition has been completed.]

[You can now view your status.]

"Status?"

Elsewhere

"Your majesty, Prime Minister Marius entering!"

Marius bravely walked into the throne room and stood before the throne. Seated on the throne was the Emperor whose hair had turned gray.

Although he appeared old, he was filled with vitality. His body was covered in muscles and he possessed greater strength than one would normally have at his age.

[Theopold the 2nd]

He led the Empire during the great war and built up the Empire into the great power it was today. He conquered the northern provinces, which had been a bane to the Empire, and brought peace and prosperity to the people while stabilizing the security of the nation.

During his reign, there were no exceptions made even to those who helped him become Emperor. Anyone who abused their position or committed a crime, even if a minister, would be dismissed immediately and their punishment would be harsh.

His nickname was the Blood-Iron Emperor!

The Emperor's image while sitting on his throne was one overflowing with dignity.

Lord Marius prostrated himself before the throne.

"It is a pleasure to see you, your majesty."

As he prostrated himself, he was having a difficult time because of his old age and the Emperor felt pity for him.

After witnessed the old man's difficulty, the Emperor called out to him.

"Stand up Marius."

He couldn't stand to watch his loyal servant, Marius, prostrate himself at such an advanced age and he knew that Marius was having difficulty with his son.

The Emperor relaxed his face and laughed while stroking his beard.

"Is it him again?"

When Marius heard this he began to tremble and fell down before he could stand.

"I'm sorry, I've done everything I could to teach your son the first prince."

The Emperor stopped stroking his beard.

"I command you to rise Marius."

As it was a command from the Emperor, Marius rose quickly without hesitating.

"I will speak with my son personally and scold him, so will you now stop this?"

Looking at his trusted old servant, he sighed deeply.

I've spoiled him too much because he is my first son.

Eurius was the only child he had with the first empress before she died. By all accounts, the Blood-Iron Emperor had to protect his own blood.

His son, the first prince, had one of the most important political positions in the world but he was getting worse and worse.

Seeing one of the greatest men of the Empire, Marius, struggling in such desperation due to his son, he could only shake his head.

"You can only press on and continue to do your best with him, how is Leon's education going?"

"I am not in charge of the second prince's education, but even still it is going very well." Marius reported with a sour look.

"He has made remarkable achievements in all subjects, including history, administration, and politics and even Duke Wilhelm, one of the guardians of the realm, had praised his excellent talent with a sword saying he is better than any other child of n.o.bility."

What parent hates when they hear their child complimented? Unlike when hearing about Eurius, the Emperor's mouth curled in a smile.

But it was only for a moment, for soon the Emperor's face was tinged with anxiety.

"It's a difficult situation, he has more ability and support than the first prince."

The second prince was the Emperor's child with his second wife, after his first wife's death. Of course it was a political marriage and Duke Wilhelm, who was the father if the present Empress, was an ambitious man.

He was also the head of a group of aristocrats who opposed the centralization of power around the Emperor.

Of course, those who are enemies can never be ignored.

But what concerned the Emperor, was whether Eurius would have the necessary ability to ascend to the throne after he died.

"What is your advice? When my children become adults, one of them will be named Crown Prince, but I don't know who I should choose."

He considered whether It might be wiser to choose the second prince, who had talent and ability, rather than one without any ability and anger the n.o.bles.

Marius who heard these words jumped up in surprise.

"Are you saying that you are just going to give up on Eurius and abandon him?"

There was no questions within the country concerning the issue of succession, as the Emperor had legitimate heirs, so the answer of who should succeed was obvious in Marius's mind.

Marius straightened his stooped back.

"Your majesty, please give me a moment of your time!" Marius said pa.s.sionately while standing grandly before the Emperor.

"Changing the rules of succession while only in the second generation of a nation, has always led to seeds of strife throughout history. If you raise the second prince as heir, there will be interference among the n.o.bles which can't be avoided."

The current Emperor had shed countless blood, weakening the power of the royal family, and had risen up many young and talented aristocrats whom he trusted.

The man who was at the forefront of the Emperor’s reforms from the very beginning was Mareus, the elderly man who was now pouring out his heart.

Marius had served the Emperor loyally as Prime Minister for thirty years and was a force opposed to the aristocracy, who only represented their own interests.

He was a straightforward person with a similar personality to the Emperor and was his most trusted aide.

Marius spoke pa.s.sionately to the Emperor about his political views regarding Eurius as if he had regained some of his youthful vigor.

"His accomplishments may seem like nothing compared to the second prince, but!"

He had overseen the princes as their teacher ever since they were born. Perhaps he understood them better than the Emperor who barely had time to see his children's faces.

"What is needed in order to be an Emperor is not just simply military prowess or academic achievements."

Before long, Marius's expression became calm.

He had watched Eurius since he was a suckling babe, and even though he was rebellious now, Marius believed that he had a gentle and tolerant personality.

In fact, there was not even a single report of him ignoring his upbringing as a result of misconduct, such as abusing his authority over maids and servants or skipping out on his education.

The internal affairs of the empire were now more stable than ever. As a politician who had managed the empire together with the Emperor for twenty years, he had decided that Eurius was suitable to be the next Emperor.

The Emperor nodded his head while Marius spoke and then replied.

"Hearing you speak, I feel like I am coming around."

"I am grateful."

"But what should I do? He won't listen to anyone."

The Emperor sighed deeply and spoke to him in a quiet tone.

"There is no one I can ask but you, this is a favor that I am asking as a father and not as Emperor, please help my son and support him."

"Please? I beg your pardon! Your Majesty."

Marius, a mere servant, would not dare to refuse the Emperor's plea, who was like a G.o.d to him.

The Emperor smiled happily at Marius's answer.

Now I can die in peace.

Marius was an excellent adviser who would give good advice and motivate the Emperor to do what was right, rather than just follow his commands blindly.

When an eagle wants to teach its young chick to fly, they push them off a cliff. I was too soft.

The Emperor sank back into his throne.

"My first son, please don't disappoint me."

So far he had reformed the n.o.bility and was able to keep them in check. However, as time went by it would become more difficult for Eurius to do the same.

In the worst case, there was danger of him becoming a puppet of the n.o.bility.

The Emperor continued to reflect, while thinking that he had become old.