The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 248
I realized that Mikhail had ‘awakened.’
‘The reason for his awakening is the country. That’s quite unexpected though…’
I had a bewildered look on my face.
Mikhail shook his head.
“It’s not just for you and Ecclesia. I know my father, the emperor, well. He’s mad now, but he’ll become even more of a monster. He must be overthrown for the sake of the imperial citizens. If we wait any longer, countless people will suffer.”
I agreed with that.
In the original scenario, the emperor’s madness led to enormous disasters.
There were quite a few bad endings caused by the emperor.
“But, Your Highness, you don’t have the strength to stage a rebellion, do you?”
We couldn’t use Ecclesia’s power.
If we did, it would lead to a civil war, just as Duke Huam feared.
It was also difficult to seek help from renowned swordsmanship or dark arts families.
‘Even though Mikhail has recently expanded his influence in the political arena, it’s not enough.’
However, Mikhail’s reaction was curious.
He bit his lip, as if hesitant to speak.
“There are those who will support us. Enough to succeed in the rebellion.”
“??”
After hesitating for a while, he finally revealed it.
“The Abyss.”
“!!”
“The Lord of the Abyss, that is, my elder brother, has agreed to help me.”
An astonishing revelation.
Indeed, the Abyss would be an incredible force.
They were also the most suitable for a surprise coup.
However, I shook my head firmly.
“That’s absolutely out of the question. If you ascend the throne with the help of the Three Evils, no one will recognize you as a legitimate emperor.”
“But there’s no other way. The magical families have sided with the emperor. Without support from the Abyss, there’s no chance of success.”
I flinched.
The swordsmanship and magical families have traditionally been pro-Ecclesia.
Especially Duke Alfonso, who is close to my father.
‘No, it makes sense if it’s Duke Alfonso. If his desires are met.’
Duke Alfonso’s unwavering wish.
Ascension.
I sensed that Esmeralda was behind this.
‘If it’s Esmeralda, she’ll find a way to help Duke Alfonso achieve ascension, even if it’s not a true ascension.’
In any case, it was a difficult situation.
The only way to dethrone the emperor without major bloodshed was a surprise coup, but as Mikhail said, with the magical families holding their ground, the coup had no chance of success.
“And that’s not all. The emperor has been running a secret organization unknown to the public for a long time. Though small in number, they’re all monstrous individuals.”
The emperor’s secret organization.
I knew about it as well.
‘They’re not to be underestimated. But accepting help from the Abyss…’
In truth, the Lord of the Abyss, the Celestial Demon Schneizer, wasn’t purely evil.
He was different from the previous Dark Tower Lord and the Master of the Order, who were purely malevolent.
Still, an emperor endorsed by the Abyss…
‘No, wait. There is a way. A way to use the Abyss while minimizing the issue.’
The core problem right now was appearances.
How would it look to others if we accepted help from the Abyss?
There was a solution.
‘Cover it up.’
“We need to bring in others. The Abyss shouldn’t be the main force in the rebellion, just a support.”
Even if the Abyss contributed equally, it made a huge difference whether they were the main force or just a supporting role.
A ‘minor’ amount of help could be overlooked.
“Is there anyone suitable? You’re not suggesting we get help from the Order, are you?”
“Of course not.”
I shook my head and mentioned a name no one expected.
“We should get help from the Legion.”
“!!”
The name of the rebel army.
* * *
The rebel army.
A force that controlled the southern regions of the empire.
Their power was so great that even the imperial army didn’t dare attempt to subdue them.
‘They’re stronger than most kingdoms.’
Their leader was no ordinary figure.
The Conqueror Axel.
A Level 8, sage-level knight.
One of the Ten Seats.
Being called one of the Ten Seats rather than one of the Ten Evils indicated he wasn’t an evil figure.
‘In fact, they’ve been fighting Ouroboros for a long time. The rebellion was to gather forces capable of opposing Ouroboros.’
I explained Ouroboros, the root of all the chaos, to Mikhail and Sister Mariam.
“Unbelievable. To think Brother Renius was involved with such a horrific group?”
“Ha. Ron, my foolish brother.”
I shook my head and continued.
“Anyway, since the rebel army has long been opposed to Ouroboros, they won’t reject our proposal. So, let’s go together and…”
“No, I’ll persuade the rebel army alone.”
“Your Highness?”
“If I become emperor, they’ll be my people. So, I’ll make them mine without your help.”
I looked at Mikhail for a moment.
‘He’s grown stronger.’
The fact that the rebel leaders had withstood the imperial army for so long showed they had power comparable to the highest ranks of the Abyss.
They would be sufficient for a surprise coup.
“I will rally the provincial nobles to prevent the emperor from acting recklessly.”
Sister Mariam said.
The Free City is the largest city in the empire, second only to the capital.
It’s connected to numerous provincial nobles, and Sister Mariam has built extensive connections during her tenure as mayor.
“Understood. I will handle another task.”
“What is it?”
I paused briefly before answering.
“I’ll meet Brother Ron.”
* * *
Though I wanted to stop by the academy to check on the children, there was no time.
I had to move as quickly and discreetly as possible.
Fortunately, Ron didn’t ignore my contact.
We met secretly in a small town near the capital.
“It’s been a while. I was very worried since you went missing recently. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Have you been well, Brother?”
“Well? Haha, how could I be?”
Ron shook his head with a heavy expression.
“Haven’t you heard what I did?”
“I have.”
“I betrayed Father and our family. If you want to criticize me, go ahead. I know I was wrong.”
Ron’s eyes were red with emotion.
“I didn’t want this either. But I had no choice. There was no other way for me to inherit the family.”
“I understand.”
“…Understand?”
“Yes, from your perspective, you had no other choice.”
“Lies.”
“…….”
“What do you understand?! I committed this horrific betrayal out of blind ambition for power!”
Ron shouted furiously.
But I wasn’t lying.
I truly understood Ron.
More precisely, I understood the human side Ron had shown so far.
‘Blinded by greed, he makes mistakes, but he’s not purely evil.’
Ron always hesitated and regretted his actions, even while committing terrible deeds.
A contradictory and foolish being.
“Are you saying this to persuade me?”
“Yes.”
“It’s useless. I’ve already made up my mind….”
“I know you regret it.”
“!!”
Ron’s eyes wavered.
I sighed.
“Do you know why I’m trying to persuade you?”
“To clear Father’s charges, of course….”
“No. You know evidence doesn’t matter to nobles of Ecclesia’s stature.”
The crux of this issue was a power struggle, not a legal battle over evidence.
“The evidence you provided is just a pretext; it won’t affect the actual outcome.”
“Then why are you trying to persuade me?”
“Because I consider you family.”
“!!”
“Last time, you told me you cared for me as a brother. I feel the same.”
I stood up.
“Please don’t make a choice you’ll regret. It’s not too late.”
Leaving Ron deep in thought, I stepped outside to find it was raining.
As I was about to use magic, having forgotten my umbrella.
“Would you like to borrow an umbrella?”
Demon Brain Leona was waiting for me.
* * *
Drip. Drip.
The rain fell, and there was a moment of silence.
I pondered what to say before speaking.
“How have you been? It’s been a while.”
“This isn’t the time for idle chit-chat, is it? We’re not even real family.”
“!!”
I frowned.
“You are family.”
“You know I’m adopted. And from a family that Ecclesia brutally annihilated.”
The long-hidden secret of our family slipped out from Leona’s mouth.
Fifteen years ago.
When Father was still young.
Ecclesia wiped out an entire family.
There were various justifications.
That marquisate, once a prosperous family, had crossed the line with its lust for power and threatened the empire’s stability.
A lot of blood was shed during the annihilation, and Father, feeling guilty, adopted a child.
The sole survivor of that family was Leona.
“Is this your way of seeking revenge?”
“Not really.”
Surprisingly, Leona didn’t confirm it.
“In fact, I have no feelings of revenge. I was adopted when I was not even three, so I don’t remember my biological parents’ faces. How could I have revenge feelings?”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“I’m doing this to fulfill my inherent mission.”
“Mission?”
Leona nodded quietly.
“I originally wanted to live a life that would benefit the family. Then I discovered the secret of my birth. Do you know what I thought then?”
“…….”
“Rather than resentment, I felt curiosity. Father Huam isn’t a bad person, so were my biological parents the bad ones? But when I looked into the situation at the time, I found that my biological parents also had their reasons. In the end, it was an inevitable tragedy.”
“…Then why are you doing this?”
She answered in a detached, chillingly mad tone.
“To prevent the tragedy I experienced from happening again.”
“!!”
“The empire is rotten to its core and ready to collapse. The Ecclesia family is merely prolonging its life. Because of this, problems keep arising. So things need to flow naturally.”
I swallowed hard.
‘She’s insane.’
It was truly the ravings of a madwoman.
