Chapter 995: The Gambler
Hearing Hadrian’s words, Matilda instinctively wanted to frown, but the motion barely flickered across her face before her calm expression smoothed it away.
“The city is still tense, but order in the factories and markets is gradually returning,” she said, walking over to Hadrian with a friendly tone. “Thanks to the royal family’s intervention, those merchants trying to profiteer during the chaos and nobles attempting to move assets were stopped early. Supplies of food, cloth, and medicine are no longer an issue… and you deserve more than half the credit for that.”
“In times like these, you have to use special measures to keep certain people ‘in line,’” Hadrian chuckled softly. “Chasing profit is human nature, but some folks’ instincts run way out of control. By the way, Your Majesty, I heard there was a standoff between the Guardians of the Realm and the 11th National Regiment. Has that been resolved?”
“We identified a group of commanders and soldiers in the 11th who were mentally corrupted, and a few others who were overly zealous due to shallow faith. They were the root of the confrontation—and they’ve all been sent for treatment,” Matilda explained. “As for the rest… once Duke Ferdinand appeared, things quickly calmed down.”
“Duke Ferdinand, huh…” Hadrian’s expression grew thoughtful. “He’s the most respected among the military nobility. The Guardians of the Realm under his command are absolutely loyal to the crown and completely cut off from the War God’s cult. Having him step forward is more effective than a hundred generals.”
Matilda nodded gently. “As long as the army is under firm control, the military nobility remain loyal, and we root out the faith contamination in key regiments, the situation will ease quickly. Plus, we have a large number of battle mages unaffected by this ‘plague,’ and the Royal Mage Association has always stood with the crown. As long as these two forces stay stable, order won’t collapse.”
Hadrian’s gaze fell on a list nearby, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “That’s the primary reason these lists can be ‘handled’ properly.”
He knew that when a series of crises erupted all at once, pessimism spread throughout the country. Some who knew too much even thought the Augustus family was doomed, that the Typhon royal line was finished—orders couldn’t get out of the Obsidian Palace, frontline troops were out of control, the capital was gripped by a ‘mental plague,’ the council was in turmoil, and it seemed the situation was on the brink of total collapse, with the royal family powerless to stop it…
Hadrian understood these bleak, even extreme feelings, but he never shared them.
Because the Guardians of the Realm, the Obsidian Guard, and the Wanderers—all those forces—were still firmly under the crown’s control. Thanks to the Typhon family’s deliberate management over the years, these troops were free from any church influence. The Royal Mage Association stood firmly with the Obsidian Palace; the current association head and nearly all senior mages were staunch royalists. These mages wielded not only great power but also technical expertise—they were key to swiftly purifying the national communications network and patching its vulnerabilities. Moreover, the powerful nobles led by Ferdinand Wendell were reliably loyal and had long distanced themselves from the War God’s cult…
Typhon was facing a crisis, but the situation had never truly slipped out of control. The Augustus family was simply caught off guard.
The only factor that made young Hadrian uneasy and feel out of control was the seemingly calm but silent Cecilians.
Angry Cecilians were dangerous, but those who had settled quietly along the Winter Wolf line were perhaps even more so—and terrifyingly, this was beyond Typhon’s control.
He shook his head, massaging his slightly aching brow. At that moment, Matilda’s voice came softly: “Perhaps, some of them can be entrusted to me…”
Before she could finish, Hadrian shook his head. He looked up, his gaze serious as he met his sister’s eyes. “We both know why this has to be my responsibility.”
Matilda frowned but said nothing—she understood Hadrian’s meaning, and by tacit agreement, they didn’t press the matter further.
Just then, a faint buzzing sound interrupted them. One of Matilda’s earrings glowed softly and chimed. Hadrian quickly caught on: “Father is calling you.”
“Looks like it…” Matilda touched her earlobe and nodded to Hadrian. “I’ll be going then.”
…
Not long after bidding Hadrian farewell, Matilda walked through the deep, endless corridors and rooms of the Obsidian Palace, arriving at a study in the inner court. Her father, the great and capable Emperor Rosetta Augustus, sat in his favorite high-backed chair. When Matilda entered, he was reviewing some documents. Looking up, he smiled faintly at his daughter. “You came earlier than I expected.”
“I was just with Hadrian,” Matilda replied honestly. “I came as soon as I received your summons.”
“Hadrian’s been busy lately,” Rosetta said casually. “So, what did you two discuss?”
“Just the recent domestic situation,” Matilda answered, then hesitated before adding, “The lists… more lists. Honestly, it’s unsettling.”
Rosetta studied her for a few seconds before shaking his head. “Believe me, Matilda, no one wants to see those lists grow more than I do—but it’s something we have to do. There are many things in this country that need changing, and this crisis has exposed all the rot. If we don’t take this chance to root it out, we’ll face longer, deeper troubles and hidden dangers in the future.”
“Of course, I understand,” Matilda said quickly. “It’s just… I feel like I’m standing on the sidelines.”
“…Standing on the sidelines is the best way for you to ‘participate’ right now,” Rosetta said, looking at her deeply. After a brief hesitation, he spoke softly, “Remember, child, your hands must stay clean—especially in this matter.”
Matilda’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening slightly.
She had known her father would eventually be frank about this, but never expected it to come out like this, so openly.
After a short silence, Rosetta continued, “Matilda, if you want to bear the weight of a nation, every action you take must be aimed at the long-term future—far beyond what anyone else considers. From the start, you must weigh every cost and consequence. Specifically this time, your job is to keep your hands clean. You must soothe the nobles with perfect grace, meet with the citizens’ representatives, announce welfare, production, and supply policies. You must be the guardian and builder of order. The unpleasant tasks… those must be done by others.
“Even if many decisions are yours, you must maintain this ‘dignified purity.’
“Matilda, those lists—and the purges beyond them—we all know they’re meant to root out the empire’s parasites, to stabilize the situation quickly and fend off threats. But many won’t see the long-term good; they’ll focus on the terror and tension of the process, and the ‘sympathetic victims’… In fact, their concerns are valid, because no matter the purpose, these purges are hardly honorable in method. If abused, they can even undermine order. Regardless of short-term effects, in the long run, these actions will be controversial—and those controversies must not fall on you.”
He looked at her again, a faint smile touching his lips. “Do you think I’m overprotective?”
“Many years ago, I faced a situation much like this—worse, even. Back then, my lists were far longer, and the people I dealt with far more cunning and vicious than today’s profiteers and selfish nobles. And I had to do it all myself.
“The consequence was more compromises, more balancing acts, more room left for enemies who couldn’t be eliminated outright—because that was the only way to keep the country from fracturing. It took me over a decade to mend those cracks, pushing through imperfect reforms bit by bit. Even so, many still secretly resent me, and their hatred has only deepened with time. Now, I have to put those people on new lists again, and face countless new opponents influenced by them.
“It’s exhausting, Matilda. I don’t want you to walk that same path.
“So your hands must stay clean.”
Matilda listened quietly to her father’s counsel. A sudden thought struck her—her iron-willed father had rarely spoken so openly and at length in recent years.
“I understand what you mean,” she nodded. “But Hadrian…”
“He knows what he’s doing. I’m sure you can see that,” Rosetta said gravely. “It may not be fair to him… but it’s the responsibility of the royal family.”
Matilda sighed.
“Now, let’s get to business,” Rosetta shifted gears. “I called you here to give you a task.”
Matilda immediately straightened. “Please, Your Majesty.”
Rosetta reached to a drawer and pulled out a thick file, sliding it across the desk toward her.
Curious, Matilda opened it. The first thing she saw was a bold printed title: “Plan and Long-Term Significance of Establishing the Typhon Memorandum Library.”
She flipped through a few pages and soon realized a large portion was a catalog—a vast catalog of books.
“This is…” she began, uncertain but unable to hide her surprise as she looked at her father.
“We’re secretly building a memorandum library—to encompass everything about Typhon. Scholars have already compiled catalogs of all historical and technical books, and further collection and organization are underway. The plan is to include more books over time, eventually forming a massive encyclopedia. Additionally, the collection and organization of poetry, drama, architecture, painting, and other arts have begun. This work will now be entrusted to you.”
Matilda couldn’t help but interrupt. “Your plan… is it to prepare for…?”
“In case of emergency,” Rosetta said calmly. “If we fail, someone must ensure our traditions and history survive.”
“Is the situation really that dire?” Matilda asked. “From what I see, everything is still under control…”
“Not yet at its worst, true. But we’re walking a tightrope. Things could get worse—and if that day comes, the work of preserving history and culture must start now.”
Matilda listened intently, pondering her father’s words. Then, suddenly, she realized that what he truly feared wasn’t some lofty deity, but people themselves.
“Do you really think the Cecils would seize this moment to launch a devastating war? And do you believe they have the capability to do so?”
“I respect and am willing to support Gawain Cecil and the principles he stands for,” Rosetta replied, “but we can never fully trust our enemies. As for their capability… Matilda, all they need is the motive. And recently, I’ve uncovered both their motive and the concrete steps they’re taking.”
Matilda fell into a brief silence, then spoke in a low voice, “If it really comes to what you fear, then even if we manage to preserve these books, they’ll likely end up as mere trophies in the Cecil Museum—used to showcase their victorious conquest.”
“So that’s the worst-case scenario. Not even an effective countermeasure,” Rosetta said calmly. “If we get through this crisis safely, we’ll have the time and space to address the problems properly. But right now… there’s little we can do.”
Matilda stared at her father for a long moment before finally lowering her gaze. “I understand, Father.”
Rosetta gave a faint “hm,” and the study fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Just as Matilda was about to speak again, he suddenly broke it: “Do you think I’m being too pessimistic?”
Matilda hesitated, then nodded. “Yes.”
“Indeed, I am pessimistic—especially since not long ago, we were basking in the confidence of our nation’s strength, proudly planning a glorious future. My current gloom must seem utterly unreasonable… But, Matilda, I’m making a gamble.
“A ruler shouldn’t be a gambler, yet my life has forced me into that role more than once. And from experience, when facing a gamble… it’s better to be cautiously pessimistic than blindly optimistic.”
(End of chapter)