Chapter 60: Roger Requests an Official Position
The next day, at dawn.
Roger, dressed neatly, did not take the repaired teleportation array to the library. Instead, he jumped into Angelina’s carriage.
“You’re coming with me to the palace?” Angelina asked in surprise.
Roger nodded. “Yes, I’ve finished my studies and plan to request an official position from Her Majesty.”
“?”
Angelina was so shocked by Roger’s casual attitude and bold words when mentioning the Empress that her brain simply short-circuited.
In the vast Azurevine Empire, the Empress reigned supreme. Who dared to actively request an official position from her?
Everyone just accepted whatever the Empress granted them.
The Empress of Eternal Night wasn’t exactly autocratic, but she wasn’t easily swayed either.
Anyone who dared to speak so presumptuously and directly ask for a position would likely be turned into dust by a Death Finger followed by five minutes of meteor shower.
Angelina tried to lighten the mood. “Request a position? For such a small matter, why bother Her Majesty? I can arrange it for you.”
“Sister, I don’t want to dig coal or sweep streets. The position I want, you can’t arrange.”
Angelina felt affronted. Her useless little brother actually wanted a high-ranking position that she, the Right Minister, couldn’t arrange?
She snorted, “One must be down-to-earth, not reach for the stars. At your young age and with no political experience, do you expect to become a Cabinet Minister directly? For someone like you, starting in the sanitation brigade to hone your character would be quite good.”
Roger smiled mysteriously.
He really wanted to tell her the truth: who wasn’t a Cabinet Minister these days?
He smiled. “I don’t want to be a Cabinet Minister, nor do I need to be a high-ranking official. It’s just that the duties of this position are rather special and require His Majesty’s approval. Please don’t worry about it, Sister, just let me have a ride.”
But Angelina’s nature wouldn’t allow her to ignore it. She constantly tried to persuade him along the way:
“Roger, you don’t know Her Majesty’s temperament. While she’s never stingy with rewards for her subjects, actively requesting a position… Alas, you’re not trying to emulate Dio, are you? He has great talent.”
She left out the latter half of the sentence: he’s a dragon among men, and you’re a useless brother. Emulating him will be your death!
Sister truly is not lying to you!
Roger thought to himself, I know the Empress very well, and I understand her elusive and capricious temperaments quite intimately.
Angelina continued her persuasion for a long time. Seeing that he was unmoved, she felt helpless.
This brother was growing up. He was no longer as easy to manage as when he was a child, easily dressing in skirts if asked.
He was already forming his own opinions.
She wasn’t the kind of strict parent who demanded her child become the ideal person she envisioned.
Yet, she felt a strange sadness at the growing distance between them.
But after all, he was her brother. What else could she do?
Spoil him, of course!
Since she couldn’t persuade him, she continued to advise him earnestly, explaining some precautions:
“If Her Majesty doesn’t agree, don’t force it too much. Say a few nice words, praise the Empress’s eternal and valiant deeds. It shouldn’t be a big problem…”
Perhaps it would result in a quicker death?
Although Angelina held the dual roles of best friend and Right Minister, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her brother was playing with fire this time.
Roger listened with amusement, but he couldn’t really explain. “My relationship with the Empress is actually a bit closer than you think.”
He couldn’t possibly show his sister the “正” character on his leg and tell her it was personally written by the Empress.
Not to mention if he’d be beaten to death for it, it was also quite embarrassing.
That Empress truly loved to mess around, not understanding the profoundness of Chinese characters and using them carelessly.
Was writing the character “正” on paper the same as writing it on his leg?
Alas, being a man is so difficult!
Being a man with a complex identity, burdened by the weight of the empire, is even more difficult!
Fortunately, if today’s plan succeeds, it should resolve many of the previous hidden dangers.
This morning, the Minister of History, Dio Brando, did not attend the Cabinet meeting.
The other ministers found this unsurprising, as the City Defense Command was busy, and their Commander-in-Chief must have had many official duties to attend to.
The Empress also found it unsurprising, as Roger had seven days of annual leave.
He had made significant contributions by defeating Jostar, and he messaged her in the morning requesting leave, which she gladly approved.
Of course, the Adjutants of the City Defense Army were also not surprised.
Lord Dio, bearing the heavy responsibility of a Cabinet Minister, must surely be attending to more urgent matters of state in the morning.
The pursuit of the Believers, where they had been at a loss, had been successfully completed under Lord Dio’s brilliant leadership. They naturally felt they had nothing to fear anymore.
They were accustomed to handling the aftermath (cleaning up the mess) and could achieve 99% proficiency without the Commander-in-Chief’s guidance.
The remaining one percent was to save face for the Commander-in-Chief, lest he appear too useless.
Thus, Dio had a perfect alibi.
So, when the Cabinet meeting ended and the Empress of Eternal Night heard that Angelina was requesting an audience for her brother, she pondered for a moment.
Didn’t Roger already request leave? How many good brothers do you have?
She sensed him through the magic beacon and confirmed it was indeed Roger waiting outside the Hall of Political Affairs.
The Empress of Eternal Night, filled with questions, still cooperatively said, “No matter. Let him in.”
Angelina cautiously observed the Empress of Eternal Night’s expression. Finding no sign of anger, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Normally, a noble without an official position could not casually request an audience with the Empress. Roger was now using her as a backdoor to get this opportunity.
However, it seemed Roger was about to present a secret to Her Majesty, and she was not permitted to eavesdrop.
Despite her immense curiosity, she could only withdraw from the hall.
She gave Roger a warning glare.
Don’t cause any conflicts, my foolish little brother!
Although she withdrew outside the hall, Angelina did not leave. She waited outside for the outcome.
Her anxious demeanor was akin to a mother sending her foolish son to kindergarten for the first time, parting from him, and wondering if he could adapt to the treacherous young world outside.
Alas, a sister is like a mother!
Inside the Hall of Political Affairs, only the Empress of Eternal Night and Roger remained.
The Empress of Eternal Night said with a half-smile, “Now, you can tell me what mischief you’re up to.”
He had requested leave but still came to the palace. She was very curious about what this brat was up to.
It must be no ordinary matter, or he would have just left a message through the magic beacon.
Coming to the palace specifically, and even arranging it through Angelina, given this kid’s personality, it certainly wasn’t a simple audience, but something he had in mind!
So, while outwardly appearing open-minded and encouraging, ” Speak freely, my dear minister,” she was actually trying to eavesdrop on Roger’s thoughts.
He could lie with his mouth, but could he disguise his thoughts?
Roger smiled and bowed. “Your Majesty, I have come to the palace today to request a small official position from you.”
[Heh, Dio requested leave, what does that have to do with me, Roger? Look at Blood Mom’s confused expression, she definitely doesn’t know what my next move is.]
[Today I’m here to get rid of the leverage you hold over me and return to being my playboy self!]
“Hmm? Minister Roger not only holds the esteemed positions of Scribe, Minister of History, and Commander-in-Chief of the City Defense Command, but he still has the energy to contribute more to the empire?”
The Empress of Eternal Night had already decided that no matter what official position he requested next, she would not agree.
Surprise! I’ve predicted your prediction in this round!
You think you can escape my palm by requesting a sinecure and no longer have Angelina doubt your identity? Who do you think you are, you臭弟弟?
I am an unparalleled king, how could I let a noob like you succeed?
Roger calmly replied, “The empire’s history has just been compiled. The role of Scribe only involves organizational work; the Minister of History records Your Majesty’s daily life, which anyone can do; the Commander-in-Chief of the City Defense Command is a temporary position that will eventually be returned to the military. Therefore, I truly do have the energy to apply my talents on a more suitable stage.”
“Arrogant! Are you implicitly criticizing me for not knowing how to employ talent, by suggesting the positions I arranged were beneath you?”
The Empress of Eternal Night slammed the table several times.
Outside, Angelina flinched.
It’s over, it’s over. In just a few sentences, my brother has offended Her Majesty?
She hadn’t banged on the table for hours since capturing Jostar, and now my brother is kneeling at the first word?
Should I rush in to save him?
Inside the hall, Roger showed no fear. Instead, he looked innocently and said, “Your Majesty, I would not dare to insult you implicitly… I am saying it directly!”
The Empress of Eternal Night couldn’t help but nod slightly. Indeed, what he said just now wasn’t a private thought; it was spoken directly, not implicitly.
Wait, if he’s saying it directly, isn’t that even more outrageous?
Before, he only thought it, or at most, his thoughts accidentally slipped out under the effect of the Truth Implication spell.
Now, this bold kid dares to criticize me in a state of clear consciousness?
Haven’t you been hung up and beaten by me before?
The Empress of Eternal Night’s face turned icy. “Good for you, Roger. It seems even Cabinet Minister was beneath you. Perhaps I should appoint you Regent? Or give you the Throne of Stars?”
Roger feigned fear. “I dare not have such ambitions. The suitable stage in my heart is not about the size of the official position, but about suitability, to achieve the effect of using minimal force to achieve maximum results.”
The Empress of Eternal Night was slightly surprised and pondered, “Using minimal force to achieve maximum results? That’s quite a clever metaphor. Tell me, do you truly have any methods to achieve this and help the empire?”
Although she was angry, she was also intrigued by Roger’s words and asked curiously.
“I promised Your Majesty that I would build the empire together. Since then, I’ve lost sleep, striving to find strategies for governing. I believe the greatest hidden danger to the empire now is the Seven Gods!”
“Nonsense! Everyone knows that after the Blood Night of Aude.”
“Then does Your Majesty have a method to defeat the Seven Gods?”
“No. Do you?”
The Empress of Eternal Night was furious but also had some self-awareness.
Although she ranted about slaughtering gods daily, after a direct confrontation with the projection of the Goddess of War, she was acutely aware of the vast disparity.
Let alone facing all seven at once, even facing them one by one would be impossible for her.
And she was already the empire’s strongest combatant. Apart from her, there was no one near her who could even break through the Seven Gods’ defenses.
The empire had already attracted the attention of the Seven Gods. In the upcoming confrontation, the Empress of Eternal Night was determined to fight, but how to fight, how to win?
Sorry, I haven’t thought that far. Just fight! (Righteously!)
In her opinion, Roger asking if she had a method to win was like forcing a student who was a sports major and a national athlete to answer a college entrance exam.
Bringing up the most sensitive topic!
A crime punishable by death!
At this moment, Roger smiled and replied, “I have a method, but not a complete one.”
“If you have it, you have it. If you don’t, you don’t. Are you playing with me?”
“I have no intention of playing with Your Majesty, but the matter is of great importance, and I dare not speak boastfully.”
Roger paused and added, “I would like to tell Your Majesty a story.”
He retold the story of Tian Ji’s horse race, adapting it to a Western setting and attributing it to the Veronika Dynasty.
“This Abi Sun was indeed a genius. He directly abandoned his weakest points and played to his strengths to achieve strategic victory. This has some parallels with the game theory you mentioned earlier… but what is the empire’s strength right now?”
The Empress of Eternal Night, being very intelligent, understood the principle behind the story.
Roger replied, “Our inability to retreat; we are rooted in this World.”
The Empress was confused. “Isn’t that a fatal weakness?”
Roger smiled. “The Seven Gods are super-experts, and no one can contend with them; however, there are only seven of them, and they cannot oversee the entire battlefield of the myriad planes.”
Roger’s words enlightened the Empress of Eternal Night.
Despite the Goddess of War spending her days watching gladiatorial fights in her divine realm, she actually had many Incarnations at the same time, stationed in other planes to plunder Faith Power.
At the level of the Seven Gods, they transcended ordinary three-dimensional space and exhibited behaviors that defied the understanding of ordinary life.
What ordinary humans observed was merely a single point left in the river of time and space of the gods.
They would exhibit emotional fluctuations due to temporary gains or losses.
But the amount of power they invested ultimately depended on balancing the overall strategy through pragmatism and trade-offs.
The Eternal Night World was vast, and the benefits of controlling and harvesting Faith Power and life essence were immense, but it was not the only world for the gods.
Going all out for the Eternal Night World would certainly lead to victory, but it wasn’t necessary.
The Seven Gods also had to consider their interests in other worlds and choose the processing solution offering the greatest strategic advantage.
But the Azurevine Empire was established here, with no room for retreat, and was bound to go all out.
“Using Tian Ji’s horse race as an analogy, the Seven Gods are the superior horses, the Church is the medium horse, and the vassal states are the inferior horses; currently, the superior horses cannot be dispatched, and the medium horses have just begun to exert their strength. The Azurevine Empire has only one medium horse, which is Your Majesty, but we have four hundred million inferior horses.”
Roger elaborated, “I do not have a surefire method to defeat the Seven Gods, but if the empire can arm its four hundred million inferior horses as much as possible to become medium horses, the Seven Gods, wanting to control this World, would find the cost too great. They would abandon this World because with the same cost, they could conquer multiple worlds of the same level.”
The Empress of Eternal Night pondered Roger’s words, her eyes shining brighter and brighter.
This was indeed a path she had never considered!
She had only thought about fighting the Seven Gods directly. Were there really ways to win without fighting?
“But, isn’t this a draw?” the Empress of Eternal Night asked hesitantly.
“Is it not also a form of concession if Your Majesty directly confronts the Seven Gods?”
“So, it’s a bad path versus a worse path?” the Empress of Eternal Night sighed and asked another crucial question, “Then how do we arm four hundred million inferior horses to become medium horses? Not everyone has magical talent.”
Like a certain useless brother before his Nirvana.
“Shift the magicians from combat roles to production and research positions, lead technological innovation, and open the path of magical industrialization, so that every Commoner can use alchemical weaponry,” Roger’s expression suddenly became impassioned. “Magic should be the primary productive force, not a combat force!”
Hearing this, the Empress of Eternal Night was mesmerized.
Because from Roger’s projected thoughts at this moment, she saw many unbelievable scenes:
On a ship, ordinary people piloting iron behemoths that didn’t flap their wings, soaring into the sky.
An iron pillar crossed tens of thousands of miles, accurately hitting a target, creating a massive mushroom cloud.
A shimmering disc collided with a giant star, causing energy fluctuations throughout the entire World.
A giant humanoid mecha flung a spear, piercing an invading Apostle from the outside.
These were scenes of destruction far beyond ordinary forbidden magic, yet accomplished by ordinary people?
This Earth has something indeed!
This Roger is truly my treasure boy!
“So, Minister Roger, you want to be the chief designer of this magical industrialization?” the Empress of Eternal Night asked with joy and anticipation.
If he could create these things, combine them with magic, and allow ordinary people to possess the combat power of magicians…
Brilliant!
Then I can definitely beat the Seven Gods, the Church, and the vassal states into submission!
Roger almost spat out blood.
Your Majesty, I’m wholeheartedly devoted to the country, why do you want to harm me?
He smiled bitterly and shook his head. “Your Majesty thinks too highly of me. I do not understand magic, nor do I know alchemy. I can only act as a catalyst, by starting a magazine, named ‘New Arcana,’ to inspire countless geniuses in the empire to engage in a hundred schools of thought, so that they can implement the most suitable path of magical industrialization.”
“New Arcana? A good name! I decree you the president, fully responsible for this matter. Ask for whatever you need, and I will order the entire empire to cooperate with you!”
“Then the Scribe and the Minister of History…”
“The empire needs to look forward. You don’t need to waste your time with old papers!”
The Empress of Eternal Night said generously.
“Your Majesty is wise, I will do my utmost to be a good president of ‘New Arcana’!”
Roger knelt on one knee, his excitement not feigned.
[Hooray! A new official position is secured, the provocation strategy is a great success!]
[With this position as president, Dio can be put on standby for a while, and I won’t be afraid of my identity being exposed to my sister!]
[I can also move the empire closer to my ideal form…]
The Empress of Eternal Night, who was joyfully contemplating a method to defeat the Seven Gods, suddenly froze.
That’s right, I had initially decided not to agree to his request for a new official position.
Damn it, he was waiting for me here!
So in the end, he succeeded in obtaining the official position, and I even suspended his roles as Scribe and Minister of History?
Although a monarch’s word is law, the Empress can still be unreasonable, right…
It’s fine, fine!
The Empress thought of the many benefits after ‘New Arcana’ was published and gave up on having Roger be the Minister of History to play comment sections during meetings.
It was indeed a waste of his talent!
However, being tricked by provocation was already bad enough, and then hearing him openly comment on her…
This made it even worse.
It made her look incompetent, like she was being controlled by him!
“Retire. Implement this matter and then report to me again!”
The Empress of Eternal Night, annoyed, wanted to dismiss Roger. She didn’t want to see him for a while.
She thought she would have the advantage by hearing his thoughts, but these thoughts turned out to be his “killing the heart with a single move” against her.
Alas!
“Your Majesty, to cooperate with the first issue of ‘New Arcana,’ I still have something to discuss with you. Only with your cooperation can it be done!”
“This…”
The Empress of Eternal Night gritted her teeth slightly.
You’re still lingering, aren’t you?
You’re being so drawn-out about saying something! If she could, the Empress really wanted to shout, “I won’t listen, I won’t listen, if I say I can’t hear it, then I can’t hear it!”
But the matter of ‘New Arcana’ was too important, she really couldn’t afford not to listen…
Damn it, when did I ever become so passive in front of a man? Whatever he says, goes?
Forget it, this is all for the sake of ‘New Arcana’!
To avoid any setbacks in the preparation of this embryonic magazine, for the sake of the empire, Your Majesty will have to endure a little.
It’s not because I need to use Roger’s talent and strange ideas!
Let him be “Roger the Proud” and “Crazy Little Jie” for a while, I’ll cooperate with his performance.
Once ‘New Arcana’ is done, I’ll let you know who is the unparalleled king and who controls the lightning!
In any case, this is all the fault of the Goddess of War. I’ll arrange for her to be defiled by a pig ten thousand times!
Conqueror’s Canyon, the Goddess of War suddenly felt a premonition.
But she couldn’t predict the source of danger at all; it was all blank.
“Damn it, who is thinking about me with such great power? My luck has been terrible lately!”
The little hussy felt wronged.
Who would have thought that she would have to bear the blame for a couple’s quarrel?
P.S. “The Age of Awakening” is super good!
