However, both the one saying it and the one hearing it knew precisely that what the emperor wanted was not merely the maintenance of the Grand Ducal House, but their psychic powers and the perpetuation of it from beginning to end.

In other words, the empire’s military power.

The great power that had brought victory in any naval battle it participated in and had safely protected the empire’s seas and coasts for hundreds of long years.

The immense power that had shown the greatness of the Heston Empire among countless nations on the vast continent, raised the prestige of the Sonover royal family, and made it so that no one dared to invade their seas…

In reality, in order to form even stronger ties with the Dennox Grand Ducal House, the Sonover imperial family of the Heston Empire, who succeeded the name ‘Leopold’ for generations, reinforced that link through marriage ties once every few generations. Out of fear that those with tremendous power would eventually become strangers if they became even a little distant by blood. To grip their power more tightly in their own hands.

And just as the generations above him had done, the current emperor was throwing a tantrum and pushing this crude method, unable to let go of his selfishness full of greed and a mind only for his own peace and well-being.

“I’m not suggesting something impossible! Didn’t the expert say it’s a sufficiently possible method!? Surely if it’s done that way, at least one alpha with psychic powers will be born!”

Now it was so blatant that the color was clearly visible.

No wonder he had driven people away and led him behind the stage where it was even quieter. It seemed he intended to cling on like this, throwing away even his pride. Reynard was sick and tired of his greed that had discarded not only refinement and morality but also self-esteem.

Indeed, ascending to the throne itself was following greed while setting aside self-esteem.

‘Where will that temperament go?’

The emperor was, in a way, a truly consistent person from beginning to end.

“Why aren’t you thinking of making an effort at all…!”

A voice close to pleading beyond regret leaked out.

“Having seen my power, you may feel my father’s power is small, but originally, it was only that level of power.”

The ability to create rough waves near only one or two warships, and the ability to calm the waves of that much space. The ability that had barely been maintained until before him was only that much.

A power that would have naturally disappeared like other psychic powers in a few generations if it weren’t for him…

“These days, with the advancement of gunpowder, that level of power can be sufficiently replaced by technology.”

That was the reason this naval battle dragged on for 2 years.

With the industrial revolution and the development of military supplies and gunpowder technology in each country, even if Reynard had tremendous power, the allied forces were no longer in a dramatically advantageous situation.

“But your ability isn’t like that!”

Seeing the emperor continue to stubbornly insist, Reynard downed the remaining liquor in the glass in one go.

Reynard, who was born with several times more power than the immediate previous generation and several generations before that… As his father had said, this was a tremendous power but also a curse at the same time. Seeing these greedy people unable to let go even while saying shameful things, it was even more of a curse.

“That’s why I brought this up because it doesn’t make sense.”

Thinking it wasn’t something to get angry about, he changed tactics and started gently persuading him as if coaxing a child.

The greed and arrogance regarding his own position, as if he didn’t know how difficult and rare it was for him, the emperor, to say this much. And at the same time, the inferiority complex of not being able to let go of the easy path for all of that.

“How can we maintain the naval power of the empire without that power…! How…!”

“It’s a power that should have already disappeared along with all other psychic powers. A power that we don’t even know why it has lasted this long and should no longer be relied upon, just luck.”

“But now! Isn’t it currently being maintained!? Abandoning it is a huge waste!”

Talking about waste when it’s not even his own power.

Reynard was dumbfounded.

Now it seemed greed was oozing even from the wrinkles and greasiness on that face.

At the very least, the emperor should have prepared 30 years ago when he ascended the throne, seeing the psychic power of the Grand Duke, his cousin. At that time, he should have already realized, ‘Ah, it’s really an era where psychic powers are disappearing,’ and worried about the extinction of the Grand Ducal House’s psychic powers early on.

If he were a wise person, he really would have done that.

Instead of blankly looking and thinking it will somehow work out, rubbing his hands and drooling after seeing Reynard’s power after he was born and manifested.

Instead of blankly enjoying and taking advantage of this luck, thinking it will somehow be maintained.

‘If you’re so greedy, you should have at least made an effort…’

If it were him, he would have already spared no support and made efforts so that the seas could be maintained even without psychic powers.

Relying on one person’s power is dangerous. The fact that the empire had maintained this much power at sea until now was truly fortunate, separate from ability.

Especially in times like these when the era is changing and various technologies are being developed in each country.

The Kingdom of Espen, the enemy in this war, had steadily developed navigation techniques from ancient times until now, so they came to possess naval military power on par with the Heston Empire’s navy that had Reynard’s power. No wonder the emperor’s mood was soured, as they themselves called their kingdom’s naval power the ‘Invincible Fleet’.

“The fact that this power has been maintained until now is a miracle in itself. Let go of your lingering attachment.”

Reynard drove the final wedge, looking at the emperor’s face crumpled into a crying expression like a child whose toy, which he had gripped tightly in both hands, was being taken away.

“I won’t get married or sleep with someone I don’t want to simply for the sake of the heir Your Majesty wants.”

“No…!”

Although permission to leave had not yet been given, irreverently, with those final words, Reynard bowed his head in a rough semblance of courtesy and turned around to walk away.

The emperor can’t punish him anyway. He knows that even if he gets angrier at him here, things won’t go as he wants. He must have had enough of a brain to grasp reality to maintain power this much.

He’s a narrow-minded and timid person who can’t even think of incurring the wrath of the Grand Ducal House, which is acting as a loyal ally of the imperial power even though its own power is weak.

Reynard swallowed a sneer as he turned and walked away.

As an honorable soldier, he wanted to at least keep the minimum line.

“Colonel, are you done talking?”

Major Shane Wilgrave, the aide, naturally followed behind his superior and asked quietly. He had been waiting nearby, keeping an eye out for Reynard’s social duties.

“Yes.”

“Is it okay for you to come out like this?”

Being a person with originally quick wits, he glanced at the emperor’s expression and Reynard’s mood from afar and asked carefully.

“If it’s not okay, then what?”

“What on earth happened…”

Uncharacteristically, the guy trailed off.

As someone who belonged to the military and the aristocratic social circle, he was a person who always nagged Reynard to act socially to some extent for the honor of the Grand Ducal House and the prestige of the military, so he must be worried about acting rudely in front of the emperor, whom he shouldn’t offend the most.

“You know. That issue.”

“Pardon?”

“He told me to give birth until an alpha child is born, no matter how many beta women it takes.”

“Heuk…!”

Shane stopped breathing in shock at Reynard’s nonchalant words as he shrugged his shoulders.

He swallowed his surprise at his superior who acted natural but didn’t hide his contempt, and his disgust at the emperor who didn’t hesitate to make inhumane and immoral remarks.

The emperor was truly a person who was very fearful and at the same time very greedy.

‘He doesn’t want to lose any of it, and he doesn’t want to give it either.’

Leaving the frozen Shane behind, Reynard grabbed a passing attendant and drank whatever liquor was on the silver tray while thinking.

The emperor who never puts his only spouse in the position of empress, the official legitimate wife, for over 20 years after the empress’s death… Perhaps it was the emperor’s fault that Empress Beatrice worked hard to gather her own power despite having a powerful maternal family, and lived so spitefully like that.

‘He was overly wary of his own wife.’

How miserable must she have been, having come to marry the emperor knowing she would become the empress but having to remain as the unofficial empress for life… Reynard recalled Empress Beatrice’s proud and stubborn face.

Still, the emperor didn’t prepare another path either. He didn’t want to bring in another concubine and create another family to be mindful of, and at the same time, he didn’t want to go against the Duke of Hedderfield’s mood, and he also didn’t think of having more children who would cause headaches with power struggles.

‘A typical good-for-nothing.’

Because he’s afraid anyone will become a threat to him. In the end, he speculated that even the existence of his children would be a threat to him, so he didn’t greedily have many heirs.

Unable to let go of this or that, he ended up catching his own ankle.

‘It’s his own undoing. It’s a snare he made himself.’

And he had no intention whatsoever of helping him squirm like that.

Reynard brought the wine glass to his lips and glanced at the foolish emperor and his ambiguously-natured sixth cousins from a distance.

Certainly, 1st Princess Ellison Leopold had both ability and ambition, and was the dominant alpha the emperor so desired.

But even putting aside the weakness of being ‘female’ that only her father the emperor cared about, she severely lacked her own solid power base. It was because her deceased mother was from a small duchy, and she died too early before creating her own solid power.

Even now, the people surrounding her in the ballroom. Most of her allied forces are emerging nobles.

The emerging nobles or young intellectuals, gentry and such who followed the 1st Princess still had weak influence in the empire’s political world. Moreover, many of the members of the great noble families who still held a tight grip on the parliament and political world were quite conservative despite the changing times, and there were factions who did not welcome the princess’s ascension to the throne.

She’s intelligent and has leadership skills, but her power is too weak after all. Reynard took another sip of wine and removed his gaze from her.

And over there, 2nd Prince Roman Leopold, who avoided people and was stuck in a corner.

He’s not stupid, but he’s a timid guy with a tendency to excessively underestimate himself. Perhaps he’s Empress Beatrice’s biggest victim, but well, that’s none of his business.

‘A guy who sits still hesitantly and can’t forge his own path ahead is not worth any attention.’

Finally, 3rd Prince Clifton Leopold, loved by the citizens of Eldon.

His mind works well, and although he pretends not to be, he has a lot of ambition. The empress raised him that way, and his own greed is not to be taken lightly either.

‘He seems to have the greatest possibility after all.’

Reynard finished his brief contemplation while looking at these people who were both the children and victims of the old fox-like emperor.

“Colonel, there are so many people waiting for you right now, so how long are you going to…”