It was a week after Miko's coronation, and his announcement as Tiamat's proxy.
Since then, he spent most of his time in the throne room.
He was currently sitting on the throne playing with a hand console.
“…..So aren't you going to work?”
Luka asked.
She and ouroboros were standing in front of the throne with complex expressions.
“We are working.”
“You are? You too Tia?”
Asked ouroboros.
Tiamat was laying on a bed that was prepared for her beside the throne.
They wanted to give her a throne of her own, but refused saying that it was uncomfortable sleeping on a throne.
….She only planned to sleep from start.
“My presence here gives people hope. So just me existing here is work.”
She said, as she ate some fish that was prepared for her and placed beside her.
“I've never seen a lazier [Parent and Child].”
Said Luka.
“Laziness is the mother of all bad habits, but ultimately she is a mother and we should respect her- Shikamura Nara.”
“Who the hell is that?”
“A great man. A really great man.”
Miko said with unusual respect in his tone.
Luka sighed as if giving up.
“Don't worry. I know what I'm doing.”
“Young Master, the Leighton Family head is here to see you.”
A servant appeared and reported.
“Oh! Right on time. Let him in.”
Even though he said that, Miko looked like he had no intention of throwing away his console.
Not long after, a plump man dressed in expensive clothing walked into the throne room.
He greeted Luka and Ouroboros with a nod, and kneeled in front of the throne.
“Erik Leighton greets his majesty!”
He shouted with vigor.
Towards this respectful greeting, Miko showed indifference and continued to playing with his console.
Even so, Erik didn't show any displeasure and simply waited.
After a while, Miko finally glanced at him.
“You're the one responsible for the funds right?”
“Yes, my king.”
“Hand it over.”
“?!”
Miko's words shocked Erik.
“Pardon me, Your Majesty. I don't think I heard you right.”
“You heard me. The country's finances, give control of them to me.”
“My apologies, but I have been the finance minister for over 30 years. I can't just give up my title.”
As he spoke he glanced over at Tiamat who looked like she was enjoying the show.
“Oh? Then you're refusing your king’s orders?”
Miko said with sarcastic tone, without even moving his eyes from the console.
“I would never!”
Miko's carefree attitude angered him, but he spoke with a smile.
“I am merely giving advice as someone who's a senior in life.”
“Is that so? How kind of you. However, I don't need it.”
When Miko was Logan Cross, he never really went to school like everyone his age. He was too busy traveling the world.
However, when he started to go to school he quickly got his qualifications.
By the age of 17 he received a bachelors in Literacy Arts.
By 18, another in Law.
By 19, another Business Management.
When he was 20, he was in middle of getting his degree in Politics before he died.
Each and every degree was under a false name and age, to dispel suspicions.
Not only did he have degrees, he also experienced the life of a politician up close.
After the incident where Logan was the only survivor of a religious purge by his own family, he was admitted to a top class medical facility where he underwent several check ups and tests.
Some which included his IQ & EQ.
He possessed a very low EQ but his IQ was phenomenal.
This drew the attention of a lot of people, even those in the government.
Eventually, a congressman and his family heard of him and approached him with the intention of adoption.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
It was around this time that Logan’s mind began to stabilize. So he immediately knew that the congressman wanted to groom him to be his successor and bring his family fame.
He saw Logan as tool.
However, Logan also saw him as a tool.
He accepted the adoption and joined his family. His main reason was for revenge.
Logan spent six months observing the congressman and quickly learnt everything about him.
After six months Logan decided it was time to destroy his family.
He stole a large quantity of money from the congressman and his family, and started preparing everything he needed to destroy his family, and the key to this was his mother.
She was a university professor, who worked at one of the top university in the world.
Logan knew that his mother was unhappy with her marriage, which was normal. The True Cross project may chose your spouse for you, but that didn't mean you would have a happy marriage.
He paid a famous male escort to pose as one of his mother's student to seduce her. He chose the male escort according to her taste, which he learned about from gossips he heard from his days in the branch family.
She took the bait.
He then recorded her adulterous acts and blackmailed her anonymously. He told her to do what he says or he will send the evidence to the project leader. Knowing that she fears for her life, Logan was confident that she will do what he says.
He instructed her to call another family meeting, but this time at her university. He purposely chose a public place, so that she would feel safe. He told her to tell them that she discovered another possible contamination in the project. She had feared that it wouldn't work and she would be exposed, but Logan sent her a tape of her husband and various other people committing adultery.
After seeing this tape, she immediately knew that they would all come.
Logan then convinced her that he was a supporter of the project and just wished to see it succeed. He then continued on promising that he won't expose her and her husband because they haven't reproduced outside the family unlike the others. He then sent her proof of others having secret children and families. Confused by her fear and sense of duty to the project, she agreed like he thought she would.
She did as he said and invited the others. When they arrived at the assigned room, they were greeted by a party which confused them. Logan contacted his mother and told her to play along which she did.
She told them that she wanted to lighten the mood before talking about a heavy topic.
They were doormen who welcomed everyone with handshakes, and attractive waiters and waitress who afforded them finger food and drinks.
They mingled with the people there for a while, and then the project leader had become impatient and told his mother to get on with it.
That's when the lights dim and a spotlight shone on the stage where Logan stood. They were shock to see him and his mother started to back away, but was stopped by the waiters who said "Lets enjoy the show somewhere else, Madam."
Logan then went on and spoke.
"Welcome members of the True Cross Project. I'm sure you all remember me. My, it's so good to see you all again."
He laughed merrily.
"Well, I'm sure you're all eager to know why you're here. Well, it's simple really."
He smiled and said-
"You're here to die a horrible horrible death."
The family then started shouting at him. They looked for his mother, but she was gone.
They then started to panic and tried to escape, but all fell to the floor.
"Oh, looks like the hemlock is finally kicking in. Boys, bring them up to the stage."
The waiters then dragged the family to the stage and made them sit.
Logan then explain to them that they were currently suffering from two poisons. Hemlock that was in the food, and wolfsbane from the doormen gloves.
He then ask them how does it feel being conscious but unable to say or do anything. He then mocked them some more and told them to call on their God for help.
He then watched as they slowly die one by one. When they all died, he told the men to bury their bodies in concrete and throw them into the sea.
He then left the room and went to into a different room where his mother was.
In there, he glared at her and called her disgusting. She tried to argue back, but shut up when Logan slapped her. She then cried and said she was sorry and that she always regretted what she did, but Logan slap her again to shut her up. He grabbed her face and told her he doesn't want her apology, and shouted that she was his mother and that she was supposed to love him unconditionally even if no one else did. He then forced her to drink something and she coughed.
He then told her that it was Polonium, a radioactive slow acting poison that had no cure. He released her and told her that she was free to do whatever she wanted. Suicide or wait until the poison kill her.
He and the men left her alone. Logan later saw a news bulletin about a university professor who hanged herself on campus.
He showed no emotion when he saw it.
A few months later, he faked his own death with a car accident and ran away. He used the stock market to get money and provide for himself. It was this money he used to pay the people who helped him to get his revenge. They were his adoptive father's contacts who he befriended and hired.
So although he might be young when it came to the standards of this world, when it came to ruthlessness and scheming, this so called senior in life wasnt worth shit to Miko.
“Erik Leighton, your title is a marquis, right?”
“That's right, my lord.”
“And I am the king.”
“…..That's right, my lord.”
“Do you see where I'm going with this?”
Miko finally turn his gaze from the game, and looked at Erik.
“If I say I want control over the funds, then give me the fucking funds. If not, then at least pass me your head on a platter.”
Miko's words were overbearing and left no room for negotiation. They weren't talking as equal or even fellow human beings.
It was a master ordering his dog. And if that dog doesn't comply, then he'll get put down.
“….Forgive me, my lord.”
With a sour face, Erik took out a golden key.
“This is proof that you have total control over every treasury in the kingdom, outside of the Triad.”
A servant came up and took it away from him.
“I see. You can go now.”
Miko turned back to the game, and showed that he had no intentions of continuing their conversation.
Erik bit his lip in frustration and left the room.
“You do know that he has control of all of the nobles in the kingdom, right? Not even Dario could go against him that easily.”
Said Luka.
“I know, but I don't care. Before I build an empire, I first need to build a solid foundation. The current nobles are an obstacle, hence they need to be removed.”
“You don't mean…”
Miko smiled deviously and said nothing.
The next day the kingdom was bustling again.
King Miko had made his first royal decree!
The decree was simply.
“All those who live and work in the Lower Class Districts will have their taxes lowered by 70%! All those who live and work in the Middle Class District will have their taxes lowered by 50%! All those who work and live in the High Class District, except for servants, will have their taxes doubled!”
This news shocked the entire country.
The nobles taxes were doubled, while everyone else's were lower significantly. This was the opposite of what Dario did.
The citizens celebrated while the nobles jeered.
*Bam!*
“He can't do this!”
In a secret room in the Leighton residence at the High Class District, there were nearly a dozen people sitting around a long table.
One these persons slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
“Calm down, Viscount.”
Said Erik who was at the head of the table.
“Calm? How can we be calm?!”
Another noble stood up and shouted.
“Just one day, just one day with control over the country's finances, and he does something like this?! It's clear that he wants to rob all of us for whatever we're worth!”
“Marquis, you shouldn't have gave in to that brat so easily!”
A noblewoman said unreasonably.
“Calm yourself, my brothers and sisters. I am working out a plan as we speak.”
Erik smiled cruelly.
“I've hired someone to help us with our little problem.”
“?!”
“Fool! Do you intend to get us all killed?!”
A noble angrily shouted.
“I do not. You all might not know this, but Nero and Rouge have declared that they will not protect Miko.”
“?!”
“Is that true?”
Erik nodded.
“I was skeptical at first, but I confirmed that there wasn't a single Primus or Secundus member in the palace. Other than a few guards, the brat is all alone.”
“What about Tiamat? Isn't she always by his side?”
“Yes. But Higher Beings don't possess their former strength on the mortal realm. As long as we hire a [X Class] assassin, then we can kill him without leaving a trace back to us. Especially since I hired someone who has a blood grudge with the Dragna clan. They'll think that he acted on his own to seek revenge.”
The nobles’ faces all lit up when they heard that.
“As expected of the Marquis!”
They all started praising Erik and his plan, while dying to hear the news of the king's death.
At this time, they didn't noticed the azure haired youth in the corner listening to them with a smile on his face.