Augustus POV:

My name is Augustus Herba I am the prime minister of war for the Pallidas empire for 200 years my family has held this position. Ever since founder of my house worked his way up from a simple farmer to an Archduke. Now you may be wondering how could a simple farmer rise thru nobility. The answer is simple with his sword in hand and across multiple battles. In the Pallidas empire strength is what decides your standing in society. We of the Herba house strive for strength the weak are sent to the farms where our family began to build strength and determination.

To the other nobles we are a cold and ruthless family. We hate the abuse of power so much we kill our own when they too start to abuse their power. It may be cruel but it must be done to ensure that we do not become the very thing we hate.

The third emperor appreciate our rule and resolve so much he implemented inside the royal family. This is why we respect and hold them dear to us. The emperor also added something unthinkable to our position sort of a fail safe so that the royal family stays true.

The power invested in us was that if the royal family ever stop ruling for the people and the country and instead for the nobles and coin. We are to immediately kill and replace the ruler of the time as long as there is an heir to thr throne.

This also means that we can never except the throne even if we are the stronger family. This is because we are the sword that must be at the emperors throat no matter which family is on the throne we will always be there to keep them on the straight line.

There were some in the family who intentions were pure but to extreme. They thought by killing all the corrupt nobles that the Empire would be better off ,and by controlling the emperor from the shadows was the only way. To say the least they were dealt with. I have said it once and I will say it again “ absolute power corrupts absolutely”. The task we have under took is a dangerous on and the greatest evils are always paved with the good intentions of the pure.

This is why we are so cruel to our selves so we will never become what we hate. There are no exceptions to family law not even my son was spared from this. He was an exceptional talent in the field of business. He was a favorite for the next prim minister of finance. The other nobles could not allow that so they sent their sons and daughters to poison my son's mind filling it with dreams of grandeur, saying that the common folk were beneath him, and that he shouldn't work so hard he's a noble so he should have fun while he can.

I watched him slowly turned from prideful son of the Herba house, to the same trash of the other house holds. So by family law he had to be killed I almost didn't do it but he made his choice when he raped one of the maids he fancied. So I personally killed him and struck his name from the Herba family tree. But he did not die alone I made sure to kill those bastards sons and daughters that poisoned my son's mind to show them not to fuck with my family.

I was determined to forget about him when my second child was born. My beautiful baby girl we named her after my wife's late mother Charlotte. When she was born she didn't cry not until the mid wife slapped her bottom twice as she didn't flinch for the first one, it was then that I knew she would grow up to become greatness.

As the months leading up to her birth I moved us away from the capital and into our third territory frigid north. My only two regrets were that I was no longer able to meet my good friend and sworn brother in arms the emperor Charles Flamma and my daughter seemed to grow up cold like the environment she was born in.

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Although she was a genius saying her first words before she was even one years old and then being able to walk soon after. I knew I had to forge her so she wouldn't grow arrogant in her genius. So I never praised her and I just added more training and higher standards. I did this because arrogance breeds mediocrity.  

At first I thought she would fail and become down to earth but she just blew right thru everything we threw at her. I gave her a dagger and a trainer the strongest man under my command, and instead of crying and giving up she made her own deadly style that if the soldiers that she trained with didn't get serious and use their height advantage they would lose. So I up the  difficulty and had her training partner the trainer that I assigned to train her in the basics. Do you know what happened after that the trainer became the student he learned her style and now every one in the army is learning it.

Not only is she a monster in the form of combat she revolutionized the field of math. She came up with what she called algebra and used it to fix some major issue we had with our accounts after my failure of a son started stealing from the family. We didn't even know about it untile she cheaked the books her self.

She would be the perfect son if she was a boy. Me and my wife wish she was more girlie she refused to where a dress and instead designed an outfit with a blazer and pants I don't know why but it just screamed military. My wife didn't allow it with out a lot of frills and lace. But that didn't mean I couldn't wear a more masculine version of it I added more belts to the outside  and armor on the inside. I also started to wear my sword on my hip I felt it competed the outfit but my daughter begged to differ she designed a hat with a bill and the hat itself sloped at an angle towards the back. The hat also had a bird with it's wings spread out made out silver on thr front of the hat. After everything's said and done the attire looks very intimidating. I plan to make this the attire to the upper echelons of the military when the not in armor. Except the Hat my cute daughter designed it just for me.

If only she showed that beautiful smile off more she only shows it me and my wife. To remedy this I plan to take her to the capital ,to meet the emperor daughter the princess that way she will have a friend her age in which she can smile with more.

So I packed up mine and Charlotte's belongings my wife's not coming because she's in her latter phases of pregnancy and is not fit to travel. When we make it to the capital and meet the royal family I couldn't believe how successful this trip was. They became friends almost instantly I've never seen her smile and laugh so much.

If only we could stay a few more days and I'm sure they can become life long friends. But a last I have to make it back to my wife to be there for her. My good brother the Charles sensing my dilemma suggested having Aluma stay with us and train with Charlotte when she turns five. This is the same thing the last emperor did with Charles and ultimately what made us such good friends.

On the way back to the territory I told Charlotte the good news. She seemed excited. Everything was going great untile she asked the one question I've always dredged.

“ How did brother get corrupted?” [ Charlotte ]