My throne was nothing special, it merely just a large room that could fit a hundred people, and was more a long corridor with an oversize ceiling and a glass backdrop behind the throne.
The glass backdrop was a mosaic of an angel falling out of the sky after being struck by lightning. Which was a bit melodramatic, if you asked me, but the artist insisted on it, so I went ahead and approved it.
I sat on my throne, Cardinal Redwood to my left, while my two most trusted guards went behind us, to the pillars that held up the glass mosaic. The nobles of my realm began to gather into the room.
They were a rowdy bunch, always looking for a fight, and we're always willing to backstab each other, for just a centimeter of gain. This realm that I have constructed depends on this delicate balance of the nobles being busy fighting each other, so they would not be able to challenge me.
Many observers outside, my kingdom, would be disgusted by the state of my realm, but they do not understand the genius of this system. I watched from my comfortable seat as the nobles’ squabble at each other, without a care in the world of in the audience of their High King.
This bunch was just disgusting low-lives who just accumulated wealth and power out of luck. I continue watching in disgust, not wanting to disturb the commotion that these idiots are causing by insulting each other constantly.
When the Kingdom divides when I die, what will happen to these nobles? Will they fight with each other? Will they divide themselves equally? Will they attempt to overthrow my sons in hopes of gaining more power?
These thoughts ran through my head, but I will always be reassured for one reason…
“No, you stupid idiot, what marks the end of your territory, and what starts mine is the river!”
“Calm down, you foolish fool, don’t you know you in the presence of our great High King. Surely you showing your idiocy in front of him shows that you are not deserving of a noble title, after all of that forestland is mine, you horse-sucker.”
“H-how disgusting, how dare you insult my noble family that had raised the greatest horses that our own Royal Calvary uses for generations!”
“Greatest horses? We haven’t fought a foreign war in centuries, and yet you claim such dastardly things, how prideful of you.”
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“Why you… dumb shit come here!”
The man then pounced on the other man and began punching his face rapidly. The nobles formed a circle in my court, creating a makeshift arena in front of me.
I stare without surprise that this has happened.
“This happens every week, surely we must put an end to this, milord…”
“No, no, it's fine, let the nobles fight with each other, the further this escalates, the less pain I have to deal with.”
“I do not understand, milord.”
“You never understood me in the first place, Redwood.”
“That is true, milord, but from the decades that I have been your friend, is that this is part of some elaborate scheme of yours.”
“And that is what makes me a genius compare to the rest of these bumbling idiots.”
The man who is being punched is Earl Sycamore. He is a person whose intelligence outweighs his strength. This man is in trouble as he prefers to use other people to do his dirty work.
The man on top of him is Baron Greenfield, he is a brash fellow who prefers using force rather than thinking of a peaceful answer to a conflict. But that does not mean he is not intelligent; his mind is simply just built for battle more than petty politics of the court.
The two men held different philosophies and would often butt heads with each other. But when it comes down to matters, they see eye-to-eye, they were a terrifying duo. If I could eliminate one, then I can be assured they these two would never form an alliance in the future to take down my son.
Of course, I have no idea what they plot to do when I divide the kingdom since many who were close to me did not know of the plan of mine in the first place. But you can never be too careful around these nobles.
These nobles would probably lead to the downfall of my kingdom in the future, so I can only hope that future rulers will someday consolidate power and remove these nobles from positions that allowed them to be in power in the first place…
That’s it! I will have that girl try to resolve this conflict, surely it would be a great test to see what her otherworldly knowledge if she does have any, can do. But that will far into the future from now, since I cannot reveal her as a card in my hand, not right now.
One of those two will be part of my king’s gambit… they are simple pawns in this game of power, even if they think they have power.
I will allow them to have their fun for now, after all, it does buy her time to get situated with this world. I continued to watch those two fights and the nobles cheering them on. This world is destined for doom anyway, especially with the nobles not even caring for Great Beasts being rumored to not being just in stories.
They are not doing what many of the nobles in other kingdoms are doing. Pushing their rulers to build up a standing army, preparing troops in their lands, or merely just using this situation to their advantage to consolidate power.
These nobles were truly idiots that would never dare challenge me, and this delicate balance is what makes me glad that I am the ruler of this mighty kingdom. A kingdom, which is full of idiots who do not understand what it means to have power.