Damn it! Is he wall-hacking or something?
Were the words written on his face?
Otherwise, how could this Sage King interpret so much?
And it was completely correct, down to the last detail—he knew exactly what Leon was thinking!
Leon was already cursing him out in his head.
He knew the Sage King was a Legendary rank mage. Could there be some kind of magic that could see through a person’s heart and achieve telepathy?
“No, this isn't some magical method.”
Right at that moment, the Sage King’s voice rang in Leon’s ear again.
“Magic is material, while the hearts and thoughts of living beings are spiritual.”
“Even a Legendary rank mage cannot create a magical means to directly peer into the ever-changing inner thoughts of a living being.”
The Sage King said, “This is just some simple observation and simple inference that anyone can learn.”
“However, I rarely make mistakes with the conclusions drawn from such simple inferences.”
Leon: “...”
Then teach me these “simple observation” and “simple inference” techniques!
“Of course, if you want to learn... unfortunately, I don't have the spare time to give you lessons.”
Looking at the helpless expression on Leon’s face, the Sage King couldn’t help but curl his lips slightly.
To him, “reading the picture”—observing someone’s face and subtle movements to deduce their true thoughts—was a rare pleasure in life.
In the past, William, the Imperial Prime Minister, had been his subject for practicing this art.
But later, William stopped trying to keep up appearances and just said whatever was on his mind, leaving the Sage King with nowhere to direct this small interest.
Now, he had rediscovered this joy in William’s second son.
“Let me guess again,” the Sage King said slowly, watching Leon’s expression. “The reason you know the inner workings of Solainem is because Thomas revealed it to you, right?”
Leon did his best to maintain a poker face, not letting a single shred of emotion leak out.
But the tone that followed from the Sage King easily shattered his hard-won composure.
“—It wasn’t? You actually... deduced it yourself from various clues?”
“Interesting.”
“Although I had to have Clyde evacuate Solainem early due to an accident, and the act wasn't entirely without flaws, being able to notice that trace and further infer my involvement... is truly not easy.”
“Very good. Since you were able to use your own intellect to deduce my connection to the Solainem incident, as a reward, I grant you the privilege of asking the deepest question in your heart. I will answer it personally.”
Leon had thought the Sage King would deny orchestrating the Solainem Tragedy, but he hadn't expected him to not only admit it but do so directly.
He even, with an air of complete indifference, rewarded him with an opportunity to ask a question!
Leon took a deep breath, not letting his various unidentifiable emotions override his reason. He spoke slowly, posing a question.
“Your Majesty... why are you in such a hurry?”
Leon’s question was clearly outside the Sage King’s expectations, causing him to pause for a moment.
“A hurry? Where do you see a hurry?” the Sage King asked.
Leon took another deep breath and said in a low voice, “After dealing with Baron Sori, I specifically looked into the 《Human Rights Bill》 that Your Majesty promoted.”
“From drafting the proposal to the formal promulgation and then to the mandatory implementation across the entire Empire—the entire process took only one year.”
“To implement a decree that severely damages the interests of the traditional nobility and digest the resulting turmoil in such a short time is clearly far from enough.”
Leon fixed his gaze on the Sage King. “You could have spent several years gradually implementing a policy of conciliation to soften the impact and dissolve the resistance. But you didn’t; you chose to use imperial authority to force it through to the end.”
“And this directly intensified the resentment of the noble class, becoming a major incentive for the rebellion in Solainem.”
He paused and continued, “Not only that, but there is also the restructuring of the Imperial Ministry of Magic, the adjustment of the Decree Implementation Department, the innovation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Production, and even the reform of the Sacred Light Church that you and His Holiness the Pope are currently promoting...”
“The ripples caused by the previous round of reforms have not yet subsided before a new round of changes follows closely behind. On the surface, the Empire appears to be flourishing everywhere, but underneath, dark undercurrents are already surging.”
“All of this, for an emperor like you who enjoys a reputation for wisdom and possesses superior intelligence, really shouldn't be happening.”
It wasn't just the reforms and decrees; the handling of the Solainem incident was the same.
The Sage King was in too much of a hurry—so much so that the act of transferring Viscount Clyde out of Solainem was not subtle enough.
If an enemy saw through it and made an issue of it, it would have a significant impact on the Sage King’s reputation for wisdom.
There is a concept in politics called political credibility.
And the Sage King’s reputation for wisdom was his political credibility in the hearts of the Empire’s citizens. As long as his reputation did not collapse, his political credibility would remain firm, and the citizens would not question his decrees—
Even if a decree harmed their interests in the short term, the people’s trust in the Sage King was enough that they would still obey and execute it.
Similarly, even if the Sage King wanted to start a war, and there were clearly gentler ways with fewer casualties, he chose the simple and brutal method of orchestrating the Solainem Tragedy for some unknown reason.
Leon’s voice echoed in the main hall. “The pace of your reforms... is too rushed.”
Leon’s words caused a strange light to flicker in the Sage King’s eyes. He studied the young man before him as if truly seeing him for the first time.
“A very brilliant deduction.” The Sage King looked at him with interest. “It’s just that, thinking I’m in a hurry based solely on a few decrees is a bit too much of a leap of imagination.”
Leon shrugged. “The basis is indeed quite superficial. However... just like Your Majesty, this is only a ‘simple inference’ after a ‘simple observation’ based on these superficial clues.”
“And as Your Majesty said, the simpler the observation and inference, the harder it is to be wrong.”
The Sage King hadn't expected Leon to use his own words against him. He suddenly clapped and laughed.
“Interesting! Truly interesting!”
“Are you interested in becoming a Prime Minister? I can make your father the Left Chancellor and you the Right Chancellor.”
“That way, you can still call him father at home, but when you go to court—you can pat him on the shoulder and address him as a colleague.”
The corner of Leon’s eye twitched slightly. He bowed and replied, “Your Majesty, you must be joking.”
“I am making the suggestion after serious consideration,” the Sage King shook his head. “But since you have no interest, then so be it.”
He changed the subject, his tone peaceful yet carrying an unquestionable majesty.
“As for the question you just asked... Leon, your level is too low. You do not have the strength required to bear the answer to that question.”
“...” Leon fell silent.
What he hated most in life were those who spoke in riddles and were vague on purpose!
But at this moment, facing the Sage King’s unquestionable “your level is too low,” Leon couldn't even say a word of rebuttal.
After all, compared to this Legendary rank emperor at the pinnacle of power on the continent of Ommissiah, he was indeed too weak.
A moment later, Leon looked up, his gaze meeting the Sage King’s directly.
“Since Your Majesty has judged that my current level is not yet enough to bear the weight of that answer... then please tell me, what must I do to gain the qualification to understand all of this as quickly as possible?”
The Sage King’s gaze lingered for a moment, having already seen through the almost explicit hint in Leon’s words.
A very smart move.
William’s second son did not dwell on the answer he couldn't get. Instead, he nimbly transformed that promised but unfulfilled reward into a pragmatic request—
Since you, the Sage King, refuse to answer on the grounds of insufficient strength, shouldn't you provide some help so that I can improve myself?
The Sage King quite approved of Leon’s quality of adaptability, so he didn't call him out. He simply raised his hand and grasped at the air. Mana flowed from his palm, instantly condensing into a transparent token.
“With this token, you may enter the Royal Library.” He tossed the token gently to Leon.
“You may exchange it for one book to improve your strength... As for which one to choose, trust your own intuition.”
Rate on N.U.
