Chapter 87: Two Ministers and One Tea Cup
After Salusin Oh was exiled, many of the noblemen inside Orazen’s palace started watching what they said.
And the Finance Minister, Nirgak, was one of them. In his opinion, Salusin had been demonstrating great worldly wisdom.
Salusin had been confident and competent. He hadn’t been defeated simply because he lacked astronomical knowledge.
‘It’s true that not only the noblemen, but also that the ministers are getting dull because they underestimated foreign studies.’
Kyle Lak Orazen had known since long ago that the scholars who went in and out of the palace had been neglecting foreign studies. And perhaps he even knew that before he became king. However, he kept the fact to himself until the day the solar eclipse took place.
‘That was likely done to defeat Salusin. His Majesty knew how Salusin would act, so he had stayed silent until then.’
Kyle was a wise king who knew how to be patient until the right time came. And that was why the noblemen were afraid. Especially Nargak. He had been staying quiet after Kyle demonstrated his abilities, but the problem lay in what he had said before that.
‘Shit.’
Before Kyle became king, or to be more exact, when Vasen was still crown prince, the ministers had been divided in two groups. Those on Vasen’s side, and those on Kyle’s side. There had been a fight over which of the two princes would become king. Of course the fight fizzled out when Vasen showed that he had no will to be crown prince, and the King of Serenity had also come to lean towards Kyle, but putting himself in the shoes of someone who had waited several years to defeat Salusin, he would definitely remember what had happened years ago.
At that time, Nargak was stubbornly on Vasen’s side. It wasn’t because he didn’t like Kyle personally. Nargak tended to be very conservative, so unless there were particular flaws, he believed it would be reasonable for the first prince to be crown prince. If that wasn’t the case, he thought that the second or third prince, or another royal family member would stir up trouble in the palace, saying they could also be king. It was Nargak’s belief that rules should be adhered to. However, rules sometimes applied differently, and Kyle eventually became king.
‘How would I have known this was going to happen at that time?’
Salusin was just the beginning. Recently, several ministers had been punished after facing Kyle and revealing their dirty linen. And Salusin’s case could have been considered rather tame. Those who used their status as ministers to get their hands on the national treasury or to bully the people were sometimes executed. But it never got to a point where it would be called a purge.
Kyle not only knew about the crimes of the government officials, but he also had collected undeniable evidence. In many cases, punishments were given before the other ministers could even say something. And the quiet wind was now coming Nargak’s way.
“Elder Nargak.”
“Oh, it’s Yoo-Chung. What is it?”
It was Yoo-Chung, the Halfling who worked as a left minister. He was Kyle’s age and had been Kyle’s playmate within the palace. Therefore, while he didn’t have a high status, he was one of the left ministers that Kyle favored, and thus one of the left ministers that the other ministers feared.
Yoo-Chung said, “His Majesty wishes to see you.”
Nargak gulped.
‘The time has come.’
Nargak visited Kyle in the early evening.
“Nargak, the Finance Minister, has arrived, Your Majesty.”
“Sit down.”
Even though the floor was warm due to ondol, it felt cold to Nargak.
“Have you eaten?”
“Pardon? Oh, no. I haven’t gotten to yet.”
“Then have some refreshments.”
As soon as Kyle finished speaking, Yoo-Chung came in and served refreshments.
Kyle pointed to the sugar snack and said, “Isn’t the shape pretty?”
“Yes. It looks like it was carved by a craftsman.”
“It’s a present sent from Automation. I heard it’s a snack made of sugar all the way from Golden Eye. It is actually treated as a craftsman’s work, but when the weather is hot, it melts and becomes a lump of sugar. That’s not bad either. Still, it would be better if the shape is pretty too, right?”
“Of course.”
“Hurry and eat.”
Reminded of his grandchild because of Kyle’s childlike attitude, Nargak smiled, but he soon came to his senses.
‘No. The person in front of me is not a child, but the king.’
Then Nargak said, “Your Majesty, for what reason do you want to see me?”
Kyle put his lips to the cup of tea and said, “Oh, come to think of it, Finance Minister.”
“Yes.”
“I happened to come across your past activities…”
Nargak’s heart sank. He couldn’t think of anything he had done wrong. Nargak was a sincere and responsible official. And in particular, since the Finance Minister managed the national treasury, the late King of Serenity had put him on that seat for his sense of duty.
‘However, it’s that much easier to find flaws.’
Finance Minister was a dangerous position. Even if Kyle didn’t do much, the other ministers could set up a trap for him. And even if it wasn’t something related to his work, the fact that he used to stubbornly support Vasen could come back to haunt him.
Nargak put all his attention on Kyle’s following words.
Kyle said, “I heard you’re from Yanpai, is that right?”
“Oh, yes. How does Your Majesty know such a rural village…”
“I looked into it because there were ministers who didn’t have any surnames.”
“Yes. Unfortunately, my family was poor, so we have no well-known ancestors.”
Nargak bowed slightly as he spoke. A name without a surname meant that they were a person of low status.
“Hmph, are you embarrassed because you don’t have a surname?”
“To be honest, yes.”
“Why?”
“I can’t help but be embarrassed since my ancestors did not contribute anything when Black Scale was established.”
Kyle waved his hand.
“But while the aristocrats are borrowing the reputations of their mothers and fathers, you have risen to your position on your own, haven’t you? Doesn’t that prove your competency?”
Nargak became emotional. Despite the nagging sense of inferiority stemming from his lowly background, he took pride in the fact that he had competed with other aristocratic officials on his own merits and become a qualified official in his own right. However, he couldn’t reveal that pride in the palace. Almost all the other right ministers in the palace were aristocrats. In order to enter their world, he had no choice but to act and think like them, so Nargak always had to keep up with them. But today, the king had acknowledged his competency.
Nargak said in a choked up voice, “If that’s what you think, then I can only shed tears of gratitude, Your Majesty.”
Kyle nodded.
“So I was hoping that you would get along with the Hunting Minister.”
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t the Hunting Minister not from aristocracy either? There are times when you two have productive debates, but I would sometimes be worried because you would both let your emotions get the best of you.”
Nargak being on edge with the Hunting Minster, Deyanin, also stemmed from his inferiority complex. Deyanin had the tendency to look down on those who were aristocrats, so Nargak would join the aristocrats to attack Deyanin. But that was only until now.
Nargak said with all his heart, “Yes, of course. I will do as you wish, Your Majesty.”
Kyle smiled.
“That is all I wanted to say.”
“Pardon?”
Nargak was surprised.
“Oh, actually, that wasn’t it. Now that I think of it, I heard you saw your grandchild again…”
The conversation moved to Nargak’s family. By this time, Nargak had lost all the tension he had been holding, so he was able to make jokes here and there, and when he was leaving Kyle’s detached study, he even carried with him a bundle of sugar snacks that Kyle had ordered Yoo-Chung to give him.
‘Is His Majesty embracing the minister who had tried to prevent him from becoming king? Black Scale has really come to serve a precious king. This is all by the grace of Night Sky.’
Nargak returned home with anticipation.
On the other hand, as soon as Nargak left, the sliding door to the left of Kyle’s detached study opened.
Kyle didn’t even look at the opening door when he said, “Do you think the Finance Minister is a dangerous person?”
“...No.”
“Then the conversation is done. You can also come and have a taste of this.”
The Lizardman hesitated before getting up and taking a seat in front of Kyle. He had white scales and red eyes. It was Deyanin.
“The Finance Minister is a sincere person. I don’t think there’s a need to push him off the ledge just because he’s not on good terms with you…”
“You don’t really think that way, do you, Your Majesty?”
In Deyanin’s opinion, Nargak could?become a dangerous minister. Having the potential to be dangerous also meant that he wasn’t dangerous at the moment, of course. In fact, the dangerous ministers had already been dealt with one way or another, so it could be said that Kyle’s position had become somewhat solidified. However, Deyanin believed that since the dangerous ministers had been dealt with, those who could be dangerous should also be dealt with. But it seemed that Kyle thought differently.
“I said this to the Finance Minister as well, but I hope you will get along with the Finance Minister.”
“But…”
“But?” Kyle looked at Deyanin with half-lidded eyes. “Do you not realize that you’ve come to enjoy this sword dance?”
Deyanin froze.
After he made up his mind to help Kyle become king, Deyanin had worked very hard. And his hard work continued after Kyle took the throne to stabilize Kyle’s royal authority. Hunting Minister was still seated at the end of the great hall, but no one could dismiss him as such. The number of people and resources he had received under the excuse of managing Manun were continuously used to discover the ministers’ dirty linen and weaknesses. And Deyanin believed it was all for the king, Kyle.
‘But was it not all for myself?”
The things Kyle had said to Nargak were meant for Deyanin as well. Nargak’s inferiority complex served as his stepping stone to join the aristocratic officials. On the other hand, Deyanin’s inferiority complex was used as a basis to triumph over the aristocratic officials. Deyanin belatedly realized this.
‘This talk was not only meant for Nargak, but also for me.’
Kyle was not simply a smart king. He had the wisdom of an old wise man, which was different from being precocious.
‘Perhaps my loyalty has also been part of His Majesty’s plan. Then I should use this sword as His Majesty wishes.’
Deyanin poured tea into the teacup used by Nargak and drank it.
“Your Majesty is right. I will get along with the Finance Minister.”
“That’s good. You will be busier going forward, so you can’t just keep focusing on the fight inside the palace.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”
Kyle nodded and touched the teapot.
“The tea has cooled.”
“Yes, since a long time has passed.”
“You should have told me… Yoo-Chung, the tea is cold.”
Then Yoo-Chung immediately brought another teapot. The clattering sounds filled the moment of silence.
And as Yoo-Chung left, Kyle filled Deyanin’s tea cup and said, “Anyhow, what happened to that alchemist with horns?”
“Are you talking about Hwee Ravina Muel?”
Kyle nodded.
Deyanin warmed his lips with the tea and said, “They would have arrived at the palace already.”
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