Published: January 4, 2026
While being praised by Alice, I found myself recalling a little while ago when I was having a conversation alone with the First Prime Minister Don.
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The Former Prince Thirteen's Residence had been upgraded in name from a "mansion" to a "detached palace" at the same time as my ascension.
Along with that change, expansions were made under the guise of renovations to fit the status of a "detached palace."
Not only the main residence but also the gardens were appropriately enhanced.
Within that increasingly luxurious garden, Don and I strolled alone, keeping all the servants at a distance.
Don, who had once been my older brother’s trusted aide, now served as the Empire’s First Prime Minister and acted as my right-hand man.
With Don in tow, we walked through the garden, holding a secret meeting.
"Public works, Your Majesty?"
"Yes. Do as much as you can."
"Even so... there’s not much we can do."
"Then make something up if necessary."
I first indicated a rough direction, then gave some examples.
"To put it extremely, this month we could strip the walls of this detached palace to repair the retired emperor Your Majesty’s palace, and next month strip the walls of that palace to repair this one."
"That seems terribly wasteful."
"Just watch the middlemen among the contractors. As long as the workers get paid, that’s fine."
"What about the laborers?"
"Hmm."
I thought for a moment.
When Don asked again about the "laborers," he was referring, roughly speaking, to those who pay taxes in the form of labor.
Because it’s a tax payment, they don’t normally receive wages.
"Pay them a little. I’ll leave the balance to you."
"Your Majesty…?"
"Hmm?"
I stopped walking and turned my head.
Don also stopped and wore a face like he had bitten into something bitter.
"…"
"Say what you’re thinking. Anything is fine; this place is off the record."
"Then without holding back, Your Majesty, are you aware that the Empire’s finances have been chronically in deficit?"
"Yes, I know."
I nodded slightly.
It’s something I have been told since I was a child, and it still hasn’t been resolved.
As the Empire grew larger, expenses have increased accordingly, gradually squeezing the finances.
It’s not an immediate crisis for now — just a “chronic” issue.
"Knowing that, you still waste money?"
"If it’s just a matter of cutting expenses because the household budget is in the red, that would be correct."
"What do you mean?"
Don noticed that although I used the word “correct,” my tone wasn’t in agreement at all.
He furrowed his brow and asked again.
"There’s one prerequisite."
"What kind?"
"Income must be fixed or at least stable. This only works if people get a fixed salary every month."
"…If income is fixed, reducing expenses turns deficit into surplus."
"Exactly. But the country is not like that. What is the main source of income for the Empire?"
"Taxes… spoils of war… and tributes from vassal states."
"Right. The Empire is a nation of warriors, and it has maintained income by ‘rolling’ wars."
I said that and then shifted to a serious expression.
"If you reduce expenses, naturally the money spent on war decreases, and income falls. And if you reduce expenses, how do you think the nearby vassal states will feel?"
"…Weakening of the Empire?"
"Yes. As a result, tributes from the vassals would naturally decline. That means income decreases in the first place, so even though expenses were cut, the deficit might not shrink — it could even grow worse."
"That’s true."
"In other words, if the deficit is only ‘chronic,’ the Empire can’t afford to cut expenses by gritting its teeth. Cutting expenses reduces income, which keeps the deficit; trying to reduce expenses further causes income to drop more — a vicious cycle."
"I see… As expected of Your Majesty. I hadn’t considered things that deeply."
Don said that, looking a bit brighter than before.
"So you want to maintain the scale of tax revenue through public works."
"That’s right."
"As you wish, I will proceed accordingly."