Archive Of Potentialities.

Short story: Of Slime and Blood -- 9.

It was a perfectly normal room, and three perfectly normal men sat within it.

Of course, the above statement would be perfectly true if the standards for normalcy had been warped beyond any notion of recognition.

The room, adorned with various…. souvenirs…that looked more like they belonged in a vault than a functional office was another Rhinian showpiece of Imperial superiority — despite the fact that no one who could reasonably be intimidated by such displays would ever set eyes on the interior of said room. But, it was safe to say that such well founded logic, did nothing to deter the fools who crafted the Berylin of today.

And then came the occupants of the room that had been unceremoniously outed as overly ostentatious and extravagant, a trio consisting of two weary looking old men and a silver haired youth.

“You're being very strange, Martin.” August von Baden-Stuttgart, the current reigning Emperor of the Trialist Empire of Rhine said, his eyes looking for the smallest bit of a reaction from his vampire friend.

“Yeah, the fuck are you smiling for? Somehow you became even more creepy in the short time I didn't see you.” The other individual, David McConla von Graufrock, another former Emperor of the Empire, said, not shying away from his usual vulgarity. Hailing from the predominantly werewolf House Graufrock, his disposition coupled with the numerous scars on his hair covered lupine face made him very intimidating.

But the subject of their suspicions, Martin Werner von Estreich, looked unperturbed.

“Why are both of you so difficult? I already made my intentions clear, didn't I?”

‘He said it again.’ The human and the werewolf’s thoughts resonated at that moment. They couldn't fathom one of them willingly declaring what Martin did, much less wholeheartedly repeating it.

“Just to be clear, we are talking about the same thing here, right?” August leaned forward, as if attempting to climb over the desk that separated him from David and Martin on the other side.

“I already said it, didn't I? I'll be the next Emperor this time, we can finish the arrangements by next week.”

Hearing such a clear cut confirmation, the King known throughout the Empire as a gallant Dragon Knight and discerning diplomat sunk into his seat in bliss and contentment.

August von Baden-Stuttgart was undeniably happy.

‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown.’ Such is a saying that allegedly originated from the Emperor of Creation, Richard von Baden-Stuttgart.

And his descendants unironically agreed wholeheartedly.

It wasn't some ideal reserved for honest kings, some feeling exclusive to those with actual love for the Empire as a whole.

No, it was a statement that describes the fate of anyone bold and brave enough to ascend to the seat of the Rhinian Emperor.

A position that carried so much authority and power — while still being kept in check by a slew of bureaucratic processes and the corresponding bureaucrats behind them — that assuming the position with intents of fostering corruption would be a major exercise in futility.

Not to say that some hadn't attempted to find clever workarounds for such a thing, but it all ended with them slaving away as the Emperor for a portion of their lives before leaving, never to return again.

So hearing someone willingly wanting to take this bothersome crown from him earlier than his term was supposed to end, brought a smile to the old human’s face.

“Haha… you're finally learning some responsibility? I suppose even vampires change eventually..” The Emperor muttered.

“Well, that at least saves me the trouble of arguing with you two fools.” David roared, just as happy that he didn't even have to resort to unwieldy tools like sophistry to escape the dreaded Crown.