The Sinful Young Master

Chapter 437: Emperor’s decree - 1

The Emperor’s expression shifted slightly—not quite a smile, but a glimmer of interest that suggested Jolthar had touched on something that resonated.

”Continue,” the Emperor said simply.

”The Shinokishi and Aethar Corps,” Jolthar said, his voice becoming harder.

”Five hundred elite warriors and forty-five combat mages deployed to ’arrest’ one person. Your Imperial Majesty, does that sound like a lawful arrest to you, or does that sound like an execution squad? They came to kill me, not to bring me to justice. The only reason I’m standing here now is because I’m strong enough to defend myself against overwhelming force.”

”You killed imperial soldiers!” Halvren accused.

”I defended myself against an illegal military assault,” Jolthar corrected.

”If the Prime Minister and these ministers had truly wanted to arrest me for questioning, they could have sent a proper legal delegation. Instead, they sent an army with orders to use lethal force. The casualties are on their heads, not mine.”

Bahste Fatler’s thin face showed the first crack in his composure—a slight tightening around his eyes that suggested Jolthar’s arguments were hitting closer to the truth than comfortable.

”As for Baron Rothgard,” Jolthar continued, ”I did execute him. He was enslaving his own people, torturing them in mines, letting children starve while he lived in luxury. I couldn’t wait until the imperial representatives came, then interrogated and then punished the last Baron. By that time, Baron would have erased his crimes, even if it meant killing all those innocent people and children.

So when I witnessed ongoing atrocities and had the power to stop them, I did.

Would Your Imperial Majesty prefer that I had stood by and watched innocent people suffer while waiting for bureaucracy to maybe, eventually, possibly do something?”

He let that question hang for a moment before continuing.

”And finally, the accusations of financial corruption in Tekkora. Minister Richardus claims our growth is suspicious, that our funding sources are questionable. The real reason he’s concerned is because Tekkora’s success proves that baronies don’t need to pay bribes to his ministry to prosper. We’ve grown through competent administration, fair trade agreements, and treating our people well. That threatens his entire system of extracting wealth from territories through threat and intimidation.”

Richardus looked like he was about to explode with rage, but before he could speak, Jolthar turned directly to face the Emperor.

”Your Imperial Majesty, I’m not a perfect person. I’ve made mistakes, acted impulsively on occasion, and probably could have handled some situations more tactfully. But I have never committed treason. I have never acted against the empire’s legitimate interests. Every action I’ve taken has been either in self-defense or in defense of innocent people being oppressed by corrupt officials who hide behind imperial authority while perverting everything it’s supposed to represent.”

He took a breath, then delivered his final point with absolute conviction.

”These ministers want me punished not because I’ve broken just laws, but because I’ve refused to do their bidding, to bow to their corrupt manipulation of those laws. They want me executed not because I’m a traitor, but because I’m a threat to their power. And if you allow them to succeed in this persecution, you’re not upholding imperial law—you’re endorsing the very corruption that weakens the empire from within.”

The silence that followed was absolute. No one had expected such a direct, comprehensive rebuttal. No one had anticipated Jolthar would turn the accusations back on the ministers themselves with such precision.

Minister Richardus stepped forward and shouted at Jolthar, ”HOW DARE YOU?!”

”How dare you raise your voice against the imperial majesty? You dare question the authority of the empire and its ministers? This is treason of the highest order!”

Jolthar remained calm, meeting Minister Richardus’s gaze with unwavering determination.

Richardus and Halvren knelt on the ground and bowed to the emperor, pleading with him to execute Jolthar for what he had done.

The prime minister stood still and he was watching the emperor’s reaction. In his earlier plans, he didn’t include the emperor getting involved in this matter; he wanted to deal with the young man with just the elite soldiers and mages, but Jolthar had won, surpassing his plans. He hadn’t anticipated that Jolthar would come out unscathed and also didn’t expect the emperor to call for the young man directly.

Emperor Thalric’s expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—a glimmer that might have been amusement, or approval, or simply interest in seeing someone challenge his ministers so directly.

Mandaqini looked furious, clearly wanting to condemn Jolthar immediately.

But the Emperor leaned forward slightly on his throne, his voice carrying quiet intensity when he spoke.

”That was quite a defense, Jolthar Kaezhlar. You’ve managed to turn accusations of treason into accusations against those who brought the charges. That takes either remarkable cleverness or remarkable audacity. Possibly both.”

”I prefer to think of it as honesty, Your Imperial Majesty,” Jolthar replied.

”I’m simply telling you what actually happened, stripped of the political manipulation these ministers have wrapped around the truth.”

The Emperor’s lips curved into what might have been the ghost of a smile.

”Indeed. And that, Jolthar Kaezhlar, is what makes this situation so very interesting.”

The Emperor leaned back in his throne, studying Jolthar with eyes that had assessed countless people over decades of rule.

The hall remained silent, everyone waiting to see what judgment would fall on the young baron who had so boldly defended himself against serious accusations.

Then, unexpectedly, the Emperor smiled.

It wasn’t a cruel smile, nor was it particularly warm. It was the smile of someone who had just seen an interesting move in a complex game and was curious to see how it would play out.

”Jolthar Kaezhlar,” the Emperor said, his voice carrying that natural authority that made every word seem carved in stone, ”your defense has been... enlightening. You’ve presented arguments that complicate what my ministers would have me believe is a simple matter of law and order. You’ve also demonstrated abilities that are genuinely remarkable.”

He paused, letting the weight of those accomplishments settle over the hall.

”You are clearly dangerous, clearly powerful and clearly unwilling to submit to authority you view as corrupt or unjust. This presents me with a problem.