As a mere baron, I found myself face to face with the Emperor as soon as I entered the palace.

    Considering that ordinary barons often wait several hours even when they have an appointment to meet the Emperor,

    “Some loyal nobles must be so grateful for His Majesty’s imperial grace that they would collapse from it.”

    But that’s their story; I don’t see the Emperor as anything more than a hereditary ruler of a nation, so I wouldn’t shed tears of admiration for him.

    “Baron Fabio de Medici, I come bearing your command, Your Majesty.”

    “Feel free to raise your head. No, please, sit comfortably.”

    The Emperor gestured for a servant to bring forth a chair for me to sit on.

    It’s customary to refuse the goodwill of a high-ranking individual twice before accepting it on the third invitation.

    However, it would also be problematic not to accept when someone has brought something directly for me.

    Thus, I sat up straight at a 90-degree angle.

    “If I truly sat comfortably after you said to, I would be committing the sin of disrespect, which is common sense in this world.”

    If you take that too literally in an interview, you’d be immediately disqualified. If you visit your future father-in-law and take his words of “make yourself comfortable” to heart, you’ll hear him say, “This marriage is off!”

    “I apologize for calling you here when you must be very busy without a moment to rest.”

    “When His Majesty calls, it is a noble’s duty to crawl over even if it takes everything. Please do not take it back.”

    “Your loyalty is commendable and would serve as a good example to many nobles. I hold such traits in high regard.”@@@@

    “I am overwhelmed by your words, Your Majesty.”

    My physical state isn’t too good right now.

    It’s not just from overworking for a long time, but also because I played with a powerful and adorable creature named Chloe right after my workload ended.

    Sebastian joked that I might end up in a hospital if I continued like this, and Chloe had gotten a bit scolded by the head maid, so that says it all.

    “In this era, hospitals are ominous places where no amount of money will guarantee you a glance unless you’re seriously ill.”

    Still, this situation may work in my favor.

    The Emperor, even feeling exhausted, must have no choice but to accept my genuine loyalty without suspicion.

    “I too, when I was young, burned my body with the determination to take on tasks, much like Baron Fabio. But if a person does not know how to appropriately rest their mind and body and instead recklessly exhausts themselves, they will eventually suffer greatly.”

    A certain corporate chairman once said this.

    “Those who claim they succeed by working only four hours a day are all liars! One must sleep well to work well!”

    So that chairman made sure to get a full eight hours of sleep every day, even while handling mountains of work.

    Moreover, he valued family highly, and not only that, he even diligently pursued affairs on top of that.

    Upon hearing that, I cut out the unnecessary parts I shouldn’t mention and focused on those the Emperor would find favorable while relaying my story.

    High-ranking individuals always want “concise and accurate reports,” but

    “I’m going to see everything about you. So, spill it all.”

    This is what they want to hear, so I should oblige.

    Then, I slowly wrapped up my speech in a slightly relaxed tone.

    “I successfully punished only the guild master of the Spice Guild and his executives with strict measures, while subtly sending the rest of the merchants a coded message that ‘while they could be held accountable for their crimes, they won’t be pursued.’ Therefore, I think this is the best course of action I could take in this situation.”

    After listening to my words, the Emperor clapped his hands.

    It wasn’t a dry clap but rather one filled with admiration.

    If it were a grade, it would be an A. Considering he invested several hours to hear my story, I’d say it’s an A+.

    “I understand why Baron Ducat has asked me to seriously consider making you the chief logistics officer of the first division.”

    The position of chief logistics officer, strictly speaking, is a position created for those noble individuals who would be promoted to colonel before they retire.

    But holding that position would officially grant me the rank of colonel.

    “A colonel in his early twenties? That would be something.”

    Even during the Korean War, there were actual colonels in their mid to late twenties and brigadiers in their thirties, but... our Toscana Empire’s army isn’t in the dire circumstances that the Korean army faced during the war.

    “You know, when I forced you to take the logistics officer position, there were many rumors circulating, but now even those who opposed that decision are praising your capabilities as His Majesty’s wise choice.”

    So, with the merits of that time, if I were to grant you a promotion, I believe you wouldn’t disappoint me.

    “No, I don’t want to join the army.”

    I’ve already had enough of being a major; I’m hoping they won’t turn it into a “conqueror of colonels” with the “conqueror of majors” stuck in the corner of a wardrobe.

    “If that’s what you wish, I can arrange it.”

    “I read in a book that helped me find seaweed that if you achieve too much success at a young age, you might not end well. I fear I won’t be able to handle Your Majesty’s grace.”

    It’s generally polite to add “as someone insufficient” to your words.

    However, if you praise yourself for hours and then say you’re lacking, you’ll likely be met with skepticism about where you learned that manner.

    “Honestly, I expected that you would ask for help with the recent malfeasance of the Spice Guild from me or Duke Visconti, but I’m truly surprised you managed to resolve it solely with your own strength. If it were up to me, I would have liked to reward you for your remarkable achievement, but I believe you’ve already claimed everything you could as a tax collector. The formal recognition of the Deus Knights’ loyalty is credited solely to Duke Visconti, so I can’t personally give you anything.”

    The Emperor looked at me and asked,

    “What do you want?”

    Right now, I want only one thing.

    “I want a broader sea, a world beyond the ocean.”