Yelena immediately began explaining. "I believe you know Felonious, correct? "

  Emperor Katsuki nodded. "Briefly. He's closer to Kael than anyone else I know."

  She continued. "Well, Felonious harbors among the only humans in the Indun Empire—a human named Charlie.

  "Originally, he couldn't eat our food, but after months of genetic processes and stimulation, he's now able to safely consume our food."

  Hearing this, Emperor Katsuki's eyes widened. "What are you proposing?"

  Yelena smiled, a twitching smile that carried a small wave of uncertainty. "While it may not be the best option, if the agricultural decision doesn't get better in two weeks, consider a mass migration. While we won't take them back to our kingdom, we can and will consider taking your people to an island near ours."

  Emperor Katsuki felt his heart sink upon hearing this. His eyes darted around his own palace, mouth agape.

  "You declare the idea of leaving my own empire? My ancestors have fostered this palace and throne for centuries before me. They toppled the first throne, claiming it and making it anew. I won't leave this legacy behind for the sake of a mass migration."

  "But... What if your kingdom were to continue to suffer because you refuse to leave? "

  The blonde-haired emperor fell silent, clenching his fists at his sides. "I saw what those bastard twins did with that dirt a few days ago. Perhaps, what if you were to modify your own food to an extent to help us? "

  "T-that... that would take a long time—"

  A sudden surge of orange-red flames exploded from Emperor Katsuki's fists, forcing Yelena into a corner. He walked forward, his voice a low growl.

  "You will work on it, and you will perfect it. Alright?"

  Yelena swallowed audibly, nodding frantically. "I-I don't know if it's possible in such a short period of time!"

  Just then, a voice sounded down the hall. A man with crimson hair and elven ears stepped forward—Kael. His hands remained clasped behind his back.

  "Your majesty, the people are eager for your announcements."

  "That quickly? " Emperor Katsuki's fists gradually cooled, simmering down as the flames dissipated into smoke.

  Kael nodded. "If you don't address them, they'll flock away like sheep."

  Emperor Katsuki looked back at Yelena once more before sighing apologetically. "Forgive me for my erratic outburst; the situation is affecting even me."

  Yelena remained still for two to three seconds before finally regaining the urge to stand up once more. Kael looked her up and down before speaking.

  "Why do you dress immodestly within this palace? "He clenched his fists, a torrent of crimson flames condensing into more appropriate attire for her to wear.

  The brown-haired vulpur sighed. "It's my culture."

  "Well, we're not in your empire, are we? If I remember correctly, Felonious was scolded by my spouse for walking around without anything on his body."

  Kael tossed her the new set of attire and turned to Emperor Katsuki, setting a hand on his shoulder as he guided him through the hallways. A faint smile formed on his face.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Do you remember the first thing I said to you the moment I met you all those years ago? " His gaze drifted up, tracing along the contours and carvings in the ceiling, reflecting past events.

  "No, that was... forever ago." Emperor Katsuki rubbed his temples in agitation, struggling to initially recall their first interaction.

  "I suspected that," Kael mused with a smile. "Following with the subject, you most definitely remember your mother, correct?"

  "Why wouldn't I? " Emperor Katsuki sneered, palpably offended by Kael's patent comment.

  "Well... Empress Mitsuki never had to deal with this before. She always kept everything stable under her boots, dealing with those who opposed her, listening to her people—maintaining the pillars of being a leader.

  "Of course, you were only an Order 9, a weakling, when you came here with her and Izuku. She was an outsider to the kingdom but was able to climb the ranks of the internal hierarchy until she served directly beside the old emperor himself—Darius Taylon—as his personal executioner.

  "Through an honorific duel, or, others would say, a betrayal, she killed Darius on his own throne and claimed it as her own to rule."

  "W-weren't you there? Shouldn't you know exactly what happened?" Emperor Katsuki felt his chest tighten.

  Kael chuckled under his breath. "I wasn't present in the throne room during the battle; I was only present a few days later to see her sitting like she owned the place. I'm surprised you didn't walk in and see the fight."

  "I was most likely either asleep or training with Izuku; we did that often during our free time."

  Kael clicked his tongue in approval. Emperor Katsuki looked down at the floor before asking. "What's this have to do with anything?"

  The crimson-haired man responded with a small smile. "What's the only reason she claimed the throne?"

  The emperor thought for a moment before replying. "She... won the duel with Darius."

  "Why do you think she battled him? "

  "For power... freedom... the will to make her own choices."

  Kael hummed in agreement. "If you were in a similar situation, would you have fought that battle? "

  "If I knew I could achieve great things, I would have taken that risk." Emperor Katsuki smiled.

  Kael approached the balcony of the palace that overlooked the streets. Below, he could see the citizens of the kingdom eagerly waiting for Emperor Katsuki's arrival. Instead of cheering, they remained silent or murmured amongst each other.

  "'Risk' is quite a powerful word, is it not? Throwing away the unknowable odds for a goal you desire."

  His hands coiled around the iron railings as he looked back to Emperor Katsuki, smiling. "What would Mitsuki do in this situation? "

  Emperor Katsuku felt his breath hitch in his chest. He slowly approached the balcony, clearing his throat.

  One of the abilities of the Barbarian Pathway was known as 'Command,' which leveraged a natural increase in vocal range and volume. Using this, he needed no audio devices to increase the range of his voice.

  "My loyal subjects, I hold you in a favor akin to the most sincere levels of my heart. As you well know, we're facing an economic—"

  At that moment, Emperor Katsuki felt a rotten piece of fruit collide with the center of his face. It was a piece of squash that could be found in the market! He wiped himself off, feeling the habitual, instinctual urge to yell, but he restrained himself and cleared his throat.

  "I heavily advise refraining from throwing your food; you're wasting what you have to ration."

  "Ration? "A sharp voice cut through the crowd below, catching both Kael and Emperor Katsuki's attention.

  "Are you saying this will happen for longer than we can anticipate?"

  A sudden wave of loud murmurs and concerned glances washed over the crowd like a tidal wave.

  Emperor Katsuki suddenly materialized a sceptre of energy that took a solid form, banging it twice against the balcony. The sound reverberated and echoed loudly, catching everyone's attention.

  "I have a plan, one that shall have your stomachs full."

  Everyone in the crowd fell silent, eager to hear the emperor's words. Emperor Katsuki cleared his throat.

  "No less than three days ago, my inner circle dispatched countless professionals in countless fields to Seraphis Kingdom, they'll give frequent updates and help us in a matter of days with the food."

  "Days? What about now?"

  Emperor Katsuki looked down at the crowd, sighing softly. He reached into the pocket of his robe, taking out a bottle of the greenish-blue liquid with black specks inside it. Everyone in the crowd watched in silence.

  "This is a serum these professionals concocted. If I can remember correctly, it can enhance biological processes and can make food better to eat."

  In an instant, everyone in the crowd flared up, gathering and huddling together as their voices raised. Emperor Katsuki was initially overwhelmed by the crowd, but he collected himself and kept speaking.

  "Starting today, every day at two past dawn, you shall line up outside the palace with your sparing food, and I shall grow it with this serum. No mouth shall be left unfed, no meal untended to."

  For the first time in a long time, he heard the people of the empire cheering.

  ...

  In his private quarters, Emperor Katsuki changed back into his black and orange armor, the door locked behind him. He looked up at the ceiling, where a mural of his mother and him could be seen. The blonde-haired woman with fiery crimson eyes sat on her throne, a confident smile on her face. He saw himself standing by the throne.

  He was wearing more noble attire—an outfit he shivered upon seeing—he remembered the struggle of Kael forcing it onto him. He hated that outfit with all his heart; it made him feel constrained and tight. Pushing that memory aside, he couldn't help but smile as he headed to the door.

  "Are you proud of me?" Emperor Katsuki had asked the question out loud, wanting the wind to answer back.

  Suddenly, a book in the corner of the room opened, flipping and turning to a specific set of pages. He felt a strange wave of heat wash over him, but three polite knocks on the door snagged his attention. Behind the door, he heard Kael's voice.

  "You're late; people are waiting, and the line is out the door!"

  "I know, I know..." Emperor Katsuki clenched his hands, the book hovering over to him.

  He held it under his left arm. In his right arm were the sacks of potion he could use to amplify the people's crops. Katsuki opened the door, stepping out and greeting Kael with a small smile. Kael stepped aside and bowed politely.

  "I'd recommend moving, we don't want a hungry coup, do we?" Kael teased, walking down the hallway beside him.

  Upon seeing the book under Katsuki's left arm, he couldn't help but chortle under his breath.