Rekillis (1)

The title of 'duke' is portrayed as wielding the second-greatest power after an emperor or king, along with vast territories rivaling the capital in size, immense wealth, and powerful military forces.

Moreover, dukes are usually deeply connected to royalty by blood. Because of this connection, if a king dies young, they may become regents until the next heir comes of age or even take the throne themselves.

But in either case, the country inevitably becomes destabilized. The latter naturally implies that they engaged in schemes behind the scenes, while the former often involves using a young heir as a figurehead to commit tyranny.

For this reason, in many forms of media, people who hold the title of duke are usually portrayed as the king's archenemies. However, this is half right and half wrong.

Let's think about this sensibly. If a king had any sense, would he really sit idly by and let a duke accumulate a large private army and enormous wealth?

Even if a duke somehow managed to build up power, they would obviously face pressure from the surrounding forces.

The same was true of the Rekillis ducal family, one of the empire's founding families. When the Minerva Empire was founded, the Rekillis family possessed vast territories, immense funds, and a powerful military.

However, as time passed, the pressure exerted by those around them grew more intense. When their continued existence seemed threatened, the Rekillis family surrendered all its territory and military power to the emperor.

It was a decision that shocked everyone at the time, but as time passed, that choice proved correct. The forces that had been keeping the duke in check were left adrift and soon fragmented, naturally turning the matter into a thing of the past.

The imperial family also gained a great deal from the duke, who had been a thorn in its side, giving up all his power, but it did not stop there. To strengthen his rule further, the emperor brought the Rekillis family into his fold...