To become an Emperor... this was what Gabriel had finally decided on! The Empire was robbed from the descendants of Saint King and Novius. Now that all those descendants were dead, there was no way to return the Empire to its rightful owners.

The only way he could think of to make sure that the Empire remained in Novius' family was by becoming the Emperor himself. Even if not by blood, he was part of Novius' family, and he was sure that Novius would've wanted the same as well! It was better than letting the Empire fall into the hands of the corrupt Nobles.

"But how to achieve that... It's easier said than done..." He rubbed his temple, losing himself in deep thoughts. He had decided on an end goal, but the path to be taken to reach that goal was yet to be decided.

If he wanted, he could destroy the current Royal Family. With all the Knights protecting the family, it wasn't easy, but he believed he could achieve it. However, that wasn't the answer. Even if the current Royal Family fell, another corrupt Noble Family would be there to take its place.

He could kill all the Noble Families and forcefully take the throne, but if he did that, it was going to attract the attention of all the nearby Empires and even the Churches. If anyone found out who he truly was, it was going to become a full on war with the entire world, which he wasn't ready for yet.

Even if he successfully took the throne as a Mage of Death, the aftermath was the hardest to deal with. The Churches were never going to accept him as a legitimate ruler. At best, he was going to be considered an evil mage who took an entire Empire hostage. He was going to be attacked from all sides.

If he was alone, he could've fought them and escaped if the situation didn't go as planned. However, this Empire was the home of Novius. He didn't want the Empire to be destroyed.

"There is only one way to achieve it without attracting the attention of the Churches; I need to do it without using too much force and while keeping my real identity hidden. But becoming an Emperor without using force...? That's also quite hard. Is it even possible?"

The goal was extraordinary and almost impossible to achieve. In this Empire, he was new. He wasn't even a Noble, so becoming the Emperor through legitimate means seemed impossible. If he told anyone what he wanted to achieve, that person would've laughed at him for being stupid. However, Gabriel had made up his mind.

He had to do it. As for how that was the question he wanted to find an answer to.

As he kept walking in silence, wondering what the best approach could be, he noticed another shop nearby which was filled with youngsters.

"All these people were going crazy over the Knight Tournament, all to become... Wait... The Knight Tournament... What if..."

Becoming the Emperor without using force was almost impossible, but he finally saw a chance that he hadn't thought about before. If he wanted to be a legitimate Emperor, he had to first become a Noble and then create an opportunity for himself.

To become a Noble, there were two paths before him. First was that he could join the Knight Academy and later join the Royal Army. Then he could achieve some great merit in the army. After that, he could potentially be rewarded with the lowest noble position.

Unfortunately, that option was a long term investment, and it wasn't certain if he could even do it. And even after he became a Noble through that method, he was going to be the lowest-tier noble. From that point, even according to optimistic estimates, he believed it could take years for him to reach the position of Emperor, even with all his tricks.

He rejected this option outright. The only other option was to marry another Noble, which could directly make him a Noble as well. And what better opportunity than the Knight Tournament?

"If I take part in the Knight Tournament and win, I can become the Prince Consort. That can make things easier for me. Once I get access to the Royal Palace, it would be easy to retrieve that item as well."

"Moreover, if I play my cards right, without much bloodshed, I should be able to cover the distance between me and the throne. This way, I won't attract much attention from the Churches either. But..."

The second plan was the perfect option, according to him as it gave him a lot of room to maneuver. However, that also meant he had to marry someone that he didn't want to.

Just to reach the throne, he had to become the husband of a girl. That was his biggest hesitation. Even after all he went through, deep inside, he didn't feel that it was right to do that. To marry a girl just to use her to reach the throne and wipe her entire family from the inside? He just couldn't convince himself to do it.

He didn't feel any hesitation at the thought of killing the entire Royal Family for what they did, but using the Eldest Princess' emotions and marrying her to later leave her broken due to this? That was the troubling part...

He just couldn't convince himself to pretend to be in love, that too with a girl who was a complete stranger who probably had no hand in what happened to the Arecia Family.

In his childhood, he had lived in a house where he never saw the face of his father. He didn't know his father's reason for never being with his mother, but he could always feel the heartache his mother felt, waiting for that man even in her last moments. Those eyes he could never forget them.

He didn't want to be like his father

He wondered if there was a third option to achieve the goal that he couldn't think of yet. Fortunately, there was still time for the Knight Tournament. He still had time to think about it... Time to come up with a plan that he could be satisfied with.

****

Gabriel walked to the nearest hotel to get a room, only to find that the entire hotel was booked.

"Can you tell me where the next hotel will be?" he asked the receptionist.

"I can tell you, but I don't think you'll find a room even there. All the main hotels are booked. Because of the Knight Tournament, many wealthy people have entered the City. You can only try your luck and hope that you'll find a room, but it seems unlikely."

The receptionist was particularly kind. Not only did he give advice to Gabriel, but he also gave him a map. "This has all places marked. You can check the hotels marked on it. Everything else depends on your luck."

Gabriel took the map. Thanking the middle-aged receptionist, he left the hotel.

He left the hotel and started checking the map to see where to go. If the receptionist's words were true, he didn't expect to find an empty room in the central part of the City. Even for his search, he focused on the hotels that weren't in the central parts. If he could find a room, it could only be there.

"This one should be the closest." Gabriel decided on a location, and after memorizing the map, he folded the map.

Slam~

Gabriel was just about to place the map in his pocket and leave when he felt a push from behind him. Since Gabriel wasn't expecting something like this, even he was taken by surprise.

Fortunately, he presented his fall and managed to balance itself.

He turned around, wondering why anyone would push him. He wasn't doing anything. Moreover, there wasn't any killing intent behind that push. If there was, he could've sensed it. Then who and why?

*************

(Author Note: If you were in Gabriel's place, what approach would you use to become the Emperor of Arecia? All suggestions and ideas are welcome.)