The Wise Man's Grandson was originally published on the website Let's Become a Novelist, where it gained popularity and was then adapted into a book and a manga. An anime adaptation is also scheduled for spring 2019. In this world, each country has a different situation. The Earlshide Kingdom, which has a magic school, and its friendly countries also appear. Of these, we will be introducing the Empire today.
An Empire Aiming for Military Expansion
Source: The Wise Man's Grandchild ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandchild Production Committee
The word "empire" first appears in this work when Shin turns 15. Realizing that he had never been taught common sense, Merida and her friends decide to test the extent of Shin's magic. When Shin demonstrates his extraordinary strength, Diseum says the following: If he goes out into society like this, he may be at the mercy of other countries' intentions. In particular, if the Empire, which is aiming to expand its military power, finds out...it's obvious they will try to use Shin. At this point, all we know is that the Empire is a country that is seeking military expansion.
The Public Image of the Imperial Nobility
Source: The Wise Man's Grandchild ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandchild Production Committee
After the incident involving Khan's transformation into a demon, there is a scene where Khan's behavior is described as being exactly like that of the Imperial Nobility. So what is the public image of the Imperial Nobility? To the Imperial Nobility, they themselves are their top priority, and the people are targets for exploitation. It seems they have the impression that anyone who isn't a noble is not human. There are only a few Imperial nobles who appear in the story, but the majority of them think this way. They are people with terrifying personalities. It reminds me of a line from a manga called Salaryman Kintaro, where a character who appears to be a bureaucrat said that in our world, nothing can be called a university other than Akamon.
Oliver Strom, a former Imperial nobleman
The man responsible for turning Khan into a demon
Source: The Wise Man's Grandchild ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandchild Production Committee
Oliver Strom, a former Imperial nobleman, lost the succession battle for his family's estate and is now training talented magicians in the academy's research lab. He hates the Empire due to his past circumstances, and because he faces strong criticism from society for being from the Empire, he appears to work seriously. However, he is actually a demon, and has been researching how to turn others into demons. He eventually succeeds in turning Khan into a demon.
Oliver Strom's Past
Source: The Wise Man's Grandson ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandson Production Committee
Oliveira von Stradius was appointed lord of a certain land within the empire. Unlike the typical nobleman of the empire, he was a lord extremely beloved by the people. He had traveled to the Kingdom of Earlshide in his youth, and said that this kingdom was exactly what the Empire should be like in the future. His wife, Aria, was pregnant and they were in the midst of happiness. But then, due to a conspiracy by the Empire's nobles, he was betrayed by the people and his wife was killed. This caused him to develop a hatred for the Empire and turn him into a demon. His goal became to eradicate all of the Empire's nobles and commoners.
War Between the Blue Sphere Empire and the Earlshide Kingdom
Why the Empire Went to War
Source: The Wise Man's Grandchild ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandchild Production Committee
The Blue Sphere Empire wages war against the Earlshide Kingdom. The Empire's Emperor, Herald von Bluesphere, sought to take control of the Kingdom of Earlshide, maximize the Empire's military power, and become the first Emperor in history to rule the world. He then marched with his entire army, as instructed by his staff officer, Zest, to annihilate the Kingdom's soldiers.
The Demon's Interference
Source: The Wise Man's Grandchild ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandchild Production Committee
In fact, Zest was a demon. It was all a ploy. It was all a lie, and he launched a frontal assault on the well-prepared Alshyde Kingdom army, suffering a devastating blow. Meanwhile, Oliver Strom attacks the empire with his monsters. The Empire was in chaos as it led all its forces to the battlefield. Amidst all this, the Emperor returned with his army, only to be killed unceremoniously by Zest.
The Empire's Fall and a New Battle
Source: The Wise Man's Grandson ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandson Production Committee
Oliver Strom's goal is to eliminate all of the Empire's nobles and commoners. Although he has destroyed the Blue Sphere Empire in his hands, Oliver Strom continues to work towards his original goal. He inflicts despair on entire towns in the empire, increasing the number of demons he can use as his pawns, and eventually destroys every town and village in the empire. Oliver Strom's goal has been achieved and he seems satisfied, but his demon subordinates are not so pleased. They begin invading other countries on their own. This is where the story begins, and a new battle begins.
A Battle Inheriting the Empire's Ideology
Source: The Wise Man's Grandson ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandson Production Committee
From this point on, the story shifts to a conflict between demons and other nations. Shin and his friends consider the demon army to be a sign that the Empire will rule the world. Oliver Strom hated the Empire and rejected their ideology, but in the end, because of the demons under his command, he was put in the same position as the Empire he hated. From here on, the story will likely focus on the fight against the demons and cooperation between countries.
Empire Summary
Source: The Wise Man's Grandson ©2019 Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Masaharu Kikuchi/KADOKAWA/The Wise Man's Grandson Production Committee
Unfortunately, the empire was destroyed early in the story. It's no exaggeration to say that it was a kingdom intended to strengthen the new existence of the Demon Kingdom. Many of the empire's nobles were, as expected, despicable people, so as I read the story, I wondered whether its destruction was the right decision. Thank you for reading today.
