Chapter 48

In truth, if the discussion were only about Daman, Tamiel, and the land of the beastmen, there would have been no need to convene the Imperial Assembly.

It would have sufficed to summon a few close aides, including Minister Dia, deliberate on the matter, make a decision, and then simply inform the others.

The same applied to the vacant territories of the Empire.

Selecting a suitable noble and granting them the land was all it took. From that day forward, they would be the new lord.

Thus, the fact that the Imperial Assembly had been called meant that there was a matter of far greater importance.

“Then, let us move on to the next agenda.”

At my signal, Dia brought forth a prepared map.

It was large enough for those seated at a distance to see, but unlike a conventional map, the land of Daman  was marked as “Chamber,” and Tamiel as “Fael.”

Additionally, the Empire, Chamber, Fael, and the beastmen’s land were all shaded in purple.

The Holy Kingdom was colored white, the Mage Tower in blue, and the Grand Forest in green. The rest of the regions remained unmarked.

“Why did those beasts invade our Empire? That is what I wish to know.”

As the nobles’ gazes shifted from the map back to me, I finally spoke.

Of course, I already knew the answer.

Death.

Just as the losers of the ancient Great War had once controlled necromancers, this time, someone had manipulated the beastmen to sow death across the continent.

They had likely been promised the unsealing of the Wolf as a condition.

It must have taken an immense force to break that seal, but they must have judged that once the Wolf was released, they would gain more than they had expended.

What they did not anticipate was that the Wolf would fall at the hands of myself and Xian .

However, such discussions were not appropriate for this setting.

To these nobles, it would seem too distant—too abstract to even feel real.

“My conclusion is this. Ah, those beasts have underestimated us. They believed that by aligning themselves with the remnants of fallen nations and the pitiful kingdoms, they could dare to challenge the Empire.”

At these words, the expressions of the Empire’s nobles began to contort.

It was the kind of rhetoric that resonated deeply with those who lived by their pride and honor. It was also a justification that many emperors before me had used to wage war.

The Empire had been slighted.

It was a classic pretext—one that had never once failed.

Drawing upon my mana, I filled the hall with a rich, imperial purple aura as I spoke.

“Why, I wonder, did they see me—the Empire—as something so insignificant? I have pondered this. And I have found my answer. The kingdoms. Unlike the beastmen, who once swore allegiance to their chieftain, even our fellow humans refuse to kneel before me. How laughable we must have seemed.”

It was not the same as Kiriya’s power, but the energy I emanated was no less than what one might call divine.

Exaltation. Reverence. Omnipotence. Powerlessness.

The nobles who had previously encountered divine power were visibly shaken, while those who had not wore expressions of shock.

At my next gesture, the previously unmarked portions of the map were filled with purple.

Haeon. Jer. Anon.

“Thus, I make this declaration. Neither the fallen beasts, nor the elves of the Grand Forest, nor the celestial gods, nor the rulers of the old era—no one shall ever dare to look down upon the Empire again. Here, before the Empire’s honored nobles, I proclaim this: All of humanity must kneel before its rightful ruler.”

The unification of mankind.

At my declaration, a spark of fervor ignited in the nobles’ eyes.

It was an ambition long debated but never once realized—continental unification under the Empire.

And now, the declaration had come from the Emperor himself.

The one who ascended the throne immediately upon reaching adulthood.

The one who emerged victorious in the war against the Demon King.

The one who repelled the alliance of the kingdoms and the beastmen.

And now, the one who wielded an aura akin to divine power at will.

“For Arhan.”

“For Arhan!”

For me.

As the Emperor commanded, every noble present rose in unison and shouted in declaration.

—————————————————————-

Unlike the first day, the second day featured a banquet with alcohol.

Leaving behind the nobles, who were lost in intoxication and excitement, I sat at the head seat, lost in thought.

First, the continent must be unified.

I had come to realize that a hidden force had been operating in the shadows of the continent for quite some time.

A force that had once spread across the land before the Empire was established and had orchestrated everything from behind the scenes once again.

Perhaps even the Demon King’s emergence had been part of their grand plan.

After all, the way his army waged war—advancing endlessly without seeking to occupy the lands they conquered—was anything but normal.

And chances were high that this force bore a deep grudge against me.

A thousand years ago. And now.

Their plans had been thwarted by Arhan.

To be precise, a thousand years ago, they had been stopped by Pluto, the Empire’s guardian black dragon.

At one point, I had believed that with Xian  having slain the Demon King, the threat had been eliminated.

But now, it felt as though the scale of the situation was only growing larger.

In any case, now that I knew an enemy still lurked in the shadows, I had to prepare.

I did not know what kind of power they possessed or what they were truly capable of.

However, I had realized one thing—within the Empire, even death itself could not defeat me.

If that was the case…

If the entire continent were to become the Empire…

No matter how much death raged, it would never be able to reach me.

The Grand Forest, protected by the World Tree. The Mage Tower, ruled by the Tower Lord. The Holy Kingdom, under Kiriya. These were of no concern.

That meant that if the enemy were to plot something once more, it would be through the remaining kingdoms.

I did not know whether they would act again soon or wait another thousand years.

But before they could make their move, I would ensure that all kingdoms either became part of the Empire—or, at the very least, swore unwavering loyalty to its Emperor.

And then—

“If they dare to raise a hand against me, they shall be erased. Even a god is no exception.”

I would hunt them down and erase them from existence, ensuring they would never again play their games from the shadows.

That night, on the same day as the Imperial Assembly—

“It has been a long time, Lion King.”

“It has indeed, Wise King.”

Through a communication crystal, the Lion King of Anon and the Wise King of Jer faced each other.

“…I assume you’ve heard the Emperor’s declaration.”

“Of course I have. It’s hard to believe. Less than a year has passed since the Demon King’s army was crushed, and just a month ago, he waged war against the alliance of Edelvine, Tamiel, Daman, and the beastmen. And now he dares to declare yet another war?

Does the Empire think so little of Anon?”

“Lion King.”

“Wise King, if that Emperor considers Anon to be on the same level as Daman, he is gravely mistaken. My knights are no lesser than those Imperial Knights, and whether it be the Imperial Knight Commander or the Duke of Fael, I have no intention of losing to either.”

“Calm yourself.”

“Calm? You expect me to remain calm? Wise King, we must raise our armies. The Empire’s forces must have suffered heavy losses—if we march together, then—”

“Lion King. The Empire remains intact.”

“…What?”

“During the war, the casualties among the Imperial Knights amounted to five dead, seventeen severely wounded, and 147 lightly injured. The only official Master they lost was Count Darhan, with a total of two, if including unofficial losses.

The Mage Corps suffered no losses at all.

Duke of Fael, Imperial Knight Commander Giel, and Royal Guard Commander Feltz all three are unscathed.”

“And how, Wise King, do you know this?”

The Lion King’s voice was laced with irritation, as if accusing the Wise King of lying.

Daman was one thing.

The aftermath of that war had been a concern, but in truth, he had always believed he could destroy Daman single-handedly if he wished.

Tamiel was also understandable.

According to intelligence reports, the most powerful force in Tamiel—their king—had abandoned his elite troops to fight elsewhere, only to be beheaded by the Duke of Fael.

It was a plausible outcome.

The King of Tamiel, when fighting with the aid of shamans, was not an opponent to be taken lightly. But without them? Well…

And then, there were the beastmen.

Born as warriors, they possessed physical prowess that far surpassed that of ordinary humans.

And yet, the Empire had suffered only that much in casualties?

The Lion King had once fought against the chieftain of a beastman tribe.

If they were to fight now, that chieftain would no longer be a match for him. But back then, they had been equals—or, if he were to be completely honest, the chieftain had been slightly superior.

And yet, even after waging war against such chieftains and their warriors, the Empire had emerged with only minimal losses?

“Of course, this count does not include casualties among nobles and knights who were neither part of the knight orders nor Masters. The Empire has certainly suffered, but the strength of the Imperial forces remains intact.”

“So, the main forces have taken only minor damage. And who exactly told you this?”

“The Pope informed me.”

“…The Pope?”

Though the Pope did not run an official intelligence network, information from across the continent was freely offered to him. It was no surprise that he would have detailed knowledge of the Empire’s losses.

But why had he chosen to pass this information to Jer?

The Pope has no reason to put Jer in his debt.

“…Along with this information, the Pope also sent me a piece of advice.”

Feeling a creeping sense of unease, the Lion King asked,

“Speak.”

“…He advised us to surrender to the Emperor.”