Chapter 49

“What… did you just say?”

“The Pope has advised us to surrender to the Emperor.”

“The Pope must have lost his mind. Surrender? Without even putting up a fight?”

“It means that if we fight, we will be utterly defeated.”

“Hah. Utter defeat, you say.”

The Lion King ran his fingers over the hilt of his sword, carefully choosing his words.

Even he had to admit that standing against the Empire would be difficult.

But to say it would be absolute defeat? That was not quite right.

“The Imperial Knights are strong, but my knights are no less formidable. The Royal Shadow Knights may be elusive, but if I recall correctly, Jer has a similar organization of its own.”

“…Their leader is far inferior to Arhan’s Giel, but yes, we do have one.”

“At the very least, they should be able to keep them occupied for a while. Wise King, as I understand, the Empire has no heir, correct?”

The Wise King nodded.

“That is correct. The Emperor has not even taken an Empress, let alone named a successor.”

“Then even such a mighty Empire will inevitably fracture the moment the Emperor dies.”

“…Assassination?”

The Lion King confirmed it with a nod.

“If an all-out war means certain defeat, there is only one other path, is there not? I have heard that the Emperor is so confident in his abilities that he roams the Empire without even keeping a personal guard.”

During the war against the Demon King, the Emperor had already ascended to the realm of an Archmage at a record-breaking age.

Instead of keeping the likes of Royal Guard Commander Feltz or Imperial Knight Commander Giel by his side, he had sent them to the front lines.

And even then, he had single-handedly cut down assassins, demonstrating his overwhelming might.

Of course, he was not entirely without guards.

But it was also true that the Empire’s most powerful warriors were not constantly by his side.

Surely, there had to be an opening.

To the Lion King, it seemed like the only possible path forward. But the Wise King did not share his conviction.

“The Pope had something to say about that as well.”

“What did he say?”

“…That the Emperor has become an Archmage.”

“An Archmage? You mean the level that the Tower Lord supposedly reached?”

“Yes.”

“…I always thought that was just a title given to the Tower Lord out of respect.”

“They say the difference between a Mage and an Archmage is as vast as the gap between an Expert and a Master.”

“What in the—!”

Mages, though more numerous and often ranked below Masters, were still formidable warriors—ones who could, on occasion, even defeat Masters.

And now, they were saying that Archmages were on an entirely different level, treating ordinary Mages like mere Experts?

“Damn it. What kind of monster is he?! Is Arhan really some descendant of a dragon?”

“There are rumors that during the war, a dragon wiped out the beastmen’s army. Perhaps those absurd legends aren’t so far-fetched after all.”

“A dragon, hah. So, you’re saying assassination is impossible too?”

“Exactly. The Emperor will not leave the capital. And that place is his domain. Fighting a Mage on their home turf is already foolish—but an Archmage? That would be suicide.”

“…Could we bring the Tower Lord to our side?”

“Lion King. Have you forgotten about Edelvine? The Tower Lord does not oppose the Empire.”

“Then what the hell are we supposed to do?!”

“…We must think of something. For now, the Empire will be too busy consolidating Tamiel, Daman, and the beastmen’s lands to move immediately.”

The Wise King said this, but in truth, he had no clear solution in mind.

Haeon’s Royal Palace

“What are we supposed to do now?!”

In the royal palace of Haeon, the young king—who was even younger than the Emperor, still bearing traces of boyhood—shouted at his ministers.

“Duke! You said the Empire wouldn’t come for us! Didn’t you?!”

“Your Majesty, please remain calm. The Empire will not act.”

“…Truly?”

When Duke Verde spoke with such confidence, the king’s face lit up with hope.

“The Emperor’s declaration was mere spectacle. It was simply a way to show that despite the recent wars, the Empire remains strong. Internally, they must be in turmoil.”

“Go on.”

“This war was fought between the Empire and the alliance of Edelvine, Daman, Tamiel, and the beastmen. Of those, Edelvine fell due to Arhan’s previous Emperor, and Daman’s king was executed under the orders of the Emperor by Duke of Fael. In short, this war happened because of the Emperor. Surely, there must be those within the Empire who resent him for it.”

“And?”

“There are also rumors that the war has driven a wedge between the Hero and the Emperor. As you know, the Hero’s companion is a beastman.”

“Nia, you mean?!”

“Yes. So, by declaring war, the Emperor is simply redirecting internal unrest outward. But with back-to-back wars, the Empire must have exhausted much of its national strength. They do not truly wish for another full-scale conflict.Your Majesty, allow me to send an envoy to negotiate with the Emperor. We will stage a few minor skirmishes along the border and, in the end, settle with a small payment of reparations.”

Duke Verde declared this confidently before the king.

A payment of reparations would mean acknowledging defeat—but the king seemed unconcerned about that. Instead, he voiced his true concern.

“What if the Empire does go to full-scale war?”

“Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Haeon has maintained close ties with the Mage Tower for many years.”

“Ah! The Mage Tower!”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Because of that, the Empire will not be able to act recklessly.”

“Good. Then I will leave this matter to you, Duke!”

“I will ensure your trust is not misplaced.”

Duke Verde responded firmly before leaving the audience chamber.

However, the moment he stepped outside, his confident expression twisted into one of deep concern.

“Duke.”

A count who had followed him out spoke quietly.

“How much of what you just said was the truth?”

“All of it.”

After a brief pause, Verde added,

“All of it… was a lie.”

“…Duke.”

“Internal strife in the Empire? His Majesty actually believed that? If the Empire had lost, perhaps that would be true. But they won. What noble in the Empire would dare to voice dissent after a victory?”

Duke Verde understood the Empire.

And he understood its nobles.

In the past, when the Imperial Assembly still held power and when Derman Triel was alive, things might have been different.

But now? No noble in the Empire would dare hold the Emperor accountable for a war that had ended in victory.

“The rumors about discord between the Emperor and the Hero are also nothing but nonsense. The Empire’s national strength has indeed been taxed, but its core forces remain intact.”

“How… how do you know this, Your Grace?”

At this, the Duke pulled something from within his robes.

A letter—pure white parchment, sealed with a golden insignia.

“…The Holy Kingdom?”

“The Pope sent this letter to Haeon.”

“The Pope himself?”

“Yes. He informed us of the internal situation in the Empire… and advised us to surrender.”

“Surrender, you say…”

The Count knew his liege well.

If told to surrender, the king would first ask if he could keep his throne. If not, he would resist until the Empire’s sword was at his throat.

“We must.”

“…Your Grace?”

“If we fight, we die like fools. The people, you, and me—we all die.”

“But… we do not have His Majesty’s approval…”

“Do you think he would approve?”

The Count could not bring himself to answer.

“…Then, Your Grace, what do you intend to tell His Majesty?”

“I will proceed with negotiations—not with the Empire, but with the Holy Kingdom. The Empire will not spare His Majesty or the royal family. We must ask the Pope for protection.”

“Can we not fight?”

“If you wish to die, then I advise you to do so quietly—without dragging your men to the grave with you.”

At the Duke’s stark words, the Count could no longer find a retort.

The Imperial Palace

“Your Majesty.”

“Ah, Minister. Come in.”

“The Holy Kingdom has requested an audience. They have stated that Your Majesty is welcome to visit, or if it is Your Majesty’s wish, the Pope himself is willing to come to the Empire.”

“Of course, the Holy Kingdom would step forward. Last time, I was the one served tea—this time, I shall be the one to host. Deliver my message accordingly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall relay it as such.”

The Pope.

I already knew that he had been leaking information about the Empire to the kingdoms.

Ever since my last visit to the Holy Kingdom, I had known that his people had infiltrated the Empire’s intelligence network. Rather than eliminating them outright, I had decided to let them remain—under watch.

“…Quite the effort he’s making.”

The Pope was fully aware that the Empire had no intention of targeting the Holy Kingdom.

I had explicitly declared that all humans in the secular world would kneel before their true ruler.

It was a clear message—the Holy Kingdom and the Mage Tower were exempt.

“And now… a call for surrender.”

It was a move I had not anticipated.

If the Holy Kingdom had tried to rally the remaining kingdoms into a united front, I could have simply crushed them.

But now? With the kingdoms offering surrender of their own volition, attacking them outright would make for a poor spectacle.

In the end, if I could make them surrender without battle, all the better.

However, I could not demand too heavy a price from the rulers who willingly submitted.

“…Should I make them vassals? Or should I kill them?”

No kingdom had yet formally surrendered.

The war had not even begun.

But as I sat in my office, I pondered the fate of the kings.