Chapter 272
Chapter 272
Chapter 272
Epilogue (1)
Waaaaaaah!
A festival was taking place in the streets.
Smiles bloomed on people's faces, and flower petals and finely cut confetti danced in the sky.
A splendid festival taking place in Nevan, the capital of the Morian Empire.
This festival was held due to the coronation ceremony where the Empire's second prince, Guillaume Wilhelm von Morian, ascended to the emperor's throne.
"Long live Emperor Guillaume! Long live the Morian Empire!"
"Long live! Long live!"
Citizens who had come out to the streets were spontaneously scattering flowers or enjoying drinks and food.
"...It's quite noisy."
Actually, it was rare for a monarch's coronation ceremony to proceed with such a festive atmosphere from broad daylight.
Under strict control, coronation ceremonies were held in a reverent and solemn atmosphere, and citizens would quietly hold small-scale festivals in taverns or their homes.
But the reason this coronation ceremony was like this was because such peaceful abdication had rarely occurred in the Empire's history.
Most emperors only left their position when they died, so usually it had to proceed in a heavy atmosphere while praying for the late emperor's soul.
NOM! NOM! NOM!
Rudian, who had grabbed a chicken skewer from the street, said quietly.
"It's wise. Especially since the abdication happened at a time when the war had just ended not too long ago."
This emperor's coronation ceremony was deliberately held grandly, with the Morian Empire spending an unprecedented amount of money.
Actually, timeline-wise, it had been barely two years since the war with the neighboring Kingdom of Rohans had concluded.
After that, something called the Continental Nations Conference was held, creating a peaceful atmosphere, but that was only to prevent a larger great war...
The civilian atmosphere, which was indirectly affected by this, had been quite poor.
"Th-there, Rudian... is it okay for us to be here like this?"
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Rebecca, who had been shoulder-to-shoulder with him enjoying chicken skewers together, looked at Rudian with an anxious voice.
"W-well, Rudian is a Count by title, right? Shouldn't you naturally attend the coronation ceremony?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
Most of Rudian's associates were at the imperial palace because of that matter.
Gray, who was an influential noble of the Empire, as well as Maria and Elvin, and even Rowen, who had newly obtained an Imperial Count title, and his sister Evangeline.
Except for Luciella, who was temporarily recuperating due to 'special circumstances,' everyone had flocked to the coronation ceremony.
"Even though I'm still technically a god, it would be a bit odd to congratulate from a subject's position, wouldn't it? I only got the title because I needed it."
"Hmm, that's true..."
To Rebecca, who was somewhat convinced, Rudian smiled wickedly.
"Whether I attend the coronation or not, the imperial family will have to do their utmost not to lose me. It would be a big problem if I went to a neighboring country."
Although he had no intention of actively working as a 'behind-the-scenes power,' Rudian wielded tremendous influence just by his existence alone.
Having a god directly establish themselves in a nation brought enormous stability and authority by itself.
Rebecca, who understood Rudian's words, asked:
"But not many people know that, right?"
"It's enough if only those who need to know, know. That alone is sufficient."
As his words suggested, those who knew that Rudian had ascended to godhood included his existing companions and their families, plus imperial family members—combining the current and former emperors, the total didn't exceed twenty people.
The current imperial family would absolutely not want to lose Rudian's presence.
Then, Rebecca pointed in one direction as if she had discovered something.
"Oh? Those are people from the Death King Order."
"...Really?"
Far away, dozens of black priests were passing through the street.
However, it wasn't perfect black, but rather clothing that mixed white and gold in places to considerably reduce the dreariness and enhance authority.
The Death King Order, which worshipped the Death King, Tartian Lil.
Though this order had appeared only about a year ago, it was rapidly expanding its influence faster than any religious order in history—a rising power in the religious world.
'Well, it's natural since most nations uniformly adopted it as an official religion.'
The Death King had proudly claimed a place among the newly reorganized Seven Great Gods.
With Berus' annihilation, Satera and North, who had followed him, survived but their power and influence were drastically reduced, causing them to be expelled from the Seven Great Gods' position.
The same happened to their subordinate gods.
Though the world regained its original form through the sacrifice of the Machine God Deus, many deeply involved in this incident couldn't escape the judgment of causality that followed immediately after.
With only Haniel, Ruura, Garganta, and Medaiel remaining in that situation.
The three vacant positions were inherited by the Death King Tartian Lil and the twin gods Castor and Pollux.
'They told me to come up anytime since they've prepared a place for me in heaven...'
Honestly, going up to heaven now would be a terrible hardship.
Unlike the past, heaven had considerably reduced its power and influence.
The problem wasn't just that the Pantheon's total strength had been nearly halved.
The biggest blow was that Scribe Metatron and the twelve archangels had led their subordinate angels to create a new dimension called the Holy Realm and become independent.
With the army responsible for heaven's discipline gone, ancient gods who had been expelled from the Pantheon or sealed in various places were being released, turning heaven into chaos.
Well, even if there was occasion to visit later, that wasn't right now.
—We greet His Holiness the Pope.
While Rudian was making a complicated expression, the cardinal at the front of the Death King Order recognized Rudian's presence and sent a telepathic message.
Rudian answered with a smirk.
—I'm not the Pope though?
—Since you are the representative directly chosen by the Death King, you are no different from our supreme leader.
The promise to support the order's revival in exchange for the previous Death King's cooperation.
In return, Rudian had gained the qualification to be Pope of the Death King Order, but... it had become quite an ambiguous position now.
'I'm a god, yet I'm the pope of another god!'
Well, there was also the case of Gardin, who became Garganta's apostle while being a god, but...
'There's Evangeline too, so why do they keep designating me?!'
That damn Death King was probably giggling inside while watching this side get troubled.
—Please someday visit the order and embrace us and the believers...
—Not happening. Just hurry up and go.
Even at Rudian's cold response, the cardinal bowed with a gentle smile.
"Let's go, Rebecca."
"Yes!"
Rebecca smiled brightly and linked arms with Rudian.
After returning from the Demon God's domain, Rebecca had lost the power of the Demon Eater and became an ordinary human, but she didn't mind this fact at all.
'Hmm, but she should at least have ordinary immortality...'
Since Rudian himself had transcended human lifespan, Rebecca, who had become his companion, also needed to transcend lifespan to walk the same path of time.
Rudian had also become quite greedy now.
"Um, Rudian."
"Yeah?"
Rebecca, who had linked arms with him, asked with a giggling smile:
"How many children would be good?"
"......"
Originally, he would have blushed and turned his head at such words, but over the years, Rudian had also become quite thick-skinned.
"How about three?"
Even if she had lost the power of the Demon Eater, that bloodline hadn't gone anywhere.
Perhaps... At this rate, the strongest bloodline in history might be born on earth, he thought.
***
"Welcome."
Luciella, who had been lying in bed, greeted Rudian and Rebecca.
Luciella, who had been healthier than anyone, had ended up bedridden due to the aftereffects of giving up her position as an Outer God.
"How's your body?"
"...Same as always."
Luciella glared at a purple girl eating ice cream beside her and said:
"It would be better if it weren't for this glutton."
CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP!
A being who had become the bound spirit of the Delphione family but hadn't lost her appetite.
Her name: Yev.
"You came?"
Yev also seemed to recognize Rudian's presence as she turned her head to greet him.
It was quite absurd that a being of divine status had been distracted by food and only now noticed someone else's presence, but... anyway.
"The work of sealing my mother's memories is proceeding smoothly. The Outer Force is also being maintained at a level suitable for the current vessel, so... in about a year, she should return to normal."
Luciella, who had inherited the position of Outer God Shub, had unhesitatingly passed that position back to Yev and Nug, the twins, when Yev was revived after the world was restored.
However, inheriting the position of an Outer God was a major event that could shake the entire universe, so even if Luciella had the will to do so, the succession of divine status couldn't be accomplished as easily as a coronation ceremony in a human nation.
"I understand that if Luciella, who returned to being an ordinary human, neglected Shub's memories, her personality would collapse."
He also understood that Yev had to stay constantly by Luciella's side for the succession of that position.
"But your current appearance... no matter how I look at it, it seems like you're excessively enjoying gourmet food...?"
FLINCH!
Yev's shoulders trembled slightly at Rudian's point.
Her twin Nug was busy settling the chaos in outer space.
With Shub gone and Luciella transferring power, there were outer gods who had different thoughts during this vacuum period...
It was understandable that Yev would protect Luciella by her side in preparation for possible attacks.
However, looking at Yev's current appearance, it seemed like staying by Luciella's side was just an excuse to avoid troublesome work.
"What are you talking about? I am fulfilling my duty to the end!"
"...Wipe the cream off your mouth before saying such things."
And you're showing your original form without sealing your causality personality too.
"It's a misunderstanding!"
Yev firmly justified her actions.
Yet the image of her occasionally visiting and throwing tantrums asking for tiramisu was still vivid in memory...
Well, Rudian, who didn't intend to make a big deal of that problem, subtly changed the subject.
"But... What did you decide to do about the Delphione family?"
"Ah, that..."
A smile immediately appeared on Luciella's face, which had looked weak.
"We decided to select heirs of appropriate age from the maternal side and adopt them."
"The Duke must have been very distressed."
"Not really? Father also recognizes that I'm no longer someone who should be bound to the family."
Even if she transfers Shub's power and seals the memories, unlike Rebecca, Luciella won't return to being a complete ordinary person.
Rather, she'll maintain a divine status similar to the current Yev or Ktuna and function as a major axis of the middle realm.
"I need to shake this off quickly and get up."
Luciella reached out and grabbed both of Rudian's cheeks.
"If we want to hold the wedding ceremony soon."
"...Ahem!"
He had somehow endured Rebecca's words, but when even Luciella brought this up, he felt like he'd become the world's greatest scoundrel.
Well, he couldn't argue if he received such an evaluation...
"Four people at once, not satisfied with flowers in both hands..."
"Ah, stop it!"
Seeing the mischievous smile on Luciella's lips, Rudian hurriedly turned his gaze away.
'She wasn't like this before, but her personality seems to be gradually changing.'
Should he say she'd become much more cunning?
Rudian sat Rebecca in front of her and quickly escaped from his seat.
Yev trotted after Rudian.
"Yev."
"Yes, Rudian."
"How's the 'work' going?"
That 'work' wasn't about the Outer God position.
Yev also answered seriously to those words.
"The work is proceeding smoothly. In about 5 years, as you wish, the middle realm will be separated from all dimensional realms and become an environment where external beings cannot easily interfere."
The middle realm separation plan that Rudian had previously planned.
With help from Yev and other divine beings, that plan was gradually progressing.
"However, as you originally expected, complete separation is impossible. Moreover, a situation will arise where this world's supernatural abilities become much weaker than other dimensional realms. Are you really okay with this?"
"...That much is sufficient."
External forces would remain the same while the main base's power weakened.
It didn't matter now, but in the distant future, the middle realm was likely to become prey for other dimensional realms.
"I'll take out enough insurance for that."
"...Well, looking at how the outer dimensions are going, it should be safe for about a few thousand years."
Yev snorted.
Due to what Berus had done, even though the world was restored, the aftermath still remained like an unhealed wound.
Depending on how this was handled, the future that would come to the middle realm would be dramatically different.
CLAP!
Rudian clapped his hands and said to Yev:
"Now, let's end the heavy talk and go eat. I'm hungry."
"Tiramisu!"
"...That's not a meal, it's a snack."
"I don't care!"
Rudian and Yev bickered as they left the corridor.
Thus, on the day the Morian Empire's new emperor was crowned.
War disappeared from the world, and the continent devoted all its efforts to rebuilding and settling the collapsed order.
Thus an unprecedentedly peaceful and prosperous period arrived.
And 5 years passed.