Sisilia, Who Muzzled the Queen for the Second Time
Sisilia had already achieved the feat of silencing the queen's mouth twice over in the Liannen Empire. But this time, unlike the medal ceremony, things didn't just fizzle out ambiguously.
"......This time, you can't say no even if you want to. Your title should have been upgraded ages ago anyway."
But Lydia considered Sisilia's feelings. Sisilia had returned after rendering such monumental service that Lydia wanted to grant just about any request. And so, for the first time since the founding of the kingdom, Lydia made one singular exception.
"Sisilia Windsor. By the name of the queen, I hereby proclaim your ascension to the rank of Sword Emperor. However...... since you yourself don't want it, I won't change the title."
Sisilia's face lit up. That meant—
"Here and now, I decree Sword Princess as your conferred name. From this day forward, there shall be no second Sword Princess in the Liannen Kingdom."
Conferred name. Like Edward's "Divine," it was a title symbolizing the individual. Once set, no one else could bear it for a hundred years, a thousand years—no, even ten thousand years.
A title meant for one person alone.
But in the case of Sword Princess, that had always been impossible anyway. There had been knightesses before Sisilia who received the Sword Princess title. Lydia couldn't strip it from those devoted knights just to make an exception for Sisilia. So she took a roundabout path.
"However, not the ji (姬) meaning 'beautiful woman,' but the hui (戱) meaning 'to toy with'—thus, I name you Sword Jester (劍戱)."
Originally, Sword Princess meant "a beautiful woman wielding a sword." Lydia changed it to "one who toys with foes using her sword," paying due respect to the past holders of the Windsor name.
She thought it fitting for the genius knight who had ravaged both the Empire and the demon race.
Of course, the entire Windsor Knight Order struggled to hold back their laughter.
"Sword Jester Sisilia. Any objections?"
"Pfft."
Sisilia rolled her eyes and shot a murderous glare at Jerryway, who couldn't stifle his laugh.
......Well, no need to shove 'pretty' into the title anyway. It's obvious just looking at me.
Having successfully defended her Sword Princess title, Sisilia beamed like a child.
"I'm pretty."
"I think Baek-eun is prettier...... but if you hate it, no helping that."
Lydia raised her wine glass with a gentle smile. Every noble, knight, and mage in the banquet hall mirrored her with pleased expressions, lifting their glasses as well.
"Now then, everyone—"
Lydia called out brightly.
"Raise your glasses!"
While the Liannen Kingdom reveled with toasts and merry times.
"......No word yet from the Liannen Kingdom?"
"None, Your Majesty."
The Empire was like a house in mourning.
They had surrendered their status as the world's hegemon. And overnight, they became a de facto vassal state in name and truth.
From now on, they would suffer exactly what they had inflicted on others countless times.
Tribute heavy enough to make the nation stagger.
Dispatches under the guise of "alliance education," but little more than hostages.
And above all—the astronomical war reparations from this conflict.
"Your Majesty. First, we must secure the reparations."
"......The problem is, the damages from this war are so vast that we have no wealth left to send to Liannen. Please, Your Majesty, humble yourself and request their consideration—"
Opinions from the nobles, different from usual.
The emperor slowly raised his head.
Most of the central nobles had been replaced. Many faces were unfamiliar.
They were mostly from the faction of the First Imperial Princess, Lisbet.
Lisbet had effectively seized real power.
She sat quietly, head bowed.
The emperor spoke in a weary tone.
"You think that will do it? If I, the emperor, bow to Liannen's queen, everything gets solved?"
He couldn't tell where it had all gone wrong. Regret and anguish dragged him into profound lethargy.
The Empire's thousand-year history. Never once had it relinquished hegemony—yet in his reign, it crumbled.
Rebuilding. Bold revenge.
He was too exhausted even to harbor such thoughts.
And besides.
Can we truly escape that devil?
The emperor clutched his chest.
Those silver eyes from that day still burned vivid. He hadn't slept well last night either.
Sisilia thought she hadn't used any violence—she'd even used a precious item that extended lifespan. No coercion.
But to the emperor, her quiet gaze and soft voice had been utter violence.
"......I'll follow your counsel."
"A wise judgment, Your Majesty."
Lisbet's central noble council—cleared of chatterboxes, filled with administrators—moved with startling efficiency.
Meetings that once dragged a week or month on trivial matters now flew.
Among the myriad post-war matters, they raised the most urgent agenda.
"Queen Lydia will soon proclaim herself empress. When that happens, Liannen Kingdom becomes an empire, and no nation on this continent can stop it."
An unstoppable tide, impossible to block or defy.
Thus, the Eldrasion Empire must join that flow.
"Envoys from every nation will visit Liannen. Our empire must go first—and offer the grandest gift—to secure our place as the primary vassal."
Becoming the suzerain's subject was inevitable.
But vassals had hierarchies, and Eldrasion knew it well.
Suzerains inevitably ranked their vassals by priority.
With potential demon invasions like this one, becoming Liannen's top priority could decide a nation's fate.
Especially when everyone knew only Liannen could stand against demons.
"We should aim for a sibling bond. If not siblings, parent-child isn't bad either."
Bowing first was natural, and family ties were best.
But that grated the Empire's pride.
The emperor let out a hollow laugh.
"Lisbet."
"Yes, Father."
"I've always thought a female emperor wasn't bad. If she shows exceptional ability, be she woman, dog, or cat—she deserves the throne."
The emperor glared coldly at Lisbet.
"But now I see why all those ministers opposed a woman emperor. You lack the most vital virtue of an emperor."
Lisbet's plan was probably right for the situation.
Better to be first vassal if vassalage it was; better to grovel fastest and lowest.
But—the emperor could not.
That was for ministers to suppress an emperor's fiery ambition.
"Pride! You have no pride! The Empire must be a wolf. Does any wolf refuse to bare its fangs just because it's wounded?"
Lisbet bit her lip.
To her, the Empire had no room for pride.
As if reading her mind, the emperor said,
"We can't become pampered lapdogs. Study your history. Why did the Empire fall to Liannen? Because Liannen was a wolf."
The Empire had uniquely treated Liannen as special.
Not because Liannen groveled—but because it was a proud wolf.
They could crush its throat, but it'd cost heavy blood.
"We must do the same. Become a threat too perilous to touch easily!"
The lethargic emperor shot to his feet.
In Lisbet's words, he'd glimpsed enlightenment.
Yes—do exactly as Liannen did.
Stay silent, grow strong, strike at the decisive moment.
That way, reclaiming world hegemony wasn't far off.
"By the emperor's command. Release the imprisoned crown prince at once. And to the friendly delegation we discussed—add one name."
The emperor stared straight at Lisbet.
"Lisbet Eldrasion Bellatio La Carmine. Liannen needs not the crown prince—but you."
"Y-Your Majesty!"
"Unacceptable!"
"How can you decide that?!"
Nobles protested in droves.
Flustered, Lisbet sprang up to argue desperately.
But something flashed through her mind.
Wait, hold on.
She blinked.
......Not a bad idea, actually?
Saint Michael Calendar, Year 500, October 1st.
Liannen Royal Palace, Queen's Garden.
"From this moment—"
Sisilia, in a pure white dress, held a sparkling tiara.
"—the Liannen Kingdom becomes an empire, and Lydia Belladis Liannen ascends as Empress."
She plopped the tiara onto Lydia's head with a bored expression.
"W-Wow......"
Beatrice clapped awkwardly, mumbling.
Edward had pushed for a lavish coronation summoning foreign dignitaries—the grandest in human history.
Even those half-agreeing with him—key figures all—clapped reluctantly.
Everyone wore "is this okay?" faces.
A quiet garden. Minimal attendees.
The sparse coronation, like a simple wedding, ended, and people dispersed.
Sisilia, about to dash off to newbie-licking, got nabbed by Chiron on the queen's orders and plopped prettily in the garden.
"No need for job change rewards. If you insist, gold please."
Sisilia muttered indifferently, sitting on the ground.
Her "Girl of the Year" status extended another three years.
Like the Sacred Flame Festival, she'd handled the queen's coronation too.
Twice as busy as usual—no newbie time, not even Betty sexual harassment.
"Sadly, war prep drained the coffers. Even today's coronation gold hurts."
Lydia, still in good spirits, strolled the garden laughing.
Sisilia, still seated, asked,
"......Is it really okay to do the empress coronation this simply?"
Sisilia asked genuinely clueless.
Frankly, it was embarrassing to call it a coronation—just memorized lines in a prettied garden.
Lydia, hands behind back amid flowers, smiled brightly.
"Sisilnyang made me empress herself—how could any coronation be more lavish?"
Sisilia had no choice but to agree.
"True."
"?"
Lydia narrowed her eyes, thinking, She's such a weirdo.
"More importantly, how long you gonna sit? Come on. I won't keep the busy vice-captain tied up."
"Yesss~"
Sisilia slouched after Lydia.
About to ask where, she understood why Lydia kept her back.
White cloaks neatly folded, placed at intervals.
This was a graveyard—the Windsors' resting place.
"Remember? You came here at six."
"Yes."
"You've grown a lot since. Still same height as me, though."
Sisilia's pride stung fiercely.
"Lately, those words I said to you then have weighed on me."
"I see."
"......You really remember?"
Sisilia stayed blankly still.
Cold sweat trickled down her neck.
Lydia sighed deeply, hand to forehead at the unexpected blunder.
"Guess we start over. ......Just changing the last part."
Lydia beckoned Sisilia.
Positioned her where the resting place was visible at a glance, then gripped her shoulders from behind.
"This is the resting place of Windsors who fulfilled their duty."
The start matched what she'd told child Sisilia.
"I recall every one—their voices, faces, auras, personalities."
Next, Lydia usually said something like, "Even if you lose your life, I'll remember you till my last breath."
She'd thought it too heavy for a young child then—but now, for different reasons, she didn't want to.
Had becoming empress bred greed? Or age changed her thinking?
Lately—she feared loss.
"They fulfilled their duty, so they have the right to close their eyes. Sending them off is my fate."
Lydia smiled faintly.
"But it's lonely all the same."
Lydia hugged Sisilia's waist tightly.
"Sisilia."
Leaning on her back, she whispered softly.
"Don't die."
Sisilia lowered her head with sad eyes.
That, she couldn't promise.
Sisilia had never died.
So she didn't know how not to.
But she had killed a demon god.
About to say she'd kill the demon god—
She spotted something in Lydia's cute hand around her waist.
"......Your Majesty."
"Yes."
"What's this?"
"The first mission from me, your new empress. Honored?"
Sisilia blankly faced forward again.
"It's a reward for reaching Sword Emperor. Subjugate one of the three great unnamed beasts no one's ever slain: Maui (無名)."
Sisilia seriously pondered borrowing Beatrice's shovel and digging into some empty plot.