Chapter 440: Claiming the Imperial Title and Establishing a New Era
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 440: Claiming the Imperial Title and Establishing a New Era
The Grand Duke's declaration plunged the banquet hall into silence.
As if in deep shock, no one dared to speak.
I glanced sideways at Amelia's reaction. Seeing her jaw agape, it seemed she had no idea.
But it appeared not everyone was in the dark.
Baron Bipolun and Baron Dorasilb, who could be considered the Grand Duke's closest confidants, along with a few other nobles including Count Alestro, looked relatively calm, as if they had already known.
“Nonsense!!”
A shout cut through the heavy silence.
As the unbelievable word echoed through the hall, everyone’s eyes widened as they turned toward the source of the voice.
The speaker was none other than Marquis Kailix.
Smack!
“Ugh?!”
“You bastard! How dare a traitor like you spout such nonsense to His Highness the Grand Duke!”
Nearby soldiers rushed in at once, roughly subduing him.
Though his form, beaten to the floor by the soldiers, was utterly pathetic, the marquis's eyes still blazed fiercely at the Grand Duke.
“Enough.”
When the Grand Duke raised his hand, the soldiers immediately backed away.
Marquis Kailix coughed repeatedly as he struggled to his feet. The rattling of his chains sounded exceptionally loud.
“Why... why now, of all times, do you seek to ascend the throne?!”
“There is no reason to explain myself to a traitor.”
The Grand Duke's gaze as he looked down on the marquis was colder than ever.
The surrounding soldiers were no different.
Because of this incident, the marquis would surely face harsh torture in prison until his execution.
Even without a direct order from the Grand Duke, the soldiers would voluntarily inflict cruel punishments.
And the marquis had to know this.
The reason he reacted so violently, so fearlessly showing his blatant hostility toward the Grand Duke, was simple.
'He must feel wronged.'
The noble faction's justification for their rebellion had been the founding of the Orsia Empire. To be precise, it was about the spoils that would fall to them in the process.
They had risked their lives for that single purpose, only for the Grand Duke to suddenly declare himself emperor.
For them, the very reason for their rebellion had vanished.
Marquis Kailix may have harbored ambitions of taking the throne himself, but if Orsia had become an empire sooner, he would have naturally been appointed Duke Kailix, and he would have had no reason to attempt such a reckless rebellion.
A ducal family of an empire that held sway over the southern part of the continent.
To try and seize more power than that through a rebellion was absurd from the start.
Empire and Duchy.
Though only a single word apart, the difference in status was like that between heaven and earth.
'He probably thought a rebellion was worth a shot since a Grand Duke, not a king, was above him. Little did he know he was walking right into a tiger's maw.'
For the marquis, whose long-standing family now faced annihilation as the price for his failed rebellion, the feeling must have been one of shedding tears of blood.
But what could be done?
From start to finish, it was all his own choice.
“Drag him away.”
“Damn it!! Let go of me!! I said, let go!! Do you know who I am?!”
Thwack, thud, crack-!
Soldiers rushed forward and beat the struggling marquis.
The sounds of skin tearing and bones breaking could be heard, but he still glared at the Grand Duke, his teeth clenched tight.
“I will! I will curse you from hell!!”
“I hope you have the leisure for that in hell.”
And with that, the marquis was dragged away by the soldiers.
The other nobles met the same fate.
“You... you will regret this, Grand Duke! Do you have any idea who is behind us that you dare to do this?!”
Listening to the cliché lines of the nobles being dragged away in chains, I was once again reminded of the Grand Duke's twisted sense of humor.
Dragging Marquis Kailix and the other traitors all the way to the banquet hall was partly to humiliate them, but it was also intended to send a specific message to the other nobles.
A warning that anyone who dared to defy him would end up just like them.
I shook my head and removed the hand that had been covering Amelia's eyes.
For the record, Iris had been snatched away by Sylvia. How dare she touch my wife? It seemed some discipline would be in order soon.
“Sir Hyun-woo...?”
Taking advantage of the moment when the nobles' attention was focused on the Grand Duke, I pulled Amelia into a back hug.
This wasn't to satisfy any selfish desires, of course.
Even I know to consider the time and place. This was purely to calm my mind and body.
Thump, thump, thump, thump—
The intense emotions from having swept through a battlefield hadn't subsided, even after half a day.
Moreover, the aura the Grand Duke had just released caused the killing intent within me to boil up uncontrollably once more.
Short of going to a mountain full of spiritual energy to practice Qi circulation and meditation, this was the only way to suppress my emotions right now.
“Hoo, haa...”
“Sir Hyun-woo...? Are you alright?”
I slowly nodded.
It was just a first-aid measure, but I felt much better thanks to it.
There was, however, one minor problem: the Grand Duke was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.
Fortunately, it seemed he didn't have the strength to draw his sword yet, as he silently averted his gaze and returned to his seat.
“We will now begin the awards ceremony for the heroes who defended the empire from the threat of the rebels. Those who are called, step forward.”
The Grand Duke's voice echoed as he stood tall in the center of the banquet hall.
Following his announcement, starting with Count Alestro, dozens of nobles and knights were called forth one by one, prostrating themselves before him.
Baron Bipolun was not among them.
He had stood by the Grand Duke's side as part of his personal guard, but he hadn't actually gone to the battlefield, so it was only natural.
“Finally, there is one who single-handedly charged into the enemy camp in this war, cut down thousands of foes, and ultimately captured the leader of the rebel army alive.”
'...Ah.'
The moment I heard the Grand Duke's words, a strange sense of dread washed over me.
A cold sweat trickled down my spine.
Regardless, the Grand Duke's eyes found me precisely within the crowd, and the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
“The Knight of the Dark Moon, Kang Hyun-woo!”
'Shit.'
In that instant, I made a decision.
If Amelia and I ever have a child, I will never let them call that man 'Grandpa'.
*
The banquet was still in full swing, but no one was actually paying attention to it.
Everyone could feel it.
At this very moment, a great vortex of change was swirling, centered on the duchy.
The Grand Duke had ascended to the throne as the first emperor of the Orsia Empire, and Amelia was no longer a Grand Duchess but an Imperial Princess.
Furthermore, Count Alestro and Count Castrel were both elevated to dukes, and others who had distinguished themselves in battle were, without exception, promoted in rank or granted new titles.
It was nothing short of a revolutionary reshuffling of personnel.
Of course, everyone knew it was a measure to fill the vacancies left by the nobles who had died in the civil war and the remnants of the noble faction who would soon be executed.
But no one knew the real reason why the Grand Duke had ascended the throne.
Even his closest confidants, like Baron Bipolun and the newly appointed Duke Alestro, had only been informed beforehand; they didn't know the precise reason.
“Are you insane?”
I asked, setting my wine glass down on the railing, addressing the Grand Duke—no, the Emperor.
The Emperor glanced at me, then frowned and tilted his glass without a word.
“You have quite a tongue for an emperor.”
“You said you were my father-in-law.”
“In your homeland, is it tradition to be so rude to one's father-in-law?”
I had a brief staring contest with the Emperor.
But a wave of futility soon washed over me.
What the hell was I doing on an empty terrace with this petty old man?
I roughly drained my wine glass, recalling what had happened at the awards ceremony.
Those who had distinguished themselves in battle received various rewards like territory or gold coins in addition to their titles, but I was given nothing.
He had merely announced before all the nobles that I was Amelia's fiancé.
Honestly, it was absurd.
'Anyone would think this was a marriage that needed his permission.'
If the Emperor had opposed our marriage to the end, Amelia would have gladly eloped with me.
There was no way the Emperor didn't know that.
It was obvious he was trying to save money wherever he could, given the high costs of post-war reconstruction and rewards.
He was far too stingy to be an emperor.
Actually, it wasn't that I received nothing at all.
I was given the 'Corrupted Starlight Staff' that I had borrowed from the treasury last night to raid the rebel camp.
Of course, I was well aware that he was just offloading dead stock onto me.
I could still vividly recall the Emperor's expression as he handed over the staff as if doing me a great favor. It nearly made my blood boil, but I suppressed my anger with superhuman patience.
As they say, penny wise, pound foolish.
The Emperor was infuriating, but once Amelia ascended to the throne as empress, everything in the Orsia Empire would be mine anyway.
“That's an insolent look in your eyes.”
“My parents made me this way.”
“Where are they?”
“They passed away in an unfortunate accident when I was five.”
“I see.”
The Emperor looked at me for a moment before averting his gaze.
Then again, in this world, being an orphan was nothing special.
“So, are you not going to answer my question?”
“You mean the reason I decided to ascend the throne?”
“Yes.”
The Emperor quietly tilted his glass.
“It was not an impulsive decision. It is something I have been considering for a long time.”
“What about the Grand Ducal family's loyalty to the Alvarez royal family? There will be considerable backlash.”
Hearing my words, the Emperor's eyes widened in surprise.
“To think you know a story from hundreds of years ago. You seem quite knowledgeable, contrary to your appearance.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
“Most of those who cling to old stories either died in this war or lost their power. In a way, the rebels gave me a good opportunity.”
“How cold.”
Glug, glug—
I chuckled and poured wine into the Emperor's glass.
Before the banquet began, I had shown the Emperor Dermier's body, informing him of the Eustaff Empire's involvement in this affair.
And about Malefis as well.
But the Emperor reacted calmly, as if he already knew.
Of course, he seemed unaware of Malefis, but he said he had suspected that a sinister force was threatening the continent.
“To be honest, I had no intention of ascending the throne so hastily. I thought it wouldn't be too late after steadily building a foundation.”
“Is it because of me?”
“Half right, half wrong. It's true that the information you provided made me hasten my ascension, but this entire decision was one I made as a statesman to protect the empire from the enemy to the north.”
The enemy to the north.
That was a clear reference to the Eustaff Empire.
Before the banquet, it wasn't just information about the empire and Malefis that I had told the Emperor.
I had revealed Iris's identity.
At first, he didn't seem to believe me, but after seeing Iris and Sylvia with their magic dispelled, his expression grew quite serious, and he began to converse with Iris.
About a three-nation alliance centered on Peledeia, Nivia, and Orsia.
“If Peledeia is conquered, the next target will surely be our empire. However, if we can unite the southern continent under the name of the Orsia Empire, it might not be impossible to prevent the war before it starts.”
Clink.
The Emperor set down his glass and looked at me.
“I don't like you, but I will accept your proposal.”
“I look forward to working with you.”
I shook hands with the Emperor.
In truth, the Orsia Empire wasn't in a position to be picky. It would take at least ten years to sort out the domestic chaos caused by the civil war and drought.
It was only natural for them to want Peledeia to survive for as long as possible as their breakwater to buy that time.
A moment later, after the Emperor left the terrace, I stood alone, looking up at the night sky as I tilted my glass.
'...It's been a long road.'
Swoosh—
As a cool night breeze blew past, I quietly closed my eyes.
From the day I first met Iris in the World Tree's underground labyrinth, I had escaped the Great Forest, passed through the Veilhaven Republic and the Nivia Kingdom, and finally arrived here.
And at last, I had created a force to stand against the Eustaff Empire's invasion.
Of course, there was one prerequisite to officially announcing the alliance.
The retaking of Peledeia.
Looked at that way, it seemed I still had a long way to go, but compared to the beginning, I was almost there.
All that remained was to release Iris's restraints and return to Peledeia, where I first set foot in this world, to put everything back in its place.
“First, I'll need to regroup.”
I realized it while fighting Dermier.
He was strong.
Without the Devil Slayer's blessing, I would have lost, nine times out of ten. And in Malefis, there were monsters even stronger than him.
Until Iris's restraints were removed, I had to protect her.
And even after.
It went without saying, but I had no interest in being protected by a woman.
Ting—
[Would you like to end the matching?]
[Y/N]
“...A little early, maybe?”
After a moment of thought, I swiped the screen away.
Honestly, after all that hard work, I deserved to enjoy what I could before leaving.
Creek—
I left the terrace and returned to the banquet hall. Gazes poured in from all directions.
To the nobles who didn't know the full story, I must have looked like the next emperor, so it was a natural reaction.
'There she is.'
“Oh? Sir Hyun-woo.”
My eyes met Amelia's, who was surrounded by other young noble ladies.
I walked straight toward her.
With Iris momentarily away, there was no woman in the banquet hall as beautiful as Amelia.
Moreover, dressed in a beautiful gown and wearing splendid makeup, a departure from her usual self, she was so dazzling I couldn't take my eyes off her.
Swoosh—
“Oh my...”
“Wow...”
I knelt on one knee before Amelia and held out my hand.
“Would you grant me the honor of a dance, Your Highness?”
“...Of course.”
Amelia smiled more brightly than ever and took my hand.