Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Empire (2)
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Wish Token.
The Wish Token, personally bestowed by the Emperor, was an extraordinary honor that temporarily vested an individual with the full authority of the Empire.
It superseded the law, stood above all nobles, and could even command life itself in certain cases.
In the game's lore, there had been a case in the past when Aura Energy techniques were not yet fully developed, and a Wish Token was granted.
A knight who, without even Aura, became the first in history to slay a Great Beast requested a tax exemption for his hometown via the Wish Token, and the Emperor of that era mobilized the Empire's finances to make it happen.
And now, at this moment, that Wish Token was being given to me.
I lifted my head and stared straight through the veil at the Emperor's gaze from atop the stage.
Even veiled, his stare felt utterly blatant.
"Speak your wish, hero of innovation."
The Emperor's voice echoed through the grand hall like a powerful wave.
I pondered briefly what wish I should voice.
It was a situation that barely even appeared in the game, so I hadn't anticipated the Emperor granting me a Wish Token at all.
There was no doubt this world was twisted in some way.
Yet it was also true that the apocalyptic branch lines from the original story hadn't vanished.
If it truly could grant any wish, what should I ask for?
After some deliberation, I opened my mouth.
"Three times. At a time, place, and question of my choosing... grant me the truth, Your Majesty."
I didn't say something like, "Here's the roster of the anti-Empire faction Red Star—execute them all!"
Nor did I declare, "Declare war on the South for their horrific biological experiments!"
More precisely, I couldn't.
The moment I realized the original characters had changed, I suspected the original story I knew might be distorted.
Baring my fangs rashly would only invite a counterattack.
What if Red Star had already seized control of the Empire and was merely biding their time to replace the Emperor?
In that case, the instant I made my wish, assassins would swarm me.
What a hassle that would be.
So what I sought was information.
Whether this world was truly the one I knew.
Whether the factions from the original story still existed in reality, right now.
I needed to know that to prepare for the end times.
And what I truly aimed for was—
"Is that truly all? Just questions?"
"That is the entirety of my wish, Your Majesty."
A soft murmur rippled through the banquet hall.
Everyone must have realized it. It was far too modest a request.
The Emperor fell silent.
After a brief stillness, he continued calmly.
"Compared to your achievements, it is woefully insufficient."
There was a suppressed dissatisfaction in the Emperor's voice, as if things weren't going as he wished.
"What I can grant you encompasses everything the Empire can offer. If you desire to be a king of a nation, I shall carve out a kingdom for you."
Murmurs spread among the nobles.
Becoming the king of a nation.
In a way, it was a dream shared by the nobles.
"If you wish it, I shall make the Empire's beauties line up before you of their own accord. Be it a thousand or ten thousand. I shall even set the standards of beauty to your tastes."
Irena and Freya's expressions stiffened slightly.
"Voice another wish. By the name of the Empire, I promise to grant any you desire."
I took a breath and made my request.
"Incorporate the Wave Device I invented into the Empire Academy's official curriculum."
A moment of silence passed, and the Emperor chuckled lowly.
That laugh carried a hollow incredulity, as if it were absurd.
But the gaze beyond the veil remained sharp.
He was deliberately showing his emotions.
"Truly, is that all?"
"...Yes."
"Haa..."
The Emperor let out a long sigh.
"It is still woefully insufficient compared to your achievements. When I could give you anything."
And as if growing bored, the Emperor declared,
"Very well. Then I shall bestow a reward upon you myself."
From behind the veil, the Emperor propped his chin lazily and raised his hand.
"Ian."
My name echoed once more, and with it, the Emperor continued slowly.
"I bestow upon you the Duchy of Valencia."
The moment those words ended, the banquet hall froze.
In the silence so deep even breaths could be heard, the Emperor's voice descended even heavier.
"Furthermore, I open to you the Empire's Latent Blood."
Latent Blood.
Another name for the Empire's repository.
It was no mere treasure vault.
It was a sort of pocket dimension built by stacking the hearts of Great Beasts slain by Emperors across generations.
With the demonic energy accumulated in those Great Beast bodies preserved intact, it essentially contained the Empire's history.
Weapons from legends, ancient contracts, elixirs impossible to produce now, tomes of Eastern sorcery...
Even the "Great Beast's Egg" said to be capable of destroying the world was sealed there.
In the game, it held buff items, various accessories, and near-endgame gear.
Of course, by then a player's build was set, so not everything was needed.
"You're... opening that to me...?"
Naturally, Latent Blood wasn't just a reward dispenser.
It was a space the Emperor permitted only to heirs or those who etched their names in history—and only portions at that.
Several high nobles flinched, rising unconsciously from their seats as they muttered.
They seemed more shocked than when the duchy was granted.
All eyes turned to me.
Nobles, generals, high officials.
Chilling glares as if accusing me of scheming for this, gazes unable to hide shock and bewilderment—all fixed on me.
Breaking that silence, someone stood abruptly.
A portly noble with multiple chins layered from fat.
The head of the royal treasury's earl family, the infamous Earl Balor Loen.
In the original story, he appeared as a member of Red Star.
Unlike the Emperor or Franz, Earl Loen hadn't transformed into a handsome figure; instead, he was uglier than in the original.
Why? No one had answered that question yet.
His face was flushed red.
"Your Majesty! You cannot!"
"...?"
"Granting a duchy—even to a commoner—has no precedent! It will shatter the noble order!"
His face reddening further, he pointed at me.
"He is merely an unknown who shed blood on the battlefield. Such unprecedented favoritism mocks the Empire's lineage and traditions—"
The Emperor raised a hand, silencing Earl Loen.
Surveying the now-silent banquet hall, the Emperor slowly readjusted his posture and spoke calmly.
"—Then I ask you. What reward do you deem fitting for the hero of innovation?"
"While Ian's influence on the battlefield is immense, a duchy for a commoner is utterly unjustifiable. Thus, I propose a knightly barony at most—"
"—Again."
The Emperor silenced Earl Loen once more.
"I ask again. What reward do you deem fitting for the hero of innovation?"
"...Even a barony would be glory enough for a commoner—"
"—Again. What reward do you deem fitting for the hero of innovation?"
As Earl Loen, face beet-red, tried to speak again,
He realized the Emperor was staring him down piercingly.
The Emperor's golden eyes.
Slitted vertically long, resembling a reptile's.
The instant they met his, Earl Loen felt his limbs go numb.
"Suddenly gone mute? Earl Loen, I shall ask once more."
His mouth opened, but no voice emerged.
It felt as if his internal organs had ceased functioning entirely.
"For the hero of innovation."
He couldn't even turn his head.
His neck muscles rigidly defied his will.
"What reward."
He couldn't tear his gaze from those chilling golden eyes.
As if the Emperor had seized control of his body.
The mere ten seconds felt like an eternity.
"Do you deem."
His breath caught, lungs squeezed as if crushed.
Earl Loen gasped desperately for air.
"Fitting?"
The moment the words ended, Earl Loen collapsed to his knees.
Kneeling, he gulped down the breath he'd held.
After coughing for a moment, he bowed his head to the Emperor.
A strange liquid seeped from around him, slowly spreading across the banquet hall floor.
"...The will of the great Emperor His Majesty is truly just."
"Indeed it is."
Only then did a satisfied chuckle leak softly from behind the veil.
The frozen air in the banquet hall thawed.
"Ian. No, Ian Valencia. From this moment, you are the Duke of Valencia. What a fine ring it has."