Chapter 851
Chapter 851
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 851
Chapter Title: The Tyrant for You
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Morgana stared at the capital of the Grand Kingdom in a daze. Even compared to the capital of the Bellakaros Empire, this glittering city of knights was said to be no less impressive—and now a red mushroom cloud bloomed over it.
Even from this distance, her skin prickled, and a wave of nausea hit her. If not for the magic cloaking her body, she would have surely been affected.
She had no idea what that mushroom cloud really was. But one thing was clear: it was some kind of power rivaling a high dragon's breath, not ordinary magic.
...How does the emperor possess such strength?
Morgana clenched her fists tightly.
She had high hopes for Grand. She had steadily raised the knights' levels over time and even used the Witch's Spring to infuse the Holy Grail's power into King Leon Grand. With the Holy Grail and Excalibur, she believed they could take on the emperor.
Especially Excalibur, which grew stronger the more noble its wielder's convictions were, granting power to allies. It should have handled the empire's army with ease. And with two dragons to boot.
The card I had the most faith in, gone just like that... No way the emperor can use that power again, right?
She pushed the ominous thought aside. If he could, he would have done it much sooner.
The Grand Kingdom is finished.
There might be surviving nobles, but with the entire capital wiped out, no one would dare oppose the Bellakaros Empire after witnessing this. Their rallying point, Leon Grand, was gone. The empire could stroll in and take control at its leisure.
Three cards left.
The beastman Slade Empire, the elven Mailroad Kingdom, and the seeds she'd planted within the Bellakaros Empire itself.
Even Morgana couldn't easily manipulate the Mailroad Kingdom. Elves inherently rejected witches.
The one with the most potential is the Slade Empire.
Morgana cast her magic.
She appeared on the western continent, in a desert blanketed with sand. Whether from the pre-prepared spatial transfer magic or the sheer distance, she felt a slight fatigue.
Hiding her form with magic, Morgana moved to find the Sultan of the Slade Empire.
Countless tents dotted the desert. She headed for the most ornate one. Using magic, she slipped inside the Sultan's tent undetected—or so she thought. She was spotted immediately.
"Oh, Morgana. I didn't expect you at my side so soon... Have you decided to ditch that unreliable pup?"
Mehat Slade. A man with copper skin, sand-like golden hair, and sharp features. Lion ears perched atop his head. He was the Sultan of the Slade Empire.
Draped in a single light cloth, the Sultan exuded a languid air, flanked by two beautiful women with copper skin—dancers turned concubines, their cat ears twitching atop their heads. Like the Sultan, they were barely clothed.
Morgana dispelled her magic and revealed herself. The Sultan's smile deepened at her voluptuous figure and unhidden allure. His eyes, laced with primal desire, roamed her body.
"Sultan. Things have gone wrong."
"What happened? Did the Grand pup lose Excalibur or something?"
"Worse than that. The emperor showed up at the capital before they could even mobilize."
"The emperor alone? That should have put him in danger."
"The opposite. Grand's capital is gone, not a single foundation stone left."
"What the...? Tell me more, Morgana."
The Sultan sat up seriously and listened to her tale with a sigh.
"Taking out two dragons as well... I never imagined the emperor had that kind of power."
"That unknown force probably can't be used twice."
"It had better not be. Otherwise... we have no chance at all."
The Sultan considered retreat but dismissed it. Backing down now was pointless.
The Bellakaros Empire would eventually conquer the entire continent. A tyrant mad for power, conquest, and women wouldn't leave him alive.
"Morgana. I just had a grim vision. My army defeated by the Bellakaros Empire, my desert in the emperor's hands, my wives and daughters ravaged. A dark thought."
"The mighty Sultan, spouting weakness."
"That's how formidable the foe is. You know it better than I do, Morgana..."
He was right.
Emperor Yujin Bellakaros was a monster. A god in human form.
"What are you getting at?"
"If the Slade Empire allies with Grand and Mailroad to slay the emperor, I want one of the promised rewards upfront."
"That's not something you settle with just me."
Even with Grand's king dead, Mailroad's queen lived on.
"It's fine. You're the one who can make it happen."
Morgana narrowed her eyes at the Sultan.
"Dodging to the end, huh? If you succeed in killing the emperor, didn't you promise I'd be yours?"
Viscous desire gleamed in the Sultan's eyes.
"Do I look cheap? No tricks. If you want me, kill an emperor first."
"...Haha. As expected."
The Sultan didn't take offense. His eyes burned brighter.
"Truth be told, I'd have been disappointed otherwise. You're no cheap woman, as you say. You're a prize to claim with victory. It fuels my drive for war."
Morgana furrowed her brow.
"The emperor's one thing, but you're no saintly sultan yourself."
"Better than him, though. I hear he started that 'first night' right recently? Applies to nobles, commoners, slaves—everyone."
First night rights.
The right to the wedding night of any marrying woman. The emperor had actually implemented this insane policy. Seemingly impossible, yet he made it happen.
Only beauties above a certain standard bedded the emperor himself; others lost their purity to a specially crafted magical dildo modeled after his member.
It turned the empire's citizens—who had been praising him—from supporters to enemies and united the nobles against him.
"As a ruler myself, I envy Bellakaros sometimes. With that absolute power... haha."
"The emperor's mad. Sowing his seed in every woman."
Morgana had inspected the magical dildos he distributed. Artificial phalluses. Women subject to first night rights had to satisfy them. Once pleased, they ejaculated stored semen, and magic ensured 100% pregnancy.
"A man's dream, isn't it? But dreams stay beautiful as dreams. How's Witch Island, Morgana?"
Morgana sighed first.
"The witches fled. Mostly because Mother died, and I used up the entire Witch's Spring to charge the Holy Grail."
Witches were individualistic by nature. They hadn't stepped up when the Great Witch died, and when Morgana used the Spring without permission, they raged and left. Some even cursed her. She returned the favor.
"Hmm. Tough times."
"How about your side?"
"I'm the Sultan. The desert warriors will slay foes for me."
"Reliable."
Morgana decided to side with the Sultan. She had planned to manipulate the alliance from the shadows, but the situation was dire. Helping him was her best option now.
???
I sat atop the palanquin, gazing indifferently ahead.
The desert army stretched before me. The Slade Empire forces. Word was their Sultan led them personally.
Well, monarchs taking the field themselves isn't unusual in this world.
Most rulers here possessed special powers. Ordinary folk couldn't lead; the people wouldn't follow.
"Your Majesty. The enemy numbers one million. Not all are soldiers, but... far more than expected."
Luteon reported. We had only 200,000. Five times their number—or an 800,000 difference.
This was the border between Slade and Bellakaros, deep in the desert. On my orders, we'd abandoned the walls to fight here.
"Not all soldiers?"
"Looks like they brought every desert tribe."
"Why? Some custom to die together?"
"The desert is harsher than the north. And the wealth gap is vast. Historically, Slade has invaded Bellakaros most often—for its rich resources and fertile lands."
"So, steal my territory and set up shop right away?"
"Likely, Your Majesty."
"Insolent fools."
I chuckled.
No anger stirred. They were doomed to be conquered anyway. If anything, I was excited. Cat beastwoman beauties, dog beastwoman stunners—all kinds of lovely beastwomen would be mine.
"Marquis Talmor."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The gloomy bald old man in black robes stepped forward.
"From our first meeting to now, you're always in that robe."
"It's comfortable for me... If it displeases Your Majesty, I'll change at once."
"Never mind. I don't care what an old man wears."
I had no intention of fighting here. I came to watch.
"Marquis Talmor, your orders. Show me the essence of black magic. I trust your Black Spire won't disappoint."
"Your grace humbles me. Witness its true power here."
Marquis Talmor withdrew. Black mages from his tower gathered. He issued commands; they nodded silently.
Soon, Marquis Talmor unleashed black magic.
The sky darkened, and a skeletal dragon emerged. The earth dragon I'd slain in the dwarf kingdom of Toltos, now an undead.
The bone dragon, wreathed in blue energy, flapped its massive wings majestically and soared toward the Slade army, unleashing its breath. A sticky, acidic dark breath swept over them. Over 100,000 enemy troops rotted away, collapsing as corpses.
It could have been double without their mages' quick defensive spells.
Half the power of that earth dragon's lava breath. Lava would have wiped out at least 500,000.
For a hollow undead without a dragon heart, it was impressive.
"Rise, dead ones! Hate me! Curse me! I gladly accept your hatred and curses—become my faithful servants!"
Black mages raised glowing red magic stones, chanting. Foes slain by the dark breath rose as undead, charging their former comrades.
Those red stones... Life force storage crystals.
Piles of them. Accumulated from slaughtering hundreds of thousands. Talmor had brought them all for this.
Black magic. No wonder it's shunned. Incredibly powerful.
The undead didn't fall easily. Absorbing death energy, they even evolved. The battlefield brimmed with it, making them stronger over time. One skilled skeleton warrior absorbed life force from kills, evolving repeatedly into a Death Knight that rampaged freely.
Overwhelming.
This war's more boring than I thought.
Then he appeared. Copper-skinned, with a lion's tail and ears. I sensed immense presence from him.
That's the Slade Emperor... the Sultan.