Chapter 580: Time to Pay the Price (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 580: Time to Pay the Price (3)
The most disgraceful death in the history of the Empire.
That was how news outlets across the world described the Emperor's end.
Since the founding of the Empire, there had been times when the Viment Imperial Family’s position was precarious or when an Emperor was deposed for his tyranny, but none had met an end as pathetic as Amir Viment.
Amir Viment was also the first Emperor in history to be denied a funeral.
Instead, the people wished to leave the dark, mottled stain on the plaza floor—all that remained of Amir—as a lesson for all future rulers of Viment.
The area around the stain was now covered with stones of all sizes, thrown there by the citizens.
Those stones would never be cleared away.
Though it was a hideous sight, unbefitting the Imperial Palace plaza famed for its beauty and cleanliness, the people of Viment were proud of it.
Though they had done nothing but boo when the Emperor branded Hairan as traitors, they were now thrilled to finally show that their support had always been with Hairan, not the Imperial Family.
Naturally, Dante did not find their behavior hateful or hypocritical.
"If there is one thing the late Amir Viment did well, it was allowing the people to find their voices."
Trickle.
Dante spoke as he filled the teacup before him. The other cup belonged to Casimir.
"He rarely listened, of course. Still, I'll grant him this: he didn't kill or suppress them simply for speaking out. Many Emperors couldn't even manage that much."
"Sir Casimir."
"Yes, Sir Dante."
"You must have heard the story from Jin."
"Hmm..."
Dante didn't ask what Casimir thought about ascending the throne once the Empire returned to normal. He spoke as if there was no right to refuse.
"Why me?"
"Are you not of the Imperial bloodline? Furthermore, the leaders of the Seven-Colored Bird—the Seven Families who have not forgotten their loyalty to the Empire, not the Imperial Family—are with you."
Casimir’s original surname was not Alfrion, but Viment. He was the younger brother of Amir Viment, a Deposed Prince.
In Dante's eyes, this wasn't about Casimir acquiring power; it was about him fulfilling his duty as a member of the Imperial Family.
In a sense, it was how he would pay the price of his lineage: by becoming a great ruler.
"None of the trash remaining in the Imperial Family can take responsibility for what has happened. The reason I asked to see you was not to ask for your opinion. I simply wanted to speak with you in person. And..."
Dante bowed his head slightly.
"I also wanted to personally convey my apologies."
"Why would you feel that way toward me?"
"Because you, too, deserved a chance for revenge."
Jin was waiting for the day Casimir would tell him why he became a Deposed Prince, but Dante already knew.
Dante was the current Patriarch of Hairan. As such, he had access to all the information Hairan possessed. Although many records were lost when the Sword Emperor Castle was destroyed, the documents regarding Casimir remained here at Hairan’s 2nd Castle.
According to those records, Casimir became a Deposed Prince because of Amir Viment’s direct machinations.
It was a common enough tale. Casimir had lost his loved ones in the process and, a nearly broken man, had settled in Tikan with Alisa and his remaining loyalists.
It wasn't a story he couldn't tell Jin, but Casimir still found it painful to recall those memories.
"...It would be a lie to say I held no such desire, but seeking revenge against Amir Viment is only one part of my life. If revenge were everything, I would have long ago revealed to the world what he did to me and my family—how he used the people as hostages to drive me out."
Sigh. Casimir let out a long breath.
"So, there is no need to feel sorry for me. Let’s get to the main point. I believe what you want to hear from me concerns politics."
"That is correct."
"Sir Dante, you announced that the declaration of regency would be tomorrow."
"Yes."
"Move it up to right now."
Dante’s eyes widened.
"For what reason?"
"If I'm right, the Imperial Family will release a statement about the late Amir Viment within the day. It won't be insulting or mocking like the other news outlets. Instead, they'll claim the Imperial Family had nothing to do with his tyranny."
That was an issue Dante had already anticipated. He had planned to respond calmly, but Casimir’s thoughts were different.
"From the very start, your regency cannot appear more sluggish than the Imperial Family. Although fewer people will attend if you move the announcement up by a day, it doesn't matter. Public sentiment is already on your side."
"A sluggish feeling, I see."
"If the Imperial Family denounces him right after you declare your regency, it will look like they've landed the first blow on us. The commoners might not notice, but the nobles certainly will."
"But if I move the announcement up by a day because of that, wouldn't I be breaking a promise to the people from the very beginning?"
"A good point. It is certainly not good to make such a choice simply to seize the initiative."
If the regency declaration were moved up by a day, the Imperial Family would hurriedly release their articles to match. They would claim that Dante broke his promise and that the tyranny was entirely the Emperor’s personal failing.
However, the Barmul Alliance held a card that the Imperial Family knew nothing about.
"It’s a trap. Once the Imperial Family begins responding to the unexpectedly early regency declaration, we will present a piece of evidence that makes it impossible for them to deny their complicity in the Emperor’s madness."
"Evidence?"
Dante’s eyes widened as Casimir explained.
"I see... As expected, my choice to entrust the Empire to you was correct. I have no talent in the realms of politics and governance."
"I wonder. To my eyes, Sir Dante, you possess a power similar to Young Master Jin's. You have the power to draw people to you. That is why you are still loved by the people, even after it was revealed that Hairan possessed the White Stone."
The White Stone was real, and because of it, Chaos had spread throughout the Empire.
In truth, regardless of the cause, Hairan could have earned the people's resentment for the simple fact that they possessed the White Stone—even if Gliek could never have awakened without Zipple and the Emperor.
"If I have such a thing, it is likely the power of my grandfather and all of Hairan, not my own."
"At any rate, let us go. To strike a blow against those disgusting sycophants."
*
The concern that fewer people would gather for the regency declaration proved to be unfounded.
The moment Dante left Hairan’s 2nd Castle and began his procession, the citizens who had been waiting for him surged toward the Imperial Palace like a rising tide.
When the Emperor had branded Hairan as traitors, he had looked down upon the people from atop a massive golden palanquin.
Dante stood upon the pile of stones thrown and stacked by the people.
"As of today, until the Empire is normalized, I, Dante Hairan, shall serve as Regent in place of Amir Viment’s legitimate son, Kuron Viment."
The people let out a roar as if they had been waiting for this. The Imperial lackeys who had rushed out to the plaza scowled.
But it was too early for their faces to twist.
"There will be no occasion for Kuron Viment to formally ascend the throne. Until my regency ends, he shall exist merely as a figurehead for the sake of legitimacy. When the time comes, his qualifications will be stripped, and he will return to being a commoner, not a member of the Imperial Family."
Casimir had suggested on the way that he openly state Kuron was just a figurehead.
"W-What is the meaning of this! This is an insult to the Imperial Family!"
"Prince Kuron has done nothing wrong! He is barely nine years old. He did not participate in Amir Viment’s atrocities!"
"Whatever the reason, you cannot be ignorant of the damage caused to the Empire by the White Stone. Do you believe Hairan has the right to usurp the throne?"
Several nobles raised their voices.
"Hairan is not usurping the throne. It is unthinkable for a family other than Viment to ascend. Therefore, when the cleanest member of the Imperial Family—one whom everyone can acknowledge—appears, I shall give my full support so that he may take the throne."
"Ha! In the end, are you not just saying you will set up another puppet after Prince Kuron to rule the Empire from the shadows?"
Dante locked eyes with the noble who had spoken. The man flinched at the sudden killing intent that radiated from him.
"Are you ignorant of the loyalty Hairan has proven throughout history? If we desired such a thing, Hairan would have become the new Imperial Family long ago. Even now, without my grandfather, that is entirely possible."
As Dante released his aura, the surrounding area trembled. Having inherited all of Ron’s True Energy and been freed from Chaos, he now wielded a power incomparably greater than before.
"Does the Imperial Family currently possess any means to stop me? For the time being, you will even find it difficult to borrow Zipple's strength. The reason I have left the rotten Imperial Family and the nobles of the Empire alive is not because my resentment has vanished... but simply because you still have work to do on this land."
"F-Fine. Let us say your actions are a usurpation of power, not the throne. But do not forget! The people may be on Hairan’s side for now, but a usurpation without legitimacy will eventually cause public sentiment to turn against you!"
With those final words, the nobles left the plaza on trembling legs. They had to return quickly and prepare their response.
Dante turned his gaze back to the people.
"My first act as Regent shall be the relocation of the capital. I do not mean that I will move the Imperial Palace and all its administrative facilities. I shall choose the territory of the Sword Emperor Castle as the symbolic capital."
The people murmured among themselves. Moving the capital to the Sword Emperor Castle truly did look like a usurpation of power, just as the nobles had claimed.
"Currently, the Sword Emperor Castle has become a land of death that cannot be entered due to the aftermath of Chaos, but there is a light there that will purify the contaminated Empire. It will be possible to observe that light within a few months, so please, see for yourselves then. If, after seeing it, you still believe the symbolic relocation of the capital is unreasonable, I shall withdraw the plan. And the second task is..."
A hint of sorrow touched Dante’s eyes.
"A joint funeral. Starting today, we shall hold a ten-day national funeral to mourn those who fought for the Empire and for Hairan. We shall erect a memorial monument in their honor."
On this point, all the citizens agreed.
It was time for both those who committed atrocities and those who fought to protect the Empire to receive their due.
"Thirdly, we shall devote all our strength to purifying the contaminated areas. After completing these three tasks, I shall step down from the regency and once again protect the Empire as the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle."
From that day on, articles poured out, covering Dante’s short but impactful regency declaration and the state of the Empire. And just as Casimir had predicted, the Imperial Family immediately began to distance themselves from the dead Emperor.
However, just as the articles claiming the Imperial Family had no part in the Emperor's tyranny were released, proof of their complicity arrived in the capital.
It was the corpse of a Demon, which Jin had obtained in the Wantaramo Forest and entrusted to Valeria.