Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: The Might of the Julius Family
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‘The power of House Julius…’
Since arriving at Grada Castle, Daemor had been hit with one shock after another.
His heart pounded so fiercely he couldn’t calm it down.
The thing that startled him most was the knights’ shouts echoing the moment he entered the castle.
Those fierce cries sent chills down his spine every time he heard them.
Giant Wolves roamed everywhere, and mercenaries who looked like a pack of wild dogs were visible too.
They were sparring with the knights using bare fists, charging and attacking as if they meant to kill.
The training was so realistic it froze him in place.
The divers and royal guards felt the same way.
After passing the training grounds and entering the building, they were led by waiting attendants to the king’s office.
There, a young man in all red attire with black hair falling below his shoulders awaited them.
Daemor recognized him immediately as Arthur Julius.
Since he was the king of Julius Kingdom, Daemor decided to show the proper respect.
Daemor approached Arthur and bowed deeply and politely.
“Daemor of House Titan greets the king of Julius Kingdom.”
“You must be tired from the long journey.”
Arthur greeted him with equal courtesy.
Then Ban and Rasety approached Arthur and paid their respects.
“Your Majesty, we have completed our mission and returned.”
Ban’s demeanor was incomparably more formal and solemn than what Daemor had seen.
“You’ve both worked hard. I’ll hear the details later, so go rest.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ban and Rasety quietly exited the office.
Arthur moved to the table with Daemor.
The two sat facing each other across a long table bathed in soft sunlight.
Tea had been prepared in front of them.
Arthur picked up his teacup.
“Please, have some. It’s good for relieving fatigue.”
“Thank you.”
Daemor took a sip of tea while quickly scanning the room.
Of course, without Arthur noticing.
He thought it was quite ordinary, no different from his own office.
That was when his eyes caught the pitch-black helmet hanging on the throne’s pillar.
He couldn’t see the front, but it had what looked like horns protruding from it, giving it an eerie vibe.
He’d heard rumors about Arthur Julius’s helmet before.
It was said to be shaped like a dragon with its maw open.
Seeing it in person after only imagining it made him intensely curious about whether it really looked that way and what techniques had been used to craft it.
Anyway, he was eager to hear what the man had to say.
Daemor set down his teacup and looked at Arthur.
“I heard the message from the envoys. That’s why I wanted to meet you in person and came here.”
“I’m truly grateful you made the trip. I’ll tell you everything, so ask away openly.”
“Then I’ll be direct. Is House Julius truly followers of the ‘demon devotees’?”
“……!”
Arthur tilted his head slightly.
Why ask that after coming all this way?
The very fact that he was meeting Arthur face-to-face implicitly acknowledged that they weren’t demon devotees.
So he was curious about the intent behind asking anyway.
“What answer are you hoping for?”
“I wanted to hear what the descendants of Oscar Empire’s founding contributors have to say.”
“You must have seen a lot on your way here. I believe all the answers are contained in what you witnessed.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes.”
Arthur answered without the slightest hesitation and continued.
“I don’t know what the envoys told you, but everything they said is true.”
“Ban said…”
Daemor recounted everything Ban had told him, then asked Arthur.
“Is the Demon King truly resurrected?”
“Yes. And I went to Kanura Continent myself and confirmed the monster legions numbering in the millions.”
“Hmm…”
A groan escaped Daemor’s lips.
“You can assume the Demon King’s familiars have already burrowed deep into all five continents.”
“That means Oscar Empire too…”
Arthur bowed his head heavily without a word.
“Haa–.”
Daemor let out a sigh as if the ground might cave in and pressed his forehead.
He’d half-accepted the Demon King’s resurrection already, but he hadn’t expected the familiars to have infiltrated Oscar Empire.
Moreover, seeing their influence stretch across all five continents suggested the Demon King had revived long ago.
“Does the emperor know about this?”
“With monster invasions plaguing Kristen’s capital for a full month now, he must have realized the Demon King has returned.”
“Then instead of fighting each other, shouldn’t we unite our strength…!”
Daemor trailed off mid-sentence, his eyes widening as realization dawned.
‘No way!’
Peaceful Oscar Empire had turned into a bloodbath in an instant.
The trigger was the ‘demon devotees’ incident.
There had been the territory war between Nibon and Grada before that, but everyone knew it stemmed from Count Yarve’s scheming.
What had fanned the flames of war afterward was the emperor’s decree.
That decree came from Grand Archmage Altros’s report, which now seemed mistaken.
And just recently, the Magic Tower had fallen by his hand.
That stronghold of the mages was a magic hub and a key pillar of the empire’s forces in wartime.
Putting these pieces together, Altros seemed likely to be a Demon King’s familiar.
And if Emperor Ruan was being manipulated by him…
“Who else knows about this?”
“No one besides my close aides. You’re the first count.”
“Why tell me…?”
“Because I desperately need House Titan’s power, so I’m laying all my cards on the table.”
“I haven’t agreed to join you yet. I could go tell Emperor Ruan.”
“If Emperor Ruan has been brainwashed by Altros, do you think he’d let you live? He’d pin some crime on you and sweep away Valkan Territory no matter what. Doesn’t his past behavior make the outcome obvious?”
“How could this…”
Daemor’s face went blank with despair.
His mind kept denying it, but the truth only grew clearer.
He had to protect House Titan and his territory’s people.
Daemor fixed Arthur with a resolute gaze.
“I heard you’d share Teheran’s power. Is that true?”
“Ban must have shown you Stella.”
“He said you’d hand over blueprints so we could produce it ourselves.”
“That sounds like preparation in case the emperor finds out…”
“Exactly. If he learns I’ve allied with Julius Kingdom, he’ll definitely strike Valkan Territory. It’s a countermeasure to buy time until the kingdom’s knight orders arrive.”
“Hmm…”
Daemor had pondered many things after sending the delegation to Valkan Territory.
A year and some had passed since the war began.
But the war with the Demon King hadn’t truly started.
From Rumakas’s words and the scriptures’ prophecies, it was clear the Demon King had revived but hadn’t fully gathered his strength.
The war would likely be a prolonged one, making Valkan Territory’s technology desperately needed.
Yet surveying the lands around Valkan Territory revealed them surrounded by houses loyal to Emperor Ruan.
Even without the central guard knights, it wasn’t safe from neighboring territories.
Plus, their existing knight order had been wiped out, so House Daemor’s forces were predictably weak.
The moment their connection to him was exposed, Valkan Territory was as good as finished.
Even stationing the Death Knight Order there might hold initially, but numerical inferiority would lead to collapse eventually.
That’s why he’d come up with a plan.
Arthur asked gravely.
“If I tell you the method, will you follow it?”
“If it’s for my house and people, why would I hesitate?”
“Sacrifice will be necessary.”
“Isn’t some level of sacrifice inevitable?”
“Understood.”
Arthur rose from his chair, walked somewhere, and returned with a long scroll.
He then approached Daemor and unrolled it before him.
“Isn’t this a map?”
“Correct. A new map made after founding Julius Kingdom.”
The map was divided into Emperor Ruan’s forces, the Tomoya Kingdom established by Marquis Valtre, and Julius Kingdom’s territories.
Valkan Territory lay where Ruan’s and Tomoya’s forces overlapped.
Before Oscar Empire’s fracture, it had enjoyed great benefits from its geography, but now it looked perilously exposed.
Seeing it visualized on the map made it crystal clear.
“Why show me the map?”
“How does Valkan Territory look to you? If you still see geographic advantages like before, you don’t trust me yet. If you see it as precarious, then you do.”
“……!”
Daemor’s eyes flashed.
“I’ve heard Valkan Territory, with the empire’s top technology, has depleted its local minerals and now imports raw materials to produce goods.”
“Yes. Since last year, iron ore ran out, so we’ve been importing via foreign trade.”
“With Oscar Empire’s split, trade with other continents will be tough now too. Production will drop, and life for your people will only get harder.”
Daemor frowned at the mention of his worries.
“So what are you getting at?”
“You saw the border walls being built along Julius Kingdom’s frontiers on your way here.”
“……?”
“It starts at Aslan Territory, runs through Norshey Territory, and connects to Shangrni Territory. I want you to relocate to Shangrni Territory.”
“Relocate?”
Daemor’s eyes went wide.
Arthur continued calmly, unperturbed by his reaction.
“We’re currently paving roads in every territory of the kingdom. When enemies invade, we’ll reach the walls from Grada Territory in half a day.”
“H-Half a day…”
It had taken two days to get from Aslan Territory here.
They’d dawdled inspecting villages along the way, but even rushing, it was at least a full day’s journey.
Above all, abandoning his house’s history and traditions for another land wounded his pride.
“Pretend you never said that.”
“You haven’t grasped the reality yet. But you will soon.”
“Grasp what soon?”
“Tomoya Kingdom will send an envoy too, but very different from me. If you don’t follow him, won’t they exterminate House Titan to weaken Emperor Ruan’s forces?”
“Ah…”
“If you truly care for your house and people, you’ll make the wise choice.”
Arthur’s tone shifted.
The look he gave Daemor turned icy and sharp as a blade.
He was making the current situation crystal clear.
That he wasn’t wooing Valkan Territory—he was extending a hand of salvation.
“But Valkan Territory is everything to House Titan…”
“Dead is dead.”
Arthur turned and walked back to the throne.
He sat down and spoke firmly.
“Decide. No matter what you choose, I won’t hold it against you.”