Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Savior of the Magic Kingdom (1)
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When Raymond sat down for the magical communication, the figure that appeared in the contact crystal was a young man with the typical handsome features.
'A member of the imperial family.'
The ornate uniform and platinum hair—practically the symbol of the Haipel imperial house—spoke volumes about his status as a prince of the Haipel Empire.
'Not the emperor.'
They hadn't even introduced themselves yet, but Raymond was certain.
In the world setting of Empire of the Dead, the current emperor of the Haipel Empire, Dylon Haipel, was an old man.
'That leaves only one possibility.'
The Philius Empire might be in decline, but it still bore the name of a great power, so it wouldn't send a collateral royal. In the current world setting, the Haipel imperial house had only one direct descendant.
'Knightel Haipel.'
Raymond's eyes gleamed coldly, and Knightel was the first to offer a slight bow and a smile as a light gesture of courtesy.
-It seems Your Majesty the Emperor Raymond already knows who I am.
His face was serene, but his voice was sharp. There was no rudeness, though. True to his status as a direct descendant of the Haipel imperial family, elegance flowed from his every expression and gesture.
"Was it that obvious?"
Since the other had spoken politely first, Raymond matched his tone without condescension. He might have the nickname of the Mad Emperor, but he had his own rule: never act arrogantly toward someone who showed respect first.
-It wasn't hard to notice, but it wasn't something that stood out easily either, so I don't think Your Majesty needs to worry too much.
"Haha, is that so?"
-You likely already know about me, but it would be improper not to introduce myself at our first meeting, so allow me to do so briefly. I am Knightel Haipel, Crown Prince of the Haipel Empire. It is an honor to meet the Emperor of the Philius Empire.
It was an extremely simple introduction. It adhered to etiquette but was pared down to the essentials.
"I am Raymond Philius, Emperor of the Philius Empire. The honor is mine as well, Crown Prince of the Haipel Empire."
Knightel had kept his introduction as brief as etiquette allowed, so Raymond did the same without drawing it out. Overdoing the courtesy in a situation like this wouldn't just be improper—it could come across as excessively subservient.
The other was the crown prince of the mighty Haipel Empire, but Raymond was an emperor too, so going too low would do him no favors.
-I've heard the news that Your Majesty successfully rescued King Rudel of the Jeist Magic Kingdom.
Knightel said in a calm voice. The source of the information was undoubtedly Lancer, the branch chief of the Haipel Special Intelligence Agency. He'd been with them throughout the rescue operation.
-The Doomsday Society never imagined our two nations would cooperate.
The Haipel and Philius Empires had been diplomatically severed for far more than a day or two.
The weight of those years was no light matter. Even the Doomsday Society couldn't have anticipated it, much less prepared for it.
"I'm more curious about why you suddenly requested this magical communication."
Raymond was direct. He hated wasting time on small talk. The other was the crown prince of the Haipel Empire, but that didn't put Raymond in a position to grovel.
-Hahaha, I suppose I dragged out the preamble too long. Straight to the point, then.
Instead of displeasure, Knightel let out a hearty laugh and continued with a faint smile.
-We share a common enemy: the Doomsday Society. Isn't that right?
Raymond nodded slowly at Knightel's words before speaking.
"I agree on that point, Crown Prince."
He kept it short, trying to read Knightel's intentions first.
It would have been nice to have Count Denitz there, but unfortunately, the Haipel side had requested a private audience, so no one was with him now.
Fortunately, though, gauging Knightel and the Haipel Empire's motives wasn't difficult.
'Minimum: information sharing... Maximum: alliance.'
They shared the threatening common foe of the Doomsday Society, and they'd recently cooperated to rescue King Rudel. Still, the Philius Empire had been diplomatically cut off from the Haipel Empire—practically enemies—for quite some time.
So, the odds of the Haipel Empire proposing an alliance first were low.
"Are you here to propose sharing information?"
Raymond took the initiative with a quiet voice.
-As expected—your insight lives up to the rumors.
The Haipel Special Intelligence Agency wouldn't have failed to gather intel on the emperor of a massive nation like the Philius Empire. In fact, Knightel had already received a substantial dossier on Raymond.
It didn't bother him. Knowing your counterpart first was basic diplomacy.
-In a few days, there will be a discreet visit to the Edriger Governor-General's Office where Your Majesty is currently staying.
"A discreet visit...? Could I get a bit more detail?"
-I believe you're already acquainted with Sir Lancer. He'll be arriving soon with one of our empire's diplomats.
To reach the Edriger occupation zone from the Haipel Empire, one had to cross the Eternal Snow Mountains. It wasn't a place you could traverse in a day or two, so hearing this, Raymond inferred that the Haipel Empire had been preparing for this long in advance.
"Has the diplomat already crossed the Eternal Snow Mountains?"
Raymond asked calmly for confirmation.
-To prepare for contingencies, we had one diplomat waiting in the territory of the Three-Nation Alliance.
"Could I get a brief on what kind of information sharing this entails?"
-Sir Lancer or our diplomat will explain in detail, but to give you a preview: it's a sort of agreement to share all information related to the Doomsday Society.
Knightel continued. In summary, if they signed this pact, the Philius and Haipel Empires would share all intelligence on the Doomsday Society going forward.
'No downside to this deal.'
Raymond's eyes sparkled. He knew better than anyone that the Haipel Special Intelligence Agency had the finest network on the Western Continent. He couldn't pass up this opportunity.
"Not a bad proposition."
-Thank you for considering it positively, Emperor Raymond.
"Then... I'll await your arrival."
With the business concluded, Raymond ended the magical communication. They'd decided to cooperate against the Doomsday Society, but they weren't close enough for extended chit-chat.
Right after the communication ended, Raymond left the communication room. Count Denitz and Count Potas, waiting in the corridor, hurried over.
"Your Majesty. How did it go?"
Count Denitz asked on their behalf. Raymond nodded slightly and replied.
"We'll discuss it in the office."
"Understood."
It was a secure area, but this didn't seem like corridor talk. The two counts agreed in unison and quickened their steps toward the office.
They arrived at the office. Raymond settled comfortably into his chair under the two counts' curious gazes.
He considered pouring drinks since the talk might drag on, but their anxious expressions left no room for that.
"The Haipel Empire wants to form an agreement to share all information related to the Doomsday Society going forward."
"The Haipel Empire brought it up first?"
Count Denitz asked, eyes wide.
They'd been diplomatically isolated for ages. He hadn't expected even this limited pact.
When the Haipel Empire reached out first, Count Denitz had seen it as a positive sign. But he hadn't anticipated the diplomatic door cracking open this quickly.
"It seems they viewed our extraction of King Rudel from the Jeist Magic Kingdom favorably. It must've planted the idea of us as allies who can fight the lurking Doomsday Society together. An alliance might be a stretch right now, but long-term, it's a possibility."
Count Potas offered his take.
"Isn't thinking of an alliance already too hasty, Count Potas?"
Count Denitz pointed out sharply.
He too saw the Haipel Empire's outreach and proposal as a positive step toward restoring official ties, but an alliance was premature.
"No need to think alliance yet, Count Denitz. That said... I see all this as a positive signal."
At Raymond's words, the two counts bowed their heads slowly and spoke.
"Your Majesty's words are wise."
"At the very least, we can cooperate with the Haipel Empire against the Doomsday Society—what joyful news."
They'd get access to intel from the Western Continent's top intelligence agency, the Haipel Special Intelligence Agency.
During the Jeist Magic Kingdom op to extract King Rudel, they'd received info from them and confirmed they knew far more about the Doomsday Society than expected.
"Indeed, Your Majesty. Hate to admit it, but objectively, the Haipel Special Intelligence Agency's network outstrips our Philius Central Intelligence Agency."
Count Potas said. He was flexible enough to acknowledge hard truths objectively.
And above all, competent—which was why Raymond kept him as a close aide.
"They're sending a diplomat soon, so prepare accordingly, Count Denitz."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll handle it to the best of my ability."
"Keep it discreet."
"Understood."
Count Denitz nodded calmly in response.
"Damn it!"
Veris, the Puppeteer of Emptiness, hurled his glass with a crude curse. It shattered against the wall with a deafening crash.
Breaking one glass didn't sate his rage. Veris grabbed everything in reach and smashed it against the walls or floor.
Only once the room was a wreck did Veris calm down. One of his aides, a senior mage, waved a hand to tidy the mess effortlessly.
"Please calm yourself, Sir Veris."
"Sir Abgard. Do I look calm to you? We lost King Rudel. I can't brainwash every noble. Even the 'recovery' excuse has its limits!"
"But raging won't change anything. Wouldn't it be better to devise countermeasures now?"
Unlike the fuming Veris, Abgard remained composed. Strictly speaking, he'd been dispatched as a bodyguard, so he was detached from blame for this mess.
Veris, on the other hand, was the Doomsday Society's point man in the Jeist Magic Kingdom. With King Rudel's escape and high executive Alipis dead, punishment was inevitable.
"Countermeasures...? There's one clear way."
"May I ask what?"
At Abgard's question, Veris's eyes gleamed coldly.
"First, we need support from the society's main combat team."
"Didn't we request reinforcements recently? They should arrive soon—what do you plan to do with them?"
"Kill them all."
"Hm? What do you mean...? You don't mean exterminating everyone in the capital city, do you?"
Abgard asked. No displeasure showed. His expression was as serene as if inquiring about lunch.
He might be mild-mannered, but he was still a high Doomsday Society executive.
Veris grinned wickedly at the question, his smile eerily demonic.
"Everyone dies in the end—that's the will of apocalypse—but not right now."
"Then what? Be straightforward."
"We kill all the nobles who refuse to obey us."
Most nobles who escaped puppetization in the great purge had died, but not all.
Some were spared for maintaining the capital or other surface-level reasons, and their numbers weren't trivial.
Veris was now advocating killing them all.
If enacted, dozens of nobles would die immediately, and including their retinues, thousands. Yet Abgard's face remained utterly calm.
"What do you think? Of my plan..."
"I'm just a bodyguard, Sir Veris. I have no authority."
"Then I'll proceed."
Veris grinned once more.