Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Chapter 19: Empire, Prepare Yourself (3)
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'Around fifty, maybe?'
There were five hundred coffins, but only about fifty had answered the call. Still, this wasn't solely due to the hibernation ritual.
"Urk!"
His body swayed heavily. Gestain and Marquis Blizzard rushed over to support Raymond.
"Your Majesty the Emperor!"
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
He waved them off lightly, sending Gestain and Marquis Blizzard back. He felt quite dizzy, but not enough to need their help.
'It's not mana depletion. Something else?'
Remembering belatedly that activating the Empire Reconstruction Plan consumed a special kind of energy, Raymond bit his lip slightly.
As it was an ongoing novel, the settings weren't perfectly fleshed out, but there was vague mention of it being related to 'dominance,' so using the term 'Dominance' seemed fitting.
'So my current Dominance can only awaken around fifty?'
There was no mention in the settings of how to improve Dominance. He remembered that clearly. But the author had set it so that depleted Dominance would recover over time.
'For now, the maximum support I can get is about fifty Shades?'
It was fewer than expected. Without considering Dominance, he'd anticipated around a hundred.
It was a shame. With a hundred Shades at his side, they could have utterly crushed the wicked horde daring to target the Philius Empire during the Bloody Funeral...
Raymond bit his lip hard enough to draw blood.
"Your Majesty the Emperor..."
Desia Heli approached cautiously and offered him a handkerchief.
"Thank you."
After wiping the trickle of blood from his chin, he saw the fifty black shadows. Securing fifty Shades was still an achievement.
"Let's head back."
The air felt heavy and stifling. As he quickened his steps, his subordinates followed. The fifty Shades melted into the darkness like shadows themselves.
They had gained reinforcements, but the enemies remained formidable.
The Director of Central Intelligence, Count Potas, carried out Raymond's imperial decree. The succession of the throne had been secretly conveyed only to the Royal Guards.
"The atmosphere in the Imperial Capital and the city is far from normal."
"We Royal Guards must provide close protection."
The Royal Guards cried out in unison. But Marquis Blizzard refused their requests.
He had explained multiple times that it wasn't yet time for Raymond to reveal his presence as emperor.
"Marquis Blizzard! If something happens to His Majesty the Emperor because of this, how do you intend to take responsibility?"
A baronial Royal Guard snapped sharply.
"Fine. We'll select three who can move discreetly and station them around the 5th Prince's Palace."
This was the best they could do. If a large number of Royal Guards moved, even the Three Kingdoms Alliance would take notice.
It was well-known that their eyes and ears were spread throughout the Imperial Capital and the city.
"Three isn't enough."
"We request additional personnel."
"That's impossible. It's His Majesty's command."
Even if the Royal Guards were the Philius Empire's elite, three couldn't fully guarantee the emperor's safety.
Moreover, with the recent precedents of the Imperial Capital being attacked twice, their anxiety was understandable. Still, Marquis Blizzard firmly invoked the imperial decree.
As the Royal Guards and Central Intelligence operated in secret, a court conference was held. Major nobles, military officers, and all imperial family members attended.
"If there are no objections, we'll proceed with the funeral at the 'Sanctuary of the Ruler' in Danchi Barony."
The Minister of the Interior spoke. There were no objections, and as expected, the funeral was set for the historic Sanctuary of the Ruler in Danchi Barony.
'I knew it would come to this anyway...'
The Philius Empire had a tradition of holding emperors' funerals at the Sanctuary of the Ruler. This had held true without a single exception for thousands of years since ancient times.
He'd thought the same when first reading the settings: it was a tradition awfully convenient for enemies plotting assassinations.
"Little brother."
As the court conference ended and Raymond exited the palace, 3rd Prince Aloken appeared with his personal guards in tow.
"I hear the 5th Prince's Palace has been quite noisy lately. Still clinging to lingering ambitions for the throne?"
"Is that how it looks?"
Raymond responded leisurely. The surveillance on the 5th Prince's Palace had been entirely eliminated by the Shades, so there was no worry of leaks.
"Little brother, didn't this big brother advise you? If you want to live even a little longer, stay as far from the throne as possible."
Aloken spoke with a greedy glint in his eyes, unfiltered in his lust for the throne.
"Craving the throne, brother?"
"You've grown quite bold, little brother."
He felt a sticky gaze upon him. It wasn't Aloken, but the sharp aura from his personal guard captain behind. Before Gestain could step forward, Raymond surged his energy, deflecting the 3rd Prince's guard captain's pressure.
"You'd best avoid such petty provocations, brother."
His voice was calm, but the gaze he fixed on Aloken was as cold as the northern frost winds, utterly lifeless.
The aura of a thousand knights Raymond unleashed in an instant was too much even for Aloken, who had reached the level of an advanced mage.
Aloken's breathing grew ragged, his body trembling. He wanted to curse at his unsightly display, but even that was stifled by the sharp pressure of a thousand knights.
"Your Highness the 3rd Prince, it's late. Shall we return?"
The 3rd Prince's guard captain stepped forward, bearing the brunt of the aura. Only then did Aloken steady his breath and lift his head.
Normally, he would have rebuked the guard captain for interrupting, but now it felt like a lifesaver, so Aloken turned toward the 3rd Prince's Palace with successive coughs, saying nothing more.
"You'll regret this someday."
He didn't even use the familiar term "little brother." Despite his embarrassing display moments ago, his tone remained hostile.
It was pitiful to see him thrashing about, unaware of his impending doom.
Raymond shook his head once, watching the receding figure of 3rd Prince Aloken, then returned to the 5th Prince's Palace. There, he summoned Silvia.
"I heard you called for me, Your Majesty the Emperor."
"I have a task for you."
"I shall obey your command."
Silvia bowed politely.
"Go immediately to Danchi Barony and deliver my personal letter to the lord there."
He pulled a golden envelope from his bosom and placed it in Silvia's hand.
"Shall I go personally?"
"Yes. Show him this 'personal letter,' and Count Danchi will handle everything. Hurry and prepare for the calamity about to strike."
"I shall carry out Your Majesty's decree."
"I'll assign ten Shades as your escort."
Considering Silvia's abilities as the one walking ahead, she might not need escorts, but with hostile forces lurking throughout the empire, caution was wise.
"Then I'll take my leave."
As Silvia left the reception room, ten Shades emerged from the darkness to follow her.
"His Majesty the Emperor commands us to ensure your safety."
"We shall lay down our lives to uphold this solemn imperial decree."
"Even if hundreds of troops block your path, you will be safe. Rest assured."
The gathered Shades melted into the shadows like darkness itself. Though their forms vanished, the wind spirits whispered to Silvia that they remained nearby.
"I'm faster than I look, so you'll have to keep up."
There was no reply, but Silvia sensed an extraordinary presence from the Shades and had no doubt they could match her speed.
With the wind's blessing, she swiftly departed the 5th Prince's Palace, and the Shades followed.
Not long after Silvia left the 5th Prince's Palace, Desia Heli entered the palace this time. Having been summoned by Raymond, she headed straight to the reception room.
"He's waiting."
The guard at the reception room door stepped aside. Desia nodded and flung the door open vigorously.
Raymond sat on the terrace, tilting his wine glass. Desia hurried toward it.
"Did you summon me?"
"Do you have the communication orb?"
"Of course."
"To the secret room. I need to contact someone urgently."
In the secret room, as Raymond sat, Desia placed the communication orb on the table.
"Where to connect?"
"To Marquis Kreayer."
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor."
At Raymond's instruction, Desia infused mana into the orb. Soon, the top mage of Kreayer Lordship appeared in the orb.
"I see Your Highness the 5th Prince."
He was a familiar face. He lightly bowed, showing respect to the Philius Empire's royalty.
Since Raymond's ascension to the throne wasn't public yet, the title remained "5th Prince."
"Where's Marquis Kreayer?"
"He just returned from border patrol. I've sent word, so he'll be here shortly."
The wait wasn't long. Soon, Marquis Kreayer's face appeared in the orb. Hearing of the emperor's news, a deep shadow hung over his features.
"I see Your Highness the 5th Prince."
His voice lacked strength. As a loyal retainer of the late Emperor Ronald and a close comrade from the front lines, the sudden bereavement had brought immense grief.
"How's the border lately?"
"The border itself is quiet, but the Black Mountains are the issue. Rumors of His Majesty the Emperor's passing must have spread, as the Three Kingdoms Alliance's sly provocations have increased."
The Philius Empire was like a massive machine revolving around the powerful core of the 'emperor.'
With that key component absent, others saw an opportunity.
"A funeral will be held soon at Danchi."
"Danchi, as expected. I thought so."
Marquis Kreayer nodded. Tradition dictated emperors' funerals at the Sanctuary of the Ruler in Danchi, so he had anticipated no change.
"Do you have time to attend?"
"The lands beyond the border are chaotic, but I must attend the funeral to fulfill my duties as a subject."
Resolution burned in Marquis Kreayer's eyes to attend without fail.
"Marquis Kreayer, I'll be direct."
"Speak."
"Don't attend the funeral."
"How could..."
Marquis Kreayer's bewildered expression was natural. Raymond was essentially demanding disloyalty; if not for his debt to the house, the reaction would have been icier.
Raymond silently pulled a ring from his bosom and slipped it onto his finger, meeting the marquis's confused gaze.
"Th-that is..."
Marquis Kreayer instantly recognized the ring on his right middle finger. No noble of the Philius Empire could be ignorant of it.
It was the emperor's symbol, the emblem of the Silent Absolute.
"It's an imperial decree. Do not attend the funeral."
"I-I shall obey Your Majesty's decree!"
"And prepare your troops."
"The domain army...?"
"With so many wicked forces targeting the empire, they'll surely exploit the chaos on the day of the late emperor's funeral to hatch plots. This is preparation for that. Can you discreetly station about a thousand cavalry in the forests near Danchi Barony?"
More than that would make secrecy impossible.
"A thousand should be feasible under the pretext of monster subjugation and domain patrol."
"They must be the elite. As many knights as possible."
"There will be no negligence in preparations."
Raymond nodded satisfactorily at Marquis Kreayer's solemn reply. No lengthy explanations were needed.
"I'll eliminate the watchers as much as possible, but you must move with utmost secrecy."
"I'll do my utmost."
"If trouble arises at the Sanctuary of the Ruler, I'll signal you. Be ready to respond immediately."
"I shall carry out Your Majesty's decree!"
After some brief additional instructions, the communication ended. As Desia packed the orb, Raymond gazed into the deep shadows of the secret room and spoke.
"Shade."
"From the empire's deepest darkness, we await Your Majesty's decree."
One Shade revealed itself.
"Take fifteen Shades to Marquis Kreayer's territory. You can evade all the watchers' eyes?"
"All as Your Majesty wills."
The Shade vanished once more.