Transcendent of Water
Transcendent of Water
Though it had been a long time since Saklasi left, the Imperial Defender unit still stood in place, ruminating on that spine-tingling [Wish].
Most of them had a very strong sense of reverence for the strong. If they were high-ranking ability users, they could have lived as territorial nobles, but they didn't.
It was because they wanted to follow the Transcendent Emperor, and their Captain, the Holy Water ability user Victoria. And today, they had a shocking experience they had never encountered in their entire lives.
"Indeed."
"Senior Knight Hordona-nim, do you know the situation?"
He was an elephant beastkin, but he didn't have a long trunk on his face. Instead, he flapped his thin, wide ears and said.
"His Majesty bestowed the Archduke title on the very same day. And you know he held a banquet right after, right? Only the Imperial Princesses attended that event."
The cat beastkin next to him perked up their ears and asked.
"Ah, so that's why both the Captain and Vice-Captain were absent! He really is a Trans—"
"That's enough."
"Yes! Understood!"
"Didn't you feel that terrifying [Wish] too? Nothing good comes from us running our mouths about it beforehand."
"Honestly, it was too scary. It was cosmic horror. The 'Fire World Tree' was moving in itself, though."
"It must be the difference between a [Wish] that blooms life and a [Wish] that makes life bleed. Heh heh."
"Ahahahat! Senior Knight Hordona-nim! It's so funny I can't breathe~"
"As expected."
The other Defender members pretended not to hear the two, tidying up while dragging Mokai and the servant away.
The Imperial Defender Knights were just as peaceful as the southern part of the Empire.
After meeting the Gallery Owner in person, Victoria's heart was pounding so hard she couldn't sleep.
<Water Ability User Gallery>
Title: The Gallery Owner is here!
Author: WaterGalleryUser
Content: The Gallery Owner is here!
WaterGalleryUser1: It's already midnight. I guess that's it for the Gallery Owner visiting today.
It was a post so uninteresting that even a slow-handed 1000-year-old elf could snag the 'WaterGalleryUser1' spot, but Victoria kept posting consistently.
Since I haven't spoken in so long, I don't even know what to write. But keeping these feelings bottled up, it felt like I was going to burst.
'I hope I can talk to him someday.'
If Victoria's fans, whose wish was just to hear her voice once, found out, they would be in tears.
"Ughhh."
The dog beastkin Baron, the troll DonkeyGalller, who had been passed out in the corner of the camp, regained consciousness.
"Uooooh!"
Due to his missing teeth and the alcohol he drank before coming to the camp, his entire mouth was sore, and he couldn't even pronounce words properly.
"Are you awake?"
It was Serin.
"What were you thinking, attacking Saklasi?"
Serin asked, handing him water. It was a dog bowl.
'This defective piece of trash!'
She brought it because she didn't want to feed him directly since his limbs were broken, but thinking he was being treated like a dog, his eyes became bloodshot.
"His Excellency told me to wait patiently. Serin-gyeong, you don't need to worry about me anymore. Please leave now."
"Understood. Vice-Manager."
.
.
The troll DonkeyGalller was angry.
'How did the situation end up like this.'
'What did I do so wrong!'
'Even the Emperor lives while being cursed at!'
'How can you believe that!'
'You bastards who would even believe the earth is flat!'
'You guys wouldn't have believed it from the start either!'
The troll DonkeyGalller's wailing echoed through the empty camp space. Although, because he couldn't pronounce words properly, it was just "Uooooh! Uooooh!" sounds.
Serin, who had returned out of concern at the sound, saw his angry face, clicked her tongue, said one word, and closed the door again.
"Live your whole life just blaming others!"
Bang!
DonkeyGalller was wailing while glaring at the side where Serin had closed the door until the very end.
Just then, a shadow began to wriggle in one corner of the camp.
Soon, four horns slowly rose from within the shadow.
It was a Demon, a lower-level demon characterized by four horns. The Demon had snuck into the Koopong camp, accidentally heard about the Secret Defender, and had been holding its breath, waiting for an opportunity.
"Uooo—!! Uooo—!!! Uooo—!!!!!"
No matter how much he screamed, no one looked in anymore.
The Demon slowly approached the dog beastkin, who was wriggling with his whole body broken.
The reason Serin was assigned to the 「Busanosk」 Koopong camp as a Secret Defender was precisely because of this Demon.
Before Saklasi entered the Koopong camp, a missing person report came in from near an orphanage, and the Defenders judged this incident to be the work of a demon. At the request of the Defenders, who judged that the demon that hadn't been caught yet wouldn't just pass by the Soi tribe members entering the Koopong camp, Katerina had sent Serin.
On the first day she arrived at the camp, the Demon was surprised. There was a previous guest who had arrived first. It was the Devil, a mid-level demon.
As a lower-level demon, the Demon couldn't eat in a place that the mid-level demon Devil had already claimed. Shadow movement wasn't easy either, so while it was just trying to figure out how to escape, at some point, that Devil was no longer visible.
'Now it's my turn!'
But that was only for a moment; the Soi tribe members always moved in groups, so it wasn't easy to approach. Even so, they were just ability-less people, so it wouldn't lose no matter how many Soi tribe members there were, but if a commotion occurred, that Secret Defender would come running.
It felt like it was going to lose its reason because it was so hungry. Just as it was thinking, 'Should I just eat anyone?', an opportunity arrived.
The dog beastkin with his whole body broken had been left alone.
The Demon stretched its large mouth wide and put the troll DonkeyGalller's head in one bite.
Kkiik.
The troll DonkeyGalller wailed, feeling the pain of his head slowly being crushed by the pressure.
"Uooooh—!"
DonkeyGalller blamed Saklasi even in the moment he was being eaten by the Demon. If he had been in a normal physical state, he, a dog beastkin and electric ability user, would never have been eaten by a mere Demon; it was all because of that guy!
Finally, the official announcement was made that Saklasi Stan would be proclaimed Archduke. At the same time, an official document arrived at the 「Raigen」 Kingdom.
The briefly summarized content was as follows.
The current king of your country, Albrecht Laiju Raigen, shall abdicate immediately.
[Omitted]
All airports and ports of your country are designated as logistics hubs under the jurisdiction of Archduke Saklasi Stan's Koopong.
[Omitted]
Your country shall import all Koopong items duty-free.
[Omitted]
The entire territory of your country is designated as extraterritorial and shall follow the laws of the Empire.
[Omitted]
.
.
.
"What on earth is this situation!"
Hearing the news of the official document, all the ministers and officials of the 「Raigen」 Kingdom gathered at the royal castle.
At the noisy situation outside, Albrecht squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn't the time to be giving up. He couldn't lose his dignity by showing his injured body.
"Bring the Elixir, the whole thing. I cannot be looked down upon by the ministers."
It was said that those requesting an audience were packed into the royal throne room. He couldn't just leave it be, so he had to go out.
Albrecht drank the Elixir in one gulp. His body, which would have required a lifetime of recuperation, was completely healed at once.
Thus, showing the aura of a Holy ability user, he went straight to the throne room. Given the warlike nature of 「Raigen」, it was obvious they would resist the Empire. He had to avoid provoking the Empire's displeasure any further.
"Your Majesty, what on earth is going on!"
"Isn't this basically a colony! What on earth happened!"
"Even if it is the Empire, they cannot force the King of a kingdom to abdicate as they please! Shouldn't we fight to the death!"
"What are you saying! Didn't we say we must not become enemies with the Empire!"
Before he could even enter the throne room and sit on the throne, the subjects were bickering with each other.
"Stop."
At Albrecht's words, the throne room went quiet in an instant. The dignity of a Mythic Awakening Holy ability user was still absolute.
But the situation was the situation. Some ministers were in a posture of fighting to the death against the Empire, just like King Albrecht before he met Saklasi.
The temperament of a white weasel beastkin wouldn't change easily.
However, this time, he really shouldn't provoke the Empire's displeasure.
'So-taeyang' involves even innocent civilians. It's difficult to use carelessly. But that monster's [Wish] is....
"It is all my fault. If the 「Raigen」 Kingdom is to maintain even its existence in the future, we must accept all of the Empire's official documents."
"What on earth happened!"
"Is the Empire finally committing tyranny?"
"Are they revealing their ambition to unify the world?"
'How do I persuade them.' It was when Albrecht's worries were deepening.
"King Albrecht and the officials of 「Raigen」, come out immediately and welcome His Excellency Archduke Saklasi Stan!"
Along with a booming beastkin voice, knights wearing Imperial uniforms burst into the throne room. They were all high-ranking ability users, and each one of them emitted a strong aura like a sword blade.
And in front of them, a figure standing ahead with red hair fluttering. It was the Imperial Offenser Captain, Marina.
"Long time no see. King Albrecht of 「Raigen」."
"Th-this, what kind of rudeness is this!"
"Even if you are an Imperial Princess, isn't this treatment too much!"
The officials protested, but it was useless.
The lion beastkin who had spoken with a booming voice just a moment ago notified them once again.
"His Excellency the Archduke has already arrived at the port next to the royal castle. Do not make him wait long!"
"The port? Did he bring a battleship or something?"
"No."
Marina paused for a beat and continued.
"He brought a tsunami."
"A-a tsunami?"
"What kind of nonsense is that!"
"Are you saying he can handle a tsunami? Is he a Holy water ability user?"
"Holy ability user? Ahahahat!"
Marina laughed as if it were amusing, then corrected them once again.
"He is the Transcendent of Water."