Your Name Is No Coincidence
Your Majesty!
Your name is no coincidence.
Establish the Kim clan imperial dynasty upon the continent.
The founding emperor of the Kim clan dynasty: Emperor Kim Hwang-je.
What a magnificent resonance it has!
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Kim Hwang-je of the Empire of Emperors.
Conquer the continent!
At the perfect moment, the eunuch let out a flattering fart.
Kim Hwang-je snorted in response.
What is this, the factory director of a soy sauce factory?
Still, Kim Emperor did sound a little more plausible than Kim Prince.
No one could deny it.
But even in a small company, acting like the boss often meant going bald. That was the harsh reality of life.
To become emperor over such a vast continent, would he have to walk through blood-soaked storms and turmoil?
His stomach ached at the thought.
He had ten thousand people to feed and keep alive.
When he checked with World Observation, it was, of all times, mealtime in that world.
Warm smoke from cooking rice rose from the entire castle.
Neat square rice paddies and waterways were already under construction, making the place look like a proper living world for humans.
The sight filled him with quiet satisfaction.
Yeah. Just like I’ve found a way every time until now, I’ll find one again.
Kim Hwang-je picked up the item from his pocket and stepped forward.
“Let’s inspect the items first. I wonder if these will even work against the enemy?”
They were all tributes from Gemini and Dave.
Maybe they really were made with rural village technology?
“The Emperor’s formal robes, the necklace, the scepter, the crown. What about these?”
It is beautiful.
“…Thanks, but… what level are we talking about?”
It is a basic item set for successors.
Kim Hwang-je scratched his head.
A basic item set?
“Basic? That’s it?”
With the exception of a single item, these are growth-type artifacts that become stronger alongside the Prince.
“Become stronger together.”
He remembered the explanation that the hidden power of objects would reveal itself as his intelligence increased.
Ah. So that was the legend behind them.
They were items meant to nurture newcomers.
No wonder the dragon had gone on about a demigod main body.
At a glance, they really did look like gear for an alternate character.
“Then what’s the one exception?”
The First Law. It is the Calamity Slaying Scepter. You have obtained a treasure. Congratulations.
Ah, the scepter!
Kim Hwang-je lifted the golden scepter he was holding and examined it.
A heavy golden rod with a palm resting on top, its index finger raised straight up.
“I could use this instead of a golden bat.”
“You must not!”
Benedict waved his hands in alarm.
To think of swinging such a priceless treasure like a club!
“But this thing isn’t some magic flute. All it does is make people dance.”
It wasn’t some toy from an online game.
The bizarre item whose only function was to create scenes of mass dancing with strange skills.
It didn’t even grant additional stats.
“Conducting ceremonies as emperor is one of the most important aspects of legitimacy. Furthermore, this can turn war into a festival.”
Kim Hwang-je suddenly imagined himself appearing between two territories engaged in a land war and declaring, I have come to end this war, while setting up a dance floor.
Hmm…
A tentacle (?) from Gairam slowly emerged and gently stroked the scepter.
The First Law is currently silent. A Ruby Salon is required to support the scepter.
“Ruby Salon?”
Kim Hwang-je tilted his head at the unfamiliar term.
“Your Majesty. It is the term used by the empire’s mages—the Archaists—for facilities built to support the emperor. A tower constructed from magical rubies is called a Ruby Salon.”
“Ah, so we just need to build a magic tower.”
Kim Hwang-je stared at the scepter.
“What makes this thing so important?”
The true symbols of the emperor are six: the imperial crown, the scepter, the ring, the treasured sword, the orb, and the imperial seal.
“Oh. So I already have two out of the six?”
Kim Hwang-je’s face brightened.
No. The crown becomes complete by consuming the crowns of all others. And the scepters must be gathered—five in total—to become one.
Kim Hwang-je remembered how this Emperor’s Crown had devoured the Gaya Gold Crown.
So the crown was like an entry ticket to a battle royale that swallowed other crowns, while the scepter was a set item that only activated once five were collected.
He would need to collect the crowns of other Demon Kings to complete one, and gather five scepters.
Kim Hwang-je understood immediately.
Prince Kim Hwang-je’s Calamity Slaying Scepter is an artifact capable of commanding Calamity. It is a treasure other successors are actively tracking.
“Hoo…”
The Calamity commanded by the Calamity Slaying Scepter can cover the emperor’s body to enable stealth movement, and can suppress or wield calamities at will.
Kim Hwang-je swallowed hard as he looked once more at the gleaming golden scepter.
Ah. So that was why Katima had freaked out when she saw this scepter and the Calamity it summoned.
She had no choice but to be terrified; he was holding a weapon used by higher successors.
It seemed that because Kim Hwang-je was still weak, he could not yet fully sense the majesty of the Calamity.
Still, it was a treasure sought after by the higher successors…
“…I’m screwed.”
Treasures brought chaos and destruction.
It was a universal law.
Greed created sin.
“Now that they’ve seen this, the Howling bastards will come at me with their lives on the line…”
Kim Hwang-je chewed his lip.
If they attacked, how would he deal with them?
The only answer was the Ultra Emperor transformation.
“Creating a magic tower with Grim might be tricky…”
Kim Hwang-je suddenly lifted his head.
“Wait. Stealth?”
Yes. If you cover your body with Calamity, stealth movement becomes possible.
“Come forth, Melancholy Bard!”
“Uuuu…”
The cloth spirit appeared before Kim Hwang-je.
He pointed the scepter at the spirit and asked.
“Can you help my avatar move in stealth?”
“Uuuu…”
Kim Hwang-je sat back in his chair and awakened in his doll form.
“Mm, it really is much more energetic. Come here, Calamity.”
When the cloth spirit wrapped around the doll, its entire body turned pitch black.
The moaning sound of “uuu” was clearly audible.
Yes. As much as you desire… Master…
The sweet voice whispered right beside his ear, sending goosebumps racing from his spine to his tailbone.
“Can you change the face shape too?”
Of course… I can also block all traces of presence and external magic power…
The face quickly changed from Kim Hwang-je’s own to that of an ordinary person.
Black skin covered the body and altered its color; from the outside, there was no way to tell it apart.
“This should even block gigantification, right? Wait, let me check.”
Kim Hwang-je teleported back into the dungeon.
He stood inside the dungeon, but his body did not grow colossal.
The power of the other world was not entering the doll.
“It works! It really works!”
Kim Hwang-je inhaled the refreshing forest air beyond the dungeon before severing the connection.
He returned to his original body, retrieved the doll, and came back.
Benedict greeted him warmly.
“How did the experiment go?”
“It’s perfect! When I cover myself with Calamity, I can travel to the other world in doll form. The only problem is that I can’t log out—no, I can’t use The Castle Becomes Me!”
“Then you must train your personal martial prowess!”
Huh? It turned out like that?
The sparkling eyes were completely serious.
All the magic and healing Kim Hwang-je used were purchased through The Castle Becomes Me.
If he moved around as a clone, he would be unable to use magic or healing spells through that skill.
What the hell, this really is an alt character?
Was Kim Hwang-je hiding his true power?
Or perhaps the Ultra Emperor was actually stronger than the main body.
Kim Hwang-je scratched his head vigorously.
He would think about that later.
“Anyway, now that I can go in, there’s something I need to do.”
Kim Hwang-je grinned as he looked at Benedict.
“That Ruby Salon thing. We’ll make it with rubies, right?”
“Many gems are required, but rubies are the primary component, as far as I know.”
“When it comes to gems, I should contact that friend.”
“Oh…? You have such a good friend?”
“Yes. I just caught him.”
Shall we take a look at our dragon friend Nax’s treasure vault!
A refreshing breeze.
Clouds brushed against his face.
It felt good.
Cold clouds grazed the tip of his nose.
His clothes were already soaked, yet he felt no chill at all.
Kim Hwang-je sat atop a palanquin.
The golden palanquin swayed in the wind.
It had been installed directly on Nax’s back.
And amid the sharp whistling wind came the loud, roaring cries of the defeated loser.
“No! No! You can’t!! My treasure! My treasure! Body! Why do you disobey my commands! My own flesh!”
Nax flew through the sky at a size roughly half an apartment.
“You have to, idiot!”
The recovered hunter and artisan were also riding on Nax’s neck.
The hunter stomped on the back of Nax’s neck and shouted.
“You dragon wench. It felt good to hit us when we were carrying out His Majesty’s orders, didn’t it? This is His Majesty’s dignity.”
The enormous yellow eyes glared at the hunter.
The hunter glared right back.
With His Majesty right behind him, there was nothing to fear.
The artisan watched the scene and let out a deep sigh.
“Like children.”
“What does it matter? Not rejoicing in His Majesty’s victory is treason!”
“…Of course I’m happy. But it is a shame that I can no longer serve. Surely an opportunity will come…”
The artisan muttered in a low voice.
Then he spoke threateningly.
“You talk too much for a defeated lizard. You can’t disobey orders anyway, can you? It would be better to behave nicely.”
“Even the subordinates of that demigod bastard intend to toy with me?”
“Heh heh…”
The artisan lifted the corner of his mouth in a sneer.
“Kill me instead! I would rather die than suffer this humiliation!”
“When the time comes, I will do it myself. Your hide looks quite… useful.”
With a pale white index finger, the artisan stroked the dragon’s back.
The dragon wore a prisoner’s uniform—white with black horizontal stripes.
Prisoner uniform number 218.
It contained powerful binding magic.
Thanks to it, Nax flew smoothly through the sky toward her own lair.
Any monster registered in the Monster Management Window had to obey its owner without question.
That rule applied even to dragons.
No matter what the mouth said, it could not refuse a direct order.
Kim Hwang-je sat on the palanquin and looked down.
In the distance, for some reason, a volcano that looked exactly like a dragon’s lair burned fiercely.
Kim Hwang-je asked.
“Oh, Nax. Is that your nest?”
“Aaaah… I have finally been brought this far. I’ve been dragged into the fight between Princes and am going to die…”
“Wait a second. There’s another Prince? They were after you?”
Instead of answering, Nax flapped her wings powerfully and led them toward her lair.
As they descended below the clouds, a small volcano burned brightly atop a vast blue forest.
Inside the volcano, a massive staircase-like path led to a cave halfway up the mountain.
On both sides of the path stood green trees and huts that looked completely out of place for a dragon’s lair.
Nax shouted from the air.
“Pitiful elves! I have lost! Everyone run! Hurry!”
Elves emerged from the towers.
Men, women, elderly and young, all armed with wooden armor and bows.
So the dragon had been protecting the elves of Shirayen Forest?
Kim Hwang-je scratched his neck.
This was the first time he had seen anything like it…
The elves’ cries rang out from every direction.
“Sister Nax! That evil Demon King bastard…!”
“Let’s fight to the death! We will protect our dragon sister!”
The elves stepped forward with bows drawn.
Nax descended while roaring at the top of her lungs.
“Run away! You fools! He is a Prince strong enough to defeat me! There is no way you can fight him…! Please…! Run! Hurry!”
Tears streamed down Nax’s face.
“Nock your arrows! We cannot let Lady Nax live as a slave! We will all die here today!”
The elves steeled their resolve to resist to the end.
As elves rose between the towers and aimed their arrows, the arrowheads sparkled in the sunlight.
“Fools… fools… why…”
Watching them, Nax sobbed.
Tears poured from eyes the size of a large bear.
From below, it looked like raindrops falling.
“It seems there are circumstances here, Your Majesty.”
Sir Benedict’s eyes sparkled brightly.
They said older people cried more easily.
Or maybe that wasn’t it.
“I guess so…”
Kim Hwang-je patted Nax’s neck.
“Hey, calm down. Stop for a moment. I won’t hurt you.”
“Kaaaaak!”
Nax only rampaged harder, venting her fury.
Hot breath poured out in waves.
“Princes… you all say that while sucking the souls of elves…! Are you trying to trick me again!”
But the prison uniform forced Nax to halt in midair.
“No, look. This time you tried to rob me and got beaten instead. Why were you looking for a Prince anyway?”
Kim Hwang-je gave her a pointed jab and glanced at Benedict.
“Sigh… what do I have to do to make you believe me? Ah, Mr. Benedict. Could you show them some holy light?”
“With pleasure…”
Benedict stepped forward and radiated the brilliant glow of holy power.
The elves froze at the sight of the dazzling Benedict and Kim Hwang-je floating in the sky.
“…Holy light?”
The elves slowly lowered their arrows.
Nax stammered in confusion.
“Not a… Demon King? A Prince of Light…?”
While Nax stood there with her mouth open, Kim Hwang-je climbed atop the dragon’s head.
Behind him, Benedict’s light shone down like a spotlight.
Kim Hwang-je shouted in a loud, clear voice.
“Behold the light, elves of Shirayen! Let us solve together the crisis that threatens to engulf this world!”
Because the world was so dark,
even the smallest flame appeared brilliantly bright. Perhaps that was a small mercy.
Kim Hwang-je smiled from atop the dragon’s head.