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Chapter

424. The Nature of Kings

“Bweh, eh cough cough, what the heck are you doing, Alexander!!”

Arthur, who had dramatically choked, wiped his lemon-water-smeared mouth and shouted.

“Huh? What do you mean…”

— I only gave him a light pat on the shoulder, though?

But maybe I was being a bit too familiar… It’s not like we’re that close; it’s just my one-sided feeling of familiarity…

“I’m sorry; I was a bit discourteous to someone of higher standing.”

Having reflected on my actions, I lightly bowed my head to the Old Man.

“A bit? Just a bit?!”

“Hohohoho!!”

Arthur’s eyes went wide, while the Old Man laughed heartily, clutching his belly.

“No, no! It’s all good, it’s all good!!”

The Old Man continued to slap my back while laughing, but Arthur held his forehead with both hands and looked up at the heavens, flailing his arms around.

“Wait! Wait a second, Alexander! Just now you ‘confirmed’ something with me, didn’t you!? What on earth was that!? Who do you think this person is?!”

“Huh? Who do you mean…”

Well, I muttered under my breath.

“A royal directly appointed secret agent… right? Assigned to oversee local officials…”

Right? … Wait, is that possibly wrong…?

“Yes, indeed, Alex-kun! That’s correct!”

Ignoring a dumbfounded Arthur with his mouth agape, the Old Man nodded vigorously.

“In fact, most of us are made up of royal secret agents!”

“Is that so…!”

I managed to secure a statement straight from the horse’s mouth! But is it really okay for him to declare it so boldly…? Oh wait, this is probably my fault!

“Well—this is, after all, just between us…”

The Old Man stroked his impressive white beard and playfully winked.

“However, since I’ve become too well-known in the city of Sebai—heh—everyone on this ship has become quite formal. It’s rather helpful for us that you interact with us as casually as you do, Alex-kun. Please, continue to keep that attitude.”

“Okay… If that’s the case, leave it to me! I excel at that sort of thing!”

Given the hopeful looks directed at me, I responded with a bright smile. It’s easier to work when I’m encouraged like that!

“Thank you.”

“Oh no, not at all. I’m just glad! Honestly, I was worried that you might be a much more important figure than you seem.”

“Hohoho.”

“Alexander…”

Arthur let out a sigh of exasperation, as if he was about to say something, but then he simply rubbed his forehead and fell silent.

(—At that moment, behind Alexander, the Old Man Milt, with a sly smile, pointed a finger to his lips in a shushing manner toward Arthur.)

“Don’t worry, here I’m just a mere old man, relying on the power of the ‘King’ to act all high and mighty…”

Heh, there’s a hint of self-deprecation in the Old Man’s words. Maintaining a cheerful demeanor while hinting at a darker undertone――

What’s going on? Does he not actually like the King that much…?

“Setting that aside, I wanted to thank you, Alex-kun.”

Instantly dissipating the dark undertones, the Old Man turned to face me.

“I hear you’ve found and eliminated the Night Elf who worked for the Ark Deacon Trading Company. Thanks to that, both the trading company and the local government fell into chaos, making our movements considerably easier. Thank you.”

“Not at all, it was merely me doing what I could.”

To be honest, the whole trading company issue was just a side thing for me. It was thanks to the Old Man’s efforts that we could eradicate the city’s infectious diseases.

“But I’m glad it was of help.”

“Indeed. It’s reassuring to travel with heroes like you and Arthur-kun. If anything else comes up, I’ll rely on you then. …I hope there won’t be any need for that. Hohoho.”

The Old Man laughed heartily as he took his leave. Arthur let out an excessively pathetic sigh. What’s wrong with him since earlier?

“Hmmfuhuhuh…”

And Antendeixis let out some ominous chuckles.

What’s up with the atmosphere around us? Hey, Antendeixis, what’s going on? If you’ve noticed something, you need to share it!

“Hnn! Well… I cannot say for certain just yet… I don’t want to give you any strange preconceptions. I’ll tell you once I know for sure, so you should rest easy… heh.”

I better hope that’s true~~!

I really can’t trust him in situations like this… Seriously.

What a troublesome guy.

†††

North, north from the Hamilton principality――crossing rugged mountain ranges, through wilderness and plains, after skipping over several towns, lies that capital.

The Imperial Capital, Kuron.

The very heart of the Kaizaan Empire.

It was a splendid, rational, and uniform city. The urban planning was meticulously organized, with every road laid out in a grid pattern. There were no back alleys or side streets, and everything from the design of the homes, the building materials, the arrangement of windows, and even the number of trees in gardens and the trimming of hedges was permitted under a specific order.

The streets exude a steadfast belief—and indeed, an obsession—of governing powers that control everything.

As expected from an imperial capital, the city was bursting with vitality. People dressed in clean white clothing, the markets brimmed with food, and clear water gushed from fountains scattered throughout the city.

Every small road was thoroughly cleaned, and, of course, there were no signs of homeless or ruffians. At the central university, potential bureaucrats received an excellent education, and aspiring artists in art schools trained day and night. The theaters were bustling with operas performed day and night, filled with spectators. A city that had matured culturally—

However, despite its developments, Kuron’s history was short. As evidenced by the straight canal running through the center, this city had been built from nothing upon the barren wilderness.

Around three hundred years ago, during the time when the Empire annexed neighboring countries and significantly expanded its territory, the Emperor at the time deeply desired to move the capital to the center of the newly revised lands, an uninhabitable wilderness.

Simply put, it was due to the fact that it was geographically in the center of the nation.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the Empire had both the wealth and power to make that happen. The first massive investment went into constructing this grand canal. To settle a large population in arid land, both a water supply and logistics were absolutely necessary.

Before the Emperor could witness the completion of the grand canal, he passed away, and the construction of the city had to await the next Emperor’s ascension.

Ultimately, the completion of the Imperial Capital Kuron occurred two generations later, about two hundred years ago. Since then, successive emperors made slight adjustments to the city according to their preferences, while maintaining the architectural philosophy of the time, allowing it to grow into one of the top-class metropolises, not only in the Empire but also on the continent.

However, the land was originally an area where no human could inhabit. The barren soil was unsuitable for cultivation and couldn’t produce enough food to sustain the population. The arid climate hardly ever brought rain, thus failing to supply the vital water resources needed for survival.

The grand canal served to forcefully resolve all of these issues. Water drawn from other rivers and lakes in the country, even at the cost of drying them up, nourished the land of Kuron, bringing in grains, meats, wines, and various delicacies gathered from all over the nation.

It was a paradise on earth, where only a handful of elites and their underlings were permitted to reside—an amalgamation of the riches, power, and resources of the nation.

Massive resources were expended daily, merely to maintain this city.

The Imperial Capital Kuron was, without a doubt, the brain and heart of the Empire— and also a lump of excess fat.

Among such an emperial city, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly the Emperor’s castle, the “Floating Palace.”

In the central area of the city, upon a gigantic bridge spanning the canal, stood an ivory-white castle. The bridge appeared weak in comparison to the size of the castle, giving the illusion that the castle was floating in midair.

Hence, it is called the “Floating Palace.”

The bridge supporting the castle emitted a faint phosphorescent glow, and those in the know would recognize that it was a magical protection that should typically be cast upon castle walls.

A rare magic used to strengthen a strategic location only served to enhance structural integrity, creating a sight that would leave the kings and nobles of smaller nations fainting.

In an already otherworldly city like the Imperial Capital Kuron, there was a palace that hovered in the sky, forbidden for commoners to enter. And at its pinnacle, there was a space with a glass-domed ceiling, a sort of indoor garden.

Inside, the temperature was regulated by the magic of the court mages, making it perpetually spring-like, regardless of the season. Colorful flowers bloomed everywhere, butterflies flitted, and little birds chirped. Fruit trees grew modestly, with plentiful fruits that were purely for admiration, offering their sweet fragrance and vibrant colors for enjoyment.

If the city below could be called a paradise on earth, this place felt almost like heaven. A realm distinctly separated from the mundane world—

And this entire space belonged to a certain individual’s “private chamber.”

In the center of the garden, a middle-aged man, whose age was hard to determine, reclined on a soft sofa receiving a massage from a court lady while browsing documents. He probably was in his middle ages but looked quite young due to the makeup. Dressed in the finest silken garments, a crown adorned with gold, silver, and jewels shone radiantly upon his head.

This man was none other than the one who reigned at the pinnacle of the Kaizaan Empire’s hierarchy—

Emperor Rieken Hoshutoren Ryod Kaizan.

“Arena Kingdom has been annihilated.”

The Emperor murmured in a voice as beautiful as a tenor singer’s and threw the documents aside as if he had lost interest. One of the court ladies quietly picked it up.

“Indeed. Their lands were ravaged by the Demon Lord Army, and the royal army was decimated, losing 90% of their strength. King Monkuakka VII is also said to have died in battle.”

It was the hoarse voice of an obese old Chancellor.

“What an anticlimactic end. To think they boasted of being the most martial nation in the central continent, it’s laughable.”

The Emperor curled his lipstick-coated lips into a cold smile.

“No, considering they were a small nation, shouldn’t we say they held on well?”

The old Chancellor tried to joke. In any case, sympathy or pity was far from their demeanor; a smirking air accompanied the Emperor.

“…What about that?”

The Emperor inquired, glancing at the document still in the Chancellor’s hand, leaning his chin on his palm.

“As usual, it’s a letter from the Holy Church.”

“More beggars, huh?”

With a face showing weariness, the Emperor reluctantly extended his hand to at least glance through it, and the Chancellor respectfully handed over the letter.

“…Hmph. As expected, it’s trivial.”

However, halfway through reading, he snorted, shredded the document with his own hands, and the court ladies gathered the pieces.

“Every time they open their mouths, it’s nothing but about donations; it makes me sick. If they’d had some success to show for their efforts, it might’ve been worth supporting.”

“That’s true. Both the allied armies and the Holy Church are spineless. They keep getting pushed around by the Demon Lord Army…”

—The Emperor and the old Chancellor exchanged glances. There was almost a sense of predetermined harmony between them.

“It seems our Empire shall have to rise.”

Nodding in response to the Emperor’s words, the Chancellor agreed.

“Currently, there isn’t anyone in the alliance suitable to be our ‘leader.’”

“A leader, huh? The Holy Kingdom no longer has that qualification.”

The Emperor lifted his hand in front of him.

Magic power stirred.

Gathering at his fingertips.

“[Come, holy radiance, to this hand].”

— A silver light flickered within his hand.

For a moment, he played with the silver light, sketching figures of flowers and birds.

“Old frameworks are no longer needed.”

With a puff, he scattered the silver light, settling back on the sofa as he declared.

“I and my Empire are the ones deserving of being the new leaders.”

“Indeed.”

“And what about the progress afterward?”

“The training of the Light Blade Cultists is going smoothly. The healer squad will soon become a battalion.”

“Wonderful.”

“And just a moment ago, I received a report that a settlement of cat-type Beastmen lurking in the southeastern mountainous region was discovered, and our local legion attacked and annihilated every last one.”

“Wonderful!”

The Emperor clapped his knees.

“We have no need for potential collaborators of the Demon Lord Army in our Empire. We must continue the extermination.”

“Understood. — Next, regarding the equipment updates for the aging local legions, things are not going well.”

The old Chancellor wore a rather perplexed expression.

“Due to repeated defeats of the allied forces, the demand has skyrocketed, and while mineral resource prices have surged, the reality is that it has become simply difficult to obtain. Even though craftsmen are available, materials are in short supply.”

“Hmph… We’ve nearly exhausted the notable mines within the country already.”

“Indeed, that’s right… the notable mines within the country…”

The Emperor and the old Chancellor exchanged quiet glances once more.

In that overly cold, sharp, knife-like atmosphere—

Even the court ladies, who served with delicate smiles, couldn’t help but stiffen their faces.

“Ready for drills?”

“Everything is progressing smoothly. The Royal Guard will leave the Imperial Capital tomorrow and head to the site.”

“Good. Has there been a response from the puppet?”

“Not yet. I wonder… Is it simply delayed, or do they lack the self-awareness to be a puppet, or perhaps—”

The old Chancellor smiled slyly.

It was terrifyingly cold.

“Hmph. In any case, there’s not much that will change.”

As he spoke, the Emperor turned his gaze toward a table beside the sofa.

There lay a map.

A map encompassing the vast Kaizaan Empire, including the surrounding nations.

“Hehe…”

The Emperor’s lips twisted into a red smile—but his gaze was not set upon his beloved Empire.

Just slightly to the south.

— The Hamilton Principality.

“The time has come to unite another nation.”

That country, bordered by mountains from the Empire, was a treasure trove of mineral resources and the gateway to the Mother Lake Aulitos—

“And I shall claim dominance over the continent— my Empire will annihilate the Demon Lord Army.”

The Emperor smiled.

Beautifully, cheerfully.

With a face that showed unwavering faith in his own justice.

 

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