Chapter 433
Chapter 433. Emperor’s Expedition
On that day, the imperial capital, Kuhron, was enveloped in an unusual heat.
The Emperor’s expedition—a personal crusade by Emperor Kaizan against the neighboring nation.
It was a clear sky, devoid of clouds, as if the gods themselves were bestowing their blessings. And rightly so; statistically, it was the most favorable day for the capital’s expedition.
The streets were flooded with residents, eagerly awaiting the appearance of their beloved Emperor.
And then—the moment arrived.
From the Emperor’s residence, the “Floating Palace,” troops began to pour forth in droves. A parade that would be etched in the annals of imperial history commenced at long last.
Leading the way was the Royal Guard, adorned in magnificent ceremonial armor. Knights, wielding long spears suited for cavalry charges, mounted on large horses, marched in an orderly fashion. Clad in red surcoats bearing the imperial emblem, the knights also adorned their steeds in matching horse blankets. The sight of a united cavalry, their hooves echoing in sync, was simply breathtaking, hinting at a high level of training.
Following closely were the Light Blade Cult’s monks, dressed in armor over their red robes, brandishing polished silver swords and shields. These were the upper-tier cultists who had awakened their holy attributes before being captured by the Holy Church, each a magic warrior honed through rigorous training. Their perfectly aligned march, down to the angle of their feet, radiated a divine aura, as they scattered silver glimmers like heavenly messengers.
And then—a massive carriage, heavily guarded by the Royal Guards, rumbled into the main street, the sound of its heavy wheels clattering.
It was an unprecedented two-story, eight-horse-drawn carriage. Crafted with intricate wooden carvings by master artisans, with lavish use of gold leaf, whether one deemed its design majestic or garish was left to personal judgment. At the very least, it was favorably received in the imperial capital, considered a fitting carriage for the Emperor.
What drew the most attention was the bronze statue that sat atop the carriage. Adorned similarly with gold leaf and jewels, it depicted a magnificent figure clad in full armor.
It was the statue of the Empire’s founder, the hero and first Emperor, Kaizan.
The statue depicted him stepping on the head of a dragon while holding the Holy Sword aloft. Remarkably, the Holy Sword grasped in the statue’s hand was an authentic one forged by dwarf smiths. One could only wonder what the dwarven blacksmiths felt crafting a sword solely for the decoration of the Emperor’s carriage—but at least they didn’t skimp on their work; the blade sparkled finely in the sunlight.
Beneath the statue of Kaizan, the front part of the second floor of the carriage resembled a circular balcony, where Emperor Rieken Hoshutoren Ryod Kaizan graciously waved to the throngs of onlookers filling the street.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”
“Glory to the Empire!”
“Justice for the wicked!”
A resounding cheer.
Most residents of the capital, under stringent media control, firmly believed that this expedition aimed to vanquish the wicked nobles infesting the Hamilton Duchy and “liberate” them from tyranny.
Justice and righteousness were embodied in our Emperor!
From every window of the tall buildings lining the main street, colorful flower petals rained down, showering the parade in joyous celebration.
Camellias, Linderas, Wisterias, Crossandras—these were not natural blooms but cultivated greenhouse flowers specially prepared in large quantities for this day. With the vibrant petals under the blue sky, it was as if the capital was painted in vivid hues.
Not only did this glorious day become even more splendid, but the petals also brought delight to the citizenry, fluttering down to knights and steeds alike, only to fall and be trampled under hooves, boots, and wheels.
Thus, the Emperor’s entourage slowly made their way through the capital, eventually coming to a halt on the outskirts.
After a brief rest, they began to switch from ceremonial gear to practical travel attire, loading actual combat equipment onto the supply wagons in preparation for their serious departure.
While the commoners bustling around scrambled to make the necessary preparations, the supreme Emperor Rieken lounged on a sofa on the second floor of the carriage.
“At long last, the day has come… I’ve waited for this moment,” he exclaimed.
As he held out a crystal glass, a court lady came forward and poured him some fifty-year-old Ahrien-Beemi.
Raising the glass high, the Emperor took a hearty gulp. It was a high-quality, rich drink. Although Rieken had a personal principle of abstaining from alcohol during the day for his health, today was special. It marked the beginning of his first-ever campaign, a crucial step in his ambitions.
—He recalled the meeting regarding the annexation of the Hamilton Duchy.
‘In this invasion operation, I will command from the front lines.’
At Rieken’s declaration, the high-ranking officials exchanged glances, clearly hesitant to voice any objections.
Had it been a question of, “I’m thinking of commanding from the front lines; what do you think?” they might have voiced their dissent. Instead, Rieken had made it an assertion, thus clearly expressing his resolute intention.
Unless there was an exceptionally strong reason, opposing him could easily be considered an act of disrespect.
“While it may not trouble Your Majesty, I would humbly suggest…”
The only one who dared to speak modestly was the elderly chancellor.
“Indeed, I understand what you’re suggesting. There are two reasons for this.”
Rieken smiled, as if to say, “No need to worry.”
“First, in place of the late Emperor, I wish to witness the culmination of the Light Blade Cult’s monks with my own eyes.”
—The Light Blade Cult.
This was one of the policies led by the late Emperor to detach from the Holy Church. Establishing a state religion that would prevent the Holy Church from taking individuals who awakened their holy attributes during their coming-of-age rites was the goal.
While the Holy Church claimed neutrality in politics, it held significant influence over many nations. This was not only due to their military strength against humanity’s foes, but their possession of a multitude of exceptional healers dubbed “priests” was another considerable factor.
Essentially, as the Holy Church dominated the medical field across nations, it could impose sanctions on those who opposed it by ceasing treatment or raising medical fees.
The late Emperor did not condone this exertion of influence. The Holy Church would take anyone who awakened their holy attributes during their adulthood ceremonies and educate them as priests or heroes, a monopolistic practice that prevented the state from securing valuable magic users.
Of course, it was indeed a long-established custom among human nations. The infusion of future leaders into the Holy Church has historically supported human prosperity.
However, allowing useful talents to be seized was not something that sat well with any nation.
Thus arose the Light Blade Cult.
As evidenced by the statue of the first Emperor Kaizan, the Kaizan family was of heroic lineage and well-versed in the “mechanics” of holy attributes.
Imitating the Holy Church’s practices wasn’t too difficult. Although the doctrines and rituals of the Light Blade Cult resembled those of the Holy Church, they emphasized the superiority of humans over other races, glorified service to the nation, and incorporated the belief that the authority of Emperor Kaizan was bestowed by the divine, enhancing the Emperor’s legitimacy with favorable doctrines.
Moreover, by offering slight tax reductions to cultists, they gradually began to pull citizens away from the Holy Church, ensuring that individuals underwent baptism in the Light Blade Cult rather than the Holy Church’s coming-of-age rite to secure holy attribute users (i.e., strong magic users).
Naturally, the Holy Church vehemently opposed this, employing various methods to obstruct it, but the Empire wouldn’t bow to such pressure. While there were tough times due to the cessation of medical practices, they had successfully nurtured upper-tier cultists, ensuring there were enough healers now.
Thus, the light blade monk force inherited from the previous Emperor—essentially, what the Holy Church called the “hero” brigade—was now being deployed in this invasion operation. The idea of utilizing heroes in inter-human conflicts was something previously unimaginable when relying entirely on the Holy Church.
Emperor Rieken was incredibly eager to witness their combat prowess firsthand.
—That was the late Emperor’s, and thus his father’s, lifelong ambition.
“The second reason… I am confident that our Imperial Army will swiftly suppress the Duchy. However, I also recognize that gaining control over the occupied territories and establishing effective rule will not be an easy task.”
At Rieken’s words, the high-ranking officials’ expressions became serious.
Everyone present understood that, from a military standpoint, defeating the Duchy’s troops would be difficult. However, the people of the Duchy had shown an audacious independent streak since their departure from the Empire, so resistance in the occupied territories was expected.
“The Duchy was once merely a province of the Empire. That is an undeniable fact, and I am the rightful ruler of the Duchy. However, simply handing over a note stating, ‘This land is henceforth part of the Empire,’ would not convince the rural nobles of Hamilton. Controlling the land is akin to controlling its people. To readily welcome this land as imperial territory, my prestige is essential.”
At the very least, Rieken truly believed that once he made his grand tour of Hamilton, the local nobles would become enraptured.
The high-ranking officials couldn’t dare utter “No, but…”
And so, the Emperor’s expedition was decisively confirmed.
Well… while it was undoubtedly more dangerous than remaining in the Floating Palace, it was determined that there was little risk as their military strength was excessive.
This invasion would be a blitzkrieg. They would gather forces along the border under the guise of large-scale maneuvers, invade, and efficiently take control of the southwestern part of the Duchy, seizing resources like mines.
With the Imperial Army’s two divisions—16,000 soldiers—alongside 300 Royal Guards and 200 Light Blade cult monks accompanying the Emperor, and additional forces from other imperial lords around the border, their total would rise to just under 20,000. Though this was only a portion of the Empire’s forces, it immensely surpassed the Duchy’s entire military capacity.
“Ancestors, Holy King Kaizan!”
Rieken stood up from the sofa, gazing up at the statue of the first Emperor, which loomed over him from the top of the carriage.
“I shall surely further refine this country passed down from you, bringing hope to humanity!”
To counter the Demon Lord’s army, the Empire must push forward with strengthening its wealth and military.
They would annex the Hamilton Duchy to acquire the mineral resources at their disposal.
While there might be some bloodshed along the way, if it ultimately led to the defeat of the Demon Lord’s army, so be it.
—Rieken firmly believed that it was for the sake of humanity.
“…If only Duke Oranio had managed the mineral monopoly or territorial concessions smoothly, we wouldn’t have to resort to such measures.”
Sitting back down, Rieken’s mood soured slightly as he tilted his cup.
Duke Oranio, the current ruler of the Hamilton Duchy, a puppet of the Empire. When he came to study at the Empire, he had been thoroughly turned into a convenient puppet…
Or so it was supposed to be.
It seemed that there truly were hopeless fools. He couldn’t even manage to obey the Empire’s wishes. Despite receiving funding to bribe the Duchy’s nobles, and even providing knights as direct combat power, he still found ways to make excuses, progressing slowly, and ultimately whining about lacking funds.
It was glaringly obvious that he was making slipshod efforts, intending to squeeze even more from the Empire.
“What an ungrateful wretch… He’s no king; just a petty pawn, utterly blind to the bigger picture…”
If one were to continue to mock the Empire, it was evident what fate awaited them.
“Well, it doesn’t matter.”
If subterfuge wouldn’t work, brute force would be the only option, and the preparations were underway.
Currently, the Hamilton Duchy was conducting martial arts tournaments and military exercises, with local lords’ armies gathering in the capital. The Duchy’s defenses were practically non-existent.
Although some defensive forces had been posted to the borders upon noticing the Imperial Army’s mass gathering under the guise of “exercises,” those were no more than wet paper when compared to the expeditionary force. They could easily be crushed.
And—once the invasion commenced, the Empire’s personnel inserted around Oranio would move into action as well.
Soon enough, Oranio would fall ill and die.
Even if a puppet, a king is still a king, and his death would undoubtedly bring chaos. The charismatic former Duke Graham was not in the capital but confirmed to be traveling, under the guise of a reforming journey. It wouldn’t be easy for him to return; even if he tried, he could be obstructed by Empire-affiliated spies or knights. Restoring order would be challenging.
Moreover, the rightful heir of the Duke was missing as well. It was no exaggeration to say the Duchy was already checkmated—
“Anyway, what on earth happened with Johannes?”
Sipping on the Ahrien-Beemi, Rieken tilted his head thoughtfully.
The truth was, when he invited former Duke Graham’s grandson, Johannes, to study at the Empire, it was in a carriage that fell off a cliff, leading to his disappearance.
However, the Empire had no involvement in this incident. The invitation was meant to serve as a hostage and a means of control, not as a murder plot.
Did the carriage truly fall due to an accident, or was it—
“Hehe.”
With his elbow propped against the armrest, Rieken wore a mischievous smirk.
“Well, even if it was orchestrated by the Duchy, Johannes would find it beyond his means to handle such a situation.”
If the political functions of the capital became paralyzed, the Nash-Ugo Alliance’s call for aid to the city-states around Aulitos Lake would also be delayed.
In the meantime, the Empire would leisurely conquer the mining regions, tightening their economic and military grip.
Within a year, the Duchy would undoubtedly raise the white flag—
Blood would be shed in the process, of course.
“The royal way is to save the great by sacrificing the small.”
Such feats could hardly be achieved by the common man. Only a select few—perfect and exalted beings—could guide the steer of a nation.
“In other words, that would be me.”
Rieken murmured melodiously, intoxicated by the fine wine and his own thoughts…
“Your Majesty, preparations are complete.”
Then, a butler directly under the Chancellor approached with a respectful voice.
“Indeed, make the necessary arrangements.”
Rieken nodded graciously.
As the command to depart spread, the expeditionary force began to move like a massive creature, stirring towards the south.
The gigantic carriage also began to glide smoothly along the paved street. Thanks to the spring mechanisms absorbing the vibrations, it provided an unexpectedly gentle ride.
Relaxing on the sofa and tilting his cup, the Emperor savored the beautiful scenery. Rich forests, golden fields, blue canals, and green mountains—all familiar views seen from the “Floating Palace,” now flowed past from a new angle, refreshing to behold.
However, just as the imperial capital Kuhron began to vanish from sight, the butler appeared again.
“Your Majesty, we are about to enter the wilderness. There may be sand and dust that could dirty Your Majesty’s eyes…”
“Very well. Let’s return inside.”
The Emperor stepped back into the carriage from the balcony.
At that moment, with a meaningful glance from the butler, the court ladies subtly nodded in understanding.
“—Your Majesty, would you care for a game?” one of the court ladies invited Rieken to the gaming board.
“Oh, how rare! But interesting. Very well. No need for me to hold back.”
“Of course. I will go all out.”
While the Emperor took his seat at the table, the other court ladies discreetly drew the curtains of the window.
So that the outside view could not be seen.
However, already focused on the game board, Rieken was blissfully unaware of this.
—Soon, the carriage approached a certain small village.
Despite its size, it was a deceptively poor and shabby village beyond what one would imagine from the imperial capital. The dwellings were nothing more than rundown shacks, the residents emaciated, their clothes torn and ragged, barely hanging together.
The village bore no name, only a number assigned to it. Most inhabitants were farmers who toiled vast fields, spending their lives paying taxes.
With a forewarning given, the villagers were all out, bowing along the roadside.
“What are we doing here?”
“The Emperor’s coming!”
“What’s an Emperor?”
“The most important person in this country!”
“Wow…”
Chatting amongst themselves, waiting in anticipation, they suddenly heard the rumble of the carriage and the sound of hooves, causing them to hastily lower their foreheads to the ground.
The Emperor, however, engrossed in the game and behind closed curtains, was completely oblivious to the scene outside—
“—Your Majesty!”
Suddenly, an elderly villager who had been prostrating dashed in front of the carriage.
“Please, lower our taxes! At this rate, we can’t survive the winter—”
But the carriage did not stop.
The horses trampled over the prostrate old man, and in an instant, the lifeless body was crushed beneath the wheels.
The carriage jolted violently.
“What in the…?!”
Even the spring mechanisms couldn’t absorb this shock. The carefully arranged pieces on the game board were thrown into chaos, and the Emperor frowned, puzzled.
“Your Majesty…”
The butler, looking truly remorseful, returned and bowed deeply.
“It seems the wheel has rolled over a stone at the roadside, disturbing Your Majesty’s peace. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience…!”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
Though the Emperor pressed his lips together in mild discontent, he eventually nodded graciously.
“Very well. Leaving the capital and traversing the lower world, such things are to be expected. I forgive it. Ensure the driver is aware.”
“Yes! Your gracious attitude is most appreciated…!!”
The butler stood up and, with a deep bow, stepped back.
The carriage continued moving without stopping, despite some jostling.
The Emperor had no way of knowing what had transpired.
The bloodstains on the wheels would surely be wiped away discreetly before the Emperor noticed.
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