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The Crown Prince Wants to Retire

33. The Emperor’s Death

There was no mercy left for Kariel, who had proven himself the closest to the throne.

As if it had all been a joke until now, he began to seriously deploy the Inspection Department.

At the same time, he used the Security Brigade and the military to prepare for any potential issues that might arise.

Of course, they weren’t just arresting anyone.

If they captured everyone who had been tolerated until now, there would be no nobles left. Thus, they specifically targeted only those who had vehemently opposed Kariel.

However, among the nobles, there were still those who hadn’t come to their senses. Especially the high nobility, who, in such cases, would have Kariel personally intervene.

“P-Please, Your Highness! Just this once, mercy…”

“Do you expect mercy from me?”

The moment he declared that there would be no more mercy in the Grand Council Meeting, their fate was sealed. After confirming the charges from the inspector beside him, Kariel replied with a chilling smile.

“A real scoundrel.”

Kariel looked at the high noble being apprehended this time.

Seeing a noble begging for mercy made him chuckle scornfully.

In a situation where one should be begging for their life, here was a piece of trash asking for just this one favor.

While others were guilty of minor crimes, this guy was truly vile.

He played games with the poor, and if someone caught his eye, he would treat them like a slave under the pretense of demanding repayment. Moreover, he also invested in smugglers heading south through intermediaries.

Until now, he had managed to avoid capture by investing indirectly, but this time, he was simply out of luck.

Even when he flipped the central and southern markets upside down, he remained unscathed because the interest had originally been rooted in the East.

“Can’t have those interests just go away.”

“I’ll inform the judge.”

The inspector lowered his head and spoke at Kariel’s command.

Hearing this, the noble began to shout desperately.

“Your Highness! Please spare me! Your Highness!”

“Why does everyone seem to be a beat behind?”

Kariel, with a cold smile as he looked at the criminal now desperately begging for his life, commanded the knights.

“Take him away. Since he is a felon of the highest order, feel free to maim him if he resists.”

At Kariel’s order, the once-violent noble became compliant.

In his eyes, a glimmer of hope appeared.

The knight holding one of the noble’s arms snorted upon seeing that expression.

Those nobles who reacted in such a manner were currently locked up in the imperial palace’s prison, enduring all manner of torture.

‘In fact, it might be better to resist and die now…’

Quietly praying for the noble’s soul, the knight escorted him silently to the prison.

Thus, Kariel, having personally brought in another defiant noble, returned to the palace and immersed himself in work once again.

As he worked through lunch, Talion rushed in urgently.

“Your—no, Your Highness!”

“What is it?”

Talion, hastily changing his words under Kariel’s cold gaze, placed a report on the desk.

“Now you want forgiveness…”

“The Noble Assembly has agreed to His Majesty’s will.”

Nobles seeking forgiveness after agreeing to the will.

However, it was far too late for that.

Although the Noble Assembly had nearly unanimous support, Kariel had no intention of halting his actions.

On the contrary, he was planning to increase the pressure.

“Make sure they can’t get any funny ideas later. They have sins to atone for, so they won’t move freely.”

“Yes.”

Talion bowed his head and stepped back at Kariel’s command.

Following orders, he used everyone at his disposal to keep the nobles in check.

At least the nobles in the capital would be bound and unable to move for some time.

“Now what remains is…”

Kariel trailed off, letting out a sigh.

The moment the emperor died, things would truly become irreversible.

For now, he was muttering like a brainwashed unofficial emperor to escape reality, but that would soon come to an end.

「The Birth of the True Emperor!」

The headline on the front page of today’s morning newspaper.

The fact that Kariel had restored the imperial symbol during the Grand Council Meeting spread throughout the entire Empire almost instantly.

Thus, even as they were openly suppressed, the nobles couldn’t utter a word.

How long had it been since the imperial symbol was revived?

Would they dare defy Kariel, who carried such noble blood?

There was nothing they could say even if they searched for excuses.

Of course, doing so now would undoubtedly lead to future issues. While they were bowing their heads now, they were likely harboring resentment and would pounce at the first opportunity.

Nonetheless, Kariel was left with no choice but to act forcefully.

“Your Highness.”

A servant from the Emperor’s Palace quietly approached Kariel, who was working late into the night.

Upon seeing his face, Kariel knew that the moment he had been dreading had arrived.

“It seems you must go right now.”

“What about my siblings?”

“I have reached out to them. They said they would return to the capital if circumstances allowed.”

Kariel sighed softly at the servant’s reply.

He had secretly contacted his siblings and two dukes to inform them of the current situation.

However, their inability to return meant they were having considerable difficulty suppressing the rebel forces and the Union of Small Nations.

“They keep getting in the way until the very end.”

Even with most of the main forces having shifted to the East Continent, remnants of the Dark Mages were still running rampant in the West.

Their strength, combined with the Union of Small Nations and the rebel forces, made for a truly troublesome adversary.

Even though they were steadily eliminating them with overwhelming military might, it seemed it would take longer than expected.

On top of that, the Counts from the borders could not possibly attend.

Even if they wanted to call upon the Counts who could spare themselves, the situation was not favorable.

Reports indicated that not only the Southern Kingdoms and the Holy Nation, but also the Iron Alliance were experiencing ominous currents internally.

‘Internal rebellion…’

The Iron Alliance had begun with a Merchant Union.

As such, it was a nation where factions frequently changed based on individual interests. Loyalty in such places was a rare commodity.

Movements to pull down Jeyron, a pro-Empire faction within the Iron Alliance, were already underway.

Reports indicated that Rotheon was backing them.

Even if the Empire successfully crushed the rebel forces and demolished the Union of Small Nations, the possibility remained that the war wouldn’t end.

If an emergency arose within the Iron Alliance, the Western Army would be the first to be endangered, which in turn meant the Counts from the borders couldn’t move either.

‘A funeral without the attendance of the counts and dukes…’

It was almost a humiliation for the major nobles not to be able to attend the Emperor’s funeral. Even Kariel, who had been known as the Dark Emperor in his previous life, saw most of the nobles gathered in the capital at the Emperor’s deathbed.

Thus, although he felt a pang of regret, the situation was dire.

“…Go.”

“Yes.”

Following the servant, Kariel arrived at the Emperor’s Palace and entered without delay to meet the Emperor.

There, priests and doctors had already gathered.

“What’s his condition?”

“…It seems he won’t survive the night.”

Upon hearing the doctor’s response, Kariel sighed.

“Is there no way to prolong it a bit longer?”

At Kariel’s question, everyone present bowed their heads.

Kariel then turned his gaze to the old servant, who merely shook his head slightly.

He wished for just a little more endurance.

He didn’t ask for much; he simply hoped to hold out until the current situation was settled, but it seemed the Emperor intended to close his eyes sooner than expected.

In that case, he had to make a decision.

Whether to push forward with decisive action or delay the Emperor’s death.

“Immediately inform everyone about this and summon all the nobles.”

“Yes.”

After issuing the order to the servant, Kariel looked at the Emperor with a troubled expression.

In an ideal scenario, he wished to conceal the death until the crisis had passed and then announce it, but the situation did not permit.

With the ticking bomb that was the Iron Alliance, it would hold no meaning to delay the Emperor’s death.

*

A little while later, as Talion arrived, Kariel issued his command.

“Make it known through public news that the time remains short for His Majesty.”

“Yes.”

The news that it would be difficult for him to survive the night spread through the papers, and the word of the Emperor’s imminent death was relayed in real-time to the square.

As a result, citizens began gathering in the square one by one, lanterns and torches in hand, despite the dark night.

The nobles also began to hastily assemble through the open Imperial Palace.

“All the ministers and high nobles are present.”

At the servant’s words, Kariel nodded.

All the Imperial Palace Knights, including Achelio, gathered around the Emperor’s Palace, while Talion led the Shadows to surround the area.

Just as the moon began to set, the Emperor opened his eyes.

“Your Majesty!”

Seeing the Emperor regain consciousness, Kariel hurriedly approached and knelt.

“…The end is near…”

At the Emperor’s words, Kariel shut his eyes tight.

The Emperor, who had been laughing at the thought of his own son stubbornly refusing to inherit the throne until the end.

“I wanted to… endure a bit more… but… my mind can no longer hold on.”

The Emperor looked at Kariel with a weary expression, as if he couldn’t endure any longer.

The once-vibrant Emperor now had lifeless, clear eyes, almost unrecognizable as he approached death.

“Can you hold on just a little longer?”

At Kariel’s words, the Emperor wore an apologetic expression.

“I am weary now. It’s time to pass on this seat.”

The throne he had so long desired, but once seated, had forced him down a painful path. It seemed it was now time for him to relinquish it to his son and depart into rest.

“Haha~ It’s funny to say this after being practically forced into this seat…”

The Emperor chuckled in a dry voice and weakly grasped Kariel’s hand, saying, “You’ve worked hard.”

At the Emperor’s words, Kariel bit his lip.

“I will pray that you may descend to the throne as quickly as possible… in the afterlife.”

With those words, the Emperor, who had been smiling, slowly closed his eyes and bowed his head.

In that moment, the servants and medics in the room all knelt and bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty!”

As the announcement of the Emperor’s death echoed in the room, the nobles and ministers waiting outside also knelt in unison to declare that the Emperor had passed away.

The Dark Emperor, as he had been called, had finally met his end.

The Empire, which had hit rock bottom over several generations due to the Dark Emperor, was now emerging from its long night.

For with his death, the hero of the Empire, who had revived the imperial symbol, would ascend the throne.

“I greet Your Majesty!”

At the servant’s exclamation, everyone bowed their heads, addressing Kariel as Your Majesty.

Kariel, who had vehemently opposed the title ‘Your Majesty’ as long as the Emperor was alive, now had no justification to refuse.

“I greet Your Majesty!”

As Kariel exited the Emperor’s Palace after witnessing the end of the Emperor’s life, all the nobles and ministers bowed in unison in respect.

Receiving the bows of countless nobles, Kariel, officially recognized as the new Emperor, issued his first command.

“Inform all citizens of the Empire of the late Emperor’s death. For the next ten days, the funeral will be held, and during this period, the Imperial Palace will be open to all who come to pay their respects. Furthermore! All wars will cease, and even if it’s an enemy nation, we will not stop any envoy groups that wish to come.”

“Your Majesty’s command is received!”

In response to Kariel’s orders, everyone bowed their heads and replied in booming voices.

 

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