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The Crown Prince Wishes to Retire

35. Coronation!

At last, the long battle against the Rebel Forces has come to an end.

Contrary to my expectation that the subjugation forces would return immediately after receiving the report, they headed even further south.

They were there to assist Duke Devir, who was struggling with his forces.

As the tide of defeat weighed heavily on the Rebels, the ones who fled gathered in the Union of Small Nations.

In their desperate quest for survival, those escaping to the small nations launched their final stand, forcing even the renowned Duke Devir to face hardships.

“Is it safe to say that Rufiel has claimed victory?”

Muttering this, Kariel examined the map beside Talion’s report.

The escape routes of the rebels and the formations of the Union were meticulously marked. Adjusting them, he arranged the flags according to the current situation.

Thus, the red flags marking the Rebels were also mostly shown fleeing outside the Empire.

Because of this, Seriel had yet to crush the Union, but even he could only blame himself for the situation.

If he wanted to, he should have secured victory against the Union before now.

“Is the Union all that’s left?”

“Yes.”

At Kariel’s words, Talion bowed his head in response.

Now, the only flags remaining on the map were the black ones symbolizing the Union. The red flags, having joined the Union, were practically equivalent to their army.

“Well, at least there’s some relief.”

Kariel nodded at Talion’s comment.

With the Rebels subdued, the overwhelming flood of reports coming from the south had vanished.

Reports arriving every half-day from the southern regions had paralyzed the workflow, but now that was gone.

There was still aftermath to deal with, but it wasn’t urgent.

“With work reduced, the bureaucrats will have a sigh of relief too.”

“That should be the case.”

Talion let out a deep breath, as if he too was relieved.

“Now, all that’s left are the external enemies.”

“Yes.”

Finally, there was a chance to properly manage the interior.

“How long do you think it will take to subjugate the Union?”

“They say it will take about a month.”

“Pass a message to the Count of the South, telling him to join us and wipe them out.”

At Kariel’s command, Talion replied with a worried expression.

“That could create problems with Rotheon.”

“I don’t care. We can hold the coronation as soon as the Rebel suppression is over. At least that buys us some time.”

Using the pretext of the Emperor’s official ascension, messages would be sent to various nations.

In that case, Iron would likely enter a temporary state of calm.

Rotheon would also find it hard to intervene immediately.

“And… Your Majesty, the leader of the Rebels survived.”

“Weren’t they reported dead?”

The one who called himself Deriel was reported dead in the end.

Despite his powers reminiscent of a Master, he could not overcome the stronghold of Duke Welch and was ultimately defeated.

Given more time, he might have reached Master level due to his outstanding talent.

His death shattered the morale of the Rebels, causing them to collapse one after another, leading to the current state.

“Yes, Derek is dead. The Head of Belphus was captured.”

“My uncle?”

Talion nodded slightly at Kariel’s question.

“And here.”

“From the west?”

“Yes, it’s a letter directly from the Count of the West.”

At Talion’s words, Kariel opened the black envelope and began to read slowly.

“…Did my aunt get captured too?”

She was practically the true head of Belphus.

She, too, had been captured after the western pirates were crushed by the Western Army.

Thus, the main forces attempting to shake the Empire had all been captured.

“Were the pirates eliminated?”

The Minister of Internal Affairs, who had been quietly listening, asked with a bright expression.

“Not entirely. But their base seems to have been destroyed.”

Though not all pirates were eradicated, their base was shattered. This likely meant that the western pirates would be scattered again.

Due to the upheaval in Iron, they might find refuge on nearby islands, but at least now they couldn’t roam carelessly in the waters near the Empire.

“With this, one more task has been reduced.”

The Minister of Internal Affairs grinned at Kariel’s words.

Seeing him, Kariel smiled back.

As everyone was in a happy situation, Talion asked with a serious expression.

“What will you do about Belphus…?”

At Talion’s question, Kariel, who had been smiling, looked at him quietly.

“They must die.”

Kariel answered firmly.

Killing one’s own blood carries immense risk.

There could be the label of treachery attached later, so everyone generally hoped to spare them.

But Kariel had no intention of carrying any dangerous elements forward.

In the future, the Empire would likely face even greater dangers. In such a scenario, leaving behind entities that could undermine the Empire?

It was madness.

“When they plotted the rebellion, they must have prepared for death too.”

Even the Minister of Internal Affairs, who thought it would only end in exile, stared at Kariel in astonishment.

Though the Minister tried to dissuade him with a worried expression, he eventually lowered his head.

Kariel’s resolute eyes left no room for doubt.

“I’ll wrap everything up before the subjugation forces arrive. Prepare accordingly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the Minister bowed and withdrew, Kariel looked at Talion.

“From now until my coronation, eliminate all remaining remnants within the Empire.”

“Shall we call in those who are outside as well?”

At Talion’s question, Kariel nodded slightly.

It was time for a major cleanup.

Before Kariel’s coronation, they needed to clean up perfectly and unite while facing external enemies with rapid development.

Until now, they had been fighting internally, but now that there was a clear enemy outside, they would have no choice but to unite for a while.

“Get ready.”

“Yes.”

As Talion left, Kariel let out a small sigh and gazed at the map.

It showed the entirety of the East Continent and the West Continent.

Looking only at the Empire, it seemed like the West Continent was in complete chaos, but the East Continent wasn’t in good shape either.

When considering the upcoming wars, the overall power of the West Continent would weaken, but that was fine. Already, large-scale wars were erupting across the East Continent.

Kariel believed that the current situation in the East Continent was influenced by the Dark Mages who had crossed over.

Driving out the madmen causing trouble immediately after crossing over would actually be a gain. Other nations at least had people who could listen, so if the damage accumulated, there was even a possibility of a ceasefire.

‘The Dark Mages don’t have that.’

Just thinking about them made Kariel shudder with fear.

“Ugh… Anyway, it’s really coronation time.”

In his previous life, the coronation was rushed after the Emperor’s sudden death, ending rather simply.

But this time would be different.

They would hold a coronation ceremony alongside a victory celebration against the Rebels and the Union, so it would be quite splendid.

Spending beyond their means in this situation was due to the intention of inviting all nations of the continent and buying even a momentary pause in warfare.

The budget would indeed be substantial, but if it could delay war, it would be a worthwhile investment.

Understanding this, the Minister of Internal Affairs had a heavy burden to bear.

*

As the Ministry of Internal Affairs began round-the-clock preparations for the coronation,

「Rebel suppression! Now only the Union remains!」

「Duke Welch, having subdued the Rebel leader close to Master-level. Are we approaching the realm of a Mage?」

With the news of the Rebel suppression made public, the Empire citizens began to cheer.

Simultaneously, in order to crush the Union, the subjugation forces, expeditionary forces, and Southern Army joined, and the protracted war was rapidly gaining momentum.

Then Rotheon and the Holy Nation urgently mobilized troops to the west.

They seemed ready to intervene in Iron at any moment, but the North was being held by the Count of the North, and with the Count of the West putting pressure on them to advance into Iron, they had no choice but to halt.

In the meantime, Talion’s Intelligence Department and Podolski’s Inspection Department teamed up and combed through the south of the Empire, flushing out all the hidden remnants.

Finally, the long-awaited individuals arrived in the capital, along with hundreds of remnant rebels flooding in daily.

“Your Majesty, they have arrived.”

“…Bring them in.”

Upon the Attendant Hall’s words, Kariel rose from his seat, donned his cloak, and stepped outside the office.

“And them?”

“They are in the Imperial Palace.”

“Move them to the square.”

Following the Attendant’s reply, the Head of Belphus and the previous matriarch were escorted to the square.

“…Your Majesty, are you planning to do it personally?”

The Attendant asked with a worried expression.

“After all, they were once part of the royal family. I have to do it myself.”

They were families that committed the heinous crime of rebellion. Setting a precedent by sparing them as exiles was not an option.

Since they had already been sentenced to death by imperial decree, Kariel intended to carry out the executions without delay to eliminate the remnants of chaos.

Nonetheless, having once been royalty, and given their tragic circumstances, he wanted to maintain at least a shred of honor by personally overseeing the executions.

“Inform all the citizens in the capital. They have worked hard, and they should be given the chance to witness the downfall of the traitors.”

“Yes.”

At Kariel’s order, an Attendant nearby rushed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to spread the word.

As Kariel slowly made his way to the square to allow the citizens time to gather, many began to converge there.

“Starting with the executions right away…?”

“His Majesty is quite resolute.”

“It seems he has no intention of granting even a bit of leeway.”

People gathering in the square murmured among themselves.

Rather than dragging it out with exiles, Kariel was determined to execute the nobility personally.

Arriving in the square, Kariel gazed at those standing on the guillotine.

The members of the Belphus family, alongside the noble traitors from the Rebel side. Their eyes were filled with fear.

“I have no intention of showing mercy to those who participated in the rebellion. There may be unfortunate souls among you, but there were many chances to repent. You all squandered those chances, so do not expect further mercy.”

With those words, Kariel gestured to the Head of Belphus and the previous matriarch.

Then the first to be dragged forth to the guillotine was the middle-aged man, followed by the aged woman.

“They were once of royal blood, and although they have their sorrows… Their collusion with Dark Mages and the grave crisis they brought upon the Empire are unforgivable offenses.”

As Kariel spoke, he looked at the Head of Belphus.

He met Kariel’s gaze, revealing the turmoil in his eyes.

He had heard of Kariel—who sought to pass the throne to his talented younger siblings, only to ascend due to overwhelming prowess.

Feeling that a man who saved the Empire would honor him with dignity sparked feelings of regret deep within him.

“…I have no regrets for losing to someone like you.”

At the Head of Belphus’s words, Kariel bowed his head slightly, showing a final gesture of respect. The previous matriarch beside him also gave a gentle nod towards Kariel.

She was a woman of misfortune, with talent yet unable to rise.

Offering her last respect to Kariel, she accepted her fate.

“Your stories will be recorded in history without alteration.”

After ensuring the final honor for both, Kariel signaled the executioners.

Before long, the head of the Head of Belphus fell from the guillotine.

And thus began the execution of hundreds of individuals involved in the rebellion, one after another.

Though the scene was brutal, Kariel remained until the last person fell.

As all the key figures of the rebellion met their deaths and the capital filled with ominous energy, the long-awaited victory over the Union was finally announced.

「The war with the Union ends in the Empire’s victory!」

「Everything is over now. All that remains is the coronation.」

「At long last, Your Majesty’s coronation will take place!」

 

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