Chapter 15: The Interlude
Revolution or emperor. Gold or shadow. The order that once ruled the continent crumbled overnight. Yet, not everyone was ready to accept this new reality.
“Revolution or emperor.”
Just because the Golden Sovereign, Ray Eurys, led the revolutionaries didn’t mean they all pledged loyalty to him. Much like the old empire, the revolutionaries were a collection of individuals with their own agendas.
Thus, the Iron Brigade of the revolutionaries, clad in magical armor, posed a question.
To the mysterious knights in black armor, marked with the emblem of a night raven.
“We serve only one: the Emperor.”
The knights replied, leaving the revolutionaries with no hesitation.
Investigate the mysterious events in the northern continent. While gossipers speculated about the revival of the old empire, such fanciful tales were impossible. There had to be a truth behind it, and they were no exception. So the Iron Brigade drew their weapons against the black-armored knights.
Yet, no battle ensued.
The black aura enveloping the knights’ swords effortlessly sliced through the Iron Brigade’s armor.
There was once an era when a single warrior could decimate a hundred. In that age of chaos, the night raven knights pledged their loyalty to their lord.
“For the House of Sachsen.”
Neither revolution nor emperor could be their true answer.
They had always served the man known as the Black Duke, his son the ‘Black Prince,’ and it was the House of Sachsen to whom their true loyalty belonged.
On the barren land, a forgotten empire rose once more.
And there, ruling over it, stood the Black and Gold Sovereign, a figure of legend.
All of this was too overwhelming for a simple country girl like Yufi.
“Miss Yufi.”
“Da-Dale, sir…”
So when Dale called her name again, Yufi almost responded but caught her breath.
“Do you find life here to your liking?”
“I-I’m honored, Your Majesty…”
Dale chuckled at the title.
“Please, feel free to call me as you always have.”
“But still! How could I possibly address Your Majesty so casually…”
“I’m no longer an emperor. And this land is no longer my empire.”
Dale spoke.
Even after Dale and his empire reemerged, he turned his gaze away from that reality.
There were still knights loyal to the House of Sachsen and the Black Tower mages. But there were no longer any subjects or lands to rule. No matter how immense his power, nothing would change.
“Even so…”
“There’s no need to be so reserved around me.”
Yufi hesitated, then closed her mouth. Dale smiled wryly and continued.
“This place is simply a refuge where I can ensure your safety, and I intend to keep that promise.”
“Dale, sir…”
Yufi’s voice trailed off as she smiled.
“I’m glad.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile so happily.”
Yufi said. She remembered the shadow beneath his robe when they first joined the revolutionaries.
A shadow filled with loneliness and despair, as if he were the last person left in the world.
But when he finally reached this land, the shadow lifted. Yufi was truly relieved by that.
“I’m glad to see you smile too, Miss Yufi.”
Dale replied with a smile. For a moment, a shadow crossed Yufi’s face, but it was fleeting. She had experienced countless things on their journey together. The question of that day had taken her life, or so she believed.
“Thanks to you, Miss Yufi, I was able to come this far.”
Despite everything, the hand he extended brought her here.
So Yufi smiled and answered.
“Yes!”
“Emperor and revolution.”
The man spoke. Once, he had dreamed in the winter empire his daughter built, and now he faced a strange new world.
“The new Golden Sovereign leads the revolutionaries against the Ninth Empire. They are the Eurys family, who have taken on the Blood Duke’s grimoire, the ‘Book of Blood.’”
“Even after nine empires have risen and fallen, nothing has changed.”
The man, Alan of Sachsen, replied bitterly. Indeed, it was as he said.
“What will you do, Dale?”
”…”
“If you choose, you and this castle have the power to establish an empire over them, just as you did in the past.”
At his father’s question, Dale paused, then shook his head.
“I have no such intention.”
”…”
“I sacrificed much to change the world. I believed that even the fear of those I loved was a necessary sacrifice.”
“Was it a sacrifice worth making?”
“Lise taught me the answer.”
Dale smiled wryly.
“When Lise endured sacrifice for me and those I loved, I finally understood the pain it brought, and the pain my loved ones must have felt before my sacrifices.”
What Dale considered sacrifice was nothing more than a manifestation of self-love. When Lise, without understanding him, tried to sacrifice herself, he finally understood.
Even if it was all part of a grand scheme by the master of the Blue Tower, it changed nothing.
“Lise is wise, like her mother.”
“Too wise for her own good.”
Dale nodded with a smile.
“I’m grateful to Lise. And…”
He paused, turning to his aging father.
“The same goes for you, Father.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Alan smiled as he spoke.
The sword swung down. It was the heavy, formidable greatsword of the House of Sachsen.
Sir Helmut Blackbear’s sword swung, and Dale deftly dodged, counterattacking.
The duel was decided in a single stroke.
“It reminds me of when Your Majesty was a child.”
“Those were the days.”
Dale chuckled, and Sir Helmut continued.
“When I crossed swords with you back then, I thought the day would come when my sword wouldn’t even reach your feet.”
“You’re too kind.”
Dale laughed and turned his head.
The night raven knights still stood there, loyal to Dale and the House of Sachsen. They had dreamed in the winter empire Lise built and awoke from that dream after an eternity.
They were not without confusion. But their mission remained unchanged.
Their loyalty to the House of Sachsen and their lord was unwavering, even at the journey’s end.
It was then.
A night raven knight approached Dale and whispered something.
“Your Majesty, there was a clash between those claiming to be ‘revolutionaries’ and our knights near the Imperial Territory.”
“Didn’t I ask them to withdraw politely?”
“Despite the warning, they attacked the knights, and a skirmish ensued.”
“Were there any casualties among the knights?”
“Well…”
The knight hesitated.
“They were so weak that it couldn’t even be called a fight.”
Dale sighed in disbelief.
“Some knights are bringing the captives back to the capital, while others continue to patrol the northern territory as per your orders.”
“Very well.”
Dale nodded.
“Once again, I remind you, do not flaunt your power or instill fear in the people of this land.”
“We will follow your orders.”
The knight bowed to Dale’s command. A brief silence fell, and Sir Helmut approached with a question.
“What do you intend to do?”
”…I wonder.”
Just as his father had asked, Sir Helmut posed the same question.
No matter how much he tried to turn away, the world wouldn’t allow it.
If the revolutionaries had reached the northern lands, the Ninth Empire would surely follow.
There were no villages or lands to rule here. Only the powerful figures of the House of Sachsen, symbols of the empire’s might.
He still didn’t know what to do.
Yet, strangely, his shoulders felt lighter.
“Sir Helmut, and all the knights here, what do you wish to do?”
”…!”
So Dale asked in return.
The unexpected question left Sir Helmut and the knights speechless.
“I understand the sacrifices and efforts you’ve made in loyalty to the House of Sachsen.”
Dale continued calmly.
“Countless empires have risen and fallen, yet you remain here, loyal to me. I no longer wish to demand your loyalty.”
”…!”
“Therefore, as the head of the House of Sachsen, I will act solely to repay your loyalty and sacrifices.”
For Dale, there was no longer a burden to bear for the world or sacrifices to make.
“What do you mean by that?!”
The Emperor of the Ninth Empire, the Shadow Sovereign, exclaimed in shock.
“The Grand Magic Empire, the Fourth Empire?! Are you saying that the entire Magic Empire and its emperor have truly been resurrected in this era?!”
“The spies we’ve planted within the revolutionary forces report that it’s an undeniable fact, known to all.”
“Impossible! How could such an absurd thing actually happen?”
Wilhelm of Brandenburg raised his voice, and his retainers bowed their heads in deference.
“What is happening to my empire, truly, what is this madness befalling my realm?”
Though he bore the title of Shadow Lord, he lacked the power to discern the truth.
Even if his ancestor was Count Philip of Brandenburg, and even if Philip was indeed of the golden lineage of Emperor Arthur and the Third Reich’s royal blood, it changed nothing.
The conflict between gold and shadow had become nothing more than an empty facade, and even if it were true, there was no room for truth to intervene in his lineage, filled as it was with gold and deceit.