Chapter 19: The Empire’s Return
In the heart of the human empire, amidst the clash of revolution and emperor, an ancient empire from history finally revealed its true form.
Unwavering, acknowledging their existence without denial, they emerged with calm resolve.
The Black Gold Sovereign declared the empire’s name and began his advance.
After swiftly dismantling the cavalry of the northern lords led by Marquis Maximil, he seized their lands with ease.
The Night Raven Knights and dark sorcerers of the Saxon family, led by Dale, bowed their heads wherever he went.
Yet, for Dale, there was no noble cause or mission for the greater good. It was simply for himself and his own.
Thus, when the “Old Empire” moved into the northern territories of the Ninth Empire, securing loyalty from their castles was not a difficult task.
Revolution, emperor, and the old empire.
In a continent divided among three powers, people were once again forced to make choices.
The legendary “Great Magic Empire” finally broke its silence and began its march southward.
In a noble’s territory, considered the “north” by the standards of the Fourth Empire and the Ninth Empire’s revolutionaries, the Night Raven Knights and dark sorcerers made their base.
Their numbers barely reached a few hundred, laughably small to be called an empire.
This was the beginning of a tragedy.
“Only a few hundred?!”
“Yes, even combined, the knights and sorcerers number just a few hundred…”
“But didn’t they say Marquis Maximil and the northern cavalry were completely annihilated?”
“That is true as well!”
“How is it possible? With just a few hundred soldiers, they wiped out the renowned Marquis Maximil and the northern cavalry!”
With the massacre of Marquis Maximil’s domain and the northern nobles of the Ninth Empire, the Great Magic Empire was claiming their lands. Yet, upon hearing their numbers, Count Balian, who was tasked with stopping them from the central region, found his mind in turmoil.
A few hundred, just a few hundred.
Even the revolutionary army boasts elite units numbering in the thousands. Yet, these few hundred dare to call themselves the “Great Magic Empire” and intend to subdue the Ninth Empire?
If there had been an overwhelming numerical and power advantage, surrender might not have been a bad option. But in this world, choosing the wrong side could lead to execution, a fate not unfamiliar even to the nobility in these times.
He knew the Ninth Empire was rotting from within and that a decision had to be made amidst the emperor and revolution.
And now, another emperor appeared, forcing a new decision upon him.
It was around this time that a secret envoy from the revolutionary army discreetly approached Count Balian.
“We’ve revised the land registry of the northern territories and begun training new soldiers to prepare for invasions from the Ninth Empire and the revolutionaries.”
After hearing the report from a Night Raven Knight, Dale nodded calmly.
The former Maximil territory, now a border fortress and forward base for the Fourth Empire’s forces.
“We’ll halt our advance here and begin negotiations with the neighboring powers. In the meantime, ensure the people of these lands are united and protected. Our numbers are indeed small.”
“We will follow your orders, Your Majesty!”
The emperor of the Fourth Empire was not one to sit idly on his throne. Even when he ventured into enemy territory, he did not bring knights or sorcerers for protection.
He was not someone who needed protection. Dale himself was the embodiment of the empire once known as the Great Magic Empire, now reborn as the Black Gold Sovereign.
Thus, he entrusted the tasks of this land to others and rose alone.
Beyond the south, towards the chaos where emperor and revolution clashed in the continent’s center.
It wasn’t even an advance. It was simply a man on horseback, setting out on a journey.
Yet, to the Night Raven Knights and dark sorcerers watching him, it felt as if the empire itself was alive and moving.
Even the armies of death filling the horizon could not touch this man. At the same time, he was the one who could summon such forces.
Upon hearing that the Fourth Empire’s forces numbered only a few hundred, he was troubled.
And when the “Fourth Empire” revealed itself, it wasn’t even a few hundred.
There was just one man.
When a man appeared, claiming to be the emperor of the empire, Count Balian wondered if this man had lost his mind.
He appeared alone at the count’s domain, speaking to the guards at the entrance.
“The emperor of the Fourth Empire, the Black Gold Sovereign, has come to see your lord.”
The man wore a robe marked with the symbol of the Night Raven. The shadow beneath the robe was ominously dark.
Everyone who heard him likely thought it was the rambling of a madman.
“The count doesn’t have time for a madman’s nonsense!”
“Get lost!”
The guards mocked him, and the man remained silent.
“Do I need to show proof for you to believe?”
After a moment of silence, the man asked.
And then he snapped his fingers.
In an instant, the light of the sky vanished. The midday sun, which should have been shining down, was covered by a shroud of darkness.
“Bring the count to me.”
The man spoke from within the darkness, commanding with an authority that extinguished the world’s light.
The guards swallowed hard, quickly turning to report to the count, finally realizing a man had appeared at the entrance.
One, just one!
Once again, faced with that number, reason began to falter.
As a count of the empire, he had many knights and rare sorcerers at his disposal. Could this be a fight worth taking? Perhaps the fame of defeating the Fourth Empire’s emperor could be a stepping stone for new ambitions between the emperor and the revolution.
“What do you think, Lord Azar?”
The emperor of the Great Magic Empire, after all, was a sorcerer. Thus, the only one he could ask was his personal sorcerer. The count called upon his sorcerer, who in turn asked back.
“Wh-what is that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Th-that man… the power he’s emanating… magic? Is that really magic? No, no…”
But the sorcerer continued to speak, as if his understanding was crumbling before something incomprehensible.
“Lord Azar, answer me!”
“Ma-magic emperor? What kind of power is that man wielding…? Magic? Darkness? The power from the circle? No, no, none of those… then what is it…?”
There was a madman babbling incoherently.
“Lord Azar, stop your nonsense and get a hold of yourself!”
At that moment, the man standing at the entrance lifted his head. The shadow beneath his robe fixed its gaze on the sorcerer Azar.
An unfathomable darkness writhed beneath the hood like a living creature.
“Ah, ah…”
Azar finally murmured with an expression of understanding.
“Yes, yes, I understand now, Your Majesty!”
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“No, no, that’s not even an emperor! An emperor is human! But that… that being… how dare a mere human describe such an existence! Ah, yes, it’s a demon god!”
With that, Azar suddenly slammed his head into the marble floor.
“Oh, demon god! Demon god! Please, forgive me!”
Bang! Bang! He began to self-harm, smashing his head into the floor with such force that it seemed his skull might break.
“W-what is this…!”
Count Balian swallowed hard at the bizarre scene. Yet, he couldn’t make a decision based on the sudden madness of one sorcerer. His mind grew even more tangled.
But more than that, an unknown fear gripped his heart.
There was an incomprehensibly powerful being, and that being wanted something from him.
Thus, the count, as if drawn by an invisible force, began to walk.
Towards the demon god waiting for him.
“I’ve been expecting you.”
The man spoke, shrouded in darkness, having extinguished the light of the world.
Count Balian and his knights appeared before him, and the count hesitantly spoke.
“Reveal your identity.”
“I’ve already told you.”
The man replied.
“I have many names, and I have given you one of them.”
“The Magic Emperor…”
In an age where magic was dying, the greatest sorcerer stood before them. But was it truly possible?
Once again, it was about numbers. One, just one. In this era, a single strong individual could never overwhelm a thousand.
But if his words were true, then this being was an ancient monster, beyond the comprehension of this age.
A single warrior capable of overwhelming a hundred, and a monster who could subdue even those warriors alone.
This was the power of the Black Gold Sovereign, the Mage Emperor, a name whispered in awe and legend. And the man before them claimed that very title.
“What do you want from us?” the count asked, his voice trembling.
The man knelt, an unexpected gesture that startled the count, though it was far from a sign of submission.
He scooped up a handful of earth from the ground and rose to his feet.
“A bit of soil,” he said.
”…!”
“And your knee.”
The meaning behind the man’s words was clear.
In a world where even the mightiest nobles could find themselves on the executioner’s block for choosing the wrong side, Count Balian thought desperately. He thought and thought again.
Silence fell over them.
“Have you made your decision?” the man asked, breaking the quiet.
Reason screamed within the count. As a noble, he had knights at his command, and by all logic and the standards of the time, there was no reason to kneel before a man who stood alone without an army.
Yet an inexplicable fear, beyond his understanding, moved his knees.
“I… I offer the soil of this land and my knee… before Your Majesty,” he stammered.