Chapter 27: Epilogue
One day, the Ninth Empire fell. It was an ending that defied any other explanation.
The fierce struggle between the emperor and the revolution had become meaningless.
Yet, the question still lingered.
The Emperor or the Revolution?
Emperor Wilhelm of Brandenburg abdicated the throne, and the nobles loyal to the emperor bowed to their new ruler.
Thus, nine empires had risen and fallen, and finally, the Tenth Empire emerged.
“Thank you for answering the call.”
Since the Third Empire, there had been a tradition known as the “Imperial Tradition.” Nobles, clergy, and even the bourgeoisie of free cities gathered to decide the empire’s fate.
The Imperial Assembly.
In the imperial city of Ingelheim, the solemn gathering took place, and the Black Gold Sovereign finally appeared.
But he was not alone.
The powerful figures thought to have vanished with the Fourth Empire also made their presence known.
The murmurs ceased as if silenced by magic.
”……!”
“Is that… the North Continent’s Fourth Empire…?”
The emperor’s wife, once known as the Divine Sword, Grand Duchess Lancaster, and Charlotte of Saxony.
The emperor’s father, the continent’s greatest necromancer, Alan of Saxony.
The Night Raven Knights of Saxony, led by the fierce Helmut Blackbear, and the Guardians of the Tomb.
Even the black magicians of the Black Tower, wielding undeniable “black magic” in an era where the magic towers had lost their color.
Whoosh!
The aura of the Night Raven Knights was no different. The nobles held their breath at the sight of the pitch-black aura blades and the aura avatars enveloping their bodies.
“An aura avatar!”
But that wasn’t all. Following the Night Raven Knights, the heavily armored infantry, armed with the “magic armor” once considered the revolutionaries’ secret weapon, appeared.
“Is that…?”
“The revolutionaries’ magic armor…?!”
The nobles gasped in shock, but Dale reassured them.
“This armor was always meant for our empire’s soldiers.”
As proof, the unmistakable emblem of the Night Raven was engraved on the black armor of the infantry.
In an era where a single warrior could overwhelm a thousand, these demons had proven their might, piling mountains of enemy corpses.
To the people of this era, those present seemed like nothing more than phantoms of the past. But they were no mere phantoms.
In the absolute zero that could freeze time itself, the ice had finally melted, revealing them from history.
Dale, along with the Saxony family and their knights and magicians, stood ready.
Yet, there was no need for them to move. The man who had conquered the Ninth Empire from north to south was enough.
The Grand Magus.
Not a foolish emperor or a hollow empire, but a true empire worthy of their loyalty stood there.
“Once again, I thank the nobles, clergy, and bourgeoisie for making the difficult journey here.”
At the forefront of the assembly, a throne awaited the emperor they were to serve. A throne forged from black gold.
Dale glanced at the throne and then turned to Charlotte.
“Charlotte, sit here.”
“Dale…?”
But the throne was not meant for Dale.
“For the sake of our child, please rest here.”
“But… there are other seats. We could call for…”
Charlotte hesitated, but Dale shook his head.
“I want you and our child to sit here before everyone.”
”…….”
Gently caressing her growing belly, Dale spoke. Charlotte did not hesitate.
Charlotte took her place on the black gold throne. Standing by his wife’s side, Dale turned to his father.
“Shall we call for seats?”
“There’s no need.”
“Understood.”
Alan replied calmly, and Dale nodded.
“Please, everyone, be seated.”
Standing beside his wife, the Black Gold Sovereign spoke. A murmur spread through the assembly. Could they sit when the emperor himself had not? But Dale continued quietly.
“I wish for you to sit without feeling burdened.”
His voice was gentle yet firm, allowing no dissent. Finally, those gathered in the assembly took their seats. Silence fell once more, and in that silence, Dale spoke.
“Thank you for your loyalty.”
In the silence, Dale’s voice resonated. Across countless ages, unfamiliar empires and nobles were present.
He glanced around.
The Saxony family, who had always stood by him, were there. Even as nine empires rose and fell, they remained by Dale’s side.
He had no grand plans to change the world. No sins to atone for. All Dale wished for was one thing.
A world where he and his loved ones could be happy.
But for that, he needed his empire.
To grasp what he desired.
“In return for your loyalty, your rule and system will be guaranteed. Moreover, I will assist you with the threats you face.”
“Could it be the revolutionaries…?”
“The Emperor or the Revolution.”
A noble muttered, and Dale nodded in response.
“Before that question, I hope you do not disappoint me.”
“Is there any doubt, Your Majesty?”
The nobles rose in unison, their voices in chorus.
“Is that truly so?”
But as they raised their voices, Dale smirked coldly.
“You willingly knelt before me, offering mere handfuls of dirt, betraying the emperor you once swore allegiance to.”
”……!”
At his words, gasps echoed throughout. Indeed, the fall of the Ninth Empire was a farcical comedy. A single man had terrified the emperor into fleeing, and from the north to the south, nobles knelt one by one. Some foolishly stood against the man for Emperor Wilhelm, and they remembered well the consequences.
They remembered the endless army of lions stretching beyond the horizon. The grotesque fusion of flesh, blood, bone, castles, and cold weapons, birthing monstrous giants.
The Emperor of the Grand Magus Empire, the Black Gold Sovereign.
Those present had no grand loyalty. They trembled in fear, desperately bowing before the absolute ruler they could not defy.
“Ah, but do not worry.”
In the chilling silence, Dale smiled quietly.
“Fear ensures loyalty. And…”
He smiled, then continued calmly.
“I can promise you that nothing in this world is more terrifying than betraying me. And it seems we have a perfect opportunity to prove that.”
Simultaneously, the air grew cold. In the silence, Dale extended his arm.
Swoosh!
From the shadows of the Imperial Assembly, black tendrils emerged. Cries of shock and confusion erupted among the nobles, but it was then.
“Do not move!”
Sir Helmut Blackbear’s voice thundered, freezing everyone in place. The tendrils snatched a few nobles, throwing them before Dale.
“Hi, hiik!”
“Your Majesty! What is the meaning of this?!”
At that moment, Charlotte rose before Dale. He held his breath for a moment.
“Charlotte…?”
“We know you have been colluding with the revolutionaries, selling out my husband and the empire’s secrets.”
”……!”
As the emperor’s wife, Charlotte spoke with the authority befitting her station. Murmurs spread throughout.
Nothing could hide the truth from the Shadow Sovereign. They could not deceive the blue webs ensnaring them.
“But as long as you remain loyal to our empire, we will give you one last chance.”
”……!”
“We will rule with fear. But we are not without mercy. So confess your truth and atone for your sins now.”
Charlotte spoke, not to those they ruled, but directly to the man beside her. As if speaking to Dale. At her words, Dale remained silent.
“As she said.”
After a moment of silence, Dale spoke.
Latecomers knelt, bowing their heads as they began to confess their collusion with the revolutionaries in painstaking detail. After their confessions, they fell to their knees before the emperor, begging for forgiveness. They finally understood that nothing could hide the truth lurking in the shadows from their sovereign.
All around them, dark tendrils writhed, ready to tear them apart at a mere gesture. Yet, when Dale quietly waved his hand, the tendrils retreated into the shadows beneath their feet.
He then turned his gaze to Charlotte. She wasn’t the only one asleep in this world of absolute zero. He could sense the life stirring between them, the child they were expecting.
Their child, who would soon be born.
“Thank you, Dale,” Charlotte whispered softly. Dale responded with a gentle smile.
He turned his head, the smile vanishing as he faced the people of the empire he was destined to rule, his expression now devoid of any emotion.
That night, in the imperial bedroom of Saxon Castle.
“A merciful empire…” Dale muttered with a bitter smile as he sat on the edge of the bed.
He was determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past. He didn’t want to become a figure of fear and dread, even to those he loved, and distance himself from everyone.
So, Dale turned his head.
Toward his people, his beloved wife.
“You don’t have to bear any more burdens or make sacrifices for this world, Dale.”
“This is the world that we, and our child, will shape.”
“Neither I nor our child want you to become a demon. Your parents wouldn’t want that either.”
Charlotte replied with a hint of sadness.
Her words struck Dale like a hammer blow, leaving him speechless.
”…I see.”
“I no longer wish for the world to fear and revere you.”
”…”
“You’re a good person, Dale.”
But faced with her words, Dale found himself unable to respond.