Chapter 7: The Emperor of Black and Gold
The Emperor of Black and Gold.
In an era where magic was fading, his name was synonymous with unparalleled power, not just in the current age but throughout the entire history of the continent.
Under his reign, the Fourth Empire shone brighter than ever before—until one day, it vanished without a trace.
It was as if the empire had simply disappeared. The northern frozen lands, once the domain of the Duke of Saxon and later transformed into imperial territory by Dale of the Saxon family, the Emperor of Black and Gold, were gone. In their place, the sea now stretched endlessly.
With the heart of the Fourth Empire gone, the continent was plunged into a relentless cycle of war.
Empires rose and fell—Fifth, Sixth, and countless others.
Amidst this chaos, the once-mighty Towers of Magic, pillars of the continent, began to lose their power and fade into history.
For reasons unknown, magic in the world was dying.
The mana needed for crafting with aura and magic dwindled to a trickle, and even squeezing out what little remained could not restore the glory of the past.
High-circle mages vanished one by one, and even those capable of wielding aura avatars became increasingly rare.
Gossips whispered that the death of magic began with the disappearance of the Emperor of Black and Gold, the “Mage Emperor.”
Some speculated that his immense power threatened the gods, and he was punished for it. Others believed a forbidden experiment went awry, leading to his downfall. Still others claimed that the goddess Sistina, fearing his power, began to withdraw mana from the world.
Everyone had their theories about the fall of the seemingly invincible Fourth Empire, but no one knew the truth of how the Emperor and his empire met their end.
Or so it seemed.
“The weapons these revolutionaries are using are relics excavated from that very empire,” Dale stated.
The Marquis of Rosenheim swallowed hard. “You mean to say… the magical armor of those revolutionaries is a legacy of the Great Mage Empire?!”
“The structure and mechanism seemed very familiar,” Dale replied calmly. The Marquis of Rosenheim interpreted his words as he wished.
“I suspected you were no ordinary mage, but to think you have knowledge of the Fourth Empire as well.”
”…”
“Indeed, only the Great Mage Empire could have developed such weapons.”
The Marquis of Rosenheim finally grasped the true nature of the revolutionaries’ technology and nodded, unable to fathom the identity of the man before him.
“Uncle Dale!”
At that moment, Yufi, who had been hiding during the attack on the marquisate, appeared, and the Marquis of Rosenheim turned his head at the name.
“Dale…?”
Much about the history of the Fourth Empire remains shrouded in mystery. Yet, as its stories have been passed down through generations, not all records have vanished.
Hearing that name, the Marquis of Rosenheim felt an indescribable fear grip his heart.
The Mage Emperor, who could summon legions of the dead with a mere gesture, extinguish the light of the world, and call forth monsters from other realms.
A name feared for its mercilessness, where death was considered a mercy before him.
The Emperor of Black and Gold, Dale of Saxon. That was the name of the being everyone feared.
But the shock was fleeting.
In an age where magic is dying, such a magical tale seemed impossible.
Even if the magic this man displayed was beyond the imagination of this era…
Even if his name was that of the Mage Emperor, it changed nothing.
The Great Mage Empire had vanished into history, along with the northern lands once known as the Duchy of Saxon.
Thus, the idea that the ghost of that history stood before him was absurdly fantastical.
“I must inform His Majesty immediately.”
“Do as you wish.”
Dale turned away, uninterested.
“Where do you intend to go?”
“Do I have an obligation to answer?”
Dale’s cold retort sent another wave of inexplicable fear through the Marquis of Rosenheim. No matter how much his mind screamed for reason, his heart succumbed.
”…I am interested in the relics of the Fourth Empire that the revolutionaries are excavating.”
Dale’s voice softened as he continued.
“I plan to find them and uncover the truth.”
“Are you planning to head into the enemy’s territory alone?!”
The Marquis of Rosenheim was about to protest the absurdity of it, but he stopped, a hollow laugh escaping him.
He remembered the magic this man had shown. The way he tore through the revolutionaries clad in the magical armor, said to be a legacy of the Great Mage Empire, as if it were nothing.
Who in this world could possibly stop him?
“I owe you much, Marquis.”
Dale bowed his head in gratitude, and the Marquis of Rosenheim nodded, unable to find words.
“But may I ask one last favor?”
“Please, go ahead!”
“Where should I go to find the leader of the revolutionaries?”
There was no reason for the Marquis of Rosenheim to hesitate before Dale’s question.
It was meaningless to ask him to fight alongside them and the empire.
No one could stand in this man’s way. Yet, the revolutionaries could not afford to let him pass. For them, excavating the relics of the Fourth Empire was a top-secret mission they would defend with their lives, and they could not allow anyone to uncover that secret.
And that meant only one thing.
“Shall we go, Miss Yufi?”
“Yes, Uncle Dale!”
Whether this man was truly the Emperor of Black and Gold who once ruled the Fourth Empire was unknown.
But the power he displayed was nothing short of awe-inspiring, worthy of the title “Mage Emperor.”
The conflict between the empire and the revolutionaries would end in a farcical comedy.
And when that comedy was witnessed up close, it would likely become an incomparable tragedy.
All the Marquis of Rosenheim could do was pray that neither he nor the empire would become the protagonists of that tragedy.
Yufi’s journey did not end at the Marquisate of Rosenheim. She continued to traverse the continent with Dale, and his next words were even more astonishing.
“We’re heading to the revolutionaries’ territory.”
”…!”
“Don’t worry. As long as I’m with you, nothing will harm you.”
“I’m not worried!”
Yufi shook her head. Indeed, even under the protection of a great noble, she would not feel as secure as she did with this man.
Even if they were in the midst of a battlefield, it would be no different.
Some time later.
As Dale crossed the divided continent towards the “revolutionaries’” domain, he was met at the city gates.
“Halt!”
Weapons were aimed at Dale. They were neither relics of the old empire nor simple swords or spears.
They were muskets, new weapons using black powder as an explosive.
“Emperor or revolution?”
The revolutionaries asked, muskets trained on him.
They weren’t questioning Dale’s identity. It was merely a reminder that this area was under revolutionary control.
Every passerby, terrified by the muskets, declared their allegiance to the revolution and moved on. Dale was next.
But Yufi bit her lip at the question.
That question had once changed her life entirely. One answer had taken her beloved family and villagers away.
“Revolution…”
She didn’t want to repeat that mistake.
“Why did you say that?”
But Dale didn’t follow suit. Instead, he asked, seemingly puzzled.
Yufi was taken aback, swallowing hard, as Dale turned his gaze.
Towards the revolutionaries aiming their muskets at him.
“What is this revolution for?”
“Are you questioning the revolution?”
“I am not well-versed in worldly matters. But when I emerged into the world, everyone was crying out for revolution.”
Dale spoke calmly.
“And because they did not cry out for your revolution, this girl’s family and villagers were all killed.”
”…!”
“So I ask, was it worth it?”
His voice was devoid of any emotion.
“You!”
The revolutionaries, armed with muskets, did not hesitate.
“Kill him! He’s an enemy of the revolution!”
Bang!
The trigger was pulled, and black powder scattered. It was not an arquebus, the early form of the musket.
It was a true muzzle-loading firearm, a wheel-lock musket.
But it made no difference. Even if it were a firearm from the “First Empire,” it would be no different.
Amidst the hail of bullets, a shadow rose defiantly.
Faster than the bullets, an obsidian shield swallowed the black powder, then seeped back beneath Dale’s feet.
“Is purging all who doubt and resist what you call a revolution?” Dale asked, retracting the shadow and facing the stunned revolutionaries.
“In that case, I choose revolution too.”
”…!”
“I have no reason to show mercy to those who stand in my way.”
At that moment, the shadow beneath him surged like a living creature.
Jet-black tendrils lashed out, and screams echoed through the air.
Watching this, Yufi neither turned away nor closed her eyes.
She believed revenge was meaningless. And indeed, it was.
Yet, in the face of the atrocities committed in the name of revolution, she found no reason to pity them.
So, as the endless screams and the gruesome scene of torn flesh unfolded, Yufi did not avert her gaze.
Not until the very end.