Chapter 20: The Interlude
The earth beneath their feet and the knee of the ruler. Dale’s demand was crystal clear, and no one could misunderstand its significance.
Count Valiant knelt, and his knights held their breath. In front of the entire county, he displayed an undeniable act of submission.
“That will do.”
The man in the raven-black robe, the Lord of Black Gold, nodded impassively.
“Rise.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty!”
Dale extended his hand, and Count Valiant hesitated before clasping it with both of his own.
“As before, I will entrust this county to you, and under the name of the Fourth Empire, you shall be protected.”
“It is an honor, Your Majesty!”
“Your loyalty will be duly rewarded. But never forget,” Dale spoke, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, “that the mercy and protection I extend to you are solely in exchange for your loyalty to me and my empire.”
“I will remember, Your Majesty!”
Count Valiant bowed his head once more, shouting his pledge. Only then did Dale turn away, having claimed the earth and the knee of the land.
The shroud of darkness that had covered the noonday sky vanished. The world regained its light, and sunlight began to pour down.
It was as if the world had awakened from a daydream, reclaiming its landscape.
Yet, nothing truly changed. To Count Valiant, the figure before him was not a mere human. He was an entity beyond comprehension, filled with an unfathomable terror.
A demon god stood there.
Rationally, it was all absurd, a ridiculous notion. Yet, his heart and instincts screamed at him not to defy this being.
Nothing could deceive this man. Thus, Count Valiant bit his lip once more.
“I-I am truly sorry, Your Majesty!”
“For what?”
Driven by an unknown fear, Count Valiant stammered, struggling to control his trembling body.
“P-please grant me the chance to confess my disloyalty and prove my loyalty anew.”
“Speak.”
At those words, Count Valiant glanced around at those nearby. Understanding the situation, the man waved his hand dismissively.
“Let us move to a more private place.”
“The revolutionary envoy contacted you, and you planned to join forces to strike me down?”
Count Valiant confessed the truth, and Dale, the Lord of Black Gold, sneered coldly.
“Y-yes! As soon as I gave them the signal, my knights and the iron-clad troops of the revolution, armed with magical armor, would have attacked Your Majesty…”
“You have spoken the truth before me.”
“I-I am sorry! Please forgive my foolish, baseless, and disloyal fantasies!”
Dale shook his head impassively.
“Since you have spoken the truth, you shall be rewarded accordingly.”
After a pause, Dale asked, “What do you desire from me?”
Count Valiant swallowed hard. It was as if an absolute being was bestowing mercy upon a mere creature.
“In exchange for your loyalty, what do you wish for me to grant you?”
“H-how could I possibly…”
“Your wish shall be granted.”
Before Count Valiant could respond, Dale continued, peering into the truth hidden within his shadow.
“Send the signal to the revolutionaries as promised, and let their iron-clad troops attack me.”
“W-what…?”
Count Valiant fell silent at the unexpected command.
“Are you suggesting I set a trap with my knights…”
“There’s no need for that.”
Dale shook his head quietly.
“Do nothing and lead them to where I am.”
“B-but they are the iron-clad troops, the pride of the revolution, armed with the second-generation armor…”
“Are you worried I might fall to them?”
Dale tilted his head, questioning.
“If I were to fall so easily to such enemies, why did you kneel and offer the earth to me?”
“I-I am sorry!”
Indeed, if this man was truly the extraordinary being he seemed, he wouldn’t fall to mere iron-clad troops. Even if he did, it would only prove his limitations, making it an offer Count Valiant couldn’t refuse.
Meanwhile, in the northern Saxon stronghold.
“Miss Yufi.”
A voice called out to Yufi, and she turned her head. She gasped at the sight.
“Oh…”
A woman with dark, raven hair like Dale’s, her eyes covered with black bandages, stood before her.
“I’ve heard my brother owes you a great deal.”
“N-no, it’s the other way around. I owe so much to Mr. Dale… Oh.”
Yufi clamped her mouth shut, embarrassed. But the woman with the dark hair chuckled, shaking her head with amusement.
“Mr. Dale, you say? I never imagined anyone would call my brother that.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, Miss Yufi.”
The woman smiled, shaking her head.
“I’m Lize of Saxon.”
“Oh…”
Though Yufi was still under the protection of the stronghold, there was much she didn’t know about Dale’s empire. Yet, from the way she addressed Dale and the name she heard, it wasn’t hard to guess her identity.
“You’re His Majesty Dale’s sister.”
“That’s right.”
Lize smiled warmly at Yufi.
“It’s thanks to you that my brother could come this far.”
“That’s not true!”
“With you, the pieces of my puzzle finally fell into place. To me, your presence is nothing short of a miracle.”
“A puzzle piece?”
Yufi asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
“Do you know what my brother was like in the past?”
“I don’t.”
Yufi shook her head.
“Are you curious?”
Lize asked, and Yufi hesitated before shaking her head again.
“I remember all the different sides Mr. Dale has shown me.”
“Oh, I’m curious now.”
With newfound resolve, Yufi spoke.
“Mr. Dale saved me, and he said that because of me, he was saved too. I still remember the sadness he sometimes shows when he recalls the past.”
Dale’s past was the old empire itself, the people he loved.
So Yufi clenched her fist and asked, “Why did you cause Mr. Dale so much pain?”
Lize didn’t react with anger or surprise. Instead, she smiled, finding Yufi’s concern endearing.
“I’m sorry, Miss Yufi. I never intended to make my brother suffer.”
Lize bowed her head with a gentle smile.
Yufi couldn’t comprehend Dale’s past, the truth and lies, the repeated pain of sacrifice.
“I’m truly glad you’re by my brother’s side.”
Lize smiled, a sister wishing for her brother’s happiness.
“My brother’s empire, and the world of those he loves…”
Dale’s loved ones. Yufi was no longer an outsider to this empire.
“Welcome to the House of Saxon, Miss Yufi.”
With that, Lize opened her arms wide, welcoming Yufi with a smile.
Following the prearranged plan with the revolutionary envoy, Count Valiant pointed out the room within the castle where the “Lord of Black Gold” resided.
The soldiers of the iron-clad troops, armed with the “second-generation magical armor,” moved into action.
They remembered the massacre of their comrades, armed with the same armor, at the Marquess of Rosenheim’s estate. They were well aware that the man they faced now could very well be the same “Lord of Black Gold.”
Indeed, it was likely.
There were no survivors among the revolutionaries at Rosenheim, but those who witnessed the power displayed by that being spoke of it. The revolution’s spies within the empire overheard these accounts and prepared for the unimaginable power he wielded.
A dark sorcerer who manipulated shadows, raising tendrils of darkness at will.
A level of magic beyond the understanding of this era. Yet, nothing changed.
For the enemies of the revolution, there was only death.
The crumbling Ninth Empire was no longer an enemy of the revolution. The revolution’s victory was as clear as day, and nothing could stand against the spirit of the revolution.
Until the Lord of Black Gold and the specters of the great magical empire appeared.
Thus, it was the revolution’s duty to bring it to an end.
With their mission in mind, the revolution’s vanguard moved. Following Count Valiant’s guidance, they headed toward the room where the Lord of Black Gold resided.
“I’ve been expecting you.”
The Iron Legion, clad in their pitch-black armor, stormed in, and there he was, as if he had known they would come all along.
“You…!”
“Just as Count Balian was given a chance, I will offer you one as well.”
“Don’t tell me that traitorous count—!”
“Don’t worry. I’m the only one here,” the man said, unfazed.
“And now, let me tell you what I intend to do.”
He spoke calmly, almost indifferently.
“I will head to the capital of the Ninth Empire alone and bring the emperor to his knees before me.”
“What, what did you say?!”
The absurdity of his words left the revolutionaries speechless, their breath caught in disbelief.
“After that, I will wipe out your so-called revolutionary army that clamors for a new era, and hunt down the remnants to hang them.”
The man continued, undeterred.
“There will be nothing left on this land but my empire. But before that… I will offer you all an equal opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”
“The chance to kneel before me and my empire, to preserve your lives and positions.”
Without a trace of emotion, he spoke. One of the revolutionaries, clad in second-class armor, let out a derisive laugh.
“We’ve already uncovered the secret behind your power.”
“Is that what you truly believe?”
The man sneered coldly at the revolutionary’s words.
After the sneer, he spoke again, his voice devoid of any feeling.
“Then go ahead, struggle all you want.”