CHAPTER 138
The Southwestern Allied Nations, including Kubul, were unaware that the leaders of the rebellion had been captured in the Empire.
The reason was simple.
They were too occupied with their own issues to pay attention to anything else.
When Grand Duchess Caroline, the Earl of Hawthorne, his son, and their accomplices were arrested, the Southwestern Allied Nations were being overrun by the Empire's military.
After taking control of Kubul’s military, Sir Derrick and his soldiers held the king hostage.
The King of Kubul, who had been trembling behind his throne while watching the battle, soon realized the truth.
The one-armed man, whom he had dismissed as a washed-up old knight, was actually the legendary Sword Master of the continent.
And he realized something else.
The secret weapon designs and the confidential internal maps of the southwestern coastal fortresses that they had stolen from the Empire were fakes.
As he was resigning himself to the fact that nothing else could shock him, news came from Semper.
The special forces who had been sent disguised as young laborers to the capital of Semper had all been discovered and captured.
The plan to use these special forces to seize the Semper royal palace had failed.
Ironically, it was Sir Derrick and his elite guards, disguised as ordinary investigators, who had seized his own palace.
And it wasn’t just the Kingdom of Kubul.
The other four kingdoms were also swiftly overrun by the Empire.
While the kingdoms were distracted by the conflicts with Semper, the abduction of Empress Arabelle, the postponed Imperial wedding, and the Emperor’s reckless venture to Semper...
The Emperor dispatched the Imperial Navy and Army to the southwestern coastal region.
Under the command of the Emperor's Imperial Guard Captain Jacob and Admiral Baidel of the Navy, the Empire's forces launched simultaneous attacks on the four island kingdoms.
Following the Emperor’s plan, they first seized control of the dams between the islands.
They adjusted the dam gates to direct the flow of water toward the island nations and opened them.
The sudden deluge swept away the allied nations’ warships.
These were the ships that had been waiting to attack the Empire’s southwestern coastal region once the dams were destroyed, causing a flood and chaos.
Taking advantage of the disruption in the allied navy, the Empire’s forces launched a preemptive strike.
This was the Imperial Army, known across the continent, that had once shaken the lands from east to west under the Emperor’s command. Comparing them to the allied nations’ forces was an insult to their pride.
Seemingly exhilarated by the long-awaited action, Sir Jacob led the knights and soldiers to subdue the allied nations with minimal casualties.
It was also the Emperor’s strategy that brought down the morale of Raikanor, the most powerful of the five allied nations.
On the morning of the day the Empress was kidnapped, the Emperor’s Shadow Corps was dispatched to Raikanor.
The distance between the Empire and Raikanor required a three-day voyage.
"Spread the word in Raikanor. Tell them King Bergen has been killed by my hand."
By the time King Bergen arrived in Raikanor, it was too late to verify the truth of the rumors.
The Raikanor royal family immediately sent a delegation to the Empire, but it would take a three-day journey just to reach the Empire.
While Raikanor was in an uproar over the ominous rumors, the Empire launched a full-scale attack on the fifth day.
With the King’s absence and the unsettled public, the Kingdom’s second-in-command, the military commander, was forced to surrender.
The commander had once watched from afar as the Imperial Army, led by the late Emperor Maxwell, marched.
If the Emperor himself was leading this campaign, the war was already over.
The Emperor’s envoy delivered the Emperor’s message: if they surrendered, the safety of Raikanor’s citizens would be guaranteed.
Becoming the Empire’s twenty-third vassal state, Raikanor swore eternal allegiance to Emperor Maxwell.
"Waaaah!"
"Long live the Helterd Empire!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live, long live, long live!"
Fireworks were launched simultaneously from the highest towers of Raikanor, Kubul, and the three other island nations.
The lights painted the darkening sky in brilliant colors.
A chain of beacons, from the coastal fortresses of the southwest to the capital of the Empire, was lit one by one.
It was a signal announcing the Empire’s great victory to the entire world.
And all of this occurred on the fifth day after the Empress was kidnapped.
The Emperor's words, "Everything will be over in five days," had come true.
The ship carrying King Bergen back to Raikanor returned instead to the Empire’s primary port.
The Emperor was seen disembarking with his knights.
Yet, no one could say they had seen King Bergen, the ruler of Raikanor, whom the ship belonged to.
***
The salon of the Marchioness Selene, the social hub of the capital’s nobility.
From early morning, the capital’s nobles had been gathering at the salon of Marchioness Selene.
They were too busy discussing the recent events to touch the brunch laid out on the table.
"So, the Empress’s abduction was all part of a plan to root out traitors within and outside the Empire?"
"Exactly. The anti-Imperial faction led by Grand Duchess Caroline has been exposed. No matter how much she is the only daughter of the late Emperor and the Emperor’s aunt, she won’t escape punishment."
"Of course. There’s always been suspicion surrounding the Grand Duchess, but no concrete evidence. Now that there’s a clear reason to punish the traitors, His Majesty won’t hesitate."
"Not that he’s ever been one to hesitate, but now he’s free from the shackles of blood ties."
There wasn’t a single person who felt any sympathy for Caroline, who had been abandoned even by the Grand Duchy.
Though they regretted not being able to see the wretched woman rotting in the underground prison with their own eyes.
She had been cruel enough to ruin the family of a young noblewoman and her household just for not greeting her at a banquet.
And it was Grand Duchess Caroline who had orchestrated the scandal that ruined the strong rival of her niece Grace in the preliminary rounds of the Empress competition.
She had lost everything—the title of hostess of one of the Three Great Houses, the Grand Duchy of Le Sans, and her position as the Emperor’s aunt.
Talking about Caroline’s downfall as they sipped champagne, they found it exceptionally sweet, like biting into a baguette.
"To be honest, I misjudged His Majesty. Without any solid evidence, he accused King Ator of Semper of crimes. I sighed, thinking, ‘Even His Majesty loses his reason when he falls in love.’"
"We weren’t the only ones. The kings and envoys of other nations were also completely fooled. When His Majesty imprisoned King Ator, everyone thought Semper was finished. There was even a bet among the kingdoms on who would seize Semper after the Empire had abandoned it."
"To think His Majesty planned to attack the Southwestern Allied Nations while diverting everyone’s attention... Truly, that’s Emperor Maxwell for you. I feel guilty for ever doubting him."
"Who could have imagined that the five island nations had secretly formed an alliance to prepare to stand against the Empire?"
"That’s precisely why His Majesty is extraordinary. He tracked down the secret alliance that no one knew about and turned all five nations into vassal states."
Spoke the countess who had a daughter married to a lord from the southwestern coast.
“There was a plan to destroy the dam? If they had succeeded, what would have happened to the Imperial citizens in the southwestern coastal territories? It’s terrifying to even imagine.”
“The more I think about it, the more impressive it is.”
“Of course, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Maxwell, is someone beyond our understanding.”
“Oh, of course, His Majesty is extraordinary, but I was referring to Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress.”
The Marchioness of Selin, the most influential figure in the social circles, spoke in a low voice.
Everyone’s ears perked up, turning towards her.
“She postponed the only wedding of her life, didn’t she? Sacrificing her wedding for the peace and safety of the Empire. Truly, she is a perfect match for His Imperial Majesty.”
The nobles nodded in agreement with the Marchioness of Selin.
“You are absolutely right. There’s a rumor that it was Her Majesty the Empress who first uncovered King Bergen’s scheme. It seems the rumors during the competition were true.”
“You mean the rumor that Her Majesty the Empress is as much a strategist as His Majesty the Emperor? I think so too. I’ve heard that Her Majesty also participated in the operation against the Southwestern Alliance.”
“Last time, she created waterproof fabrics to protect the soldiers’ health and greatly boosted the Imperial economy. And this time, she has protected the citizens of the southwestern coastal territories.”
“That’s not all. Previously, she spread the method to distinguish the fake eggs of the Red Chaos Bird, which significantly reduced the damage.”
“With the two of them now leading the Empire together, I am filled with pride as a citizen of the Empire.”
The nobles gathered in the Selin salon spent hours discussing the Emperor and Empress, unaware of the time passing.
***
In the Commander-in-Chief Jacob’s office.
“Well done. You played a significant role.”
Commander Jacob patted Sir Theo on the shoulder as he entered the office.
Deputy Commander Peter also gave Sir Theo a thumbs-up.
“But what happened to Bergen? I heard he wasn’t found on the ship.”
“Well, I can imagine what his fate might have been.”
Commander Jacob and Sir Peter subtly inquired.
They knew the Emperor had been quite angry when he went aboard to find Bergen.
To think someone would dare to attempt to kidnap the Emperor’s wife.
It was utterly audacious.
When they thought about it, Bergen had caused more than just a few problems.
The Emperor’s gift to the Empress, the ‘Garden of Light,’ was ruined, along with the puppet show banquet and the wedding.
But most importantly, the Empress’s safety had been threatened.
The Emperor was not one to let that slide.
But since Bergen wasn’t found by the Emperor’s side, they had no idea how he had been dealt with.
They were curious about how the criminal had been punished, yet, somehow, they didn’t want to know.
They knew that the shock of learning the truth would be overwhelming.
It was a paradoxical feeling, just like those who served their lord.
Sir Theo hesitated for a moment before answering.
“He won’t be found. Ever.”
Sir Peter asked quietly.
“Did His Majesty feed him to the fish?”
“No.”
This time, it was Commander Jacob who asked.
“Was he buried deep in the sea?”
“No.”
“Then?”
Both knights asked Sir Theo simultaneously.
Since Bergen wasn’t on the ship, they assumed he had been thrown into the sea. But that didn’t seem to be the case.
Seeing the two knights tilt their heads in confusion, Sir Theo’s lips twitched.
He glanced around to ensure they were alone.
“Do you remember the Acacia War two years ago when His Majesty captured the king of the Etpi Kingdom?”
“How could I forget? Even though His Majesty had been hit by a poisoned arrow, he still helped that allied nation against the barbarian attack. And then it turned out they were preparing to betray us. We were furious, so imagine how His Majesty felt. The king of Etpi even sent assassins to try and take His Majesty’s life.”
“When I witnessed His Majesty punishing the king of Etpi, I couldn’t sleep properly for a week. His Majesty crushed that man’s windpipe with his own hands…”
As Commander Jacob and Sir Peter recalled how the Emperor had dealt with the treacherous king, their eyes widened.
They swallowed nervously and asked.
“So, did His Majesty do the same to King Bergen…?”
Sir Theo avoided their gaze and shook his head.
“He was punished twice as harshly.”
“Is that… possible?”
Sir Peter’s eyes widened even further in shock.
“I’ve learned it is possible this time.”
Sir Theo replied, reaffirming to himself that he would never reveal the fact that he had briefly lost consciousness while watching the Emperor deal with Bergen.
He had to preserve his knightly dignity.
Of course, he comforted himself by thinking that Commander Jacob and Sir Peter, the Empire’s finest knights, would have fainted too if they had witnessed that scene.
***
Every step towards the palace was precise, as if measured with a ruler.
But happiness radiated with every stride.
The moment the doors to the palace opened, a small figure dashed into the Emperor’s embrace.
The Emperor bowed his head, inhaling the fresh, sweet scent.
Feeling the soft body that wrapped its arms around him tightly, he realized once again that he was truly home.
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