CH 677

The allied forces were like a massive beast.

Their mere existence required a vast amount of supplies every day.

Thus, it was best to disband them as quickly as possible once their purpose was fulfilled. Fortunately, thanks to Harriet, we could disband the allied forces in the shortest amount of time.

This had several effects.

It dispersed the remaining human forces across the continent, making it impossible for them to unite.

Harriet's power was, in itself, the ability to transport legions, rendering an enemy attack on us impossible, while allowing us to attack the enemy forces.

After dividing humanity, we exerted influence on each of them.

We were too strong an enemy for them to resist, and even if they had the intention to rebel, realizing that would be an impossible feat.

This reinforced the effectiveness of our rule.

After gaining their loyalty, we disbanded the allied forces.

The fact that the soldiers could return to their homes without a lengthy march was satisfying in itself.

And the knowledge that it was possible thanks to the Demon King would have some positive effects.

Of course, we couldn't win everyone's hearts.

Divisions would arise, and the seeds of it were scattered everywhere.

But before we could disband the allied forces, there was something to be done.

At the headquarters of the supreme command.

Charlotte sat on my left, and Olivia Lanze was on my right.

The last of the empire and my left arm.

The symbol of the Holy Order and my right arm.

And in front of me were the representatives of all the remaining human factions.

"Welcome, everyone."

I said, looking at the frozen audience.

From the moment they sat in this place, they might have cast uncomfortable and fearful glances at me, but none of them could resist me.

They couldn't even rise from their seats.

"I am the Demon King, Vallier."

This scene already signified that I had become the ruler of the continent.

------

So far, Charlotte had acted in my place, so they knew that the rule of the Demon King had begun, but it seemed that they really realized that everything had fallen into the hands of the Demon King when they saw me in this form.

In this place, countless people who had already decided to join me were seated.

Louise von Schwarz of Kernstadt, who had led the event, was sitting close to the head seat, and naturally, Rowan, the commander of the Holy Knights, was present.

Of course, the Archduke of Saint Owan was also in this place.

It was amusing that his seat, which had been close to the last, was now closer to the head.

He had been pushed to the very last seat because his daughter sided with the Demon King. Naturally, it wouldn't have been his will to sit there.

But now that his daughter sided with the Demon King, he found himself sitting closer to the head. This, too, would have been irrelevant to the Archduke of Saint Owan's will.

From being a traitor to humanity, he was now becoming a meritous figure in the new empire.

The Archduke of Saint Owan's stern expression clearly revealed that he had no interest in his changed position.

How should I put it?

He seemed like a pillar, regardless of how I looked at him.

He appeared to be someone living in a place unrelated to the world's interests.

A doting father, that is.

A strange person, too.

In fact, when I had passed out, the Archduke of Saint Owan was the first to find Harriet and held her in his arms.

Anyway, a considerable number of representatives in this place had decided to join me even before the war ended.

Louise von Schwarz had taken on the role.

The imperial forces affiliated with the coalition were already in our grasp. Naturally, not only was the emperor absent from this gathering, but there were also a considerable number of imperial commanders present.

They had already turned their backs on the empire due to the massive betrayal that occurred during the Diane battle.

And Charlotte had completed the process of capturing all the imperial officers and commanders.

They were no longer part of the imperial forces.

"The Gardias Empire shall disappear, and I shall be the ruler of the continent from now on."

"I hope that this will not be taken as an oppressive and rigid relationship of absolute domination and loyalty."

"Indeed."

"Let's think of it as a 'promise'."

"I will help you when you need me."

"So, help me when I need you."

"There won't be much change."

"The important thing is that monsters still roam the continent."

"Rebuilding a broken civilization will require an incalculable amount of time and resources."

"Of course, the chasm of distrust and resentment built up between us is deep, and our races may even be different."

"So, whatever thoughts you may have inside, I cannot do anything about it."

"The first thing you need to do is not to show excessive loyalty to me or offer me something."

"Do your best for yourself in your own position."

"Rebuilding the civilization and restoring the collapsed livelihood."

"That should be the task you must perform before showing loyalty to me."

"You don't need to offer me anything."

"I don't intend to force anything from you."

"Just accept me."

"And above all else."

"Live well."

"That is the greatest loyalty you can show me."

They were not capable of giving anything to me.

Living well while scattered in every direction.

Rebuilding a broken civilization and rising again.

Reconstructing and revitalizing a ruined civilization was my goal. So, the loyalty they could show me was not a few tributes, but rather to establish a foundation on which they could stand on their own again.

Had they expected some terrifying words to come from the mouth of a being called the Demon King?

You are all finished now.

Pay back what you received.

Foolish humanity shall now pay the price of defeat.

Or perhaps, if you defy me, a tremendous blood vengeance will ensue.

Were they waiting for such words?

But when the words came to live well in their own positions, they all wore a bewildered expression.

"Do not think that this is an easy command."

"In this despairing era, I am giving you the most difficult command."

Is living well easy?

To the people who had to live in a broken world, it was, in fact, the most difficult command.

In this reality where monsters still roamed and most of the civilization had been destroyed, living well was undoubtedly the most brutal command.

As I added more, only then did they all start to think about how to live well, and their expressions darkened.

It seemed that they now understood that this was indeed the most difficult and harsh task.

They were all tired of discussing death and blood.

There was no need to warn those who did not serve me or those who betrayed me.

Such matters could be discussed later without being too late.

"I said I would help you."

It was a joyful day.

"The first thing I can give, I will give."

The war was over.

"First of all, everyone, go home."

Go home, clean your feet, and rest.

No exceptions for anyone.

------

No one was surprised by the news that the allied forces would prepare for withdrawal as soon as the cleanup of the battlefield was completed.

It was probably because they thought it was a procedure similar to the return to the capital and the occupation battle.

But when I explained that the withdrawal I mentioned was literally just that, everyone's expressions became puzzled.

When they heard that they could instantly return to their respective hometowns, their mouths gaped open.

In just one day, they could return to their hometowns.

Though there were those who had lost their hometowns, everyone had a place to return to.

And it wasn't only the soldiers who wanted to go back.

Everyone looked as if they had been struck by a bolt of money while they were asleep.

There was no need to fight the empire.

All they had to do was return as they were.

There, they could simply live.

Everyone was astonished that accepting my rule came with such a condition.

No, this wasn't a reward but a sweet fruit that could be received by accepting the Demon King's rule.

It was a price so sweet that it was worth doubting whether it was a poisoned chalice.

"Didn't I say? Go back and be faithful to your own tasks. But there will be no more supplies to feed you. Surviving on your own will not be easy."

It was definitely not an easy task.

Only then did everyone start to worry, realizing that being able to return wasn't necessarily all good.

"There is nothing more to say. Prepare for withdrawal as soon as you're ready, and report when your units are prepared. I'll send you back immediately."

Among those sitting, there were those with determined expressions.

They seemed to have prepared some incredible words and looked as if they were ready to face death at this place.

There certainly seemed to be those who wanted to say something about dirty tricks or the like.

However, due to the meaning contained in the words I had thrown, they couldn't bring themselves to open their mouths.

They were overwhelmed by the mere fact that they could return immediately, and seemed to have forgotten what they had wanted to say.

Their wide-eyed expressions were quite refreshing.

"Go back, and live well."

That was the first decree of the new emperor of the continent.

But among them, someone suddenly raised their hand.

"Excuse me... Demon King..."

I didn't know who it was.

"What is it?"

He had a flustered expression.

"If the allied forces withdraw... How do you plan to... occupy the empire...?"

Judging by their curiosity about whether it was possible to do so with only the remaining imperial and Demon armies, it seemed like they were supporting me.

Occupying the empire, huh?

"May I speak on that matter?"

Before I could say anything, Rowan opened her mouth.

"The emperor has already fled."

I had already heard this.

But the fact that the emperor had fled.

With that word, even the last loyalists of the empire, who might have still been in their seats, vanished.

The throne and the palace were empty.

All we had to do was enter the empty palace.

------

Inside the swaying carriage moving at a steady pace, Bertus gradually regained consciousness.

"...Ugh!"

In the dim carriage, Bertus hastily sat up.

Where was this place?

His entire body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton.

He couldn't even tell how long he had been asleep.

He was simply lying in a dark carriage, moving somewhere.

Bertus tried to recall his last memory.

The battle of Diane had ended.

And so, Bertus prepared.

He prepared as the last emperor of the disappearing Gardias Empire.

He prepared to pay the price for betraying humanity and being the root cause of everything.

A sacrifice was needed for the new era.

Thus, the empire would vanish alongside the absolute evil of the emperor as the symbol of hatred.

With the true source of all evil, the emperor, hanging on a scaffold, all hatred would burn away and a new era would begin.

He had been accumulating all these actions for that purpose.

So, Bertus prepared.

He prepared to transfer everything to the new power.

And he prepared for the proper attitude that the one who needed to die should have.

However, Saviolin Turner returned.

The order Bertus had given her wasn't just to blow up the underground of the magic university.

She no longer needed to obey his commands.

She was no longer his knight.

She was told not to return and to survive.

He had said to leave the empire and to quit being a knight of a country that would disappear.

She was told to live according to her own will.

So, cutting off the vow of loyalty that bound her was also part of his command.

However, Saviolin Turner returned after the battle of Diane and a few days had passed.

"Lady Turner...?"

The knight who was told not to return had put the emperor to sleep.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

That faint voice was the last thing he remembered.

In the dim carriage interior, Bertus felt his body.

His clothes had been changed.

In the dim light, his clothes were clearly not very luxurious.

Thump thump!

After knocking on the driver's seat of the carriage a few times, the carriage stopped with a slight jolt.

Soon, there was movement at the driver's seat.

Clunk!

As the door opened, there was, of course,

"Your Majesty."

"Lady Turner..."

Saviolin Turner's face.

"What... what are you doing?"

He had told her to live freely and to survive.

The emperor's knight had done the unthinkable act of kidnapping the emperor.

Saviolin Turner's expression was miserable because she knew what she had done.

"This... this can't be. This shouldn't be."

Turner had to know what Bertus was trying to do. She had to know what the emperor was doing and preparing, even if he didn't say it.

The emperor had dug his own grave.

All he had to do was enter it.

The moment was right in front of him, and he had already made up his mind.

Having prepared for the new era by embracing everyone's sins and dying as the symbol of evil,

In the final moment, Saviolin Turner's actions had thrown off all his calculations.

Bertus didn't know how far the carriage had come or where it was heading.

It was obvious what Saviolin Turner was trying to do because of the ordinary clothes and the unadorned carriage.

"We must go back."

It was time for that, and it was all a part of the conspiracies and schemes for that purpose.

"Why must it be like this?"

Tears finally filled her eyes.

"I must die. Someone has to take responsibility."

The death of the emperor wouldn't extinguish all the sparks of hatred, nor would it erase all the sins.

But at least some of it would disappear.

Everyone resented the emperor, and wouldn't the number of people resenting the new era decrease at least a little if the emperor, who was the symbol of that resentment, died?

"That is not courage, Your Majesty."

"..."

From a very young age.

The knight who had been with him since his infancy, who occasionally played with him when he was young, finally shed tears that he had never seen before in his life.

"That is ultimately, running away."

It was passing the world onto someone else and escaping into death.

If I have paid my own price.

To die satisfied, it was not about taking responsibility but avoiding it.

"Do you have the courage to die but not the courage to live a disgraceful life by running away? Why... why must it be like this?"

Death does not complete everything.

Death does not solve everything.

Why insist on dying?

Wasn't it courageous to endure the life of a disgusting and dirty fugitive?

In the end, wasn't his desire for death just a way to find his own honor?

If he sought solace in dying with a false accusation on him.

What reason was there not to live a truly despicable and dirty life as a fugitive?

Wasn't it better to survive, even if it meant wearing the real disgrace rather than seeking fake honor?

"Lady Turner... I... I don't want that. I..."

Thud

Saviolin Turner finally knelt down and lowered her head.

She had always been a loyal knight, but this was the first time he had seen her throw herself so completely and kneel like this.

No matter how much of a subject she was, she had dignity.

Even the emperor could not dare to demand such a level of submission from her, with her head pressed to the ground.

And yet, there she was, sobbing with her head pressed to the ground.

"Please... Please..."

"I have lived a life of following orders."

"Although loyalty does not require a reward."

"I, Saviolin Turner, the Emperor's Sword."

"A servant of the empire, I have dedicated my entire life to the empire."

"Your Majesty."

"Please live."

"Even if it's a disgraceful life, even if it's a coward's life."

"I beg you to live."

"That is the only reward... I desire."

"Didn't you tell me to live according to my own will now?"

"This is my will."

With wide eyes, he looked at his knight, who was not kneeling but lying down, crying.

She had devoted her life to the sword and her life to the empire.

She had lived her entire life solely for the empire.

She had been a knight of the empire even before he was born.

No, she had been a knight of the empire even before his parents were born.

She had never asked anything of the empire.

She was the oldest loyalist of the empire, the person who had served the longest, and served the royal family from the closest position.

She had done dirty jobs, and any necessary tasks.

She had lived like that without any complaints.

Although it was a knight's virtue not to expect a reward for loyalty.

If it was her.

If it was someone who had served as long as she had.

She would undoubtedly have the right to demand a reward.

She was even afraid to use the word "reward," so she called it a repayment.

The only thing she wanted in return for her long-standing loyalty was just one thing.

To live.

"Please... Your Majesty... Please..."

A cowardly life.

Would it be better for the last emperor, who had betrayed humanity, to hang from a gallows? Or would it be better for him to run away and survive somewhere?

Focusing hatred on the dead Demon King was impossible.

When Bertus learned that there was a surviving successor in the demon world, he was delighted.

He had said that without even realizing he was speaking to the Demon King's successor.

The existence of the Demon King was actually necessary for the unification and maintenance of the empire.

The last Demon King was alive somewhere.

Just by that fact alone, people trembled in fear and focused all their hopes on the empire.

All of humanity's power was concentrated in the empire.

They had used the Demon King as a symbol of hatred.

Was it now time for the emperor to perform that role?

The life of a fugitive, a life of a despicable and disgraceful loser.

The reality that the emperor had run away rather than the reality that the emperor had died.

Would that be better for a new era?

Bertus could not know.

However.

His knight was wailing.

A person who had lived their entire life for the empire.

Now, having lost the empire, she was begging him to live, throwing her whole body into protecting the last remnant of the empire, the emperor.

With gritted teeth, Bertus looked at Saviolin Turner, who was desperately pleading.

He stood there, blankly, unable to hold onto or push away the last knight of the Gardias royal family.