◈ 446. [Side Story] The King of Kings,
a few days have passed.
In the meantime, new forces from all over the world joined one after another.
“I’m here~!”
Yun, who had left far in the north, came down with the people of the Northern Kingdom as an official envoy. Standing in front of me, she grinned.
“You came as an envoy representing the Aryan Kingdom and the Northern Kingdom properly this time?”
“It must be a long way, but you came pretty quickly.”
To be honest, I thought you would come after all seats were sold out.
“Huh, in fact… Our country also secretly hid a few non-empty ships.”
“… It’s a secret, can I tell you?”
“It spreads in the middle of how old it is, and eventually came running on a wolf from the middle. And this town has one too.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Yoongi blinked his eyes and looked around.
“By the way, Kuylan! Where is Kuylan?!”
It is said that there is no meaning in chanting Buddha and only has a heart for ashes.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t have come out again if it had only been about joining the monster front. They said they found a groom, so my parents sent me back.”
“… If your daughter, who usually goes out, says she has found a groom, won’t your parents object?”
“Not so in the North. And even more so if the prospective husband you find is a man with a stout body and a lot of hair.”
What kind of town is the northern part of this world really like? … ?
Anyway, Yun and the delegation (the princess groom pretending to be a bridegroom evaluation team) went into the city in search of Quylan with a twinkle in their eyes… … I do not know. Whether it’s dating or going on a blind date, let’s do it.
“ash!”
Dusk Bringer is also back.
The small countries in every nook and cranny that I couldn’t reach, the descendants of the Western Kingdom, and the heads of hostile countries that didn’t get along with the Empire… … Taking all of the etc.
Is it because the Principality of Bringer openly confronted the Empire? Personnel hostile to the Empire – A large number of real ‘fallen kings’ who continued to stealth after the country was destroyed by the Empire came together.
After their introduction, Dusk Bringer raised his nose and shrugged.
“Huhu Guwain is a bit popular. You can praise me!”
“I believed in you, Archduke.”
Dusk Bringer and I were on good terms, but the other fallen kings who followed her were glaring at me… … Well, since I’m the 3rd prince of the empire, is it natural?
“You must have accumulated quite a bit of travel poison, so come this way.”
I had enough to bake, so I smiled softly and guided them to the hotel.
Finally, after almost all the kings on the list have arrived.
“majesty.”
Hannibal has arrived.
The shaggy-haired boy who used to enchant the spirits as Kelly Bay’s assistant.
After receiving my permission, Hannibal left the city and went to his ‘hometown’, and returned neatly dressed.
After tidying up the messy hair that was long enough to cover his eyes, the boy looked like a different person.
‘Children grow up quickly.’
In front of me thinking that way, Hannibal politely showed an example.
“Thank you for listening to our ‘Half-Blood’ requirements, Your Highness. Thanks to that, I was able to quickly come to a consensus.”
“It wasn’t even a huge requirement. I didn’t even have to worry.”
Hannibal is… … He is a member of ‘Half-Blood’, a community of half-blood children living in hiding all over the world.
Those who are discriminated against and persecuted more than heterogeneous people have a high probability of being abandoned as soon as they are born.
Even if they endure and survive a harsh childhood, they hide their identities for the rest of their lives.
“We have no country and no nation. The only thing there is is an underground community formed in the shadows.”
Mixed races are said to recognize each other easily.
Because they have a high probability of being possessed by spirits.
There is an old story that spirits cherish orphans.
I thought it was a story to give hope to orphans, but in fact, in the case of mixed blood, it seems that the spirit sensitivity is significantly higher.
“When Your Highness said that he was gathering forces to deal with a huge enemy this time… … I thought I should add a little bit of strength.”
Hannibal pointed and introduced the four boys and girls who had followed him.
Everyone was a spirit sergeant. A party of 5 Elementalists was added under my command.
“Even though there are few of them, we selected those who are the best at commanding the spirits in Half Blood. I will do my best to be of assistance to Your Highness and the Monster Front.”
“Opportunities come only to those who act.”
I grinned.
“You and your friends took a chance.”
The requirements for these half-bloods were simple.
Improving the treatment of mixed races.
I was willing to grant this request.
“Come in. Spirit lords. The meeting will start soon.”
Nervous children crouched and entered the hotel entrance. I laughed and watched it.
***
I started a conference with each king.
I knew what each of them wanted, so I gave them my terms without reserve.
Most responded to my offer.
Those who saw the monsters with their own eyes and sensed the threat promised me cooperation, even putting aside other interests.
However, there were also quite a few people who doubted me and tried to reject me. They refused to join under my command and tried to leave this meeting.
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t just let it go.’
I already knew their intentions.
For the past few days, the gambler party-gamble club has been put in to figure out their true intentions by using phantom magic, puppet magic, and clairvoyance.
As well as information from the game.
I was aware of the terms of enlistment of each of the fallen kings as well as the conditions of enmity. In other words, he was well aware of his weaknesses.
Using this, I proceeded with intimidation and conciliation at the same time.
They grabbed the weak spot, shook it, and drove it with the evidence.
“It is rude to say that I created a slush fund without the people’s knowledge! Do you have proof?!”
“My country’s Minister of State and I are having an affair?! What a stupid sound! Where did you pick up a strange chirashi and heard-”
“Hahaha. Ivosio Prince Ash. Why are players doing this? Isn’t it a basic right for our leaders to hurt people behind?”
At first, everyone tried to hold on, but
they said, “Okay! Got it! We will fully cooperate! So please, at least publicize the matter!”
“Please keep it a secret… The remarriage is scheduled for next year… … If you get caught cheating, it’s the end… … .”
“I thought you were a dark-hearted fellow like me, but I’m disappointed! Let’s see how long we can keep pretending to be so nice! shit!”
It all came through eventually.
Rather, the work was easy.
They were tough people who didn’t budge when they tried to persuade them gently, but when I touched their weakness and threatened them fiercely, they quickly raised their hands.
‘By any means, bind everyone into one force.’
Feeding them carrots, whipping them, beating them with carrots, and caressing them with whips- I finished consultations with the heads of all factions one by one.
And this work is done.
On the last night of this summit, at the banquet hall where all attendees were gathered.
I finally revealed Fernandez’s purpose.
***
“Fernandez will melt and kill all humans within the ecliptic.”
My calm words froze the air in the banquet hall.
In front of those who looked at me with frightened eyes, I calmly swung the wine glass in my hand.
“The Ambu Aegis task force and the magic corps have installed the human sacrifice magic circle ‘Shutdown Protocol’ in the basement of New Terra, the ecliptic.”
“… .”
“Since it was such a large-scale installation, it was delayed for various reasons… Completion is just around the corner.”
Expected completion is this winter.
A month at the earliest. No matter how generously you catch it, it’s a few months ahead.
And when this is activated,
“All life on the ecliptic will perish. Including Fernandez himself.”
“… .”
An uncomfortable silence passed.
It’s going to be hard for everyone to stay sober with crazy stories.
It was the fairy queen, Skuld, who broke the silence and spoke.
“What do you mean by that?”
“… .”
“For what… Are you saying that after winning the final battle for the imperial throne, you slaughtered the citizens of my country’s capital city? Isn’t that what a lunatic would do?”
Yes. Needless to say, Fernandez is a crazy bastard.
I can’t even guess the motive or the principle of action. But I can guess what you’re trying to do with this thing.
“Basically, Fernandez is convinced that he cannot win the war against the monster. I don’t know why I made this decision… … That confidence seems solid.”
He was about to declare surrender before he even fought.
The reason he wanted to become emperor in the first place was to beg for his life as the ‘representative of mankind’ from the ‘representative of monsters’.
However, the demon king refused to surrender.
Then Fernandez took the next best thing… No, I chose this method as the second evil.
“Shutdown protocol burns the flesh. But the soul remains there.”
“… ?!”
“And in New Terra, the ecliptic… … There is Everblack, a tree that can access the spirit world.”
“no way… !”
“I can’t believe it.”
I let out a long sigh.
“We ‘kill’ everyone in the ecliptic and take only their souls to escape to the spirit world… … This is Fernandez’s plan.”
This is the identity of ‘The Last Ark’.
Fernandez decided that he could not win by fighting predestined destruction.
Still, he decided to continue the life of the country called the Empire ‘at any cost’ and to continue the species called humanity.
Even if you don’t have a body. If only the spirit could lead.
If only the soul could escape.
that’s what it was supposed to do
“In a sense, you can see it as gaining eternal life.”
In my bitterly spitting mind, I suddenly remembered the magical city that sank beneath the lake – the Lake Kingdom.
That huge magic kingdom too… … I was trying to gain eternal life, but I fell into that kind of image.
The empires on earth were also trying to be the same in essence, only in different forms.
“If you sacrifice a living human through Shutdown Protocol, you will get an incredible amount of energy in return. If you offer all the lives of the people living in the ecliptic as a price… … It would be safe to say that the amount of energy extracted is unprecedented.”
It is safe to say that the shutdown protocol itself is a burnt offering ceremony in which sacrifices are burned and offered.
And with the enormous energy obtained in return, they load the souls into the ark and flee to the spirit world.
Even if the real world is devastated by monsters, the subjects of the ‘chosen’ empire will live forever in the spirit world.
“To be honest, many of you here… If the entire ecliptic of the empire evaporated, there would be many people who would be happy with that in itself.”
I glanced around at the various kings at the banquet hall. Not a few people flinched at my words.
These are the fallen kings driven out to the frontier.
Most of them have animosity with the empire.
With an honest heart, if the empire burns the imperial capital and collapses on its own, it would be enough to cause joy.
“But everyone. We cannot win the war against the monster unless everyone in the world unites.”
Even if all other small countries join forces.
In the end, without the power of the Everblack Empire, which currently holds world hegemony, the strength of that regiment would be reduced to less than half.
You must reclaim the ecliptic and regain control of the empire.
I also beat Fernandez’s stomach hard for making such a crazy plan.
“Can you stop it?”
“sure.”
I laughed confidently at Skuld’s trembling voice.
“With your full cooperation, it can be prevented.”
Fernandez’s conspiracy too.
Invasion of monsters.
I will block everyone and go beyond the ending of the third year to the world after that.
Because that’s what I’m here for.
***
By doing so.
After several days of teasing, coaxing, teasing, and threatening me, all the kings and heads of powers present here promised me cooperation.
Above all, after Fernandez’s crazy plan was told at the end, the remaining worries seemed to disappear.
Whether Fernandez self-destructs or me gets in the way of his plans.
Whichever direction I went, I rolled my head and noticed that the next hegemony of the Empire would come to me.
“I am hereby declaring the launch of the ‘World Defense Front’.”
The alliance was solidified.
Even though it is an alliance of fallen kings who were pushed to the frontier, it is not small in size when gathered together.
Now, against Fernandez and against the Demon King, at least the number of heads was not pushed back.
‘It doesn’t matter if it’s a casual gathering.’
Any veteran starts with a recruit, and any great empire starts with a handful of troops.
If it is the discretion of the king to master this and increase the scale, this time it will be proven.
Whether or not I am really the emperor’s vessel.
“As the head of the alliance, His Highness Prince Ash ‘Bonhater’ Everblack, the lord of Crossroads who has been the main pillar of this position, has been appointed.”
By unanimous vote, I was appointed as the leader of the alliance.
At Skuld’s words, I stood up and bowed lightly, and everyone in the seat clapped. clap clap clap… … .
“Because I have become the head of an alliance of kings… .”
Dwarf King Kellison, who had just stood up and clapped his hands, smiled and joked.
“Now the King of Kings… Should I call you King of Kings?”
“That’s a bit of a burdensome title.”
Embarrassed, I corrected my expression, clarified my voice, and raised my wine glass.
“Let’s go together, everyone.”
All the kings followed me and raised their cups.
I spit out succinctly.
“To protect everyone’s world.”
I drank at once, and all the kings followed me and swallowed their own cups.
The alliance is ready. The bullets are filled.
All that remains now is a decisive battle.
