Episode 369 Cabalon (8)
Leaders are important.
Even if the members of the knights are the same, the strength of the knights varies greatly depending on who leads them.
Even a knight order of about 30 people has a great influence, and when it comes to the size of a country, it is natural that the importance of the leader increases.
If a wise king runs the country, peace and prosperity will be achieved; if a foolish tyrant runs the country, the country will fall into ruin in an instant.
Therefore, it was important to know what kind of person the current emperor of the Charon Empire was.
If the emperor of the time was merely brainwashed by Yu Man, there is room for reformation, but if he ruined the country like this without mental control, he cannot be left alone.
‘I wish I didn’t have to kill him…’
Baek Woo-jin quenched his appetite as he entered the imperial palace with the castle lords.
The main culprit that started the continental war was Cabalon. Both the Empire and the Allied Forces were just being dragged around by that guy.
There had been so much damage and death so far that I didn’t want to cause any more trouble.
-Still, when you have to make a decision, you have to make it.
‘Of course I should.’
If he had stayed here, he would have destroyed the empire and established a new country. But he must return to his original world.
Since a new war could break out in order to take over the land where the empire was destroyed after he left, it was best to leave the empire as a weak country.
‘We will do our best to cause as little damage as possible to the people of the empire.’
The people of the empire are not guilty of anything. To prevent them from being harmed, I plan to look into what kind of person the emperor is and deal with him as he is not an appropriate person.
‘But…’
Baek Woo-jin narrowed his eyes as he scanned the interior of the imperial palace.
‘I’m not really looking forward to it.’
Unlike the outside, the interior of the imperial palace was entirely covered in gold and filled with gorgeous decorations and ceremonial weapons. It feels like watching a play of luxury.
-It’s the same for me too.
‘Well, you may only like luxury.’
“Stop!”
When I arrived at the center of the imperial palace with positive thoughts, knights wearing golden armor pulled out their swords and aimed them.
-The level is high.
As a guard knight protecting the king, he exuded outstanding aura and fighting spirit.
“This is where the emperor stays. No one can enter without permission…”
“We came to see the emperor.”
Edgar clicked his tongue and pulled out his sword.
“You can never go in! “If you want to have an audience with the emperor…”
“Get out of the way.”
Baek Woo-jin stepped in front of Edgar and raised his spirits.
“Huh!”
“Ahh….”
“Keuuuuuuuuuuu!”
The knights of the royal guard were frightened and retreated as the wave of energy spread out magnificently as if the Great Pung were spreading its wings. They were frightened, like mice in front of a cat, and their sword hands trembled.
“Uhm….”
“What did you do?”
“That person is really…”
The castle lords looked at the trembling knights with dumbfounded expressions.
“Let’s go.”
Baek Woo-jin walked along the path cleared by the Knights of the Guard and stood in front of the door of the throne room, which was at its peak of splendor.
I could feel the presence of many people inside. It seemed like everyone had run away here.
Kwaaaaang!
He put his hand on the door and blew it away.
“Come here!”
“Aaaah!”
“Uuuuuuuck!”
People’s screams could be heard through the sound of the door being torn open. I went inside, stepping through the burning smoke.
The emperor’s throne rose to the ceiling in the center, and nobles and elite knights wearing splendid clothes and armor stood in front of it.
‘Are you the author?’
Baek Woo-jin turned his eyes and saw a middle-aged man sitting on the throne.
She was draped in a gorgeous red robe with gold thread wrapped in a spiral shape, and on top of her head she wore an octagonal crown with various jewels on it.
-The physiognomy is not that great?
‘Hmm…’
There was no sincerity in his eyes. I was filled with only stubbornness and anger that I couldn’t accept the current situation.
“Where are you stepping your dirty feet!”
The emperor looked greedy and let out a roar, his bulging cheeks shaking.
“I am the emperor of this empire! I didn’t give you the right to see me! “Get down on your knees and get away!”
-How can I get down on my knees and walk away?
Darkness snorted as he looked at the emperor’s cheeks.
“You still don’t know the situation?”
Dapple smiled coldly and glared into the Emperor’s eyes.
“You are defeated. “It’s you who should retreat, not us!”
“I can’t believe I lost! Nonsense! Where is Duke Alonso! “Where is the new director?”
The emperor hit the floor with the baton he was holding.
‘That’s bullshit.’
Baek Woo-jin sighed inaudibly. Looking at the situation, it was clear that the nobles had not even paid attention to the situation of the war and had finally come to their senses.
He was able to understand why Duke Alonso, the Imperial Swordsman who fought with him, looked frustrated even as he died.
“Everyone is dead.”
Baek Woo-jin looked directly into the emperor’s lustful eyes and opened his mouth.
“The Imperial First Kendo Deputy Director and New Director also died by my hands. “The empire’s army has been defeated, and you are the only ones left.”
“gibberish! There is no way Yuman could have been defeated, and there is no way Jim’s army could have been defeated! “How many knights and how many soldiers were there, but they were defeated by you crude bastards!”
“You can check it yourself.”
“Shut up! “Use my divine power to kill you right away!”
The emperor aimed the red baton he was holding at himself. The rod turned white and shot out a huge beam of light.
Cheaaa!
Before Baek Woo-jin could step forward, Moon Ju-young came out and cut off the light.
“You bastards are blocking my event! What are they doing! “Kill them!”
At the emperor’s trembling hand, the knights and nobles guarding him rushed forward. Unlike the emperor, they were prepared to die.
“Both Yuman and Alonso will return! Fight!”
The emperor was the only one who could not believe in defeat.
“This is the final fight!”
The castle lords rushed out in front of them and slashed their swords at the royal knights.
Although the knights of the royal guard were strong, they could not defeat the castle lords and their guards who had gone through all the hardships. In a short period of time, dozens of royal knights crawled on the floor.
“Haaaaah!”
The emperor, seeing the knights dying, was astonished and took a step back. But he could no longer retreat because of the huge throne behind him.
Snap.
Baek Woo-jin walked towards the throne, stepping on the blood flowing from the knights.
“Do not come! I mean, don’t come! “You lowly thing!”
When the emperor hit the left armrest of the throne, a translucent protective shield was created surrounding the throne.
Even though there were children and elderly women who appeared to be nobles around him, the emperor did not call anyone and activated a protective shield for himself.
-That’s wrong.
‘okay. There was a reason why Yuman and Kabaron controlled the empire as they pleased.’
Baek Woo-jin nodded. The fact that he reacts like that even though Yuman and Kavaron are dead means that his original nature is like that.
Even though there were royal family members below him who seemed to be his blood relatives, he lost the psychological war of trying to live alone, but everything from his thoughtless foolishness to his greedy desires failed.
“It’s pathetic that I had even the slightest expectations.”
I smiled coldly and climbed the stairs to the throne.
“You’re as stupid as a lowly bastard!” This shield was installed by the first emperor. “Humans can’t break through!”
“okay?”
“Keep pounding on that for the rest of your life!”
The emperor frowned and lifted the right armrest. The back of the throne opened, creating a hole for one person to enter. It seemed like a secret passage.
-You idiot! You should have run away earlier!
‘He’s that brainless.’
Yuman and Kabaron must have put the current emperor on the throne because of their stupidity and no need for brainwashing.
“A lifetime? “I’ll wake you up right away.”
Baek Woo-jin pulled out his sword with a sad expression. He struck the sword lightly as if cutting through the wind, cutting through the curtain surrounding the throne.
Kyaaaaa!
Contrary to the emperor’s statement that it would never be broken, the shield was torn like a piece of paper and turned to dust.
“How did this happen…”
Emperor Drishri Vi Karunamiti fell backwards, hitting his drool-dripping chin.
‘They said even Alonso couldn’t break it…’
The first emperor’s protective shield, which Duke Alonso, who was the best sword of the empire, had said would take half a day to break, was shattered by that human’s single sword. It felt like I was having a nightmare, not reality.
“Is there anything else you want to bring up?”
Baek Woo-jin swung his sword and approached the emperor.
“Turn it off! Jim is the emperor! “Get on your knees!”
The emperor lashed out with a red baton. After dodging the exploding mass of mana, I cut down the baton.
“Hey!”
The emperor threw away the baton that had been cut in half and his whole body trembled.
“If I leave this empire to you, tears of blood will flow from people’s eyes. “It fails.”
“Now wait a minute! First, listen to what Jim says… Wow!”
Baek Woo-jin cut off the emperor’s head without the slightest hesitation. The emperor’s head fell down the stairs, unable to close his eyes as if he did not believe in death.
“Aaaah!”
“Ugh!”
“Ah…”
The nobles below screamed in horror, but only one young man looked at the emperor’s neck and lowered his eyes.
“Who is the First Prince?”
“That’s me.”
The red-haired young man who had been quiet raised his hand. Unlike the emperor, his eyes were filled with concentration.
“You invaded our territory first and were defeated. “You know, right?”
“…I know.”
“But we didn’t have the strength. Yu Man and the emperor…”
“Stop.”
The noble next to him tried to intervene, but the Emperor waved his hand to stop him.
“The process is not important. The Empire started a war and lost. “That’s it.”
“Ugh…”
There was no wavering in the First Prince’s voice. It seemed like he was accepting everything, whether it was resignation or acceptance.
“You seem to have some sense. “This is our demand.”
When Baek Woo-jin nodded, Dapple handed over the treaty to the Emperor.
“Apologizing for territory and wealth….”
The treaty stated that the territory of the empire should be divided between the Allies and that war reparations and an official apology should be made.
“You’re cutting the territory in half?”
“The amount of war reparations is too large. This is ridiculous…”
“If you don’t want to lose everything, be quiet.”
The nobles groaned and closed their mouths at the Emperor’s low voice.
“Is it okay if I just keep this?”
“No, there is one more.”
Baek Woo-jin shook his head and scanned the entire throne room.
“Allied soldiers are still hungry. “They want to kill you all and take over all of this land.”
“Huh!”
“Hiyi…”
The nobles’ eyes swayed like flower petals standing on the edge of a cliff at the powerful voice.
“We need immediate compensation to stop them. “I plan to take half of the wealth piled up in this imperial palace and give it to them.”
-Only half?
‘No matter how honorable and outstanding the prince is, if the imperial family does not have money, it is the people who ultimately suffer.’
If you take everything away from the empire’s royal family and nobles, they will only cause more suffering to the people.
“All right. “I would be grateful if you could finish it with just that.”
“First Prince!”
“That’s not possible! In the imperial palace, we…”
“Please! “Come to your senses!”
The Emperor couldn’t stand it anymore and stamped his foot. Because there was a lot of radish piled up, a slight vibration occurred in the throne room.
“The Empire has been defeated! Whoever used us or was used by us. You lost regardless! “Do you really not know that they are giving us an opportunity to annihilate us and take everything from us?”
“Ah…”
“Uhm…”
The nobles lowered their heads while biting their lips.
“I will accept all the conditions you mentioned.”
The Emperor finished signing the treaty with calm eyes.
“If anyone disagrees with me, please tell me. “I’ll cut you down right away.”
“No!”
“Ugh…”
When Baek Woo-jin shook off the Seolyeong sword, which was dripping with the emperor’s blood, the nobles cowered as if preparing to go into a rat hole.
“it’s okay.”
The Emperor took a deep breath and held out the treaty.
“hmm!”
After checking the Emperor’s signature written at the bottom of the treaty, he nodded. He turned around and showed the treaty to the castle lords who came with him.
“It’s over now.”
Baek Woo-jin plays everything from Sylvia, the leader of the Rhine Forest, to Edgar and Rector Freed of the Sein Seiran Alliance in the North. After making eye contact with everyone, I opened my mouth.
“It was a hopeless war at the beginning, but we were able to win thanks to everyone here fighting until the end. Thank you for following along.”
He bowed his head towards the castle lords.
“What are you talking about! “It’s up to us to say thank you!”
“that’s right. “If we had been careless about being in the north, we would have been annihilated by the empire!”
Sylvia and Sein frowned and shook their heads.
“To be honest, I thought that if I protected Seiran, I could stop the main army of the empire from attacking.”
Seiran Castle Lord Edgar took a step forward.
“But that was a very complacent idea. Imperial Sword Duke Alonso, Demon Dragon Vulcan, Priest Yuman. “If only one of the three had come, Seiran would have collapsed.”
He got down on one knee and bowed his head. It was the best example of eastern nobility.
“I apologize for distrusting you and doubting you. And thank you for waking my foolish mind.”
“You’re finally coming to your senses. Edgar.”
Shukan Castle lord Rector Freed chuckled and took the same stance next to Edgar.
“If it weren’t for the Commander-in-Chief, everyone here would have ended up dead. “Thank you for making me realize the fools who only thought about protecting me.”
“The same goes for us.”
“Thank you for leading us to victory!”
The remaining lords of Furen Castle, Kelden Castle, Rendinus Castle lord Bulfor also knelt down next to them, and Sylvia and Sein also performed their own rites.
-You probably know everything.
Darkness chuckled as it looked at the kneeling castle lords.
‘If it weren’t for you, I would have lost.’
Yuman, the new leader of the Ten Swords of the Empire, including the First Sword of the Empire, the Vulcanus he summoned, and Kabaron, who made me feel true despair even though I couldn’t see it.
Without Baek Woo-jin, there was no one who could stop those monsters. Everyone knew who the number one contributor to ending this war was.
“We achieved this together. “Stop getting up.”
-It’s okay to pretend to be big just because you’ve reached the transcendental level.
‘Black one.’
It’s not a lie.
I felt it during the black thread of fate, but if I tried to end this fight alone, I would have died a long time ago. We were able to win because everyone fought with the same mindset.
“Hmm…”
“I can’t believe you said that…”
“I’m just grateful.”
In addition to the castle lords who were friendly from the beginning like Dapple and Sylvia, the castle lords who were once hostile now looked at him with deep admiration.
“Then next time.”
Baek Woo-jin handed the treaty back to Dapple and attracted everyone’s attention.
“We conquered many castles, but we did not find any significant treasures in them.”
They occupied many castles while advancing to the capital of the empire, but did not receive any special rewards because the nobles fled first.
“The imperial palace will be full of not only the emperor’s wealth but also the wealth of the nobles who fled here. “It will take time to receive the compensation stipulated in the treaty, so let’s take care of the nobles’ property and at least give the soldiers a hot meal.”
“I will follow!”
“That’s a very good idea!”
“Now wait a minute… hehe!”
“what?”
The nobles of the empire, who were about to respond to Baek Woo-jin’s murderous words, were startled and went back in.
“No spirit guest.”
“yep!”
Mu Younggaek leapt forward and climbed onto the emperor’s throne. He looked at the hole the emperor was trying to get out of and nodded.
“Here we go.”
“That’s a secret passage.”
“We are together. “This is a good way to hide it.”
Muyoung, who was grinning, jumped down the hole.
“How did you…”
“You found it at a glance?”
The nobles were embarrassed and ripped their sleeves, as if they couldn’t believe it.
Geek!
After a while, a strange sound came from the hole and the emperor’s throne began to go down like an elevator.
Wooooow!
After that, the floor opened and a staircase wide enough for a car to pass appeared.
Gold light was sparkling at the end of the dark stairs. I followed that golden light down the stairs.
-Ouch!
“That’s incredible.”
Baek Woo-jin opened his mouth wide. I’ve seen many secret warehouses and reports, but none of them can compare to this place.
On the left was jewels and accessories, on the right were weapons and armor, the center was filled with books and elixirs, and the floor was covered with countless gold. It is truly an enormous amount of treasure.
“Kyaha!”
Before I knew it, Muyeonggaek, who had followed me, jumped into the golden sea with an ecstatic expression.
“Oh, no!”
“It’s ruined….”
“….”
The nobles fell to their knees when they saw that. They seem to have hidden in this treasury much of the treasure they brought with them.
“Take only half.”
“yes!”
If all the treasures of the imperial palace are taken away, only the remaining people will suffer. It would have been better to just take half of it and keep an eye on them so they wouldn’t get distracted.
“Let’s take care of it quickly. “Because there is a next time.”
Muyounggaek approached without being able to hide his smile.
“next?”
“There is no way those nobles would have poured all their treasures into the emperor’s treasury. “There is still a long time left.”
When Muyounggaek’s eyes glowed yellow, the nobles of the empire groaned and fell to their knees.
**
Baek Woo-jin came out of the imperial palace after leaving Deple and the castle lords to dispose of the treasures.
-Isn’t that guy really a ghost?
‘I know. ‘How are you so good at finding things?’
Since then, Muyeonggaek has found three more treasure troves hidden by nobles. Even when it reached transcendence, its sense of smell could not keep up.
-Well, that guy…
‘He stayed the same.’
Darkness turned its head in a sigh. Karen didn’t move at all and just looked at the place where Cabalon had turned into a bubble and disappeared.
[Oh, are you here?]
Seeing herself, Karen quickly wiped the corners of her eyes and smiled awkwardly.
“Thanks to you, it ended well. “I think there will be adequate compensation for all Allied forces.”
[That’s a good thing.]
-What are you going to do now? Karen.
[I have to go back.]
“Huh? Being here…”
[I’m no longer human. It can’t be on the continent.]
Karen lowered her head slightly and smiled awkwardly.
-Still, it looks very difficult. It’s better to take a break and then go.
[Now there’s nothing to worry about and no need to struggle. Just eat well and get a good rest.]
– Hmm…
Karen waved her hand as if telling her not to worry, but Heukam groaned, probably feeling more worried because of his thin wrists.
[Now that I think about it, I couldn’t even say hello properly.]
Karen calmly stood up and bowed her head.
[Thank you so much for following my lead. I’m sorry I couldn’t explain it properly the first time.]
“No. As I said, I also received salvation from Karen. “Thank you too.”
[Hehe, is that so….]
Baek Woo-jin and Karen looked at each other and drew the same smile.
-Hey me! Say thank you to me too!
[You didn’t do anything.]
-Call me oppa, not you! And why didn’t I do anything! I’m the one who raised him on my piggyback!
[It’s not. Woojin grew up alone? I only helped sometimes.]
-Do you help me sometimes? Do you leave it out all the time? This bastard is real!
The darkness struck Karen’s head with its blade, but it did not reach her. The two argued for a while.
I naturally smiled because their appearance was the same as the two who were playing around in the dark memory.
[I have to go back now.]
Karen looked here with tired but happy eyes.
[Because we also have to prepare for Woojin’s return.]
“Oh, I guess so.”
Baek Woo-jin nodded. Since my work here was over, I had to go back to Korea.
[If there is anything you want from me before returning, please let me know. I’ll give you anything I can.]
“Anything?”
[Oh, it’s not possible to use force. To be honest, Woojin’s power went way beyond what I could control.]
“Hmm…”
I scratched my chin and thought about it. Since I was told that I could no longer use force, I didn’t have much interest.
-Take care of me too, not that monster!
[The same goes for Cain. There’s nothing I can do for you….]
As I looked at the darkness attached to Karen, a good idea occurred to me.
“There is. Please.”
Baek Woo-jin smiled and approached Karen.
“My request is….”
