Episode 471
“Long live McLane!”
“Long live His Majesty Logan!”
“Now we are the Empire!”
“Wow, that went too far.”
Murmur.
The entire kingdom was engulfed in a festive atmosphere.
Although the joy of victory was great, the fact that the long era of war was finally over made everyone cheer.
“There will be no more war now, right?”
“Well then! Who would dare to quarrel with the continent’s strongest Macline?”
The strongest on the continent. Now, such words are easily heard even among the kingdom’s citizens.
“You could have destroyed the entire empire, but your benevolent Majesty decided to draw the line by only reaching the eastern part?”
“I’m okay with it. What’s important is that the war is over.”
“Yeah, that’s the most important thing.”
Of course, while most people were happy as if they were going to have a party, there were some who were anxious.
“Please, God, may our son return safely…”
“Our daughter…”
The earnest prayers of parents waiting for their child who did not return were melted behind the noisy festival atmosphere.
And contrary to the atmosphere of McLane, other parts of the continent were full of chaos.
The emperor has gone missing.
Although the empire dismissed it as untrue, the rumor was already accepted as a fait accompli in the private sector.
No matter how injured he was and was recovering, it made no sense in common sense that he would not react at all to the declaration of war by the 10 Western countries and the declaration of the territory of McLane, the movement of the temple.
“If he is really recovering, he must have been seriously injured to the point of losing consciousness.”
“Then what happens?”
“Our empire…”
“Isn’t there going to be chaos?”
“The chaos has already started, man. Hurry up and get some food first.”
Even the citizens of Aserian, the largest city on the continent, were in this situation, and the empire was already showing signs of division less than a week after the end of the McLane War.
– Our Travis family will become independent from the shadow of Ares and walk a separate path. And…
the Travis Duke family, known as a prestigious family even in the southern part of the empire, declared independence first.
Thanks to their fiefdom adjacent to the southern mountain range, the family was able to train private soldiers to some extent, breaking away from the empire’s legionary system.
The family, which had many connections in the central government, was the first to take action.
This soon convinced other powers as well.
It is clear that there is a real problem with the emperor’s identity.
Starting with the Travis territory, high-ranking nobles above the earl level joined forces and began to declare independence one by one.
And the declarations of independence they each had in common had something in common, and to summarize, it was roughly as follows.
– We have nothing to do with the empire, so please exclude us from the Holy Kingdom’s conquest. I don’t want to fight with the 10 western countries either.
This is a laughable situation, with more than 10 territories declaring independence in just one week.
Then the imperial family also issued a proclamation.
– Those who challenge His Imperial Majesty’s solemn authority will be met with the iron fist of the Empire.
However, as the emperor did not appear in public even after that, the proclamation became a handshake that hastened division.
The emperor no longer has the power to conquer the provinces.
The rumors that had been circulating in aristocratic society began to be accepted as a fait accompli.
The 15 eastern and western corps and the central army, which were the pride of the empire, were destroyed, and all that was left was a shabby force that was not even the size of 2 corps.
Of course, the number of knights among them was over 5,000, so it was a more powerful force than any other kingdom, but the fact that the only remaining superhumans were the Mage of the Cold Wind and Jerome Decade, known as the Holy Spirit of the Empire, was fatal.
Let alone fighting the defeated McLane again, their power is so poor that they cannot guarantee victory even if they face the 10 Western countries that fell in the last war.
The imperial family had already lost the military power to control the entire empire.
As the reputation of the imperial family became so solidified, each nobleman of the empire began to seek a way to survive.
And among them, those who showed the most active movement were the nobles of the eastern part of the empire, which MacLane unilaterally declared as his territory.
* * *
“I am Viscount Purin Gerhin. I will give you half of my fortune, so please just guarantee me the title.”
“I am Baron Tren Milles. I will give you all my assets, so please only recognize the autonomy of my territory.”
“Count Tepi Anon…”
“Stop, stop.”
bang. bang.
The imperial nobles who were screaming here and there all lowered their voices at the sound of the armrest being hit.
While Logan, sitting on the throne, looked down at them with an expressionless face, Damian, standing next to him, took out a scroll and began to read out loud.
“According to His Majesty’s wishes, comprehensive regulations will be applied to the disposition of the Empire’s nobles. First of all…”
Gulp.
Many people were filled with tension as they looked at the 30-year-old official with an ordinary face.
It was natural.
Everyone here is a member of the old empire’s nobility, successors, or plenipotentiary representatives. It is said that you are destined to go back and forth between heaven and hell with that one command.
Damian continued speaking in a suffocating atmosphere.
“Autonomy cannot be recognized. Offering of property will be recognized, but only half will be accepted. The title in the empire will be lowered one level and made into a kingdom noble. No objections will be accepted. Anyone who opposes must drop everything and leave the land.”
“Ah…”
Many people’s complexions darkened at Damian’s words. This was because the regulations for blanket application were stricter than expected.
Above all, it would have been an insult to the nobles to be demoted in rank upon returning from the empire to the kingdom.
However, Damian just folded up the order as if he had nothing more to say and bowed his head to the monarch behind him.
Then Logan nodded and got up and looked around at the people in Daejeon.
The majority of people avoided him the moment he caught sight of them, but regardless, Logan’s ability was already reading the minds of everyone in Daejeon.
‘…I can’t help it. ‘I have no choice but to follow.’
‘A damn tyrant?’
‘A demotion in rank.’
‘I’ll have to find a way to escape with my property.’
‘I’d rather go to the Travis dukedom or the 10 Western countries…’
.
His senses, which had gradually expanded since the end of the war, reached the point where he could clearly read other people’s minds without much effort.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who has anything to say, right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Let it go.”
“yes.”
As soon as the name fell, the knights residing in Daejeon attacked the nobles and agents.
Once everyone left Daejeon, Logan calmly gave orders.
“The mustachioed guy in the third row and the bald guy in the fifth row behind him wearing the flower-patterned uniform are under strict surveillance. And the moment they make any other moves, they are all intercepted. All property is confiscated.”
“yes.”
Damian’s face was filled with smiles as he answered concisely.
There is no need to plant ganja or increase surveillance.
With just one face-to-face encounter, it was possible to distinguish between those who would give in and those who would think differently, so it was a task worth doing even though it was cumbersome for the monarch.
“This concludes the selection of all imperial nobles in our territory.”
However, unlike Damian, Logan’s expression was not so good.
“So there’s still no news from the emperor?”
“…Yes, sorry.”
“No, no. At this level, it’s clear that he’s not normal.”
The emperor was truly a huge nuisance.
Just thinking about where a strong person of at least class 8 was hiding somewhere gave me a headache.
‘I can’t go around looking for him.’
Of course, looking at the situation of the empire, I thought that the emperor might have died.
Moreover, I couldn’t help but pay attention to the Kassel Mage Tower, which had not been seen in the last war. Regardless of their inexplicable behavior, they were an axis of evil that must be eradicated.
But right now, post-war processing was the priority.
“…As soon as the wealth of the imperial nobles comes in, start by compensating the victims of the war. To the maximum extent that the budget allows.”
“Your Majesty, first of all, let’s start with the restoration of the corps… No, we will do that.”
Damian, who was about to express his personal opinion, immediately changed his opinion as soon as the monarch’s red eyes narrowed slightly.
“Post-war compensation is the most important. Amyo. Hum hum.”
“…Even if it was a war that had to be fought anyway, those who sacrificed it will not think that way. For the sake of the beginning of a new millennium, it is a priority to wipe away their tears. Disagreements are not tolerated.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“…And the awards for war contributors will be carried out by Grand. Naturally, it will be divided mainly into territory and governance. Prepare separately.”
“All right.”
After the war ended, I felt like I was able to see beyond the Aura Master’s wall little by little, perhaps because I had once again surpassed my limits.
Perhaps that’s why measures for issues that would have been hesitated or considered in the past came out without hesitation.
However, there were also side effects.
‘How much compensation can I receive? ‘Is a fiefdom on an earldom too much?’
Eat.
“It’s not excessive.”
“Yes, of course. Of course… Yup!?”
“It’s okay to be an earldom. You deserve it.”
“Ah ahaha. Yes yes. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
When I saw Damian laughing awkwardly with his true feelings revealed, I smiled bitterly again.
Even those who knew that he could read his inner thoughts were reacting like this, to the point that even his faithful subjects were starting to feel distant little by little these days.
‘It’s probably not an illusion.’
How could it not be burdensome if the monarch, who holds the fate of one’s life and death in his hands, can clearly read one’s inner thoughts?
But there was no way to do anything.
What do you mean by just seeing it?
Logan patted Damian’s shoulder without saying a word and left the battle.
‘Will these side effects improve when I reach the level of a rookie?’
No, if you can’t read minds, it won’t be an improvement, it’ll be a regression.
So if you become better at reading….
will you become more lonely?
‘lonely?’
Startle.
I laughed out loud at the word I came up with.
‘It’s been a few days since the war ended.’
A monarch who conquered the eastern part of the continent.
The king and auror master of a country that has now become the most powerful nation on the continent, both in name and reality.
Do you feel lonely because your subjects are having a hard time with you on such a topic?
Since when did he have such soft emotions?
“Why such pathetic thoughts…”
mate.
Logan patted his face lightly to get rid of his empty sentiments.
Although it is not completely finished yet, it is virtually as if all the bitter resentment from my previous life has been washed away.
Compared to my past life, which had so many answers, I have gained so much in this life.
‘Okay, that’s enough.’
It’s good, but it’s good.
It’s so good…
but I kept feeling somehow empty.
I ran endlessly with only one goal in mind.
However, once I arrived, I felt like I was in a daze, not knowing what to do from now on.
‘Yes, that’s why it is like that.’
All I had to do was set a new goal from now on.
Once the post-war cleanup is completed, we will begin to search for traces of the emperor and the Kassel Magic Tower and root out the aftermath. I just needed to focus on that for a while.
After coming to that conclusion, I felt a little relieved.
At the same time, the consciousness that had only looked inward expanded greatly outward, and people’s voices began to be heard again.
Why did I feel lonely even for a moment?
‘What will happen to the world now?’
‘Still, our kingdom will be strong.’
‘Then His Majesty is there.’
From the voices of soldiers praising him.
‘We have laid the foundation for the thousand-year kingdom.’
‘I’m proud to be a knight of McLane!’
‘Glory to His Majesty, Knight King Logan!’
Even the hearts of the knights who are proud of their own achievements.
All of that was a reassuring comfort.
furthermore.
‘With your Majesty here, the kingdom will prosper for at least another 100 years. The people will also feel comfortable. ‘My choice was right.’
The proud heart of a teacher.
‘Did I get hurt somewhere? ‘Why did you talk less?’
Even as everyone cheered, I could feel my wife’s concern for me, which warmed my heart.
However, there was one voice that particularly bothered me.
‘This is a big deal! Report to His Majesty…! Should I go to Victoria first?’
hmm?
Just as my expression was slightly frowning.
“Your Majesty! A big problem has occurred! Mr. Clayton’s body enshrined in Kyle Castle has disappeared!”
News came that shattered Logan’s good mood.
