Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 136

Constructing the Human Empire with Subordinates 138

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The capital of the Human Empire, Olympus.

A city perpetually filled with the hustle and bustle of factories.

If one were to seek something beyond the hustle, it would be the heat.

With the melting of iron and copper and the experimentation with furnaces, the city was always enveloped in heat, with gray smoke rising. Those who visited, drawn by the name of the capital, often described it as a city of ash.

However, in this ash-covered city, a rare commotion arose.

The commotion was cheers, and the cheers were accompanied by flower petals scattering in the autumn breeze. The army, returning from an expedition, was passing through the central avenue that bisected the city.

It was a triumphal return.

Waaaaaaaah——

A roar from the depths of their hearts covered the city center.

For the first time in human history, humans who had trampled upon the territory of other races, not as slaves but as warriors, held their banners high and marched in step.

Thud, thud, thud.

The procession, which began at the north gate of Olympus, was led by the Subordinates [genetically engineered or magically enhanced soldiers]. They were clad in full armor as if ready to charge, but today they wore white cloaks over their armor.

The sunlight shone and reflected off the armor, and the crowd praised them as knights bathed in light.

“Behold! The 모습 [Korean: appearance/figure] of warriors forged by the gods!”

“Descendants of our fathers!”

Immediately following the Subordinates were the musketeers. They wore drab gray uniforms, so their splendor was less, but the crowd’s praise did not diminish.

“Look over here!”

“Long live! Long live the Empire!”

What did splendor matter?

What were their achievements?

Some people raised their voices even louder.

Having vaguely heard rumors about the Subordinates, they wanted to praise the achievements of the musketeers, composed solely of pure humans, who had attained a god-like status.

“Glory to the Human Empire!”

Even amidst the cheers, their footsteps were clear.

The crowd raised their shouts even louder, fearing that their voices would be drowned out by the footsteps. Children on the rooftops, throwing flower petals, worried that they would run out of petals for the endless procession and scattered leaves.

Bang! Thump!

The cannons, cast too late to join the expeditionary force, fired salutes.

Bang! Thud!

After the salutes, the sound of instruments rang out, and the 공교회 [Korean: Public Church] choir sang hymns.

Their voices contained magic, so even those who could not see the triumphal return could clearly hear the song.

“Seize it! Humans!”

“Seize freedom!”

The crowd echoed the last words.

“Humans shall never return to slavery!”

The dawn of the Industrial Revolution.

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Triumphal return.

I was at the very end of the procession entering the north gate of Olympus. The 주인공 [Korean: protagonist/main character] of the triumphal return is usually at the front or center, but I was not. Because it was obvious what kind of reaction would come if I showed myself.

Without any emotion, I propped my chin on my fist and watched the procession.

“Are you not pleased?”

Guard Raimondo asked.

Calliope glanced at him, meaning to forbid idle talk. He shrugged lightly at her warning and looked back at me, seeking an answer.

“I wonder.”

Of course, I wasn’t pleased.

I had said it before.

Why do we need to have a triumphal return?

“Am I lacking in authority, or is my rule unstable? I have argued that since neither is the case, there is no reason to indulge in extravagance.”

“But you eventually accepted it.”

“Skadi told me. To hold a triumphal return.”

I recalled what she had said.

‘Recently, the number of spies in the Empire has increased quite a bit. It seems they’re trying to figure us out now, so why don’t we show them the Empire’s achievements in reverse? We can promote Father’s accomplishments with a triumphal return.’

Achievements have already been shown as results, so is there a need to do that?

She gave me a decisive answer to my rebuttal.

‘Father is leading the Empire too coldly. How can a city with hundreds of thousands of residents not have a single theater? Not all humans live based on reason like Father. We’ve been running non-stop, so we need to take a break sometimes.’

I had nothing to say to that.

Certainly, as Skadi pointed out, I tended to ignore emotions too much. To me, emotions had no value other than the emotions of the enemy.

But humans are emotional creatures.

Material wealth does not necessarily bring happiness.

“Skadi said the triumphal return is a festival. Yes. Not all humans can be like me or you, so there must be entertainment at times. So, I allowed it.”

Raimondo nodded and looked at the north gate.

“Skadi made the request, but Gerhard seems to be the most pleased.”

I connected my vision with the hawk flying over the city.

Flower petals were fluttering in the city center, and Gerhard was leading the procession. Riding a black horse, he straightened his neatly trimmed beard, set his chin straight, and strode forward.

“It would suit his nature best. Considering his alias.”

“Well, he is a corps commander, after all.”

After Gerhard led the Subordinate cavalry, musketeers, and artillery, the main Subordinates leading the Imperial Army, such as Zekt and Titus, passed by in turn.

And finally, it was my turn.

As I began to pass through the north gate, the joy subsided.

“······.”

Because the crowd who saw me fell silent.

Because I revealed my presence without concealing my soul.

Even humans insensitive to magic would be able to see the light I emitted. The light had a color like gold and was so thick that it obscured my appearance.

Covered in light, I did not wear armor on the outside. Instead, I wore a pure white ceremonial robe. It was similar to a cassock [a close-fitting, ankle-length garment worn by clergy], equivalent to a priest’s robe on Earth, and I wore a pendant containing Tiamat’s soul around my neck and hid it inside.

The triumphal carriage slowly moved towards the Imperial Palace.

The carriage was large enough to accommodate all the guards, who had increased the number to a dozen or so centering around me, and still have room left over. Forty orcs and lizards pulled it with their bare bodies.

“Your Majesty.”

A platform was built at the entrance to the Imperial Palace. On the platform were Gerhard and the expeditionary force commanders who had arrived earlier, and along with them, the cabinet ministers were lined up.

The only Subordinate who was absent was the Old Man of the Mountain, Nuadhil.

He did not want to reveal himself to the public.

He hid himself in the crowd to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.

“We congratulate Edar, the master of humanity, on his victory and return.”

The Subordinates, led by Imperial Chancellor Skadi, prostrated themselves. Then the crowd also prostrated themselves and praised me. I raised each Subordinate one by one, brought them before the crowd, and announced their respective achievements and duties.

“Glory to the guardians of humanity!”

The crowd of Olympus, composed solely of humans, forgot their silence and once again burst into cheers, showering praise on the Subordinates, that is, the guardians of humanity I had created.

Waaaaaaaah——!

The Subordinates showed different reactions to the praise.

Gerhard was intoxicated with glory and shed tears with his mouth shut, Skadi and Griff smiled faintly, and Calliope remained calm as always.

“Listen.”

I emitted more light and infused my voice with magic.

I proclaimed the tasks I had accomplished so far, asserted the existence of humans, and at the end of my speech, I revealed the goal that I, the Empire, must reach.

“That is to exterminate the other races from this world.”

The atmosphere inspired by the speech subsided.

“You know that I seek to save humanity. To save humanity is to seize freedom, and freedom cannot be seized as long as other races exist, so we must exterminate the other races.”

Silence.

Astonishment quickly appeared on the faces of the crowd.

Should I say it’s too arrogant, or should I say it’s too extreme? Even those who hate other races and boil with fighting spirit seem unable to accept it easily.

“Are you afraid of the word ‘exterminate the other races’? Are you not afraid of humans returning to being livestock? Do you praise the Empire’s expedition as merely punishing evil and returning? Do not be mistaken. This is a racial struggle!”

I kicked the floor hard with my foot from where I stood.

The crowd was startled and looked at me with wide eyes.

“Whether humans are raised as livestock and disposed of when they are no longer useful, or whether humans become the sole ruling race of the world and survive. Only that. The destruction of the other races is the only way to protect you, not because there is another reason.”

The destruction of the other races.

This is a non-negotiable goal.

‘Humans and other races cannot coexist. Absolutely.’

The parasitic vampires are a given, and it is also obvious that orcs and goblins, who do not see humans as food or livestock for breeding, cannot coexist.

‘Naga, Lizardmen, Dwarves, Elves. Will they forget the days when humanity was livestock? They will not forget. They will always recall this time when they lived intoxicated with glory and yearn to reclaim it.’

If we show mercy and leave the other races behind, humans will one day become slaves again. Like in those glorious old days.

‘It would be a little different if generations changed and individual grudges were buried in the flow of history.’

That will not happen.

But the other races are different.

They live much longer lives than humans.

And that difference prevents coexistence.

‘Human life is short. Even if only two or three generations change, they do not realize history. But Elves, Dwarves, and long-lived races remember grudges not as history but as life.’

The Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt was built around 2560 BC. By the modern era, it has a history of nearly 4000 years.

4000 years is a distant history for humans.

What about the other races?

What about the Elves, the longest-lived among the other races?

It is a long time even for Elves. But it is not history.

For Elves, 4000 years is not history, but merely personal experience and not a time to be crumbled by oblivion. No matter how much time passes, they will remember. That they ruled the world, that they ruled humans, and that humans were merely livestock.

And they will pass on that time to their descendants and cry out to find the old glory.

‘The other races can endure that time clinging to one grudge. A grudge of history that humans cannot even realize. Elves can call that a personal grudge.’

When the day comes when humans throw their grudges into history, ease their vigilance, and the other races rise up shouting for revenge, will humans be able to overcome it again?

‘Absolutely, they cannot overcome it.’

Humans will become slaves again and will never enjoy freedom again.

“I declare that no race other than humans in this world will be granted freedom without human permission. I will make you, humanity, the sole ruling race of this world. That is my purpose.”

I smiled in the light, scanning the surprised faces.

There were quite a few who were not citizens among the crowd.

I felt the trembling of the ring and looked at them.