Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 153

Creating Retinue to Build a Human Empire 155

The Correct Order

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Dung, dung— the drums echoed.

Bu—— the trumpets blared.

“Forward! At a quick pace!”

At the officer’s command, the Imperial infantry advanced in formation.

The gray-clad force marched across the blue fields.

Boom! Boom! Thump!

The artillery, which had been shelling the fortress ahead of them, ceased fire and retreated as the infantry approached.

And from the flanks, the cavalry galloped with all their might.

“Let’s go! Faster!”

A high-ranking officer watched the scene from above.

He was Jonas Dorf, from the lineage of Marquis Lösenne.

A young officer who had been commissioned in the year the Imperial Army was founded.

Jonas stood on the hill, his lips tightly sealed, observing the battlefield.

“There won’t be much resistance.”

Then, he flinched at someone’s voice.

It wasn’t the voice itself that made him flinch.

It was the thought of another voice that would follow.

It was the thought of the owner of the light emanating before Jonas.

“Indeed.”

The owner of the light was the Emperor.

The Emperor of the Human Empire, Edar Lundringen.

The Emperor stood before Jonas, conversing with his retinue.

Jonas trembled at the Emperor’s deep, resonant voice.

The magic contained within the voice permeated Jonas’s being.

Jonas’s own magic reacted, stirring fiercely.

‘Infusing magic into one’s voice is common, but how can it be like this? Why is my magic being shaken by a voice?’

Even nobles skilled in handling magic, and mercenaries who had seen their share of battles, sometimes shouted to intimidate their enemies, infusing their voices with magic.

Even the officer who had just commanded the advance had infused a small amount of magic into his voice.

But their voices had not shaken Jonas’s magic.

‘And his appearance is obscured by that light.’

In Jonas’s eyes, the Emperor was enveloped in radiance.

He knew that there was a human standing beyond the light, that he was the Emperor, the being called the God of Humanity, but to his eyes, he was merely a mass of light.

Could he see beyond the light if he concentrated even a little?

“······.”

He shook his head urgently.

Something, something enormous, was visible.

It was fleeting, but Jonas fled from that something.

His soul had instinctively made him flee.

The Emperor’s light emanated from his soul.

To see the depth of his soul would be to be blinded by its majesty.

Shwaaaaa——

The Emperor, unconcerned with Jonas’s reaction, gazed ahead.

He was looking at the enemy’s fortress, upon which rain was falling.

The sky was mostly clear, but only over the fortress were there dark clouds.

The thickly layered dark clouds poured out heavy raindrops.

“Observe. They are surrendering already.”

Guard Raimondo pointed to the ramparts.

The defenders on the ramparts were waving their hands in the air.

They were signaling their surrender and immediately opened the gates.

“Damn monkeys!”

“Fight to the end!”

A few non-humans inside the fortress resisted.

But what could they do, being so few in number?

The cavalry passed through the wide-open gates and slaughtered the non-humans.

“It’s different from the Cesena Republic. The Southern Kingdoms and the Representative Assembly are merely diplomatic relationships. They promised wealth and safety and told them to stand against us, so if safety isn’t guaranteed, it’s over.”

“Above all, Father has revealed himself. How could humans dare to harbor any will to resist?”

A priest of the Public Church added to Raimondo’s words.

Jonas listened to their words while surveying the battlefield.

He was the one who had instinctively sensed danger when looking at the Emperor.

He had abandoned the desire to steal a glimpse of his soul and averted his gaze.

“······.”

The radiance emanating from the Emperor grew more intense.

It hadn’t been too burdensome when he wasn’t looking directly at him.

Now, it was no use turning his head and shielding his eyes with his hand.

The light felt like it was piercing not just his eyes but his flesh and soul.

‘Wh, what….’

He had felt a similar pressure in the past.

When he was a vassal of Marquis Lösenne.

When he had the honor of crossing swords with Marquis Lösenne.

‘No… it’s different from then. Completely different.’

Certainly, the light exerted pressure, but it wasn’t just that.

There was also a sense of awe filling his being.

And,

‘Wait.’

Jonas raised his right hand and clenched and unclenched his fist.

Then, he opened his eyes wide and removed his glove.

‘The wound has healed.’

The wound he had suffered years ago.

The hole pierced in his palm, like a stigmata [marks resembling the wounds on Jesus Christ’s body], was gone.

‘I’ve heard it countless times, but I never thought I’d experience this myself.’

He had heard the rumors.

The rumor that the Emperor could even heal illnesses.

He had never doubted the rumors.

He just hadn’t truly felt it.

That was why he hadn’t actively courted him.

‘Everyone knew that the one who drove out the non-humans was no ordinary human.’

That was why he thought it was possible for him to perform miracles.

‘But, is he really not a god?’

Jonas turned his head despite his instincts warning him of danger.

To see the Emperor, to see the light he emitted.

‘Oh, God.’

He realized that he was becoming increasingly captivated by the brilliance of the light emanating from the Emperor. He couldn’t take his eyes off it, even as he thought that it might be brainwashing him.

The more he did, the more turbulent his inner magic became,

“Ugh…”

Suddenly, dizziness washed over him.

A severe headache also struck, and his vision blurred.

The magic within him began to surge violently.

It was causing pain to Jonas.

He focused his mind to calm the magic.

‘Why suddenly?’

It felt like something sharp was thrashing inside him.

There was pain as flesh was being pierced and torn.

It felt like it would get a little better if the magic calmed down.

But it wasn’t calming down at all; it was only intensifying.

‘Damn it, at this rate….’

“That won’t do.”

At that moment, the Emperor spoke.

The light that had been spreading in all directions subsided.

As the light weakened, Jonas’s magic also calmed down.

“Are you alright, Jonas?”

The Emperor approached Jonas and placed his hand on his shoulder.

The magic moved greatly again, but it didn’t churn inside him as before.

Instead, he felt a sense of vitality filling him.

The same healing sensation as when the wound on his palm had healed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think I would affect you.”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”

Was the recent commotion caused by being affected by the Emperor?

Thinking so, Jonas trembled.

To shake the flow of magic just by existing.

How great was his existence?

“Are you two alright?”

The Emperor asked his retinue.

Jonas didn’t know the term “retinue,” but he had heard that the warriors guarding the Emperor’s side were human but not human.

“We are fine. But ordinary humans probably couldn’t withstand it.”

Raimondo pointed down the hill.

The artillerymen who had been waiting below were sitting down.

Jonas, who was nearby, was somehow standing while his whole body was drenched in cold sweat, but ordinary humans, who had little magic within their bodies and didn’t know how to handle it, were in a state close to fainting.

“You have become too strong. Higher magic than the opponent exerts pressure, and if it exceeds that, it inspires awe, but Your Majesty surpasses even that and brings death.”

“That’s troublesome.”

Fortunately, there were no fatalities.

Thud, thud…

As the Emperor withdrew his light and became human, the rain stopped.

The dark clouds also disappeared as if they were a mirage.

“Sometimes, too much is worse than too little, as they say. My current situation fits that saying. Excessive magic has too much influence on my surroundings, which is actually restricting me.”

“You must be careful until you can fully control your magic.”

He looked at the sky for a moment before answering.

“I must, but I don’t know if I’ll have the time.”

###

A completely empty cave with nothing inside.

Not even a single torch, so one couldn’t see an inch ahead.

The group that had just come down the stairs and arrived at the chamber stopped.

“It’s dark.”

“Light the fires.”

Whirr—

Several orbs emitting white light appeared.

The orbs floated and scattered in all directions, illuminating the surroundings.

Inside the illuminated chamber were nearly forty non-humans.

They were attendees of the Representative Assembly meeting and their guards.

“It’s vast.”

“I can’t see the walls.”

The two incarnations of the Lizardmen, Koamik and Sumontema, muttered.

“There was a place like this beneath the Representative Assembly?”

“It’s scary! I want to get out!”

The Orc Zinnoric and the Goblin also chimed in.

“Do you know where this is, Aleon?”

The Dwarf Gotaba asked, though it wasn’t really a question.

“Of course.”

Aleon answered, walking forward without looking at Gotaba.

“Who would know this place better than I do?”

If anyone did, it would be the Lord, Aleon muttered.

“This place is a prison built by the Lord.”

“A prison?”

“A prison to confine enemies who were defeated by the Lord long ago.”

The group followed Aleon.

Only his voice and the sound of the group’s footsteps echoed in the silent chamber.

“As you all know, even before the Lord brought order to this world, there were beings who could be called rulers. The Lord defeated them, and among those he couldn’t kill, he imprisoned them here.”

“Imprisoned… is this the place called the Abyss?”

“It’s just a prison in reality. The word ‘Abyss’ is just a metaphor.”

The Abyss.

What exists within it?

Even though it was a very long time ago, those present knew.

And knowing that, the two incarnations raised their voices.

“You said you would tell us the source of your power.”

“Are you saying it’s the power of beings we shouldn’t touch?”

“That’s right.”

The two incarnations shuddered.

It wasn’t because of the chill that permeated the chamber.

It was because they realized what they were doing.

“Are you afraid?”

“······.”

“If you’re afraid of something like this, how did you face the Lord?”

“The Lord….”

“The Lord is the being who defeated and sealed the beings you say you shouldn’t touch. They are lesser beings than him. But you were brave when fighting him, so what’s wrong with you now?”

“We didn’t fight the Lord.”

Aleon chuckled.

As they said, they didn’t directly fight the Lord.

They had merely sealed the Lord under the agreement of the Representative Assembly.

“We have already crossed the line we shouldn’t have crossed. To think it’s wrong now and try to turn back is, I think, absurd.”

“······.”

“Forget the past. What you’re curious about isn’t the past, is it? You’re curious about how I obtained this power, that’s what you’re curious about.”

Everyone fell silent.

He was certainly the oldest among them.

But age doesn’t necessarily prove strength.

Even after living for over ten thousand years, he hadn’t overwhelmed all of them.

He was only strong enough to widen the gap between him and each of them.

‘But the current Aleon is too strong.’

‘The Aleon I know can’t beat the Lord.’

‘Even if Vlad has weakened, he wouldn’t die from a single blow.’

What on earth had made him so strong?

In a time that could be considered short for them.

Thud—

The group stopped.

A wall they had reached after walking for a long time.

A wall of unknown height blocked their path.

“This is….”

“The Gate of the Seal.”

Innumerable and intricately drawn patterns on the wall.

They emitted a reddish light and moved with a rustling sound.

“Beyond this is the source of my power.”

“….Are you saying we have to break the seal?”

“You can’t drink wine without opening the cork.”

“······.”

Everyone except Aleon swallowed.

Because they knew what the patterns symbolized, because they feared what was beyond the wall.

“Great power requires a heavy price.”

“The price is too high.”

“Don’t worry. I control them.”

“You?”

“Yes. I, this very I, control them, and that’s why I have this power.”

Aleon thumped the wall with his fist.

The wall only echoed as if it were hollow.

There was no further reaction.

“Now, release them.”

His guards stepped forward first.

Following them, the guards of other races, who had been watching, also stepped forward.

Six races, thirty-three lives, stood before the wall.

Together, they placed their hands on the wall and poured magic into it.

Drrrrr…

Then, the wall began to shake, and the chamber itself trembled.

“Don’t be afraid. It won’t collapse.”

Aleon calmed those who were surprised and had taken their hands off the wall.

“Was there anything above this?”

There was no way the Representative Assembly would have been built so shoddily.

Aleon smiled as he watched the seal being released.

“Blood….”

The patterns stopped moving and emitted an intense crimson light.

Then, they cracked and crumbled, flowing down.

It looked as if blood was flowing down the wall.

“Come forth. Ancient rulers who craved freedom.”

The wall split and collapsed.

Dust spread in all directions, and a loud noise echoed.

– Finally——

A voice was heard.

A thought transmitted not to the ears but to the mind.

The magic that had been calmly filling the chamber surged.

– It is liberation.

A waiting hand emerged from the thick dust.

The thickness of the arm was the same as that of an ordinary person, but it was very long.

The hand was several meters long and had several joints in between.

The hand was also the same as that of an ordinary person in thickness.

It carefully stroked Aleon’s cheek.

Thud—

And the ground rumbled.

Thud, thud—

A giant so large that its head seemed to touch the towering ceiling.

Its spine was hunched like a hunchback, its eyes were three in number and had no eyelids.

Following behind him were grotesque beings: a humanoid with eight legs like a spider, a monster with pincers instead of hands, and a skull as sharp as horns. Beings that were impossible to call human and impossible to know if they were alive came before Aleon.

“Ancient Gods….”

Gotaba swallowed and uttered the words that referred to them.

– God?

– Ancient Gods, you say?

– Who?

The beings called Gods chuckled.

– We are not Gods.

– We were only called Gods because we stood against the Lord who was revered as a God.

They stood against the Lord?

Gotaba knew history and knew that it was not a lie.

But they looked too weak to stand against the Lord.

Their appearance was more terrifying than he had imagined, though.

‘They’re weak.’

Gotaba momentarily showed a flash of disappointment on his face.

‘Those are the Ancient Gods? The source of power?’

They couldn’t even beat a guard.

‘No….’

But he quickly changed his mind.

The surging magic changed its flow.

It began to blow to one side, like the wind.

‘They’re absorbing magic?’

The surrounding magic was being sucked into the Ancient Gods.

The momentum of those who ate the magic was growing terrifyingly.

‘They were weak because they were hungry. That must be the purpose of the seal. It must be the same as the seal of Tiamar [likely a reference to a powerful being or monster from mythology or fantasy].’

If there is a being that cannot be killed, make it weak.

That was the purpose of the seal performed on Tiamar.

The seal of the Abyss must also have been performed on the same principle.

‘They’re pulling not only natural magic but also my magic.’

How gluttonous.

How abundant is the magic flowing in nature?

They’re not enough, so they’re even pulling the magic that others possess.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have been helplessly robbed.

Perhaps they would have even taken their souls.

‘At this rate… they’ll soon surpass us.’

He got goosebumps.

So many monsters becoming stronger than him?

It wasn’t an absurd story.

Why couldn’t the Lord kill them?

‘Is it right to release them?’

Aleon had clearly promised on his soul.

That he would tell them the source of his power and share it.

‘If we release them….’

Beings that even the Lord couldn’t handle and sealed away.

There was no way he could handle them.

Gotaba felt his firmly determined heart wavering.

If not now, he wouldn’t be able to stop them.

The only time to undo the mistake was now.

– Aleon.

The Ancient Gods knelt before Aleon.

Those without knees slammed their heads on the floor.

– Our liberator.

– We pledge our loyalty.

– We will not forget your grace.

They clung to Aleon.

Some licked his feet, and some embraced him and blessed him.

They looked exactly like people welcoming their leader.

Gotaba was speechless.

“I told you. I control them.”

Aleon said, looking at Gotaba.

As if to dispel the doubt in his eyes.

“I am their master. From the moment I took power from those under the roots of the World Tree and was able to control that magic. I have achieved an achievement that even the Lord could not achieve.”

Gotaba closed his mouth, about to say it was impossible.

“You have a lot of worries. It’s written all over your face. I’ve said it several times, but don’t worry. I’ll share the power with you as I promised before. A promise is a promise. Unlike some people, I don’t break my promises.”

Gotaba nodded.

He released the fist he had been clenching tightly due to tension.

He had betrayed the Lord partly due to emotion, but the other half was because he wanted this.

‘Yes, it’s already too late. From the moment we betrayed the Lord, we’ve gone down a path of no return.’

He nodded to the guard holding the weapon, waiting for instructions.

Accept the Ancient Gods, they and we are one.

“What are you going to do now?”

“We must establish the correct order again. First, shall we deal with the monkeys?”