Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 154

Fulfilling That Promise

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“The temperature is dropping.”

I looked at my hand, stretched slightly forward.

A snowflake landed on my palm and melted instantly.

“Yes, it’s getting colder again.”

“······.”

The sky was gloomy, as if it would snow.

It’s almost the end of winter, but snow?

I breathed out, making a cloud of vapor.

– It’s not natural.

“Yes, it’s not natural.”

This is an omen.

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

I didn’t answer the Minister of Military Affairs, Gerhard’s question.

He didn’t ask further, looked up at the sky, and then lowered his head.

“An envoy is coming, Your Majesty.”

“An envoy of surrender?”

Gerhard shook his head.

“Indeed.”

Snow began to fall gently on the meadow.

Amidst the lined-up Imperial soldiers, an envoy from the Odessa Kingdom arrived.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

I stood on the meadow and faced the envoy.

“State your business.”

The southwestern peninsula, the home of humans.

Originally, there were eight countries located here.

Germania, Wallachia, the Church State, the Republic, and four smaller states.

Odessa was one of the four smaller states.

“Please guarantee our rights. Then we will surrender.”

The representative of the envoy bowed lightly.

“Guarantee? Rights?”

Gerhard retorted with an absurd tone.

What rights are they talking about? The privileges of the nobility.

I stood before the envoy, looked down at them, and then raised my head.

The capital of Odessa was right in front of me.

What does it mean that the capital is visible to my eyes?

Doesn’t it mean that the Imperial army has a knife to the enemy’s heart?

Evidence that the kingdom failed to stop the Empire.

“What have you done to deserve any guarantees from the Empire at this point?”

The delegation could not answer my question.

The resistance of the Odessa Kingdom was not even worth calling resistance.

Before the advance of the Imperial army, the enemy’s resistance was like a candle in the wind.

Even if I couldn’t fully exert my power.

I have Familiars [magically bonded creatures] and tens of thousands of troops.

How could a mere small country stop it?

“Did you think you were something special because the Otherworlders bestowed gifts upon you, whispered sweet words to you?”

“······.”

“You are just gnats. While the Council [a mysterious organization] cannot reach out to the Empire, you are just gnats that draw attention, preventing the Empire from daring to target their rear.”

That’s why local wars broke out in the southern part of the Empire.

The small countries did not confront the Empire purely on their own.

The Council and individual Otherworlders helped them to confront me.

Gunpowder weapons and artifacts were merely bestowed upon them.

“Go back. My hands are not so busy that I can’t catch gnats. I will hold you accountable for your arrogance and betrayal of your own kind.”

“Please reconsider. It would be a loss for the Empire to fight against us as well—”

“Get lost! Didn’t His Majesty speak!”

The envoy was frightened by Gerhard’s roar and returned to the city.

Watching the envoy’s retreating figure, Gerhard muttered.

“Are they looking down on us, or are they thinking too highly of themselves?”

“They are blind.”

Mountain Hermit Nuadill said.

“If they had properly assessed the situation, this wouldn’t have happened. At the very latest, they should have submitted when the Lord finished the Lizardmen expedition. They should have thought, ‘Why can’t we conquer them when they even went on an expedition to the Otherworlders’ homeland?'”

At that time, only the prisoners of the Republic submitted to me.

Humans who believed in the Nagas [snake-like beings] and wanted to become their subspecies.

Even these devout people changed their minds, but the small countries didn’t even budge.

“They may not have received proper news, but as the Empire grew, the Council would have further encouraged them to check the Empire. They would have overestimated their own value.”

“Foolish.”

“Indeed.”

Nuadill shook his head and asked me.

“What shall we do, Lord?”

“It was different when we conquered Germania and Wallachia.”

At that time, I conquered the two kingdoms and recognized several privileges.

I couldn’t cause another chaos in the midst of the ongoing civil war.

For the sake of stability, I had no choice but to recognize a significant portion of the existing system.

“But do you think there is a reason to do the same for them?”

Do they deserve it?

Are they as large as Germania or Wallachia?

Or is the Human Empire so weak that it has to be mindful of them?

“Above all, I have already given them a chance.”

I sent Nuadill’s spies to contact the small countries.

I told them that if they submitted to the Empire, they would be treated accordingly.

There is no need to say what kind of answer I received.

“Withdraw the troops.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

###

– Be careful.

Tiamard of the pendant whispered to me.

– There are many eyes watching you.

I knew it even without her warning.

Many who were not in this place were watching me.

A nasty gaze mixed with all sorts of emotions.

“Is it them?”

– Maybe.

“I need to hurry.”

The Imperial army retreated, keeping a distance from me.

I judged that the distance was sufficient and released my magic power.

Then, I looked for one of the many Familiars standing beside me.

“Mersephone.”

“Yes.”

“Come here.”

Mersephone, who was with the priest of the Public Church, hurried over.

I took the child’s hand and sent magic power to grow her up.

She spread her wings wide and flew into the sky as an adult.

Flash—

A sun rose in the sky.

There was already one, so now there were two.

Because she, filled with my magic power, emitted radiance.

From the city’s perspective, it would look like the sun was rising from the ground.

She stretched out one hand forward.

Then, a barrage of light poured down from the sky.

From afar, it looked like sunlight shining through dark clouds.

But the light contained magic power, so it melted the flesh it touched.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

“A, avoid it!”

There was nothing the city’s defense forces could do.

How could they deal with Mersephone in the sky?

They had no choice but to take the light she sent down.

“Let’s go! Brothers!”

That was the signal for the Familiars to rush in.

A thousand Familiars ran towards the city under my protection.

“Stop them! Stoppp!”

The defense forces screamed.

But the screams were just screams, and they were of no use.

The Familiars broke down the closed gates and jumped over the high walls.

“Huk···!”

Still, the city resisted.

Unlike the border fortresses, there were many Otherworlders.

Unlike the fortresses, a battle that could be called a battle broke out.

“Sarmatash! Engrave your wrath upon me!”

They stabilized the tangled flow of magic power with the blessing of God.

They also fought battles that overwhelmed the Familiars by using artifacts.

“Monkeys imitating God?”

“What a ridiculous act!”

But the fight didn’t last long.

Because there was a decisive difference between the Familiars and the Otherworlders.

“S, stop!”

The individual Otherworlders were definitely strong.

There were many strong individuals among the Familiars, even those in the upper ranks.

Also, they were better equipped with weapons than the Familiars.

Originally, the Familiars would not have been able to deal with them easily.

“We don’t die as long as Father is with us.”

A Familiar with a blade stuck in his chest said.

Even though blood was flowing backward, he smiled and stretched out his hands.

The hands grabbed the neck of the elf holding the sword.

“C, cough··· Ugh!”

“Die. You pointy-eared bastard. For Father’s great cause!”

“······!”

The Familiars do not die unless they are killed in one blow.

Even when death was near, the Familiars had no fear.

What would happen when death was far away from them?

“Long live the Emperor!”

“For Father!”

The enemy was annihilated in fear by the relentless offensive that had forgotten death.

“T, these guys! Let go!”

The king of Odessa was dragged down from the throne.

He rolled on the marble floor and spat out groans and curses.

But soon he raised his head and bowed his head when he saw me.

He must have been blinded by the radiance I emitted.

Arrogance was gone, and he was filled with fear.

“You are, the Emperor···?”

Emperor.

A title that I didn’t want to start with, but eventually chose.

I smiled insipidly, but he wouldn’t be able to see it.

He bowed his head, and even if he raised his head, he would only see a mass of light.

Because it is too weak to show the soul beyond my light.

“I, surrender! I surrender!”

It’s too late. It’s far too late.

How many times have I given you a chance to surrender?

I swallowed my words and looked at the guard Raimondo.

The Familiars who were surrounding the king and his ministers grabbed their weapons.

“Wait! I’ll tell you everything···!”

The Familiars did not hesitate.

Because they could not feel hesitation from me through telepathy.

“Secrets you don’t even know! What they promised me——!”

Clang—

Then, there were several thudding sounds.

The heads of those who ruled Odessa were all cut off.

The blood warmed the palace floor and gave off a fishy smell.

“Do you think there is something His Majesty doesn’t know?”

Gerhard scoffed.

I suppressed my magic power again and was about to leave the palace when I stopped.

“······.”

“What’s wrong?”

The blood flowing from the corpses.

The blood that was spreading to the floor stopped.

Instead of the escaping warmth, something else settled in.

It was magic power.

“Zombies?”

The Familiars tilted their heads and were about to destroy the corpses, but I stopped them.

– It’s them.

The old gods.

The beings that Rod had sealed.

The owners of the gazes that were stealing glances at me.

Their magic power permeated the corpses.

The pendant trembled.

Twitch, twitch···

The severed corpses rose from their seats and grabbed their necks.

They attached the severed necks to the clean cross-sections and rolled their tongues.

– “I can feel your flow.”

The voice and telepathy were mixed.

– “Tiamard.”

Other corpses also began to rise one by one.

– “Daughter of the arrogant one.”

– “We have returned.”

– “From the abyss···.”

There were many magic powers residing in the corpses and telepathy being conveyed to me.

Each different old god was using the corpses and conveying telepathy.

– “But you have become too small.”

Laughter echoed in the palace.

The vibration of the pendant intensified.

“Leave it alone.”

I grabbed the pendant and suppressed the magic power.

“They are just playing with their mouths because they can’t do anything to you, a weak race.”

– “Weak?”

The laughter stopped.

– “You. Strange soul.”

Crack···

Crunch—

There was the sound of bones colliding, breaking, and flesh tearing.

Something inside the corpses was moving violently to get out.

Swish!

The Familiars did not wait for something to pop out from the inside.

As soon as they sensed something strange, they swung the weapons they were holding.

Kieeeeeek——!

The monster that was tearing through the corpses and popping out died with a scream.

“Look. All they can do is play dead.”

The telepathy echoing in my brain was cut off for a moment.

Instead, magic power fluctuated around me.

– “You.”

This time, they were angry.

– “Holding the soul of Tiamard.”

– “Who are you?”

A haze rose around me.

Their magic power was scanning me.

Even though it was just magic power, it felt sticky.

When I also released magic power, it fell off.

– “Rod.”

– “It’s his soul.”

– “No. It’s similar but different.”

– “Aleon says. He’s his successor.”

The telepathy that had been whispering to each other stopped again for a moment.

It stopped as if organizing thoughts and then conveyed telepathy again.

– “Human Edar. Rod’s successor.”

– “We will punish you. In place of Rod.”

– “The pain we have suffered. You will also suffer.”

I snorted and raised my right hand and shook it once.

Then, the telepathy that was echoing in my head stopped abruptly.

“There’s not much difference.”

– No difference?

“I thought it would be different this time, but it’s not much different.”

– It was the same? They were?

“Yes, always.”

Tiamard tried to say something but stopped.

“Don’t worry. I’m as familiar with them as you are.”

I lowered my gaze and looked at the corpse that was split in half.

The shell is the king of Odessa, but the inside is a monster.

The ministers were the same.

However, the monsters contained inside were different.

They were so different that there was almost no common ground.

“Your Majesty, what are these things?”

“They are similar to the ones that appeared in the Germania Temple.”

“Horbid? He was dominated by Tiamard.”

The Familiars were making their own inferences.

I looked at the monster that the corpse was holding and answered.

“It’s a creation of the old gods.”

“The old gods and creations?”

“The ones who sent the telepathy are the old gods, and these monsters are just monsters created by twisting magic power. However, they are not any race that they intended to create. It’s just a low-level hobby to cause chaos.”

Fuss···

The monster’s corpse turned into crystals and crumbled.

“Calliope, call the priests.”

Since the voice of the old god was heard.

The magic power inside me was leaking out.

It’s not leaking out because I’m not suppressing it.

Someone is borrowing my magic power.

‘Rachel, and the priests of the Public Church.’

Those who can draw on my magic power.

They are calling my soul and borrowing magic power.

“It has begun.”

Snow was falling weakly in the city center.

In the midst of it, the Familiars were moving busily.

The reason why Rachel and other priests are borrowing magic power.

The magic power released by the old god was raising the dead.

Not limited to the corpses in the palace, but throughout the Empire.

No, the dead will be rising in every place in this world.

– The flow of magic power is gradually becoming distorted.

“They are changing the world to suit their tastes.”

– Winter will come again. Maybe spring won’t come.

It would be fortunate if only winter came.

The old gods’ tastes are truly unique.

They call things that humans can’t possibly endure.

“Have you called, Father?”

The priests arrived.

All the priests of the Public Church could be considered Familiars.

Because it hasn’t been many years since they started their formal ordination.

There were few people who had been verified like the Familiars.

– Conversely, it means we can trust them.

I scanned the priests once and took out a dagger from my chest.

“I have something to ask of you.”

Squeeze···

And I grabbed the blade with my bare hands and shed blood.

“Father?”

The thoughts of the surprised Familiars surged.

“Stay still.”

I turned away Calliope, who was approaching, and approached the priests.

I grabbed the necklaces that each of them was wearing with my deeply wounded hand.

The necklace was the relic of the Public Church and symbolized me.

When my blood and flesh touched the relic, it shone.

“Take good care of this. My soul is not contained within this, but my blood and flesh are contained within, so it is my body.”

I gave the magic power of the soul to the relic.

The relic could not contain all the pouring magic power and cracked, but the blood on the surface seeped into the traces of the burst, and the cracks disappeared as if the wound was healing, and the blood stains also disappeared.

“Father, what are you—”

“This is the blood of the contract. Because I cannot leave my body, I will send this to save many humans.”

The magic power contained in the relic was immense.

To the point where one side of my soul felt empty.

I briefly held my head because of the enormous amount of magic power I poured in.

It was a dizziness I felt after quite a while, but it disappeared quickly.

“Take this to Rachel. She is building a tower.”

“Tower···.”

The magic power of the old gods goes against and distorts the order of nature.

Bringing the dead back to life, calling eternal winter, calling disease, etc.

Originally, this is the ending scenario called the Great Disaster in the main story.

It was the beginning of a countdown to destruction if we didn’t fight immediately.

“Tower. It will create barriers throughout the Empire.”

The current me is like a light that pushes away the shadows.

My existence can push away the existence of the old gods.

So there is no need to be bound by the countdown.

“So that the influence of the old gods cannot come to this land.”

The priests looked down at the necklace with wide eyes.

They must have realized that the relic was spiritually connected to me.

Although they couldn’t see it, magic power was flowing.

It will act as the flame of the tower that Rachel is building.

And these priests will become the guardians of the tower.

“When I was in this world, in this body, I made a promise.”

It was the first day I arrived in Ollimus.

At that time, I said this to Chief Kistler.

I will protect your lives more than any human lord.

“Now is the time to fulfill that promise.”