Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 78

Silence fell over the room.

The ducal family was struck dumb with shock.

The return of the eldest son, once disowned and banished, was a stunning development.

Even the ever-gossiping servants held their tongues.

“······.”

The retainers and servants exchanged uneasy glances.

They were unsure how to interpret this unexpected turn of events.

Hadn’t the Duke departed to capture the banished son?

Yet, he had returned with him?

“What on earth…”

Even the elderly butler, usually unflappable, was at a loss for words.

He could only speculate wildly about the situation.

Meanwhile, all eyes turned towards the study.

The Duke and Duchess had retreated inside.

“Tell me! What happened? What is the meaning of this?” Ibella demanded as soon as the door slammed shut, her voice sharp with anger.

Her fury simmering, she glared at her husband.

The Duke sat heavily at his desk, massaging his temples.

“Say something!” she snapped, her voice rising.

The Duke sighed deeply.

“I’m sorry, Ibella. I had no choice.”

“No choice?”

“Edar is… necessary.”

Instead of questioning him, she frowned, her suspicion evident.

“The Emperor’s Curse. He can break it.”

The Emperor’s Curse? [A widespread and seemingly incurable disease that had recently emerged.]

She recalled that it was a recent affliction, causing widespread panic and proving particularly problematic among the Duke’s vassal lords.

Edar could cure this incurable disease?

Ibella scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“That’s impossible. It has to be a lie.”

The Duke shook his head, his expression grim.

“I was suspicious too, so I investigated. It’s true.”

“······.”

“And that’s not all.”

He recounted what Edar had told him: that the Emperor’s Curse was not a natural disease but a parasite, deliberately cultivated and spread by the priests of Horbid [a potentially malevolent religious order] and the servants of the Vlad bloodline.

“We need to verify if this is true. And if it is, we need to find out why I am ignorant of such a critical fact.”

Ibella bit her lip, her anger warring with her sense of duty.

She was furious, but she was also the Duchess, and she couldn’t afford to ignore the gravity of the situation.

“Don’t worry,” the Duke said, reaching out to embrace her. “I only brought him home temporarily because of the seriousness of the matter. Once this problem is resolved, I will sever ties with him for good.”

He held her close.

“He will never succeed to Seredlet. Not as long as I live.”

***

‘That’s what you think,’ Edar mused to himself.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he strolled down the hallway of the mansion.

‘Your actions are so predictable.’

Ibella had summoned the Duke and entered the study.

It was obvious what she was saying: complaints, accusations, demands for action.

The Duke, in turn, would soothe her and outline his plans for dealing with Edar.

‘It’s not as if I’ve only met you once or twice. Did you really think I wouldn’t anticipate this?’

He glanced out the window.

Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, marring the clear sky.

They were ominous, promising rain no later than tomorrow.

A kite [a type of familiar, a magical creature bound to a sorcerer] perched on a tree branch near the window.

When their eyes met, it nodded as if in greeting.

‘Griff.’

– I’m glad you arrived safely, the familiar, Griff, communicated telepathically.

‘Did you hear the story from Rachel?’

– Yes, you changed the plan?

‘The situation is more complex than I initially thought. The Council [a shadowy organization with immense power] is revealing its true colors. How are things on your end?’

– First, I dispatched Nuadil, the Old Man of the Mountain, to your location as you instructed. Nuadil and his assassination squad will begin operations upon arrival.

‘Can you have Nuadil meet with me separately?’

– Only Nuadil? Is it urgent?

‘Yes.’

The conspiracy orchestrated by Bishop Bowler at the border had been temporarily halted by his death, but it was far from over.

Priests and servants of the Wolf Church [a potentially heretical or dangerous religious sect] remained scattered throughout the border region.

They were accomplices and would continue Bowler’s work even in his absence.

They had to be uprooted and eliminated.

‘Humans can’t resolve this on their own. There are no non-Wolf Church believers among the territory’s people, and as the Bishop’s case demonstrates, if Horbid exerts any influence, no human will stand against them.’

Therefore, Edar, the Familiar, must take matters into his own hands.

And he had a Familiar perfectly suited for the task.

The assassination squad led by Nuadil, the Old Man of the Mountain.

‘Send Nuadil to me, and the rest will proceed according to the original plan. All those on the list left by Bishop Bowler must be dealt with. As quickly as possible.’

– Yes.

‘What about Pasimea?’

– She’s been working tirelessly in the workshop, manufacturing gunpowder. We’re pushing her as hard as we can, but it’s uncertain if we can meet the target.

Edar nodded.

‘It doesn’t matter. Prepare as much as possible, as quickly as possible.’

– Understood. I will send them to join Gerhard’s rearguard.

The number of troops currently under Edar’s command was only about 6,000.

This was not a small force, but it was insufficient for the challenges ahead.

If they were following the original plan, it wouldn’t be a problem.

But now, with a large-scale proxy war looming across Germania, 6,000 troops that could move freely were simply too few.

Therefore, Gerhard and Pasimea were also being mobilized.

Gerhard would summon mercenaries from Wallachia, and Pasimea was scheduled to join with bronze cannons forged in the foundry.

– We can’t waste any time, Edar, Griff’s thought was urgent.

– The orcs of the Nerup Plains are gathering. The number identified exceeds 100,000. Other forces in the Great Plains are also increasing their presence. There have also been attempts at looting at the border.

‘I figured. But there’s nothing to worry about. They won’t rush in immediately. They’re applying pressure so I can’t project my forces into Germania.’

Ugdash was dead, and Vlad was injured.

The Council wasn’t meddling in Germania without a reason.

They had determined that a full-scale war would be too burdensome, so they were acting indirectly.

‘Of course, this situation won’t last long either.’

Time was running out.

Edar’s ability to create four Familiars a day, the population increasing by tens of thousands every month, meant he was growing rapidly, but the enemies of a civilization that had existed for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years were tightening their grip on him with their established power.

‘There’s no room to continue this vague stalemate. We must secure Seredlet immediately and settle the matter at the founding ceremony. We must secure Germania.’

Edar nodded and dismissed Griff’s Familiar.

He stopped walking and looked straight ahead.

He had encountered a retainer heading towards the study.

He recognized the man from his memories.

Edar smiled and called out to him.

“Lord Helmut.”

Helmut flinched at the sound of his name and visibly shuddered.

He looked at Edar, his eyes filled with apprehension, and then lowered his head slightly.

The resemblance to the young Duke was unsettling.

“Why are you so surprised?” Edar asked, approaching him with a smile.

“You knew I originally resembled my father, didn’t you? I’m more embarrassed that you’re so taken aback now.”

“Having the same appearance doesn’t mean everything is the same.”

“And am I the same now? As my father?”

Helmut swallowed his words, unable to answer.

Edar chuckled at his discomfort.

“Didn’t my father tell you about the upcoming schedule?”

“No, but why are you asking?”

“I’ve returned. We should have a welcome banquet.”

“Hmm,” Helmut groaned.

“I don’t think that will be possible.”

The reason was simple: the Duke intended to use Edar for a time and then discard him.

There was no reason to publicly celebrate his return.

But Edar was determined to have a banquet.

“Lord Helmut.”

“Yes, Edar.”

“I believe we must hold one.”

“What do you mean?”

Edar stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“The Knights Brigade is in a sorry state, isn’t it?”

The Knights Brigade’s defeat was a humiliating rout.

A battle where 3,000 knights were defeated by 600.

For those who knew the true strength of the combatants, it was an expected outcome.

But to those who didn’t, it was a devastating loss.

Helmut, like many others, cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“If you leave it like that, it will tarnish your father’s reputation.”

“What does that have to do with the banquet?”

“Wouldn’t it appear as if your father accepted you back because he was defeated by you?”

Helmut opened his mouth to protest.

“Who would dare think that?”

“Then? Can you hide the fact that the Knights Brigade was defeated by me?”

How many witnesses were there?

50,000 troops mobilized by Duke Seredlet.

100,000 citizens of Marquis Rozenne’s city, Zauritz.

There were at least 150,000 witnesses.

You couldn’t hide it even if you wanted to.

The rumors would spread even faster.

“······.”

He knew this, so he remained silent.

“So, you’re saying we should hold a banquet.”

“What will that change?”

“Isn’t it very different to quietly accept me to hide the rout versus gloriously accepting me while acknowledging my abilities?”

“···That’s a stretch.”

“Is that so? Still, tell your father. Let’s make it as splendid as possible so that his reputation isn’t tarnished. And you can charge the cost to me. Oroko gold coins are a specialty of my territory.”

Helmut’s eyes widened in surprise.

Thanks to Griff’s trade with Germania, using Oroko gold coins as payment, the rumor that there was a gold mine in Edar’s territory was widely known in the human world.

Edar placed a hand on Helmut’s shoulder and said.

“Helmut, don’t see me as the old Edar anymore. What you should see is the current me, Edar. The eldest son of Duke Seredlet. Do you understand?”

Helmut hardened his expression and nodded stiffly.

His trembling eyes revealed his inner turmoil.

Edar patted him on the shoulder and sent him on his way.

“Did it work well?” Rachel asked.

“Nobles live and die by their pride. If they can heal their wounded pride even a little, what can’t they do? Besides, I’m covering the costs. There’s no reason to refuse.”

It wasn’t long before Helmut emerged from the study with the Duke’s approval.

The Duke had readily accepted Edar’s proposal.

Soon, the mansion was bustling with preparations for the evening banquet.

“Evening? Tonight? You’re holding it so suddenly,” Rachel commented.

Normally, a banquet would require more time to prepare.

But because of the circumstances, they were preparing it immediately, without delay.

“Because they suffered a rout.”

Even if they returned with cheers, as if holding a victory parade, a rout was still a rout.

It was obvious that the morale of the summoned retainers had plummeted.

The Duke intended to restore their spirits with a lavish banquet.

“If we held the banquet normally, it would be a few days later. By then, some of the retainers would have returned to their fiefdoms. That would diminish the Duke’s purpose in holding the banquet.”

Because the Duke wanted to appease them all at once, he decided to hold the banquet on the same day, as quickly as possible.

“Without even realizing that this is my father’s scheme,” Edar said with a knowing smile.

The evening banquet, hastily arranged, was quite grand.

The mansion of a lord in a city of 800,000 was comparable to a palace.

The hall was vast, and it was packed with people.

They had even opened the courtyard to accommodate everyone.

All the nobles under Seredlet in Germania had gathered.

‘Not a single expectation is off,’ Edar thought, a sneer playing on his lips.

Why had he given the Duke time to gather troops?

It wasn’t to annihilate them in one fell swoop.

‘I told you. I gave you time to summon all the retainers.’

To gather them in this place, at this very moment.

‘Go and win them over one by one? When would that happen? Like Marquis Rozenne said, you have to gather them in one place and finish it at once.’

Edar lightly swirled the wine in his glass and said to Rachel.

“Assuming that the Duchy of Seredlet cannot be conquered by force, what is the way to obtain the title of Duke?”

“Inheriting it is the best way, right?”

“What are the conditions for inheritance?”

“Shouldn’t you be the top priority heir?”

Edar nodded.

“That’s right. But that alone is not enough.”

Because Germania was a feudal state.

“Inheriting a title in a feudal state means accepting the retainers under it as well.”

What if he obtained the title but the retainers rejected him?

What if he was Duke in name only, with no retainers to support him?

What if all he had was the direct territory?

Could that truly be called the title of Duke?

“You can beat up the retainers who refuse to follow,” Rachel suggested.

“There’s no time for that.”

Because the Council had already made its move.

“If I am tied to Seredlet, more forces will lean towards the Council. If Seredlet is left alone, the Council will take it over. Therefore, I must take Seredlet, but I must swallow it whole, at once.”

There was no time to defeat them one by one.

He must inherit the title of Duke of Seredlet and win over the retainers.

‘Without a single battle.’

“The way to win over the retainers is simple. When I inherit the title, I just need to make them acknowledge me. To make them never reject me.”

Then, what was the way to ensure their unwavering loyalty?

“Justification and power. Those two are enough.”

Justification was achieved by regaining Seredlet’s castle and inheritance rights.

Power was demonstrated by crushing the Knights Brigade.

“Did I throw the bait just to do some initial suppression? I wanted to engrave the power I possessed by crushing the Knights Brigade. When the 3,000 Knights Brigade was crushed, how many were my Familiars and soldiers?”

“It was a total of 600.”

“Yes. What about the rearguard that arrived behind the Duke?”

“It was 6,000.”

Edar smiled and asked.

“Did the Duke see the vanguard of 600 and the rearguard of 6,000 as different units? Did he see the rearguard of 6,000 as weak?”

Even if that were the case, it didn’t matter.

He had already displayed overwhelming power by crushing the Knights Brigade.

“Now, I have demonstrated justification and power.”

Then, what remained?

“The Duke is left.”

Rachel tilted her head, confused.

“There’s the most important problem. It means nothing if the Duke doesn’t pass the title to you.”

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yes?”

“The Duke will die soon.”

The Duke would die, Ibella would die, and their two sons would die.

That was already decided.

“So, all that’s left for me is the declaration.”

Edar ascended the stairs on the central wall of the hall.

The stairs led towards the wall and then split left and right, connecting to the second floor. A large portrait hung on the wall where the path diverged.

The subject of the portrait was Duke Seredlet, Svein.

A portrait of Svein in his youth.

Edar positioned himself with the portrait behind him and looked down at the hall from the stairs.

“Everyone.”

At his call, the eyes of those gathered in the hall turned towards him.

They looked back and forth between the portrait and Edar, murmuring amongst themselves.

“Are you enjoying the banquet?”

The attendees exchanged awkward expressions and forced smiles.

There was no one present who didn’t know who Edar was.

No one would look at him and answer happily.

“Today, this is a celebration of my return.”

Edar placed his right hand on his chest and bowed slightly.

“I thank my father for allowing me back into the family.”

Duke Seredlet nodded stiffly.

“I also thank my mother for forgiving me.”

Ibella turned her back to him, refusing to even look at him.

Her neck flushed red, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Edar smiled brightly.

“I know that many of you here don’t like me. How could I not know? You’re already divided into two factions, dividing the spoils, and now a third challenger has appeared.”

“Isn’t that right?” Edar said, raising his glass.

The attendees shifted uncomfortably.

Some frowned, some scoffed, some turned their backs.

Not a single one reacted favorably to his words.

“But everyone, don’t think negatively. This is an opportunity. An opportunity for you to choose a better master.”

“Edar,” a knight spoke up.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I don’t know what makes you better than the other two brothers.”

Edar smiled.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Bjorn.”

“Bjorn, you’re asking the question backwards.”

Bjorn tilted his head, confused.

“You should be asking what makes the two brothers better than me.”

“······.”

“Eirik, Harald, do they control the Great Plains? Or did they conquer Wallachia? Or have they ever fought and won against all of you?”

“···The Great Plains and Wallachia that you mentioned are only partially occupied, right?”

“No. It’s all of it.”

Edar laughed.

“I’ve already taken the Great Plains from the other races, so wouldn’t I be able to secure the rest? Wallachia is in a civil war and begging me for help, so wouldn’t I be able to claim that throne?”

Bjorn took a step back, visibly shaken.

“Everyone is mistaken in thinking that I came here wanting Seredlet.”

“Mistaken?”

“The mistaken belief that I came here aiming for Seredlet,” Edar declared.

That he didn’t want Seredlet.

“What I want is Germania.”

The Duke glared at him, his eyes burning with resentment.

It was as if Edar had declared his intention to take what the Duke had never achieved in his life.

“Seredlet is just a card to get Germania. And Germania is also a card.”

Edar threw his glass onto the floor.

The glass shattered, and red wine stained the floor.

He spread his arms wide and looked down at the hall.

“Now, look. Look at what I have. The Great Plains are mine, Wallachia is mine. Now, if I get Germania, how many countries are left?”

The Theocracy, the Republic, and other small countries.

“But will you still call me a king the same way? If I call myself an emperor beyond the king, the only emperor of mankind, who can say anything?”

The sound of people swallowing nervously filled the hall.

The expressions of those looking up at him were filled with astonishment.

Some dropped their glasses and backed away, fleeing the hall.

‘Emperor. A title not given to humans.’

The title of Emperor was reserved for other races.

Because it was other races who had created the human kingdoms.

They didn’t want humans to unite.

They had set the highest achievable rank for humans as king.

Edar declared that he would break that barrier and unite humanity.

“So, I will ask you. The Empire is before your eyes. Will you live under the Emperor, or will you live under the Duke?”

The hall was filled with countless nobles.

But the only sound heard was the sound of breathing.

No one could muster the composure to speak.

Their eyes were wide with shock and awe as they looked up at him.

‘Yes. I will create the Human Empire.’

The only empire for humanity, by humanity.

‘I will now move beyond the individual and sit in the same place as you,’ Edar thought, addressing the Council in his mind.

The ninth seat on the Council, given to him, was just a formality.

‘Isn’t that right? Look at what’s happening in Germania now. Even though I am the same being as you, there was not a single word of acknowledgement.’

‘From the beginning, you didn’t consider me your equal. You didn’t acknowledge me challenging your hegemony. You were worried that I would form a group and challenge you.’

That was why the Council had interfered in Germania.

‘Now that Wallachia is almost in my hands, what if Germania also comes under my control?’

Humanity would be virtually united.

The Council could no longer regard him as an individual.

‘Me, sitting on the Council as the Emperor, as the master of mankind.’

That meant that humanity was taking a seat on the Council.

It meant that humanity was sitting in a place to discuss the hegemony of the world.

‘Therefore, the fight that is happening now, here, in Germania, is a game. A game for the hegemony of humanity. The Council and me. Who commands the allegiance of more humans? And who can be called the master of humans?’

Edar would call it the Great Game, echoing a similar struggle from Earth’s history.

The winner of this Great Game would be the true master of mankind.