He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 149

A remote port in the Southern Territory.

As night fell, an eerie fog enveloped the port, deterring anyone in their right mind from venturing outside.

It wasn’t just the cold and darkness the fog brought. Superstition held that sea denizens kidnapped travelers on such nights.

Such tales were often dismissed as mere superstition, but with the existence of various underwater races, they couldn’t be entirely disregarded as nonsense.

More than anything, the ‘Fishmen’ were indeed abducting people, though not exclusively in ports like this.

“The Siren did a fine job. That Shadow Viscount filled the warehouse with treasure. All we have to do is take it now.”

The Fishman cult’s apostle spoke, having shed his usual disguise. His eyes were wide-set, a blend of human and fish features, characteristic of the Fishmen.

“Good. But when do we sacrifice the Viscount?”

“Don’t be impatient. It’s not too late to sacrifice him after we’ve plundered all his treasure.”

“That’s true.”

Believing the Siren had completely charmed the Viscount, they saw no reason to rush.

They would bleed him dry to enrich their cult, then offer his empty husk to their queen.

This would increase the cult’s profits and earn the queen’s favor. The Fishmen opened the warehouse, imagining such happiness.

“Oh……!”

“Amazing! Such an enormous amount of treasure.”

Sure enough, the sizable warehouse was filled with treasure.

“Good, with this, we can buy weapons to wipe out those Naga bastards! Start transporting it immediately-”

*Shu-wook, thwack!*

“Kuh-ack!”

The apostle, about to order the treasure moved, was struck by a sharp scale dagger that came from nowhere.

The only race that used such weapons besides the Fishmen was one other.

“Naga!”

“Slaves of Kthallion!”

The Naga, the Kthallion cultists.
The Fishmen’s rivals were attacking.

“Kill the accursed spawn of the Sea Witch!”

“For Kthallion!”

*Shwook! Bang!*

The Naga and Sea Wraiths fired scale daggers and mana-charged rifles.

The Fishmen, caught off guard, suffered heavy losses from the intense barrage.

This put them at a disadvantage in the ensuing close combat.

“R-Run away!”

*Bang!*

“Kuh-ugh!”

Soon, the remaining Fishman apostle was shot down as well.

The one who shot him was a man with gray, rotten skin like a Sea Wraith, but with an impressive black beard.

“Don’t let a single one escape. We will feed them to Kthallion.”

“Aye-Aye sir!”

The man, the cursed pirate duke Blackbeard, commanded his subordinates in a cracking voice.

*Chwa-ra-ra-rak!*

Blackbeard wielded the cursed sea anchor chains blessed by Kthallion, mercilessly striking down the Fishmen.

Soon, the Fishmen cornered in the treasure warehouse were all dead.

“Elven treasures. Is it true the Empire destroyed the Elven Kingdom?”

Looking around the treasure warehouse now devoid of Fishmen, Blackbeard muttered with dissatisfaction.

As a loser in the Empire’s civil war, he couldn’t be happy about the Empire’s prosperity, which allowed them to possess such treasures.

*Clap- Clap- Clap-*

“As ruthless as ever, Blackbeard. Long time no see?”

Hiding in the fog, I appeared and clapped, throwing mocking words at Blackbeard.

“Emperor……!”

*Chwa-rrr-rrr-rrk!*

Provoked, Blackbeard immediately lashed out with his chains.

*Chae-eng!*

Silver Rose cut through the chains.

I couldn’t cut them before, but with my strengthened power, I could now.

“Ha, so you’ve grown! But I’m the same!”

*Chwa-reuk, Bang!*

Even when cut, the chains flew again, and Blackbeard fired simultaneously.

The bullets he fired weren’t single shots but buckshot, firing a cluster of small pellets.

*Shu-shook-*

But I easily dodged using Blink [a short-range teleportation ability].

*Shu-shu-shook- Thwack-*

Dodging the chains that came one after another, I aimed my sword at his face before he knew it.

“Calm down. I didn’t come here to fight you.”

“Ha, you want to talk? Have we ever been on such good terms?”

“Of course not. But how about a bribe?”

I subtly pointed towards the warehouse.

“You’re going to give that to me?”

“Of course. That’s why I called you here. Even with the clumsy acting.”

Blackbeard’s seafood-like eyes turned to the treasure. Greed flickered in his eyes.

“Funny, that’s mine anyway.”

“I’ll give you more of the same.”

“What?”

“It’s just a drop in the bucket for me anyway.”

The treasures plundered from the Elven Kingdom were so numerous that the treasure in that warehouse was just the tip of the iceberg.

Of course, even so, it would be a waste to use it uselessly, but gaining Blackbeard’s favor now was worth it.

“……Hmph, while I didn’t know, the Empire has gone far. It’s not the place I knew.”

“It will change even more from now on, Blackbeard.”

“Bitter.”

Blackbeard sighed and took out an old rum bottle to drink. He offered it to me, but I politely declined. I thought I might get food poisoning.

“So, is Duke Orlanth still alive and well?”

“The old man is doing well. He’s not an Elector anymore, but a Governor.”

“Not an Elector?”

“That’s right. There’s no such position as Elector anymore. Unfortunately, that applies to you too.”

“Hahaha!”

Blackbeard, once one of the seven Electors [powerful lords with the right to elect the Emperor], laughed heartily for some reason at the news that he was no longer an Elector.

“Things are going well. Governor? So now all the nobles are your lackeys?”

“You could say that. Feudal nobles are virtually nonexistent now.”

“Pfft, those who were loyal to you must have been hit hard.”

“How could that be? How well do I take care of my subjects?”

“Oh, Emperor. Don’t say things you don’t know. Even if that’s true, it’s different when someone else shows mercy and when you earn it yourself.”

*Gulp-gulp-* He finished the bitter rum.

“The good times are over for the nobles. Now they have no honor and are no different from fattened pigs.”

“Fattened pigs, indeed.”

“That’s right. Well, that’s not what you wanted to talk about!”

*Clang!*

“So, what do you want from me to go this far?”

“Isn’t it obvious? To wipe out the Fishman cult that’s stirring up the Southern Territory.”

“You’re asking me to do that? I’ve become a servant of Kthallion. What guarantee do you have that I won’t plunder the Southern Territory?”

At his words, I smirked.

That was certainly true, but unfortunately, I already knew everything.

“The Fishmen and Naga are at war. To be exact, the Sea Queen and Kthallion are at war. Isn’t that right?”

“……How do you know that?”

“I didn’t know at first. But I found out recently.”

*Tick-*

With a snap of my fingers, someone emerged from the fog and approached me.

It was the beautiful woman I saw at the last banquet. Of course, it was the Siren in disguise.

Blackbeard looked surprised to see her.

“You’ve dominated a Siren? A handmaiden of the Sea Queen?”

“It was simple.”

Even beings with other beliefs couldn’t help but be dominated by the overwhelming presence of the Imperial Soul.

Of course, it would have been different if the Sea Queen had been there.

“Anyway, attacking the Fishmen with my support wouldn’t be a bad offer for you, would it?”

“……Hmph, you’re still using wicked tricks. But then I’ll ask you in return. What are you going to do later?”

If the Naga win against the Fishmen, that is, if Kthallion pushes back the Sea Queen, the current situation of ‘an enemy of an enemy is a friend’ will no longer hold.

“That depends on you, your people, or Kthallion’s will.”

“You trust other races? The Empire? You, the Emperor of Humanity?”

“Now that I see it, it’s not that impossible to join hands with other races.”

The Western Territory had already formed a semi-alliance with the Orcs, and the Eastern Territory had a friendly relationship with the Nakan.

There was no reason for the Southern Territory, which bordered the sea, to be any different. However, the fact that they weren’t directly communicating with the beastman nations across the sea was an uncertain factor for the future.

Well, you can’t be full on the first try, so I had no choice but to start communicating with the Naga, even if it was a bit unreliable.

“Hmm…… It’s certainly not a bad condition.”

“Then can I assume you accept?”

“That’s right. But I don’t trust words alone. Kthallion wouldn’t either.”

At my question, Blackbeard shook his head as if he wasn’t asking for more treasure.

“That’s not it. Show me an oath on your soul, Emperor.”

“Ha, are you telling me to become a servant of Kthallion? Then I refuse.”

“Of course not. I don’t want someone like you to gain his favor.”

Blackbeard frowned as if he truly didn’t want that.

Is being a servant of Kthallion that good? I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to miss his human days that much?

“I’m telling you to swear on your divinity. Yes, I can feel divinity from you. I don’t want to admit it, but you are someone who can stand up to Kthallion.”

He pointed at me with his finger, as if reluctantly admitting it, and continued.

“Then let’s make an alliance contract as equals, as gods. You already know that it’s possible to hand over your divinity as a due penalty for dishonorably breaking the oath, right?”

“……I certainly know.”

It was what I did to the green gods of the Greenskins in the Western Territory.

That meant that similar things were possible for other gods.

“If you truly want to be friendly with Kthallion, there’s no reason for Kthallion not to bless the Empire.”

“It would be troublesome if the Empire was blessed by an evil god.”

“Hmph, Emperor. Calling them evil gods is just a distinction based on extremely narrow criteria. I ask you, are you, who have become a god, truly good?”

“……I’m not.”

It was quite a painful point. Just as it’s difficult to easily divide humans into good and evil, the same was true for gods.

“It’s the same. The good and evil of gods are ultimately the product of futile distinctions. Except for one exception.”

“What’s that exception?”

“Demon Gods. The gods of the Demon Kings and Demons. And they are the ultimate enemies of the Empire.”

“…….”

With those words, he took out an old silver coin from his pocket. Then he wounded his hand and smeared blood on it.

“If you put your blood on this silver coin, the oath will be established. The Empire’s alliance will increase. Emperor, can you endure sacrifices for the Empire?”

My answer to his question was always fixed.

“Willingly.”

I will sacrifice myself.