He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 163

“Your Majesty, are you truly going to venture into the Arcane Labyrinth?”

The city of mages. The Tower of the Arcane Labyrinth.

The Mage Lord, who greeted me there, spoke with gravity.

“Of course, Mage Lord. I thought you, a former separatist, would welcome this decision.”

“…My shameful past is just that—the past.”

The Mage Lord, once my enemy in the civil war but who defected to my side due to mutual interests, now feigned loyalty quite convincingly.

“Is that so? Do you truly wish for me to return after I enter that labyrinth, setting aside the numerous benefits you could gain?”

“Your Majesty, an empire without you is of no benefit to anyone.”

“Hmm! Yes, that’s more like you. That’s more believable.”

Perhaps due to my playful jest, the Mage Lord sighed briefly.

“Please, Your Majesty, consider this seriously. Returning to that labyrinth, especially alone, makes it difficult to expect the same good fortune as before.”

“I know. Nevertheless, I must go.”

It wasn’t simply to save Sarah as an individual.

It was for the grand scheme of the empire. From the start, saving her and saving the empire’s future were one and the same.

“Let’s begin.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. Mages of the Magic Tower, focus your mana.”

Wooo woo woo woong-

Mana draws a magic circle.

The magic circle unleashes a spell, and the spell activates the Arcane Labyrinth.

The heavy door of the Arcane Labyrinth opens, and even more mana leaks through the gap.

The mages, watching the surging torrent of mana, maintained the door of the Arcane Labyrinth with utmost tension.

“Then, I shall be off.”

“May you return safely, Your Majesty.”

Amidst the farewells of the mages and magic swordsmen, I headed towards the Arcane Labyrinth, which was pouring out intense mana.

“Kugh…! It’s intense already.”

Last time, I passed through the Arcane Archive first. But this time, there was no need to go through that process; I had adjusted the magic to go directly to 3,000 years ago through the Arcane Space.

There was no need to deal with the mana devourers of the Arcane Archive as before, but this environment, with its intense flow of mana, was more threatening than the mana devourers swarming.

The pouring mana seemed to annihilate me, as if scraping me away.

“That cannot happen.”

[Imperial Soul Stage 3 Deployment]

[The power of the First Emperor is released from the Abyss Heart.]

[Begins to protect the body from the torrent of mana.]

I had to advance using artificial power—the Imperial Soul and the power of the First Emperor—as if going against a reverse current.

“I can’t see a path.”

More difficult than going against this torrent of mana was the fact that the torrent itself was like a maze, and I didn’t know the way.

But that was solved surprisingly easily.

-Follow our light, Emperor.

The empire’s five guardian deities. They were guiding me.

Even without deploying the spirit world, they could appear here, borrowing the mana of the Arcane Labyrinth.

-Emperor, thankfully, you are advancing without fear.

“I don’t have the luxury to be afraid, Leonis. More importantly, you’ve come just in time. Thanks to you, I won’t get lost.”

-There’s no need to thank us. If we can’t do this much, we’d lose face as gods.

Leonis shrugged and, seeing the end of the labyrinth, said to me one last time.

-Now, before embarking on the journey to the past, I will give you one last piece of advice, Emperor.

“What advice are you going to give me? I already know what I need to do there.”

I need to find knowledge and techniques that can be used as a cure for Sarah.

For example, the manufacturing method of the Frostfire Hearth. Of course, I feel that won’t be enough.

-Of course, we know that too. We told you, after all. But there will be other trials in the place you are going. Do not ignore those trials, Emperor.

“You’re not going to tell me what those trials are?”

Leonis smiled at that question.

-You’ll find out when you get there.

At that moment, I was naturally sucked into the vortex of mana that appeared at the end of the maze.

Clang! Clang!

“Do not retreat! We must defend the walls to the very end!”

“Mages, quickly use restoration magic! We cannot defend with the walls collapsed!”

After being caught in the vortex of space-time, it wasn’t long before I regained consciousness.

But the place where I opened my eyes was a noisy battlefield.

The sounds of weapons clashing, screams, and shouts echoed from all directions.

Demons coming through the collapsed walls and human soldiers blocking them were engaged in a desperate battle.

“Isborg.”

This was Isborg. Isborg was under attack.

I wondered why it was being attacked, but resolving that curiosity could wait until after saving the soldiers before my eyes.

Swish-

“Alright, let’s do this-”

I immediately tried to unleash Imperial Soul Stage 3 and sweep through the battlefield.

[Imperial Soul Stage 3 Deployment Failed.]

[Due to space-time constraints, the activation of some abilities is restricted.]

“Hmm? Stage 3 isn’t working?”

I was briefly taken aback by the fact that I couldn’t use the power I had been using so generously recently. But the bewilderment didn’t last long.

“It’s been a while since I’ve fought with just the basics.”

[Mana Heart Amplification 150%]

[Neural Acceleration 220% Deployed]

I had to fight using only Mana Heart and Aura, like in the very old days when I didn’t even have the Imperial Soul. But that alone was enough.

“Ugh, uaaah! Save me!”

“Die, you weak hu-”

Thwack!

I beheaded the demon who was trying to kill the Isborg soldier.

“Y-You are…?”

“Get up, soldier. Do you have time to be lying down?”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Shwook-

Thwack, Slash!

After saving one soldier, I rushed around in all directions, cutting down demon soldiers as they came.

“W-What, who is that knight? When did we have someone like that?”

“I don’t know, it looks like a paladin from the south….”

“Anyway! Now’s our chance! Push those guys back outside the walls!”

Somehow, the situation had been managed, but the battle situation was originally not good for Isborg.

The walls had been destroyed by a giant monster, and demon soldiers were pouring through the collapsed walls, and the mages trying to restore the walls were coughing up blood and collapsing from the curses of the black mages.

If the Imperial Soul was working properly, I could have used divine power for them.

“Stage 3 won’t work, but maybe….”

[Imperial Soul Stage 1 Deployment]

“Alright, it works!”

It wasn’t as powerful as Stage 3, but I could partially unleash divinity and divine power.

I raised Silver Rose towards the sky as it was.

Then, the divine power imbued in Silver Rose shone, creating a barrier that protected the surrounding soldiers and mages.

“T-The curse is lifted….”

“Now’s the time! Hurry and block the walls!”

With the magic bombardment and curses of the demon black mages stopped, the mages on the Isborg side began to restore the walls.

“Dark Knights, keep pushing!”

“Kill the weak humans, offer them as sacrifices to the Dark God!”

“D-Damn it! The Dark Knights are charging!”

“Block them!”

Of course, the enemies weren’t just watching with their eyes open.

The elite Dark Knights, you could say, quickly crossed the walls before they were restored and charged fiercely.

Clang!

“Focus your attacks on that guy!”

“Heh, are you going to fight me first?”

And unlike the regular soldiers, they were also excellent at tactical judgment.

They already recognized that I was strong enough to turn the tide of the battle and stuck to me as much as possible.

If the Imperial Soul was normal, they would have been easily dealt with, but now they were at a level where I had to pay a little more attention.

Of course, it wasn’t a level I couldn’t handle, so I was about to draw out my power and deal with them immediately.

Ppoooooooo-

“Reinforcements! The prince has arrived!”

“We’re alive!”

At that time, the sound of a horn echoed from the rear of the front line.

Along with it, thunderous shouts followed.

“Sons of Isborg, we have not yet been defeated!”

“In the name of the Queen and Kalival!”

“Isborg will last forever!”

Looking back, Isborg’s knights and sturdy northern warriors were charging in.

They all looked like demons themselves, covered in blood as if they had been fighting elsewhere.

And at the forefront was a young man with a still youthful face.

Short silver hair, a sharp impression full of intelligence and courage.

It was someone I had never seen before, but at the same time, there was a familiar aspect to him.

“Die, you filthy demon!”

“Krrr, the puppy of Isborg has lost his fear!”

“Then fight me. Prove your strength, demon!”

The man at the very front, although he seemed much younger and of nobler status than the other warriors, was not at all afraid to cross swords with the demons at the vanguard.

Although there were clumsy and hasty aspects, he pressured the enemy more aggressively even when bleeding from the enemy’s attacks.

Clang! Thwack!

“Kuh-uck!”

“We will continue the flames of Isborg with your blood!”

“Khehehe…… I’ll be watching from hell to see how long those flames last…….”

Thwack!

He beheaded the last remaining Dark Knight.

As the walls were restored, the demons seemed to have given up their offensive and were retreating.

After the reinforcements arrived, there was no need for me to step in, so I watched it all unfold. When the battle was over, I felt people’s gazes turning to me.

In particular, the ‘prince’ who fought at the very front was approaching me.

“Stranger, I heard that your contribution was great.”

“It wasn’t anything great, Prince of Isborg.”

“……Who are you? I don’t know where you came from, but you seem to be of noble status.”

Instead of getting angry at me for not using honorifics to the prince, the prince seemed to think that my status was as noble as his own.

“I can’t say precisely where I’m from, but it would be appropriate to think of me as royalty.”

I made a rough excuse. 3,000 years ago, the empire did not yet exist, and it was a time when it was divided into many kingdoms.

Therefore, it wasn’t that strange for a prince who was pushed out of the line of succession to become a wandering knight. Of course, even so, it might seem strange to travel alone to Isborg.

“By the way, you are the Prince of Isborg? I’m sure you also shouted the name of Kalival. Are you his son?”

“That’s right. Do you know my father?”

“I know him. I know him quite well. My name is Franz, what is your name?”

At my question, the young prince put his sword in its scabbard, offered a handshake, and said.

“I am Kalintz von Isborg, son of Kalival.”

“Kalintz…… I see. So that’s how it was.”

“……? What is it?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Watching him show me a more polite attitude, I felt complicated.

A person named Kalintz. And his face that I am seeing now.

He looked just like Katalion’s lover I saw in the last abyss.

That’s right.