He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 165

The arguments between the pro-retention and pro-migration factions were temporarily silenced by Kalintz’s declaration of ascension.

Both factions believed that once Kalintz had made up his mind, there would be no turning back, so arguing was pointless. They had the luxury to bicker when Kalintz was just a prince. How infuriating.

“But right now, that’s not what’s important. The problem is that even though I’ve become king, nothing has actually changed.”

It was extremely annoying, but Kalintz was right.

The city was still starving and freezing. There was still some food left, so people weren’t dying of starvation en masse, but it wouldn’t last long.

“What should we do to get food and fuel? Is there even a way to get it?”

“It’s not impossible. We can buy food from the surrounding tribal villages, and we can reclaim the mines for fuel. In fact, we need food and fuel to either stay or migrate.”

After hearing Kalintz’s answer, I felt relieved that there was at least a solution.

“Then let’s do that.”

“Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.”

However, Kalintz himself didn’t seem to think the situation was so simple.

“That’s because there are demonic forces besieging us right now.”

“Let’s attack them and break the siege.”

“We don’t have the forces to do that.”

“No forces? Are you short on troops?”

At my question, Kalintz sighed as if he had to confess something embarrassing.

“Strictly speaking, we lack the troops to engage in an ‘offensive.’ Those belonging to the pro-retention and pro-migration factions are hoarding their troops under their influence.”

“…Ha, that’s ridiculous. How do they plan to either stay or migrate if they don’t get rid of those demons?”

“The pro-retention faction thinks the demons will retreat if we hold out with a defensive battle… and the pro-migration faction seems to be hoping for negotiations.”

“Seriously, are you not punishing them for treason even with that going on?”

“…It hasn’t even been a day since I became king. Moreover, they’re not making such claims openly. They’re just not sending out their troops.”

The situation Kalintz and Isborg were in was more and more absurd.

I didn’t know if it was because they were doomed, or if they were doomed because they had such people as vassals.

But what bothered me the most was Kalintz.

“Kalintz, then let me ask you. What do you think you need to do to overcome this situation?”

“…I don’t know.”

“You don’t know, or you don’t want to know?”

“Is there a difference between the two? My mother is dead, and my father sealed himself for some meaningless reason. After that, Isborg was divided, and I was left all alone. What am I supposed to do? What can I do?”

“…”

Kalintz, who had not yet become the first emperor, was clearly lost.

Given the right opportunity, he could have blazed brilliantly, but now he was frozen in a bitter cold that he could not possibly ignite.

It was strange. He was clearly destined to found and lead an empire? I wondered why it had turned out like this, but figuring that out would come later.

Now was the time to solve the immediate problem.

“There is one thing you can do.”

“What is it?”

“Attack.”

“…!”

The situation is the worst. Our troops are divided and insufficient, morale is low, and supplies, including food, are scarce.

“But that’s why it’s the best time to attack. There’s no room for things to get worse, so if we just win, things will only get better.”

“But as I said, except for my few direct troops, we don’t have the forces…”

“Tell those bastards. They don’t have to fight, just come out to the battlefield.”

They’re trying to save their troops by not wanting to fight, right?

Then I’ll make it so they have no choice but to fight, even if they don’t want to.

Let’s see if they can sit on their asses even if they’re called traitors and cowards.

* * *

Whirr-

The snowy fields of Isborg.

Due to its environmental limitations, it is difficult to build a large city in this snowy field.

Nevertheless, Isborg was able to be a torch of civilization thanks to the sacrifice of Queen Tatiana’s clan, the Isborgs.

But it was a shackle and a curse, and the moment Kalibal freed her, Isborg’s fate was sealed for destruction.

Everything has its price; if you gain something, you lose something.

“Duke Franz, as you requested, the pro-retention and pro-migration troops have joined us. But they will not fight together.”

“The king is on the front lines, but they won’t fight. It seems that as the flame of Isborg went out, so did their courage.”

“It’s my incompetence that caused this.”

“Maybe. When you were a prince, that is. But as king, you shouldn’t say such things.”

There is a saying that the king is infallible [incapable of making mistakes].

Even if the king makes a mistake, he didn’t make it, and even if he commits a crime, he didn’t commit it.

No matter what wrong he does, the fault lies with the vassals, and the king must be infallible until the end, whether the country is destroyed or the throne is taken away.

“That’s because the king is not someone who takes responsibility, but someone who rules. Kalintz, you asked me what you should do, right?”

Swish-

“You must rule. Not take responsibility.”

[Familiar Summon: Silver Wolf of the Imperial Spirit]

Although the Imperial Soul was restricted, I still had a way to fight the enemy.

My divinity remained the same, and so did the familiars subordinate to that divinity.

And my familiar, Silver, could now be summoned wherever I wanted.

Fzzzzzzzzzz-

-Krrr…

A small portal made of divine power opened, and Silver crossed over the portal.

He looked instinctively enraged at the demons beyond the snowy field.

“That’s… the legendary spirit beast. To tame a spirit beast, you must be an amazing person.”

I chuckled at Kalintz’s words.

In fact, the first person known to have tamed a silver-maned wolf like Silver was the first emperor.

“You’ll be able to tame a child like this someday. And-”

Woooooooo-

[Familiar ‘Silver’ deploys ‘Hour of the Wolf’.]

“Someday, you’ll become someone much greater than me.”

Woooooooo-

Woof-

The Imperial Soul stirred at Silver’s cry.

3,000 years ago, even before the empire was established, the predecessor of the Imperial Soul existed.

Even without the empire, humanity’s desire for a powerful nation remained the same.

No, it would have been even more intense than in the era I came from.

When there was no one to protect them, they would have longed for that existence even more.

That predecessor of the Imperial Soul, the desires of humans, began to take shape, drawn by Silver’s cry.

They were all in the form of pure white snowfield wolves. It was the form that the humans staying in Isborg longed for.

The number of those wolves was enough to form an army.

“M-My goodness. What are all those things?”

“T-They’re not enemies, are they?”

The allies began to waver more than the enemy at the sudden appearance of the beings.

If it had been my imperial army 3,000 years later, their morale would have soared upon seeing the spirits of the empire, but to these people, they were just unfamiliar beings.

“People of Isborg. I, the stranger so-and-so, speak to you.”

I raised the sword I had drawn and shouted in a voice filled with aura.

The voice filled with aura was so majestic that it reached everyone on the battlefield.

But the ensuing speech was not intended to boost their morale.

“The fate of your kingdom and city, Isborg, is over!”

“…!”

“W-What did you say!”

“How dare you, a stranger…!”

The soldiers and knights were outraged by the arrogant declaration. But I sneered.

“Are you angry? But despite being angry, you didn’t even come here to fight. You’re not angry at the enemy, but you’re angry at the nonsense of a stranger? You’re really selectively angry.”

“Don’t interfere, stranger!”

“Isborg hasn’t fallen yet!”

This time, both the pro-retention and pro-migration factions unanimously condemned me.

But that’s why I was even more angry.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You morons!”

“…!”

A lion’s roar loud enough to tear their eardrums.

Everyone gathered there froze at the lion’s roar. If I wanted, I could have left them as they were until the moment they were slaughtered by the demons.

“The city’s lifespan has long since ended. It ended the moment your queen’s mercy ended. You’re just not admitting it. Isn’t that right?”

“T-That’s…”

“Nevertheless, not abandoning the city is just the stubbornness of those who have a lot to lose. You wouldn’t care how many people die because of that stubbornness.”

Righteous rule shouldn’t be like that. Even if 9 out of 10 side with the vested interests, the last 1 should purge the vested interests and save the rest.

“The same goes for those who want to leave the city. What are you doing now? You’re wearing swords and armor and strutting around here, but you’re not trying to fight and trying to negotiate with the enemy, which is no different from being a traitor. A combination of cowards who can’t abandon the city and traitors who want to sell the city, it would be stranger if the country didn’t fall apart.”

“Y-You… Y…”

They wanted to refute, but it was difficult to even speak due to the influence of the lion’s roar. No, even if that wasn’t the case, they shouldn’t even open their mouths if they had any shame.

Thud thud thud-

Meanwhile, the demons, sensing that their opponent was unusual, were charging first.

I still hadn’t released my aura, and they couldn’t move.

“Watch from there without lifting a finger. Feel for yourselves how miserable it is to have your country’s threat defended by a stranger from another land against your will.”

With those words, I rode on Silver’s back and charged towards the approaching enemy.

Woooooooo-

The ancestors of Isborg, who were the predecessors of the empire, cried out. It must have been an illusion that their cries sounded somehow sad.

“For Isborg.”

For today only, I didn’t fight for the empire.

I fought for Isborg, for the last flame of Isborg.

-Krrr! Woof woof!

“Stand firm, children of darkness, their numbers are limited.”

“For Mother Darkness!”

The demons who fought against the walls last time were by no means easy opponents.

As such, the demons I faced on the battlefield were not those I could easily face alone, with the Imperial Soul restricted.

[Explosive Aura Deployment]

[Multiple Shadow Blades Deployment]

Tzzzzzzzzzz- Kwang!

Shwook, shwook!

Of course, I still exerted my full power, and dozens of demonic soldiers and knights were swept away with each sweep.

The ancestors of Isborg in the form of wolves also fought fiercely.

[Due to the limitations of space-time, the Imperial Soul cannot be exerted beyond a certain level.]

[The Imperial Soul cannot be fully exerted until the conditions for lifting the Imperial Soul restriction are met.]

Swish!

“Kugh!”

However, fighting with restricted power was becoming increasingly difficult.

The demons attacked fiercely, not fearing death even as they died, and my injuries were increasing.

The ancestors of Isborg were also running out of strength and disappearing one by one.

Nevertheless, no one, including me, backed down.

“For Isborg!”

At that moment, a shout was heard from behind. Had it worked as I intended? Had they shaken off their fear and run over after seeing the fight before their eyes?

But unlike my expectations, the only ones running were Kalintz and his bodyguards.

“Ha, why did you come, Kalintz. I told you that the king must rule? You can’t do that if you die.”

“That’s why I came, Duke Franz.”

Kalintz shouted as he wielded his sword and cut down the demons closing in from all directions.

“Because I am the king, I came to fight as the king.”

“But…”

They didn’t follow, I was about to say.

“Look.”

-Waaaaaaaaa!

-For Isborg!

-For His Majesty the King!

“This is my kingdom.”