He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 166

Kalintz, son of Kalibal, felt his heart pounding as he watched the scene unfold before him.

The people of Isborg were being shown true fighting spirit by a foreigner, a man from another land.

Ironically, this fighting spirit was being displayed in defense of Isborg.

“…Feel for yourselves how pathetic it is to have your country defended by an outsider!” Franz roared.

The man’s words, identifying himself as Franz, reignited a warrior’s instinct within Kalintz, one that had been dormant for too long.

Despite the imminent danger facing his mother’s and father’s kingdom, his own kingdom, the kingdom of his people, no one had stepped forward to fight.

Including Kalintz himself.

Kalintz realized then how deeply shameful that was.

*Swish!*

“I will fight.” He declared.

The oppressive aura that had held him captive dissipated. Kalintz drew his sword, mounted his horse, and spurred it forward.

Guards rushed to intercept him.

“Your Majesty, no! It’s too reckless!”

“Reckless, you say? Is defending our kingdom reckless?”

“……!”

Kalintz rebuked them sharply.

“Look around you! A man not even born in this kingdom is fighting for us! And what are you doing? You stand here, paralyzed, contemplating the fall of our nation, watching the enemy advance! I find this so shameful, I’m ready to die for it!”

He was no longer just a powerless prince, nor a reluctant king.

At that moment, he was truly the king of Isborg.

“I will fight as your king. And if I die, I will die as the king of Isborg. How will *you* die?”

With those words, Kalintz spurred his horse without hesitation toward the fray.

Even if no one followed, he would have ridden to the battlefield alone.

“Let us follow His Majesty!”

“For Isborg!”

“Waaaaaa!”

The king was not alone.

That day, the last embers of Isborg ignited into a roaring flame.

* * *

[Imperial Soul Stage 3 Activated]

[Purification Flame: Baptism of Judgment]

*Whoosh!*

*Kieeeek!*

The crimson flames of purification erupted across the snow-covered field.

Having reclaimed the Imperial Soul, I slaughtered the demons without mercy.

Simply by soaring through the sky on wings of light and unleashing torrents of flame from my sword, the gathered demons were unable to mount any real resistance.

It was a one-sided massacre, but I wasn’t the only one fighting.

“Kill the demons! They are unworthy of life!”

“Make them pay for invading Isborg!”

“Uooooooo!”

The forces of Isborg, fueled by fanaticism, struck at the demons with a ferocity that belied their numbers.

Even soldiers armed with only spears or swords charged headlong at the Dark Knights, who were several times stronger.

Surprisingly, the Dark Knights, possessing knight-level power, were pushed back by the sheer spirit and momentum of the Isborgians, and fell instead.

If ordinary soldiers fought with such fervor, the knights and warriors of the northern tribes were even more formidable.

“Kalibaaaaaaal!”

“Receive the sword of Yustia!”

The remnant faction and the emigration faction were united, their divisions and hesitations forgotten.

They fought as one, as Isborgians. The northern warriors and the student crusaders alike shouted for Isborg.

Among them, the wolf spirits, guided by their ancestral souls, struck terror into the hearts of the demons.

Silver and her pack were a force to be reckoned with.

“It’s over,” I said, observing the battle.

The demons were annihilated, with only a handful managing to retreat.

The survivors would be left to die defenseless in the snow, or be hunted down by the hunters of the tribal villages.

“Duke Franz.”

“King Kalintz. You fought well.”

It felt strange to call my ancestor, the founding emperor, by that name, but I praised him nonetheless.

“I was simply ashamed. I hesitated for too long…”

“Kalintz, you and your people no longer need to feel ashamed.”

Everyone fought admirably. It was no exaggeration to say that they had magnificently decorated the end of Isborg.

Of course, Kalintz would face many trials in the future as he sought to establish an empire and become its founding emperor.

But seeing him now, I had faith that he could do it.

With this, it seemed the trials demanded by the Empire Guardian Gods had been completed.

“So, do you know what you must do now?”

“Of course. I will carry on the will of my father, Kalibal. I will lead my people south. We will find our future there. Everyone will follow me.”

As he spoke, it was clear that both the remnant faction and the emigration faction were now his loyal subjects.

Initially, they would have to rely on or be mindful of foreign kingdoms, as the emigration faction had foreseen.

But if they persevered and waited, they would find their opportunity.

“If I may offer some advice, the south is rife with kingdoms in conflict.”

“Humans fighting each other while being oppressed by other races… it’s a sad state of affairs.”

Kalintz seemed more concerned with the plight of his fellow humans than with the opportunities presented by the conflicts between kingdoms, a trait fitting for an emperor.

It was both his weakness and his strength. For now, he would need to temper it.

“It is unfortunate, but it will be an opportunity for you and your people. Seize that opportunity within the conflict. You are wise; you will know what to do.”

The Isborgians who would migrate south were strong, wise, and, above all, numerous.

That made them an attractive asset, a group that others would want to use as a sword rather than massacre.

Isborg was renowned among humans as a cradle of civilization, so many would covet them.

They had to use that to their advantage. They had to raise their value, eliminate the opposition, and gather their strength to form a force.

There would be tremendous political strife and struggles through war.

But if he overcame all of that, he would become the founding emperor.

“Of course, Duke Franz. It will be a difficult path, but… I will no longer abandon the duties of the king. But didn’t you say you needed something from our kingdom? Did you find what you were looking for?”

Kalintz asked, perhaps wanting to show his consideration.

I realized I hadn’t properly addressed the main reason for my visit.

“Unfortunately… I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer by searching through Isborg’s books or asking the wizards.”

“Could you tell me what you seek, what kind of knowledge you are looking for?”

“Well, actually…”

Having determined that finding it alone would be difficult, I decided to embellish the truth.

“The truth is, my wife has a constitution similar to that of Kalibal’s wife… the queen of Isborg.”

“Ah, in that case…”

“I came here to find a way to resolve that constitution.”

“Then the first thing that comes to mind is the Frostfire Furnace. But it has already been destroyed. My father destroyed it.”

“That’s right.”

I had witnessed it myself.

“Isborg fell because of it… but I can’t blame my father. If he hadn’t, I might not have been born.”

“His actions were not wrong. It was not a matter of judging right or wrong in the first place. A country that continues only through someone’s sacrifice will not last long anyway.”

It wasn’t just a leap of logic; it was something that applied to Isborg as well.

Considering Isborg’s powerlessness against Bestaltin’s conspiracy, if Kalibal hadn’t broken the furnace and freed the queen, Isborg would likely have fallen into the hands of the demons long ago.

In that case, not only the queen but everyone would have become slaves of the demons.

“You are right. So I don’t recommend rebuilding the furnace either. But… the rune crafting and knowledge used in it are worth studying.”

“Rune crafting… it sounds difficult.”

“If it’s just simple runes, even the northern tribes are familiar with them. I’m talking about Runesmithing. That’s a product of the dwarves alone.”

“Dwarf?”

The name of an unfamiliar race came up. Of course, in fantasy stories, dwarves are almost ubiquitous [a common trope].

They are skilled artisans with more knowledge of minerals and crafting than other races.

But the reason I was unfamiliar with dwarves was because I had never seen them in the Empire 3,000 years later.

Were they extinct? Or had they migrated far beyond the Empire’s reach?

“Yes, they are a race with short stature and bushy beards… If you came from the south, you wouldn’t have seen them easily.”

“Does that mean you saw them often in the north?”

“Yes, I used to see them often when I was young. But recently, news has been scarce.”

“Where can I find them?”

“The closest place from here is… the mountain city in the Dragonclaw Mountains. Dwarves dig into the mountains and build cities. It’s very different from human culture, but the grandeur is unparalleled.”

As expected, the dwarves were still around 3,000 years ago.

If I went to find them, I might find what I was looking for.

“Then I must leave now.”

“…Is that so. This will be the last time we meet. I will lead my people from the city before long.”

“Don’t have any regrets. And if possible… it would be wise to keep Isborg hidden from others.”

Kalibal sealed himself and embraced the Frostfire to save the north. That seemed to be the will of his wife, Queen Tatiana.

It would be troublesome if he were to be disturbed, so it would be good to hide the entire city with magic, just as Isborg was hidden in the distant future.

“Of course. I was planning to take such measures. If we ever return to this hometown… it would be troublesome if it was trampled on by others.”

“…”

Unfortunately, the founding emperor would never find Isborg again.

From what I knew, after forming a relationship with the Abyss Queen Ktalion, the founding emperor faced a threat so severe that he couldn’t even save her, and he couldn’t even return to his lover.

He wouldn’t have had time to find Isborg again.

And not only him, but even after the Empire recovered the north, it was 3,000 years later, during my reign, that Isborg was found again.

None of the Isborgians were able to return.

“…You *will* be able to return.”

I told a lie of good will.

No, it wasn’t a lie.

“Thank you. I hope there will be a day when we meet again someday.”

“We will meet again.”

They will become one with the Empire and be immortal forever. In the end, they had returned to their hometown.

I promised him a reunion and left the place.