He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 222

After light returned to Acherus, the Celestial Abyss was no longer a true abyss.

Though not as bright as the sun, a soft light emanated from Acherus, and those who had lost their souls within the abyss regained them.

It goes without saying that they became the core of the resistance, spearheaded by the Underground Church.

“The Celestial race won’t be able to make any moves for a while because of this,” someone said.

It won’t be easy to send spies to the surface anymore.

Not only are there existing spies to worry about, but the resistance is also actively operating, so the Celestials won’t have the resources to spare. Even if they do send spies, the Dark Knights are already active in counterintelligence.

Thanks to the Dark Orthodox Church being absorbed into the Imperial Church, the response has become more agile, so unless the Celestial race actually launches a full-scale invasion, there’s little they can do.

“I don’t know if it’s fortunate, but they don’t seem to have the energy to invade.”

“The internal chaos seems to be greater than expected. According to intelligence, that seems to be the case. But this is just buying us time.”

It’s uncertain whether the Celestial race will be able to resolve their internal strife. They probably won’t be able to, in all likelihood.

But that means they might eventually resort to desperate measures. They will surely try to solve the problem by winning the war against us.

In the meantime, we have to be prepared.

The Empire had to stand firm against the pressure from all sides, not just the Celestial race.

“To do that, we need to reduce at least one front.”

The Empire is practically fighting a war on four fronts.

Even though the Celestial race in the south is temporarily stalled, we are still being attacked on three fronts.

The undead in the Eastern Territory are also trying to rise again, but they can be left to Stella and Vostok for the time being.

The Northern Territory is under attack from our greatest enemies, the Demon race and the Ratmen, but it hasn’t been a full-scale assault yet.

Then the remaining place is the Western Territory.

“We’ll clean up that place. And that’s the only way to buy time for the Empire.”

Eliminate the military threat in the Western Territory to reduce the burden on the front lines.

Acquire resources from that vast land and accelerate development.

“So, we’re going to war.”

The Empire’s counterattack has begun.

* * *

“The beasts are charging!”

“Don’t scatter the formation! Raise your shields and spears! We are the shield of the Empire!”

“Long live the Rangers! Long live the Empire!”

Since the Great Cataclysm [a major, world-altering event], the Empire has been a battlefield on all sides.

In particular, the Western Territory was the scene of the fiercest battles.

Even after the last Emperor’s personal campaign, the Beast King Kark’s beastmen have launched a fierce renewed offensive.

A legion of at least tens of thousands, and at most hundreds of thousands, swept through the entire Western Territory.

Naturally, in order to counter this, the Empire had to commit a force of similar size.

– Tremble, tremble…

A recruit, enlisted as a conscript, trembled with the spear in his hand.

“Stop shaking! You’re scaring the others!” the veteran scolded him. It wasn’t necessarily because he didn’t like the recruit, but because, as he said, fear was easily contagious.

Especially when there are many conscripts mobilized to the battlefield without even having time to receive proper training, as is the case now.

“But… but I’m too scared.”

“You’re not the only one who’s scared! Those guys…”

“They’re coming!”

At that moment, they couldn’t continue the conversation.

In an instant, shadows seemed to leap out, and agile beastmen warriors attacked them.

Though the conscripts outnumbered the beastmen warriors by ten to one, the formation collapsed in an instant.

Of course, they all had at least a spear as minimal armament, so the beastmen warriors were also injured, but they continued the massacre without regard, as they were naturally wild and strong.

“Aaaagh!”

Clang!

“Recruit! Get a hold of yourself!”

When the recruit, who couldn’t even use his hands properly and dropped his spear, was in danger of dying, the veteran blocked the beastman warrior who was trying to kill him.

As if he hadn’t survived as a veteran for nothing, he skillfully wielded his shield and sword to fend off the beastman warrior for a moment.

“Pick up your spear! You can only live if you pick it up and fight-”

Thud!

But even he, who was trying to encourage the recruit, had run out of luck on the battlefield.

Another beastman warrior, who had pounced from a blind spot, chopped off his head.

It was a bare hand without a sword, but his neck was cut off as easily as a toy by his claws, which were no different from blades.

“Y-You bastard!”

The recruit, who witnessed the veteran’s death in front of his eyes, picked up his spear and tried to stab the beastman warrior, as he had urged him to do.

Thud, crack! Slash!

But the spear he thrust was easily broken and cut by claws like blades.

“Ugh!”

He could have inflicted a fatal wound, but he deliberately didn’t. He abused the soldier as if he were playing with him.

“Hehehe… weak human bastards. It’s fun to play with them after all.”

“Kuh…”

The beastman warrior walked towards him, who was lying down and bleeding after being cut to pieces.

In his eyes, filled with madness, he saw a crude rosary hanging around the soldier’s neck.

Of course, they also had gods they worshiped, but they worshiped the power of the gods, not their divinity.

So they couldn’t understand humans who believed in gods even though they didn’t give them power or protect them.

“God… H-Your Majesty the Emperor…”

“Heh, how funny. Even at this moment, you’re looking for the god and the Emperor who abandoned you-”

Bang!

At that moment, the beastman warrior’s head disappeared without a trace.

A magic bullet fired from hundreds of meters away exploded as soon as it hit, blowing his head off.

The dying soldier couldn’t help but be surprised by the sight.

But what was even more surprising was the sight that followed.

Phew-woo-woo-woo, bang! Kwakwakwang!

An explosion that occurred at the same time as an ear-splitting sonic boom.

The bombardment pouring down from the sky was annihilating the beastmen who were rushing in like a tide.

And that wasn’t the end of it.

“People of the Empire, do not be afraid! I have arrived with the soldiers and knights of the Empire for you!”

“For the Empire! For His Majesty the Emperor!”

With a roar like thunder from the sky, beings covering the sky appeared.

Dark Knights with black wings and knights riding Dark Gryphons [a mythical creature, a mix of griffin and dragon].

At their head was the Emperor, spreading his shining wings.

They charged from the sky to the ground, chanting the Empire and the Emperor.

Not only them, but knights on horseback were also advancing from the ground.

“F-For the Empire…”

The nameless soldier of the Empire, who saw the sight, could finally close his eyes.

Confident of the Empire’s victory.

* * *

“The situation on the front lines is significantly better. The beastmen are being pushed back one after another without being able to use their strength.”

“If they can’t do that with this much force projected, it’s a bigger problem.”

The army is being re-equipped with rapidly improving firearms and cannons as time goes by.

Cavalry still has to be used for a while, and swords and spears still have to be used, but the army is gradually being replaced by modern forces.

And railways to quickly transport such troops and warp gates are also being used in limited situations.

It would be a joke if they couldn’t push them back even after doing this much.

“However, the enemy forces currently on the front lines are likely to be the enemy’s second-tier forces.”

“That’s ridiculous. What’s the reason for saving the first-tier forces when they can’t even completely push back in the Western Territory?”

Even if there wasn’t enough time, they had been attacking the Western Territory for a while.

If they had deployed elites instead of the second-tier forces, which only put forward beastmen warriors fighting almost bare-handed, the front lines of the Western Territory would have been in a much worse state than they are now.

But for some reason, the Beast King is only putting the second-tier forces forward.

Then Wolfman, the captain of the guard, added, “The Dragonkin told us the reason. According to them, the Beast King may be experiencing internal strife.”

“That guy? What’s the reason?”

“That’s… His Majesty is the cause.”

“I’m the cause… Then maybe it’s because of what happened last time?”

All I did in the Western Territory was pass the Dragon’s Trial and win over some of the beastmen.

Of course, even if it was only some, the number was considerable, but was that so fatal to the Beast King?

“That may be the case, but it probably won’t be fatal. However, it is clear that there are those who question his leadership.”

“So he’s holding onto the elite troops… is that it? That’s a reasonable inference.”

The reason why a leader is holding onto elite troops is obvious.

“According to the testimony of the defectors, they seem to be united in a feeling close to that of warlords [regional military leaders with their own armies].”

At first glance, they seem to follow the Beast King, but in reality, they are obeying his power.

Even the last operation left doubts about the Beast King’s strength, so he is now in a situation where his power is being questioned.

Therefore, the Beast King cannot move his elite troops carelessly. If he loses or his weaknesses are exposed, he doesn’t know who will ‘challenge’ him.

“Then we should use this situation to our advantage.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to infiltrate again?”

The captain of the guard was asking with a ‘not again?’ look.

His will to oppose it this time was evident.

“No, I don’t think a very delicate operation is necessary this time.”

But this time, I didn’t feel the need for internal operations through infiltration.

You can’t come out with elite troops? Then you have to get hit until you come out?

I’m going to hit him until he can’t stand it and jumps out.

“Focus on collapsing their forces on the front lines. Focus on thoroughly collapsing their forces. Taking over the area can be done later.”

“But that will take time to advance. It could give the Beast King an opportunity to consolidate internally.”

Of course, that’s right. If you leave the boss alone and only hit the limbs, the limbs will obey the head even more with screams to save them.

“That’s exactly what I’m aiming for. When the Beast King regains his strength and is most confident.”

Thud!

I stuck my sword into the map. Exactly where the Beast King had nested.

“I will remove him in front of everyone at that time. I will clearly expose his powerlessness in front of them.”

The beastmen have a unique point. Even the naturalized ones obey those with power.

“If I defeat the Beast King, they will obey me, who has the soul of the dragon.”

“Your Majesty… are you thinking of accepting them further?”

“The Western Territory still has a shortage of population compared to its vast land. Accepting them will be of great help to the reclamation.”

“But I… I’m afraid this will be a future threat.”

Wolfman’s concerns were reasonable. A multi-ethnic… here it would be multi-racial, but an empire mixed with various groups is highly likely to be divided in the future.

“That may happen in later generations. But if we arrange for them to be under the shadow of the Empire, even if they fall away from the Empire in the future, at least a minimum of homogeneity will remain.”

Even if the races are different, they may share an identity as Imperial citizens.

Just like I told Eustia in the heavens. In other words, the category of humanity is increasing.

That would be a much better path for the Empire and humans.

History will judge whether that decision is right.