He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 289

“What are the reactions of the subdued Demon Lord commanders?”

“For the most part, they are obeying as we intended. A very few resisted, but they were quickly ‘replaced.’”

“I see.”

Thanks to the efforts of the Magic Gears, the demons’ front lines collapsed all at once.

As planned, many of the demon legions that began to be defeated piecemeal surrendered.

The surrendered or subdued legion commanders mostly obeyed due to the difference in power, but a very few did not abandon their fanaticism for the Creator God.

They were killed, but not by our hands. Rather, I heard they were killed by their own subordinates.

“Commander of the Imperial Guard, what do you think is the probability that the demons will continue to put up defenses and resist?”

“There is a possibility that the enemy has reserves, but organized resistance will be difficult. As you know, even if they build a defensive line…”

“The elite troops have been exhausted once, and trench warfare is impossible here.”

Even if the demons had the capacity to recruit more troops, those troops would only be hastily conscripted, and they would not have the time or resources to properly set up a defensive line.

Naturally, they would not have the practical capacity to stop the offensive.

“However, there is a possibility that they will use a human-wave tactic for a war of attrition.”

“The demons have a lot of numbers, so it’s possible.”

However, even if it was not practically defensible, they could still throw in seemingly meaningless troops.

Like Imperial Russia in World War I or the Soviet Union in World War II, they could conscript a massive number of infantry without proper weapons or training and push them to the front lines.

That would be annoying for us too… Fortunately, we had a way to deal with it.

“Can we use the legion commanders we’ve won over here?”

“Well… theoretically, it’s not impossible. If we make good use of those involved in the area…”

“But will the demon legion commanders cooperate to that extent?”

“They will.”

They have no choice. If they say they won’t, I’ll just push them over there or hand them over to another legion commander.

Since they surrendered to survive, wouldn’t they want to lose as little of their power as possible? Even the loyalty to the Creator God that might remain wouldn’t extend that far.

“It’s feasible, Your Majesty. But one thing that bothers me is that it will be difficult to weaken the legion commanders’ influence even after the war…”

“There are devils of Hell, so there’s no need to worry too much. And I believe Kyle will do well.”

Kyle is the most outgoing of my sons, so wouldn’t he get along well with the demons?

Well, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t. Strictly speaking, the Demon Realm is not a direct territory of the Empire.

Even if problems arise, they can be resolved. Or I can just gloss over them.

“Then let’s hurry and go.”

To where the Creator God is.

* * *

“Do you understand? His Majesty has given you a chance.”

“Y-Yes, Your Highness.”

“Yes, he has given your people a chance to be loyal to the Empire. Isn’t he truly merciful?”

Prince Kyle said with a bitter smile in front of the surrendered demon legion commanders. It was a deliberately cocky attitude.

‘You must be unhappy with receiving these orders. But what are you going to do about it if you’re unhappy?’

It would be unpleasant for those who were once legion commanders to recommend surrender to their subordinates.

But if that’s the case, shouldn’t they not have surrendered in the first place? To have surrendered already and then be unhappy with it—how two-faced.

“Y-Yes. The Emperor… His Majesty is truly merciful.”

“Of course. Then you shouldn’t disappoint him, right? Can you do it? Persuade.”

“That… it may not be easy, but…”

“……”

“…I-I will definitely persuade them!”

The legion commander who said it would be difficult immediately corrected himself after seeing Kyle’s fierce gaze.

It was dirty and unpleasant, but this was not a matter of whether they could do it, but something they had to do.

If they couldn’t? The places that could be said to be their bases would be devastated.

They had already lost most of their army, and the soldiers they had managed to salvage were disarmed… If even their bases were destroyed, everything would be over.

‘I don’t know if the Empire will win the war. But if the Empire wins, I need an army to protect myself.’

In the Demon Realm, power is justice.

Even if the Demon Realm is ruled by the Empire after the war, that point will not change.

And the Empire had no intention of changing the Demon Realm’s ecosystem.

The demon warlords are fighting each other and it’s chaotic? Rather, the Empire would welcome that chaos.

Originally, the Demon King was supposed to correct that chaos, but…….

‘Why would I do that?’

Kyle, who will become the king of the Demon Realm after the war, had no intention of playing such a traditional Demon King role at all.

Rather, he was planning to subtly instigate conflicts between the warlords.

‘That’s much more beneficial to the Empire. I have to create a never-ending cycle of chaos and checks and balances.’

If he were the king of an ordinary country, he would practice good governance and lead national integration, but Kyle’s role in the Demon Realm would be exactly the opposite.

At least until the demons’ aggressiveness is curbed, chaos must be maintained in the Demon Realm.

Of course, he had no intention of making them fight each other in a blatant way. If that happened, one of them might actually subdue all the warlords and oppose him, the king.

‘I have to make them keep fighting each other on an equal footing. At the same time, I have to keep winning the hearts and minds of the royal family.’

While making the legion commanders fight each other to the death, he would continue to practice good governance in the name of the royal family.

If he could increase loyalty to the royal family amidst the demons’ meaningless struggles and the good governance of the royal family, he would succeed.

In other words, the legion commanders would be used as scapegoats, and Kyle and the Empire would benefit.

“Good, then I’ll trust you. By the way… if you succeed, I promise you one thing.”

“Yes? What…”

“I will give a special reward to the one who has contributed the most. The reward is none other than an Imperial title. Those who receive that title… don’t need to become vassals of the devils of Hell.”

“……!”

Because they were granted an independent title.

Originally, they were supposed to become vassals of the devils of Hell, who were to become dukes of the Demon Realm.

But what if they could become equal dukes without having to do that?

Naturally, they could get ahead of the others. Not to mention that they would have more freedom of action.

“Do you understand? Well, you don’t have to do it properly if you don’t want to. I’m not the type to force you.”

“N-No! I will do my best!”

At this, the former legion commanders began to step forward in a hurry. Kyle smiled with satisfaction at the sight.

“It won’t be difficult to fulfill His Majesty’s orders with this.”

The Emperor, his father, entrusted this task to Kyle. Following the last time he allowed him to sortie [a military operation] with the Magic Gear, he was entrusting Kyle with a considerable task.

“As if testing me… No, he’s right to test me.”

He was clearly testing his qualifications. Fortunately, he seemed to have passed, but even if he had passed, Kyle had a feeling that it was just the beginning.

Becoming the king of the Demon Realm is the real beginning.

“There’s not much I can do right now…”

He had thought about how to rule the Demon Realm after the war, but in other words, there was nothing he could do to help his father in the fight against the Creator God.

It couldn’t be helped. It was such an extraordinary thing.

Of course, he didn’t know exactly what kind of fight it would be. The Creator God is so unpredictable.

But he had no doubt that his father would overcome it.

“Well, then all I have to do is do my job well. By the way… there’s one thing that bothers me.”

His plan for the rule of the Demon Realm. If there was one thing he was worried about, it was the future.

In the distant future, when his plan succeeds. Will his descendants really move only according to the Empire’s grand strategy that he envisions?

Rather, even if the Demon Realm stabilizes and becomes stronger, wouldn’t they be dissatisfied with having to be satisfied with only the Demon Realm?

Of course, they may continue to be loyal to the Empire.

“But maybe not… It’s not just my problem. It’s a problem across the Empire.”

If the Empire survives this fight, it will become an unprecedented great empire.

If that great empire splits, it will become several kingdoms. There was a high probability that it would happen.

In fact, humanity used to be several kingdoms, but as humanity was on the verge of extinction due to other races, only the Empire remained. Rather, it would be normalized.

“I wonder if it has to be that way.”

Must the Empire be divided?

Is that an unavoidable fate?

His father had predicted that. It was a fairly public statement, and the officials regarded it as ominous, but they kept it quiet.

But it was also a valid point. The achievements of his father, the Emperor, were unique to the Empire and would continue to be so.

Because of that, after he disappears, any emperor who comes to power will only be in a slump.

What if there is a terrible tyrant among them? Or what if someone with ambition causes a civil war with a coup? Or what if an unbearable disaster occurs? Or what if the contradictions of the system accumulate and explode?

There was no guarantee that anything could be avoided. Especially in a place like a huge empire with so much to protect.

In the end, Kyle had no choice but to come to one conclusion. The Empire was bound to collapse.

“But I can’t just accept it knowing that.”

The problem of continuing the Empire was not really his concern. The Crown Prince of the Empire is his brother, not him.

But it was not in Kyle’s nature to stand by and do nothing knowing the doom that was destined for the future.

So what could Kyle do?

What does an empire that is destined to collapse need?

Kyle had been thinking about it for a while. And soon he came to one conclusion.

“An immortal symbolism that binds the Empire together.”

That was what the Empire, the imperial people, and the imperial territory, which would one day be divided and fight, needed.

This was not really new.

His father, the current Emperor, is the same as that. However, his father is not yet an immortal being.

Then wouldn’t it be possible if he made him immortal?

That was Kyle’s idea. But how to make that possible?

There were actually many people to get help from. There are the secrets of immortality held by the devils of Hell, the spirits of the Spirit Realm, and the undead of the Eastern Lands, as well as the mysteries of the Abyss.

The method is not the problem. But the most worrying thing is….

“The point is that my father won’t agree.”

Given the nature of his father, the Emperor, he would not approve of such a plan. He’s a surprisingly upright person.

“But Father, I will not ask for your permission for this.”

Wouldn’t it be okay to be a little unfilial when the fate of the Empire is at stake?

Kyle asked for forgiveness from his future father while thinking about that.