He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 46

I Became the Greatest Crazy Emperor – Episode 46

After the Karstein army was defeated, the Ghouls under their control scattered.

The surrounding forest, now a battlefield, wasn’t exactly a magical domain, even though the terrain was rough. There wasn’t anything particularly threatening to them there.

But that didn’t mean survival was easy.

-Krrr, slurp, tsk……

Their own hunger was the first danger they faced.

They had evolved to be as strong as seasoned knights with the power of the elixir, but this came at a cost: they needed a lot of calories.

They needed two or three times more food than ordinary people, and would be consumed by their own bodies if they missed even a few meals.

-Krrr……

-Krrrl? Kyaaak! Kaa!

Fortunately, hunting the surrounding wild animals wasn’t difficult, but all the fleeing Ghouls had the same idea.

As a result, the Ghouls fought each other over food, even targeting each other as prey.

Shashak! Chwaak!

Wooduk! Peok!

Two Ghouls who happened to meet in the forest began fighting over a hunted deer.

Their sharp claws and teeth, which easily tore through each other’s tough hides, ripped and bit. Blood poured from both, but their vitality was tenacious, so the fight dragged on.

Pshung! Shusushuk!

-Kheuheok!

“It’s over there! Subdue them with crossbows!”

While they were busy fighting, the Imperial Army, tracking them, appeared and fired crossbows.

A volley of bolts flew in, and one of the Ghouls instantly resembled a hedgehog.

-Kuaooo!

The remaining Ghoul, realizing escape was impossible, rushed at the soldiers.

“Th, this! Why now!”

Coincidentally, the crossbowmen had already fired, creating a brief gap in their attack.

They hadn’t anticipated such a situation. Even if they caught the Ghoul, someone was likely to be hurt or killed.

-Kyaaaa!

Just as the bleeding, desperate Ghoul was about to attack the soldiers…

Seokeok!

A black shadow pounced on the Ghoul, and its head fell to the ground.

“I’ve taken care of another one.”

The shadow was a knight in black armor.

It was none other than the Emperor – me.

“S, Shadow Knight! Thank you! You saved my life again!”

“Thank you!”

The soldiers, who had been in danger, expressed their gratitude to me, who had arrived just in time to help, without reservation.

“Ah, well. You don’t have to be so grateful. But ‘again’?”

I had already hunted several Ghouls, but I questioned the squad leader who said ‘again,’ implying I had saved them before.

The squad leader scratched the back of his head, embarrassed, and said, “Th, that’s… we participated in the last ambush. We were about to be attacked by the Ghoul squad then.”

“If Shadow Knight hadn’t defeated them all, we would have died. Shadow Knight is truly our savior.”

Ah, that’s what it was.

Now that I thought about it, I had been subtly praised a lot by the soldiers.

However, the praise was directed at the knight with the alias ‘Shadow,’ not the ‘Emperor’.

I created a fake identity to deliberately confuse the enemy using a doppelganger [a magical duplicate], but it felt like a loss that I couldn’t build the Emperor’s reputation.

“No, no. Being able to move with a different identity is a good thing…….”

“Yes? What are you talking about, Shadow Knight?”

“No, it’s nothing. More than that, let’s return to the unit. The Ghoul hunt ends here.”

After defeating the Karstein army, I hunted Ghouls as a follow-up measure.

This was to prevent the Ghouls from harming innocent people, but also for my own benefit.

[You have defeated a significant number of Ghouls and absorbed their power.]

[Current estimated combat power measurement: 22,395]

“Combat power has increased noticeably.”

It was to absorb the remaining power by eliminating the Ghoul remnants.

I had already gained a lot of power in the last battle, but I recovered almost 2,000 units of power through hunting.

“But the elixir consumption was too high. I can only use Overload [a technique that temporarily boosts power] about twice more.”

I had to consume a considerable amount of elixir to make the concentrated elixir I used in the last battle.

Even though the side effects were a bit dangerous, it was a usable force because it guaranteed reliable performance and had a return as long as I succeeded in defeating the enemy.

However, this elixir, originally made by the cult, was virtually impossible to manufacture or mass-produce.

“I could make it if I forced it, but I wouldn’t expect much effect.”

Researching while drinking the elixir, I found that I could make a significantly degraded version with the magic removed.

But even if I made it that way, it wouldn’t keep up with the original’s performance, and even that would be difficult to mass-produce.

If I used human sacrifices like the cult did…….

“I can’t do that as an Emperor.”

It was better to save what I had and find other means.

The elixir was a strong and good means, but I had no intention of relying on it alone.

After finishing the Ghoul hunt, I started the long-awaited occupation of Karstein Territory.

“Have you come, Your Ma… Ah, I have to be careful because you have a different identity now.”

“I’m starting to like the identity of Shadow, so be a little careful. More than that, was the reunion with your former lord good?”

Even though I wasted time hunting Ghouls, I took over Karstein Territory bloodlessly without much resistance.

Hendrick’s subordinates, who had infiltrated from the capital, opened the castle gates from the inside, causing it to fall helplessly.

Karstein’s vassals remained, but they chose to surrender.

When I asked Hendrick, who had succeeded in capturing Karstein, a mischievous question, he answered mischievously.

“It was more than good. Well, I didn’t really feel any sympathy.”

“Oh my, how heartless. I feel a little sorry for Karstein.”

To be abandoned by his former subordinate, I felt a little sad as a fellow ruler.

“Then I should quickly finish it since he’s pitiful.”

“Hahaha, then I will guide you to where he is.”

Guided by Hendrick, who seemed to be in a particularly good mood, I headed to the room where Karstein was confined.

Karstein was trapped in a room in the mansion in the city that he originally used as his residence.

It was once filled with luxurious works of art, furniture, and treasures, but now it was desolate due to looting.

“Of course, I have set aside the tributes to be given to Your Majesty separately.”

I was thinking of using it as a reward for Hendrick and his subordinates, but Hendrick voluntarily paid taxes on his own.

It felt like excessive loyalty, but honestly, I didn’t mind.

After praising him appropriately, I met with Karstein.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you in person, Karstein. Do you recognize me?”

I took off the helmet of the black armor in front of him and showed my face.

“……Emperor. Did I really lose to that pansy-like brat?”

“You recognize me. I don’t even remember seeing you. I must have seen you too, but I don’t remember things that aren’t important.”

“Keuek…….”

I only had no memory of it before the possession, but I deliberately provoked him to tease him.

“Are you going to insult me? Stop it and kill me!”

“You’re going to be disposed of anyway. You don’t have to act like you’re so eager to die.”

I ridiculed him mercilessly.

He had no means to harm me, with his hands and feet cut off and nothing left.

“Hmph, don’t think it’s over, you arrogant bastard. Your downfall will be hastened by my death!”

Whether it was because he still had only bluff left, or whether he had a sense of righteousness, he was trying to look dignified rather than cowardly.

“It’s the words of a loser, so the logic doesn’t make sense. I won, so are you talking about my downfall? Do you have something to rely on?”

“Ha, don’t you really know? The Empire is already a setting sun! There are threats from foreign enemies, but already the lords-”

“Ah, don’t tell me you believe in the separatists?”

I only ridiculed him more because I knew what he was relying on.

“It’s pathetic that the last guys you believe in are just those guys.”

“Keuek! Don’t bluff! Do you think someone like you can quell the ambitions of the lords!”

Karstein shouted with a force that seemed like he was about to burst into anger.

He seemed to hope that his defeat, downfall, and death would be an opportunity for the lords to unite against me.

In fact, it’s not entirely unfounded to have such expectations.

“It’s just a wish close to the delusion of a loser.”

“D, delusion! You-”

“Who will be genuinely indignant at the death of someone like you?”

“……!”

Just as expectations are held because they are uncertain or have a low probability of happening, Karstein’s expectations were just that.

I said to him with an even colder and more cruel sneer than before.

“On the contrary, how many people will be happy about your death? Considering the tendencies of the separatists, I think there will be more of them?”

Those who think the Empire is over and are only thinking of tearing apart its corpse.

No matter how much separatism is glorified and justified, its essence is just such traitors and defeatists.

Would such people really be angry at Karstein’s downfall? Wouldn’t they rather be happy that there are fewer mouths to feed?

“Kueueue…… E, even so, you won’t be able to overcome them all.”

“That’s something to be seen. I will overcome it, but you won’t be able to see that future.”

With those words, I threw the dagger I had brought in front of him.

It was decorated with jewels to suit the dignity of a noble for ceremonial purposes, but the blade was properly sharpened.

“This is the last mercy I give you, Karstein. Decide for yourself whether to die miserably on the gallows or to maintain your last dignity.”

With those words, I left him in the desolate room.

His last 모습 [Korean: appearance/figure] was standing in the desolate room, holding the dagger as if his soul had left him, symbolizing that only his shell remained.

“Karstein has committed suicide.”

Shortly after, the captain of the guard informed me of that fact.

“Even his last words were inconsistent with his actions. But did he go comfortably?”

If Karstein had tried to bet on the last expectation he wanted, he would have had to die painfully on the gallows, even if it was ugly and shameful.

Even if he did that, the probability of the lords becoming alert would increase even a little, but he didn’t have the courage to do so.

“One big thing has been settled for now.”

“No, it’s just the beginning.”

It won’t flow like the expectations of the dead Karstein, but it was as he thought that this was not the end.

And I will win this game for the fate of this Empire.