He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 59

“Impressive. What was that just now? It wasn’t just ordinary aura.”

Even though I could have taken his head at any moment, the Grand Duke remained remarkably calm.

Rather, he once again displayed his insight, discerning much just by observing.

He probably saw through that ‘Imperial Soul’ as well.

“I should be asking you that. What did it look like?”

At my counter-question, the Grand Duke gave me a dubious look, but he soon shared his impression.

“From what I briefly saw, it was a power of unfathomable depth. Its nature is unknown as well.”

“Then it’s a power like that. One that will realize my plans.”

“……”

After saying those words, I sheathed the sword pointed at his neck.

“You’re not going to kill me?”

“Is there a reason I should kill you?”

“I tried to kill you?”

“And you failed. Because I was stronger.”

“……”

I smirked at the Grand Duke’s silence.

The power of life and death belongs to the victor.

I defeated him, and I decided not to kill him.

It wasn’t because of any connection to the previous emperor, my father, whom I don’t even know, nor was it a shallow attempt to win him over as an ally.

“So, has your opinion changed now? Do you believe I can achieve what I desire?”

“……I don’t know.”

Even in defeat, he didn’t easily change his mind.

In fact, objectively, that was the right thing to do.

Even though I defeated him with a strange power, that alone didn’t make my grandiose plan to purify the empire by burning it down any more realistic.

“Then you can go back and watch. See if I do as I intend or not. Well, if you want to oppose me, that’s fine too.”

But if that happens, the Grand Duke and I will eventually become enemies.

Even so, it doesn’t matter. From what I’ve seen of the Grand Duke over the past few days, he’s not the type to side with separatists.

Even if he still doesn’t approve of my methods, he will probably choose to observe.

“Your Majesty! Are you safe!”

Just then, the Imperial Guards and the Captain of the Guard, who had been dismissed from the audience chamber, burst through the doors.

They were furious that the Grand Duke had once again drawn his sword against me and were ready to kill him.

“Let him leave.”

“But Your Majesty……”

“We were just having a brief swordplay match. I won’t hear any objections.”

Of course, the traces of battle remaining all over the audience chamber were not something that could have been caused by a mere swordplay match.

Even though it was just a brief commotion before the Imperial Guards noticed and entered, anyone would believe my words if it was at that level.

However, the loyal Imperial Guards did not seize the Grand Duke as he passed them.

“Imperial Soul, huh……”

I, too, was preoccupied with thinking about the sensation of the newly awakened power and had no time to pay attention to anything else.

* * *

“Grand Duke, what did you talk about with the Emperor?”

“……None of your concern.”

The knight from the northern barbarians, who was Hector’s bodyguard and close aide, asked with rough words, but the Grand Duke did not answer.

Before leaving, they had seen the Imperial Guards of the Imperial Palace become very hostile, and they had noticed that something had happened.

However, they didn’t ask further, as the Grand Duke seemed to be keeping silent about what had happened.

But they soon brought up another topic.

“Can the Emperor stop the rebellion of the lords?”

“……I don’t know. How would I know that?”

The Grand Duke answered that way, but the correct answer was, “The Emperor has no intention of stopping the rebellion.”

Rather, he was planning to let the rebellion happen and use it as an opportunity for a purge, but he didn’t bother telling them.

It wasn’t simply because of loyalty to the previous emperor.

“I’m not sure, but perhaps we should seize the opportunity as well?”

“Are you saying we should conspire with the separatists?”

“I’m not necessarily saying we should cooperate with them. The Empire is already collapsing anyway. There’s no need to cling to the shell of the Empire.”

The Grand Duke didn’t immediately respond to his aide’s words.

But not only him, but other aides were gradually agreeing.

This was the prevailing atmosphere throughout the Northern Territory.

He couldn’t tell these people what the Emperor was planning.

Because there was a high probability that their antipathy toward the Empire would explode.

“There’s no need to worry. I have no intention of siding with either side.”

But the Grand Duke was more worried about the Emperor’s intentions than these people.

What was the Emperor planning to do with the Northern Territory, who was going to eliminate and exclude everything that got in his way?

Was sending him back alive giving him a chance to show loyalty? Or was it an order to remain silent?

Or perhaps it was an intention to deal with him later because it was difficult to kill him right now.

Either way, he was planning to burn down the Empire.

“Will he rise from the ashes like a phoenix, or will he become a handful of ashes?”

What would happen was entirely in the hands of that young Emperor.

* * *

The ‘small conflict’ between me and the Grand Duke was treated as an open secret within the Imperial Palace.

However, the information about the rebellion in the Western Territory that the Grand Duke provided to me had to be fully utilized.

After some verification, it wasn’t difficult to determine that there were no lies in what he said.

“Everything is fine, but why is the solution always like this?”

“What’s the problem, Jack?”

“Well, Your- no…… ‘Lord Shadow’ is out of the Imperial Palace again.”

And Jack Forest, the former gamekeeper who is now in charge of Ranger training and is currently traveling with me, was representing the complaints of my close aides.

“I understand that we need to support the Rangers in preparation for the rebellion in the Western Territory. We also need to find the traitor mentioned by the Northern Grand Duke.”

“Yes, that’s right. So we’re going there now, right?”

“Yes, but why do you always jump into these things yourself?”

Hmm, Jack seemed to have a more flexible personality, but recently he seems to have been influenced by the Captain of the Guard or the Prime Minister.

Or maybe the Empress Dowager had some influence? He didn’t object this much during the Gobemain incident.

“Let me ask you in return. We can’t directly support the Western Rangers with the military. That would be an immediate rebellion.”

“……That’s right.”

“But they are scheduled to be attacked by Greenskins [Orcs or similar creatures], and there is also a traitor inside? So how can we help them without the military?”

“……We should send a small number of people to find the traitor and prepare for the attack.”

“That’s right. But can anyone be sent to do those things? For example, if I sent you alone, Jack, could you do it?”

“……”

Jack couldn’t answer my question.

That’s because the Western Territory is a death trap where a rebellion could break out at any moment.

Having to find a traitor in such a place while preparing for the Greenskin army that will swarm in like bees is rationally close to impossible.

“So that’s why I’m going myself.”

“Lord Shadow is confident that he can solve it?”

“No? I just think we’ll fail if we *don’t* solve it?”

“……”

Jack’s eyes became very cold. I guess I should stop joking around.

“Of course, I am confident. But it’s true that if we can’t solve the problems in the Western Territory, everything will be over.”

Looking at the situation, the start of the civil war is scheduled to begin in the Western Territory no matter what.

What if we can’t save the Western Rangers, who are the only ones who will be on my side there?

What if we can’t prepare for the Greenskin army that the lords are planning to let in?

Of course, the rebellion will gain more momentum. Not only in the Western Territory but also in other places.

No matter how much I plan to crush the heads of the rebels with overwhelming force, I don’t want that kind of development.

It’s not just a matter of stopping the rebellion, but we have to leave something behind to think about the future.

“So, one way or another, it’s best for me to go myself.”

“……I understand. But please prioritize your safety.”

In the end, Jack gave up.

While having such a conversation, the convoy transporting supplies to the Rangers was passing through a heavily wooded area.

“That’s strange, the Rangers were supposed to come out to meet us around here……”

The escort captain of the convoy was flustered when the Rangers who were supposed to come out to meet them didn’t show up.

Even without the Rangers, the escort was well-defended, but the problem was that the security here was too unstable compared to other places.

There are many bandits due to the lords’ tyranny, and even knights turn into bandits.

“Th, there! Greenskins!”

“It’s an Orc raiding party!”

Moreover, this was a place where Greenskins came and went like their own home, looting.

The convoy guards were horrified to see Orc wolf riders galloping across the plains beyond the bushes on giant wolves.

“G, get ready for battle!”

“Rather than fighting…… sh, shouldn’t we run away?”

“You idiot! Do you think we can outrun them? Shut up and get ready to fight!”

The escort captain, who was experienced in battle, scolded the frightened guards.

But even if they were well-armed, the escort alone was not enough to form a phalanx against the cavalry.

Moreover, combat wolves, which are not ordinary cavalry, were even more compatible with infantry.

“Jack, you’re unusually quiet this time? I thought you’d tell me to run away.”

About 100 Orc wolf riders are not easy opponents. But Jack, who was worried about my safety, did not urge me to flee.

“It would be contradictory if someone who came all the way here ran away because this much was dangerous.”

“That’s true.”

“And…… the Rangers are never late for appointments.”

Shushushuk! Shushuk!

The moment Jack said those words, a barrage of arrows and bolts flew towards the Orc wolf riders who had jumped into the bushes.

It wasn’t the guards who shot them. It was someone hidden in the bushes who shot them.

“Krrr! It’s an ambush!”

“Rangers! It’s the Rangers!”

From small bolts fired by rapid-fire repeating crossbows, to arrows imbued with aura of steel piercing, to volleys of bolts fired by modified rapid-firing crossbows.

All sorts of ranged attacks were being launched from the bushes.

It wasn’t just random firing, but accurate aimed shots were mixed in while forming a fire net.

The Orcs who took those shots all over their bodies fell off their wolves one by one.

-Krrreung keongkeong!

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Seokeok!

The combat wolf, who had lost its master, did not lose its fighting spirit and chased after the person ambushing in the bushes, but before it could attack the ambusher, it was first cut down by my sword, which had sped through the high-speed movement.

“Retreat! Retreat-”

“I won’t let you go easily.”

Shushushuk! Shushuk!

I had no intention of letting the Orcs who were trying to retreat go so easily, so I extended shadow blades in all directions from my black armor.

The shadow blades all pierced the lagging Orc riders, and they suffered heavy damage until they were completely out of range.

“I, I’m alive. But what happened?”

“Who helped us?”

The convoy guards, who had survived without much fighting, breathed a sigh of relief.

But they felt wary of those who still hadn’t revealed themselves.

“Why don’t you show yourselves?”

When I said that, it was then that they rose from the bushes.

They were all wearing ghillie suits, using grass or camouflage cloaks to create elaborate disguises.

“Are you from the Imperial Family?”

“That’s right. I am a knight of the Imperial Family, Shadow.”

The opponent, who was so heavily disguised that it was difficult to recognize his face, soon looked around at my attire.

“Shadow must be a pseudonym. And you’re not showing your face either?”

It was customary for knights to take off their helmets and show their faces, as knights usually do.

“I have my reasons. And you seem to be covering your face as well.”

“Well, that’s true.”

He let go of his guard at my words and came up to me and shook my hand.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Hermanio, the scouting squad leader of the Western Rangers.”

“Nice to meet you.”

It was my first meeting with the Western Rangers.