Demon Emperor Yuki, the magic sword rumored to be his daughter, and the wolf that had surrendered within moments fought several giant monsters that were their opponents. A scorpion the size of a carriage, a massive bear with four thick arms, a giant mass of flames, a grass monster with writhing tentacles, a crocodile with a jaw so brutal that it looked like it could even bite through steel, and a cunning lion that was light on its feet. It was truly astounding how the enemy had so many monsters at the ready in its arsenal.
If the members of the imperial guard had fought them alone, these powerful monsters would have annihilated them with ease. Instead, before the Demon Emperor and his allies, they simply fled or found themselves wounded, or worse, dead. Unlike the wolf that had capitulated immediately, these monsters had attacked from the get-go, reeking of desperation. So Yuki’s response had been, “Okay, then die!” and he’d begun his merciless rampage.
The senate building was practically in ruins, with the walls, floors, and furniture utterly destroyed and blood splattered everywhere. It looked as though a war had just taken place. But amid it all, only Demon Emperor Yuki remained unscathed. Standing next to his new wolf subordinate, he laughed, his might unbridled.
The imperial guardsmen simply watched the battle from afar. They knew they were no match for him, so any assistance they provided would amount to nothing. Moreover, the chance of injury or death would be high if they found themselves caught in his warpath.
“Incredible...”
When he heard his subordinate mutter to himself, Helgar Landros casually asked him a question.
“Do you know the story of His Excellency the Prime Minister?”
“You mean that staunch war hawk who suddenly turned moderate and thereby became a completely different person?”
“Yes, him. His Excellency has rarely made any public appearances recently, instead choosing to focus on coordinating things behind the scenes. At one time, though, he accompanied Emperor Yuki on a monster hunt.”
Another guard who had been listening to their conversation then chimed in.
“Ah... I see, so the prime minister witnessed His Majesty’s strength with his own eyes and realized that continuing to wage war would lead to the country’s destruction.”
“Precisely. He quietly made the best choice.”
They continued talking while they watched the battle unfold before their eyes.
In Reauxgard, emperors had held primary authority for generations, so the prime minister didn’t have much power compared to other nations. However, it was still a position that supported the monarch, perhaps second only to the emperor himself. The current prime minister was a capable one who had served as the right-hand man of the previous emperor, Shendra, but after the war, he had largely stopped steering the country’s course and had instead begun working behind the scenes, mainly balancing the interests of the Demon King and other foreign rulers involved in the empire’s administration. He was little more than a lackey now, given the way he listened to and carried out their demands.
As a result, many senators gossiped about him, claiming he’d been bought and had “started wagging his tail for other races.” Nevertheless, it was fair to say that the choice he’d made had been the best one. Because in thinking about his people’s future, the prime minister continued to act in service of his country more than anyone else.
“His Majesty Yuki has almost no political authority. He himself has said that he’s incapable, and though it may be rude, I happen to agree. In other words, his position is essentially that of a figurehead. And yet...all the other rulers involved in our empire’s defeat work to avoid incurring his displeasure.”
“Is he truly that powerful?”
“Yes. That alone makes him more qualified to be emperor than any other. A quality that leaders who rule great nations, who carry the weight of their races, could never ignore.”
Demon Emperor Yuki was undoubtedly an unusual king. Senate President Cyrus, lying on the ground, had clearly made a different choice than the prime minister. He viewed that uniqueness as a danger and felt that interference from other races had to be eliminated.
In a country where the emperor’s authority was strong, the senate, like the prime minister, was relatively weak. Therefore, it didn’t have the power to overturn the policies and measures instituted by the Demon King and his allies, who were reforming the country in their capacity as acting emperors. Perhaps he had thought he could use that as a pretext to achieve his goals...but his method had been to resort to terrorism.
Incidentally, he had likely entangled Assemblyman Alveiro in an attempt to completely dismantle the troublesome faction that was determined to carry on the former emperor’s legacy. In the end, though, Cyrus Aegir simply sought power. He wanted to eliminate anything in his way in order to advance his own career. Even at the cost of the lives of ordinary citizens.
Then, at long last, the battle ended. The monsters he had deployed in his last-ditch struggle were all defeated. Only their corpses lay strewn across the floor of the senate building.
“Bah ha! I wondered what kinda show you’d put on for me, but I gotta say, I’m disappointed. The mighty Reauxgard Empire fought against the world! Even in its defeat, its people tried to assert their dominance! So here I was expecting some epic monster, and all I got were these duds. Pathetic.”
“Y-You bastardizing savage! Your mere existence, cursed as it is, will surely bring disaster to this country! You’re a goddamn plague!”
“I know you are, but what am I? This is what you get for acting like a dumbass. I know I don’t have the skills fit for an emperor. I don’t know squat about politics, and I don’t know how to motivate people. If I were to try and do something as ruler, this whole place would probably end up a complete mess. Even then, I’m still better than you.”
Demon Emperor Yuki let out a mocking laugh before continuing.
“So let me just say this: The soldiers and legislators on your side have all been rounded up by Runougil. Maybe you’ve heard of him? In case you haven’t, he’s the Demon King’s right-hand man. Well, technically, they were rounded up by him and a certain intelligence organization. Either way, this is the end of your not-so-little clique. Now all you have to do is sit pretty in prison and watch as this country rises up without you.”
“You!”
Helgar shackled Cyrus’s hands again and forced him to stand. The man’s face was red with rage.
“No more tricks, my lord? Shall we be off, then?”
“Capture me here, and the other races who roam our streets as if they own them will never let us take back control of our country! Do you truly understand what your actions will lead to?!”
“You are the one who doesn’t understand. We are the imperial guard. Our sole purpose is to protect His Majesty and obey his orders. Having said that, regardless of our duty, I have no desire to obey you.”
The times had changed. Caught in the current, this country had no choice but to jump in, like it or not. After all, a muddy stream only flowed in one direction.
And so, the third terrorist attack ended. The appearance of several monsters had made its scale larger than the ones before, but thanks to the imperial guard’s heightened vigilance, the damage was minimal. However, afterward, the senate president’s whereabouts were deemed unknown, and he was presumed missing in action.
Ignoring how powerful the enemy had been, the imperial guard was criticized for failing to protect the most important person in the senate. However, a subsequent investigation raised the possibility that Senator Cyrus Aegir himself had been involved in the acts of terror. Furthermore, evidence was discovered that he had been acting on others’ instructions, and although their identities were never made public, rumors began to spread. They claimed that the senate president had been coerced by those with unsavory reputations, whose names were best left unsaid.
Despite the immense turmoil and confusion affecting the government, when Demon King Fynar intervened using his authority, the situation calmed down for a while. In the end, the true mastermind behind the terrorist attacks remained a mystery.