The Garon Empire.
Once, that name was a symbol of invasion and conquest.
Its terror was etched so deeply into the continent’s long history that it could not be erased.
Yet even the blood-soaked advance of the dragon ultimately failed to cross the threshold of its grand ambition.

The empire’s proclamation of continental unification became an immense threat to other nations,
and in the end, it gave birth to a system that had never existed before in history, the Alliance.
Even the deep-rooted distrust proven by long history was buried, if only temporarily,
because the empire’s advance was a threat beyond imagination.

With a colossal beast of blood and steel bearing down right before their eyes,
would anyone have the luxury to point weapons at a neighbor they hated enough to want dead.
After all, if that neighbor died, the next pitiful prey to be devoured would be oneself.

The enormous power known as the Alliance was not something even the empire could treat lightly.
Unfortunately, the former emperor underestimated the Alliance’s strength and waged a reckless war.
Reports of intermittent victories rang out, but the achievements were too small to celebrate.

Repeated failures of invasion drained the imperial treasury to the bottom,
and even the nation’s overall power declined sharply.
At that very moment, when even the once-lofty authority of the imperial family crashed to the ground,
who could have imagined that the fallen empire would rise to become the sky once more.

What overwhelmed even the towering ceiling and lavish decorations was the throne rising at the center.
Strangely, compared to the other ornaments, the throne was a crude one made of stone.
It was the result of the current emperor’s unyielding and resolute will.

[How can one who does not know the weight of sitting upon the throne properly govern the state.]
[But Your Majesty, I fear that such crudeness may undermine the dignity of the imperial family.]
[Then all that is required is to make it so that no one dares to mock this throne.]

It was indeed an answer befitting an emperor who led the empire into an unprecedented golden age.
A hero who repelled both a massive rebellion in the past and the subsequent invasion by the Alliance.
Leonis von Dragonica Ragna.
The meaning of his name was one who bears the wisdom of the dragon.

The deep wrinkles carved into his face were like those of a majestic old tree that had withstood countless storms.
Even his white hair, having entered twilight, lay upon his shoulders with the weight of steel,
and his eyes, holding an undimmed blue light, radiated a quiet dignity.

“So… you are saying that the princess was defeated in the war and captured by the enemy commander.”
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
“I know that child’s intelligence well.
The kingdom’s power alone could not have stopped her.
Was there perhaps some sort of variable?”

A voice as dry as drought.
Yet within it lay unmistakable concern.
As emperor, he placed public matters first and restrained his private emotions as much as possible,
but as a parent, worrying over one’s own blood was an unavoidable instinct.

The news that Princess Morgana had been defeated and captured had already reached the emperor’s ears.
He had wanted to personally lead troops and march out, but barely restrained himself.
He knew well that carelessness and arrogance were treacherous ministers that must never be kept close.

‘Even that brilliant child has been captured by the enemy.
I must first calmly assess the situation and then make a decision.’

This invasion of the kingdom was not based on a hollow pretext like continental unification.
The empire had suffered such a deep betrayal that even officials who normally disliked war supported it.
This was a war to avenge humiliation and proclaim the empire’s authority to the world.

Yet the very princess who was sent out by imperial command to avenge that humiliation was captured,
so instead of proclaiming authority, they had suffered even greater humiliation.
Still, humiliation was secondary.
What mattered most was the princess’s safety.

“…In the end, what the kingdom wants is a ceasefire.”
“That is correct.
However, we cannot simply grant it, Your Majesty.”
“I know.
But if we misstep, the princess’s safety could be endangered.”
“I have one stratagem.”

Between blond hair tinged with pale silver and platinum gleamed pallid white jade skin.
They say the eyes are the window to the soul.
If that were true, then at least this man’s eyes were not a window, but a shield.
They were long and thin like narrow lines, letting no light be seen.
Oren von Kraxis Ragna.
The Second Prince finally opened his mouth himself.

“Your Majesty, please entrust me with Your Majesty’s personal letter.
If you do, I will go in person as the envoy.”
“That is only natural.
For negotiations, the first step is to send an envoy—”
“However, the recipient of the personal letter will not be the king.
The first person I will visit is the knight who captured the princess.
Instead, send an ordinary envoy to the king of the Kingdom of Arpen.”
“…I understand your intent, but I do not believe such an obvious ploy of discord will work.”

The emperor shook his head with a troubled expression.
Even if diminished, a king was still a king.
Such an obvious attempt at sowing discord could not possibly work.
Yet Oren spoke boldly before the emperor with a voice full of confidence.

“Please do not worry.
It will work.”

A smile cold enough to chill spread slowly across his pale skin.

The embers of war had not yet been fully extinguished.
Although the enemy commander had been captured, the disparity in power was still clear.

For now, the beast had merely been muzzled for a brief moment.
If the empire decided to abandon the princess, the war would begin anew.

‘I must always doubt and always prepare.
First of all, I need to become stronger.’

At this rate, I would soon reach my limit.
That was an inescapable, cold reality.
The reason I won the final duel was because my opponent had an obvious weakness.
If there had been no clear weakness, no amount of repeated deaths would have let me overcome it.

‘It seems that without mana, the limit of what can be overcome is around mid-tier Expert.’

In fact, despite experiencing so many deaths, I had not landed a single effective hit.
If the opponent had been a true Master, the gap would surely have been far greater than now.
I had to become stronger.
Not only for my own safety, but to protect those around me as well.

[This is the mana cultivation method that His Excellency the Border Count once used.]
[Are you sure it is all right for me to receive this?]
[If His Excellency were still alive, he would have gladly given it to you.]

Sir Belgaard, who had learned the cultivation method directly from the count, recognized it without difficulty.
Thanks to that, I finally obtained the mana cultivation method used by Count Sandwy.
However…
Even after a full week had passed, I felt no change whatsoever.

“A full week has passed, yet I feel no change at all.”
“You must not be impatient.
You need to continue accumulating practice with perseverance.”
“If that is the case, then that is reassuring, but…”

If it were simply that I lacked talent for the cultivation method and couldn’t accumulate mana, that would be one thing.
But this time, it felt different.
It was like pouring water into a dam whose foundation had already collapsed.
Instead, what existed was an ominous, jet-black, unknown power.

‘Come to think of it…
In the final duel, I used this unsettling power without realizing it.
No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem to be mana.’

Could it be that this unknown, unsettling power was rejecting mana.
If so, that would mean I had no choice but to rely on this disturbing black power.
However, I shook my head.
Nothing had been confirmed yet.
For now, I needed to train the cultivation method consistently for at least a month.

“How is Princess Morgana’s condition?”
“She remains unwavering.
In fact, it is impressive to the point of admiration.”
“She would need to be of that caliber to command fifty thousand troops.”

Princess Morgana.
Her tactics were certainly worthy of her epithet.
The tactics I experienced through dozens, no, hundreds of deaths were truly ever-changing.
Rather than clinging to a few set tactics, she adapted to the situation, like a living serpent coiling and uncoiling.

And what of her strategy.
If tactics were the details, strategy was the broader picture.
Dividing forces into detachments and a main army to first secure the eastern region and solidify supply lines,
then surrounding the royal capital and entering a war of attrition.
A strategy that was bound to succeed.

She even possessed the decisiveness to abandon a goal she had nearly reached and withdraw.
If the princess were released and we were to fight again, I had no confidence I could win.
Of course, if negotiations concluded well, I wouldn’t clash with her again for some time.

‘I have a bad feeling.
Even this brief peace feels like the calm before a storm.’

They say bad premonitions never miss.

An entirely unexpected guest arrived at the count’s territory.

Oren von Kraxis Ragna.
The empire’s Second Prince and the emperor’s chief advisor.

Instead of the royal capital where the king resided, he came here first.

‘He came all the way to see me personally?
Did he even bring a Master to guard a member of the imperial family?’

The peace that had briefly settled began to crack.

Comments (0)

Trending Novels

I Became the strongest hero of the previous generation

Archmage on the bed

I was mistaken for an undefeated general

Healers in the martial arts world are obsessed

Became a genius Muggle in the Archmage Gallery

I Wove Earth’s History Into A Fantasy