Chapter 302

The empire's establishment was a mere fifty years ago.

It was nothing short of a miraculous achievement. The first emperor founded the empire, and the second emperor expanded its territory to the north and south.

‘Conquest.’

Yanchinus pondered the word. He wasn’t venturing into the west and seeking the Eastern Continent for nothing.

‘The empire is built on conquest.’

For the vast empire which was less than a hundred years old, continuous conquest was necessary. They needed to unite the weak internal structure by focusing on external enemies. Unceasing expansion was the only thing that could bring stability to the empire.

‘The bloodline of conquerors.’

The previous emperors were great, and both were undeniable heroes.

‘What am I doing to carry on their legacy?’

He had to become an emperor remembered in history. The weight of having a heroic grandfather and father was heavy. From the time he could walk, his extraordinary judgment and heroic temperament were tested as everyone demanded yet another hero.

If Yanchinus didn’t meet their lofty ideals, they were disappointed. Merely doing as well as others wasn’t enough to satisfy the people. He had to become exceptional and great in order to survive.

‘I had everything in my hands from the moment I was born, so who can I blame?’

Yanchinus laughed.

Barbarians roamed the palace, searching for the emperor.

“There he is!”

Civilized mercenaries who spotted the emperor rushed toward him. The bounty on Yanchinus' head was substantial.

“Oooooooh!”

Knights fought to protect Yanchinus, their armor looking like they were painted red with blood. The ones who had survived until now were the elite of the elite.

“This way, Your Majesty.”

Yanchinus moved with a small group of knights. One of the knights was carrying the wounded Damia.

Every country’s palace had a few secret passages, and the imperial palace was no different. There was an underground passage in the palace for the imperial family that led outside Hamel.

“It seems Damia won’t last much longer.”

A knight said, looking at Damia’s condition. Being already frail, her breath was growing weaker with the current injuries.

“We’ve still got a long way to go, Your Majesty.”

The knight suggested leaving Damia behind.

“Is it so difficult to bring one woman with us?”

Yanchinus looked at Damia’s face, placing his hand on her cheek. It was an action that might seem very affectionate to an outsider.

‘Why is he taking me along?’

Damia opened her eyes faintly. She couldn’t understand the emperor’s actions.

‘It was strange that he came to find me in the first place.’

Hamel was collapsing. In such an urgent situation, Yanchinus had deliberately come to find Damia. And not just that, he resolutely took the half-dead Damia along in his escape.

Damia stared intently at Yanchinus' face.

‘The great ruler of the world...’

She wanted to laugh out loud, but it felt like her throat was blocked by a lump of blood. Her chest heaved, and she coughed up blood instead of laughter.

‘...Has he become attached to me?’

Damia looked around while being carried by the knight. Being a royal herself, she knew they were in a secret passage.

‘I won’t make it through the night.’

Damia’s lips moved slightly. Despite the knights covering her with their cloaks, her cold body didn’t warm up. It even felt like a piece of her broken rib was floating around inside her body.

Snap.

Damia fiddled with her pearl necklace. With trembling hands, she dropped each pearl at every corner they turned. The pearls made a sound as they hit the ground, but the metallic noise made by the armor drowned out the tinkling.

“Your Majesty.”

The knight awaited Yanchinus’ instructions. From here, only Yanchinus knew the way.

Grrrrr.

The knights pushed the stone wall that Yanchinus pointed at. The wall turned, revealing an internal passage.

“They won’t know about this place.”

The knights entered the passage, catching their breath. They took out pre-prepared torches and lit them.

“We’ll take a breather here.”

Halfway through the underground passage, Yanchinus ordered a rest. Both the knights and Yanchinus were quite exhausted, and more than half of the ten or so knights were injured.

“How is Damia?”

Yanchinus asked the knight carrying her. The knight laid her down and checked her condition.

‘She won’t make it through the night,’ the knight thought and shook his head.

“I see.”

Yanchinus murmured as he came to Damia's side. He looked at her disheveled state and noticed the necklace she was holding. It was a pearl necklace, a specialty of Porcana.

‘It’s... broken?’

Half of the pearls were missing. Yanchinus stared intently at Damia as a sense of foreboding struck him. He gripped her jaw tightly, threatening her.

“...What have you done?”

Damia opened her swollen eyelids wide. She laughed, coughing up blood.

Ting, ting.

Damia gazed at Yanchinus' face as the rest of the pearls fell to the ground one by one

“Foolish man...” Damia muttered.

“You’ve never had me, and you never will.”

With those words, Damia's breaths grew fainter and fainter.

Yanchinus ran his hands over his face.

‘How meaningless.’

He had thought about being with her, whether for better or for worse. But that was his one-sided delusion. To be together required the other’s consent. One could destroy a woman by force but could never win her heart.

“Damia, your life is just as pitiful as mine.”

Yanchinus drew his sword, at least wanting to take her death by his own hand.

“She is gone, your majesty.”

The knight said, placing his ear close to Damia’s nose. She was no longer breathing.

Damia died as if it were her escape from Yanchinus. Yanchinus frowned and bowed his head as he sheathed his sword and glanced at Damia's corpse.

Thud, thud.

Sounds echoed in the underground passage that had been quiet. The murmuring voices traveled along the walls.

“In the end, I was tripped by my own toy.”

Yanchinus looked back in the direction he had come. In the darkness, enemy torches flickered.

* * *

Hamel, the pinnacle of civilization, had fallen into the hands of a mere barbarian army. The plundering continued day and night without pause, and the civilized people trembled in fear.

Supported by warriors, Urich sat on the emperor’s throne, exhaling softly. The blood clinging to his skin was a mark of glory.

Urich leaned back against the throne.

“It’s not as comfortable as I imagined.”

When Urich murmured, the chiefs of the Alliance laughed. The men reeking of blood had struck at the heart of civilization.

“Great Urich, you have accomplished everything.”

The chief of the Karkar Tribe knelt and paid his respects.

“...No, we have accomplished everything.”

Urich closed his eyes and gave a bitter smile. How many brothers had died? Vald, Katagi, Olga... The warriors who had stood shoulder to shoulder with Urich could not avoid death.

‘The deaths of my brothers protected me.’

It was Gottval’s admonishment that awakened the defeated Urich, and it was Katagi’s body that shielded Urich from the flames. The heavens merely watched.

“Great Chief Urich.”

“The Son of the Earth.”

“Urich.”

Key figures of the Alliance entered the palace hall one by one and paid their respects to Urich.

The battle was nearing its end. The only remaining forces were small groups still resisting. The knights of the empire were dragged out in chains and beheaded, and the warriors, drunk on blood, engaged in excessive slaughter. Blood and corpses were a common sight everywhere in the palace.

‘I destroyed it.’

Urich had shattered the heart of civilization. The center of the once brilliant culture now screamed in agony.

Step, step.

Urich squinted his eyes as he heard someone entering the hall.

He had heard the news that the warriors had captured Emperor Yanchinus while he was fleeing. It was an unexpected gain.

“Yanchinus,” Urich uttered the name.

The warriors bumped the back of Yanchinus' knees with their spear shafts. The once proud Yanchinus knelt before Urich.

“Congratulations on your victory, Urich.”

Yanchinus raised his head.

It might have been because of the pearl dropped by Damia that the emperor was captured, or it could have just been bad luck. Regardless of the process, the important thing was that the emperor was now in the hands of the Alliance Army.

“It’s a shame to meet again under these circumstances.”

Urich tapped the armrest of the throne with his fingers.

“You have succeeded in conquest. History will remember your name.”

“I... conquered only to avoid being conquered.”

Urich tilted his head to the side, his gaze fixed on Yanchinus.

“If you have conquered, then savor your victory, Urich. Enjoy the privileges of the victor. Flay my skin, gut my insides, do as you wish.”

Urich burst into laughter. He wiped his face with a wet towel, which came away stained with blood.

“I am not going to kill you, Yanchinus.”

“Do you intend to show mercy?”

“An honorable death is the right of a hero.”

Urich opened his eyes wide, his bright yellow irises glaring at Yanchinus with clear murderous intent.

“Yanchinus, you are nothing but a tyrant who brought calamity. You boast about conquests and achievements when in reality, there is nothing you have gained on your own. Because of your childish ambitions, my brothers suffered and died, and I had to destroy the cities of civilization with my own hands. Can you give me one reason why I should respect you? I swear on my name, you will suffer every humiliation possible in a lifetime.”

Yanchinus' expression hardened. He stiffly looked around.

The barbarians were snickering. Though they didn’t understand what Urich was saying to the emperor, they knew from his tone that it was a mockery.

It was not the reception Yanchinus had expected as the ruler of the world, and the emperor who once governed vast lands.

Step.

Urich stood up with the help of the warriors. The other warriors just thought his movements were stiff because of his injuries. They had no doubt that, as always, Urich would stand proudly again.

‘Our Great Chief is a maker of miracles.’

Within the Alliance, Urich's stature pierced the sky. The existence of Samikan’s son was no longer an issue. Even if Samikan himself returned alive, Urich's position would remain unshaken.

Slap!

Urich raised his hand and slapped Yanchinus across the cheek. Yanchinus' tooth fell to the ground along with blood.

Thud!

Urich, wielding a club, beat Yanchinus. He controlled his strength to avoid killing him, but Yanchinus still couldn’t suppress the groans escaping his lips. The emperor of all men cowered like a beaten slave.

“Treat him just enough to keep him alive... and throw him out naked in the square by morning.”

Urich tossed the club aside and sat back in his chair.

Rage and hatred consumed Urich. It seemed as if all his twisted fate was because of Yanchinus. It was because of him that the war began in the first place and countless people died.

Urich was forced to choose between the civilized people and his own kin. If he had abandoned his kin, he would have suffered lifelong guilt, and by choosing his kin, he had to turn the civilization he admired into a sea of fire.

Urich had met many people, and among them were those who clashed swords with him and tried to kill him. However, they were those worthy of respect, and he showed glory and mercy to such people.

“I despise you, Yanchinus.”

Urich’s accumulated resentment and hatred became focused on Yanchinus.

Yanchinus was dragged away, leaving a trail of blood. He looked at Urich with his swollen eyes. The radiant glory was fading away.