Ch.46Imperial Invasion (4)

The Human Empire of Rausel, its absolute ruler and sovereign. The only human who bears the title of Emperor.

Krex Rausel was now looking at the person delivering a report while holding his throbbing head.

“So… you’re saying that Marquis Lorza, our empire’s commander-in-chief, presumes that our main imperial forces have been annihilated? And the special forces have been completely wiped out as well?”

“Yes. We’ve already attempted to contact them three times, but there’s been no response. The tracking magic placed on each special forces member is also not activating.”

“Is there any possibility they disabled the tracking magic and fled?”

“Impossible. That magic is a special spell placed on their hearts. If they had forcibly removed it, their hearts would have burst immediately.”

The annihilation of the imperial main forces. And the complete destruction of the special forces, promising talents he had personally selected.

The deaths of soldiers, knights, and mages were losses that could be managed, albeit painful. The loss of a magic corps? Quite painful, but there were still four more magic corps, so it was still manageable.

However, the loss of 10 Sword Masters and special forces members who could each handle 5 Sword Masters was too great—equivalent to losing 10 percent of the empire’s military power.

“What about the elves? Have they returned to their forest?”

“We’re still confirming. I’ve ordered the intelligence department to gather information about Rapid County. We should hear news soon.”

“Hm—, I understand. Then withdraw and prepare for the possibility of an elven invasion…”

Just then, someone came to the Emperor’s office. Approaching with hurried footsteps, they knocked on the door.

They seemed so urgent that they knocked directly without informing the attendant guarding the office. When told to enter, the person who came in was Mac, the head of intelligence.

“Your Imperial Majesty, I bring bad news. Our intelligence agent stationed in Rapid County reports that the lord’s castle has been reduced to ruins by a minotaur attack, and Count Rapid’s fate is unknown.”

The lord’s castle in ruins and the lord missing—in a territory bordering Elvenheim. This news intensified the Emperor’s headache. After drinking a potion from his drawer to ease the pain that felt like his head would split open, he looked at Marquis Lorza.

“From now on, we will devise countermeasures in case the elves invade. From Rapid County to the imperial capital Raul is a year’s journey on foot. Even if the elves are fast, they can’t run continuously, so it will take at least a month.”

“Devise countermeasures immediately. Director Mac, find out the situation in other territories as well. This doesn’t seem like it will end with just Rapid County. And Marquis Lorza.”

“Yes.”

“Also devise countermeasures against the minotaur. That minotaur seems to be the one the special forces requested support to capture. Information about it is in the intelligence department, so Director Mac, please deliver it to headquarters and bring me a copy as well.”

“Yes, understood.”

“You may go now. And on your way out, please summon the Archbishop of the Order.”

“The Archbishop… you say? Understood.”

After Commander-in-Chief Marquis Lorza and Intelligence Director Mac left, the Emperor opened his drawer again and continued drinking potions until the Archbishop arrived.

* * * * *

“Your Imperial Majesty, I heard you summoned me. May this humble servant of God ask what matter requires my attention?”

An elderly man dressed in white, wearing a hat emblazoned with the Light Order’s symbol of a staff and bird, visited the Emperor’s office. The Emperor had been reading some document, but when the old man arrived, he covered it and welcomed him.

“Ah. Archbishop Opasi. I called you because I have something to ask. A few months ago, the god of the Light Order, Uldur, gave a revelation, didn’t he?”

Archbishop Opasi nodded with a profound smile. As if the memory was still vivid, he looked into the distance and explained the situation to the Emperor.

“Yes… it was magnificent. When I was young, about 60 years ago, I didn’t believe in Uldur then, but when I first visited the Order with my mother, He gave a revelation to the Saintess of that time. That revelation led to the famous Hydra Subjugation. If it weren’t for Uldur back then, we humans would have suffered greatly…”

“Ah, I understand. I know what you’re trying to say. However, what I want to ask about is the revelation Uldur gave this time.”

“Oh my… I apologize. As I get older… hehehe. I unconsciously drift into old stories. If you’re referring to the recent revelation, you must mean the one about the appearance of Wrath and Envy.”

“Wrath? Envy?”

When the Emperor expressed curiosity about using human emotions as names, Archbishop Opasi simply explained that’s what God called them.

“Anyway, Wrath and Envy each represent different entities. Wrath takes the form of a bull and uses lightning, while Envy desecrates the dead and commands them. Currently, those interpreting the revelation have identified which entity Wrath is, as the revelation was quite specific.”

“Ho… What entity is it? I’m thinking it’s a minotaur.”

Archbishop Opasi looked surprised at this statement. How did he know what they had discovered without knowing the details of the revelation! Seeing Opasi’s shocked expression, the Emperor nodded with satisfaction, confirming his guess was correct.

“So, that monster is indeed the one called Wrath in the revelation.”

“My… Your Majesty seems to have specifically identified who Wrath is… If you don’t mind, could you enlighten this old man? We are currently gathering information about the minotaur… We found a lightning-wielding entity, but it doesn’t have four horns, so we only listed it as a candidate.”

At this, the Emperor handed the document he had been reading to Archbishop Opasi.

“Hmm… Your Majesty, I apologize, but this disaster-class minotaur is the one I mentioned as a candidate… Why are you so certain this monster is Wrath?”

“It has the form of a bull and uses lightning. What could be more accurate?”

Archbishop Opasi shook his head at the Emperor’s words. Such behavior could be punishable as blasphemy before the Emperor, but the Archbishop of the Light God had enough standing to be forgiven for such actions.

“In God’s revelation, the bull-shaped monster has four horns, is as large as a massive mountain, and has fists like boulders. This minotaur is large, but it only has two horns and is much… smaller than a massive mountain.”

“But this creature is currently the only one that matches the conditions Uldur mentioned. It’s already a disaster-class minotaur, and if it becomes catastrophe-class, couldn’t it change to match God’s revelation? Since it’s already a disaster-class monster, killing it would surely please Uldur.”

“Hmm…”

The Order’s members were calling for a holy war, but the target was merely a disaster-class minotaur. While disaster-class minotaurs are indeed powerful… it wasn’t enough to warrant a holy war.

“I’ll report this to the Order for now. A disaster-class minotaur is dangerous all the same.”

“Good. I’ll leave it to you. You may go now. I need to return to planning for the war with the elves…”

Knock knock knock—

“Your Imperial Majesty, Intelligence Director Mac requests an audience. He says he has information regarding the elves.”

“Let him in.”

As Archbishop Opasi withdrew, the Intelligence Director entered as if passing a baton.

“Your Imperial Majesty, urgent news. The lords of Gaos, Kren, Beint, and Sepert territories have all been killed. All five territories closest to Elvenheim, including Rapid territory, have been attacked.”

“What!? Count Gaos, Count Kren, and Baron Beint I can understand, but even Marquis Sepert!? He had reached the level of Master!”

“Yes. But… even he seems to have died without putting up proper resistance, his neck cleanly severed.”

The Emperor’s face grew serious. If Master Sepert had lost his life without being able to resist, the opponent was someone capable of assassinating a Master. If such a person came to assassinate him…

“Raise the alert level to maximum immediately, and activate all alarm magic in the imperial palace.”

“Yes. I will relay the order as soon as I leave this room. Also… the minotaur that crushed Rapid territory is on the move.”

“Is that monster targeting the imperial palace as well?”

“Yes, judging by its current path. The monster has reduced Count Rapid’s castle to ruins and has also devastated the castles of Flos and Jail. It’s moving so quickly… intelligence predicts it will reach the imperial palace in a month.”

The Emperor clutched his head as if experiencing another headache. What started as an attempt to retrieve something sealed that the elves were guarding, discovered in an ancient book, had grown to this scale. He had thought no elf would remember, as the book was nearly a thousand years old.

The empire attacked Elvenheim once every 30-40 years, and the elves only counterattacked from the forest, never coming out to attack. But this war was different. The elves were reacting violently, like dragons whose hatchlings had been attacked.

From the elves’ reaction, the Emperor realized they greatly feared whatever was sealed there. He resolved that once this crisis passed, he would find out what was sealed in Elvenheim.

* * * * *

It had been a month since leaving Elvenheim. During that time, I had destroyed four more mansions. Of course, the Elven Knights had personally killed the lords and their families to prevent them from escaping, but destroying the mansions was incredibly fun.

Mansions on mountains were only as tall as me, and most were at the level of my chest or waist, crumbling like cookies just from me passing by… But there was something satisfying about destroying beautiful buildings that humans had worked hard to build.

As I was looking forward to which mansion to destroy next…

Before our eyes, a massive ravine appeared, blocked by an enormous wall that displayed its imposing presence.