Ch.560560. The Empress of the Empire (2)

“Your Highness, the city gates have opened.”

“That means…”

“…the welcoming ceremony for the Iron Empress’s kingdom’s delegation is beginning. You’ll be surrounded by the Imperial army’s escort and the gazes of countless Imperial citizens.”

“How troublesome.”

Adelheid’s expression turned cold.

Their welcoming ceremony was a ceremony in name only—it was essentially a warning and a means to pressure the delegation.

Before entering the Imperial Palace. Along with the splendor of the magnificent city. One of the devices to demonstrate the might of the Imperial forces that would line their path.

After the servant who delivered the news departed, the carriage began to enter the capital of the Empire.

“For the delegation that will become the bridge of peace between the Kingdom and the Empire!”

Hearing such meaningless cheers from outside the carriage, Adelheid could only let out a small laugh.

“What bridge of peace are they talking about?”

Under the pretext of providing protection. How many Imperial mages the Iron Empress had assigned to the delegation. How many attempts there had been to monitor their every move.

Remembering all that had happened, Adelheid pushed aside the curtain covering the carriage window with a bored expression and looked at the scenery outside.

‘The Empire is truly the Empire, I suppose.’

Just from what she could see, there were numerous impressive knights and mages lined up.

And among the crowds of Imperial citizens watching the delegation, there were those who exuded quite unique auras that occasionally caught her eye.

“……”

For a moment, using one of the abilities granted to her, the Dragon’s Eye, Adelheid looked at them before returning her gaze to its original position, leaning back in the plush seat and closing her heavy eyelids.

No matter how powerful the Empire might be, to her eyes, ultimately…

“It’s all meaningless.”

Because they were all just beings who would eventually crumble and disappear.

Rather than these dull, bland, colorless people, the Kingdom, with its light colors mixed in, inevitably felt far more diverse and beautiful.

Adelheid was simply looking forward to one thing.

‘I wonder.’

What color would the famous Iron Empress be?

* * *

Upon entering the Imperial Palace, Adelheid naturally had an audience with the Emperor.

Together with the ministers representing the delegation, she walked through the excessively luxurious palace toward the Emperor.

In a world where they were not welcomed, watching those who were helping them only because of the Emperor’s absolute command to receive the delegation, she felt irritation rising, wondering if all this was really necessary.

“Your Imperial Majesty! The Kingdom’s First Princess, Adelheid Aisilia, and her delegation have arrived!”

Finally, in front of the audience chamber.

“His Imperial Majesty declares! He will receive the Princess and her delegation!”

As she watched the knights and mages, who had been standing as rigid as statues, open the massive doors.

Through those open doors, any slight dissatisfaction instantly vanished at the sight of the woman who embodied the Empire itself.

‘Black hair with a mysterious red aura surrounding it. Eyes of the deepest crimson that survey all things.’

Just as described in the most commonly used phrase when explaining Imperial blood across the continent.

The Iron Empress’s jet-black hair, perhaps stained with the blood spilled during her conquest wars, gleamed ruby-red in the light and emitted a subtle bloody hue in the shadows.

Her crimson eyes, deeper and colder than the light in her hair, looked down upon everyone with an exceedingly arrogant gaze.

Adelheid, not yet a queen but still a princess, bowed her head at the front of the delegation in greeting.

“I stand before Your Imperial Majesty. Adelheid Aisilia, the rightful princess of the Kingdom of Aicilia. Led by Your Majesty’s generous mercy for better relations with the Kingdom, I have brought the Kingdom’s delegation to the Imperial Palace.”

“Welcome to the Empire from the western edge of the continent. I hear this generation’s Kingdom has three great blessings.”

With practiced composure, Adelheid restrained the corners of her eyes that threatened to twitch with displeasure.

The Kingdom’s three blessings. This was equivalent to naming the three military strengths of the enemy that were most irritating to the Empire.

The Empress spoke thus before her:

“I know well that one of them is Princess Adelheid. Your outstanding abilities are famous not only in the Kingdom but also in the Empire.”

Because she was one of the obstacles the Empire found most troublesome, her infamy was widespread in this land, and she herself was well aware of this fact.

“How could I not be pleased to discuss peace with such an intelligent person and to defeat our common enemy together?”

Despite her gentle words, the Empress maintained her ice-cold, expressionless demeanor.

Though she was truly an unpleasant opponent, Adelheid knew well.

That she was not yet perfectly prepared to meet the Iron Empress with bold words and actions.

‘The Empress is famous as a war sovereign.’

The centuries-old order of the Empire had been gradually losing strength. The Empire had been walking the path of decline after experiencing the cycle of rise and fall.

However, from the moment that woman, who had eliminated her political opponents one by one, ascended to the Imperial throne, the Empire reversed its declining trend and soared once again.

‘The Empress’s conquests are already a tiresome tale.’

Not only did she divert internal problems to the conquest of the eastern kingdoms of the continent, but she also solved those problems with newly acquired lands and opportunities.

On every battlefield she permitted, she not only fought and returned alive as a warrior herself, but also led almost every battle to victory, achieving brilliant accomplishments.

The Empress who freely wielded both sword and magic, who had awakened the dragon language.

‘Indeed, she’s not called the great war sovereign of the Empire for nothing.’

She could sense it.

Even if they were to face each other with magic alone.

It would be difficult to achieve victory against her as a mage.

And furthermore.

‘That’s not the only frightening thing about the Empress.’

Another aspect of the Empress that others quietly whisper about, hidden behind her violent image.

Officials were corrupt, and the central political factions that once formed a virtuous cycle had somehow transformed into emotional groups busy fighting over trivial matters. The interior was filled with numerous spies and potential sources of instability, making internal collapse seemingly inevitable.

‘Yet the Iron Empress…’

By cutting down even the heads of her loyal subjects, initiating a great purge.

She succeeded in cleaning and stabilizing the interior.

It was impossible to carelessly predict what cunning serpent might be hiding within the Empress’s impassive demeanor.

That’s why Adelheid simply maintained a natural smile.

“The Kingdom’s intentions are no different. I only hope that what the Kingdom has faithfully preserved will be sufficient in facing the demons alongside the Empire.”

Hiding the fact that beyond the demons, their true target was the Empire itself.

* * *

The Imperial Third Legion.

Famous for making the greatest contribution to conquering the far eastern kingdoms alongside the Emperor, the legion was stationed neither near the Holy Nation where the Demon of Deception was heading, nor in the north where the Lord of Corpses was heading.

Instead, they were positioned on the land of a once-powerful border kingdom that had been destroyed by the Empire, waiting only for different orders to be issued.

The general of this Third Legion was quietly listening to what her adjutant was saying.

“The demons’ movements are concerning.”

“……”

“The demon that deals with dream illusions seems to be heading toward the Holy Nation with purpose, which is less worrying. But the demon that raises corpses is a different story, isn’t it?”

The legion commander remained silent.

The adjutant carefully showed her the predicted path the demon would take and the key facilities that overlapped with it.

“Losing the iron mines and munitions factories in the northern Empire would be a severe blow.”

After all, the north was the Empire’s largest producer of military supplies.

“Isn’t the north already protected by the Fourth Legion and the Holy Maiden of the Holy Nation?”

“The Fourth Legion was recently reorganized. Their internal restructuring isn’t even complete, and they have the most new recruits of any legion. Even with reinforcements from the Holy Nation, I can’t guarantee they can fully protect these key points.”

Thus, the adjutant presented his suggestion.

“Therefore, I believe it would be best to send reinforcements from the Third Legion there.”

“Send reinforcements?”

“Since the war with the demons began, the Empire’s elite Fourth Legion has remained here, with their operations limited to patrolling the surroundings. No dangers have been detected, and there are no signs of threat. If we submit a proposal to His Imperial Majesty to return to the front lines—”

But the legion commander shook her head at the adjutant’s words.

“Rejected.”

The adjutant lost his words momentarily at her ice-cold voice.

The general stared at him and simply said:

“His Imperial Majesty has commanded. Our Third Legion is to remain here and watch that distant land.”

“……”

“Do you think His Imperial Majesty placed us here without reason?”

“…No.”

“Don’t forget.”

Having been on the front lines with the Iron Empress, she had learned:

“His Imperial Majesty’s commands are absolute. Especially in matters of war.”

It was best not to harbor any personal interpretations of the Emperor’s commands.