Chapter 358

A place shrouded in an eerie atmosphere, as if it were not of this world.

In the center of it all was a dark curtain.

A voice came from behind the curtain.

The voice of the Heavenly Lord.

The leader of Red Rain.

“Do you think it’s enough?”

“It’s regrettable that the victor is on the other side, but I believe we’ve seen enough bloodshed.”

The messenger replied, voicing his thoughts.

Due to the unexpected intervention of that damned Max at the last moment, the Crown Prince’s victory had gone up in smoke. However, they had managed to inflict significant damage by deploying the Guardians.

It meant that even the victor of the civil war, the princess, had only achieved a Pyrrhic victory.

The empire would take a long time to recover from the wounds of the civil war.

It meant that they wouldn’t dare to interfere with the Holy City’s affairs for a while.

They had achieved their goal.

“No, it’s not enough.”

But the Heavenly Lord disagreed.

He still felt it was insufficient.

The messenger’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the dark curtain.

“What do you mean…?”

“We need to sow more seeds of discord. To plunge the empire into chaos and confusion, fueled by suspicion and distrust.”

“What do you mean…?”

The messenger still didn’t understand.

“It’s only natural for an emperor who is overshadowed by their subject’s achievements to harbor resentment. And the subject will also be wary of the emperor. What if we fan the flames of this precarious situation?”

*Whoosh*

Flames erupted in the air.

“It will inevitably lead to bloodshed.”

“Ah.”

The messenger finally understood.

What the Heavenly Lord was saying.

The subject he was referring to was that bastard Max, and the emperor was, of course, the princess.

He was planning to exploit their uneasy coexistence and incite a bloody conflict.

It was a cunning scheme.

As expected of the Heavenly Lord, the wisest man in the world.

But,

“I understand what you’re saying. But does the new emperor have the power to do that?”

Personal power and political power were different.

He didn’t think the princess had that kind of power.

“Do you think Max Celtrine has complete control over the entire empire? If the right opportunity arises, his opponents will be ready to strike. That’s…”

The Heavenly Lord began to explain.

The end of the civil war didn’t mean that all the unrest had disappeared.

Unrest was still brewing in many parts of the empire.

The south and the east, which had supported the Crown Prince, were prime examples.

Countless people in the south and the east had been killed by the princess’s army, even though it had been an unavoidable consequence of war.

Especially by Max’s army.

They couldn’t help but harbor resentment.

Normally, they would have tried to appease the people and consolidate their power, but they didn’t have the time or the resources.

Their priority was to return to the Imperial City and quickly ascend to the vacant throne to stabilize the unstable political situation.

So the south and the east remained as potential sources of unrest.

And were the other regions completely stable?

Of course not.

The west was clearly against Max, and the new emperor would also be dissatisfied with the current situation.

The only regions that Max had firm control over were the center and the north.

If the right opportunity arose, war could break out again at any moment.

“…Don’t you think so?”

The Heavenly Lord finished his explanation.

“No, you’re absolutely right.”

The messenger couldn’t help but agree.

It was a brilliant analysis of the situation.

But it was too early to be impressed.

Because the Heavenly Lord’s gaze was fixed on something further away.

“And when the empire descends into chaos, he will make his move.”

“Who are you referring to?”

“The Iron Chancellor.”

“T-The Iron Chancellor? You’re saying that the kingdom will make a move?”

The messenger’s eyes widened in surprise.

The Iron Chancellor.

Drostan Navor, the Duke of Berg, the most powerful man in the Parene Kingdom, one of the two superpowers on the continent.

If he made a move, it meant that the kingdom was making a move.

“Yes. He’s an ambitious man. He might have been watching the civil war cautiously, but if another conflict breaks out, he will definitely invade the empire. He’ll be convinced that it’s an opportunity he can’t miss.”

“I-If that happens…”

“It will be exactly as you think. The kingdom won’t be able to interfere with the Holy City’s affairs either. Absolutely not.”

“T-To that extent…”

The messenger shuddered.

The Heavenly Lord’s vision extended beyond the empire, to the kingdom. He was planning a grand scheme that would engulf both nations in chaos.

The Heavenly Lord was truly great.

He was a great being.

The only one who could cleanse this corrupted world and create a new world.

The messenger involuntarily knelt.

“Please give me your orders.”

“Red Rain is everywhere.”

The Heavenly Lord’s words were brief.

But they were filled with meaning.

Red Rain was in the Holy City.

Red Rain was in the kingdom.

And of course, Red Rain was in the empire.

“The seeds of discord will be sown from within…”

The messenger muttered, understanding the meaning.

“Yes, all we have to do is light the spark. They will be the ones to fan the flames.”

“Yes, I’ll get to work immediately.”

The messenger’s body vanished like mist.

* * *

“So what happened? Did you find out anything?”

“Sigh, I discreetly inquired through a servant who is connected to the princess, but they said they don’t know anything. It seems like she ordered everyone to stay away.”

“Huh, even for a private meeting, that’s…”

“So there’s no way to find out what they talked about.”

“Hmm, you’re right. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Wait, we might be able to glean something from Max’s reaction.”

“I already checked. He seemed no different than usual.”

“So… nothing happened?”

“We don’t know for sure. But it’s highly likely, isn’t it?”

“Ugh, I thought the princess had finally made a decision, but it seems like it was just wishful thinking.”

“This is frustrating. Both the princess and the Marquis are ignoring our wishes.”

“Exactly.”

The western lords’ faces were grim.

The situation was becoming increasingly hopeless.

It was then that,

One of the lords shouted in frustration.

“Damn it! This is all because of that bastard Max!”

He continued, his voice filled with lament, “If only that bastard Max was gone, everything would be back to normal! If only he was gone!”

His words resonated with the other western lords.

It was something they all wished for.

But of course, there were those who were offended by his outburst.

“So what? What’s the point of shouting something we all know? Are you going to do something about it?”

“No, I didn’t say that. But,”

The lord who had shouted glared at the others.

“If the opportunity arises, I won’t hesitate to strike that bastard Max down. I’m not afraid of death. I’m only afraid of living a meaningless life, pushed aside and forgotten, after all the sacrifices I’ve made.”

“Hmm.”

“Ahem.”

The other western lords averted their gazes.

They seemed to feel guilty.

“Alright, let’s stop this. This isn’t the time to argue amongst ourselves. We need to come up with a plan. We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

One of the lords tried to change the subject.

The tense atmosphere subsided slightly.

They began to discuss.

But they couldn’t come up with any good ideas.

They ended the meeting after agreeing to gather their opinions and make another plea to the princess.

* * *

A pitch-black secret room.

*Knock, knock, knock. Knock.*

A strange knocking pattern could be heard.

*Clank*

Someone got up and unlocked the door.

*Creak*

The door opened, and a figure entered.

A dim light flickered on.

“Did you complete your mission?”

“Yes, Messenger.”

The figure replied.

Surprisingly, it was the same lord who had shouted in frustration at the western lords’ meeting.

“Good. You just have to set the stage. The chaos will begin from within his own faction.”

The messenger’s sharp gaze turned towards someone else.

An ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

He was also a lord.

A lord from the central region.

One of the lords who had submitted to the Celtrine family.

But his true identity was a member of Red Rain.

The Heavenly Lord’s words, “Red Rain is everywhere,” were no empty boast.

“You will detonate this at the coronation banquet, when the opportunity arises.”

He handed the lord a scroll.

A scroll containing a powerful fire explosion spell.

Of course, they didn’t expect to kill the emperor with it.

The emperor was a powerful warrior whom even Red Rain feared.

Their goal wasn’t to kill her.

It was to sow seeds of doubt and discord.

And this scroll was the perfect tool for that purpose.

“Yes, sir.”

The central lord replied.

“And make sure you blame it on Max Celtrine until your dying breath. Act convincingly. Can you do it?”

“You dare call yourself the emperor?! The only true emperor who can bring peace to this world is Max Celtrine! Die for the sake of the world! Long live Max! Long live the new emperor!”

“Hehe, good. Very good.”

The messenger chuckled, pleased with the lord’s passionate acting.

“Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Your comrades will be there to help you.”

“Yes, Messenger.”

The messenger turned to the western lord.

“And you, make sure you accuse Max the moment the incident happens. Make him look like a traitor who deserves to be executed.”

“Yes, sir.”

It was a truly wicked scheme.

And it was going to happen at the new emperor’s coronation banquet.

To be targeted by an assassination attempt on the most auspicious day?

Even a normal person would be shocked and filled with suspicion and distrust.

And the princess?

‘It’s going to be so much fun.’

The messenger chuckled.

Red Rain already knew.

That the princess harbored a deep darkness within her.

The late Crown Prince had told them.

‘And when chaos erupts in the Imperial City, that man will make his move, just as the Heavenly Lord predicted.’

The Iron Chancellor of the kingdom.

The continent was heading towards chaos.

And it was perfect for Red Rain.

“Complete your mission without a single mistake.”

“For the cleansing of this corrupted world!”

“For the new world!”

Their sinister voices echoed through the secret room.

* * *

The day of the coronation finally arrived.

The coronation ceremony was held with even greater grandeur than before, as if to erase the pain of the civil war.

The plaza in front of the Imperial Palace was packed with people.

“Wow… This is amazing. It’s spectacular.”

Annette said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

It was understandable that she would be excited, since it was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“Ahem, d-don’t get so excited, you country bumpkin.”

You’re the one who looks like a country bumpkin, Camian.

I chuckled.

It was then that,

The crowd started to stir.

“T-The new emperor is here!”

“Oh!”

“L-Look!”

The main character had arrived.

The main gate of the Imperial Palace opened, and Princess Oscar, dressed in a magnificent imperial robe, appeared.

“S-She’s so beautiful…”

“T-The rumors don’t do her justice.”

“Heh, it’s not just her beauty. Her benevolence is renowned throughout the empire.”

“That’s right, that’s right. She’s truly fit to be a wise ruler.”

“Alright, enough chatter. Let’s chant ‘Long live’!”

“Y-Yes.”

“Long live the new emperor!”

“Long live the new emperor!”

“Long live the Hiyas Empire!”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

It was understandable.

The princess had a certain charisma that drew people to her.

She walked towards the Throne Tower, escorted by knights.

It was a tower with a hundred steps.

The hundred steps, also known as the Eternal Steps, symbolized eternity, and at the top of the tower was a majestic black dragon sculpture, the symbol of the imperial family.

Every emperor, from the first emperor onwards, had ascended to the throne at the top of the Throne Tower.

‘It’s quite a spectacle.’

I enjoyed the coronation ceremony.

There was no chance of anything happening here.

There was no need for me to be on edge.

But,

‘What’s going on?’

The princess suddenly stopped at the foot of the Eternal Steps.

She had to climb the steps alone from this point onwards.

It was customary for the emperor to climb the steps with their spouse, but she didn’t have one.

Why had she stopped…? Huh?

Why was she looking at me?

Her gaze was fixed on me.

I tilted my head in confusion.

And then I heard her voice, clear and distinct.

“I, Oscar Peresia, request that Max Celtrine, the hero of the empire who made a decisive contribution to ending the civil war, join me in ascending the Eternal Steps.”

W-What?!

I froze in shock.