Chapter 91: National Integration Conference (1)

Wolfgang quickly assessed the situation and immediately checked on the condition of the Vendetta Corps. 

Fortunately, every member was accounted for, and not a single one was severely injured.

Even those who had lost consciousness were beginning to wake up one by one. 

Black, who had been fighting White, the guardian dragon of the kingdom, was also present in his dragon form. 

When She gave a slight nod, Black transformed back into his human form. 

However, he still seemed uncertain about the situation.

With a sigh, She pointed to the sky.

“It’s snowing again.”

“No way…”

“Yes, the Winter King has returned. This time, as a Queen.”

Even Black’s expression hardened at those words. 

If it had been anyone else, they might not have reacted the same way. 

However, for the Vendetta Corps, who had fought on the frontlines, it was impossible to forget.

No matter how monstrous they were—aVandoned by humans—they had fought the Winter King and endured a living hell. 

The horrors of that battle had scarred even the minds of monsters. 

None of them ever wanted to return to that time.

That was why they had fought with everything they had. 

That was why they had finally won peace. 

Yet, now, the very peace they had risked their lives to obtain was being threatened by the same existence.

“This isn’t looking good.”

“Leifen? What happened?”

“I fought that so-called Hero. He was disgustingly strong.”

Hearing Leifen’s voice, Wolfgang turned her head instinctively—and was genuinely startled. 

Leifen was covered in blood. 

Though his limbs were miraculously intact, the sheer amount of injuries was alarming.

The wounds were serious enough that She couldn’t help but worry. 

Forget ranks, forget titles—Leifen was a precious comrade who had fought by her side all this time.

Leifen was certainly in bad shape. 

No attack had worked on the Hero, and even when he tried to use spatial distortion to suppress him, the Hero had shrugged it off.

Despite that, Leifen had managed to stall for time purely through his own skill. 

It had been a heavily disadvantageous fight, and he had sustained serious injuries as a result. 

But at the very least, he had survived.

“Besides, it wasn’t a total loss.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Hero’s vessel… Wasn’t he called Van?”

“…Wait.”

“Yeah. I stole him.”

As Leifen clicked his fingers, space distorted, and a familiar figure emerged. 

A man with radiant golden hair and piercing blue eyes—Prince Jaiha.

‘Wait a minute. Prince Jaiha?’

She frowned. While others might have been confused, he could distinguish between Hero Van and Prince Jaiha without question. 

However, it was something he could only perceive by instinct, not logic.

And his instincts were telling him—

The man before him was not Van, but Prince Jaiha himself.

“Ugh… Where am I?”

“Who are you?”

“I… My name is… Jaiha…”

“What? So this isn’t Hero Van?”

For Leifen, who had nearly been killed by the person possessing Jaiha’s body, it was difficult to believe. 

However, Wolfgang quickly pieced things together.

“According to the kingdom’s legends, the royal bloodline can sacrifice their lives to receive aid from past Heroes. However, this…”

[It is only a half-truth.]

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

If it were a true sacrifice, not even a corpse would remain. 

In other words, Prince Jaiha hadn’t completely died. 

He had simply been overpowered by Van’s spirit and forced into slumber.

Thinking back, it had seemed suspicious from the start. 

While it was understandable to place restrictions on the power of Heroes to prevent abuse, was it really necessary to force the ultimate sacrifice upon them?

No. 

The rule had likely been established to prevent reckless use of the Hero’s power, not to demand absolute self-destruction. 

At the very least, if a royal used the Hero’s power for the right reasons, they were not meant to perish.

“Prince Jaiha, are you feeling a bit more clear-headed now?”

“…Where are we?”

“At the kingdom’s border. We’ve been exiled by the Winter Queen.”

“I see. The scattered pieces are coming together.”

“Let’s discuss the details once we return to the Empire.”

It was Leifen who interjected between Wolfgang and Prince Jaiha. 

Though he barely hid his displeasure, he understood the gravity of the situation and refrained from further objections.

Even as he connected space using his authority, Leifen kept a wary eye on Prince Jaiha. After all, Jaiha had once been her fiancé.

Upon returning to the Empire, Leifen immediately summoned all the nobles, declaring the dire situation and initiating preparations for war. 

Initially, the nobles unanimously opposed him.

However, after hearing Leifen’s reasoning, they had no grounds to argue. 

In fact, most of them ended up siding with the Emperor, hastening the march toward war.

[The Winter King has descended upon the Kingdom this time.]

For the people of the Empire, the Winter King was the worst of all demons—something they wished to forget. 

They had barely managed to defeat him, yet now, he had returned once more. 

Who could ignore such a threat?

Some nobles urged caution, suggesting they observe the situation first. 

But Leifen dismissed their concerns. 

If they waited too long and missed their chance, what would happen then?

Moreover, the nobles who had experienced the horrors of the Winter War supported Leifen’s decision. 

Thus, the Empire’s war preparations faced no major obstacles—until foreign nations began to interfere.

After its victory in the Winter War, the Bahamut Empire had become the most powerful nation on the continent. 

While it had not fully recovered from the war’s devastation, it was still unmatched in military might.

The Vendetta Corps, led by her, and the Eastern Defense Force were undisputedly the elite army that had brought the Empire victory. 

Even if all other nations allied against them, none could guarantee victory against the Vendetta Corps in direct battle.

Thus, while foreign nations outwardly congratulated the Empire on its past victories, they covertly sent spies to gather intelligence. 

And when they learned the Empire was preparing for war, they acted immediately.

“Tch. Of all things, it’s the nations that helped us the most. Ignoring them will be troublesome.”

Even the Iron-Blooded Emperor, Leifen, couldn’t simply disregard the concerns of the nations that had aided the Empire during the Winter War. 

If it were just one nation, he might have managed to convince them. 

But almost all nations had united to persuade him otherwise.

Realizing the necessity of a formal discussion, Leifen swiftly arranged for a conference to explain the situation to all concerned parties.

Had those nations not aided them during the Winter War, the Empire might not even exist today. 

Back then, the Empire couldn’t even produce its own food.

Though the aid had not been purely altruistic, some nations had provided resources at minimal cost, while others had practically given them away, expecting repayment only in the distant future.

Thus, Leifen couldn’t dismiss their concerns entirely. 

Ignoring them would severely weaken the Empire’s influence.

At worst, it could lead to a unified coalition against the Empire.

‘But with the great evil standing before us again, we can’t afford to waste our forces. We must make them understand.’

And so, Leifen personally penned letters to the leaders of each nation, inviting them to the conference while sending small gifts as a sign of goodwill.

Upon receiving the letters, the various leaders read them carefully. 

Though some were skeptical, they ultimately decided it was best to attend.

“I heard there’s a great hero in the Empire—Wolfgang Leonhardt.”

“Meeting the legendary hero of the Winter War? What an honor!”

“This is perfect. I was curious about the one chosen by the Sun God.”

And so, with different motives in mind, delegations began their journey to the Empire—to hear the Emperor’s explanation and to meet her in person.