The fool emperor has finally lost his mind!
News of this spread quickly.
Starting fights with elves and dwarves, causing conflicts with the Church of Life, and even rumors of the emperor wanting to take the Dragon Priestess as a concubine mixed in with the already existing tales of his misdeeds, transforming them into something even more heinous.
It didn’t take long for the rumors to evolve, saying he would close the Church of Life, seize the Dragon Priestess, and then reach for the Goddess of Life herself from his newfound divine throne.
People who heard these rumors thought it was all nonsense, yet they believed that if anyone would do such ridiculous things, it would be that foolish emperor.
Thus, the subject of these absurd rumors, the foolish Emperor Commodus, was marching towards Betelgeuse.
“Alright. I should be able to reach Betelgeuse by the day after tomorrow!”
He was marching with the Imperial Guards towards Betelgeuse.
“But do I really have to command this personally? What a bother,” he grumbled.
“You must. While the elves and dwarves have been quite contemptible in rejecting your offer, their strength is considerable. It won’t be easy to defeat them unless your commanding presence is felt,” his advisor replied.
In a lavish, splendid tent that hardly resembled a mere campsite, the emperor continued to grumble.
An old man stood beside him, calmly droning on.
“However, the strength of the Imperial Guard I trained should easily handle those puny elves and dwarves.”
“While they may not compare to your majesty and your army, they do hold their own strength. This is why they maintain their factions without being absorbed by the Romania Empire.”
“Hmm? Their strength, you say?”
The emperor twitched his eyebrows slightly at the old man’s words.
The old man, accustomed to this reaction from the emperor, deftly changed the subject.
“Still, no matter how strong they are, they cannot defeat your unyielding flag, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm. That is true, isn’t it?”
The emperor, now feeling better from the old man’s flattery, smiled widely and lightly waved the flag he held, prompting the old man to quickly dodge out of the way.
A splendid flag decorated with black thread on silver fabric.
The flag depicted a long-fanged predator, one of three symbols representing the emperor of the Romania Empire.
“Under this flag that guarantees victory, my enemies shall kneel!”
“Ahem. The world will indeed submit to your majesty’s might. Starting from the elves and dwarves, to the Church of Life, and even those insolent ones from the south, they will all follow you.”
“Haha! If that happens, I shall make you the teacher of this nation! Not just me but the whole country will follow your teachings!”
At the emperor’s words, the old man gave a faint smile and replied.
“I appreciate your words, but it’s too much of a reward for me. Just guiding your majesty is reward enough.”
“How humble of you! Despite your humility, how can there be so many who slander you? I’ve often wanted to behead all those greedy nobles!”
The emperor snarled like a beast. Those nobles always rambling about trivial matters.
“The late emperors did this and that. Such things would tarnish their legacy. They should be a model to many commoners. Etcetera.”
He had felt many times the urge to cut off the heads of the nobles who incessantly lectured him, yet the emperor held back.
“I understand your majesty’s intentions, but now is not the time. With those insolent ones still lingering in the south, if you were to eradicate them all, your majesty would have too many tasks on your plate…. If that happens, you would have no time to rest.”
“I already have too much work! I want to play more!”
“I understand. Thus, they must be left alive a little longer.”
The emperor nodded at the old man’s words. While he disliked those leech-like nobles clinging to his power, if their existence could reduce his workload, it was something he could tolerate.
But that would not last for long.
“Punish the elves and dwarves, seize Betelgeuse! After tearing apart that raucous group from the south, I shall behead all those nobles!”
“Yes, it will unfold just as your majesty wishes.”
The old man merely wore a faint smile at the confident emperor’s demeanor.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Just as without wings words travel a thousand leagues, rumors of the emperor’s misdeeds spread swiftly, reaching even to Betelgeuse, where elves and dwarves lived.
It was amusing that the rumors spread faster than the emperor’s Imperial Guards marching towards Betelgeuse, but armies are massive organizations that cannot move quickly.
It surely took substantial time to move their heavy posteriors, so it was only natural that rumors would arrive faster than they could.
As a result.
“I don’t like it, but it seems we will have to join forces.”
“Hmph. Against a mere army of weak humans, we could easily annihilate them with our inventions!”
The representatives of the elves and dwarves residing in Betelgeuse gathered in a large conference room to devise a counterplan upon hearing the rumors.
“I acknowledge that your inventions have their uses, but this is not a problem to approach so simply.”
“Why not? It’s just a matter of killing those who come to kill us!”
“Because he is the emperor of North Romania.”
The elf sighed quietly as he looked at the dwarf, who thought so simplistically, pulling out a small piece of jerky made in the traditional elven way and popping it in his mouth.
“Yes, emperor or not. I’m not merciful enough to let someone come to kill me live!”
“How foolish. It’s astonishing that you create such intricate machines with such a foolish brain.”
“Hmph! I don’t have a head to waste on worthless things!”
Saying this, the dwarf took out a smoking pipe from his pocket.
“That. Put it away.”
“Tch. Can’t even smoke one cigarette.”
“Trying to smoke in front of an elf? Are you provoking me?”
“Wow, you’re really picky. Does burning the hair you cut out make it scream?”
The elf glared silently at the dwarf without responding.
“Tch.”
At the elf’s demeanor, the dwarf clicked his tongue and returned the pipe to his pocket.
“Just because you won last time doesn’t mean I’ll let it slide. Next time, we’ll win!”
“Ha. You call that childish rivalry just before Betelgeuse may fall into human hands? Dwarves must be as narrow-minded as their height.”
“What did you say?! Is that all you have to say?! Just because you let things go, you think you can speak freely?!”
“Do you want to try? Have you forgotten the wound I inflicted upon you with my sword in the last battle?”
“You…!”
At those words, the elves and dwarves all moved their hands to their weapons.
An explosive atmosphere, ready to ignite at any moment.
“Stop.”
As the tightly shut door opened, a young girl’s voice resonated.
“Isn’t now the time for our two races to fight?”
The voice of the little girl did not seem appropriate for the location.
However, the invisible power within it was enough to quell the hostility among everyone in the room.
“If we only continue to fight during a strategic discussion, Betelgeuse will fall into their hands. Is that what you desire?”
“Ah, no.”
“I’m sorry, Dragon Priestess.”
The elves and dwarves, who had been ready to fight just moments ago, quickly tucked away their weapons upon hearing the words of the silver-haired girl with horns.
Having such an incident before none other than the Dragon Priestess herself would not end well.
“Now, please sit. We need to urgently devise a strategy.”
The silver-haired girl, known as the Dragon Priestess of the Church of Life, commanded the atmosphere in the room and began to speak.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
After doing his best during Asherat’s absence for several decades, I descended to the surface upon Asherat’s return.
While fleeing down, I heard Asherat shout yet again, but I had worked hard while she was away! I should be allowed to rest a little!!
Moreover, I even created a device to sort prayers! I’ve certainly done enough, thank you very much!
And yet! The Church of Life! Why did you send me to Betelgeuse!! To prevent a war so that many lives wouldn’t be sacrificed?! Don’t pass your responsibilities onto me!!!
What?! The elves and dwarves don’t listen to the Church of Life?! Of course they don’t! While they respect me as the Goddess of Life, they each have their own respective deities they worship!
So you need the Dragon Priestess, representing the Goddess of Life?! Well…. Yes, but! Ugh…. How tedious!
That’s how I came to be here.
Really…. It hasn’t even been long since I came to the surface, and what is all of this?
At this rate, I can’t shake off the feeling that my very existence is bringing about such trouble.
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