As soon as I secured support from the Lord, I embraced Plona again and soared into the sky.
From above, I could see Count Omero and countless others bustling around.
“I feel a bit sorry for the Lord here.”
I couldn’t treat them casually upon entry, but I tried my best not to put too much pressure. Yet, both the Lord and the soldiers couldn’t hide their startled expressions.
What can you do? If it’s unavoidable, it’s unavoidable. It’s like a president making a surprise visit to a rural government office without a word.
No, if I intended to come here from the start, I would have contacted them somehow before arriving. Naturally, I was supposed to go directly to Dragonkin’s Village, but their movements were faster than expected, and I couldn’t just act within the territory without saying a word to the Lord.
Right. I made the best choice. I adapted flexibly to the situation. Even though I impulsively dashed out, tired of sitting at my desk.
…When I go back, Martini is going to give me an earful.
Anyway, being too close to the Sahelrn Duchy with the new system is problematic. I clearly branched out, yet I still feel unable to escape the influence of the family right next to me.
“Sister, there’s nothing to be sorry about. Handling issues within the territory is the Lord’s job. Rather, we should be grateful that the Emperor himself has come to help us.”
“…Is that so?”
Maybe because Plona had been part of the knight order since childhood, she surprisingly had a stern side. It’s hard to imagine it when she’s in my arms, acting cute.
Of course, she’s endlessly generous to me. I bet if I were to lie down and complain about being bothered right now, she would tell me to just rest while she handled things.
Well, hearing that doesn’t seem wrong, so I decided to accept it. I hadn’t asked for anything grand, after all; I just needed a bit of help to manage the scene.
“I found it.”
As I flew straight towards the Dragon’s Canyon, I soon spotted the group of Dragonkin I saw earlier.
I thought I had just rapidly marked the Lord’s castle and returned, but these Dragonkin really are Dragonkin. Contrary to my initial expectations that they would have sufficient leisure, they were already nearly at the canyon’s entrance.
Unlike before, there was nothing to worry about now. I landed somewhat roughly, blocking the path of the Dragonkin who had just recently descended.
Kwah-kwang!!
The ground shattered upon landing, and a deafening sound hit my ears. The Dragonkin quickly went on high alert and shouted.
“An ambush! An ambush…?”
However, their booming proclamation quickly lost momentum mid-sentence.
Distrust, confusion, and shock. Judging by their cautious glances, they must have recognized who we were.
“An ambush, huh.”
I couldn’t hide my amusement at the interesting expression.
An ambush, really? It’s quite cheeky to label themselves so when sneaking into someone else’s territory without permission.
“If anyone got ambushed, it would be your Empire, don’t you think? Am I wrong?”
“…I beg your pardon. It’s an honor to meet the Emperor of the Scarlet Empire.”
“Sis, these lizards have completely lost their minds.”
Considering they knew I was the Emperor, their unexpectedly foolish choice of words prompted Plona to whisper pointedly. Though she lowered her voice, given the Dragonkin’s keen hearing, it was practically an open invitation to listen.
Indeed, several of the Dragonkin behind me turned beet-red. Referring to them as lizards was an ancient insult that had persisted since before the species war. It was refreshing and amusing.
“No matter how much of an Emperor you are, such insults cannot be simply brushed aside—”
“Then what will you do if I can’t just let it go? I’d really like to hear your response.”
I asked earnestly, not to mock.
Strangely, rather than being angry, I felt exhilarated.
It was almost refreshing. It had been a while since I encountered someone who dared to challenge me.
Ever since I finished the war with Luminous and held the emperor’s coronation, I hadn’t experienced any noteworthy resistance in my process of unifying the continent.
While there were many twists and turns, most of that involved writing with a pen, and I hardly faced any conflicts involving military force.
Why? Did they hear the news and become so terrified that, wherever I went, the castle gates swung open automatically, and local nobles merrily dashed out to greet me?
Of course, while some human nobles voiced complaints, most merely talked big at first, yet when I personally visited the territory, they all looked down at the ground.
Only a handful, bravely clinging to their privileges, would rather die than yield. But by now, they were probably having a reunion in the afterlife.
In other words, the clueless ones had already met their demise.
Just looking at the Lord and the soldiers I encountered earlier proved that. Without prior notice, and not even dressed for a formal greeting, they instantly recognized who I was and bowed their heads.
It’s quite difficult for nobles to act like that. Normally, if you take away their pride, they are practically dead.
Moreover, it’s often the case that beneath a calm surface lies chaotic waters. However, seeing the subordinates respond so sharply indicates that the Lord must have paid a lot of attention to that aspect.
In that sense, the attitude of the Dragonkin was refreshingly new.
For the first time, I understood what it felt like to be a third-generation chaebol suddenly saying, “You’re the first person to treat me like this,” after getting slapped by the female lead in a drama.
Of course, I had no intention of letting them off scot-free.
“…I also wanted to resolve this peacefully.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“It was the Empire that rejected trade.”
“Shall I kill them, Sister?”
Perhaps finding the Dragonkin’s absurd chatter unbearable, Plona asked in a fierce yet innocent tone.
Her right hand was already resting on the hilt of her sword, ready to dance with blades should I just nod.
“Trade, huh.”
Now I could confirm that their courage stemmed from sheer ignorance.
I wondered if they had come out to face the outside world thinking they had done a little investigating, but that must have been the limit for those who were stuck in the backcountry.
Regardless of their Dragonkin status, they might have thought that by banding together, they could deal with someone like me. For them, who had never faced Luminous, the intense height of human potential must be difficult to imagine.
“Know your place, insects.”
“Gahk—!!”
I seize them. I shake them.
Even more naturally than breathing, I had control over the blood flow of all the Dragonkin present.
I felt their pulsing life. I gently squeezed their hearts and restricted the circulation, causing the Dragonkin to stagger and collapse en masse.
“Did you really think you could win?”
If so, it’s utterly ridiculous. How did the Dragonkin, who once vied for supremacy over the continent against the elves, fall to such a state?
Or perhaps this arrogance is simply the fate of the strong. The elves lost their lands in Albresia, after all.
Thinking this way brought about a sense of alertness.
I should not let my guard down either. Of course, I don’t feel even the slightest chance of losing.
“All the weak can do is plead for mercy. Those fools, unable to distinguish the gap in power, who call themselves the offspring of dragons, must be laughingstock to the First Life.”
Now, you say you want peace? You claim you want trade?
Only the strong can decide that. Those who can barely survive, caught in internal strife over a minuscule village, have no right to make demands just because it looks like the outside world is thriving.
“St-stop! Please! Let go, please!!”
The Dragonkin, grasping at their throats, finally began to learn some manners.
Still, the Dragonkin are certainly tough. If they were weak humans, they’d have burst their veins ten times over from the upheaval in their circulatory systems, yet not a single one had fainted.
“It’s fortunate you all are consistently foolish.”
Based on the intelligence I gleaned from the letters the Dragonkin had sent, it was likely to turn out this way. Although I vaguely thought that if, by some chance, the Dragonkin had an epiphany and decided to bow down, it might complicate things a bit.
But I had no intention of forgiving those who caused the death of Eleonora’s father and made her a slave to humans. I was going to make them pay somehow, and for that, I needed to devise a means to effectively capture two birds with one stone.
“This makes it easy for me.”
“Shall I kill them, Sister?”
The hellish sword in the scabbard at Plona’s waist screamed. It seemed that someone’s desire to paint this land red with blood was excellently reflected, just at the prompting of a slight nod from me.
“Hold on. I don’t plan on killing the Dragonkin.”
“W-what… oh…!”
The fool stuck to the ground let out a loud noise. Given the slight humidity in their voice, it felt like a mixture of relief and emotion.
However, if they thought they were safe now, they were sorely mistaken.
“They’re a precious species capable of enduring the unrefined blood supplement. It could greatly improve the dietary situation of the vampires, you know?”
“Wait! I’m, I’m sorry! So please, just that—!!”
Even without knowing what a blood supplement was, just hearing about their dietary situation allowed them to imagine their future, indicating they still had some intelligence left.
But it’s too late. There’s no reason for me to retract a plan that achieves both my duties as Emperor and Eleonora’s revenge.
I no longer needed to talk to the food I had incapacitated, and soon, I entrusted the Lord, who had rushed over, with the preparation for the Dragonkin’s capture and transport.
From now on, they would be valuable resources to sustain countless vampires through the system.
With this, the Scarlet Empire had truly achieved continental unification. There was no longer a place on the continent that felt the Empire’s influence apart from Yustelein’s sanctuary.
As for me, after accomplishing this great feat, I was scolded by Martini for three hours upon returning to the Royal Palace for running off without notice.
Man, being an Emperor ain’t easy.
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