Chapter 78

“I shall bestow the Imperial Decree. Ardein von Illumina is hereby appointed as the Chief Justice of the Imperial Supreme Court. Additionally, she shall be granted the position of Circuit Judge.”

Upon hearing these words, Edmund von Illumina clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. His hands hurt, but his heart hurt even more, so it didn’t matter. The Imperial Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the empire, second only to the Emperor himself. At least in terms of judicial power, their rulings carry legally guaranteed authority, and to defy their judgments is to defy the empire itself. In theory, that is.

As for the Circuit Judge, it is a system born out of the empire’s vast territory. Not all matters can be brought before the courts, so to compensate, judges travel across the empire’s cities and villages to receive cases and deliver verdicts. The important thing is that no one has ever held both the positions of Chief Justice and Circuit Judge simultaneously.

The Chief Justice of the Imperial Supreme Court is the highest elder of the judicial system and, moreover, a significant figure in the empire. Such esteemed individuals should be dignified, wearing robes and wielding gavels in the Supreme Court, not wandering the countryside at their age, lecturing villagers who know nothing of imperial law and delivering verdicts.

The fact that these two positions were simultaneously bestowed upon the princess signifies that Ardein has been granted immense authority. It also means that no matter what she does, she can always claim it was a “legitimate judgment following legal procedures.” This alone made Edmund’s blood boil, but this was only the beginning.

“I shall bestow the Holy Decree. Ardein von Illumina is hereby appointed as the Captain of the Imperial Guard.”

“Your Majesty, that is…!”

Edmund, hearing this, exclaimed in shock, but when the Emperor looked at him, he quickly composed himself. There was nothing wrong with the Emperor’s words, and the justification was flawless.

“She has already become a Master. If I do not offer such treatment to a Master, what Master in the world would come under the empire’s banner?”

The Imperial Guard is not the Emperor’s hidden trump card, but it is the most visible defensive force of the capital. Why is a trump card a trump card? Because it cannot be revealed casually.

The Celestial Dawn Knight Order, the Secret Guard, the Dragon Tooth Battalion, and the Imperial Elder Council—these are the true trump cards that even the Emperor cannot casually deploy. They are the empire’s hidden blades, to be used only in times of existential crisis. This is why no one dares to rebel.

Within the boundaries set by the empire, it is not difficult for local powerholders to defy the Emperor. However, none of them truly wish to rebel in the full sense of the word. At most, they strive to install an Emperor who suits their tastes. If a true rebellion were to occur, all existing order would be destroyed, and no one could predict what would happen.

These “secret forces” are exactly that—secret. The extent of their power and how formidable they are remains shrouded in mystery. Thus, no one can predict the impact of their movements, and as a result, no one dares to act rashly.

Every living being has the potential to become infinitely strong. They have the right to do so. Just as Grimudo of the Arctic proved with his own existence.

That is why no matter how many soldiers there are, they cannot match a single Master. Even if common soldiers rely on numbers to attack, a Master who can recover magical power almost infinitely and unleash attacks is not someone an ordinary person can dare to face.

This is as foolish as trying to oppose a Death God with numbers. Why did the Underground Castle, which once gathered an army of four hundred thousand, fail to extend its ambition to the world?

It was because there was only one Master-level powerhouse—Balzac. That is why Masters, beings who have reached the pinnacle, are revered and praised. If such an absolute powerhouse is the Emperor’s daughter, who would never betray the imperial family, then such treatment is not strange.

People of the world call Master-level powerhouses Transcendents. Such powerhouses can become the most powerful force of a nation, surpassing even large armies.

Therefore, every nation and faction strives to recruit Transcendents. Even if they are of slave origin, once they reach the level of Master, they can marry a princess in any kingdom.

The princess is the Emperor’s daughter. If even his own daughter is not treated this well, what would other Masters think of the Emperor? They would think he is a stingy miser when it comes to distributing positions and wealth. Would they then consider serving the empire?

Edmund could only swallow his saliva. How could he argue? Should the Imperial Prince speak up and demand that the empire’s pillars be treated less favorably? What reason would they have to not defect to another country or the Church Nation?

‘Very well, Father. Very well.’

Just as he was suppressing his anger, the final blow came.

“And I shall appoint her as the Inspector of the Imperial Direct Inspection Bureau, with the authority to oversee all military forces in the empire.”

“Forgive my impertinence, but is the fourth position that of the Crown Prince?”

Even Archbishop Arice, who rarely spoke up, expressed concern. Edmund’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. How is this any different from declaring the princess as the successor?

Although the position of Crown Prince has not been officially announced, in reality, the Emperor has already made up his mind. And he has made that intention clear to everyone present.

If this is how it’s going to be, then why did I work so hard to achieve merit and earn Father’s recognition?

Just because she is the legitimate child, that princess causes all sorts of trouble and still receives this much favor. Edmund’s eyes reddened. Whether it was from anger or sorrow, even he didn’t know.

“That is all.”

But it still wasn’t over.

“Now, there are no more positions to bestow. Only an item remains. Bring it in. Finally, someone worthy of wielding this item has appeared in the imperial family.”

Thud!

Several knights, struggling under the weight, brought in a heavy chest and set it down with a thud.

His Majesty personally opened the chest. Inside was a golden sword, more dazzling than any sword I had ever seen, radiating a brilliant light and exuding an overwhelming presence.

Yurinel’s Sacred Sword, in comparison, looked rather plain. Of course, just because it looks plain doesn’t mean its power is plain. The Sacred Sword is one of the most powerful weapons on the continent. But in terms of appearance alone, it cannot compare to that beautiful sword.

Such swords are usually decorative and lack practicality, but if it were merely a decorative sword, it wouldn’t be treated as a treasure and stored so carefully.

Decorative swords belong on display stands, not hidden away where no one can see them.

“Your Majesty, may I ask what that is?”

For the first time, an old man who had been silent spoke up. His face, clad in robes, was unfamiliar yet not. It was possible that I had seen him once before.

Where had I seen him? Ah, when I followed Parnell to the Magic Tower. I hadn’t met him in person, but I remembered the portrait hanging in the tower’s corridor.

The person with the same face as that portrait must be the Oldman Tower Master of the Magic Tower. In other words, Parnell’s master. I hadn’t expected to meet him in such a setting, but it seemed that everyone here was a person of great authority.

Yet, such a person was now blushing, unable to take his eyes off the sword. Like someone in love, his eyes trembled but remained fixed.

His voice, too, was unsteady, and it wasn’t just me who found it strange. The gazes of the three Archbishops and others present briefly focused on the Tower Master.

“I sense an immense magical power. For a mage, this is a treasure worth dedicating a lifetime to study. May the Magic Tower formally request to borrow this sword?”

“I’m sorry, Tower Master, but that will be difficult. This sword is a treasure of the empire, bestowed by our founding ancestor.”

Everyone was shocked by these words.

“Our founding ancestor was an extraordinary figure even before establishing the Illumina Empire, and he was of dragon lineage. Among the treasures left by his dragon ancestors, the most representative is this Dragon’s Sword, forged from his own tooth.”

“Dragon’s Sword!”

“So, the material of this sword is dragon bone—specifically, the tooth containing the most potent magical power. Your Eminences may find this hard to hear, but for those of Illumina’s bloodline, this sword holds such symbolic significance that it is beyond comparison, even with the Sacred Sword.”

The Emperor, holding the golden sword, tapped the kneeling princess on the shoulder. The princess bit her lip, trying not to tremble, but her shoulders shook slightly nonetheless.

“However, until now, no member of the imperial family has become a Master. Without someone worthy to wield this precious sword, it had to be hidden deep in the treasury.”

Was she crying? With her head bowed, it was hard to tell, but the princess was clearly trembling. The symbolic significance of this sword to the imperial family must be immense.

“But a sword that no one wields is no different from a forbidden object. Now that a master has been born, the sword must return to its rightful owner and shine once more.”

“Remarkable. To reveal such a treasure only now. Even our Magic Tower, which delves into all things dragon, was unaware of the Dragon’s Sword’s existence.”

“In truth, the first Emperor never had the occasion to wield the sword himself.”

The Emperor laughed.

“At that time, the swordless swordsman who brought order to the chaos and established peace could cut down the world with a single blade of grass. He was the founder of the Celestial Dawn Knight Order.”

“When the founding ancestor tried to pass this sword to him, he refused, saying that wielding the Dragon’s Sword would be no different from wielding a branch.”

“And so, for centuries, this Dragon’s Sword, forged from dragon bone, remained unused in battle. Today, I wish to break that tradition.”

He planted the sword before the princess. Watching her rise with trembling hands and grasp the hilt, he continued.

“My daughter has returned to my side, and the treasure has found its rightful place. In three days, I shall hold a grand banquet to celebrate this occasion. Until then, you may all retire.”

The Emperor’s gaze lingered on one person. His son, Prince Edmund, could not unclench his fists or raise his bowed head. He seemed afraid that if he looked up, his expression would betray him.

Thus, he did not see the Emperor looking at him with sad eyes.

“Ardein, stay for a moment. And Priest, if you have the time, would you join me for a drink?”

In that moment, I saw that even they had their own tragic stories.

The Emperor. From below, he is the most powerful ruler commanding the empire.

A position where one can do as they please with the world, a seat that anyone would wish to occupy for even a day, reigning above all.

But in the end, he is just a human.

Another person living among people.

Even the Emperor is not exempt from the headaches of family matters.

“With pleasure.”

That was why I nodded in agreement.