273. Divine Leviathan Empire (4)
A few relatively peaceful weeks passed. Everiz faked fainting about seven times to neglect her duties, and Zephis declared that a “perfect purification measure” had been completed over half of the capital. Meanwhile, Rene and Gur’s forces entered the capital.
A long procession of triumph passed through the northern gateway of Paltennoia. Fernandez stood on the imperial road of the palace, which had begun reconstruction, preparing to welcome them.
“Sir Fernin. The Lady is arriving.”
“Sir Borua. Rene Philippa de Carvelier is no longer just a ‘Lady.'”
Fernandez cut off Borua’s words briefly. The knights of Ribue still referred to Rene as the Duchess. This was due to their reluctance to accept Duke Erbe’s death and their unease about the young Duchess.
But now, they had to acknowledge it. Erbe was dead, Rene Philippa had become the Elector, and now she had to become the Empress.
-Bam bam bam! Bam!
The military band played a loud march as they led the way. Citizens showered them with flower petals. It was the survival instinct of the capital’s citizens. In this situation where Ribue’s legion had surrounded the capital, those who understood the significance of the Elector of Ribue heading to the imperial palace acted on their survival instinct.
Fernandez watched the citizens scattering flower petals from the imperial road, hiding his fear behind a smile. Would the newly crowned Emperor be a tyrant or a benevolent ruler? An inevitable fear of that nature was evident.
At that moment, Freya, standing beside him, laughed heartily.
“That’s all money! Can you believe it? People are buying flower petals with money!”
“All of that…?”
“Yes! I personally distributed those petals to all the merchants in this city! The Goddess is no longer the Goddess of Life and Spring… She is now the Goddess of Wealth!”
That’s quite a statement that would make the McLaren Church gasp. Fernandez chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. Freya patted his back and said,
“So, cheer up. You won’t starve to death! This Goddess will feed you all!”
“Thank you for that.”
Thanks to her, the tension eased. Even the knights of Ribue, Everiz, and Fernandez, who were listening to this conversation, relaxed. The group watched the approaching army in a somewhat softened atmosphere.
The grand military flag, adorned with the seals of Electors Tremule and Carvelier, approached in perfect alignment.
* * *
“I commend your efforts.”
These were Rene Philippa’s first words upon arriving at the inner courtyard of the Carvelier mansion. After touring the imperial palace grounds, Rene immediately headed to the mansion where her vassals had gathered.
Robert and Rene stood on the podium, looking down at the assembled vassals. Her eyes were dry from the fatigue of the long march.
“From the first war of the late king to his final struggle. You knights who always stood by his side, steadfastly protecting Ribue. I thank you for your efforts.”
Rene spoke as she scanned each knight. ‘Late king.’ A term hinting at Duke Erbe’s death and declaring Rene’s succession to the throne of Ribue. The knights silently closed their eyes and bowed their heads.
“I may not be the most outstanding lord for you. Especially for those who remember the reign of the late king. But, my vassals, I promise you two things. First, the days ahead will not be harder than the past few months you’ve endured…”
The past few months when the territory fell, the Empire’s Emperor coveted Ribue, and heretics infiltrated deep into the territory’s capital. Every moment was a war for the survival of the territory, and they had to fight battles that were nothing but slaughter.
Before the Elector Council convened, and while all the Electors were still baring their teeth at each other, her words were taken as a declaration of her intent to challenge for the throne.
“Second, you will no longer have to serve another lord. I have no intention of dying until the youngest and most inexperienced among you retire. I will be your shield until the moment you all leave this world and enter the distant hall. You, the warriors of Ribue. All I ask from you for these two promises is one thing.”
[Loyalty]. The same weight of loyalty that was once directed to the late Duke Erbe. Unlike the legal nobles of Ribue, it was the kind of loyalty the Greatsword Nobles willingly offered.
Beyond a mutually beneficial vassal relationship, she desired genuine loyalty to a single lord. After Rene finished speaking and closed her mouth briefly, the eyes of the knights lined up in the courtyard gleamed.
All of them were elites who had crossed the battlefield with Duke Erbe since the 50-year war, and even the youngest among them had served as a field commander in that war. Knights with as much pride as their high honor.
-Thud!
They simultaneously knelt on one knee and planted their longswords in the courtyard.
“For Ribue!”
“For Carvelier!”
“For the Divine Leviathan Empire!”
And the final words echoed through the courtyard.
“Long live the Emperor.”
No words of thanks or praise were given. Rene nodded briefly and turned her back to leave the courtyard. The knights did not move until she had completely left.
* * *
“So, do you have a plan, Sir Fernin?”
The cold and authoritative expression was shed the moment she entered the reception room. Rene leaned back in the chair with a sly grin.
Home is the best, after all. After months of running through the battlefield, she was no longer the weak and naive Duke’s daughter. As a fully realized Elector and Duke, she tilted her head and laughed.
“What plan are you talking about?”
“That first speech I gave to gather my vassals. I practically declared my intention to become the Emperor. What if I fail to get the votes in the council?”
Since you were the one who first claimed the throne, you should finish it well. Rene laughed shamelessly. Fernandez didn’t dislike her demeanor.
-Now she truly resembles the Empress Carvelier.
‘Though I’ve never met her in person.’
In a past life, he had exchanged official diplomatic letters with Empress Carvelier. The personality that came through in her writing was, in short, that of a tyrant.
She was straightforward, blunt, and unadorned. These were not the virtues of an emperor, but they were the virtues of a warlord. And in those times, a benevolent ruler could not survive. The Empire had found the Emperor most suited to it.
A heroine. Even in an era where she faced the demons of hell and the end of human civilization, she stood unyielding and unblemished. The image of a tyrant who charged into battle to protect her land and people was now reflected in her face.
‘There is no fate. But at times like this, it feels like there is.’
-If fate has its way, the world will end. Let’s hope it doesn’t.
Faijashi chuckled. After a brief reflection, Fernandez leisurely sipped his tea and said,
“Just stay as you are.”
“Huh…? What did you say?”
“Just staying as you are is enough. As quietly as possible, without taking any action.”
“The Electors are planning to convene the council. Count Tremule is also urging for it to happen soon.”
“Of course, the council…”
The sooner, the better. Before the empire’s foundation is completely shattered, you must rule. But for now, staying still is good enough.”
Rene Philippa’s external image was ‘unpredictable.’ A quiet noblewoman who spent her life under her father, a lifelong military commander, suddenly took charge of wars, even leading private fleets to plunder and attack everywhere.
Moreover, the emperor was hostile to her father, yet her father vowed to protect that emperor, while the emperor’s son rebelled against him, and Rene joined hands with that prince. It’s a series of situations that defy common sense.
Because of this, the electors are on high alert, wary of Rene. Now that she has succeeded Duke Carvelier, no single warlord in the empire possesses greater military power than her.
‘And the electors probably can’t even think of forming an anti-duke faction.’
With the emperor’s corruption officially announced by the pope, pro-emperor nobles have no choice but to lay low. The inquisition could fall upon their territories and families at any moment.
So, from the electors’ perspective, it’s madness. What is this woman? What does she want? How did things get so tangled? Such doubts pile up—
‘Don’t overstate reality.’
Fear leaves illusions. Human imagination inflates the unknown. Right now, her allies are Count Tremule, Vaitas Church, and the warlords of the western Great Wilderness. What more could there be? How far has her political reach extended?
Perhaps, other electors have already joined hands without her?
Fernandez laughed and spread a blank sheet on the table. Scratch, scratch. He began writing on the paper with bold strokes.
“There are eight electors in the empire.”
The Duke Sephor of Bülrang.
The Duke Carvelier of Ribue.
The Count Tremule of Gur.
He circled these three and connected them.
“Bülrang has fallen to the puppet government of the Hearttaker Chieftain. The young lord of Duke Sephor is essentially a puppet with voting rights. One vote. You have one vote. Count Robert has one vote.”
Three votes gathered. That’s almost half already. But this isn’t enough. The stability of the throne depends on the electors’ support. For Rene to establish true absolute royal authority, a perfect victory is needed.
Just as the previous emperor, unanimously elected, was able to launch the 50-year war.
“The Duke of La Merthion’s family has been wiped out.”
King Knight Vicente I of the Dane Kingdom. He destroyed La Merthion. If the empire were united, a massive war would have erupted between the east and the empire, but now it’s a loose, ongoing conflict.
“Now, there are four left. Three of them are pro-emperor.”
The Margrave of Blancfleur.
The Duke of Poitiers.
The Marquis of Arnang of Troyes.
Pro-emperor electors, deeply involved in the emperor’s business. Some may have fallen, others may have joined hands for power and wealth.
Without proper investigation, it’s hard to be sure, and in this situation, stirring them up isn’t an option. It’s a hornet’s nest.
“Among them, is there anyone who doesn’t hold a grudge against you?”
“Unlikely. I’ve plundered their territories at least once.”
“Then, what should you do now?”
“…What?”
“Stay quiet. Until they make the first move.”
With the emperor gone, those three electors are likely trying to figure out the situation, keeping their heads down. Who is the enemy? Who will be an ally? Rene’s ascension is inevitable, but what should they do?
Electors never bow first. It’s not just pride; it’s the logic of capital. Those who show weakness first never get a high price.
What Rene likely wants is a victory as overwhelming as the previous emperor’s. That’s easy to guess. An emperor who leads a rebellion to victory will inevitably be compared to the previous reign.
Naturally, they’ll wait for Rene to bring the negotiation table. But no. That won’t happen. Silence lingers until the electors’ council approaches.
And in that uneasy calm, a wedge is driven.
“And add one more condition to the negotiation with the pope.”
“What is it?”
“A large-scale inquisition.”
“But… provoking the electors before the election won’t end well. If they declare independence, things will get very messy.”
“We must ensure it doesn’t go that far. The inquisition should target heretics within the electors’ territories, not the electors themselves.”
“Is that even possible? Catching hidden cults at this timing? If it fails, we’ll face political backlash. The pope’s authority will also fall.”
“Don’t worry. It will succeed.”
Fernandez pulled out a scroll. Rene absentmindedly took it and read, then paused.
“This… all of it…?”
“The locations and scale of cults hiding within the empire.”
“The Inquisition already knew this much? Why hasn’t it been dealt with?”
“Ah, there’s a newly formed specialized group. This is fresh intel. Even the pope and the Inquisition’s monastery head don’t know yet.”
Strictly speaking, Maledika is still an unapproved illegal group, but they’re useful. Fernandez grinned and continued.
“Adding one more condition to the deal would be perfect.”
“What is it?”
“Marrying Robert Benitier, Count Tremule’s sister, to a defrocked priest.”
Even as a defrocked priest, no one in the church doubts Zephis’s faith. If he were to have a child, they would immediately become a follower of Vaitas.
And Everiz, strictly speaking, is a noble with a high succession right. If Robert were to die without an heir, Everiz’s descendants would inherit his position.
Thus, the pope would gain two clerical electors: Count Tremule and Duke Carvelier. For a pope seeking influence in secular society, it’s an enticing condition.
“If we present this condition, the pope will take the risk. He’ll thoroughly shake up those three territories. That’s it. You just sit back, and the pro-emperor electors will bow and come to you.”
“That doesn’t mean forgiving them, right?”
“Once you secure the throne, whatever happens next is your business. You don’t need to worry about reputation.”
“I like it.”
Rene grinned and nodded. She carefully stored the documents Fernandez handed her, then suddenly asked.
“Ah, about Countess Everiz. Did she agree to the marriage?”
No matter how powerful and authoritative an elector is, they can’t meddle in another elector’s marriage. But Fernandez chuckled.
“Of course.”
“Even… the defrocked priest?”
“Is that important?”
“Well, I guess it’s not.”
Rene smiled the same mischievous smile as Fernandez. She cleared the table and reached out her hand. A white hand fluttered before Fernandez’s eyes.
“Let’s get married, too.”
“If a few conditions are met. Fine.”
“Conditions?”
“No intimacy. No emotions. No interference in each other’s actions.”
“That’s worse than being friends.”
“Isn’t that what marriage is?”
As he spoke, Fernandez took her hand. Rene frowned slightly and muttered, “This isn’t it.”
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