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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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Bell, Cloney, and Hestia gazed at the platform in front of the Crossroads of Glory.
There stood Brigitte, who had just ascended as the new emperor.
A female emperor.
For the first time in the history of the Astes Empire, a female emperor had been born.
“Once again, I will greet the people of this country.”
Emperor Brigitte continued speaking.
“I am Brigitte von Astes. My people.”
The golden cape fluttered.
These were words declared as an emperor, not as an heir to the throne.
The imperial citizens looked directly at the new emperor.
The nobles also gazed at Brigitte.
Count Venosethian, the owner of the magic train Halo, was relieved that he had long since sided with Brigitte.
Marquis Kairos was watching the birth of the new emperor with a reverent expression.
Duke Balzac was also looking at Brigitte’s face on the platform with a bright smile.
And he spoke, looking to his side.
“Shouldn’t you be up there?”
Yuma was standing next to Balzac.
Yuma shook his head.
“You’re talking nonsense.”
“Kukku, there’s no noble here who doesn’t know who made Emperor Brigitte, is there?”
Right after that meaningless conversation ended.
Whoosh──!!
It was a halo.
But the light that was a halo went beyond the concept of a halo, becoming a radiance that enveloped Brigitte’s entire body.
Agareth, who was now standing behind Brigitte, opened his eyes wide.
The radiance emanating from her entire body.
And at the moment that radiance burst forth, Brigitte’s shadow had somehow changed from black to a blue-green, flickering flame.
That light brightly illuminated the world for a moment, then completely hid its appearance in Brigitte’s body.
Yuma slightly furrowed his brow.
It was clear that the change had occurred in Brigitte, because an alert rang out in his head.
Yuma felt a bit dumbfounded.
What good was it that he could see this?
Brigitte, who had actually gained this skill, wouldn’t know what kind of skill it was.
Yuma had to ponder for a moment how to explain this to Brigitte if she wasn’t aware of it herself.
On the platform.
Brigitte turned around and slowly walked down from the platform.
“Father.”
Brigitte looked at her father, former Emperor Agareth, who was gazing at her intently.
“It feels like I’ve gained some kind of power… but I’m not sure what it is.”
Agareth slowly nodded at his daughter’s words, who had just become emperor.
“Don’t worry, I think I know what it is.”
“What?”
Agareth recalled in his mind the legend that he had only heard about from his ancestors.
The Imperial Song.
A power that only the first emperor was born with.
The authority of the first emperor that temporarily increased the military power of his own legion.
Agareth was certain that Brigitte had awakened the same authority as that first emperor.
The coronation ceremony.
And the radiance that flowed from her body.
And the blue-green light that replaced her shadow.
All of this matched the information from the book of Imperial Blood that only emperors could read.
Agareth couldn’t forget the sentence describing the moment of awakening that the first emperor had written down.
Because he had wanted to become a great emperor like the first emperor.
And greatness was always followed by unique specialness.
So Agareth had admired the first emperor.
But now, it seemed that his daughter, who had ascended to the throne, had awakened that specialness.
‘Surely, the first emperor said that such a blessing was bestowed upon him because he had achieved harmony between races that was thought impossible.’
What had his daughter achieved?
Not many things his daughter had achieved came to mind.
‘But, being good at seeing people and gaining trust is also an ability.’
Yuma.
He had brought many blessings to this empire in various ways.
After the coronation ceremony.
Yuma and his group hurried back to the Princess’s Palace.
While climbing the stairs.
“Cough─.”
Blood spurted from Yuma’s mouth.
Cloney, who was walking with him, stopped abruptly.
The golden eyes among the black hair stared intently at Yuma.
“Lord Yuma…?”
The green eyes of the scarlet-haired feline race member also stared intently at Yuma.
“Yuma?”
Yuma had to waste another half day reassuring Cloney and Hestia.
It was another explanation event that occurred with 4 days left until the coughing up blood period due to the Fruit of All Poisons Immunity.
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As the night deepened.
Brigitte was sipping wine alone, having dismissed everyone else.
“Oh. You’ve come, Yuma.”
Brigitte’s face had a slight flush.
“I’m in a very good mood today.”
Brigitte gazed at Yuma, who had been preoccupied with Cloney and Hestia for half a day.
“You should be.”
Yuma slowly drank the wine that Brigitte had just poured into the glass in front of him.
“It’s the day you’ve ascended to the throne you wanted, isn’t it? You should be having a grand celebration with your subjects.”
Brigitte grinned at Yuma’s words.
“Yes, I should. But the grand celebration at the Crossroads of Glory for the coronation ceremony is enough.”
Brigitte raised her glass towards Yuma.
Yuma clinked his glass against Brigitte’s raised one.
Clink
“It’s a very pleasant night.”
Brigitte repeated the same words, whether due to drunkenness or something else.
“A night that makes me want to marry you.”
For a moment, Yuma doubted his own ears.
So he remained silent, saying nothing.
Brigitte, perhaps feeling this as rejection, smiled bitterly.
“Don’t worry, it’s not just words I’m blurting out because I want to keep you here in the Astes Empire, by my side.”
“…I never thought that. Brigitte. I was just a bit surprised.”
“Yes, you’re someone who thinks about the future of the continent even more than I do, so my words must sound pathetic to you.”
Brigitte placed her right hand on top of Yuma’s right hand on the table.
“Next time. After the world has stabilized a bit more. Let’s talk again.”
Brigitte’s face looked quite shy, unlike someone who had just become emperor today.
Ahem, clearing her throat, Brigitte continued speaking.
“The appearance of another being who might be an evil god that you mentioned yesterday. And the circumstances that there might be a cult of the evil god… the imperial intelligence agency has begun investigating.”
Yuma furrowed his brow at the emergence of an important topic.
“Do you think the target can be narrowed down quickly?”
Brigitte slowly shook her head.
“It seems it will take some time. Now that Incrinew, who was believed in by our empire, has been revealed as an evil god, if we were to count the gods who are perfectly on the side of good in this continent, there are only the God of War believed in by the Holy Empire Leobreheim and the God of Nature believed in by the elves.”
Brigitte continued.
“Except for these two cases, it’s the orthodox view that the rest can’t be called legitimate gods, and the rest are called heretics. And the number of these heretics is too large.”
Just imaginary gods created in the schemes of wicked humans seeking to gain greed.
There are too many varieties of these gods.
“Probably, even the real evil god’s cult is being treated the same way. They might have deliberately aimed for that.”
Yuma drank another glass of wine while listening to Brigitte’s words.
“The photo in the pendant you gave me. I’m going to gradually spread it to the top layer of the continental information guild. Something should come up as we do that.”
She was talking about the pendant that came from the woman, Yuriana, who had been directly possessed by the evil god.
Yuma nodded.
“There’s no need to rush. After all, it seems highly likely that the evil god’s side will be unable to overcome their curiosity and come to find me once more.”
A mere mortal killed a god.
Curiosity about that.
And a faint sense of unease.
Yuma was certain that the evil god he had indirectly encountered yesterday wouldn’t be able to endure those two things for a long time.
‘Somehow drawing out the main body and killing it would be the sure way.’
Yuma came to the conclusion that he should also devise a method to successfully hunt the second evil god while preparing for the demon army.
Just as he was about to say it was time to go in and rest, Brigitte opened her mouth again.
It seemed she had more to say.
“You saw the light that came from my body today, right?”
It wasn’t a metaphor, but real light. Yuma nodded. It was light that couldn’t be missed.
“Yes, I saw it.”
“When I asked my father, he said it seems I’ve awakened an authority that only the first emperor possessed.”
It was something he had thought of telling her tomorrow, thinking she would be too preoccupied today.
But it seemed she had already heard about it from Agareth, who was now the former emperor.
“Is that so.”
“Yes, it seems I’ve gained an authority that can enhance the strength of my soldiers. It seems I can give an area-of-effect buff by reciting chants like verses of poetry.”
It seemed Emperor Agareth had told her accurately enough that there was no need for additional explanation.
‘It seems there’s something like a book that only emperors can read.’
Thanks to that, there was no need for separate explanation.
“I plan to properly learn that Imperial Song and showcase it at your Grand Duke investiture ceremony in 5 days. It’s a meaningful day, after all.”
Brigitte’s blue eyes looked directly into Yuma’s blue eyes.
“It’s an authority given to those of imperial lineage who have changed their fate, it seems. Perhaps, the moment my fate changed was… when I didn’t die to God Incrinew. Or even if I hadn’t died, one of Cloney or Bell would have died… and in the first place, without your power, I wouldn’t have been able to gather them.”
Brigitte sat next to Yuma and leaned her face on his shoulder.
Yuma had to smell the faint scent of alcohol emanating from the emperor’s mouth.
“This is all thanks to you, Yuma. All of my achievements… they’re all thanks to you. You’ve gathered all my luck for me.”
“In the end, the fact that you were able to come this far is due to yourself, who didn’t give up on your dreams despite unreasonable situations.”
Brigitte shook her head very slowly.
That gesture was transmitted through her shoulder.
“Just that alone wouldn’t have brought me this far. Your power was significant. That’s a fact. So now, I want to be of help to you. No, I will be. Without fail.”
Yuma felt that Brigitte’s intoxication had risen quite a bit.
“When I become worthy of you, I will confess again like today…”
Yuma couldn’t help but smile at those words.
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UUOOOOHHHHH!!!!