The northern border of the Thunder Empire was characterized by its snowy mountains and high plateaus. The snow here never melted, even after tens of thousands of years, making it appear inhospitable and scarcely populated at first glance. However, the reality was different.
The northern territory was rich in natural resources, especially gold, crystals, and gems. These resources alone made the northern border just as prosperous as the other three territories. Moreover, the Duke of the North held an advantage that the other ducal territories did not.
The current Duke of the North, known as the Ice Queen, Ophelia Frelio, shared the same lineage with the emperor---both were Frelios, not coincidentally. Historically, the northern Frelio family and the imperial Frelio family were one and the same thousands of years ago but split apart. Today, the northern branch was effectively a cadet branch of the royal family, with Emperor Frelio essentially being Duke Ophelia's kinsman.
This relationship and shared heritage made the northern family the most stable and esteemed among the four ducal families and the most powerful in the empire. How powerful was the North? To put it in perspective, the combined strength of the South, East, and West---each led by a Guardian Grand Duke---was required to barely match the North. With only two Guardian Dukes, they would not have been enough to challenge the North.
This was the strength of the North. Duke Ophelia's talents were comparable to those of Emperor Frelio XVI, possessing the strength of a Level 6 monarch; the dukes of the other territories simply could not match her. Thus, Duke Ophelia held a very high position within the empire, and her nickname, "Ice Queen," was well-earned. In the north, she commanded as much authority as a king, and even the emperor himself would have found it difficult to intervene in northern affairs.
"Duke! It's bad! We have verified the news!"
"The imperial capital has indeed been attacked by the Demon King's forces and has fallen!"
"The status of Emperor Frelio and the others is unknown, but judging from the information coming through various channels, the prospects seem grim."
In the great hall of the Duke of the North, six marquises, thirty counts, and hundreds of lower nobility such as viscounts and barons, along with numerous northern government officials, had all gathered. Anxiety and heaviness marked every face present.
Regarding the Demon King, those assembled were not unfamiliar. The territories of these feudal lords had not been free of the Demon King's presence. However, it was unimaginable that in the distant southern territories of the empire, a Demon King could grow strong enough to conquer the entire south and even the great imperial capital. It was too incredible to believe. Everyone was unable to accept this reality. The atmosphere in the room immediately turned deathly silent.
Duke Ophelia broke the silence, her voice cold: "With both the imperial capital and the south fallen, the situation in the empire is as precarious as a pile of eggs. What do you suggest we do next?"
The nobles looked at each other, unsure.
At that moment, a commanding general stood up and said, "My lady, I suggest we immediately establish communication with the nobles and armies of the central and northeastern regions of the empire to form a large force capable of resisting the Demon King."
This suggestion was immediately met with opposition.
An elderly marquis with white hair stood up: "It's impractical! Impractical! Even if we disregard the Duke Bachor of the south's outcome, as far as I know, His Majesty did not underestimate the enemy. He sought reinforcements from all quarters and even invoked the power of the Hall of Valor. Despite these efforts, they still suffered a devastating defeat. The situation is essentially decided..."
The general retorted angrily, "Are we to betray the empire and submit to a Demon King?"
Just then, another voice chimed in. "I also think that mobilizing troops rashly is too reckless," a middle-aged nobleman stepped forward. He was somewhat portly and unassuming in appearance, yet he was the well-known Marquis Clarence. Marquis Clarence, not yet forty, was reputed to be the second most powerful noble in the north, right after Duke Ophelia.
Ambitious as always, he had long sought to leverage Ophelia's status and lineage for his own and his family's greater benefit and power. Indeed, if not for Ophelia's unique position, Clarence might even have tried to secure the duke herself. By doing so, he could gain not only the most beautiful and powerful woman in the empire but also secure the Frelio family's rights and power in the north.
Now, with the royal family in decline and the empire in turmoil, Clarence saw an opportunity. He explained, "It's almost impossible for us to change our fate by ourselves, even the Emperor himself has unfortunately perished for his country. The empire's weakening or even temporary decline is inevitable. What we need to do is not to stop the disaster, but focus on preserving the lineage and heritage of the empire!"
"Remember, the duke also has royal blood. Even if the royal family in the capital is exterminated by the Demon King, there is still hope to reestablish the empire as long as we remain."
"So, we should neither surrender nor resist recklessly. We should seal off the north and have the duke declare herself the seventeenth emperor."
Hearing this, everyone was astonished. But upon reflection, it seemed like a viable plan. Debates ensued about fighting back, allying, or declaring independence, as everyone calculated their own interests, only Ophelia, sitting on the ducal throne, furrowed her brows. She was unable to decide for the moment. Her intuition told her that this Demon King was extraordinary. Her subordinates often seemed too short-sighted. They might not truly realize the Demon King's strength.
Before Ophelia could make a final decision, the ducal hall was suddenly swept by a furious wind, and a terrifying presence and oppressive force, like a storm conjured from thin air, descended abruptly among everyone.
"Such formidable pressure!"
Everyone was forced back, their faces filled with horror. Some of the less powerful nobles and guards instantly lost consciousness and fell to the ground, incapacitated.
Ophelia rose from her seat, surrounded by a powerful and nimble aura of frost. She sternly said, "Dragon fear? It's the Demon King!"
The remaining conscious nobles and officials of the north regained their composure. When they looked intently ahead, they saw a figure clad in dark golden scales, radiating a mysterious aura, filled with majesty and dominance, boldly making an unhidden appearance in the center of the hall.
It was none other than the Demon King himself, Zhang Nu.
Zhang Nu had come alone. He could sense that there were several Level 6 entities present, including at least four of monarch-level strength, which was indeed formidable. Certainly, the Bachor Duchy of the South did not possess such mighty force. Nevertheless, even such forces were of little concern to him. With his current strength and condition, Zhang Nu did not regard these figures as a significant threat.
The Demon King's gaze fell directly on the Duke of the North, "Greetings, I am the founder of the Chaos Federation, the lord of Darkness City, the conqueror of the empire, also known as the Demon King by your accounts."
At these words, everyone present was shocked. Who could have imagined the Demon King would be so bold as to appear directly in the heart of the north? How did he manage to break in? The capital city of the north had strict spatial restrictions; spatial magic was supposedly unusable here, yet the Demon King had clearly used spatial methods to arrive. It was unbelievable, inconceivable. The capabilities of the Demon King likely far exceeded what anyone could imagine.
Ophelia, feeling immense pressure, nonetheless maintained her composure as a duchess and did not show fear, but instead challenged, "Do you intend to take us all on by yourself?"
"No, that's not my intention. If I wanted to destroy you, I wouldn't need to personally act." the Demon King declared, his arrogance reaching an extreme. He didn't regard the imperial forces of the north as a threat at all.
He continued, "The reason I've come here, traveling thousands of miles, is simply to invite you to work for me."
Ophelia scoffed, "Invite me? What could I possibly do for you? What task is so significant that it would require my personal involvement?"
The Demon King explained, "I want you to go to the imperial capital, declare your accession, and become the seventeenth Emperor of the Thunder Empire."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was stunned into silence. The Demon King had come all this way with a fearsome presence, just to invite the Duke of the North to the capital to become the emperor? This was indeed a lot to process all at once.