Days passed.
During this time, new forces from around the world joined us one after another.
"I'm here~!"
Yun, who had gone far north, returned leading the people of the Northern Kingdom as their official envoy. She stood before me, grinning.
"I've come as the official envoy representing the entire Ariane Kingdom and the Northern Kingdom, you know?"
"You came quite quickly, considering the distance."
Honestly, I thought she wouldn't return until everything here was settled.
"Hehe, actually... Our country had secretly kept a few airships."
"...Is it okay to speak of such secrets?"
"Well, they're so old that they broke down halfway through, so I ended up riding a wolf the rest of the way. And there's even one in this city."
Yun shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and looked around eagerly.
"By the way, where's Kuilan! Where is Kuilan?!"
It's said that there's no sincerity in prayers but only interest in the sacrificial offerings – that's exactly her case.
"Honestly, if it were only about joining the monster front, I wouldn't have been able to come back. But since I said I found a husband, my parents sent me again."
"...Don't parents usually oppose first when their daughter says she's found a husband?"
"Not in the North. Especially if the prospective husband is tall, strong, and has a lot of hair."
What kind of place is the North in this world...?
Anyway, Yun and her delegation (which seemed more like a royal bridegroom assessment team) excitedly went into the city looking for Kuilan... I don't know. Let them do as they please with their matchmaking or blind dates.
"Ash!"
Dusk Bringar also returned.
She brought back with her people from small countries unreachable by communication, descendants of the Western Kingdom, and leaders of states hostile to the Empire...
Perhaps thanks to the Bringar Duchy openly challenging the Empire? A large number of real 'fallen kings' – those who had been dethroned by the Empire and living in hiding – also came with her.
After introducing them, Dusk Bringar raised her chin proudly.
"Hehe, I do have some influence. Feel free to praise me!"
"I always had faith in you, Duchess."
While Dusk Bringar and I had a warm relationship, the other fallen kings she brought were glaring at me with suspicion... Well, I am the third prince of the Empire, after all.
"You must be tired from the journey. Please, come this way."
Since I had enough of being grilled, I smiled gently and led them to the hotel.
After almost all the kings on the list had arrived, finally.
"Your Highness."
Hannibal arrived.
The shaggy-haired boy who had been Kellibey's assistant and performed spirit enchants.
Hannibal, who had left the city with my permission to go to his 'hometown,' returned neatly dressed.
With his hair, once long enough to cover his eyes, neatly trimmed, he looked like a different person.
'Children grow up so fast.'
While I was thinking this, Hannibal respectfully bowed before me.
"Thank you for agreeing to the demands of our 'Halfblood' community, Your Highness. Thanks to that, we were able to quickly gather a consensus and come here."
"It wasn't a big request. There was no need to ponder over it."
Hannibal is a member of 'Halfblood', a community of mixed-race individuals hidden throughout this world.
These people, suffering even more discrimination and persecution than different races, are often abandoned at birth.
Even if they survive their harsh childhood, they spend their lives hiding their identity.
"We don't have a country or a nation. All we have is an underground community formed in secrecy."
Halfbloods can easily recognize each other.
This is often due to spirits residing within them.
There's an old tale that spirits cherish orphans.
I thought it was just a tale to give hope to orphans, but apparently, halfbloods actually have a significantly higher sensitivity to spirits.
"When Your Highness mentioned gathering forces to face a great enemy... I thought we should contribute, even if our strength is small."
Hannibal pointed to four boys and girls who had come with him.
They were all spirit users. A party of five spirit users had now joined my ranks.
"Although our numbers are few, these are the best among the Halfbloods at commanding spirits. We will do our utmost to support Your Highness and the monster front."
"Only those who act can seize opportunities."
I smiled.
"You and your friends have seized an opportunity."
The demands of these Halfbloods were simple.
Improving the treatment of mixed-race individuals.
I was more than willing to meet this request.
"Come in, spirit users. We'll be starting a meeting soon."
The visibly nervous children hesitantly entered the hotel. I watched them with a smile.
***
I began individual meetings with the kings.
Knowing what each of them desired, I didn't hesitate to present my conditions.
Most of them accepted my offer.
Having seen the monsters and felt their threat, they set aside their other interests to promise cooperation.
However, there were not a few who doubted and wanted to refuse me. They intended to leave the meeting without joining my forces.
'I'm sorry, but I can't just let them go.'
I already knew their inner thoughts.
Over the past few days, I had deployed the Gambler's Club party, using illusion, puppetry, clairvoyance, and mind-reading to uncover their true intentions.
Not to mention the game's information.
I was aware of each fallen king's recruitment conditions as well as their adversarial conditions. In other words, I knew their weaknesses.
Using this, I proceeded with both threats and persuasion.
I held their weaknesses and pressed them, armed with evidence.
"You say I secretly amassed slush funds without my citizens' knowledge, how rude! Where is your evidence?!"
"You claim I'm in an illicit relationship with our country's Minister of State?! Absurd! Where did you pick up such baseless gossip?"
"Hahaha. Look here, Prince Ash. Why do we, of the same kind, do this to each other? Backstabbing is a basic right of leaders, isn't it?"
At first, they all tried to resist, but eventually...
"Alright! Fine! I'll cooperate fully! Just please don't publicize that matter!"
"Please keep it a secret... I have a remarriage wedding planned next year... If the affair comes out, it's all over..."
"I thought I found a kindred spirit in you, but you're just as dark-hearted! Let's see how long you can keep up this charade of being good! Damn it!"
In the end, they all gave in.
It was easier than expected.
The ones who had been stubbornly resistant when I tried to woo them gently folded quickly when I fiercely threatened their vulnerabilities.
'By any means necessary, I will unite everyone under one force.'
With a mix of carrot and stick, a blend of coaxing and threatening, I concluded agreements with the leaders of all forces.
And after this process was completed.
On the final night of the meeting, with all participants gathered at the banquet.
I finally disclosed Fernandez's purpose.
***
"Fernandez intends to melt and kill all humans within the Imperial Capital."
My calm statement froze the air in the banquet hall.
With eyes wide in horror, the attendees looked at me as I casually swirled the wine in my glass.
"The Aegis Special Forces and the Magical Troop have installed a human sacrifice magic circle 'Shutdown Protocol' in the underground of New Terra in the Imperial Capital."
"..."
"Despite being a massive undertaking, the project was delayed for various reasons... but its completion is imminent now."
The estimated completion date is this winter.
It could be as soon as a month from now or, at most, a few months away.
And once it's activated,
"Every living being in the Imperial Capital will be annihilated, including Fernandez himself."
"..."
An uncomfortable silence followed.
It must be hard for everyone to stay sane in the face of such a mad tale.
Breaking the silence, Elf Queen Skuld spoke up.
"Why would he do such a thing?"
"..."
"For what purpose... After winning the throne in a fierce battle, why would he massacre the citizens of his own capital? It's something only a madman would do."
That's right. Without a doubt, Fernandez is insane.
His motives or principles are unfathomable. However, I can guess what he intends to achieve through this madness.
"Basically, Fernandez is convinced that he cannot win the war against the monsters. I don't know why he made this judgment... but his conviction seems solid."
He was the type to declare surrender even before trying to fight.
His original reason for wanting to become emperor was to beg for his life from 'the representative of the monsters' as 'the representative of humanity.'
However, the Demon King rejected his surrender.
Then, as a second-best... or rather, the worst option, Fernandez chose this method.
"The Shutdown Protocol burns the body. But the soul remains there."
"...?!"
"And in the Imperial Capital of New Terra, there is a tree that can connect to the spirit world, the Black Thorn Tree, Everblack."
"You mean...!"
"That's exactly it."
I sighed deeply.
"Fernandez plans to 'kill' all the people of the Imperial Capital, taking only their souls to seek refuge in the spirit world... That's his plan."
This is the true nature of the 'Final Ark.'
Fernandez has concluded that he cannot win against the impending doom.
Yet, he decided to continue the legacy of the Empire and the survival of humanity 'by any means necessary.'
Even if it meant living without physical bodies. As long as the spirit continues.
Even if only the souls could escape.
That was his decision.
"In some ways, it could be seen as attaining eternal life."
Bitterly, I recalled the magic city submerged under the lake - the Lake Kingdom.
That great magical kingdom too had fallen into such a state in its quest for eternal life.
The Empire on the surface, though different in form, was seeking to become essentially the same.
"Through the Shutdown Protocol, sacrificing living humans as offerings will generate immense energy. If you offer the lives of all residing in the Imperial Capital... the amount of energy harvested would be unprecedented."
The Shutdown Protocol itself can be seen as a burnt offering ritual.
And with the massive energy gained from this offering, the souls will be loaded onto the ark and escape to the spirit world.
Even if the real world is devastated by monsters, the 'chosen' citizens of the Empire will continue their eternal lives in the spirit realm.
"Honestly, many of you here in this room... would be quite happy if the Imperial Capital just evaporated."
I glanced around at the various kings in the banquet hall. Not a few of them twitched at my words.
These are the fallen kings, driven to the borders.
Most of them have grudges against the Empire.
Honestly, if the Empire burns down its own Imperial Capital, many would rejoice.
"But everyone. Without a united front from the entire world, we cannot win the war against the monsters."
Even if all the small countries join forces.
Eventually, without the full strength of the Everblack Empire, which currently holds sway over the world, the power of the alliance would be reduced by more than half.
We need to reclaim the Imperial Capital and retrieve the control of the Empire.
And give that madman Fernandez a good, hard punch in the gut for devising such a crazy plan.
"Can we stop it?"
"Of course."
Responding to Skuld's trembling voice, I smiled confidently.
"With your full cooperation, we can definitely stop it."
Fernandez's conspiracy.
The invasion of the monsters.
We will thwart them all and move beyond the third year's ending into the world that follows.
That's why I'm here.
***
So, after days of coaxing, cajoling, beating, and threatening, all the kings and leaders present at this meeting promised their cooperation.
Especially after hearing Fernandez's insane plan, any remaining doubts seemed to have vanished.
Whether Fernandez self-destructs or his plan is thwarted by me.
Either way, the next reign over the Empire was seen to be falling into my hands, a conclusion they had drawn after thinking it through.
"I hereby declare the formation of the 'World Defense Front' at this gathering."
The alliance was formed.
Though it was a coalition of dethroned kings pushed to the borders, it was not a small force when united.
Now, we were not outnumbered, whether facing Fernandez or the Demon King.
'It doesn't matter if it's a ragtag group.'
Every veteran was once a recruit, and every great empire began as a handful of soldiers.
If it is the discretion of a king to hone and expand this, then it will be proven this time.
Whether I truly have the mettle of an emperor.
"As the leader of the alliance, His Highness Ash 'Born Hater' Everblack, the Lord of Crossroad, has been unanimously elected."
Unanimously, I was elected as the leader of the alliance.
As Skuld announced this, I stood up and gave a light bow, receiving applause from everyone. Clap, clap, clap...
"Having become the leader of an alliance of kings..."
Dwarf King Kellison, who had stood up to applaud, smirked and joked cheekily.
"Do we now call you the King of Kings... the supreme king?"
"That's quite a burdensome title."
I awkwardly deflected the comment, adjusted my expression, and cleared my voice, then raised my wine glass.
"Let's go together, everyone."
All the kings stood up, raising their glasses in unison.
I stated succinctly.
"To protect the world of us all."
I downed my glass in one go, and all the kings followed suit, drinking from their glasses.
The alliance was ready. The ammunition was loaded.
Now, all that remained was the final battle.
--TL Notes--
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