“You mean they’ve crossed into Torra Fortress?”
“Yes… that’s right, Your Majesty.”
“Tch…”
The demons had swiftly swept through the northern and western parts of the Empire.
Given that the main forces had been annihilated and the Hero had disappeared, it was expected that the Empire would face setbacks.
However, even so, to hear that nearly 30% of the Empire had been lost in just a few months was unbelievable.
“How could it collapse so easily? Even if the Imperial Army has weakened, if the defenders at Torra Fortress focused solely on defense, relying on the walls, they should have been able to hold out for several months at least.”
“That is true, Your Majesty, but…”
“According to the reports, the citizens revolted, opened the gates, and handed over the lord to the demons.”
“W-What?!”
“Did they really surrender to the demons? How could they trust those monsters?”
When it came to battles against other races, there was always a chance of negotiation, but when fighting the demons, the conflict was always a life-or-death struggle.
This was because, up until now, the demons had waged merciless wars against humanity.
It was common for them to leave no prisoners and wipe out every soldier.
The demons didn’t even spare the civilians in the territories they occupied, committing horrific massacres.
Therefore, the people had no choice but to fight to the death against the demons, whether they wanted to or not.
However… this time was different.
“The Hero… you mean?”
The Empire’s strongest weapon, thought to be dead for so long.
The fact that she was still alive was already shocking, but what followed was enough to make the Emperor grab his neck in disbelief.
“Yes, Hero Irushil. She has betrayed humanity, joined the demons, and is now persuading the people to surrender.”
“That… that audacious wretch!”
The name of Hero Irushil was already well-known across the Empire.
She was hailed as the greatest Hero in history, the symbol of justice who saved the free races from the demons.
Of course, this was largely due to the Emperor’s propaganda, which had worked hard to elevate the Hero’s image.
With the demon forces shaking the frontlines under Kesar’s leadership, it was crucial to maintain public morale and boost the Empire’s spirits.
But now, these efforts had come back to stab the Emperor in the back.
The symbol of justice, Hero Irushil, had sided with the demons.
This meant that, in the current era, justice was no longer associated with the Emperor but with the demons, didn’t it?
While this was an extreme way to put it, it wasn’t hard to imagine that many of the citizens might start thinking that way.
Honestly, the Emperor’s image had always been one of a tyrant—someone who exploited the people to continue waging a seemingly endless war.
Additionally, despite the quiet murmurs surrounding the succession to the throne, the truth that the Emperor killed his father to seize the throne was an open secret among the people.
With public morale already at rock bottom, and the Hero they had worked so hard to promote now on the enemy’s side, it was hardly surprising that things had turned out this way.
“How could the Hero have fallen for their tricks? No matter what, she was the Hero… How could she, even if she had to die, become an ally to them?”
“It seems like the death of her teacher had a significant impact. She was visibly troubled for a long time because of it.”
“Hmm…”
Everyone knew about the relationship between the Hero and the Great Witch Mari.
In fact, the Emperor himself had accelerated Mari’s purge because of that very connection.
“Anyway, the important thing now is what we do next. If we stand idly by, it won’t be long before they reach the Imperial Capital.”
“That is true. We must act quickly, Your Majesty.”
The enemy’s offensive was growing stronger, and with each defeat, the Empire was sinking further into an irreversible decline.
This was more than enough to alert the Empire to the imminent danger they faced.
In fact, everyone in the room could feel it.
If things continued as they were, only destruction awaited them.
“First, we need to move forward with the plan we discussed earlier. We must elect a new Hero as soon as possible, and we must spread the news of Hero Irushil’s betrayal far and wide.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Even so, with Hero Irushil, once adored by the people, now having fallen, it wouldn’t be easy to shift the atmosphere with a new Hero.
However, at the very least, it would help stabilize the wavering morale to some extent.
What was needed now was to buy time by persuading the surrounding free races to stand against the demons, and for that, even a temporary measure like this had to be carried out as best as possible.
Gold was needed to support these efforts.
Moreover, in order to secure the Church’s full cooperation, electing a new Hero was an essential step.
“The problem is with the Holy Sword…”
“Hmm…”
The Hero could be elected anew.
However, the Holy Sword, the only one of its kind, was now in the hands of the fallen Hero Irushil.
Recovering it was absolutely impossible in the current situation.
As the Emperor and others were deeply troubled by this, a voice suddenly spoke up.
“Your Majesty. I have something to tell you regarding that matter.”
“What is it, Sir Brutus?”
Brutus, the man who had been involved in Mari’s purge and was now the newly appointed Master of the Magic Tower, spoke in a grave tone.
Although the state of the Empire was precarious, his rise to power—getting the Master of the Magic Tower position—had been relatively easy in the current circumstances.
“Actually, I have something in the Magic Tower that has been kept in storage for a long time. It is a sword discovered and kept by the late Great Witch Mari, and the magic contained within it is no ordinary power.”
“Mari, the Great Witch, you say?”
“Hmm…”
“Yes. From my limited understanding, I believe that, if we use it wisely, this sword could serve as a replacement for the lost Holy Sword. What do you think, Your Majesty?”
The Emperor found the suggestion somewhat plausible.
Though the sword might be close to a mere imitation and wouldn’t fully replace the Holy Sword’s sacred power, what was most urgently needed now was a powerful weapon that could match the Hero’s strength.
Most importantly, if there was a substitute, even if imperfect, it would give them something they lacked.
With no other options, the decision had to be made quickly.
“I grant you permission. Speak with the Church and conduct the ceremony, treating that sword as the Holy Sword.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
With the Emperor’s command given, the selection of the ‘Holy Sword’ was confirmed.
Although there was an underlying sense of unease, for now, the most important thing was to put out the fire of the immediate crisis.
Thus, there was no one who objected.
Meanwhile, the demons had devoured the entire northwestern part of the Empire.
Now, with the path to the Imperial Capital wide open, I, along with the Four Great Demon Lords, gathered to discuss the next steps for the situation ahead.
“What do you think about continuing our advance? After everything we’ve fought through, it’s clear that they’re just a bunch of puppets. If we push a little harder, we should be able to take the Imperial Capital easily.”
“I agree. There’s no point in wasting time and precious supplies. We should move forward now.”
Both Alexandra and Charlemagne were eager to march toward the Imperial Capital immediately.
However, I slowly shook my head in response.
“Our soldiers are exhausted from coming this far. We should take a break for now and wait for additional support.”
“What are you saying now? They’re a bunch of rabble. We all know they didn’t put up any resistance while our forces advanced!”
Alexandra, fired up and insisting on continuing the march, was relentless.
But despite his heated attitude, I was firm in my decision not to push further at this time.
In fact, it wasn’t so much that I couldn’t, but more that I had no intention of doing so…
“If you want to keep moving forward, go ahead. My forces and I will rest here for a while.”
“Tch! Fine! Do whatever you want! I’ll go right now and take that damn Emperor’s head myself!”
In a huff, Alexandra stormed out of the camp, clearly furious.
Charlemagne, who had been observing from the sidelines, hesitated for a moment, then followed him outside.
Now, it was just Mari and me left.
After a brief silence, Mari spoke up, her voice cautious.
“So, you’ve decided to stay, have you? It’s true that the soldiers are quite fatigued, but it’s not like this is an insurmountable issue.”
Mari raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing that my decision to remain was more of an excuse than a legitimate concern.
She could see through me, unlike the others.
In response, I decided to reveal a secret to her—one that I hadn’t shared with anyone else…
No, more accurately, it was something she likely already knew.
“Brynac.”
The moment I said the name, Mari’s face went stiff.
She immediately understood the situation, given that Brynac had originally belonged to her.
“D-Don’t tell me… The Emperor has it?”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be the Emperor, but someone from the Magic Tower will definitely pull it out. In a situation like this, I would do the same.”
Mari furrowed her brow in response to my words.
Watching her expression, I stood up from my seat, feeling a bitter sense of unease.
I couldn’t help but think back to the final boss fight in the original story…
The moment when Brynac was used in battle.
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