Episode 14: Empire (2)
The Wish Right.
A privilege granted directly by the emperor, it temporarily bestows the full authority of the empire upon an individual—an exceptional honor.
It supersedes laws, stands above all nobles, and can even command life itself.
In the game’s lore, during an era when Aura techniques were underdeveloped, a Wish Right was once granted.
A knight who defeated a great demonic beast without Aura requested tax exemption for his hometown, and the emperor mobilized the empire’s treasury to make it happen.
Now, that Wish Right was granted to me.
I raised my head, meeting the emperor’s gaze through the veil. Despite the barrier, her stare was palpable.
“Speak your wish, hero of the Founding Emperor.”
The emperor’s voice reverberated through the hall like a powerful wave. I hesitated briefly, unsure of what to wish for. In the game, this scenario was rare, and I hadn’t anticipated the emperor granting me a Wish Right.
There was no doubt this world was skewed somehow. Yet, the apocalyptic branches from the original story still existed. If I could wish for anything, what should I choose? After deliberation, I spoke.
“Three times. At a time, place, and question of my choosing… allow me to hear the truth from Your Majesty.”
I didn’t wish for something like, “Give me the list of the anti-imperial Red Star group and execute them all!” or “Declare war on the south for their horrific experiments!”
More accurately, I couldn’t.
Realizing the characters from the original story had changed, I suspected the story itself might have shifted.
Recklessly baring my fangs could invite a counterattack.
What if the Red Star had already seized control of the empire and was merely biding its time to replace the emperor?
Making such a wish could bring a swarm of assassins to my door. That would only complicate things.
Thus, my wish was for information—to confirm if this world was truly the one I knew, if the factions from the original story still existed.
Only then could I prepare for the impending apocalypse. And what I truly aimed for—
“Is that truly all you wish for?” the emperor asked.
“That is the entirety of my wish, Your Majesty.”
A murmur spread through the banquet hall. Everyone likely noticed how modest my wish was. The emperor fell silent, then spoke calmly after a pause.
“That is far too small a reward for your deeds.”
The emperor’s voice carried a suppressed dissatisfaction, as if things weren’t going as planned.
“I can grant you anything within the empire’s power. If you wish to be a king, I will create a kingdom for you.”
Murmurs grew among the nobles. Becoming a king was, in a way, their ultimate aspiration.
“If you desire, I can have the empire’s most beautiful women line up before you—thousands, tens of thousands, chosen to your taste.”
Irena and Freya’s expressions stiffened slightly.
“Speak another wish. I swear on the empire’s name to grant anything.”
I took a breath and made my request.
“Incorporate the Wave Technique I developed into the official curriculum of the Imperial Academy.”
A brief silence followed, then the emperor let out a low laugh, tinged with wry amusement. But her eyes, beyond the veil, remained sharp. The emotion was deliberate.
“Truly, is that all?”
“…Yes.”
“Haa…”
The emperor exhaled deeply.
“Still far too little for your achievements. I could give you anything.”
Then, as if bored, the emperor declared,
“Very well. I shall decide your reward myself.”
Raising a hand with an air of ennui, the emperor spoke from behind the veil.
“Ian.”
My name echoed again, and the emperor continued slowly.
“I bestow upon you the title of Duke of Valencia.”
The hall froze at those words. In the deafening silence, the emperor’s voice struck again, heavier.
“Furthermore, I open the empire’s Imperial Blood Vault to you.”
Imperial Blood Vault.
Another name for the empire’s treasury. It’s no mere vault of riches.
It’s a kind of subspace, built from the hearts of great demonic beasts defeated by successive emperors.
Saturated with the demonic energy accumulated in their bodies, it holds the very history of the empire.
Legendary weapons, ancient contracts, elixirs no longer craftable, scrolls of eastern sorcery… Even the “Beast’s Egg,” said to be capable of destroying the world, is rumored to be sealed there.
In the game, it contained buff items, accessories, and near-endgame gear. Though, by that point, a player’s style is usually set, so not everything is necessary.
‘She is opening it…?’
Naturally, the Imperial Blood Vault isn’t just a reward vault.
It’s a space the emperor permits only to imperial successors or those who’ve etched their names in history.
Some high-ranking nobles flinched, rising from their seats, murmuring.
They seemed more shocked by this than the granting of a dukedom.
All eyes turned to me—nobles, generals, high officials.
Some gazes were cold, as if questioning whether I’d aimed for this, while others betrayed unconcealed shock and confusion.
Breaking the silence, someone stood abruptly—a portly noble with multiple chins, Count Balor Roen, head of the royal treasury and a known figure.
In the original story, he was a member of the Red Star. Unlike the emperor or Franz, whose appearances had shifted to be more refined, Roen’s was even uglier than in the game. Why? I had no answer yet. His face was flushed red.
“Your Majesty! This cannot be!”
“…?”
“A commoner receiving the title of a duke is unprecedented! It undermines the noble order!”
Pointing at me, he continued,
“This man is merely an obscure figure who shed blood on the battlefield. Such a drastic act insults the empire’s lineage and tradition—”
The emperor raised a hand, silencing Roen. Surveying the now-quiet hall, the emperor adjusted her posture and spoke calmly.
“Then tell me, what reward befits a hero who achieved the feats of the Founding Emperor?”
“While Sir Ian’s influence on the battlefield was significant, the title of a duke for a commoner is unthinkable. I propose a baronetcy instead—”
“Again.”
The emperor cut him off.
“I ask again: what reward befits a hero of the Founding Emperor’s caliber?”
“…A barony would be a sufficient honor for a commoner—”
“Again. What reward befits a hero of the Founding Emperor’s caliber?”
As Roen, red-faced, opened his mouth to speak again, he realized the emperor was staring directly at him.
The emperor’s golden eyes, slit vertically like a reptile’s, locked onto him. Roen felt his limbs go numb.
“Have you suddenly gone mute, Count Roen? I ask again.”
He opened his mouth, but no sound came. It was as if his organs had stopped functioning.
“For a hero of the Founding Emperor.”
He tried to turn his head, but his body wouldn’t move. His rigid neck muscles defied his will.
“What reward.”
He couldn’t tear his eyes from the chilling golden gaze, as if the emperor had seized control of his body. Seconds felt like an eternity.
“Is fitting?”
His breath caught, his lungs constricting painfully. Roen gasped, struggling to breathe.
“What do you think?”
As the words ended, Roen collapsed, kneeling and gasping for air.
Coughing, he bowed deeply to the emperor.
A strange liquid seeped from him, pooling on the banquet floor.
“…Your Majesty’s will is truly just.”
“Indeed.”
A faint, satisfied laugh escaped from behind the veil. The frozen air in the hall thawed.
“Ian. No, Ian Valencia. Henceforth, you are Duke Valencia. A fine title, is it not?”
Damn, full name reveal
ReplyDeleteThabks for the chapter!!!!! The Emperor doesn't mess around
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