Kill the Emperor

Translator: AkazaTL

Pr/Ed: Sol IX

***

Chapter 123 : Am I Just an Ordinary Person?

Was it because he had returned after a long time?

Tecumseh had to pull his collar tight against the unfamiliar chill that suddenly rushed over his body.

Of course, Eldrigal was originally a land where a desolate energy lingered, as there were not many residents compared to its size.

However, the chill touching his skin now felt unfamiliar to the point where it was difficult to describe it as simply desolate.

Tecumseh's movements as he stepped off the ship were bound to be awkward.

"Let us go."

On the other hand, the appearance of I, Hein Reichart, as I surveyed the surroundings, was very natural.

An appearance that looked familiar, as if I had been to this island dozens of times.

However, what was even more surprising was the fact that, unlike the Haken members who looked to be in quite poor condition, I, Hein Reichart, appeared to feel no pain at all.

But among the 100 Haken members, no one asked me for the reason.

In their minds, I was already a person who 'makes the impossible possible as much as one wants'.

"The ones who have business with the Grand Chief are probably around the Great Temple by now. Grand Chief, could I ask you to lead the way?"

"I shall do so. Everyone, please follow me."

Even though this was the hometown where Tecumseh was born and raised, the person leading the situation was, funnily enough, not Tecumseh but me.

The Grand Chief stood at the front and guided the group to the Great Temple, and I moved my steps at the very rear to guard the tail.

Rustle, rustle.

Clang! Clang!

Was it just a feeling? Between the sounds of the wind hitting the grass, it felt like the sound of sharp weapons clashing could be heard.

***

"Waaaaagh!"

When Ankang Pimera, the head of the Pimera tribe, let out a shout, the Priest Knights let out a roar all at once.

In his hand was the head of Galgabaro, and at his feet, the head of Etangu was rolling around.

The civil war that had unfolded fiercely over two days and nights finally ended in the victory of the High Priest's side.

The initial momentum of the tribal forces was fierce, but after the Temple Knights and Pimera's guard unit, which the High Priest had prepared as hidden cards, participated in the battle in earnest, the tide of victory tilted sharply toward the High Priest.

In that process, more than eighty percent of the soldiers following the tribal chiefs were slaughtered, and on the High Priest's side as well, the remaining force was less than half.

However…….

‘It's done. This is enough!’

The expression of the High Priest, who saw Galgabaro's head held in the hand of the Pimera Family Head, looked bright enough.

‘Since the soldiers of the tribal chief bastards have all ended up in this state, all that's left on this island are those who are like cowardly rabbits. Even with the current military force, it's more than enough to browbeat and rule over those foolish cowards!’

The dream of ruling the island, which had momentarily moved away, seemed to be flickering before his eyes again, and the High Priest's nostrils flared continuously, unable to overcome the excitement.

The High Priest's calculation that this military force was enough to rule the residents by force was not wrong.

"Did you do such a thing to me just to pull off something like this?"

That is, if the enemies the High Priest had to face were only the residents who had lost their focal point.

"……!"

The High Priest, who heard an unexpected voice, looked toward the direction the voice came from with an expression of disbelief.

"It has been a long time."

And the moment he saw the owner of the voice.

The High Priest's expression was distorted truly brutally.

"You bastard, you were still drawing breath!"

The return of the pursuers sent to take the Grand Chief's head was being delayed, but he had not been particularly worried.

He had guessed that the return was delayed because they were acting while avoiding the eyes of the continentals.

But for the Grand Chief to appear before his eyes in such a perfectly fine state?

Moreover, while accompanied by a large number of knights who seemed at a glance to possess extraordinary skills.

‘Continentals? ……No, how could continents be here?’

Looking at the aura of the hundred or so knights standing behind the Grand Chief, their physical condition did not look very good.

However, no matter how poor their condition was, they possessed perfect armaments that could not be compared with the light armaments of the Priest Knights.

That alone was enough to give a sense of intimidation to the High Priest's side.

"……!"

This was not the end of the things for the High Priest to be surprised about.

Behind the Grand Chief, a procession of residents revealed itself hesitantly.

In the hands of the residents lined up, crude weapons such as farm tools or bamboo spears, which seemed to have been brought from home, were held.

"W-we believe in the Grand Chief!"

"We no longer believe in your lies, High Priest! There's no way the Grand Chief would have sold us out to the continentals!"

"We won't be fooled by you bastards anymore!"

Even though their limbs were trembling because they could not overcome the shock given by the terrible tragedy unfolding before their eyes, the residents squeezed out their courage and raised their voices respectively.

This procession was absolutely not an artificial procession created because the Grand Chief mobilized them or gave an order.

The Grand Chief had simply shown himself while coming here.

It was the result of the residents, who were moved by the fact that they met the Grand Chief again whom they thought they would never see again, each grabbing a weapon and following along.

Grit.

Through this sight, the High Priest could see that the hearts of the residents were already toward the Grand Chief.

Of course, a moment ago, he had concluded that the residents of the island were like frightened rabbits.

But catching a frightened rabbit and facing a 'pack of rabbits led by a lion' were completely different things.

Wink.

The High Priest immediately sent a signal to his son-in-law.

Telling him to take the head of the 'lion' who was commanding the pack of rabbits while taking advantage of the chaotic situation.

As soon as he received that signal, the Family Head of Pimera rushed toward the Grand Chief immediately.

While holding daggers coated with a deadly poison that would make one vomit blood just by a scratch in both hands.

Ankang Pimera, who was famous for his agile movements, rushed in with a momentum truly like an arrow,

Squelch!

His head was cut off at lightning speed.

Roll, roll-

Looking at the head of his son-in-law rolling on the floor with an expression that looked like he knew nothing of what had happened, the High Priest sat down on that spot inadvertently.

The one who cut off Ankang's head was the black-haired continental who was guarding the spot next to the Grand Chief.

He had only swung his sword once.

But what was cut away by his sword was not just Ankang's head.

"……How…… could you do such a thing……."

"It's over. It's all over…… we're paying the price for betraying the Grand Chief by believing only the words of that senile old man. Uuuugh……."

The moment Axion cut off Ankang's head, the will to resist from the Priest Knights and the traitors was also cut away.

Even though most had been harmed by the civil war, if the High Priest's military force and the remnants were gathered, the remaining troops would still easily be in the thousands.

However,

"If you drop your weapons and kneel, I will look into the severity of the crimes you have committed. But if you do not put down your swords now, everyone dies in this spot."

With these words from me, the will to resist of the thousands fell to the ground just like that.

Clang, clatter!

The soldiers vied with each other to throw away their weapons and then knelt on the spot.

"Bind those criminals immediately!"

And according to the Grand Chief's command, the residents tied the soldiers' bodies tightly using plant vines they had prepared.

"He…… hee-hee-!"

The High Priest, who watched his dirty desire being shattered into pieces in real-time, eventually could not overcome the shock and fled inside the Great Temple.

The Grand Chief, who was watching this scene silently, asked me with a complicated expression.

"This scene, is it all the Grand Duke's handiwork?"

"I will not say it is not."

"Mmm……."

The Grand Chief's eyes, which took in the groups of fallen traitors in his sight, were indeed shaking violently.

It was true that countless compatriots (even if they were a group of traitors) lost their lives because of the scheme to sow discord that I had devised.

But what if, without such a strategy, he had led the residents and fought a battle with the 'allied forces of the High Priest and the traitor tribal chiefs'?

Probably several times, no, dozens of times the number of people who died now would have had to shed blood.

Because if they knew that he had appeared, the High Priest and the tribal chief forces would not have been at odds with each other.

If they had fought a bloody battle with the traitors who preserved their strength intact like that…

Even if he and the residents had gained victory in the battle, this island would have been completely covered in blood.

‘He is a truly frightening person. Both the schemes that are malicious enough to look atrocious and the cold-headedness that devised such an operation in this short moment…… truly, he is a truly frightening person.’

The Grand Chief shook his head while looking at me with an expression that was half admiration and half fear.

‘Is this person really the same person who rejected my proposal, saying it was unreasonable for him to take too unilateral a profit?’

Tecumseh thought that even if he succeeded in regaining his authority, not a few innocent people would have to shed blood in the process.

But to achieve restoration by taking only the dirty blood of traitors as a sacrifice.

It was something that Tecumseh could not help but be surprised by.

"We should wrap this up. What will you do?"

I pointed toward the Great Temple where the High Priest had disappeared while touching the hilt of my sword.

Informing him that if he was uncomfortable with getting blood on his hands, I could take care of it for him.

However.

"Please leave this place to this person. How could I borrow the Grand Duke's hand even for such a task."

Tecumseh, who shook his head with a determined expression, strode into the Great Temple.

"Waaaa! The Grand Chief took care of it!"

"Long live Grand Chief Tecumseh!"

Soon, Tecumseh, who returned in less than ten minutes, held the head of the High Priest in his right hand.

The residents who saw this let out a roar and welcomed the return of the Grand Chief they loved.

"It seems things are being settled. You all worked hard as well."

"Ugh, no. Your Excellency! We are perfectly fine!"

I slightly turned my head and offered praise to the Haken members who had kept their positions while enduring the pain.

However, even while they looked like they were about to die, they did not stop bluffing in front of their lord.

"Is that so? Then how about staying here for about two more days before leaving?"

"I'll pass!"

"There is so much to do, how could we waste time in a place like this!"

Toward the Haken members who shouted with startled expressions, I showed a gentle smile announcing that all the commotion surrounding Eldrigal had been wrapped up.

***

"Your Excellency…… what is all this?"

“Did I not tell the Minister? After suddenly buying a merchant guild that was going bankrupt, where did I intend to find the business capital from?"

Wagons loaded with ore came in a line.

Sheldrick could not help but gape.

Even in his eyes, as someone who did not have much knowledge in magic metallurgy, he thought that these were no ordinary items.

"Since the Minister seemed to have many worries, I simply brought back a very small amount of goods for the time being to put your mind at ease."

"A small amount? Your Excellency, did you just say a small amount?"

Even with a rough count, if it was this much mineral, it seemed enough to cover a quarterly budget of Zodiac.

But this was a small amount?

"Once Eldrigal finds complete stability under the rule of Grand Chief Tecumseh, a much larger amount than this will arrive periodically from then on."

"A larger amount will come in periodically…… Haha, Your Excellency, this isn't a dream, is it?"

"How could it be? First, it seems we should purchase the food to be sent to the island. Because the Grand Chief will need plenty of food to soothe the hearts of the island residents who have experienced great confusion."

Why are you so surprised by just this?

Looking at me, as I calmly planned the next work schedule with such an expression, Sheldrick could not help but burst into a hollow laugh.

The words I had said earlier, that 'I would set a stage that is not shameful for the position of a Grand Duke of Zodiac', suddenly rose in his mind.

‘This is more than enough. Yes, more than enough. No matter how I look at it, the title of Grand Duke of this country seems to be a vessel far too small to fully contain Your Excellency.’

Moreover, I had said that in exchange for being guaranteed the status of a state-run merchant guild, I would donate half of the merchant guild's shares to the state.

In other words, it meant that half of the amount from disposing of those ores would be reverted to the national treasury.

Countless welfare projects and public interest projects, which he had wanted to do right away but could not even dream of due to lack of budget, filled Sheldrick's mind in an instant.

"Your Excellency, I will ask one thing. Are you really a 'human' just like me?"

Sheldrick, soaked in surging emotion, offered a joke that he rarely made.

"I am a human. And an ordinary person with quite a bit of greed for money at that."

I answered immediately with a smirk and then picked up a piece of ore loaded on the wagon.

"Now I just need to prepare to buy a dragon's liver and make a sauté to eat."