CH 205

64. The Fallen Imperial Family (4)

All the commanders pondered Iron’s proposal. 

‘Is this the right thing to do?’

But there was rationale for the proposal, and their hearts were already inclined towards accepting the emperor’s will. 

How much had they suffered at the hands of the Imperial family and the central nobles? And for so long too?

Seeing what the north and northeast alone had suffered at the hands was enough to make one gnash their teeth. The other regions did not escape the suffering either. Even the west that had received some sort of support from the Center had always found it disappointing, and the central command had always had to play second fiddle to the capital guards. 

All this while, they had unknowingly been stacking up grievances against the Center. The more they thought about it, the more their negative emotions intensified. As their expressions became progressively worse, one of them finally broke the silence. 

“I agree.”

After Crimson, Jayden Wicks followed up, as if he’d known that Crimson would say that. 

“Me too.”

Once both of them voiced their agreement, the other commanders began agreeing too one after the other, leaving only the two family heads remaining. 

“I have no reason to oppose.”

“Same here……”

The Godly Sword and Lion family heads agreed with looks of indifference on their faces. That meant that everyone in the room had accepted the late emperor’s will as it was written. It also meant that they had brought the days of the imperial family to an end. They would not have to pay them the respect due royalty any more. 

In this time of chaos, that was no less than a death sentence for the members of the imperial family. The nobles would abandon them, and without their past authority they would probably have to live the same lives as the commoners did. 

But that was their problem. 

There were many more people all over the kingdom whose lives were worse than that during these times. 

The commanders made the decision as they had nothing else to worry about, immediately informed the ministers of their decision, and the very next day the military’s opinion was announced to the rest of the empire. 

“……therefore, we the military have decided to accept His Majesty’s will.”

Once Crimson, standing as their representative, finished the announcement, the two clan heads also stepped forward to speak. 

“The north will also accept His Majesty’s will.”

“As will the south.”

The other nobles fell into chaos once they heard that the two clan heads had agreed. 

“If the nobles disappear from the empire, your two clans will also be affected.”

“Is this really the decision you are making?”

At the nobles’ questions, the two family heads chuckled. The Lion clan was one that revered strength, and the Godly Sword family members only had swords and swordsmanship on their minds. So they did not give a hoot if all the rank and privilege that came with being nobles that they had was taken away. 

As for the commanders? Most of them did not care either. True, the central commander and the western commander were from distinguished families, but they had become masters through their own blood and sweat, and liked to prove their strength on their own. 

Now that the military commanders and the two greatest families in the empire had unanimously made such a decision, the military minister could not oppose them. Once he agreed, the other ministers followed suit. Those ministers that had either been bribed or threatened by the nobles had no choice but to follow the consensus. 

[Military says it will accept Emperor’s will!]

[Central government leaning towards will acceptance…]

[Imperial family: where they stand now in history…]

After the military’s announcement, even before the day was over, all the newspapers carried news of it, even adding the ministers’ decision as well. 

Morning the next day. 

“The empire will follow the last orders of the late emperor, His Majesty, and work to begin a new era!”

The one who made the announcement was the interim prime minister, who was also the minister of finance. The minute he made the declaration, the countless citizens in the square began cheering. 

A new era. Just listening to it made their hearts soar. They knew that they could not remove all the nobles and overthrow all the existing systems right that moment; that wasn’t what the reformists wanted. But this declaration meant that they now had the foothold, a basis from which to start changing things one by one. 

As the common people shed tears of joy, the scholars, who previously could not rise the ranks because they lacked status, personal connections, blood ties, school ties or what may be, burst into rip-roaring laughter. 

_______________

The commanders, seeing all this, realized that their business in the capital was done. 

“I should return now.”

“Yes, I have been gone for too long now.”

Jayden Wicks nodded, replying to Crimson’s words in agreement. 

The two commanders were making their way to the warp gate. It was still early dawn, with no sign of the sun’s rising and thick fog all around. The two had no idea when the frost giants would return to attack, so they had to return as quickly as possible. But then, they heard Lioner’s voice. 

“Are you leaving me behind?”

The commanders’ eyes widened at the Lion clan head’s words, before they chuckled. The entire northern region was faced with the threat of the frost giants. So the Lion clan had been carrying out operations in the northeast on the down low. 

When the three masters reached the warp gate, there was a fourth person there. 

“You must all be very busy.”

The eastern commander spoke, walking towards Crimson. 

“You are leaving already too?”

The eastern commander nodded his head at Jayden’s question. 

“There are still lots of problems with Atlantis.”

“Hoo… there is really no unscathed region,” Jayden shook his head as he said, sighing deeply. 

Problems were popping up, one after the other, in all parts of the empire. Thankfully, they now had more wiggle room due to the soldiers’ awakening. But their awakening was a double-edged sword as it created yet another problem for the commanders. The entire army, not just one or two people, had awakened, so they had to restructure the army, gathering the people who had the same skills together, which created a mountain of administrative work for them. 

There was so much work to do, they felt they would rather go fight the frost giants for a round or two instead. 

“This……”

Crimson looked towards the warp gate and saw that all the other commanders, including the southern commander, were gathered there. Everyone’s command was facing one problem or the other, so they wanted to return quickly. That was why they were all gathered there in the early hours of the morning. 

All regions of the empire, except the central region, was at war. Even the northeast that had finished their battle, was still teeming with monsters that needed to be dealt with. 

“You are leaving?”

Jayden Wicks asked Iron, who was hidden in one corner. 

“I have to.”

“Could you stay here for a while longer?”

The other commanders too nodded at Jayden’s question. Someone had to stay behind if the commanders were leaving, and they all secretly hoped that Iron would agree to stay. Things in the capital were indeed a bit complicated at the moment, but the Mobile Field Army was currently in the best state among all the armies. 

As even the two clan heads looked furtively at him, Iron smiled bitterly before speaking. 

“I was thinking of bringing part of my troops to the capital with me.”

“Oh!”

The commanders’ faces brightened at the unexpected answer. 

“We didn’t expect that,” Crimson said, looking at Iron with surprise. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

They all looked at Iron odd, not understanding what he meant. 

“Right before the war started in the southeast, I had come to see the emperor.”

Iron went on to briefly explain what the emperor had told him when they met. 

“At the time, I could sense what would happen, to some extent.”

“There was nothing any of us could have done,” Crimson comforted Iron, sighing. 

At that time, the southeast seemed to be on a path of no return, surrounded by danger. The victory that they’d won came at the cost of Iron’s life, Iron getting several grave injuries that put him on the verge of death. He still wasn’t completely healed yet too. 

“I’d thought that I would be able to bring the battle to a close swiftly. We did achieve our goal, but… I got injured quite badly.”

Everyone looked gloomy as Iron spoke. Things didn’t always go as planned, that they all knew. 

“Think of it as fate. His Majesty… he was already determined to do that.”

Crimson patted Iron’s shoulder as he spoke. The rest also comforted Iron before getting on the warp gate. 

“Thank you for agreeing to stay in our stead.”

“……I’ll do my very best.”

Iron replied almost reluctantly to Crimson’s parting words. He watched the disappearing figures of the three masters heading to the northeast disappear before he himself got on the warp gate. A few seconds later, Iron left the capital as well. 

As all the commanders headed back to their respective regions, the chaos in the capital intensified. The nobles who had been able to use their powers to suppress the reformists when the masters were around began doing so now. 

“The new era starts by crowning a new emperor!”

“Now that the Imperial family is free of their task, their power must extend to the entire world!”

The nobles used slogans like this to suppress the reformits, buying off some of them and using power to subdue those they could not. But the times had changed and everyone had awakened. They could all tell that following the nobles was not a good choice for them, not even in a million years. 

The reformists stopped hiding. Instead they openly opposed the nobles and fought to carry out their plans. 

“The military is on our side!”

“Those people are not royals any more!”

The reformists and citizens protested, and the other nobles resisted. 

But just as a tenuous balance had formed between those who wanted to establish a parliament and those who wanted to maintain the existing caste system, the nobles’ faction brought the princes back to the capital. 

The citizens were enraged at their return. 

“Where do they think this is?”

“How dare they?”

The younger reformist nobles were furious, and the citizens were prepared to fight the offending nobles immediately. 

But as everyone knew, politics is never a straightforward battle of rights and wrongs. Those nobles who brought the princes back began advocating for the establishment of a parliament that included the imperial family: three people from the Imperial family, three nobles, and three from the common citizens. 

They also proposed to form a smaller council below the parliament with the exact same ratio. From the point of view of the nobles’ faction, they had taken a step back and even agreed to create the parliament that the reformists wanted, so they were working for the same cause. 

“Those cunning bastards!”

“This is not it! What we want is……”

Of course, the reformists’ faction did not agree to the proposal. If they did so, it would be a pyrrhic victory, throwing away a hardwon opportunity. 

But as they decided to play the long game and wait it out, another spoke was thrown in the wheel of the reformists. A smaller faction appeared among them that wanted to agree to the creation of the parliament and then continue the reform slowly and calmly. 

The reformists were already having a hard time fighting the nobles when they were one, and now they had divided into two. If things continued this way, they would be giving the nobles an opportunity for a comeback, let alone starting a reform. 

But thankfully, just as they were at the point of despair…

“Sal… salute!”

A large-sized airship coming from the southeast entered the capital. One of the troops of the Mobile Field Army, the 22nd Corps arrived behind Iron, who had gone ahead into the palace. He headed straight for the Great Hall and broke into the meeting that was happening there. 

“South… southeast commander, why are you here……”

The fourth prince asked with perplexion on his face. Iron smiled sweetly and replied. 

“I am here to represent the military.”

He walked with surefooted steps towards the princes. Silence spread through the Great Hall, erasing the loud voices that had been heard just a moment ago. Once in front of the members of the imperial family, he continued in a gentle voice. 

“The military decided to follow His Majesty the late emperor’s will, so the authority of the imperial family can no longer be recognized. Based on that, a parliament that includes the members of the imperial family will also not be recognized.”

“What… what the… but His Majesty’s will left room for debate!”

Once he heard what the fourth prince had said, his voice trembling, Iron smiled again. 

“That does not matter. All the commanders and the heads of the two clans have agreed to accept it as is, and have agreed to ending the empire and the imperial family.”

“You dare threaten us!”

The second prince, who had been seated at one side listening, yelled in an angry voice. Iron chuckled as he watched the second prince bristle. 

“Yes.”

At Iron’s reply, the air in the Great Hall grew heavy. 

“When you ran from the capital, did you think you would be able to crawl back in whenever you liked?”

“Keuk!”

As Iron’s momentum suppressed the second prince, the third prince spoke up too. 

“Do you have the right to make such a decision on your own?”

“All the commanders have given me the authority to do so. The Godly sword and Lion clan heads did so as well.”

“How……”

The third prince looked at Iron with a face full of confusion. 

“His Majesty’s will was very clear… So I have no idea what this nonsense is. His Majesty ordered that the empire and the imperial family be abolished, and completed the task of protecting the God’s Orb on his own. So… a new era must begin.”

He looked at the nobles who were in collusion with the prices as he spoke. 

“The military is determined to erase all vestiges of the past. So there is no need to keep dragging it on. Let’s begin preparations for the new era.”