Vol 1 Chapter 24 – The Empire’s New King【Vol 1: The Beastkin Hero Arc】

A few days before Allen took flight toward the Beast Kingdom, civil officials and military officers had gathered under the new king in the throne room of the Holy Castle—the symbol of authority located in Whiteworth, the capital of the Holy Empire—to discuss their response to the Beast Kingdom.

It wasn’t just the bureaucrats of the Holy Spirit Agency who handled the country’s internal affairs, as nobles were also participating in the meeting from afar.

Countless oval crystals floated in the air throughout the hall.

Known as Far-Seeing Crystals, these were a type of magic stone highly valued even in World Conferences for being capable of projecting figures and voices from distant locations.

The faces of individuals dressed in opulent clothing were reflected in each and every crystal, belonging to the regional lords who held their own territories within the Holy Empire.

Facing these nobles was a white-haired boy, barely of age, sitting upon the throne.

“—I assume there are no objections to my ascension to the throne, as the Eleventh Prince and the first in line for succession according to regulations?”

The boy displayed an imposing attitude toward the nobles projected in the floating crystals.

“Of course not, Emperor Sirius.”

“…No objections.”

“We offer you our unwavering loyalty.”

Led by a high-ranking noble holding the title of Duke over a vast territory, the nobles voiced their affirmation one after another. Whatever their true feelings might be, no one dared voice an objection to an eight-year-old boy taking the throne.

In the Holy Empire, the eldest child did not automatically inherit the throne, as the one overflowing with the most talent was chosen as the next Emperor regardless of age.

The Eleventh Prince—Sirius, the youngest child of the previous Emperor—was born harboring a Brave Core, the qualification of a hero, and at that very moment, any hope the other princes had of becoming Emperor was severed.

“—Then let us immediately discuss our response to the Beast Kingdom of Eugrasia, which is harboring the Sixth Seat of the World Knights who committed an unforgivable sin. Anyone with an opinion, raise your hand and speak.”

When the expressionless Sirius gave the order, the hands of the nobles in the crystals went up all at once.

“The Beast Kingdom is a land of extreme cold, and while we are keenly aware of His late Majesty’s regrets, the geographical advantage lies with them. Above all, deploying an army against a nation that boasts a World Knight is meaningless, so we should prioritize domestic stability first while threatening economic sanctions.”

An intellectual-looking noble wearing glasses stated a perfectly reasonable opinion.

The citizens were feeling anxious over the unprecedented incident of their king being assassinated by a World Knight.

The Beast Kingdom’s statement had already been broadcast domestically, and protests were being held in front of the Holy Castle.

Naturally, there were many who had lost family members to the Demon Lord’s army, and there were even more who adored Allen Norsh.

The Holy Empire denied the allegations that they had been cooperating with the Demon Lord, but a portion of the populace had turned into a mob, leading to frequent incidents where the Emperor’s Special Task Knight Order—the Secret Guard—were attacked while on patrol, causing public order within the country to deteriorate terrifyingly.

“Your Majesty, I believe we should devote our efforts to strengthening relations with foreign nations right now. We must isolate the Beast Kingdom.”

“It’s not just economic pressure. If we bring many countries to our side, we can request the other World Knights to subjugate the Knight of the Falling Star at the World Conference.”

“I also agree with that plan—”

Sirius looked bored as he watched the nobles state their opinions one after another.

Among the nobles, not a single one proposed a military clash—in other words, war—with the Beast Kingdom, which was obvious.

If a war were to break out, the nobles serving as regional lords would also be required to dispatch troops, a fact they likely understood perfectly well.

Nobody wanted to invade Eugrasia, a nation of beast-kin that boasted a World Knight, except for the new king, Sirius.

“…I have no intention of ever relying on the World Knights again, as they’ve all been doing whatever they please since the subjugation of the Demon Lord. The only one in Whiteworth, Nozes, has repeatedly refused my summons, and even knowing the Emperor was in danger, he never rushed to his aid.”

Sirius continued, sounding as if he were talking to himself.

“…As expected, the only ones I can trust are those of my own Empire.”

“…Your Majesty, did you just say something?”

“It’s nothing.”

Sirius surveyed the floating cluster of crystals, and with the high-pitched voice of a boy who hadn’t yet hit puberty, he made a ruthless declaration.

“I understand your opinions, but even after having your king murdered, you still stubbornly desire dialogue with the Beast Kingdom. Frankly, I’m disappointed and expect nothing from you all. I won’t even ask you to deploy your armies, but in exchange, do not dare voice any objections to my decision.”

Sirius declared, shifting his gaze to the commander of the Secret Guard waiting by his side—no, the man who was now the First Seat of the World Knights, Helmis Glengaia.

“The Beast Kingdom continues to refuse our demands to hand over Leonhardt, therefore we will form a subjugation force led by Helmis here. You will promptly begin your march on the Beast Kingdom and slaughter their citizens indiscriminately until they surrender Leonhardt.”

At that excessively cruel decree, the nobles all erupted into an uproar.

“Wh-?! Please wait, Your Majesty!! If you do such a thing, the international community will condemn—”

“First of all, the beast-kin possess senses and physical capabilities far superior to us humans, and marching through the snow will be incredibly dangerous!! No matter how strong Helmis-sama is on his own…”

“None of that is a problem, as we will deploy the Artificial Heroes. One for each city will be more than enough, meaning we don’t need an army. We will crush the Beast Kingdom with overwhelming power, so Helmis, I leave it to you.”

“…Yes, understood. Your Majesty.”

The new king locked eyes with Helmis, who was kneeling on one knee in reverence, and curled the corners of his lips into a wicked smile.

Then, Sirius had the new Director of the Holy Spirit Agency attending at his side—a suspicious-looking old wizard draped in a robe—explain exactly what the Artificial Heroes were.

Sirius let out a chuckle as he watched the colors in the nobles’ eyes gradually shift.

“Those who do not obey my will shall be crushed, making the unification of the continent no longer just a dream.”

The atmosphere shifted as the existence of the Artificial Heroes caused the returns gained from an invasion to outweigh the risks, and amidst all this, those who had known the new king from before were entirely at a loss for words.

“—Sirius-sama… He was supposed to be such a gentle person who couldn’t even hurt a fly, so what in the world is with that transformation…?”

“…It’s like he’s a completely different person…”

The civil officials working in the Holy Castle harbored a severe sense of dissonance.

Originally, Sirius used a much softer way of speaking to refer to himself because he was a very shy child, and he was kind.

He was the kind of boy who would walk around handing out sweets to those he became friends with.

While the two young civil officials, still only in their twenties, couldn’t hide their surprise, an older man who served as their superior added an explanation with a philosophical look on his face.

“…They say the personality of a prince who inherits the throne changes without exception, for some reason. I didn’t believe such rumors myself, but…”

“…His personality changes… Now that you mention it, he somehow resembles His late Majesty…”

The eight-year-old boy who had just ordered a mass slaughter was somewhat reminiscent of the gloomy previous king.