The Champion's Return

by Hyougetsu

  The demons started exchanging dubious glances. Perfect, now’s my chance.

  “Shallier has spent his tenure as Lord Bolshevik doing his best to protect the demons and Sternenfeuer believers in his care. As a demon myself, I’m grateful for what he’s done, even if he was a political rival. Which is why, as a token of gratitude, I would like to free him from his burdens.”

  The demons started muttering to each other upon hearing that.

  “I see... Lord Shallier must be exhausted after everything he’s been through.”

  “But we can’t just abandon him...”

  After a few seconds I held out a hand for silence and said, “So long as you continue to serve him, Shallier will never be free of his duties. And if he’s forced to act in order to protect all of you, my position will require me to capture and execute him for real.”

  Though there weren’t that many Rolmund demons, they were a serious threat.

  “Fortunately, Princess Eleora is an understanding woman. So long as you are willing to lend your aid in preserving the peace of Rolmund, she will ensure the safety of the Bolshevik family.”

  One of the vampires I’d spoken to earlier—Thura—muttered, “So these are your conditions...”

  “I would prefer it if you didn’t think of them as conditions, but it is an invariable fact that Eleora cannot afford to let Shallier roam free if he has the support of so many demons.”

  The only way I could let Shallier live was by making sure he was powerless to interfere in politics from now on. Volka stepped forward and asked solemnly, “Will you really spare that kid if we do as you ask? And can you promise us we’ll get to keep our home?”

  “Of course. I swear it on my name as the Demon Lord’s Vice-Commander.”

  Things might get problematic if Eleora opposed my decision, but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t. The gathered werewolves and vampires all exchanged glances, then nodded unanimously. Giving voice to their thoughts, Volka said, “Then it’s decided. We’ll put our faith in you.”

  “Thank you.”

  Relieved, I declared, “In that case, we’ll head back to the capital for now. When we next return it’ll be together with Princess Eleora’s army. Make sure you get Shallier as far away from here as possible by then!”

  I threw my cape back and began my journey back to the capital.

  Afterward, Eleora’s army seized the Karankov Villa and the surrounding forest. The demons living there swore fealty to Eleora, and they were now working as her spies. She also proclaimed that she’d discovered Shallier Bolshevik hiding within the villa and executed him, which brought this entire incident to a close.

  As for where Shallier had actually gone, I had no clue. He covered his tracks perfectly. And since he had no retainers or territory, there was no way to tell what he was up to. Though I was fairly certain he wouldn’t try to stir up any more rebellions. However, he did cause one little scene before vanishing completely.

  The room on the top floor of Creech Castle’s northwest tower was somewhat cramped, but it was well-furnished and had an excellent view of the lake.

  “I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Princess Dillier,” I said. There was no reply. “Is there anything troubling you?”

  As expected, there was still no reply. Shrugging, I walked out of the room on the top floor of Creech Castle’s northwest tower. The royal guardsman who was tasked with keeping watch over Dillier’s room was waiting for me outside. I gave him a knowing smile and said, “I see Princess Dillier is the same as always.”

  “Indeed...”

  I glanced over at the table the guard was sitting at and saw a tray of cold food resting atop it. The meal wasn’t extravagant, but it was still pretty fancy.

  “Is this her lunch?”

  “It is.”

  “She really should eat. She needs to keep her strength up,” I said with an exaggerated sigh. Then I smiled conspiratorially to the guard and asked, “I take it her health has been declining because she’s refusing her meals?”

  “Y-Yes, it has... At this rate, she might die in another two years.”

  “I see.”

  That seemed like a good amount of time. In two years this whole incident would be forgotten. I nodded to the guard and walked up to the viewport built into the door of Dillier’s room.

  “I’ll be taking my leave now, Princess Dillier,” I said to an empty room.

  “She was definitely here last night...” The guardsman said, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. “But when the guard on the dawn shift came, her cell was completely empty. We believe she probably escaped through the window.”

  “I imagine Princess Dillier couldn’t have managed all this alone.”

  “Of course, sir. There was someone on guard duty at all times, and her cell was locked. She couldn’t have left alone without someone noticing.”

  Meaning there was someone who’d helped her escape. After her attempted coup, Dillier’s popularity with the citizenry had tanked. Her close guards and attendants were all stuck in the capital, where they’d been since Dillier surrendered, so they couldn’t have been involved either. Whoever had gone through the trouble of staging a Hollywood movie-style escape for Dillier must have been quite the eccentric. Well, I can think of someone who fits the bill.

  “I imagine she’s probably exchanging her vows right around now...”

  “What was that, sir?”

  “Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I gave the guard a friendly smile. “Princess Eleora has decided not to pursue this matter. Continue guarding Princess Dillier’s cell as before.”

  “Y-Yes, sir!”

  This way, no one would be affected by Dillier’s escape. And since the royal guards were trained to keep secrets, no one would even know she had escaped.

  Lord Bolshevik’s attempt to usurp Ashley’s reign and put his fiancée, Dillier, on the throne had failed. After that Eleora had led her army to Karankov Villa, where she’d taken care of Lord Bolshevik, who’d gone into hiding. Feeling responsible for the string of rebellions that had happened during his reign, Ashley would soon abdicate and appoint Eleora the new empress. Naturally, Eleora would accept the appointment. Princess Dillier, who was confined in Creech Castle, would die two years later after battling a long illness. With that, everything regarding this rebellion would be settled.

  It was possible that years down the line people looking exactly like Lord Bolshevik and Princess Dillier would suddenly show up in the capital one day. But since the real Lord Bolshevik and Princess Dillier were dead, no one would believe them if they claimed to be nobility. After all, imposters were commonplace in Rolmund. If they showed up in the capital, they’d just be captured, tried, and executed. However, I had a feeling they probably wouldn’t ever show up in public again.

  At any rate, after Dillier’s escape, both Dillier and Shallier vanished without a trace. I sent a werewolf squad to track them out of curiosity, and even they couldn’t figure out where the two of them had gone. They’d probably left the empire. I dunno where you guys are or what you’re doing, but I hope you’ve found happiness. More importantly, the summer solstice is almost here. I can already see the early signs of summer in Rolmund. I don’t have much time left if I want to keep my promise with Airia. Returning home on schedule would be my biggest challenge yet.

  While I’d managed to put a stop to Shallier’s rebellion, I still needed to finish solidifying Eleora’s support base. Though plenty of opportunistic nobles had jumped ship to her camp, there were a few who absolutely refused to follow her. The stubborn ones were the actually competent and loyal nobles, so they were the ones I needed to actually win over. Furthermore, an anti-Eleora faction was beginning to form, which I wanted to nip in the bud before it became a problem. The Schwerin family had ruled Rolmund for generations, and a lot of the more conservative nobles didn’t want to see a non-Schwerin on the throne.

  “We’ve got the mansion surrounded, boss.”

  “Alright, let’s go,
then. But remember, be polite. This is a noble we’re dealing with.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure not to kill him.”

  Monza’s squad was one of my most reliable, but I really wish she’d tone down her violent nature a little... All of my squads and a good chunk of Eleora’s 209th Mage Corps spent the days leading up to the coronation ceremony running around the capital “persuading” nobles opposed to Eleora’s reign to change their mind. As a result, the ceremony itself went without a hitch.

  “Two rebellions occurred in the span of a single winter, leading to the deaths of many valued subjects. As both of these rebellions were related either directly or indirectly to the imperial family, I take full responsibility for my failures.”

  Ashley said this to a crowd of gathered nobles, his voice echoing across the throne room. He stepped forward and took off his crown.

  “Thus, I, Ashley Voltof Schwerin Rolmund hereby announce my abdication.”

  A few people applauded. I know Ashley didn’t do the greatest of jobs, but you could at least give him a better send-off. Eleora strode in through the large double doors at the end of the room and knelt in front of Ashley.

  Smiling sadly, the former emperor declared, “Eleora Kastoniev Originia Rolmund. I pass the crown onto you, marking the beginning of the Originia dynasty.”

  Ashley gently placed the crown on Eleora’s head. She then rose to her feet, basking in the early morning sun. Nodding to Ashley, she turned to the gathered crowd and said, “I, Eleora Kastoniev Originia Rolmund, hereby accept my duty as the Holy Rolmund Empire’s new empress. Those who object to my appointment, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

  Naturally, no one objected. After a moment’s silence, all the nobles started clapping. It was almost funny how easily those cowards changed sides. That being said, Eleora was the hero who’d stopped two rebellions. Not only that, but she had connections with Meraldia, and she was a genius inventor. Though I did feel sorry that all of Ashley’s achievements were being overshadowed by the grand entrance she’d made on the political stage, her military acumen would make her a better leader than Ashley, unfortunately for him. Even if there were no further wars, the fact that she didn’t have to fear rebellion at every turn meant she’d be able to focus on actually ruling.

  As the applause started to die down, Cardinal Kushmer appeared with the customary goblet of bitter draught.

  “Here you are, Your Majesty.”

  Cardinal Kushmer offered Eleora the goblet with a smile, and Eleora smiled back as she accepted it. She didn’t even hesitate as she downed its contents in a single gulp. Eleora then held the empty goblet up high and said, “This bitterness is nothing compared to the bitter trials Ashley and his predecessors faced as emperor. Everyone, please lend me your strength, so that we can transform this nation into a truly glorious empire.”

  The nobles cheered their new beautiful empress.

  “All hail Empress Eleora!”

  “Glory to the empire!”

  “Long live the Empress!”

  Oh yeah, these guys are a pack of opportunistic jackals alright.

  After the coronation ceremony, Eleora invited Ashley into her office. Since I was ostensibly still Eleora’s vice-commander, I was also present for the meeting. Ashley looked surprisingly jovial as he walked into Eleora’s room.

  “I’ll leave the rest in your hands, Eleora. Or rather, Your Majesty.”

  “Don’t worry. Now that I’m here, I’ll do my best to ensure the empire prospers.” Smiling, Eleora tilted her head to one side and asked, “What will you do now, Ashley?”

  Emperors had abdicated in the past, but usually only because they’d been forced to by other nobles. In those cases, they’d been granted some remote border territories and sent into quasi-exile. However, Eleora had no intention of exiling Ashley, nor was she planning on stripping him of his title.

  Ashley looked from Eleora to me, then smiled. “I suspect this empire no longer has any need of me. Since I’ve finally gained my freedom I was thinking of going to Meraldia.”

  Ashley’s announcement took me by surprise.

  “Are you sure about this?”

  “Of course. If Rolmund wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Meraldia, it’s going to need a dedicated diplomat, won’t it?”

  You’re not wrong, but don’t you have any lingering attachments to this place? Ashley’s smile widened and he added, “Besides, now that he’ll be leaving, you’ll need someone else keeping an eye on this man for you, right, Eleora?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean...” I grumbled, and Eleora smiled wryly.

  “You’re a famous schemer after all.”

  Now that’s just rude.

  “By the way, Veight, Ryunheit is Meraldia’s capital, correct?” Ashley asked.

  “Yes, the Demon Lord Gomoviroa resides in Ryunheit. As does the Demon Ambassador, Airia, who’s actually in charge of managing the city.”

  And if I didn’t get home soon, said Demon Ambassador would be very pissed at me. I can’t think of a bigger political crisis than that. Either way, it seemed Ashley was serious about becoming Rolmund’s ambassador to Meraldia.

  “Oh, and Your Majesty, I heard about the experiment you were attempting with Knight Lilies,” Ashley said conversationally. He was probably referring to our attempts at solving North Rolmund’s agricultural issues. “Knight Lilies are usually blue, but when we want to make them bloom red, we add ash into the soil. If you want, I can ask the imperial gardener to explain the process in more detail.”

  Eleora and I exchanged glances. If they used ash, that meant Knight Lilies needed alkaline soil to bloom red. I knew it, they really are just like hydrangeas. We could finally move forward in our plans to revitalize North Rolmund’s agriculture.

  Eleora turned to Ashley with a confused look and asked, “Why are you telling me that?”

  “This knowledge was originally a secret passed down from imperial gardener to imperial gardener, but as you are now empress, I felt like you should know. I actually wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn’t get the chance to. Consider this my last gift to you as the late emperor.”

  Ashley and Eleora both had been pretty busy these past few weeks. The former emperor rose to his feet and gave Eleora a gentle smile.

  “This empire may have no need of me anymore, but I still care deeply for its subjects. Please do for them what I could not, Empress Eleora.”

  Eleora gave Ashley a resolute nod. “I will carry on your life’s work, Ashley.”

  After Ashley left, it was just me and Eleora in the room.

  “Veight.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m leaving Ashley in your care. I know he said he just wants to be an ambassador, but I’d like it if you could give him something more to do. It’d be a waste of his talents to let him stay a mere diplomat.”

  For sure.

  “I’m glad that’s what you want, too. I was hoping to make him head of Meraldia’s agricultural department. Of course, I’ll give him some sort of noble title befitting of his abilities too.”

  Fortunately, there was a large swathe of Meraldian land that I’d just set aside for development. I wonder what kind of face Woroy’s gonna make when he realizes he’ll be working with Ashley? Eleora grabbed one of the reports sitting on her desk.

  “In the end, we weren’t able to find out where Lord Bolshevik and Princess Dillier ended up. You’re sure they didn’t go to Meraldia, right?”

  “I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to cross the mountains on their own, and the tunnel leading to Krauhen is guarded 24/7. There’s no way they’re in Meraldia.”

  To be honest, I didn’t want them to show up there either. It’d be a diplomatic issue.

  “Fair enough. I suppose that means they either fled to the northern fringes, or crossed the frozen sea.”

  The lands north of North Rolmund were so cold that farming was impossible. Since it was summer right now, the temperatures
would be mild, but come winter, staying there would be impossible. Regardless, no matter where they’d gone, they didn’t have any political or military power left. So honestly, I couldn’t care less about what they were doing.

  Eleora grinned mischievously and said, “You’re a cruel man, you know that?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nobles need land and retainers to survive. Oh, and I guess honor and prestige too.”

  “And?”

  I kind of understood what Eleora was getting at, but as a commoner, I wasn’t truly familiar with the plights of nobles.

  Eleora’s smile grew sympathetic and she explained, “Not only did you strip Lord Bolshevik of all his lands and titles, but you even took his few demon retainers away from him. If that’s not cruel, I don’t know what is.”

  “You forget, I’m not a human. For a merciless demon like me, this is a pretty light punishment. Besides, this was the best way to win Rolmund’s demons over to your side.” I grinned wickedly at Eleora.

  There might not have been too many of them, but getting the werewolves and vampires serving Shallier to work for Eleora had been huge. She took a sip of her tea, her expression softening.

  “Forcing people to live when they should have been executed isn’t always a kindness. Though I suppose the only reason I’m empress is because you don’t let people die.”

  “See, there you go. As long as you’re alive, things will improve eventually.”

  I died once, but my new life has been pretty fulfilling so far. Life as a werewolf wasn’t perfect, but I was having a lot of fun, and nothing tragic had happened yet. Seeing my expression, Eleora smirked.

  “You’ve got that look on your face again. What unfathomable things are you contemplating now?”

  “Nothing, really.”

  A short while later, the people in charge of guarding the coronation ceremony returned to Eleora’s room.