Chapter 96 – Ultimatum

The representatives of the two factions sat facing each other across a long table.

Behind them stood two people who had stripped off their mana armor.

Rashid and Ryden.

Rashid offered a light nod in greeting toward Ryden.

Ryden also relaxed his tense expression slightly and did not reject his greeting.

While the atmosphere between the two of them was not too bad like this, the actual parties of this meeting were engaging in a sharp war of nerves from the very start.

Amidst the silence that grew longer than expected.

The first to speak was she, who had much to lose.

“I heard the Guild Federation dumped the national bonds. If you dump them like that, doesn’t the Guild Federation ultimately suffer a loss as well?”

Ambassador Cockle let out a soft sigh.

He met the gaze of the Empress, who was staring at him clearly.

Because he was wearing the Evil Eye Killer, the power of authority she possessed was completely excluded.

“Your Majesty, it is all for the greater cause. For the greater cause, our Guild Federation can fully endure that level of loss.”

“The greater cause… For the past thousand years, the master of the Empire was the imperial family. Is the disappearance of that master the greater cause you all desire?”

“Your Majesty, you are misunderstanding. We do not want the imperial family and Your Majesty to disappear. We only…”

“Want me to step back from state affairs?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. You must leave everything to the Council and lay down all power. That is all we desire.”

“Do you think that makes sense? Then why on earth does the throne exist? Would it not be better if it disappeared entirely?”

“Your Majesty, that is our way of respecting and showing consideration to the imperial family and Your Majesty.”

“If you truly respect and show consideration, you should trust my reign and not speak of useless things like the Council.”

It was a repetition.

Since he had known it would turn out like this in the first place, Ambassador Cockle only let out an innocent sigh.

She intended to pressure him strongly, recalling the reason she proposed this meeting.

“Ambassador, if the Empire crumbles in this manner, which faction do you think will benefit the most?”

“Is it not the Allied Kingdoms?”

“How can a person who knows that so well dump even the national bonds to instigate the Empire’s crisis? Have you thought about what will happen to the future of the Guild Federation if the Empire collapses?”

“Your Majesty, that is something we do not want either.”

“You know well. Then buy back the national bonds.”

“That cannot be. Although it is true that the Allied Kingdoms are bothersome, we value the justification of the system more importantly.”

“Is that justification more important than being threatened by the Allied Kingdoms?”

Unlike before,

Ambassador Cockle also became quite firm.

“Our stance regarding the Council is also as firm as Your Majesty’s. There will be no concession on this point.”

Ahem!

The representative of the Golden Age Party revealed his presence with a cough.

“Pardon my interruption. May I say a word?”

She cut him off sharply.

“I have nothing to say to someone who leads political rioters. It does not seem like a place for you to join, so why did you come out here?”

Although he had expected it,

he could not help but show a bitter smile at her blatant hostility.

“Your Majesty, I was the one who arranged this meeting. The Ambassador originally had no intention of meeting Your Majesty at all. Why meet when we know you will not bend your will anyway?”

Her expression stiffened.

She glared at him with clear hostility.

That anger-filled gaze eventually shifted to a certain Inquisitor escorting him.

“There are as many as two people I wish would disappear from this world.”

Rashid grew puzzled.

Why me?

Doesn’t she dislike Kaiser more?

When Rashid, having such thoughts, cast a questioning look,

she continued speaking, scattering her angry gaze.

“Inquisitor. Why are you not returning the imperial treasure you took? I heard you took it again.”

To think she would address him out of the blue.

Rashid spoke with a reluctant expression.

“I received intelligence that the Dharma Mage Division is targeting the imperial treasure. Thus, I am not seizing it; rather, I am keeping it safe.”

“Do you think that makes sense? We do not need that, so return it now. Since it is the treasure of the imperial family, the imperial family will protect it.”

“Your Majesty, I will return it in my own time.”

It was the dignity of the Order.

Her anger deepened, and the power of uncontrollable authority surged around her, but

regrettably, not a single person was affected by it.

Rashid did not care about her at all, but he was paying some attention to Ryden, who was following as escort.

To prevent him from stepping forward,

Rashid added additional words.

“The inside of the country is extremely chaotic. In particular, the atmosphere of the imperial capital is unusual, and the imperial family, which is targeted by the angry masses, is no longer a safe place. Since the threat of the Dharma Mage Division is real, it will be safest for the imperial treasure to be protected by the Order.”

“Therefore, the first order of business should be to settle the chaotic surrounding situation. Let us talk about the Immortal Heart again later.”

Whether she complied or just gave up for now,

her gaze, laden with anger, now shifted to Kaiser.

Recalling the power of authority she had exerted on herself looking in the mirror, she spoke.

“Under no circumstances will I permit anything like the Council. Furthermore, there will be no agreement of any kind with you, the leader of the political rioters.”

Those words were like a declaration that drove in a nail.

Kaiser touched his lips at the firm resolve she displayed.

He had to melt her gently with words like the Flowing Water of Green Mountains, but she was frozen so hard that there was no sign of melting at all.

Yet, he possessed the power of authority.

The logic to persuade her was sufficient.

As Kaiser showed a strong will, his authority began to affect her.

“Your Majesty, if you act that way, the end will be a catastrophe. Of course, it won’t be our catastrophe.”

Her closed lips set quite firmly.

She was being protected by her own authority at this very moment.

“Let me ask Your Majesty. Why do you think I arranged this meeting, which has nothing to gain?”

She responded with silence, and Kaiser’s words continued.

“As I mentioned, Ambassador Cockle had no intention of meeting Your Majesty at all. Today’s meeting being realized was also entirely my will. Do you know why I wanted to meet Your Majesty?”

“It is to protect Your Majesty.”

When Kaiser’s gaze met hers, she began to blink.

At the same time, she showed a slightly bewildered expression.

This was the same for Kaiser as well.

‘It feels like… the authority is not working?’

It was not the first time he had persuaded someone with authority.

However, the reaction she showed was quite different from the ones displayed by those who had been persuaded.

‘Could it be… she used authority on herself?’

The only thing that could overcome authority was the power of the same authority.

Thus, Kaiser, harboring a reasonable suspicion, continued speaking with a more reluctant expression than before.

“It seems you have cast a self-hypnosis of sorts. This is the first time someone has offered no reply to my words. At any rate. What I want to say is this. No matter what Your Majesty does, you will not be able to stop the angry masses. The market economy has collapsed, and on the streets, citizens exhausted by starvation have turned into rioters, committing looting and arson.”

“And their anger will head toward the imperial palace before long. It will be too late by then. I guarantee it.”

Kaiser spoke with sincerity.

“You will be dragged out by the rioters and stand in front of the guillotine. It is the eternal end of the imperial family.”

The Empress’s eyes shook.

She felt herself wavering.

“Why…”

She had used authority on herself.

Telling herself never to be shaken.

Yet why was she being swayed by that snake-like person?

Why on earth?

“Kaiser! No, Mathias Kruger!”

Ryden stepped a pace forward, putting strength into his hand gripping the sword hilt.

“Insolent! How dare you speak such reckless words to Her Majesty.”

Rashid also matched Ryden’s actions reflexively.

At the same time, he felt that this situation was not pleasant.

He should watch his mouth.

“So this meeting is, in a way, like an ultimatum we are giving you.”

“Just as Your Majesty is firm, we are also firm. Permit the Council and sign the Great Charter. Your Majesty must also be placed under the law. And if you lay down all power and reach a long agreement with us,”

Kaiser recalled the words Rashid had spoken.

That death would not persuade her.

“the imperial family will survive eternally. We are respecting the hard work of protecting the Empire for the past thousand years. This, at least, I promise for sure, betting everything I have.”

She began looking at Kaiser with a different gaze than before.

If there had only been hatred and contempt until now,

now her eyes were strangely shaken, as if she were indeed persuaded.

However, before her reply could come,

there was a group bursting into the meeting room.

It was the Imperial Guard knights who reacted upon hearing Ryden’s loud voice.

The meeting room became chaotic for a while due to the escort forces of the two camps and the Order’s troops trying to mediate them.

“There is nothing more to hear. I will return to the imperial palace.”

The meeting, which was about to resume, ended with the Empress’s firm words.

She departed, leaving only those who could not overcome their disappointment in the meeting room.

“I did not even get to say all the words I prepared.”

Rashid reacted.

“That’s why you should have watched your mouth.”

“It wasn’t that. My authority did not fully affect her. If the authority had worked, the meeting would have resumed even if it turned into a mess like earlier. Because she would have led it.”

Kaiser was still in doubt.

Why did she take such an extreme final stand?

The reason was unknown, but at any rate, the meeting ended without much success, contrary to his expectations.

“This is a bust then. I tried to save her as much as possible…”

Rashid recalled the faces of the two who had displayed slight bewilderment.

“Did the authorities clash with each other? It looked that way.”

“You saw it? Yes, it seems likely.”

“If so, the authority was excluded and it was just a mutual exchange of words.”

“Probably. If she was persuaded, it would not be by the power of authority, but just because I purely spoke well.”

Actually, persuading her was not that important of a task to Rashid.

Rather, it was better for her to die cleanly.

The quest reward was one thing, but the biggest reason was that he could not trust her.

“In the end, that woman’s neck will be hung on the guillotine. This was her last chance, and the night of the revolution will visit soon.”

“I wanted to protect her… it turned out really regrettable.”

“What can we do? The way of the world is that things do not go as one wishes.”

Just as it was about to wrap up like that,

Rashid suddenly brought up a story only he knew.

“But you see. There is something I didn’t tell you. I am an expert on Kaiser. And thanks to that, I also know the Empress of Blood well.”

Kaiser cast a puzzled look.

Rashid’s words continued.

“That woman. Even if she had been persuaded here, she would not have survived in the end.”

“Not survived? Is there another reason I do not know?”

“A reason…”

“No way. Did you also try to save her in the past? Otherwise, such words would not have come out.”

Rashid did not answer and instead asked back.

“Who do you think actually poisoned the young Emperor?”

Kaiser narrowed his brow.

“There are many candidates. But isn’t it usually the military?”

“Correct. Mostly them. Then do you think they would leave her, who would become a future trouble, alone?”

Kaiser did not answer, but he seemed to have understood the meaning.

“Ah… I see.”

“In the first place, failure was destined for your plan. Even if you had persuaded her in this place, she would have been dealt with by the military.”

Rashid’s words continued.

“Do not even think about persuading the military. Because the death of the Emperor is an indispensable element for them to seize power.”

Kaiser did not refute.

Just like the unwavering Emperor, the military would also carry out their intent with an iron-blooded will.

Instead, he offered his thanks with his characteristic sly smile.

“That is a good story.”