He became the most insane emperor of all time - Chapter 17

“Keep your guard up in all directions. They might attack again.”

“Damn bastards, how many times has it been already—”

Thwip!

“Urgh!”

“Enemies!”

The operation to reclaim the cursed zone had begun in earnest.

The Imperial Central Army advanced deeper into the forbidden territory than ever before, drawing upon their rigorous training.

It didn’t take long for them to realize why this place had remained a cursed zone for so long.

-Keeeek!

-Kiiik! Humans! Meat! Slaves!

As soon as they set foot in the area, they were incessantly ambushed by goblins.

Though goblins were typically dismissed as weaklings among monsters, it was a different story in their home territory, the cursed zone.

“They’re firing poison arrows! Raise your shields!”

“Return fire!”

“I can’t see where they’re hiding!”

Poisoned projectiles flew from unseen locations.

A moment’s carelessness could result in an attack from the treetops, the bushes, or even from goblins emerging suddenly from underground to stab and retreat.

Even though the soldiers had undergone intense training, the unfamiliarity of such guerilla tactics inevitably caused casualties.

“Protect the wounded! Get them to the rear!”

The vanguard, in particular, bore the brunt of the attacks.

Even as some fell to poisoned arrows, they refused to abandon their comrades, warning the rest of the army about the threats and holding their ground.

“Someone hurry and call for reinforcements—!”

Just as the vanguard was locked in a desperate battle against swarming goblins…

“There’s no need for that.”

“Y-Your Majesty!”

I arrived at the battlefield in time to turn the tide.

Srrrng—

While the soldiers gasped at my sudden appearance, I drew my gleaming silver holy sword and charged forward like a bolt of lightning.

Ten goblins visible to the eye, with likely many more hidden in the shadows.

-A valuable human!

-Kill him! Kill and take everything!

The goblins, confident in their overwhelming numbers, were deluded.

No matter how strong I might be, they believed their numerical advantage made their victory inevitable.

But that was arrogance.

Clang!

The goblins on my left, armed with spears and aiming for an opening, lunged at me.

With a single sweep of my holy sword, their spears were sliced apart like straw dummies.

Slash! Shhhk!

In an instant, the goblins lost their weapons.

Rendered defenseless, unable to threaten me any further, they were ruthlessly cut down, left without any means of resistance.

-Kyaaaah! Revenge! Avenge our kin!

-Kill him! Eat him!

Though the left flank was obliterated, the goblins on the opposite side tried to respond immediately.

“You’re far too slow compared to them.”

Compared to the heroes of Leonis.

It wasn’t just a difference between a rabbit and a turtle… it was like comparing a rabbit to a slug.

No matter how numerous they were or how much they relied on ambush tactics…

If they were this slow, they couldn’t pose a threat.

-Keeeek!

-The quick human!

-We can’t hit him!

Dodging was all it took.

Even their poisoned arrows, fired in desperation, were easy for me to avoid.

Even if the arrows were laced with poison, they couldn’t penetrate my armor. With my full-body plate, there was little chance of me being harmed.

“Quick, assist His Majesty!”

“All who can fight, join him!”

Though I could handle the goblins alone with ease, my performance inspired the soldiers, boosting their morale and drawing them into the fight.

That alone was enough to turn the tide of the battle.

The previously dominant goblins suffered devastating losses and were forced to retreat.

“Don’t worry. Everyone’s healed now.”

“Th-thank you, Saintess.”

“I’ve also neutralized the poison for those who were affected. But don’t push yourselves too hard for now.”

Stella, who had followed after us, began tending to the wounded soldiers.

From the start of the cursed zone reclamation, her efforts had saved many lives.

For that, I was grateful she had come along…

“Though I didn’t expect her to go this far.”

Stella’s devoted care for the soldiers was striking.

The reason she had followed us here stemmed from when I admitted to having met with the gods.

Half of it was because I deliberately revealed the truth to gain her reverence and devotion.

But I didn’t expect her to immediately declare she wanted to follow me and come all the way here.

It was good in a way, since she could heal the soldiers… but still.

“Bishop Stella.”

“Please, just call me Stella.”

“Stella, do you intend to keep following me?”

“Yes, I want to continue witnessing the works Your Majesty performs.”

Stella spoke without the slightest hesitation, her tone devoid of suspicion or any underhanded schemes.

She looked almost like someone infatuated, but, of course, this was far removed from any ordinary affection or love.

Yes, this was… more like watching a fanatic captivated by a cult leader.

I had partially aimed for this reaction, but to be honest, it was still a bit overwhelming.

“Very well, stay as long as you wish.”

Of course, overwhelming as it was, help was still help.

If she wanted to follow me around and assist with my tasks, I had no reason to refuse.

Still, there was one thing that bothered me.

“But I need to clarify one thing. Is this the official position of the Purification Order?”

Stella deciding to stay by my side was, in effect, an act of initiating contact to improve relations.

But was this her personal decision, or was it the stance of the Purification Order as a whole, which she represented?

That was something I needed to confirm.

“No, it’s not yet the Order’s official position. To be precise… the Order is closer to being in opposition to me.”

On the way back, just as it had been when we came, there were only my guards present.

Stella had no escort of her own, meaning that if I wanted to harm her, I could do so at any time.

Even in such a vulnerable situation, she was making a highly risky statement.

“Opposition, meaning they are hostile to me.”

“Yes. Regrettably and disrespectfully, they are likely targeting not only Your Majesty’s authority but also your very position.”

She phrased it delicately, but in essence, it meant they sought to dethrone me.

What they intended after that was unclear, but their opposition itself wasn’t surprising.

“It’s hardly surprising. Loyalty to the imperial family is a rare thing these days.”

Unless they were directly tied to the imperial family, like the Captain of the Guards, the Chancellor, the Chamberlain, or the Empress Dowager…

We were in an era where expecting loyalists had become an absurd joke.

So it wasn’t strange for the high-ranking elders or even the Purification Order itself to oppose me.

“Thus, everyone lower your weapons. What sort of behavior is this toward a guest?”

So, I motioned to restrain the surrounding guards.

The moment Stella made her dangerous statement, they had their hands on their hilts, ready to strike at any moment.

But when I stopped them, they finally eased their hostility and withdrew the ominous killing intent that filled the air.

“My guards were discourteous, Stella.”

“It’s nothing, Your Majesty. It’s only natural.”

Sensing the miasma lingering around the borders of the Demonic Territory, I spoke to her.

“Thank you for understanding. But I, too, am curious.”

Even though I am growing stronger at an unbelievable pace, the Demonic Territory is still not a safe place—not even for me.

It’s a place where any kind of monster or danger could be lurking, driven by the miasma.

Such a place is not one where an emperor, let alone Stella, should venture lightly.

“If your intentions differ from those of the Order, why are you risking yourself by following me here?”

It was good that she had begun to follow me.

But her motives were something I couldn’t easily comprehend.

She wasn’t my vassal, nor was she a relative like the Empress Dowager.

She was simply someone who sensed divine energy—or divinity—in me.

But even if she was a devout believer, was that alone reason enough to take on such risks?

Typically, no matter how devout a person might be, they would prioritize the interests of the Order or themselves.

“That’s because I am not much different from Your Majesty.”

“Not much different from me?”

What could she mean by that?

I tried to guess what hidden dagger might lie in her words.

But to say she wasn’t different from me… I found it hard to grasp.

She was someone willing to heal injured soldiers without hesitation, even if they belonged to a rival faction.

In every way, she seemed like a devoted saint.

Whereas I, despite being an emperor, lacked much of a sense of compassion for my subjects.

“Your Majesty will always see your desires through to the end. In that sense, I am no different.”

But what Stella meant lay elsewhere.

Hearing her words, I began to think she might not be wrong.

Just as I, as emperor, push forward with what I want almost recklessly,

It seemed that if Stella had some sort of conviction she sought, she too would never give up on it.

The driving force might differ—mine being ambition, hers being devotion—but the resolve was the same.

“In that sense, perhaps you’re right. So, what is it that you desire?”

Her answer to my question was, unsurprisingly, very much like her.

“The salvation of the Empire.”

To rebuild a crumbling empire.

To quell internal chaos and unite everyone to stand against external threats.

To save the suffering citizens even at this very moment.

It was an aspiration befitting a saint driven purely by devotion.

And, at the same time, it was painfully unrealistic.

“That’s a very ‘you’ kind of answer.”

However, I neither denied nor mocked it.

After all, wishing for the impossible and unrealistic was something I did as well, wasn’t it?

According to the scenario titled “The Fall of Humanity”—the script governing this collapsing empire—

even my survival as an emperor who fulfills his duties was, in essence, nothing short of delusional.

In most cases, remaining even as a mere puppet emperor would be a feat in itself.

And yet, I harbored ambitions to bring the entire empire under my rule.

Even that ambition wasn’t fueled by a noble conviction but rather by an odd desire simply to do as I pleased.

If one were to ask who was more unrealistic between Stella and me, most would likely choose me.

“So, to achieve that salvation, you’re willing to defy the will of the Order and observe me.”

What she sought, in the end, was probably to improve the relationship between me and the Order somehow.

She intended to use herself as a bridge for that, a plan that was both self-sacrificial and, in a way, deeply strategic.

I couldn’t entirely disregard Stella’s goodwill, just as the Order would find itself flustered by her unexpected actions as their figurehead.

Whether or not Stella had intended it, if she truly harbored the hidden intent of “honey on the lips, a sword in the heart”, it was a remarkably sharp strategy.

“If that’s what you want, then so be it. But let me offer you one more piece of advice.”

Schwing.

Thunk.

I drew my sword and placed the blade before her.

It was to warn her that such a gamble could cost her life at any moment.

“No matter how devoted you may be, you are still just one person.”

A single individual cannot extinguish all the fires that rage in this world.

No matter how brave or selfless they are, throwing oneself into the flames does not solve the problem.

On the contrary, such an act of recklessness is as dangerous as starting a fire in the first place.

And yet, there have always been such individuals in this world,

and people tend to hail their sacrifices as heroic.

“I’m not denying your devotion. But why is it that those who are devoted can’t also take care of themselves?”

Who saves the hero who claims they will save everyone else?

Sadly, no one on Earth has ever been able to answer that question.

And neither could Stella, who stood before me now.