The grand hall of the castle shines in a warm golden light, reflected by the sparkling crystal chandeliers on the walls. A gentle murmur fills the air as my noble guests, dressed in magnificent attire and shimmering armor, enter the hall and gather on the steps covered with a red carpet.
At the end of the hall, the imperial throne looms, a majestic construction of polished Apostel wood and gold, adorned with intricate carvings of dragons, lions, and other mythical beings. Above my throne hangs an elaborately embroidered green canopy, emphasizing the significance of the place.
I lower my head as the Pope, dressed in a long white robe with golden embroidery, approaches my throne. In his hands, he holds a golden crown adorned with sparkling gemstones that twinkle like stars in the torchlight.
The sounds of a gentle yet powerful fanfare ring out, and the crowd falls silent as the Pope places the Crown of Manara upon my head. A sense of awe fills the air as I, now adorned with the crown, ascend the throne.
The Pope raises his hands and begins a solemn ceremony. "In the name of the gods and the ancient ancestors, we hereby proclaim Emperor Darian Ironheart IV, Protector of the Realm, Guardian of the People, and Heir of the Great Dynasty."
The words echo through the hall as I let my gaze sweep over the crowd. The guests cheer and applaud as a sign of their approval and loyalty to their new ruler.
I rise from my throne and step forward to take a solemn oath. "I swear by the Goddess Manara and the stars above us that I shall lead my people with wisdom, justice, and compassion. I shall honor the legacy of my ancestors and defend the Empire with strength and honor."
A murmuring of agreement and support fills the hall as I conclude my oath. The Pope smiles benevolently at me and hands me the imperial scepter of Manara, crafted from polished ebony and shimmering gold.
"With this scepter, you assume the responsibility for this land, for its well-being and its future," the Pope explains.
I take the scepter in my hand, feeling the weight of the responsibility, but also the strength it imparts. I turn to my subjects and raise the scepter high.
"May this realm flourish and thrive under my leadership, may we together overcome challenges and create a future of peace, prosperity, and a world without dungeons, those creatures beloved by Mephisto!" I proclaim firmly.
Thunderous applause and jubilant cheers fill the hall as I proudly wear the Crown of Manara on my head and hold the Scepter of Manara in my hand. The fanfares sound once again, and I take my place on the throne, ready to embark on my rule and lead my empire into a new era.
Yet amidst the jubilation lies a shadow, a dark threat that I cannot ignore. For beneath the festive sounds, the memory of the malevolent dungeons that appeared in our land and drained the mana from the earth and air lingers. These sinister places that rendered the surroundings barren and threatened to overwhelm our land. They dare to steal mana from us, the apostles of the Goddess Manara! I thought with full fury.
I lower my gaze to the scepter in my hands, and my determination grows. I swear to protect my empire from this menace, to push back the evil, and restore peace. May the power of the crown and the scepter grant me the strength I need to defend my people and save our world.
_______
Throughout the empire, seven days were celebrated for the new emperor. To honor him and to thank the Goddess.
On the second day I also thanked the Goddess; like everyone else, I knelt in the magnificent church and thanked her fervently. With folded hands, bowed head, and closed eyes, I thought of her and the honor she bestowed upon me, a ruler of this splendid empire.
My mood was unusually good; after we finished thanking, I returned to the throne room to attend to my duties.
However, as I walked through the beautiful Imperial Garden, a pageboy rushed up to me and whispered something in my ear.
"WHAT?!" I exclaimed with full anger, my veins on my forehead threatening to burst as I continued walking with quick and hard steps.
I suppressed the desire to kill the pageboy, my hand already on the sword, and said with disdain, "THESE HEATHENS!"
"Quick, lad! Gather all six noblemen!"
The pageboy nodded without looking at me the whole time. Probably out of fear. I was known to be quite ruthless, and I killed without hesitation, though not without reason. But now that I was an emperor, I had to restrain myself a little.
Upon reaching the throne room, most had already arrived, all kneeling as I walked over the violet carpet toward the throne. Some trembled as they saw my anger-contorted face, others tried to suppress their slight swaying from alcohol.
I stood before the throne and as I sat down, they all said in unison, "YOUR MAJESTY!"
I raised my left hand slightly, and silence immediately fell.
"I gathered you all here so quickly because something terrible has happened, and thanks to my celebration, you could all be here quickly!" I said in a calm yet slightly irritated voice.
I took a deep breath and shouted, "AN APOSTLE OF MIPHESTOS HAS APPEARED IN OUR EMPIRE!"
The floodgates of anger were open, and with red eyes, I continued, "THESE SINNERS DO NOT APPRECIATE THE GLORY AND MERCY OF OUR GODDESS! THEY ARE ALREADY TOLERATED TO POSSESS MANA, AND NOW THEY STEAL IT FROM US! US! THE APOSTLES AND DIRECT DESCENDANTS OF MANARA!"
"THEY POLLUTE OUR AIR AND LEAVE OUR POPULATION HUNGRY!"
"HOW DARE THEY! BY THE GODDESS MANARA, I WILL DESTROY THESE DUNGEONS! ERADICATE THEM AND THEN ERADICATE THEM AGAIN!"
I took a deep breath and looked through the room with a serious gaze, my hatred for dungeons was already known to everyone, but I couldn't suppress this anger. Just thinking about it...
I looked around the room; no one looked at me, some with chalk-white and sweaty faces. Others, however, had no reaction.
I sometimes forgot that I was stronger than some of my subjects. I had broken through my level-cap a month ago. I finally surpassed Level 3. I glanced briefly at my status and noticed that I had accidentally let mana flow into my voice.
_________
[Status]
Name: Darian Ironheart IV
Title: Emperor
---> Possesses Imperial Charisma, and your people believe you to a certain extent.
Age: 31 Years 2 Months
Species: Human
Level: 1/6
Exp: 8/1000
Mana: 498/500
Muscle Strength: 19 (A/N: Affects raw strength, per point = 50kg)
Muscle Agility: 21 (A/N: Affects quick strength, agility, and reaction time, per point = 1 millisecond faster)
Body Control: 18 (A/N: Affects control over the body, at 50 points you can move each muscle fiber as desired)
Stamina: 22 (A/N: Affects stamina/holding breath, 1 point
= 1-minute sprint/ 10 second holding )
Skills: [Swordfighting; Competency 6], [Leadership; Competency 3], [Shouting; Competency 2]... (A/N: Only the top three competencies are displayed, 0 Competency = Beginner, 5 Competency = someone with average talent trained for 10 years)
_____________________________
This explained at least the reactions of some of my subjects.
The others had no reaction, as a part was unfortunately even stronger than I was. However, these were already at least 80 years old. Which you wouldn't be able to tell at all.
"And what should we do now?" the eldest asked calmly
"I'll tell you what we'll do. With half of our entire military strength, we'll storm that cursed monster near directly at its opening. We'll conquer it, kill it, and steal the core!" I said.
"I don't want to be impolite, but the plan seems quite dangerous. Even if our neighboring lands are weak, we're surrounded, and if we suddenly become only half as strong, they might attack us," spoke the oldest.
"Orion Darkwood, your concerns are valid, but don't worry, I already have a plan, and I've summoned you six here to discuss it," I said to him, "We'll negotiate with the Nordhaven Kingdom. We'll allow their people to pilgrimage to the Manara-blessed forest every year. In return, they'll enter a 'non-aggression pact.'"
"What about the Westmont Kingdom?"
"What should be done about them? In the best case, they'll attack us beforehand, so we can finally exterminate those godless abominations!" I said disdainfully, "What was my grandfather even thinking when he made a peace agreement with them!"
"If I may ask, Your Majesty," said a middle-aged man with a stout build, "where has the new dungeon appeared?"
"At the border to the Westmont Kingdom," I said solemnly, "I hope to the Goddess that they will try to worship and nurture the dungeon. So, we'll let them in a day earlier and overrun them the next day! Thus, we'll kill two birds with one stone, as once we've exterminated those abominations, we'll burn down that damn dungeon and kill it!"
"Are you aware that you cannot be a part of this plan?" asked Orion.
"Of course!" I said, "But while our soldiers are killing the dungeon, we'll finally level the Westmont Kingdom to the ground!"
"Your Majesty," the youngest in the group said, "aren't we breaking the 'non-aggression pact' you mentioned earlier?"
"Haha..." I chuckled lightly, "do you think I hadn't thought of that, Theodore Stone?"
"What's your plan, then?" asked the stout one.
"It's quite simple," I said, "we'll simply claim that they attacked us first. We'll pretend as if their army attacked us in the dungeon first, something we could confirm with an artifact. So, they'll have broken the pact first, and we'll have the right to strike back. Understood now, Dominic Sterling?"
"Yes, if you'll allow the question. Who do we send into the dungeon? It's well-known that you can only leave the dungeon by finding the exit, and usually, conquests take 3 to 6 months," Dominic Sterling asked, "so if we're fighting on two fronts, which is stronger?"
"Isn't that obvious?" I looked at him puzzled, "when a dungeon is newly opened, its interior will be weak, as in four weeks no dungeon can steal enough mana to strengthen its creatures and monsters. Meaning, we'll send the weaker half into the dungeon, because even if we need 6 months, those abominations will need that too. Thus, we'll have enough time to reorganize, strengthen, and prepare our front outside the dungeon."
"Do you not think that despite the non-aggression pact we make with Nordhaven, they might try to hinder us?" asked the second oldest in the group, "if we conquer the Westmont territory as well, the balance will be disrupted, and we'll own 3/4 of the entire continent."
"Let them dare to attack our Ironheart Empire! They'll pay for it, Manara will curse them, and we'll annihilate them!" I said, "even though the battle will be difficult, dear Benjamin Kingsley, once we win, the entire continent will be ours, and we can spread our faith across the whole continent! AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO!"
"YES your majesty!" all six noblemen shouted together.
"Alright then, we have round about four weeks until the dungeon opens. Take care of all military matters and ensure no information from this room sees the light," I said, "if it does, I hope you know what will happen. I'll handle negotiations with the Nordhaven Kingdom."
"Understood," they said again.
"Oh, and let my people continue celebrating for another week. That'll lift their spirits."