It has been nearly 4 weeks since the conversation with the six noble men, and the opening of the dungeon is drawing closer.
The treaty with the Nordhaven Kingdom was easily concluded. Just like my Empire, they also follow Manarism as their main religion, and when I offered them the deal with a slight threat, they couldn't refuse.
Currently, I am at the headquarters of the church to pray. Luckily, it's not a far distance as it's located directly in the capital of my Empire. My palace is also situated there, so I can always be close to Manara to find my peace.
I once again asked for her blessing and permission for the upcoming war and good luck for the speech I'm about to deliver.
To be closer to Manara and to gain strength, I went down to the basement to attend the ritual.
Upon arrival, I saw a brightly lit room made of white marble, black ebony, and subtle gold decorations. Every time I see it, I think about how beautiful it is, and a sense of anticipation wells up within me to liberate the world a little.
A priest emerged from a metal door on the left side and asked, "Are you ready, Your Majesty?"
I simply nodded and drew my sword from its sheath. I found it to be a beautiful sword, even though it's not overly ornate; it emits an aura of strength. It has a blade of about a meter in length, glimmering and reflecting. It's relatively thick and has intricate patterns in the center that can only be seen up close. The crossguard, grip, and pommel seemed to flow into each other, making it difficult to describe.
But there was no time to admire the sword; the priest introduced a few figures, their hands tied behind their backs, their faces obscured. All that could be seen were their bald heads with slightly shimmering scales.
"I would have enjoyed defacing the faces of these miscreants myself," I remarked to the priest without expression.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. This group of Skalaris arrived in this state. Likely, the hunters had some fun with them," the priest explained.
I nodded and approached the 20 individuals slowly. I offered a brief prayer and asked Manara for her blessing and for her to witness that I executed these sinners and traitors for her. Then, I raised my sword and beheaded the first Skalari. While I usually made them atone for their misdeeds, as I didn't have much time, I decided to show mercy this time.
I repeated the process, and after the tenth, I felt a slight surge of energy within me. Consequently, I swiftly dispatched the remaining ten, leaving my sword with the priest. A quick glance at my status allowed me to see that I had earned 2.3 [EXP].
The priest cleaned the sword while I offered a prayer of thanks to Manara. With that done, I retrieved the sword and left the church. My automobile was waiting there; a recent invention that was made public last week. As the Emperor, I had the privilege to test it, and although I'm faster on foot, I found driving to be enjoyable and now used it for transportation through the city.
To ensure my safety, however, ten soldiers jogged around my automobile. It worked for now, but the inventor of this contraption mentioned that with further refinement, it would drive even faster. Yet, at the moment, the mana storage was insufficient and not efficient enough. Something like that.
After a short while, I arrived in the city center. A vast square stretched before me, capable of accommodating the entire population of the city, for sure.
At the other end stood a 10-meter tall tower with an observation platform. It was from there that I would deliver the speech. A speech written by the eldest of the six noble men, as he had the ability to craft succinct propaganda.
Since the square was already well-filled, my bodyguards made way for me to cross it. Once at the tower, I parked the automobile and entered.
I must admit, I was a bit nervous; this would be my first speech in front of so many people. So, I mentally reviewed the speech several times as I waited for the event to begin.
Half an hour later, a young, red-haired lad called me over, saying that all preparations were ready. Thus, I stepped onto the observation platform, where a wave of cheering people welcomed me.
I walked to the railing and waved slightly to my people. I glanced back at the entrance; it was closed now. In its place, a huge hologram of me was projected.
A middle-aged man with a broad build, 182 cm tall, short silver hair, and eyes resembling the depths of the ocean. My face appeared stern, with an air of seriousness, and my features were somewhat angular. A scar cut diagonally across my face, and one of my ears was missing. My medium-sized eyes remained untouched, but my delicate nose and mouth bore the marks of a three-day beard.
My attire was kept simple: a garment of white and violet hues enveloped me. Therefore, I tore my gaze away from the hologram and approached the podium, a raised platform with a microphone that amplified my voice using mana.
Standing there, I looked out over the vast crowd, estimating around 800,000 individuals. I picked up the microphone and began:
(A/N: Capitalized words are likely emphasized or shouted.)
"Esteemed citizens of the mighty Ironheart Empire,
Today, I stand before you not only as your Emperor but as your leader, your protector, and your guide in
these crucial times! We stand on the precipice of a new era, an era of determination and courage, where we will eradicate injustice and eliminate the threats against our beloved Empire!
You, my people, are the foundation of our strength! Together, we are INVINCIBLE, and it is our DESTINY to ignite the flames of justice and drive out the FOLLOWERS OF MEPHISTO, the FOES OF OUR GODDESS!
In these dark hours, I have made a DECISION that will lead us into a future free from threats and turmoil!
Our ENEMIES in the Westmont Kingdom have dared to threaten our territory and disturb the peace we have worked so hard to achieve! But we will NOT ALLOW their aggression to intimidate our people! NO, we will confront them with DETERMINATION and PRIDE, defending our SOVEREIGNTY and our VALUES! They may think they can intimidate us, but WE WILL shatter their plans and show them that the IRONHEART EMPIRE NEVER RETREATS!
AND THEN THERE IS THE DUNGEON, a sinister place that threatens our land and drains our life force! We will NOT ALLOW this evil to choke our Empire! We will outshine the darkness with our radiance, the radiance of UNITY AND PRIDE! We will ANNIHILATE THE CORE OF THIS EVIL and overcome the darkness looming over us!
ESTEEMED CITIZENS, our mission is CLEAR: we will prove our LOYALTY TO THE GODDESS MANARA and our DEVOTION TO OUR EMPIRE by fighting SIDE BY SIDE! We will carry the brilliance of our JUSTICE in our hearts as we march together onto the battlefield! EACH OF US WILL BE A CANDLE, carrying the light of hope to dispel the darkness!
LET US PROCLAIM THE CALL OF VICTORY LOUDLY and carry the sound of our unity on the wind! For WE!
We are the GUARDIANS OF OUR HOMELAND, the KEEPERS OF JUSTICE, and the HEIRS TO A GLORIOUS HISTORY! Let us show that we are STRONG, that we are UNITED, and that we will fight for our Empire to the very end!
MAY MANARA WATCH OVER US and illuminate our path to success! FOR THE IRONHEART EMPIRE AND THE RADIANT FUTURE THAT LIES AHEAD! BE A PART OF IT, AND MANARA WILL WATCH OVER US ETERNALLY!
LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE! LONG LIVE UNITY! LONG LIVE VICTORY!"
"LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE! LONG LIVE UNITY! LONG LIVE VICTORY!" echoed throughout the crowd, creating a sensation as if the air itself was vibrating.
A surge of pride flooded me. I smiled and called out again: "LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE! LONG LIVE UNITY! LONG LIVE VICTORY!"
To which my people responded in kind with the same words.
I watched them cheer, and with that, I waved to them and bid them farewell. The door opened again, and I left the tower, making my way back to the palace, now using the automobile.
I summoned one of the six noble men to me, Daniel Whitaker. He is the only one without his own territory and is responsible for social issues. He advises me on what is best for my people and what isn't, and he also contributes ideas to improve the quality of life for my subjects.
After 15 minutes, he arrived in my personal study.
"Welcome, Daniel Whitaker!" I said. "How are you?"
"Good…, Your Majesty, but why have you summoned me?" he inquired.
"I wanted to ask about the progress of our two projects," I queried.
"Good, good. I think we can open the schools starting next month," he answered.
"Alright, and what about the unconditional basic income?"
"Since we've already constructed the social housing and collected all the necessary data, it shouldn't be a problem to implement it within the next two weeks. But are you absolutely sure about this idea? I can understand the free schools, but won't we lose a significant amount of money by just giving everyone money?"
I looked at him inquisitively and stated, "The people are our foundation. What is an Emperor without his people?"
...
We continued to discuss for a while, concluding our conversation with the agreement to make both announcements public simultaneously.
A few days passed, and tomorrow was the important day. Tomorrow, we would march. Tomorrow, we would become one. From tomorrow, we would administer justice and write history.
I stood on my balcony, surveying the city. A colossal city. In the distance, I could see the 30-meter high wall, constructed from specially hardened stone to prevent any monster attacks.
The castle leaned against a mountain standing in the sea, and the five main roads all led to me. In the center was the widest road, spanning 150 meters, which led directly to my palace.
I gazed at the illuminated city for a while before returning to my chambers to sleep.
...
The following morning, the city pulsated with life as my mighty army entered the main streets in an organized march. From my elevated vantage point on the city wall, I observed the impressive spectacle.
They came from the two outer streets, the rows of my valiant warriors adorned in armors that sparkled in the sunlight, and banners fluttering in the wind. Their synchronized steps echoed in tune with the thundering heartbeat of my nation. The discipline and determination embodied in their formation sent shivers down my spine and filled my heart with pride.
The army moved like an unstoppable wave, carving its path through the city. The residents had gathered along the sides of the streets to witness their defenders; their faces held a mix of awe and admiration. A loud and uplifting cheer rose from the crowd as they expressed their gratitude.
The main road before me, wide and majestic, led to my castle. The significance and power of this moment compelled me to clench my fist in tension. The sight of my army marching in ordered chaos filled me with an energy pulsating through my veins.
The sun was positioned diagonally in the sky, casting a golden light over the scene. Banners danced in the wind, armors gleamed like stars, and the rhythm of footsteps formed a powerful beat. It was as if the city itself had become a part of my army, a pulsating heartbeat symbolizing our determination.
The two outer streets converged onto the broad main road before me. The formation was flawless, the rows merging into a single unit. I could sense the gazes of my soldiers, their determination, their will to triumph.
Then, as the vanguard of my army reached the base of the city wall, I raised my hand in greeting. A thunderous roar filled the air as my warriors responded with a wave of adoration. I felt their loyalty, their readiness to give everything for me and for our Empire.
"MY SOLDIERS," I shouted, "today is the day we MAKE HISTORY and ENFORCE JUSTICE! Under our flag, we WILL march into battle for MANARA and EXTERMINATE THE EVIL!"
I paused briefly, looking at my army, which gazed up to me in awe.
I smiled and, with a final call, declared: "LONG LIVE OUR GODDESS MANARA!"
"LONG LIVE OUR GODDESS MANARA!" the entire city shouted in unison.
Then they continued the parade and display of power, leaving the city amid the cheering well-wishes and farewells of the citizens.
Once the last soldier had left the capital, I returned to my palace. As I would join the war only towards its conclusion, I had many matters to attend to first.
If all went according to plan, the 1.6 million-strong army would split halfway as planned. Barring any obstacles, they would enter the dungeon one day after its opening.
Thankfully, my scouts had already reported that an army of 600,000 Skalaris had entered the dungeon with essential items.
With everything going according to plan, I smiled and said, "It begins"
:D