‘Oh, Bern . What is this like“

Shut up, Ella.”

In the Kingdom of Daman, at the mansion of the Platinum Knight.

Having fled from the battle against the leader of the Imperial Knights, Giel , Bern and Sylvia were staying at the mansion of Ella, known as the Platinum Knight.

Located in the capital, this mansion was a gift from the King, who held Ella in high regard.

However, the conversations that took place within its walls were far from what the Kingdom of Dam’s noble class would have anticipated.

Ella, dressed in the same colors favored by the high-ranking nobles of Dam, raised a wine glass in one hand and spoke to Bern.

“Haha, Bern. Who would have thought the great Bern would end up in this state?”

Ella knew Bern was not a weak man, even though he might be foolish at times.

Though he occasionally failed in his missions due to a lack of tactical precision, he had never failed like this before.

Usually, he would botch a mission by killing those he was supposed to protect or destroying what he needed to capture, but never had he retreated due to a lack of strength.

“Damn it, I didn’t lose. If I had gone all the way, I would’ve won,” Bern said, frustration lacing his voice.

Ella, well aware of Bern’s abilities, did not deny his claim but merely nodded.

“True enough. But isn’t it the first time in a while you’ve faced an opponent you couldn’t overpower from the start? You didn’t even need to use your skills against that Mercenary King or that wandering knight.”

“That Giel. He’s nothing like those lowlifes,” Bern responded, referring to the famous masters of the continent as “lowlifes” with a serious expression.

“To fight him, you’d have to put your life on the line. He’s not an enemy you can face lightly.”

Hearing this, Ella’s expression also darkened.

For someone like Bern, one of the kingdom’s strongest, to say such things about the leader of the Imperial Knights—someone not even considered the strongest by Ella himself—was a troubling sign. The situation was far from ideal.

“So, Ella, where’s the King?” Bern asked, trying to shift focus.

“In the palace. The Imperial envoy is supposed to arrive in Dam soon, so the King is preparing to annihilate them there,” Ella replied.

“Really? Shouldn’t I help?” Sylvia asked, puzzled.

Ella shook his head, declining.

“The King said there’s no need for that. After all, you’ve had enough of a rough time with the Empire. He wants you to rest first and regain your strength. We need to be in top form before the Imperial envoy arrives.”

With a slight tremor in his voice, Ella drained the last of his wine and continued.

“The day the envoy sets foot in Dam... finally, the long-awaited revenge will begin.”

It had been 300 years since the fall of  Edelvine .

The surviving descendants had spent those years preparing for revenge in secrecy.

They built their strength, gathered resources, and passed it all down through the generations.

They had endured all this time, waiting for the moment to topple the Empire, to avenge their kingdom.

Now, with the Empire weakened by its war with the Demon King’s army, the long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived.

If they missed this chance, they could be forced to wait another few decades—or even centuries.

Perhaps the descendants would have lost their resolve and given up on revenge altogether.

So, they had to succeed. They had no choice.

For the sake of their ancestors’ vengeance.

For  Edelvine

.

The three of them gathered in the room, each silently reaffirming their shared resolve.

In a secluded training room on the edge of the Imperial Palace.

Unaware of what the descendants of  Edelvine  were plotting, I found myself in a situation where a great war might break out soon—something I had not expected.

With far more enemies than anticipated and unforeseen circumstances looming, I felt a growing need to become stronger.

Having sent the Imperial envoy to Dam, I left the trivial matters to my subordinates, including Minister Dia, and focused solely on my training for a while.

I closed my eyes and quietly meditated, reflecting on the world around me.

Countless laws of the world, the traces of beings so close to absolute power, and most notably, the lingering presence of dragons in the Imperial Palace and the dragon blood flowing through my veins.

Everything felt incredibly vivid.

“I command…”

But today, once again, the language of dragons would not come to me.

Why? What was the reason?

Was the dragon blood within me insuffiXiant?

I didn’t think so.

If that had been the case, the Duke would have noticed it long ago.

Then, could it be an issue of my lineage?

The Duke had certainly said that I could use the dragon’s tongue.

Even if I wasn’t a full dragon, there were records of half-dragons wielding the dragon’s language in history.

Among the ancestors of Arhan, there was even an emperor who had used it.

So, was I less talented than he?

It wasn’t a boast, but I was a genius.

I had realized it during the war when I reached the level of a Master Magician, and more recently, during my training with the Duke in the North, it became even clearer.

No one had ever reached the pinnacle of a Great Mage in such a short period, and no one ever would again.

It was impossible that my talent was lacking to the point where I couldn’t use the dragon’s language.

I realized I needed to think more fundamentally.

What exactly is the dragon’s tongue?

Before it is a power, the dragon’s tongue is simply the language of dragons.

Why had I wanted to learn the language of dragons in the first place?

I am the Emperor, not a dragon.

If I am to command the world, should I not do so as an Emperor, rather than as a dragon?

I discarded the notion of the dragon’s tongue.

What mattered was commanding the world.

“I command.”

It was a simple shift in mindset, but the result was drastically different.

The laws of the world, which had been rigid and unyielding until now, seemed to bow before me.

At the same time, I felt the gazes of the world’s greatest powers, including the Duke in the North.

From Kiriya, who resides in the heavens, to the Empire’s guardian dragon, who meditates in the Valley of Dragons, to the World Tree in the Great Forest, and numerous other transcendent beings.

From the most sacred to the most vile and wicked.

These were beings far beyond human power, but I felt no fear.

I was certain now that their powers could no longer harm me.

Though I was still far from being on par with them, this was more than enough to deal with the descendants of  Edelvine.

Yes, I would call this the Emperor’s Command.

“Your Majesty, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Hm, I’ve had a small achievement.”

“Ah, congratulations, Your Majesty.”

For the first time since sending off the Imperial envoy, I sat down in my office.

“Minister, do you have any reports?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. A letter from Duke Fael. He has arrived at the borders of Dam and will soon reach the capital.”

“Any special news before he reaches Dam?”

“Two masters from Jer and Haeon challenged Duke Fael’s subordinates but were defeated.

Also, the ‘Black Swan’ defeated one of the Duke’s subordinates and then challenged the Duke himself but was also defeated.”

Oh, three in total.

That’s more than I had expected.

“Good. As expected of Fael. Let’s watch how Dam responds to the envoy and decide our next move from there.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“How is Riel ?”

“As you commanded, Your Majesty, she has entered the academy. The sight of the princess interacting with commoners has greatly reduced the class discrimination within the academy, and the concerns of Count Darhan have significantly lessened, according to reports.”

“Good. What of the East?”

“The former ruler of the East, Marquis Giore, has committed treason and fled to Dam. As a result, the noble families of the East, which were connected to Giore, are now cautious and keeping their distance. Thanks to this, the situation has stabilized for now, but it doesn’t seem like it will last long.”

“Hm… There’s no prominent noble in the East to manage it at the moment. Has anyone recently made a name for themselves?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Hm… I see. For now, I’ll send my administrators to manage it temporarily. If we don’t find a suitable candidate in the long term, we may have to consider splitting the territory and assigning it to the lords of the East.”

Perhaps I could hold on to it for a while longer, then distribute the lands among the talented graduates of the academy once they’ve finished their studies.

Ah, yes. I must leave a portion for Ari.

According to Sir Feltz, Ar should soon reach the level of a Master, and by that time, it might be suitable to entrust him with the East along with a noble title.

With the precedent set by Xian, there shouldn’t be much opposition.

Of course, he won’t be able to serve as a lord of the East in the same way as Marquis Giore, but if I assign him a few academy graduates as vassals, it should work out fine.

By then, Xian will likely have established himself in the South as a Duke or even a King.

Ari in the East, and Xian in the South.

The empire will be filled not with old, scheming nobles, but with trustworthy, young blood. I couldn’t be more excited about that future.