Chapter 257: I Am the True Emperor

Transport ships, fully loaded with ground troops, are descending upon the Imperial capital planet, protected by its outer shell.

Kukuri’s black ops and special forces units had already been deployed inside, and the Banfield side had seized control of the outer shell.

“So we’re breaking into a planet that has never once allowed an enemy to invade…”

I was lost in thought.

It wasn’t because I was reminiscing about my training days on the capital planet, but because memories of my junior from my past life had resurfaced.

He used to say, “Senpai, they say a virgin trying to conquer another virgin is like trying to capture an impregnable fortress with only new recruits.”

What on earth are you talking about? And could you please stop talking about virgins at work? Look, the female employees are glaring at us… Back then, I was desperate to stop his rampage.

In a way, this must be the situation he was talking about.

However, our side is made up of battle-hardened veterans… we didn’t conquer it with just new recruits.

As expected, conquering it with only new recruits would have been impossible.

As the Argos was breaking into the capital planet—a place that had never even been attacked, let alone being impregnable—it was Klaus who responded to my muttered words.

“So even you get sentimental, Lord Liam.”

“…What do you take me for? Even I can get a little sentimental now and then.”

Well, I was feeling nostalgic about my junior from my past life, not that I cared much about the capital planet itself.

I rose from my dedicated seat and addressed the entire army.

“Now, shall we have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor?”

◇

The Banfield army’s transport ships, having broken through the outer shell, were deploying ground troops one after another.

They landed on the continent where the palace was located and in areas with major facilities.

More than eighty percent of the forces were deployed to the palace in particular.

The reason was that an entire continent was collectively considered the palace grounds.

Being the heart of the Empire, it housed a variety of facilities and organizations.

For the sake of the future, it was likely required to seize all important facilities and detain the executive-level members of the organizations.

Fierce battles between ground troops erupted in various locations, and the capital planet was turning into a sea of fire.

Watching this situation unfold were Celina and the others, crammed into a small shuttle.

Their guide was Kunai.

Kunai, much like Kukuri and her group, had a sadistic personality and seemed to enjoy watching the maids let out small screams as they saw the palace being destroyed.

Then, as the exceptionally large super-dreadnought, the Argos, broke through the outer shell and appeared, Kunai spoke to Celina with delight.

“It seems he’s left the cleanup to others and has come to the capital planet himself. The ground troops seem fired up too. Look, the Empire’s ground forces, those wannabe elites with little combat experience, are being hunted down.”

Using the shuttle’s window as a monitor, she displayed combat footage from the ground.

It was from the perspective of a single soldier from the Banfield family’s ground forces… a scene of aiming a gun at an Imperial soldier and pulling the trigger.

At the sight of a head being blown off, the apprentice maids trembled, hugged each other, and let out small screams.

However, Celina, Cattleya, and the other official maids sat quietly and watched the footage.

Celina spoke about the Imperial soldiers.

“The soldiers understand the meaning of being invaded this far. Even if their resolve wavers, they fight on without surrendering. That’s admirable loyalty, isn’t it?”

Kunai didn’t seem to find that reaction amusing.

“…Just as expected from the Prime Minister’s pet spy. Or should I say, the Prime Minister’s woman?”

“You investigated that far?”

“We’ve investigated you thoroughly. We even know that your blood relatives here are like family to the Prime Minister.”

“It’s pointless to use them as hostages against His Excellency the Prime Minister. He is not that foolish. He is the one who best understands what it means to support the Empire.”

Deciding that Celina wouldn’t break, Kunai seemed to give up.

Since they were under protection, she couldn’t threaten them any further and looked bored.

However, even Celina and the others started to get up from their seats and showed signs of panic as the Argos approached the palace… more specifically, the critical sector where the Emperor resided.

Finding this amusing, Kunai’s voice became lively.

“Oh my, it seems Lord Liam intends to board the palace himself and take the Emperor’s head. I wish I could have been there to guard him.”

The Imperial ground forces launched an attack on the Argos, but the warship’s anti-air interception lasers incinerated them.

Mobile Knights were deployed, lining up and performing a knight’s salute.

It was likely in preparation for Liam’s arrival.

Kunai’s voice, now filled with excitement, was even more animated than before, and she was rejoicing.

“Look! Lord Liam is descending upon the capital planet! If he takes the Emperor’s head, our long-cherished wish will be fulfilled!”

◇

Having landed on the capital planet in a small, open-air shuttle reminiscent of a convertible, I was greeted by a battle-scarred Kukuri.

She was on one knee, her head bowed.

Beside her, members of the special ground forces unit known as “Treasure” were lined up, saluting.

In the surrounding area, Kukuri’s subordinates and the ground troops were on high alert.

Kukuri spoke on their behalf, welcoming my arrival.

“We all congratulate you on your victory in space.”

“Well done. Thanks to you all seizing control of the outer shell beforehand, we were able to land without incident. Now, we don’t have time to waste… Where is the Emperor?”

When I asked for the Emperor’s whereabouts, Kukuri answered without raising her head.

“…Regarding that matter, Emperor Bagrada has not been found.”

Hearing this, Klaus, who was by my side, took action.

“Does that mean you let him escape? Contact the space fleet. Have them conduct a thorough search for any warship or small spacecraft that has escaped the capital planet.”

It would be a pain if Bagrada escaped now.

It was no surprise that Klaus would mobilize the space fleet.

But Kukuri said.

“There are no signs of escape either.”

“…Kukuri, stand. If you know what’s going on, explain.”

Kukuri stood up.

“We couldn’t find Bagrada, but Cleo is proclaiming himself Emperor. As if to provoke us, he even specified a location, saying he’s waiting for Lord Liam’s arrival.”

Cleo is calling himself Emperor? Did he take advantage of the situation to kill Bagrada and declare himself Emperor?

“I can’t imagine he has the guts to kill Bagrada… Well, fine. I suppose I’ll answer his summons. Take me to that location.”

At that, Klaus tried to stop me.

“You must not! There’s a possibility he plans to take you with him in a suicide attack. Let’s send in a specialized unit first.”

Would that Cleo really try a suicide attack with me? As I was thinking that, Tia and Marie descended from the sky.

Marie was the first to speak.

“In that case, I insist that you place this Marie in the assault team. I shall take Cleo’s head and present it to Lord Liam.”

Tia, on the other hand, was in a foul mood for being beaten to the punch.

“Be quiet, you fossil who wasn’t even listening! Lord Liam, please order this Christiana to capture Cleo. I will drag him before you and make him atone for his sins, without fail!”

Watching the two eager women, I let out a small sigh.

“…You two, come along as well. Klaus, Kukuri, let’s go.”

As I walked ahead, my retainers hurriedly followed.

It was amusing to see Klaus with a panicked expression he rarely showed.

“Lord Liam, it’s dangerous!”

◇

In the True Throne Room, Graham, who had taken over Cleo’s body, looked bored.

Scattered around were the bodies of Banfield soldiers, among them some of Kukuri’s subordinates.

A surviving Banfield soldier, still firing his weapon, looked at Graham in terror.

“Why won’t you die, you monster!?”

Despite being attacked with energy weapons, bombs, rocket launchers, and various other armaments, Cleo’s body remained unscathed.

To be precise, even when hit, it regenerated instantly, returning to its original state.

Seeing the head that had been blown off regenerate, clothes and all, the soldier fell back on his rear.

Graham spoke to the soldier.

“‘Monster,’ is it…? It seems you have the right idea. As a reward, I shall personally drain your life and negative emotions.”

As Graham reached out his hand, something strange happened to the soldier.

He dropped his weapon to the floor, trembled violently… and then collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Graham retracted his outstretched hand.

“The fear you felt before me was quite delicious. But unfortunately, it was only on the level of cheap candy, I suppose? A far cry from a gourmet meal.”

The surviving soldiers, forgetting to attack, were trembling.

Even Kukuri’s subordinates were frozen, instinctively sensing the malevolent aura emanating from Graham.

Then, the sound of a group’s footsteps echoed from the entrance of the True Throne Room.

“Playing emperor this deep inside, Cleo?”

The soldiers started at the voice coming from the back.

They hurriedly raised their weapons, but received an order from the person who entered.

“All of you, stand down. I’ll deal with this one.”

The one who appeared was Liam, leading the key figures of the Banfield family.

Graham smirked with Cleo’s face.

“It’s been a while, Liam-kun.”

As he said this in Cleo’s voice, Liam furrowed his brow.

It seemed he had realized it instantly.

“I thought you started exuding a rather sinister aura. Is someone else inside?”

Not only had Liam sensed the malevolent aura, but he had also correctly guessed that someone else was inside. Graham clapped his hands in praise.

“Correct! My name is Graham Noah Albreit! For over two thousand years, I have been playing the part of the Emperor!”

Hearing Graham’s words, Marie and Kukuri stepped forward, radiating killing intent.

“You… you rotten bastard! I’m going to spend decades slicing you to pieces while I torture you to death!”

The enraged Marie’s double blades tore Cleo’s body to shreds.

Kukuri, for her part, had pierced Cleo’s chest… his heart.

Her eyes were wide, apparently in excitement.

“If you utter that name, even in jest, I have no choice but to kill you.”

However, Cleo was laughing while spitting blood from his mouth.

As the two sensed something was wrong and tried to retreat, they were blown back by a shockwave.

The slashed and pierced flesh began to regenerate.

It was a regeneration fueled by negative emotions, and black, sinister patterns emerged on Cleo’s fair skin.

“You used to bow your heads and call me ‘Your Majesty the Emperor,’ and now you attack me just for petrifying you for a bit of fun. How cruel.”

Marie, getting back on her feet, quickly moved in front of Liam.

“Lord Liam, this is Graham! There’s no mistake!”

Kukuri, too, seemed to have confirmed Graham’s personality within Cleo.

“I don’t know what means he used, but there is no doubt his personality is the same as Graham’s. Lord Liam, please step back.”

Told to step back by the two, Liam impatiently pushed them aside and came forward.

“You two are the ones who should step back. This guy is my true enemy. It’s my job to kill him. Besides… as a swordsman of the One-Flash style, I now have a reason to slay him.”

Facing Graham, Liam felt not the slightest bit of fear.

At this, Graham looked bored.

“You really are a disagreeable fellow. The aura you’re cloaked in is something I despise, and I don’t like your strong sense of justice either. I’ve wanted to torture and kill you for a long time.”

The energy Liam was cloaked in was the polar opposite of Graham’s.

Golden particles shimmered as if to protect Liam, shining brightly in the space filled with negative emotions.

…I don’t like it.

That was Graham’s honest feeling.

And then, Graham remembered something.

“…Come to think of it, your great-grandfather, Alistair-kun, was a similar man. He ran around trying to improve the Empire, which didn’t align with my goals, so he was quite a nuisance.”

One of Liam’s eyebrows twitched.

“Did you do something?”

“I might have interfered in various ways. But the best part was when I seduced his son and grandson! It was so much fun corrupting them with all sorts of tricks when they came to the capital planet. The children of that self-righteous fool fell so easily! …Oh, right, the grandson was your father, wasn’t he? He turned out to be quite the fool, just like an Imperial noble, don’t you think?”

Seeing Liam tightly grip the scabbard of the sword in his left hand, Graham felt a sense of elation.

He was pretending to be calm, but there was no doubt he was feeling anger.

Liam said.

“I’ve never even met my great-grandfather, so I don’t care, but Brian would surely be saddened to hear this story. So, to prevent this from spreading… I will completely annihilate you right here.”

“Brian? Who’s that?”

The moment Graham said that, his head was sliced off.

As the head hit the floor, Liam spoke.

“…You have no talent for being a villain.”

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