Chapter 17 My True Purpose
Two days have passed, and a lot of things have changed.
Firstly, Alicia Von Dracon, Arthur's biological mother, managed to create a temporary split within the recent faction. Although this did reach her father, Duke Aquila, he too was helpless to do anything.
Even though he could have sent his third son, William, to the capital, he needed his expertise to stabilize the duchy first. Instead, he sent his vassal—the Viscount of Emberfall, Cedric Emberfall.
Cedric is a man in his fifties, a corrupt politician with a history of exploiting commoners and mistreating his servants and subordinates.
A few months ago, Cedric's only heir and the son of his late wife was captured by the Pirate Empress. In a desperate bid, he robbed his own people from his fief to pay the ransom for his release.
However, the Pirate Empress heard what he had done, yet still accepted the promised amount—only to later distribute that money to the poor people whom Cedric had robbed.
This act earned the Pirate Empress high popularity among the commoners, and many of them decided to join her instead of staying to work for the nobles.
As a result, the anarchy in Cedric's fiefdom intensified.
Since Cedric is an important noble in the Regent Faction and a supporter of the second son of Duke Aquila, he was chosen to be the representative for the Aquila Duchy.
The current Duke, Douglas Van Aquila, is injured and bedridden due to a surprise attack by the Pirate Empress. His second son, Charles, has temporarily become the acting Duke since the first son is still in the hands of the Pirate Empress and the third son lacks any backing.
Thus, Charles chose to send his supporter, Cedric, to the capital as the representative and quickly managed to pull the strings to appoint him as the representative of the whole duchy. Even he was surprised by the news that Duke Raul had personally returned to the capital instead of staying in his fief, which is now being raided by the Nadur Republic.
This was a godsend opportunity for Charles to completely get rid of those damn supporters of his older brother while he held temporary power. So, he decided not to visit the capital and remain in the duchy on the pretext of stabilizing it.
Meanwhile, the ceremony was about to begin in five hours.
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Arthur's schedule was busy and filled with various activities that an Emperor must do before the Founding Festival.
There were rituals conducted by the old priests of the Western Sect, meetings with a few living relatives of the Imperial Family, and finally the important ceremony where the Emperor would give a speech to the crowd gathered for the festival.
However, because Arthur is young—and also because the two factions wanted to limit his interaction with the citizens—he did not give a speech. Instead, he was only to appear in public as a ceremonial head, waving his hand from inside the luxurious carriage before entering the Great Cathedral of Eldora, where a few more ceremonies would continue.
Although Arthur may appear disappointed, he had to act like an arrogant brat who didn't like to speak with "filthy commoners" to deceive both the Prime Minister faction and the Regent faction.
Yet somewhere inside, he was scared to confront his fears—fears of being hated by the people of the Empire, who were suffering under the tyranny of the aristocracy—while the young Emperor, whose task is to serve the Empire, is just a helpless puppet.
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(Arthur's POV)
Finally, the day came for me to officially make my debut in front of the citizens of the Eldorion Empire.
Normally, the maids in the Imperial Palace don't start working before a certain time, but today was an exception. They were in a good mood as they quickly dressed me up, which isn't surprising since today is National Foundings Day.
My schedule for today, as per the new Chamberlain Renold, Baron of Lombard, is filled mostly with the boring ceremonial tasks—some rituals by a priest from the Western Sect, and other routine duties—while I make my official debut in front of the citizens by parading through the streets toward the old church on the hill on the eastern side of the capital. The hill is also called Founding Hill.
This old church is important for the Imperial Family because, according to what Nox told me, it is where my ancestor Cardinal took an oath alongside his wife, Eldora, to reconquer the old lands of the preceding Hyperion Empire. So, this is where the origins of the Eldorion Empire lie.
From the history books that Count Volfor gave me and taught me, Emperor Cardinal lived until the age of 85 while being a formidable swordsman and an Aura Grandmaster of the 6th Stage. It is said that he died while trying to surpass the Wall of Transcendence—a challenge most people at the 6th stage face.
Some history books claim that he died of illness or old age, but since I am still a puppet Emperor with extremely limited powers, I can't uncover the truth. Anyway, that's for future me to figure out!
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After completing the boring rituals, it finally came… the day I dreaded facing.
The parade containing the Emperor's Carriage would pass through the Imperial Streets. While on the way, the citizens—who are normally told to bow their heads when aristocrats pass by—were allowed to raise their heads and cheer on this day.
I entered the luxurious carriage. Hmm… From the looks of it, it's heavily enchanted by magic to prevent any sneak attacks, at least from a magician. At least, that's how it appears.
While the guards around me are not very powerful, there's a magician belonging to Duke Raul who is using his magic to probably show off. His magic power seems to be of a 5th Stage magician, but his control over mana appears very unrefined.
Anyway, it looks like that guy will remain with Duke Raul and his cronies. By the way, the Duchy of Aquila's representative hasn't met me yet. I wonder why, though. I can see the Duchy of Aquila banners on the left side and opposite Duke Raul's carriage.
I can see Founding Hill in the distance…
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The quaint church on Founding Hill felt like a refuge compared to the grand one I attended in the past. Its simplicity resonated with me, though it lay outside the capital, making a return visit uncertain. After the prayers, we resumed our journey in the carriage. The chancellor and aristocrats joined their respective carriages, and the vanguard led the way. As the parade approached the capital, citizens were permitted to raise their voices and gaze upon the procession.
I can't deny the fear coursing through me. Despite my privileged position, the populace endures hardship due to political strife among the aristocrats. The Emperor, constrained by these power struggles, struggles to improve their plight. While their resentment is justified, I dread the possibility of it being directed at me. Should the citizens revolt, death awaits me—a fate I acknowledged upon realizing my role as Emperor.
Yet, the parade pressed on.
Cheers erupted from the crowd ahead. Were these genuine expressions, or coerced jubilation orchestrated by the aristocrats? Crossing the gates of the imperial capital, my carriage trudged forward. The air vibrated with joyous shouts.
"LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!!"
"OUR HOPE!! OUR LIGHT!!"
The citizens, weathered and thin, beamed radiant smiles as they rallied behind their young emperor.
"Why are they happy…?"
"It's because they expect great things from you. Both the previous Emperor and your father were popular with the people," a guard overheard my murmur and responded.
"I… see…"
For a moment, I was immobilized, my body quivering. Their happiness seemed absurd. They had every reason to resent me, given the challenges they faced.
Yet, here they were, praising an emperor helpless against their struggles.
The sight was bewildering. It wouldn't be surprising if their cheers turned to disdain, condemning the Emperor for their hardships. However, they lauded the vulnerable Emperor before them.
"I don't know what other feelings or thoughts they have for the young Emperor, but they still have hope in me."
A crowd—a familiar sight—now had all its eyes fixed solely on me. The prospect was terrifying. Had their cheers been filled with hatred, turning vindictive, a gruesome fate awaited me.
Yet, my trembling wasn't rooted in fear.
Never had I encountered such a sight: a multitude of people anticipating something from me. Their voices, desperate or not, were directed toward someone like me—a puppet Emperor.
The sensation, though foolish, brought a strange joy. It seemed worth dedicating my life to achieving their expectations.
Kingdoms may crumble, lives may be lost—everything could be in vain.
Nevertheless, I vowed to give my best as Emperor amid the resounding cheers that shook the very foundation of this world. That's my true purpose, my destiny.
_ _ _ _
And so was the day when the young kid's perspective changed, as he grappled with the excitement and fully accepted the role of his destiny—transforming him into the legendary Emperor Arthur Von Dracon, the God of War on the Battlefield, who never lost a battle in his entire life.
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A/N
Finally… the character development I was waiting for since the beginning...
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