Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Arrival of the Envoy

A short time later, the emissaries of the imperial crown reached the northern domains. Moments of extreme hostility were in the air.

“Manifest your submission before the commissioner of the crown!”

Under the directives of Monarch Guillermo, the delegation was dispatched with the objective of clarifying the facts linked to the so-called “Great Magical Empire,” whose resurgence was rumored in the northern area. In their capacity as the legitimate sovereigns of the continental lands, their purpose was to seize any benefit originating from that enigmatic force.

The Fourth Empire, considered in ancient times the most powerful faction on the continent, had vanished from historical records, only to manifest once more. News about its return spread with speed, reaching even the regions located at the extreme south of the map.

In an era characterized by clashes between the monarch and rebel forces, no one diminished the relevance of the return of the Great Magical Empire.

“Bow before Sovereign Guillermo of the Ninth Empire and his commissioner!”

The demand resonated with absolute firmness, demonstrating that they would not cede their position of authority easily.

“You are welcome.”

The retinue was received by the members of the Night Crow Knights belonging to the Saxon lineage, commanded by an individual who was far from being an ordinary man. He wore distinguished garments with the insignia of the Saxon Night Crow, completely removed from the worn-out clothes of a servant. This character showed his respects before the emissaries of the Ninth Empire.

Turning his back to them immediately, he began to guide them toward the defensive edifice that represented the imperial domain.

The delegates held their breath as they approached the northern structure, an edifice that once served as the palace of the Duke of Saxony and now operated as the bastion of the empire.

“…!”

From the top of the fortification, a group of warriors watched them with an intimidating attitude.

In that place were Sir Helmut Black Bear in the company of his combatants, flanked by the elite forces of the Night Crow, called the “Tomb Guard.” The mastery they possessed over their weapons was indisputably lethal.

If the accounts were true, those combatants possessed the skill necessary to individually subdue a hundred rivals.

However, the display of strength did not end there.

Various sorcerers made an appearance, covered with mantles that radiated a disturbing energy. In an era where the mystical arts were considered extinct and without vitality, these individuals made manifest use of “black” magic.

There was a possibility that these were the practitioners belonging to the Black Tower, the fundamental pillars of the Great Magical Empire.

The leader of the place advanced through the spacious main hall until he occupied the Black Gold Throne that awaited him.

Said Black Gold Throne, of which it was claimed that it served to end the dispute between the precious metal and the darkness, constituted his command center.

The retinue was not in a solitary space. The anonymous executors known as the “Tomb Walkers,” tasked with materializing the dictates of the Lord of Shadows from anonymity, were stationed there.

In a historical period marked by the disappearance of the mystical arts and where the epics of combatants of the past were seen as mere myths, their reality was irrefutable.

Despite the circumstances, the envoys tried to maintain their composure. They appeared at the site acting as representatives of the sovereign, the Lord of Shadows.

Any affront toward them represented a direct attack on the monarch, for their statements carried the authority of the crown.

“News has reached us that your domains and structures emerged from the waters of the northern sea.”

For the inhabitants linked to the Ninth Empire, that zone represented nothing more than an uninhabited maritime extension.

It was then that Dale, positioned on his Black Gold Throne, addressed those present.

“What is it that you seek?”

“Expose your background! What is your origin, what identity do you possess, and what are your intentions?”

One of the delegates raised his voice with demand.

“And show submission.”

“……”

“Show submission before the sovereign and the crown, and offer your loyalty.”

“Do you demand that I show submission?”

The atmosphere turned frigid before such statements. The emissaries experienced a sudden chill that caused an involuntary tremor in their limbs.

Despite the fear, retreat was not an option for them. Their demands reflected the stance of their ruler, and consenting to a humiliation toward the crown was unacceptable.

“Offer fidelity to Sovereign Guillermo and desist from the imprudence of challenging the crown and His Majesty!”

“I show submission to no one.”

Dale replied, exhibiting a frigid expression. The commissioners held their breath at his words. The leader continued speaking.

“Would you be the one to kneel before me?”

“…!”

Simultaneously, the members of the Night Crow Knights moved their hands to the hilts of their swords. An intense vibration of hostility flooded the space, causing several of the delegates to lose their balance due to panic and collapse to their knees reflexively.

“Have you forgotten the role you perform in the name of the monarch? What audacity is yours!”

“However, Lord Ludwig! I beg you to analyze the current landscape…!”

The commander of the delegation exclaimed in desperation, although he too could not maintain total control. His lower limbs shook as if they were about to give out at any moment.

“I have the capacity to bend you without the slightest effort.”

In that instant, the sovereign stood up, moving away from the Black Gold Throne.

“And getting your crown and your monarch to bend would not represent a complex task either.”

“What insolence…!”

“Do you doubt my words?”

inquired Dale.

“Would you change your opinion if I performed a demonstration of it before your own ruler?”

His garments ornamented with the Night Crow began to stir, emulating a living creature, projecting darkness around him.

The entire room was submerged in darkness. Various emissaries, completely overwhelmed by panic, prostrated themselves on the floor seeking clemency.

They were entirely subjugated.

The entity they had in front of them, along with its destructive capacity, did not constitute any fantasy.

The Sovereign of Black Gold, the Magical Emperor, an individual who in outside accounts was considered a mythical invention.

By mere instinct, they understood the immensity of that dark energy, which far surpassed the power of any of the fearsome warriors stationed in the northern fortification.

“I am aware of the way the inhabitants of this era used to refer to my person and my sovereignty.”

“Therefore, are the rumors true…?”

“There were multiple denominations. However, in the present, none of them possess value for me.”

Dale added.

“I will manifest it for the final time. Prostrate yourselves.”

A final dictate. The commissioners, unable to support the weight of their own bodies, ended up yielding to the pressure.

The diplomatic body of the monarch of the Ninth Empire, a group that demanded submission, lay prostrate in a humiliating situation.

“Submission is not a pleasant experience, is it?”

mentioned Dale, showing a gesture of disdain.

“Despite this, you intended for both me and my subordinates to prostrate ourselves before your authority. Was your objective to provoke my displeasure?”

“These actions only respond to the official protocols of the crown…!”

“In this territory, we are all considered outsiders.”

interrupted Dale.

“Do not try to impose your protocols on me or on those who follow me.”

His tone, devoid of warmth, caused the absolute silence of the emissaries. An icy sensation ran down their spines.

“When my territory vanished from the historical annals, this northern sector met the same fate. From a formal point of view, these northern lands do not constitute an area that your Ninth Empire has the right to claim. Is that not the reality?”

“However, is it not a fact that the workers of the northern lords are escaping toward your domains?”

At the moment when Dale’s sovereignty was integrated into this environment, there were no settlers to direct nor aristocrats to command. However, the northern lands, which previously formed the Saxon duchy, had not been completely extinguished.

There were no reasons to deny access to those individuals who intended to work the uninhabited extensions.

“Your authorities set excessive tributes on the people who struggled to survive. For my part, I only gave them access to my lands in exchange for fair retribution.”

declared Dale.

“I regret the situation, but my community and I require sustenance. We find ourselves in the need to trade with the wealth of the edifice and obtain labor for the desolate fields. Before the arrival of the settlers, we opted to provide them with refuge.”

In strict terms, such action was equivalent to a direct grievance toward the Ninth Empire and a transgression of its borders. And the phenomenon was not limited to the northern region. As the information began to circulate, the foundations of the Ninth Empire’s administration began to waver.

“Is it not true that the workers are fleeing for the purpose of integrating into the ‘revolutionary army’ and taking up arms due to the excessive demands of your crown?”

Upon pronouncing said denomination, the commissioner’s countenance lost all color.

“Would it not be more sensible to contain the main crisis instead of focusing your efforts on the few individuals who abandon this sector?”

“……!”

“However, keep calm. I hold no affiliation with the monarch nor do I possess links to the rebel movement. Regarding the afflictions that the northern authorities of your crown may experience due to our actions… I commit to engaging in a dialogue to reach a mutual benefit.”

“Does a real guarantee exist that you will avoid cooperating with the rebel movement?”

“What would be the motive for involving myself?”

questioned Dale.

“The Fourth Empire along with the Lord of Black Gold are no longer an active part of this environment. The only thing that prevails are the ‘outsiders.’ Consequently, I possess no interest in the disputes of this time, in the meaningless combats, nor in the confrontation between gold and shadow.”

“Am I to understand that you will maintain a neutral stance before the internal conflicts of our crown?”

The commissioner, using the remainder of his energy, sought to safeguard a minimum of authority when questioning him, while his limbs continued to shake.

“Neutral stance? Your analysis is erroneous.”

sentenced Dale, the Lord of Black Gold.

“You lack relevance to me. You do not qualify even to capture my attention. Therefore, I warn you for the final time.”

His statement remained devoid of any emotion, exhibiting a cold gaze comparable to that of a deity contemplating common beings.

“Do not interfere in my affairs. Avoid awakening my attention imprudently. If you stick to the rules, I guarantee that we will give you decent treatment.”

With those words, the exchange concluded.

Dispensing with the attentions and formalities corresponding to an official delegation, the emissaries left the enclosure in a hurried manner, almost in retreat.

Subsequently, with the passing of the days, the workers linked to the Ninth Empire began to evade the controls to head toward the domains of Dale, the authentic northern sector, a place where they settled with the goal of starting a new stage.

Between the rebel faction and the imperial crown, a different alternative began to consolidate.

With the objective of stopping the flow of deserters and establishing a lesson, the aristocracy of the northern region mobilized its mounted units.

These forces intercepted and attacked the servants who intended to escape, causing the northern fields to suffer the ravages of the armed incursion.

Despite Dale’s initial pretensions, his figure and his sovereignty had ceased to be elements foreign to the events of this environment.