Enthronement of the Emperor
For many people in the Nord Federation, the discussion with the Saint Miriam Kingdom ended without knowing what it was.
When that happens, it's finally time for Ren to take the throne. In the audience hall, all the officials in the castle were gathered. There were not many of them, but they were all there. The government of the Nord Federation is mostly decided by the council of the four ministers. Other than these four, the heads of the various departments are the only other persons who can be considered important vassals, and even they mostly serve concurrently with the four ministers.
While this is a monopoly of authority by the ministers, it is also because the Nord Federation, which controls only a small portion of the country, does not need a large number of civil officials. The national government of the Nord Federation is smaller in scale than the metropolitan government of the royal capital of a large country.
The enthronement ceremony, which should have required three months of preparation, was held in a really small way.
"In the name of the Four Ministers of the Nord Federation, we recognize Ren Takashiro as the King of the Nord Federation."
Before the four ministers lined up, Ren knelt down and leaned his head back. Inwardly, he is quite irritated. He was not satisfied with the formality of being recognized by the ministers, even if he was nominated by the people.
As long as the ministers consider Ren to be a decorated king, it is understandable that they would want to put him under their control. But Ren was frustrated by the fact that they had spent three months thinking that this was what they had in mind.
"With this, the oath has been completed. Ren Takashiro is now the king of the Nord Federation."
With this final declaration, the ceremony came to an end.
After that, Ren sat on the throne prepared in the center of the front and was greeted by his subjects, who were also greeted by the four ministers seated further in front of him. The four ministers were seated in front of Ren and received the greetings of their subjects. The greeters seemed to know that it was only a formality, and they gave only their names to Ren before leaving. When the last of the subjects had finished his greetings, Ren opened his mouth.
"Why don't you guys greet me?"
"……What?"
"A greeting. Won't you pledge allegiance to me who became the king?"
"Fu, fuhahahaha"
At Ren's words, one of the prime ministers sitting in front couldn't stand it anymore and let out a laugh. Laughter resounds throughout the audience.
"What's funny?"
"What are you misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding?"
"I only gave it to you because you said you really want the title of king. No one will swear allegiance to you. Just because you have the title of king doesn't change the fact that you are a hero."
"I'm not going to admit it, but what do you mean?"
"Let me tell you. A hero is someone who does whatever he is told to do for the sake of his country. In other words, he is the same as a slave."
"……Slave?"
"Yes. You are a slave of our country."
"I am a king. I have no intention of becoming a slave."
"Kukuku. It's pathetic without knowing anything. The status board is also called a proof of pledge, but there is actually another name."
With a smile that was both amusing and ugly from Ren's point of view, the minister began to explain about the status board.
"What's the other name?"
"Proof of servitude. In other words, it's a slave contract."
"…………"
"You understand? You can't go against us. Keep working as we command."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Demon subjugation. It doesn't matter what method you use. Destroy the demons. Then take their land and kidnap their women."
"Such a thing."
"I'm not supposed to tell you."
"No, I heard you."
Where did the mysterious face from a moment ago go? Ren said so with a brazen smile.
"What did you say?"
"I heard you right. You were led to think so."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I'm not listening to you."
"...You fool. Don't underestimate the proof of servitude. You may say you don't like it, but you have no choice but to obey."
"I don't like what I don't like."
"Know your place! Hear my command according to the proof of servitude! Kneel before me and apologize!"
The man shouts with his status board raised high. The status board glows slightly in response to his voice.
"…………"
Even with his eyebrows frowning, Ren sat still in his chair and didn't move.
"You can endure it, huh? Come to think of it, there is such a thing as mental resistance. But it's useless. The proof of servitude is not that kind. Now, kneel!"
The man orders Ren to kneel down again. At this point, a look of relief crossed Ren's face. Exhaling heavily, Ren slowly opened his mouth.
"...Is it safe?"
"What!?"
"It seems to be all right. I was nervous. I've done everything, but I wasn't sure until the very end if it was really safe or not."
"That's absurd! Kneel down! Kneel!"
The minister shouted hard at the status board. But Ren feels nothing.
"It's no use. Your orders will never reach me."
"Why!?"
"I told you. I've done a lot of things."
"……Done what?"
"Ah, you want to know? Well, I'll tell you. I'm in a good mood because it worked out so well."
Ren had a really happy smile on his face. He's been preparing for this day for years. Ren is genuinely happy with his success.
"Speak quickly!"
"That attitude... it's going to put me in a bad mood. But I'll explain. For one thing, just now."
"Just now?"
"I became the king of this country. The proof of pledge is against the Nord Federation. I am the king of the Nord Federation, and I am the supreme power in the Nord Federation, which means that I made a contract with me. No matter what you say, if I, as the superior, do not recognize it, it is not an order."
Ren did not make a contract with the ministers. He made a contract with the country. As the king of that country, Ren's orders are superior to those of the minister. In the first place, the minister cannot give orders to the king. The magic is contradicted by its magic.
"That's absurd..."
"Well, I don't know if that's actually the case. There are others. The name written on the pledge is Ren Takashiro, but my real name isn't Ren Takashiro. Is that a bigger one?"
"W-what?"
"Even so, the blood that was spilled was my blood. I was still worried. But the result is as you can see. It's what I call a great success."
From the beginning and the time of the contract as a hero. Only when he dripped blood as a sign of contract, Ren's status board was updated. This was the biggest thing that worried Ren.
"...Don't joke around. Do you think you can get away with this!? You think you've fooled us well, but so what? They'll make you their slave once again!"
"I refuse to do that."
"Seize him! I don't care if you hurt him a little!"
The man's command causes those around him to move, but Ren remains seated in his chair, unconcerned. He opened his mouth to the man with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"Are you really that stupid?"
"What?"
"What do you think I am? Even if you all came at me, I'm confident I'd kill all of you."
"…………"
No one can deny Ren's words. They approved of making him the hero of this country because he had that much power.
"To tell you the truth, it's no use trying to call the soldiers outside the room. They've already taken action."
"...There are other soldiers."
"So what? If you don't obey me, I will kill you. I'll show you how it's done."
"What?"
"I'm not going to let you make me a king. I will become the king of this country with my power."
"You can't do that."
"Then you should step aside and watch. From now on, the real enthronement ceremony will begin."
"What did you say?"
Outside the audience chamber. A clamor was approaching from the corridor. It is clearly the sound of a struggle, which gradually grows louder and then stops.
"……They arrived."
With Ren muttering, the door opened wide. Seeing the odd-shaped people who entered inside, everyone except Ren gasped and froze.
"You guys are a hindrance. If you don't want to die, step aside."
The ministers, who had come to their senses at Ren's words, hurriedly stepped aside. The demons that came in in place of them rushed in front of Ren.
"We're a little late, aren't we?"
Rin's father, who was leading the way, asked.
"No, you're right on time."
"That's good to hear."
"Any casualties?"
"There were a few injuries among the soldiers of the Federation, but the Saint-sama is healing them."
"Saint-sama? Did that woman call herself that?"
"No, that's what the Federation soldiers called her, so I wondered if that was the case."
"I see... well, it's fine."
To Ren, she may be a perverted woman, but to the soldiers being helped, Shizuku probably seems like a saint as her title suggests. The image of her proud face made him a little irritated, but Ren thought that it was okay.
"Then may we begin the enthronement ceremony?"
"Yeah."
"Then from me."
The people of the Federation were astonished to see the man step forward and kneel down. They could not believe that a proud demon had broken their knees to Ren, a human.
"Radu Vlad Drakul, King of Vampires, swears to Kaiser Ren Breitkreuz as my Lord and my sole and absolute loyalty to him. My people do the same. I swear that their loyalty to Kaiser Ren Breitkreuz is no less than that to myself, the King of Vampires. My Emperor. Please accept our allegiance."
"I have indeed received it. I, too, pledge to be a lord worthy of your allegiance."
"I am thankful for your kindness."
The next to step forward was a brown-skinned elf, Yuri, queen of the Dunkerelfe tribe.
"Spirits. Stand in witness to the oath of Yuri, Queen of Dunkerelfe. Kaiser Ren Breitkreuz. We, the Dunkerelfe Tribe, pledge to you that we will devote ourselves and all of our hearts to you as our emperor. Please accept our vow."
"Y-yeah. I also swear. I will become an emperor worthy of your vows."
Even though he was a little bewildered by the words, which seemed more like a confession than an oath between master and servant, Ren returned the words.
"I'm next. I, Luke, chief of the Fang Claw Tribe and king of the Therianthrope Country, pledge. The loyalty of me and my people lies solely with Kaiser Ren Breitkreuz. I hereby swear to serve the Lord at the risk of my life."
"Therianthrope country?"
The name of this country was new to Ren. He had never heard it from Luke.
"I created a country with other beastman races. We thought we could be of more help to the Lord than if each tribe was separated from the others."
"I see. Thank you. I will show you that your loyalty is worth it. For the future of this country."
"Ha"
After that, the oath of the chiefs of each tribe continued. After the beastman races that belonged to the Therianthrope nation, the elves other than the Dunkerelfe, and finally, the last one to come forward.
"I am pleased to meet you for the first time. I am Lyra, queen of the Lilith tribe."
She is a woman who inspires pure lust, different from, and even more than, the women of the vampire race.
"Kaiser Ren Breitkreutz."
"...Like the rumors."
"Rumor?"
"No. We Liliths do not have much power, but we would like to serve under Kaiser Ren Breitkreutz-sama. Will you allow it?"
"Of course. I swear to you that I will take good care of you as my vassal and as a citizen of my land."
"I'm glad to hear it."
"...I'm at a loss."
Even for Ren, who was several times more tolerant of this kind of thing than most people, the charm that wafted from the woman stimulated the depths of his heart. Seeing Ren's wry smile, Lyra of the Lilith tribe smiled and slowly stepped back.
"Is that all who came?"
"Yes."
"Then finally. I hereby declare. I, as King and Emperor of the nations that have sworn allegiance to me, will establish the Nord Empire in this land. The nations that have sworn allegiance to me will work for the good of the Empire as the constituent nations of the Nord Empire."
"""Ha!"""
"With this, the enthronement ceremony is over. The future government of the country will be considered by the Supreme Council, which is made up of representatives from each country. Each representative will attend the meeting that follows."
"""Ha!"""
"King Luke. I'm sorry, but I need you to maintain the security of the castle with your subordinates. Feel free to detain anyone who makes a fuss."
"Ah. Who are they?"
The line of sight of King Drakul turns to the ministers.
"Keep them in custody. They will be dealt with eventually."
"I understand."
"Ah, Lautrec!"
As if remembering, Ren called out Lautrec's name, who was with the other ministers.
"Ha!"
"Are you seriously not going to swear allegiance to me?"
"No way. I was just keeping silent so as not to disturb the process."
"Then join the meeting."
"Ha."
Lautrec, showing signs of relief, leaves the other ministers. At his back, the remaining ones shouted angrily.
"Lautrec! Did you betray us!?"
"You coward!"
"Are you only trying to save yourself?"
He can understand their anger, but they have forgotten what they have done.
"I swear allegiance to the king. What part of this is betrayal?"
Lautrec spat the words to remind them of that.
"...Then I will also be loyal."
If they don't want to die, they have to say this.
"Your Majesty?"
"I have already asked you if you will pledge your allegiance to me. I haven't forgotten your answer to that. It's too late now."
Knowing that they made a mistake in their previous statement because they didn't want to die. Especially this time, Ren is trying to fundamentally change the way the country works. Those in power in the old system are nothing but obstacles.
"No! King! Please listen to me!"
"Give me a chance! I want you to see my work!"
"...Shut up. That's too bad."
"No! Help!"
"Talk! I want to talk to you!"
A cry for help is thrown at Ren as he tries to leave the scene. But it soon fell silent. For they had all been knocked unconscious by King Luke.
The enthronement ceremony thus ended, and an emperor, not a king, stood in Nord.
◇◇◇
The delegates gathered in the conference room. They were all kings and queens of their respective countries.
"It's all well and good at first, but at some point, you will have to assign your own representatives."
"Why? I think it would be easier to proceed if the representatives were the kings of each country."
King Luke questioned Ren's words.
"Are you planning to stay out of the country for a long time? This conference is to decide the policy of the Empire. As long as there is an Empire, it will be repeated in a short period of time."
"……Indeed."
The kings of each country and each tribe remain absent from their territories. Even King Luke thinks that is certainly a problem.
"We'll use these members for the first few sessions, as I'm sure you'll appreciate this more at first. Lautrec, please proceed."
"Ha. But where do you want to start?"
"First of all, how do we get those who are opposed to this matter under control? What are the chances of a revolt? If so, who?"
Even though he was appointed to the throne, that was not the end of the story. Ren becomes an emperor in the true sense of the word for the first time after seizing a territory, especially a territory controlled by humans.
"...The commander of the security forces"
"That's already taken care of, I believe."
"Yeah. He's the first one we've taken into custody."
King Luke immediately agreed with Ren's words.
"Yes, that's right."
"Then... the families and relatives of the three former ministers."
There are only a limited number of people with enough power to start a rebellion. If it is not the commander of the security forces who holds the military power, it is only the ministers who have the political power. Since the ministers have already been detained, the only ones who remain are their relatives.
"Even if the three ministers are in captivity, will they still cause trouble?"
"If the heads of the family are being held hostage, I don't think it will happen."
"I see... can you look into their families and relatives?"
"What do you mean?"
"If they were to start a rebellion, who would cooperate and how would they start it? I want to know who they are and what they are capable of."
"......To some extent."
With what intention is Ren going to investigate this? Lautrec's heart grows heavy at the thought of it.
"Who's going to look into it?"
"There is such a department."
"Where do you think those people's allegiances lie?"
"…………"
Lautrec could not answer. It shouldn't be suitable for Ren. But what would Ren say if he did?
"My bad. The question I just asked was unnecessary. King Drakul."
"Ha"
"Can you find it out?"
"Of course, we can. I'll put some men on it."
"The three former ministers will be dealt with eventually. And if something does happen, we'll have enough information to put it down quickly."
"……I understand."
Let them cause trouble and wipe out the disaffected elements. King Drakul understood that this was the plan. He had heard a little from Rin about his ruthlessness towards his enemies, and it seemed to be true, King Drakul thought.
"Also, if possible, I would also like to ask the vampires to help not only with this matter but with espionage in general."
"...We're good at night, but is espionage enough?"
He is confident in their ability to hide in the dark of night. But in the daytime, it's a different story. But that is only according to the strict standards of King Drakul, whose physical abilities are beyond the reach of the human spies.
"Humans will also be included in the organization. For the time being, I will send three former adventurers who came with me to the intelligence department. Details will be discussed individually."
"Understood"
Even so, Ren decided to add the humans. He thought that not only physical ability but also skill and experience were needed.
"Next is the military. We will reorganize the security forces. First, we will keep only those who are loyal to me, but eventually, we will completely reorganize them."
"Reorganize?"
"No, that will come later. In principle, the soldiers in the security forces will be the second son or younger. The person who takes over the family will be excluded. Is that still the case today?"
"In principle, yes, but conscription is on the taxpayer's shoulders."
Rather than paying taxes, they give out manpower. Many people think so. Putting them in the military is also a way to keep their mouths shut.
"If a family can't pay taxes, they will send out their eldest son or whatever. Then, return it to its original form."
"But a house that can't pay taxes is still."
Would soon be back in the army. With this in mind, Lautrec tried to deny Ren's order.
"If they can't pay, they can be exempted. At least for a year. Tax exemption."
"Huh?"
"I need to be popular. I've brought some money. We'll make do with it."
"I don't mean to be rude, but it's about His Majesty's savings."
"No, it's not mine. I've taken over some of the money that an organization had saved up."
"That is?"
"Don't ask which organization it's from. It is not for me, but for the people who were involved with that organization. Seira, a former nun, is in charge of it, so you can talk to her directly."
That was already the answer. It means that they received funds from the Anti-Hero Alliance, the monastery, or both.
"……I understand."
"Once the military is reorganized, it will be thoroughly trained. It's not reinforcement. We will build up an elite force. That will be the core of the country's military. I want someone from King Luke's country for this mission. Their role will be to train the soldiers. Along with that, I will assign a former knight of the Church so that they can learn group warfare, in short, how to fight in a human army.”
"How do humans fight?"
King Luke's face is clearly dissatisfied. Knowing that reaction, Ren prepared the following words.
"What would happen if the strong learned the tactics that the weak had developed to make their armies stronger?"
"I see."
"Actually, it wouldn't be that simple, but I suppose it would make sense just to know how the enemy fights."
"Yeah, I suppose it would."
That makes King Luke look convinced. He is not stupid. He is a man who sees only the essentials rather than the details.
"The army will consist of those left over from the current security forces, the knights who came with me, the children, and the warriors from King Luke's place. We'll start from here."
"Your Majesty, the elves can fight too."
Queen Yuri interrupted, looking dissatisfied. Compared to other elves, the Dunkerelfe Elves are more war-like. Queen Yuri was no exception to this, even though she seemed to have a gentle disposition.
"There is something else I want the elves to do. I already told you that, didn't I?"
"Yes, but..."
"I should tell you, the survey is for the whole country."
"Yes?"
"The survey of underground resources, forest resources, etc., will be conducted in all the countries that have joined the Empire. I don't think you have time for military training."
"……It is certainly so"
No matter how much power the spirits have, the survey cannot be done without going to the location. It's a pretty tough job to go around the whole Nord Empire.
"I would like each country to allow the elves to enter the area for investigation. This is our top priority. They call it a wealthy nation with a strong army, but a strong army is only a strong army if it makes a nation wealthy."
"I understand"
"Lautrec, please explain the human situation later. I will decide what to do after hearing that. If you have a plan, I will listen to it."
"Ha."
"And next is……"
"Your Majesty."
Queen Lyra immediately called out to Ren, who began to wonder if he had forgotten something.
"What?"
"Could you give the Liliths a role as well?"
"Of course. What are you good at?"
"Entertainment."
"Yes? What now?"
"We're good at dealing with gentlemen."
"No, that's...... the kind of business people might need. It's just a little bit..."
As expected, Ren did not have the idea of opening a brothel in Nord. In the first place, he feels a strong resistance to ordering prostitution.
"There's no need to worry about that."
"No, but"
"…Perhaps His Majesty doesn’t know about the Lilith tribe?"
"I'm sorry. Actually, yes."
Today was the first time Ren had heard of the Liliths. He had no knowledge of the nature of the tribe.
"Oh well. But I can't help it. We are people who live in the darkness of the night."
"I see."
"How about this name? Succubus. A long time ago, our tribe was called like this."
"……Succubus?"
Information derived from the knowledge of the original world. He answered rather unconfidently, but Queen Lyra's face had a smile on her face when she heard it.
"Your Majesty even knows the ancient language?"
"Ancient language? Anyway, was I right? But with the succubus, the man will..."
"That's a human made-up story. It won't kill them. We just take what is necessary and that's it."
"What do you mean by necessary?"
"For the Liliths, the act is not only to leave the seed, but also to eat. Therefore, it would be more helpful for us if His Majesty gave us your permission. It is no fun to eat in secret."
"...If that's the case"
Ren was rather uncomfortable with the word [eat], but he decided to accept it. If this is what they want, there is nothing more gratifying for Ren.
One night with the Dunkerelfe tribe, he learned that even former church knights who wish to die have s*xual desires. And he also knows that he is the one who amplifies that desire.
"Then, we will take turns at His Majesty's side."
"Eh? Me?"
"Isn't it necessary?"
"No, I'm sorry, but I'm not in trouble with that."
"Is that so? According to what I've heard, His Majesty has done the act but doesn't release it."
"Eh? Who told you that?"
"From a conversation between His Majesty and a certain woman. Even His Majesty does not know that my people can get close to you."
"That Luna..."
Even if Ren doesn't notice it, Luna will notice it. She knew they were getting close and she let it be. Since it's Luna, she's acting in the hope that she can be added to the harem.
"Leave it to me to protect you at night. Even in situations where your escorts can't get close, we can stay by your side without disturbing His Majesty."
"...I see. It's amazing if the intruders can't notice you. I understand. Then you're not doing entertainment, you're doing that one."
"Ara?"
"...I'll think about it. For example, is it okay to say that it's a public brothel?"
"Well, but I'm very interested in His Majesty."
"That's... another thing."
"Yes. I'm looking forward to it."
The final talk turned out to be a daunting one, but the first High Council of the Nord Empire was over.
Specifics are yet to be worked out. Nevertheless, the new nation has taken its first steps. Its steps will gradually accelerate and change the Nord Empire in a major way.
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