BBYW Vol. 2 Chapter 39 (WN)
Chapter 39 – The Slothful Moves — And the Final Trump Card
【POV: Grett Baal】
“GWAAAHHH!?!”
Blood trickled continuously from the wound. I dropped to my knees and clenched my chest.
“D-DAMN YOU!!! Dyngir Maxwell!! I-I’m going to kill you!! Tear you to pieces!! With my own haaands!!”
I was teleported at the same time of the attack: thanks to that, the wound was not too deep. Never in my life, however, had I ever been hurt in such a manner, so my heart, mind and mouth overflowed with hatred for Dyngir Maxwell.
Hermes, the magic tool that I had used to escape, allowed the user to return immediately to a previously visited location. I had spent half of my territories’ tax revenue to acquire it, but thanks to that I could escape from such a dire emergency.
The place I was transported to was my office in the imperial capital.
I staggered to my desk, took a Potion from the drawer and swallowed it in one gulp.
“Gh…haah…shit…how could something like that happen…that man, not only did he kidnap Rossellia, he even dared threaten someone as noble as I…he deserves a thousand deaths…!!”
Thanks to the recovery potion, I could feel the pain disappear rapidly and my mind clear up.
I was going to kill Dyngir Maxwell, naturally. Take back Rossellia and make her my bride. The battle was lost because that imbecile Lars lost his mind, but, for the future Baal Emperor, crushing a filthy country noble like that would be child’s play.
“There is no way I could ever lose to the likes of Maxwell…yes, this mistake must be corrected. Thankfully, Lars is missing: I will proclaim him dead, ascend to the throne, and…”
Once emperor, I would have the empire’s whole military power at my fingertips. The First and Second Imperial Armies have suffered heavy losses, but there still were plenty of reserves in the defense troops. The Third Imperial Army was surely unscathed too: the empire still had more than enough military power at its disposal.
“There is no time to lose, then…haha…just you wait, Dyngir Maxwell. I’ll come again for you immediately, and this time you will fall…”
I made sure my wound healed and left my office. The atmosphere in the imperial court was strangely frantic: perplexed, I stopped one of the functionaries running around.
“You there, stop!”
“Eh? Me? I…Prince Grett!? But the campaign to Lamperouge…”
“I just returned. More importantly, Lars fell in battle against House Maxwell. I am thus forced to take the mantle of next emperor and…”
“That is simply perfect! Oh, it’s horrible, Sire!”
The functionary suddenly interrupted me, shouting.
“Horrible? What is?”
Could news of our defeat at Fort Bryden have already reached the capital? So I wondered as I pressed the functionary for information, but his answer was wholly unexpected.
“Rebellion, Sire!! Prince Cerros is leading the Third Imperial Army against the capital!!”
“W-What!? Nonsense!!”
Shocked and appalled, I shouted to the ceiling.
My brother Cerros was the incarnation of sloth: he didn’t have a shred of ambition in his body. He was officially one of the candidates for the throne but just in name: There was no real chance he could be emperor.
“Prince Cerros has already surrounded the capital! The Imperial Knights are holding them back for the moment, but with Captain Salazar absent, they won’t last long!”
“That can’t be! There should be more than enough troops left to defend the capital!!”
The main force of the Imperial Knights had indeed rode to Fort Bryden, but there should be a good number of defense troops left. Even if the Third Imperial Army attacked in full force, the capital should be able to resist at least one month.
“N-No, the enemy isn’t only the Third Imperial Army, there are soldiers from Huang too!!”
“W-Whaaat!?!”
The Huang Dynasty, a country located to the east of the empire, was supposed to be an enemy state, which frequently clashed against Cerros and his Third Imperial Army.
“Did he sell the empire to the enemy!? That filthy traitor…!!”
I clenched and gnashed my teeth.
I never thought Cerros could be colluding with the enemy. I had severely underestimated that lazy good-for-nothing.
“Prince Cerros stated that if we surrender the capital, he’ll spare the lives of all soldiers and citizens. We could open the gates and…”
“Absolutely not!!”
I shouted before even thinking about it. Even if Cerros really planned not to kill the people of the capital, he would surely not spare his rival to the throne.
(If that moron catches me, he’ll have me executed for the world to see…! That cannot happen…but what should I…?)
The capital’s defense troops could probably hold the Third Imperial Army at bay for a little while, but not if reinforcements from Huang joined forces with them.
However, there had to be a way to turn this situation on its head…
“Yes…yes, there is one!! That should still be here in court!!”
“P-Prince Grett!?”
“I shall deal with Cerros! Let everyone know!!”
So I ordered the functionary, and started running down the court corridor. I did not exercise often, so my lungs quickly wept in pain. The last time I ran at full speed was probably during my childhood.
“Hah..hah…hah…hahaha…yes!! I am the future emperor!! That gives me the right to use the secret treasure only allowed for the emperor!!”
I entered one of the court’s buildings — the imperial mausoleum, where the remains of all past emperors had been buried.
I walked down the white marble halls, until I reached the end of the hall — and the grave of the first emperor.
“Haha…hahaha…haha…you are going to regret what you did…you, Cerros, and Dyngir Maxwell too…I will massacre anyone that dares stand in my way…!!!”
Encased on the grave of the first emperor, Zebul Baal, there was a transparent gem. I took out a pocket knife and cut my palm with it, then pressed the wound against the gem. Soon enough, my blood filled the gem, turning it deeply red.
A rumbling sound rose in the mausoleum. The marble walls shook and crumbled.
“Hahaha!! HAHAHAHA!!! I truly am the man chosen to be emperor!! The First Emperor, the whole world, the very gods are celebrating!!”
What I had activated was a magic tool handed down from emperor to emperor. The greatest magic tool, which the first emperor supposedly claimed “Shall be used only when the empire is on the brink of destruction”.
“Come, Zeus! Divine Hammer of the Thunder Emperor!! I am your master, I am Emperor Baal!!”
Thus, the strongest magic weapon on earth was released, to annihilate all those who challenged my claim to the throne.