Baharuth Empire, Imperial Palace.
On a two-seater bench crafted from fine wood, a man reclined sideways atop a black leather fur blanket.
His features were striking. Beneath his golden hair, a pair of crystal-like eyes shone with elegance and poise.
Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix.
He was the current Emperor of the Empire.
As a ruler, Jircniv possessed exceptional intellect and an innate kingly presence. Upon ascending the throne, he carried out a ruthless purge of the Empire's nobility, earning himself the title of the [Bloody Emperor].
The nobles feared him. The common people adored him. He was praised as the wisest emperor in the Empire's history.
"Old man, is the information confirmed?"
Jircniv asked, glancing toward the figure beside him.
An elderly man stood there, his snow-white beard reaching nearly to his waist. Though his hair was as white as fresh snow, it remained thick and full.
His wrinkled face framed a pair of eyes that occasionally flashed with keen intelligence.
This man was the Empire's renowned Great Sage, one who had reached the very limits of humanity in the field of magic—Fluder Paradyne.
"Yes. The Adamantite Adventurer team known as 'Ainz Ooal Gown' has confirmed its departure from the Kingdom. However…"
"If they've already left, then deploy the troops."
Fluder stroked his beard, but before he could finish, a deep voice came from outside the door.
Creak.
The door swung open. A faint breeze drifted in as several black-robed figures strode inside.
"Bloody Emperor, we have wasted enough time."
The leading figure spoke without the slightest trace of respect, his tone edged with impatience.
"How dare you! Address His Majesty with proper honorifics!"
Before Jircniv could respond, the four guards standing behind him like statues rebuked the man sharply.
They were the Empire's famed Four Knights, warriors chosen from among a million soldiers, known as [The Unassailable], [Fierce Gale], [Lightning Bolt], and [Heavy Explosion].
Any one of them alone possessed strength comparable to an Adamantite Adventurer.
The one who spoke was [Fierce Gale], one of the Four Knights: Nimble Arc Dale Anoch.
Nimble's gaze was razor sharp. He held Jircniv in the highest regard and made no effort to hide the anger in his voice.
The atmosphere immediately turned heavy. The two sides faced off, tension crackling as if a fight could break out at any moment.
At that moment, Jircniv spoke calmly.
"Stand down, Nimble."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Without hesitation, Nimble shot the other party a cold glare before swiftly sheathing his weapon.
"My apologies to the representatives of the Theocracy for my subordinate's discourtesy."
A faint look of apology crossed Jircniv's face as he spoke with composed restraint.
The members of the Theocracy exchanged quiet words among themselves. Their leader removed his hood, revealing a somewhat aged face.
Quaecaisse Hazeia Quintia.
The retired Captain of the Black Scripture, and the father of the Jokester Sister and Jokester Brother.
"I was the one at fault just now."
Quaecaisse gave a slight bow in apology before continuing.
"However, we ask that Your Majesty dispatch troops to the Kingdom as soon as possible. We have other missions to carry out and cannot remain here for long."
For Quaecaisse and his party, they had already spent too much time in the Empire. They needed to conclude this operation quickly and move on to support the Dragon Kingdom.
(The Retired Black Scripture had yet to receive news of the Dragon Kingdom's victory.)
"Sending troops is no issue," Jircniv said, a trace of difficulty in his expression. "But we've run into a small problem."
"What problem?"
The brief relief that had appeared on Quaecaisse's group's faces vanished, replaced by frowns.
Jircniv gave a subtle look. Already prepared, Fluder immediately took out a world map and spread it across the table.
"I had originally planned to wage war on this plain, but..."
Jircniv pointed to a location on the map.
A vast, jagged mountain range stood between the Empire and the Kingdom, making it unrealistic for ordinary troops to cross. As a result, battles in previous years had always taken place on a particular plain.
If they could crush the Kingdom's first wave of soldiers on the main battlefield and seize the forward fortress, E-Rantel, everything that followed would become much easier.
But this time, something unexpected had occurred. A forest had suddenly appeared on the once-open plain, blocking the Empire's only viable route.
"I previously conducted a reconnaissance of the forest's outskirts. It appears to be inhabited by quite a few magical beasts."
Fluder added this calmly.
He had originally intended to venture deeper into the forest to determine what had caused its sudden emergence.
However, the moment he stepped within its borders, an intense sense of crisis forced him to stop.
Danger. Extreme danger.
That was the only feeling he had at the time.
Out of caution, Fluder ultimately chose not to enter the forest and instead returned to the Empire.
As for adventuring? He would pass. Wasn't it far better to stay home and devote himself to studying magic in peace?
"I had planned to issue a commission to the Adventurer's Guild and have adventurers investigate the forest..." Jircniv said.
If even the old man had sensed danger, it would be wiser to let adventurers test the waters first rather than risk his own soldiers charging in blindly.
It was a cautious and reasonable plan. But to the Theocracy delegation, it was unacceptable.
"No. That's too slow."
As expected, Quaecaisse immediately rejected it.
The corners of Jircniv's lips lifted slightly before he quickly arranged his features into a troubled expression and let out a sigh.
"I understand your concern. But I cannot gamble with the lives of my soldiers."
Quaecaisse's face darkened at once. He understood exactly what that meant.
They could either wait patiently alongside the Empire, or handle it themselves.
"...Mobilize the troops. We'll deal with the forest."
After his expression shifted several times, Quaecaisse finally sighed and chose to step straight into the trap.
It was an open scheme, plain for all to see, yet they had no way to refuse.
"Very well. Since you're willing to lend your assistance, that would be most appreciated."
Jircniv smiled faintly. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
Whether they agreed or not, the Empire would not lose out.
The Theocracy was clearly eager for the Empire to annex the Kingdom as soon as possible. He did not know the reason behind their urgency, but that did not stop him from extracting as much value from them as he could in the process.
After all, he was not the one in a hurry. They were.
Why was the Theocracy so anxious? Had something happened?
Jircniv pondered quietly.
If he had known that the entire Sunlight Scripture had been wiped out, that the current Black Scripture had been annihilated to the last man, leaving only the God-kin Captain alive, he would have understood their desperation.
There were simply too many problems and no one left to deal with them.
Fluder, standing off to the side, smiled faintly. Having watched the Bloody Emperor grow up, he understood the young ruler's way of thinking all too well.
For the Bloody Emperor, the interests of the Empire came before everything else—even himself.