In the center of the empire, the army of the Griffin family swept in, captured six provinces in a row, and gradually approached the imperial capital Titaneia.
During this crisis, a massive mobilization and convocation was launched within the empire. Countless noble vassals loyal to the royal family summoned the troops in their territories and began to gather towards the agreed location.
In the square in front of Titaneia in the imperial capital, the coats of arms and flags of various families were flying. The current emperor, wearing a golden and red military uniform, stood on a high platform and gave his final speech before departure.
His voice was not deep, but his pronunciation was clear, and he tried to make each sentence short, clear, and powerful.
"People of the Empire, this is the most critical moment. As the Emperor of the Empire, I summon you and command you to defeat the Griffins of the West."
"This isn't just for honor, but also because we must never hand over the power of the empire to those barbarians. Our world is undergoing a transformation, with many new things beginning to alter everything. This is an unprecedented era, and our presence will profoundly alter this world."
"And you, your victory, not only defends the dignity of the empire, but also defends your homes, loved ones, wealth, and even your future."
"I am so proud of your bravery."
"Forward, people of the Empire, the victorious rose moon will shine forever!"
As soon as he finished speaking, applause broke out in the square, and then the army began to march westward and gradually engaged in battle with the griffin army.
After these hundreds of thousands of troops gradually left the imperial capital, Elio stood on the high observatory tower of the Rose Palace, overlooking the figures winding their way across the fields in the distance.
"What? Are you still worried?" A silver-purple maid walked up to the top of the tower and came behind Elio.
"Yes, how can I feel at ease?" Elio rubbed his temple and turned around.
"It seems you're still a little depressed. It's true that Euryone's passing must have made you feel guilty and regretful."
"After all, she is a rare beautiful girl with such talent. Perhaps you have been attracted to her." Conos placed the fruits and snacks on the table and sat opposite Elio.
After hearing this, Elio shook his head slightly, but said nothing more.
"The position of the Emperor is very different from what I imagined in the past."
"Did you ever think that once you became emperor, you could do whatever you wanted, haha." Conos chuckled, then stopped and started peeling fruit for Elio.
"It's like this. When you're an emperor, there are some things that can't go exactly as you wish. If you force your way around it, even the emperor will suffer backlash. It could be rebellion, hatred, bad reputation, or misunderstanding." Kornos said simply, then fed the peeled orange segments to Elio.
"I used to think that I wanted to be a wise ruler, just like the great monarchs in history and legends, who could make the people live and work in peace and contentment."
"But I found that I couldn't do it. I couldn't even do the simplest thing of feeding the people." Elio shook his head.
"Is there really a shortage of food? Perhaps not, but the scarcity of food will definitely fetch a high price, which will please a small number of people, and they can easily profit from it."
"I once thought about having the imperial army collect food and then distributing it roughly based on demand, but I quickly dismissed this unrealistic idea."
"It's easy for people in power to find loopholes, and the military's collection process isn't necessarily fair or clean."
"Then I thought, at least make everyone richer so that their lives can be improved, but those wealthy businessmen will only become more skilled in suppressing the common people."
"It's like shaking a rope. Civilians are always at the end of the rope. No matter how big the amplitude or benefits are at the beginning, they will become smaller when they reach there, and they will always be the smallest."
Elio looked at the gradually darkening sky, with disappointment and finality on his young face.
"I'm sorry, I'm just a kid who grew up in the countryside. I'm afraid I've disappointed everyone by letting you become the emperor of the empire."
"The Griffin family rebelled, the loyal North no longer obeyed, internal conflicts continued, and even a few simple and beautiful people died under my foolish orders."
"The empire is like a wooden box with the nails removed. It is now on the verge of falling apart. Although I know that I will most likely die in this war, I sometimes wonder what the empire will become in the future."
"Does it continue as it was, just with a new emperor? Does it continue to exist?"
"Or will it fragment into several countries, then conflict with each other, become isolated, and no longer be a whole?"
"Or perhaps, it weakened due to disintegration, and was eventually unified by Clancy and became part of a great power."
"Thinking about it this way, it doesn't seem to matter whether I, the emperor, exist or not."
As Elio was speaking, Conos walked lightly behind him, hugged him, and touched Elio's head soothingly.
Although they appeared to be of similar age, Elio was still a very young child to Cornos.
"You've been too exhausted recently. In fact, when other emperors ascended the throne, they faced far fewer complex difficulties than you are facing today."
"You've done very well, Elio." Conos said softly.
"In order to improve the living conditions of the people of the empire, you dispatched ceremonial officers to inspect the various noble fiefdoms and resolve the accumulated problems."
"You disregarded the Emperor's authority and sent the court scholars to study in the southern border, just to make more food available in the empire so everyone could eat more."
"In order to give dignity to the wealthy commoners, you established the Imperial Parliament, giving them the opportunity to speak on an equal footing with the nobles."
"You wanted those children to stop being deceived and see the beauty and vastness of the world. You found ways to build many schools. Although they haven't reached the standards you hoped for, they have at least given many children hope."
"Although the nobles doubt and oppose your actions, and the common people do not understand the hardships behind these policies, I see it all."
"You're a good boy, Elio."
"If the former crown prince brothers were still alive, they would definitely be proud of you."
"Don't give up easily, I'm here. I will always stand by you and support you."
“Even if glory misses you, even if the world is against you.”
"Even light has nothing to do with you anymore."
"You still bloom in my heart, you are still my dream, you are still my hero."
"Until the end of the world, the end of the dark winter."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com