Chapter 272

Imperial Grand Ceremony

A festival meant to flaunt, intimidate, and gather the countless into a single whole.

People flocked there.

"......"

It left me with complicated feelings.

There had been an Imperial Grand Ceremony before my return as well. But that ceremony had lacked the funds to achieve a proper scale.

It had practically been a festival funded by debt, and it was nowhere near grand enough to draw the continent's attention as this one did.

......This life was different.

Reporters from various countries had gathered of their own accord, despite not being invited. Diplomats and figures from numerous nations had requested permission to attend. Hundreds of thousands of Imperial citizens packed the plaza so tightly that there was hardly room to stand.

Only those who had passed rigorous family register and identity verification could enter this plaza, so the likelihood of a terrorist attack was low.

A terrorist attack would not be a good choice for those Izenheim bastards either.

If Izenheim spilled blood in this plaza, they would only give the Empire every justification it needed.

"We will begin."

At a single word from me, everyone in the plaza moved as one.

* * *

Hailand's ambassador Stanley and Prozen's ambassador Laurent. Envoys from countless other countries as well.

They sat in the front row, watching the Imperial Grand Ceremony.

"The scale is truly extraordinary."

"It certainly is."

The sheer size of the Empire filled their vision.

Hundreds of thousands of heads swayed like waves, while more than a hundred flagpoles stood above them.

Pwaaaaang!

The noon bugle sounded as if it could shake the earth itself.

And so the event began.

Waaaaah!

Amid the roaring cheers, tens of thousands of citizens crossed the plaza first.

Behind them came regular army infantry divisions, followed by tank battalions.

Rumble.

The pavement shook beneath the tracks. People's eyes darted about, and the ambassadors hurriedly took notes.

They had to record everything they experienced here and report it to their home countries. That was why they had been seated there in the first place.

Bwaaaang!

The Imperial anthem flowed from the loudspeakers. Powerful voices burst endlessly from the stands. The sound of hundreds of thousands of wills gathering into one...

Yet even there, unseen darkness lurked.

"......Ares. Should we just set it off here?"

In the shadows of the stands.

There were people who had passed inspection, family registers tucked into their clothes, seated among the crowd while posing as ordinary citizens.

They remained silent as they watched this abnormal fervor with the eyes of doctors observing a disease.

"No. That'd only benefit them."

"The Emperor is over there!"

"Sebastian is there too. Could a bomb even reach him?"

"......"

They were people who bore the banner of revolution, armed with ideas and ideologies entirely opposed to those of the Empire.

"It would benefit us more to let them live."

Sebastian and the Emperor.

Maximilian and the Imperial Princess.

House Ebenholtz served the Emperor, but did Maximilian truly do the same?

"The continent still does not know their devilish side."

Ares, one of the Revolutionary Faction's leaders, looked down at the plaza and spoke quietly.

"When the flames of war sweep across the continent."

Their ugly true nature would be exposed, and the entire continent would join their cause.

"The continent will come to understand us as well."

Therefore, there was no need to harm the Emperor. If they let him live, he would prove his own misguided cause.

"No matter what sacrifices we must make... in the end, we will win."

Because the Empire mistakenly believed it could defeat the entire continent.

Then, a commotion suddenly broke out.

"......Wow!"

"Wow!"

The children voiced their pure amazement first. Then, one citizen after another raised their head. Ares and the Revolutionary Faction looked to the sky as well.

Something shimmered in the heavens.

A person moved through the sky with the sunset behind them.

Someone was flying.

"It's a knight!"

At someone's cry, the plaza erupted with fervor.

The Empire's knights.

Thirty pairs of magic wings drew blue lines across the red sky as they flew above the plaza. Not quickly, but smoothly. So everyone could see them.

The Empire's citizens went wild.

Knights who had ended the Zerpha Civil War, known until now only through near-mythical eyewitness accounts and newspaper illustrations, were now before their very eyes.

Bwaaaang!

The Imperial anthem rose to its climax alongside the knights' appearance.

A sight proclaimed to all people, watched by all people.

Whoooooosh!

The knights circled high above.

They were a squadron made up only of knights most skilled at using magic wings in such a formation. At the front was Hanna Usar.

The commoner knight felt her heart swell with emotion.

Shhhhh.

Before long, the knights faded into the distance.

Beneath the brilliantly burning sunset, a woman walked up the dais.

The Imperial Princess, Justine.

The Revolutionary Faction, ambassadors from every country, reporters and correspondents, the Empire's general officers, and even the Revolutionary Faction all looked toward the same place.

Justine's appearance truly seemed to prove the purity of Aran blood.

Her blond hair caught the sunset and blazed like fire, while her golden eyes shone coldly.

The Emperor watched her from behind a veil without saying a single word. So Justine stood there alone.

"......"

She remained silent. The citizens who had shouted themselves hoarse gradually quieted as well.

Before they knew it, the sun had set, and darkness filled the air.

Because she did not speak, hundreds of thousands fell silent.

It was quiet enough to hear a child crying at the far end of the plaza. The fluttering of flags. The low hum of the searchlights.

She held their silence in her grasp and would not release it.

Her presence weighed down the entire plaza like pressure. When that pressure reached its peak,

"Citizens of the Empire."

At her first words, the searchlights bloomed.

Bwaaaang!

More than a hundred pillars of light around the plaza shot into the sky at once. The beams cut through the night for several kilometers before meeting at a single point, laying a pure white ceiling over the plaza.

In that moment, the plaza without walls or a roof became a great hall containing hundreds of thousands.

The citizens felt an indescribable emotion. It was the sense of unity that came from becoming one whole called Aran, along with awe and pride.

"We have endured for a long time."

Thus began the Imperial Grand Ceremony's opening address. The Imperial Princess's first speech began beneath the ceiling of light.

* * *

......From the moment that day's Imperial Grand Ceremony ended, the Empire grew harsher in its language by the day.

As though it had only endured until then because of the ceremony, it put fierce pressure on Bolska.

People across the continent could hear the signs of war in radio broadcasts.

Several times each day, the Bolska government received the same "recommendation" from embassies of different countries.

Even Mekerel, a weak nation, sent diplomats to urge Bolska to make concessions. It was said that Bolska officials responded with stunned expressions, telling them to worry about their own war.

"Hm. Today... I should dress more neatly."

Stanley, Hailand's ambassador to the Empire, adjusted their clothing before the mirror as usual.

They sprayed on perfume. They straightened their collar and cuffs. Then they noticed a slight wrinkle in their coat and had a servant press it again.

"Do it properly in one go next time. This is an important matter of state, after all. I have an appointment with Sir Maximilian today."

"My apologies."

"You know how much he cares about his attire... Tsk. That was close."

After giving the servant a piece of their mind, Stanley climbed into the car to make their usual visit to Maximilian's reception room.

These days, Stanley was treated as something of an honored guest everywhere in the Empire.

Thanks to the gifts Maximilian gave them every day, Stanley lived quite comfortably. They had even been invited to Lilac Vita several times.

Stanley's home country considered them a very important source of information about Maximilian.

In truth, Stanley was the only person who had met Maximilian four times.

But then.

"What...?"

Stanley arrived before the grand estate they had become somewhat accustomed to, but blinked in confusion.

Maximilian's estate entrance was firmly shut. Dozens of ambassadors, diplomats, and secretaries had gathered nearby.

Stanley hurried out of the car.

"Secretary Dupont! What is going on?!"

They grabbed a familiar face.

"Ah, Ambassador. We don't know yet either. I heard that only the Bolska ambassador was allowed inside..."

"Bol, Bolska?!"

Maximilian had let the Bolska ambassador inside.

In the current situation, that was a very bad sign.

Just then,

"Sir Stanley!"

Prozen's ambassador Laurent came running from behind in great haste.

"The Imperial Palace as well..."

Stanley's eyes widened at the whispered words.

The Sun had closed its doors as well.

"The Sun is so unyielding that everyone there has come here."

At least the Moon might open its doors, or convey even a single message.

"......Damn it."

Stanley pressed against their temples. Everyone else was in much the same state.

"What shall we do?"

At Laurent's question, Stanley considered for a moment.

"Let us wait. Sir Maximilian may still see us..."

One word.

They only needed one word to take home, something that explained what was happening or what had changed.

"......"

The continent's diplomats gathered before one man's entrance, waiting with splitting headaches.

How many hours passed like that?

They had arrived at noon, and the evening glow was beginning to fade.

"He is coming out!"

"Over there!"

At last, the front doors opened, and the Bolska ambassador emerged from beyond them.

They were staggering.

"The state of them..."

Their expression was vacant. It was easy enough to guess what had been discussed inside.

"......Ambassador Collevich."

Stanley approached and called their name. Even as Hailand's ambassador, Stanley could no longer bear their frustration.

"You're making this situation extremely difficult. Why can't you make concessions?"

"......"

The Bolska ambassador looked at Stanley for a moment.

"Are they concessions, or theft? If it were your country, what would you call them?"

Unyielding.

The Bolska ambassador said nothing more, and Stanley did not speak to them again. Collevich passed through the gathered diplomats and disappeared. No one followed.

"......I will try."

Ambassador Stanley cleared their throat and approached the entrance.

They earnestly pleaded with Maximilian's servant, whom they had come to know.

"......Rainer. Please, do me a favor. We're different, aren't we?"

"But..."

"There was originally an appointment scheduled for today. We don't even need to meet him. I only need one word to take home, so that I can save face before my country."

"Well..."

"Please."

"......Please wait a moment."

The servant looked troubled, but before long, returned with a slip of paper bearing a single sentence.

It had no signature, but it was unmistakably Maximilian's handwriting.

[ The scheduled time is near, so I will pause our conversation for now. ]

The scheduled time...

Stanley quietly closed their eyes.

"Rainer. I will certainly repay this favor."

"Haha... Take care."

The servant gave them a brief farewell. Stanley trudged away. The other ambassadors subtly gathered to peek at their note, but Stanley drove them back with a stern look.

"Go away! How dare you. This message was meant only for Hailand..."

Even a note with only one line was precious to Stanley and their home country.

"......Sir Stanley? It's Laurent."

Stanley gave a small nod only to Prozen's ambassador, Laurent.

The two boarded the same car and shared the note...

That day, word spread that the Empire's diplomatic channels had closed.

Stock markets across the continent plummeted.

Everyone in the world sensed that war was coming.

* * *

[ This is an Imperial broadcast. The Empire awaits Bolska's proper response. With our compatriots in Genson now facing armed suppression, the Empire fully understands that further patience is meaningless.

Today, we announce the appointed date. August 31. If Bolska does not respond by that day, the Empire will take every measure for its compatriots... ]

When the Empire finally set a deadline for its ultimatum through the radio, people across the continent wrote that date on their calendars.

The day of the coming disaster.

Drip. Drip.

On a rainy dawn, Bolska's President Lobsky descended to the residence's conference room with a coat draped over their pajamas.

The ambassadors of Hailand and Prozen sat side by side, their shoulders wet, looking as though they had arrived long ago.

"......President. We heard you issued a general mobilization order."

"There has been a rebellion in the Genson region. It was an appropriate response."

"It does not look appropriate at all."

"......Are ambassadors trying to interfere in a nation's security?"

The President's expression hardened.

The Hailand and Prozen ambassadors exchanged glances.

"Then... from this point on, this is an ultimatum."

"......An ultimatum?"

"Yes."

The Hailand ambassador looked steadily at the President, while the Prozen ambassador lowered their head, unable to meet the President's eyes.

"Regarding your unchanged attitude and military mobilization until now, Hailand and Prozen express their deepest regret."

The Hailand ambassador recited the memorized words without a sheet of paper.

"If war breaks out."

The ambassador's tone dropped like a falling bead of water.

"Hailand and Prozen will not be there."

It meant Bolska would have to face the Empire alone.

"......Are you saying you will ignore the treaty?"

Bolska, Hailand, and Prozen were bound by a mutual defense treaty. At least, according to the mere scrap of paper they had signed after the Western War.

"If war breaks out, you will be next after us. You know that, do you not?"

The ambassadors fell silent. Perhaps because the President's words were true.

Even so, this was the only way to avoid an immediate war.

"......"

They looked at one another in silence.

Drip. Drip.

Raindrops on the windowpane ran down like a spiderweb.

* * *

[ Empire closes its doors to all embassies. ]

[ "Has diplomacy ended?" Common Hall holds emergency questioning for four hours. Prime Minister Beaufort: "All avenues remain open." ]

[ Why is Bolska being so stubborn... Escalation is certain. ]

Prozen called up its reservists. Mobilization posters were pasted across every wall, but everyone remained quiet. They belonged to the generation that knew the horrors of the Western War, which made it all the more so.

Old people along the streets read newspapers and sighed deeply. Young people trembled at a fear that had not yet taken form.

"......If war comes."

On the other hand, there were those who welcomed it.

"We will help the Empire drive out Izenheim."

Clara Magal, leader of the Revision Society.

The ideological framework held by her and her followers had already aligned itself with the Empire.

"We will drive out Izenheim and purify the Prozen people..."

They all sank into silence, each for a different reason.

The overwhelming majority of civilians, the soldiers who would soon be mobilized, and the minority among them preparing for something different.

Hailand was in a different situation.

Gas masks were distributed to civilians, and everyone began digging trenches throughout the parks. The government offices had begun the work by hiring laborers, but within three days, there were not enough shovels.

Office workers stepped into ditches with their ties loosened after work. Students carried dirt in their uniforms. Even the upper class took up shovels while wearing gloves.

They all simply dug trenches.

Step. Step.

Arthur Winston walked along the road, watching the scene. Complicated emotions seemed to cling to his entire body like summer mud.

"......Do you think this state of affairs is right?"

An old man approached and asked him. The nameless man gripped a shovel caked with dirt and clenched his teeth.

"I lost my son and daughter in the last war. Must I lose my grandchildren this time too?!"

At the old man's words, having recognized Arthur Winston as a politician, Arthur quietly removed his hat.

"......It is not your fault."

The old man tried to say something, but only bit his lip tightly. He turned away and walked back toward the ditch.

"......Let us go."

"Yes."

Arthur Winston arrived at the Common Hall with his attendant.

Today, a special parliamentary session had been called at Hailand's Common Hall.

The members believed they had essentially gathered to hear the Empire's declaration of war...

"Bolska has not responded to the Empire's ultimatum."

Gary Beaufort's speech from the podium was already underway.

"Arthur. Sit here."

Arthur Winston sat beside the small faction that favored war.

"......Bolska is under general mobilization, and gunfire has already been exchanged in Genson."

All the members of parliament gathered and listened gravely to the Prime Minister's words.

"For the past two months, this government has used every diplomatic channel available."

Their voice was low. The hand turning the pages of their manuscript moved slowly.

"Through our ambassador to the Empire, through envoys, and through my own visit to the Imperial capital, we have explored the possibility of a peaceful resolution."

Parliament fell silent. Most of those who did not want war wilted, their faces nearly gray.

"However, as of yesterday, the Empire has closed its diplomatic channels. This government now has no choice but to tell the people of Hailand to prepare for the worst."

Reporters from every country sat in the gallery.

War was certain, and the important question was whether it would escalate further. They thought as much while taking down Beaufort's words in shorthand.

* * *

Meanwhile, Klein Schmidt Street in the Imperial capital's Third District.

I received the Bolska ambassador at my estate.

"Thank you for making the right choice."

The Bolska ambassador handed me a document. It was a memorandum containing the Bolska government's intentions.

"......Bolska will cede areas where people of Imperial descent make up at least 50 percent of the population, according to continental procedures, on the condition that Prozen and Hailand guarantee the new border."

I smiled at the ambassador's words.

"Yes. I understand."

It was similar to before my return...

No, it was a far better outcome.

Not only Genson, but also the surrounding mountain fortification line and mining areas would fall into our hands without a single shot being fired.

"His Majesty will send a favorable response as well."

I took out a "blank sheet."

A diplomatic document in the Imperial Princess's name. Now that I knew Bolska's intentions, I would send word to the major countries, including Prozen and Hailand, that the Empire wished to hold talks.

[ Her Imperial Highness the Princess wishes to meet the heads of government of Hailand and Prozen in the Imperial capital tomorrow... ]

I wrote with my own pen, signed in my own handwriting, then called my servant and instructed them to deliver it by the fastest means possible.

This one sheet would allow the continent to breathe easily, if only for a while.

"......"

Yet the Bolska ambassador kept their head lowered and said nothing.

When I looked more closely, I saw tears.

They were crying soundlessly. They grieved because part of their homeland had been taken away.

Perhaps they sensed the future that was about to come.

"......Ambassador Collevich."

A person who had sat in a corner of my estate every day with such devotion to duty.

But the logic of power could not be helped.

Someone would feel wronged, someone would be angry, and someone would be sad.

It simply could not be helped.

I placed a hand on the ambassador's shoulder.

"You need not shed tears."

Because being angry and sad as you were was only possible while you were still alive...

The Empire would not stop.

Footnotes: