The defeat of the emperor and the crown prince marked the end of the siege. It also meant that the Daemon Empire was about to welcome a new ruler.
E'Athar Deora, the second princess of the Daemon Empire. Now that she had defeated her father and brother in a fair duel, she was unofficially the next empress.
Her overwhelming performance during the battle convinced the soldiers of the three camps. Even the most loyal aides of the emperor and the crown prince were mesmerized by her.
However, E'Athar was not the empress yet. She needed either to be named as the new ruler by the current emperor or return to the capital a go through a process of coronation.
For the time being, she and I returned to the city hall.
However, we were not alone.
Two men were with us. The younger one had white hair, golden eyes, and a scholar-like demeanor, while the older man had black hair, golden eyes, and an imposing aura.
Yes, they were the daemon crown prince, Dyrroth Deora, and the daemon emperor, Ky'Ere Deora.
E'Athar had not killed them when she stabbed them in the chest. She never intended to. Her goal was just to injure them gravely.
At the end of the day, they were her family. She could not bring herself to kill them.
Surprisingly, her father and brother were very lively despite having just received a sword in their chests. They seemed happy, in fact.
"… Sister, you should have been gentler when you stabbed me. I thought I really was going to die."
"Shut up," E'Athar spoke to Dyrroth in an ice-cold tone. "Be thankful that I did not make it more painful. You deserve it for starting this stupid civil war."
"Hey, don't get mad. I did what I thought was right."
"So killing your own father is right!?"
"What are you talking about? I was not planning to kill the old man. Why should I?"
"… Huh?"
"I just wanted to catch him and force him to abdicate. Plus, I think that father would have been happy if I succeeded."
"Are you crazy!?"
"Dyrroth is right, E'Athar. I would have been proud. It means that Dyrroth is ready to be the emperor." Ky'Ere interjected with a matter-of-fact tone.
E'Athar's mouth opened wide.
"You… You two are crazy! What about the people that died during the war!?"
"Sometimes sacrifices are necessary."
"Don't be naïve, my daughter. If you want to become a great empress, you must learn to make sacrifices."
E'Athar's eyes became completely cold.
However, the father and son did not retract their words. To them, there was nothing wrong with their actions.
I did not find that weird. Many powerful people are like that. This pair of father and son can be considered honorable as they easily admitted it.
And to be honest, I agree with their words. I'm even more radical than them. I don't mind destroying an entire world and killing all the lives in it if it's necessary to accomplish my goals.
Right then, the father and son looked in my direction.
"By the way, you should be my daughter's boyfriend, right? I don't think I know you."
I smiled at the emperor and nodded.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Claus. E'Athar and I are in love with each other and I'm planning to marry her."
"Marry her?" The emperor snorted. "My daughter will be the next ruler of this empire. Not anyone can marry her."
Dyrroth nodded, but he was looking at me with a doubtful gaze.
"… Why do I find your name familiar?"
I smirked, then, I waved my hand, dispelling my disguise.
Instantly, the emperor and the crown prince stood up.
"Human!"
"Who are you!?"
I curled my lips up with a mischievous expression and bowed to them.
"Let me introduce myself again. My name is Claus Quintin, Fourth Prince of the Arcadian Empire. Now, do you think that I'm worthy of your daughter, Your Majesty?"
"You, you, you…" The emperor pointed at me with a trembling finger. Then, he glared at his daughter.
"E'Athar! What is it about!?"
"What do you mean, father? You heard it, right? He is my boyfriend, Claus. I'm planning to marry him."
"E'Athar!"
"What? You don't like it?" E'Athar narrowed her eyes with a chilling look. "Do you wish to fight me again?"
"You…!"
I chuckled when I saw the emperor's indignant expression, making him and the crown prince glare at me with murderous gazes.
"Okay, okay, why don't you listen to my story first? You can get angry after that." I said while using a bit of my soul power to calm them down.
After that, I told them about my meeting with E'Athar, about Bringer of End, about Immortals, and about the current situation.
I used a bit of my soul power during the process to make them believe me and follow my intentions. I don't have time to convince them slowly, so it's necessary.
When I finished talking, the emperor and the crown prince had thoughtful expressions.
"… If everything that you said is true, then many things make sense. To think that the entire empire was being manipulated by this Bringer of End guy…"
"Does it mean that the Daemon God is dead?" The crown prince asked.
I nodded. "Yes. The current Daemon God is Bringer of End feigning to be him."
The emperor and the crown prince fell in a heavy silence.
"What are your plans, Prince Claus?" After several seconds, the emperor finally asked me with a grave expression.
"I hope that the daemons can help with the war. As I told you, right now we are facing a very powerful enemy and we need your help. It concerns the survival of this world."
"… I see. What do you think, E'Athar?" The emperor asked his daughter.
"Huh? Me?"
"Of course. You are the new ruler of the empire. It's your decision."
E'Athar was stunned. But soon, her eyes became firm.
"I want to help Claus… However, it will be hard to convince the daemons to participate in this war."
"You don't need to worry. Leave it to me." I grinned.
There is nothing that a bit of brainwashing can't resolve.
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