I, the Lord of the End

Chapter 39, Empress of the Empire

The emperor's study room is magnificent. It is not so much a study room as it is a luxurious lounge. A ten-meter-long table forms an L shape and surrounds half of the room. Behind the large and soft sofa chair is a portrait of the founding emperor of the Black Eagle Dynasty. , on one side of the wall hung a motto and a picture of the emperor.

The girl who entered the study stopped and waited for a while, taking this opportunity to observe her father's room.

The motto is "even if the wings are broken, there is still a day to soar again", this is the motto of the Black Vulture family.

The word is "national unity", which is the ideal of the emperor's life.

Not daring to look further, with a trace of excitement and caution, and a little bit of unrevealed expectation, the girl came to the desk and knelt down on one knee: "Father."

"Come?" The old emperor sitting on the sofa chair opened his eyes. He looked at his daughter, and displeasure flashed across his eyes. This displeasure was not directed at the daughter in front of him, but at his dead wife. , Queen Antonina.

Since Isaac ascended the throne, he had a hard time with his children. His fifth wife still couldn’t bear children until he was over 120 years old. But this is not his fault. Since the fifth dynasty, the royal family’s succession has become difficult due to the further thinning of the blood. The emperor Originally, they planned to adopt a son in the collateral line, but fortunately at this time, they finally found a noble daughter Antonina with sufficient bloodlines.

That year the emperor was 130 years old, and Antonina was 20 years old. After marriage, Antonina finally gave birth to two sons and a daughter for the emperor.

The eldest prince Mendax is 45 years old this year, and the second prince Armand is 25 years old this year.

Then there is the princess Celeste in front of her, 17 years old.

The princess inherited her mother's astonishing beauty. The gorgeous red and black military uniform skirt complements her breathtaking and peerless face. Her silver hair and purple pupils symbolize the noble and inviolable royal blood. With a glamorous face, the military uniform of the Black Eagle Royal Family exudes endless majesty on her body, and there is a kind of aggressive heroism exclusive to female knights.

Those who are familiar with the princess always say that Her Highness Celeste is as beautiful as the snow lotus on Mount Julian, but also as cold as the snow lotus.

Whenever he saw her, Isaac always thought of Queen Antonina.

That was a good woman, an excellent reproductive machine, how did she die like this?

The emperor had no affection for his several queens and those female courtiers. In his opinion, they were just a bunch of toys. Only Queen Antonina, the queen who gave birth to her children, really gave him a home. , I felt like a husband, after she died, Isaac, who was already deteriorating, simply abstained from sex completely.

"Father?" Snow Lotus on the top of Mount Julian saw that the emperor had been silent for a long time, so she had to shout again.

"This time I send you to the evil wolf. In addition to signing the contract, there is also a thorough investigation of the specific reasons for the defeat in the Battle of Friedland and what happened to Cogne Castle." The emperor put the five files in front of the princess. : "This matter is related to the majesty of my holy empire and the stability of the royal family. We must find out the culprit, purge the army, and appease the families of the soldiers who died in battle."

"Yes." The princess bowed her head and said yes.

The emperor felt the faint excitement in the princess's voice. This was the first time she performed a mission alone. Compared with the eldest prince who already had his own independent court, independent fiefdom, and independent army, or was in the army in the Church of Heaven in the Unicorn Principality The very influential second prince, the princess Celeste has no land, no subordinates and no real positions, she is just a princess.

He has always been expressionless, and the emperor has always been estranged from this daughter, because seeing her always brings back bad memories for him.

The emperor didn't hate this daughter either. Her treatment was all rationed according to the top royal standard. He just regretted his wife's early death and hated his own aging. These two things were almost related to his daughter.

It's just that the more alienated, the more the daughter desires her own attention.

"Okay, then the matter is settled like this. I will make up for you with the manpower and guards, and send a supreme mentor to assist you. When you get there, remember to visit Gerhart."

"Yes! My daughter will also go to Schönbrunn Palace to greet His Majesty the High Priest." The princess immediately added: "I will deliver the greetings from the royal family."

The emperor sneered in his heart, knowing that you want to go, I don't need to say more.

What does it mean if the current Holy Empire is favored by the great priest?
He is old and cannot decide an heir for various reasons.

The great priest is still unmarried and has never even had a boyfriend. The first prince and the second prince have never stopped pursuing the great priest. Their competition is becoming fierce in various aspects.

Thinking of this, and thinking of his dead wife, the emperor's face finally felt warm: "When you arrive in the Wolf Principality, don't rush to act, understand first, listen more, watch more, you are the imperial daughter of the empire, they will fear you, I will obey you, but I will also use your influence. With the help of your momentum, you have to remember that those big nobles are not trustworthy. What they tell you and show you may be false, especially when it comes to this Everyone involved in this matter is not worthy of trust."

"Understood! Thank you, Father, for your instruction." As if sensing the change in her father's attitude, the Queen's voice was much brighter.

"Let's do it, don't forget, there is me behind you." The emperor stretched out his hand to signal the princess to go out: "Go back and prepare, we will leave tomorrow."

His daughter seemed to want to say a few more words to him, but the emperor was already leaning on the sofa chair with his eyes closed and motionless.

The princess was a little disappointed, she could only turn around and leave.

The sound of high-heeled boots hitting the wooden floor gradually faded away.

The emperor just opened his eyes.

I'm giving you a chance, my daughter.

If you can't handle this matter and fail, then accept the marriage obediently and make the final contribution to your father and the Holy Empire.

The daughter is used to his father's indifference, and the father's reaction to his daughter is also calm.

After a while, Imperial Prime Minister William knocked on the door of the room: "Your Majesty?"

The emperor closed his eyes and motioned for the prime minister to come in, but he remained silent for a long time, and continued to lean on the soft sofa chair with closed eyes and rest.

Looking at this old man who ruled over 4000 million imperial citizens and the Holy Empire for nearly a hundred years, William suddenly felt a little sad.

As the prime minister of the empire, he has really watched the emperor age day by day over the years, the wrinkles on his face are getting deeper and deeper, and his hair has gradually changed from bright white to grayish white. Originally, 007 only slept 5 times a day at work. The hourly workaholic has slowly turned into the current tired look who seldom expresses his opinion in person and orders to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight all day long.

During the first and second dynasties, the royal family of the empire with divine blood was a group of peerless men. Even if they did nothing, their lifespan could reach 230-250 years old, and it would not be a problem to extend their lifespan to 3 or 400 years old by adding the legendary level.

But now the bloodline is declining more and more, and the lifespan of the royal family is only slightly longer than normal people. As a legendary powerhouse, the emperor also bears the bloodline of the royal family. He is already aged before he is 180 years old.

What makes everyone even more frightening is that it is expected that in the next three to five generations, as the bloodlines become thinner, the advantages of the noble Nobilis will be further weakened, which is very likely to sound the death knell of the existing system of the Holy Empire.

People of insight among the great aristocracy have already realized this problem.

Who will continue to lead such a large empire that barely integrates a large number of political entities?Is it the first prince or the second prince?
At present, no matter who is chosen, the future visible to the naked eye will usher in a huge change.

Where will the future of the Holy Empire head?
"So?" After a long time, the old man finally opened his mouth. His eyes were slightly opened, and his pressure was like the top of a mountain: "Do you think you should do what Michael said?"

"It's a serious matter, and this matter needs to be decided carefully." The Imperial Prime Minister said softly: "It's not up to me to decide."

"I'm asking for your opinion."

"My opinion agrees with His Majesty's."

"Then how do you think this should be handled?"

The Prime Minister of the Empire calmly stood with his hands down and kept his gaze down: "On behalf of all members of the cabinet, I am waiting for Your Majesty's ruling."

"Wait, wait, want? Is this my cabinet?"

"The cabinet can collectively resign at any time, Your Majesty, as long as you need it."

"...Let's wait for Schönbrunn Palace's reply first." The emperor sighed: "It's just that Michael's attitude is firm."

"We must be cautious, Your Majesty. Now that the army has been newly defeated, morale is unstable, and the national inventory has decreased. If we let it go on like this... the economy will suffer heavy losses."

Although Archangel Michael said the matter was particularly serious, neither the emperor nor the prime minister of the empire took it too seriously.

First of all, the prophecy of the seven seals has been passed down for more than 4000 years, and it is annoying to cry wolf three times, let alone a prophecy that has been passed down for more than 4000 years.

And as far as the empire knows, the crisis of annihilation is not limited to the Seven Seals prophecy. The crisis of annihilation known to the emperor and prime minister includes but is not limited to: Dragon God's counterattack, blood moon rising, tsunami in the virtual realm, the advent of the outer gods, Dark Messiah.

All of these things have happened before, and they have forced the Holy Empire to the most critical moment several times, but in the end, the Holy Empire has overcome the difficulties with the help of the gods of heaven and its own background.

It's not bad for the Seven Seals prophecy.

If a person knows that a dump truck may kill him, he must be very careful.

But what if there are many kinds of dump trucks?What if the person survived being hit many times by various dump trucks?
The Lord of Heaven will not look at us and ignore us~
"We can't just listen to Michael's judgment on how serious this matter is." Prime Minister William continued: "We all know that Michael has been planning to counterattack Hell for revenge, and he needs more resources."

"The key to the disemboweling incident is Cecilia's attitude."

"The current situation of the Holy Empire is closely related to the thoughts of His Majesty the High Priest."

On the wet path of the Wolf Principality, Sid and Istvan were also chatting about the great priest Cecilia.

"I've seen Your Majesty Cecilia at many events." Istvan wore a rainproof hood and leather coat with a warm woolen sweater inside, and followed Sid's feet deep and shallow. Moving forward on the muddy road, seeing Sid asking, he said rather ostentatiously: "That is really a super beauty, almost all the noble children have admiration for her, but she is not very good at the affairs of the Holy Empire." Xin, who is still single, spends most of the year in Schönbrunn Palace and doesn't know what she is doing, I think we have the right to know, but unfortunately she doesn't think so."

"It is said that she does not like to frequently attend various meetings and activities." Sid knew this. As the only Holy See Supreme of the Holy Empire, the Holy Empire originally hoped that Cecilia would become the biggest trump card in the hands of the Holy Empire.

However, this great priest with more than 4000 million people under one person does not have a high recognition of the Holy Empire. Of course, the great priest thinks that she is in the camp of the Holy Empire, but her self-identity is "I am Rezlan of the Holy Empire." people" instead of "I am a Holy Empire man."

The difference is very subtle and needs to be carefully understood.

Many nobles of the empire originally hoped that Cecilia could help them do things and act as a thug for them.

It turns out they really thought too much.

When the strength has reached the level of the Holy See, every Holy See Supreme can easily establish a dynasty and dominate the destiny of a region, but at this time the Holy See Supremes are often not interested in ordinary affairs, whether it is titles or wealth. Power is no longer a necessity for the Holy See Supreme, they often have higher pursuits.

Because of this, they have instead become targets that can be wooed. Mortal dynasties and forces generally do their best to meet the daily needs of the Holy See Supreme in exchange for their presence and occasional personal action.

"The Holy Empire has waited for more than 500 years for this Holy See Supreme." Istvan followed Sid with a cold breath, and said naturally: "500 years."

"Do you think Her Majesty Cecilia will intervene in this disembowelling incident?" Sid took advantage of the opportunity to ask a question of his own interest: "It seems to be a big commotion."

"Probably not. Her Majesty Cecilia is already tired of participating in these secular affairs, unless other Holy See Supremes make a move or a super-large virtual relic appears." Istvan thought for a while and added: " But it’s hard to say, every time she moves, it’s a big earthquake, it’s very scary.”

"It's terrible? Because of a completely fair ruling?" Sid wanted to ask for more information.

"She likes to vent her anger on the nobles." Istvan seemed to think of something terrible: "Especially when Sivis and Seuss confide in her with major grievances, it means that a family will suffer. This kind of opportunity It’s very rare, but once she finds out about it by chance, it will mean disaster, and no one will dare to oppose her, everyone can only pretend that they can’t see it, and count them as unlucky.”

"Even your family?" Sid became interested.

"It's the same for anyone. Her Majesty Cecilia doesn't care so much. She only looks at the scales at both ends of her virtual artifact sword 'Justice', and then increases until the scale is balanced." Istvan shook his head again and again: " This is horrible, how much crime can civilians commit? Can it be compared to nobles? Dude, you are from Rezlan, you should know something, right?"

Sid was silent.

Yes, among other things, just talk about smuggling, slavery, the black market, flesh and blood trading, and casinos.

Behind these things, which gray area is not supported by nobles?If the entire industrial chain is dug out, a large group of people will suffer. In the past, the nobles could fine themselves three glasses of wine, find a scapegoat, or try to reduce the sentence after the sentence and seek reactivation. But now these things are very important to Cecilia. It's useless.

Cecilia, who holds the highest judicial power and part of the legislative power of the Holy Empire, will never forgive.

"Since her return, both the nobles and the church have restrained a lot." Istvan finally made a conclusion: "Father has also repeatedly warned us not to cause trouble, and if he is found by the great priest, he will not be able to save us. .”

After a series of conversations, Sid figured it out a bit. In the current Holy Empire, the imperial power and religious power are in a dynamic balance, but the great priest who is the leader of the religious power cannot be classified as a part of the religious power. , In the important matters of the Holy Empire, if she is on the side of the religious power, then the imperial power will give way, if she is on the side of the imperial power, then the religious power must give in.

This is fully in line with the supreme status that the Holy See Supreme should enjoy.

This is true of every power in the world. Whether or not a Holy See Supreme is in charge completely determines whether this power is a first-class power. From this point of view, in fact, it has endured the 500-year-old Holy See window before and still claims to be a mainland power. The holy empire of the first force is really in name only.

"In recent years, the competition between the first prince and the second prince has become extremely fierce." Istvan sighed: "Anyone is eligible to inherit the throne. Originally, the first prince's succession to the throne was undisputed, but who made that happen before? ?”

"Which thing?" Sid waited to ask, but a group of patrols and a religious warrior appeared in front of the Black Forest road!
"Stop!" The religious warrior headed by him was wearing a whole body of fine steel plate armor, a golden helmet with pointed wings on his head, and a white cloak in his hand holding an eight-pointed blazing sun spear. He and Istvan's figure immediately shouted to stop the two: "Stop!"

"What's the matter?" Sid narrowed his eyes, and he had already held the hand crossbow inside the cloak with one hand.

Still met these people!

Is it really impossible to escape?

"In the name of the Lord of Heaven, you have been conscripted temporarily!"

　Updated, ask for a ticket

　　
　
(End of this chapter)