Throne of the North.

Chapter 686 The Death of the Emperor (Part 4)

The majority of the members of the Senate are actually members of the royal family.

After all, with the change of the marquis system, many former royal princes and lords suddenly fell from grace, and the Senate became the place to house these elderly people.

For the nobles, this outcome couldn't be better.

However... the nobles did not expect that what would break the silence of the Cathedral of Light was not the Senate, but an urgent messenger from the North.

A team of ten knights recklessly depleted the life energy of their highland warhorses. The power of magic allowed these warhorses to continue running at high speed across the land even after they died, enabling them to successfully return to the capital city from the North.

"The orcs of the North have launched a full-scale invasion of the Empire's frontier fortresses!"

"The six royal courts have returned with a vengeance, and the orc banners are ten times larger than before!"

"The orc priest has become the tribal chief; this is a sign that the gods have awakened and are issuing divine pronouncements!"

"The orcs have launched a full-scale invasion! Twilight Keep was attacked by the werewolf royal court during the construction of its fortifications, and the fortress has completely collapsed. The orc army has already stormed into the Province of Gaze!"

A series of messages from the North shocked all the nobles present. The reason why these messenger knights came here directly was because these messages were too important, and they had to report them to the nobles and the emperor as soon as possible.

In this process, they possess unlimited power.

The knights rammed through commoners and bypassed nobles, then stared blankly at the dilapidated and no longer glorious Cathedral of Light.

Where is His Majesty the Emperor?
His body, which was about to kneel down, froze on the spot. He looked around and realized that the nobles were all here, and His Majesty the Emperor should be here today as well.
His Majesty the Emperor had told them that they must deliver this message to him openly and honestly, in front of the whole world, at this very moment.

In that case, His Majesty the Emperor, at the height of his authority, could use absolute power to sentence the orcs to death, allowing the whole world to see just how glorious and powerful the empire and the Emperor's authority were.

Yes, this urgent dispatch... it was yesterday's urgent dispatch, part of the Emperor's plan to highlight himself as the Emperor of the Empire and the High Pope of Light.

The timing was right, everything was prepared perfectly, except for himself.

The council of elders finally arrived late. These old men had difficulty walking and were slow to arrive; perhaps they were deliberately lagging behind the knights on their urgent journey.

Because at least, the elders would know how to handle it.

"The Emperor's death is unforgivable, and we will definitely find the mastermind behind it. But now, the safety of human civilization is equally important. As the pioneer of human civilization, the Empire will never allow the orcish race to trample on human land!"

The elders coughed as they took their oaths, while Meyers looked at Solarion.

The murderous intent in his eyes hadn't disappeared, but it had now returned to the political ecosystem.

Yes, momentary anger can cloud judgment, but once calmed down, the nobles inevitably begin to consider all the gains and losses that come with this established fact.

"His Majesty has already departed for the Eternal Heaven, but Your Holiness the Pope of Dawn, the threat of the orcs is a responsibility that all human civilization must unite for. Shouldn't the Dawn Church consider the interests of all human civilization and provide sufficient support to the northern lands to fight against the orcs?"

"For thousands of years, this has been the case. In every victory against the orcs, the Holy See has supported more than 70% of the army and supplies."

Solalien's expression was incredibly sincere, with the kindness of someone listening to a believer, and he nodded repeatedly.

"Faced with the orc invasion, the Dawn Church has an unshirkable duty to assume the responsibility of being the leader of human civilization. After I return to the Holy Mountain, I will immediately organize the followers of the Dawn Church to support the Empire."

"Once again, we mourn for His Majesty Emperor Flor and His Holiness the Pope of Light. May the Lord accept his soul and grant him immortality in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven."

And what about the soul? The destruction by gods goes beyond the soul; powerful gods sometimes even choose to erase a person from history altogether, which is true killing.

The nobles could only pretend not to hear Solarion's taunts, and it was now quite clear that they could not stop the Pope from leaving.

Having been invited, the Pope must leave safely.

"He must be killed!"

There are still quite a few people making noise, but it's useless. It's obvious that the relationship between the Empire and the Dawn Church is beyond repair, but at this moment, they cannot try to start a war.

The threat from the North was delayed by Columbus III for a day, but that doesn't mean it's not serious. The Empire cannot initiate war against the Dawn Church at this time.

Moreover, without evidence, they are ultimately acting without justification and are at a moral low point.

The Senate's immediate priority was to properly handle the affairs of the empire after the emperor's death.

……

Frozen soil collar.

After recovering, Ryan was unable to calm down for a long time.

Although he had long suspected that Pope Solarion of the Dawn was not truly reformed and would not easily become the emperor's background figure, he never expected the pope to be so decisive. Since he could not resolve the absolute authority brought about by the emperor and the Grand Pope of Light, he decided to directly deal with the person who caused the problem.

To kill Columbus III outright, thus ending all authority on the day of Grace.

On Rhinoceros Horn Mountain, the nobles of the North had achieved a harmonious unification in the morning, confirming the significance of the Northern Military Council. The next meeting was a direct meeting on military matters, but Ryan's mind was no longer on that.

The emperor's death will have an impact far exceeding any major event in the past century. The empire will not let this go easily, and the Dawn Church will likely not remain silent either.

Time passed so slowly that even now, many nobles were completely unaware that the emperor was dead.

Therefore, the first thing Ryan said upon entering Parliament was...

"Gentlemen, just now, the Emperor of the Empire died."

As Ryan's voice fell, the once bustling council fell silent.

……

Twilight Province.

The news of the emperor's death might not travel very fast, but for certain individuals, it would be absolutely immediate, thanks to their extraordinary abilities, that they would learn the truth about the capital city.

Volvo, the champion, was stunned for a long time.

What the hell?
The emperor is dead?

His father, the esteemed emperor of the empire, is dead?
It seems like a fantasy, but the problem is that the person who sent the message is of such high status that it would be absolutely impossible for them to make such a mistake.

"His Majesty the Emperor is dead?"

Volvo asked the nobleman beside him, but he still couldn't be sure if the news was true or false.

Beside him stood Marquis Twilight and King Harald the Lionheart, both noble members of the Columbus royal family. They had been working with Volvo to gather the forces of the Twilight Province and had gradually driven the orc army back. The next step, under the wise guidance of Elector Volvo, was to drive the orcs out again and repair Twilight Fortress as quickly as possible.

But when the news of the emperor's death arrived, everyone was thrown into chaos.

"How could His Majesty die? Even a god could not kill him."

"It's a god, an ancient alien god who awakened and descended, killing His Majesty the Emperor." "This..."

When it comes to deities, many people cannot bring themselves to say anything so blasphemous.

"But this matter is definitely related to the Dawn Church, otherwise how could a god so easily appear in the sky above the capital city?"

"This is all a conspiracy by the Vatican."

Conspiracy theories and the like are not things to think about right now; their primary concern is the future of the empire.

What is the future of the empire?
The orcs of the North have once again launched a full-scale invasion.

The emperor has died, and a new emperor needs to be elected.

The former is no longer so important, because with the large amount of resources that Columbus III had the nobles send over in the past month, the orcs will definitely not be able to break through the human defenses. Things are no longer like they were a hundred years ago.

But the second thing...

Volvo narrowed his eyes slightly. Archduke Meyers had also conveyed a message to him: Columbus III was dead, but no true victor had emerged from the competition among the electors. Archduke Meyers, who supported Volvo, naturally hoped that he could become Columbus IV.

Volvo was getting anxious. He was eager to return to the capital, but Grand Duke Meyers told him not to go back for the time being. Instead, he was told to do his best to keep the North peaceful and, ideally, to cut off the head of the Orc King.

With the emperor dead, the turmoil within the capital city was terrifying, yet Grand Duke Meyers believed that the outside world was safe.

He even regretted why he had stayed in the capital.

Volvo Columbus hesitated, but after gritting his teeth, he decided to trust the Archduke.

……

west coast.

This region boasts one of the world's most prosperous economic environments. For many years, nobles believed that the world's wealth originated from the prosperous West Coast, which contributed an inseparable share of glory to human civilization.

The Elector Columbus was placed under house arrest here.

At this moment, the Viking was somewhat anxious and looked at the High Priest of Fate beside him.

"You say that fate has decreed that on this day of the Feast of Grace, the emperor of the empire will fall."

"That is my only chance. Only by becoming the emperor of the empire can I become the leader of mankind and lead them to a new and perfect world."

"I will become humanity's only savior."

"But I still hope my father can live; he would approve of me."

No matter how many setbacks he faced, the Viking always exuded a positive and optimistic spirit, and he was always able to inspire those around him. If it weren't for his vision, this generation of electors might have been the only era in the history of the empire where there was no difference in the competition.

The Vikings are too perfect.

Perhaps this was his greatest flaw. The priest of fate beside him did not respond, because even fate is not omniscient or omnipotent. The emperor may die, but it is not absolute. The power of fate can only see the greatest possibility, but not the absolute fact.

Those who attempt to provoke fate will either die or disappear.

……

Imperial capital city.

Of the three electors, Freud was the only one in the capital. When news of the emperor's death spread, Grand Duke Rodrigo rushed to the capital. He first questioned all the nobles present, and then had the Senate announce that the empire needed to elect a new emperor.

However, the nobles' attitude toward this matter was quite subtle.

Freud's aristocratic supporters are all new. This "new" doesn't mean new aristocrats, but rather that the aristocrats have only been supporting Freud for less than a year.

Freud gained immense prestige during the war, and this prestige, accumulated over a decade, would become Freud's most powerful asset.

But the problem lies in time.

Even among the same noble family, the benefits this year are different from those ten years from now.

The nobles' support for Freud is not yet secure enough in the short term, and the empire has not truly entered the next era yet. Although Columbus III is dead, the empire still belongs to him.

The heirs were not yet fully established and had difficulty stepping onto the stage of history, so the nobles naturally thought more about themselves.

Grand Duke Rodrigo's attitude was very firm, but Grand Duke Meyers argued that a new emperor should not appear so soon, citing the emperor's death and the lingering hatred.

"His Majesty the Emperor did not die a natural death. We need to find the murderer and bring him to justice, otherwise no one can answer to the nobles of the empire or to the entire empire."

“We cannot stand idly by and watch His Majesty die without a sound. Everyone, even the whole world, must pay the price for His Majesty’s downfall.”

“I’m questioning your loyalty, Rodrigo.”

Grand Duke Rodrigo stopped urging the royal family and nobles. In fact, Grand Duke Rodrigo was not prepared for what kind of help Freud could provide to his family after becoming the new emperor.

Everyone was thinking about the interests ten, fifty, or even a hundred years from now. This time, it's really happening far too fast.

Within the capital city, a turbulent situation was brewing. Among the electors, Freud, who enjoyed the highest prestige, surprisingly did not receive much support from the nobles.

"They are tired of war."

When Freud anxiously inquired with Grand Duke Rodrigo, the Grand Duke gave this response.

"And you, Freud Columbus, your chances of winning are very low."

Rodrigo knew very well that the wars of the past few years had propelled the empire to the pinnacle of glory, but it was also the frequent wars over the years that had left the nobles exhausted and dissatisfied.

They were not nobles from the North, nor were they constantly on the battlefield. They had enjoyed peace for over a hundred years, and the intense movements of the past few years had already left the nobles breathless.

However, Freud was an elector who preferred to solve problems through war, which is why Rodrigo wanted to crown Freud with the title of emperor while the nobles were at a loss.

Unfortunately, the southern lands, which had not participated in wars for many years, reacted exceptionally quickly in the political arena and did not allow Rodrigo to act in a way that did not follow the rules.

……

Who ultimately benefited from the emperor's death?
After much thought, dawn became the only answer.

With the death of Columbus III, Pope Solarion once again became the most powerful figure in the world. However, on his journey home, this Pope of the Dawn believed that not all members of the Dawn Church were entitled to share in this benefit.

And so… on the journey back from the capital to the southern holy mountain, everyone who followed Pope Solarion—

Only the Holy Son of Dawn survived!
(End of this chapter)