Throne of the North.

Chapter 711 On the Eve of the Coronation
The emperor's funeral was a complex affair, and over the next few days, nobles from the capital city took turns visiting the emperor's tombstone to pay their respects.

Initially, it was the nobles who went spontaneously, but later, it was the higher nobles who led the lower nobles to go together. In this process, one could see all the groups, large and small, involved in the internal political struggles of the empire.

Thousands of believers, clad in golden robes, prayed day and night at the emperor's tomb for his long-gone soul. Their prayers were so powerful that the sky above the capital city remained bright for several nights.

Ryan was among the last group to arrive. When he went to the Emperor's Tomb alone, he could only see countless flowers surrounding the tomb of Columbus III. When he was with the Earl of Clayton, he could hear the nobles loudly mourning.

Then in the evening, the nobles gathered together for a banquet.

The emperor's funeral, excluding preparation time, lasted a total of seven days.

Ryan was indifferent to all of this, but thankfully he got through it.

On the eighth day, the nobles pretended to gather together to discuss the war in the North. After all, the nobles had come to the capital, and all sorts of matters, big and small, from the North were being sent over urgently.

But that's just an excuse.

In the Senate chamber, the nobles chatted about the war in the North, but their eyes kept wandering as they looked toward the entrance.

Ryan and the nobles from the North sat in one direction, commenting on the food and customs of the imperial capital. Ryan looked toward the entrance and sensed a terrifying force approaching. As his gaze turned, knights clad in platinum armor, wielding spears and swords, entered the council chamber.

"The Emperor's Imperial Guard."

The royal guard, composed of nobles, is not some extraordinary legion. They do not fight as a legion, but each individual possesses immense power. It is said that even the weakest among them is at the peak of the Golden Knight realm.

However, there were no wars that required the participation of the Imperial Guard. These Imperial Guards were merely a means for noble members to display their glory, and their presence represented the arrival of the emperor's will.

The nobles were not surprised; they were all waiting.

His Highness the Elector of Volvo Columbus arrived as scheduled.

In an empire without an emperor, the Senate is the nominal center of power, where Volvo needs to formally announce the existence of the next emperor.

Yes, it's officially announced.

Before the emperor's funeral was over, the discussions and debates among the nobles were not considered formal events that could be recorded in the royal history.

Of course, the dust has already settled.

The other two contenders for the title did not appear; only Volvo was present today.

Volvo stood at the center of the gaze of all the nobles, his expression solemn and dignified.

"Gentlemen of the Flor Empire, in the name of the elector, I deeply mourn the passing of our late Emperor."

"In the name of the successor to the empire, I also sincerely request the noble gentlemen to remain loyal to the empire and continue to help the Flor Empire prosper and become stronger."

"We cannot easily forget the death of the emperor; grief immerses us in the shadow of pain."

"But God of Light above, we cannot succumb to grief. We represent the hope for the future of the empire, inherit the will of the deceased emperor, and continue on the path of imperial civilization."

Volvo's voice grew louder and louder as he raised his head, speaking with great passion and fervor.

"The empire needs a new emperor, the empire's nobles need a new emperor, the empire's commoners need a new emperor, and the empire's slaves also need a new emperor."

Who can become emperor?

Among the crowd, nobles were loudly asking questions and shouting.

"Columbus!"

"Volvo Columbus!"

The nobles gradually roared out in a thunderous applause. This was an ancient experience and procedure that had taken so long. The name of this procedure was Volvo.

Then, the royal history will be able to record that His Majesty Volvo Columbus, during the time of the electorate, raised his arm and called upon the nobles, who then unanimously recognized his qualifications as emperor.

This short sentence encapsulates the competition among the electors, making history omitious in describing any conflicts or contradictions, as if the world were all beautiful.

Volvo stood tall, gazing majestically at all the nobles.

"I will become the emperor of the empire!"

No one said anything against me at this time; this is the rule among the nobles. Today's announcement in the Senate has confirmed the end of the competition among the electors.

Volvo arrived quickly and left just as fast. After making the announcement here, he was to return to the palace to prepare for his swift coronation as emperor.

The very next day...

"I will become Emperor Flor."

Volvo stood in the palace, but there was no one there today, not even servants. Everything that once belonged to Columbus III was disappearing, and what would be replaced by tomorrow was everything that belonged to him, Volvo Columbus.

The only thing that has been passed down is the imperial scepter, which sits on the table in front of Volvo.

"I am the emperor."

Volvo took several deep breaths, stepped forward, and reached out to touch the emperor's scepter, but he quickly restrained himself.

"We'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Forcing himself not to look, Volvo left the palace.

Grand Duke Meyers was waiting not far away, accompanied by more than a dozen other nobles. This small group would decide more than 90% of the major events in the empire starting tomorrow.

"Congratulations, Your Highness. Starting tomorrow, we will address you as Your Majesty."

"We will dedicate all our loyalty to you."

Grand Duke Meyers knelt on one knee, and the other nobles also knelt before Volvo with smiles on their faces. Before tomorrow, they were entitled to swear allegiance to Volvo in advance.

"I will accept your loyalty."

Volvo smiled as he watched the nobles until they stood up again.

"Your Highness, we should think about the decrees we will issue after your coronation tomorrow."

Every emperor, upon his rise to power, needed to make his voice heard. How did he do this? By conveying his will to every inch of the empire in the emperor's name.

Government decrees were the most direct way to let all the empire's territories, large and small, know that a new emperor had appeared.

"Yes, Your Highness, what are your thoughts?"

Volvo hadn't lost his mind. He understood that this so-called decree wasn't just about him; it also concerned the interests of the nobles who had supported his ascension to the throne. They wanted to monetize their previous support, and Volvo's first decree as emperor was precisely how they did so.

If becoming emperor was Volvo's victory over Freud's electors, then now it is a declaration of victory for these nobles over the rest of the empire's nobles.

"Then let's think about how to issue my first decree."

Volvo did not refuse these nobles, which was an ancient procedure in the empire.

He knew he did not yet have the prestige of his father, Columbus III; otherwise, this decree would certainly not have been issued by the nobility.

It may seem that the emperor is declared today and decrees are issued tomorrow, but in reality, the nobles have long been prepared for what to do.

The nobles and Volvo gathered in a palace, where Volvo listened and awaited the nobles' decision.

Grand Duke Meyers was naturally the first to speak up, and he produced a report as thick as a book.

"Your Highness, the Empire is currently facing two difficulties: the war in the North and the death of His Majesty Columbus III."

"You need to avenge your father in order to gain the genuine approval of the nobles."

"You also need to win the war in the North; the orcs cannot invade the Empire's lands."

"But both of these things require a lot of financial support. Your command of the war in the north is amazing, but it has also consumed too much of the treasury."

"If the war in the North is not over, then you cannot withdraw the war resources from the North."

"Then you need a new source of funding for the Dawn Church in the south."

"My suggestion is to increase some taxes."

Grand Duke Meyers said this for the sake of the empire and Volvo:
"However, you cannot collect taxes in cash. As the new emperor, you should show your benevolence."

"What you need is something more critical."

"War requires weapons and tools, and the Northwind Province has the empire's richest iron ore reserves. You need to request that Northwind Province to provide sufficient weapons and equipment from that land."

"Furthermore, in the Volga Province, thanks to the sunshine brought by the [Eternal Gaze], this year is sure to be a sunny year, and the grain production in the Volga Province will increase significantly."

"The southern province of Ximu has abundant timber resources, which can also support what you are doing."

"..."

Grand Duke Meyers delivered over a hundred messages, but what's noteworthy is that none of them concerned his own territory.

This is an old tradition: the imperial pie is fixed, and the victors reap the rewards, but the price is naturally the harm done to the interests of others.

This is why, after returning to the capital, Archduke Freming began to rally others and prepare to oppose Volvo, the new emperor.

They want to protect their existing 'principal' interests. What is principal? Isn't it the wealth contained within the land where their territory is located?
Iron ore from the Northwind Province, agate and gemstones from the Danube Province, grain from the Volga Province, water and forests from the Calais Province…

The Flor Empire is rich in resources, and each region has its own specialties that generate a great deal of wealth.

Archduke Meyers listed so many examples, but Volvo wouldn't accept them all; he also wanted to demonstrate his authority in the process.

He did not answer Grand Duke Meyers directly, but looked at the other nobles. If nothing unexpected happened, these nobles all had something similar to what Grand Duke Meyers possessed.

The only difference is that the distribution of benefits among these great nobles does not involve the entire empire, but rather they gain more power within their own provinces.

"The iron mines of the Northwind Province have already supported the Empire in rebuilding the Western Sea Fortress... Wouldn't it be too much pressure on that region to demand more iron mines?"

Volvo still remembers Ryan's help to him. Strictly speaking, Ryan should also stand among this group of nobles today, but to this day, no one knows what the conflict between Ryan and Meyers is.

……

The day was not peaceful. Volvo and the nobles who supported him had something to discuss, and by the same token, the other nobles also had their own ideas.

"When Volvo became emperor, his first decree wouldn't be so extreme. The goal was to get the nobles to part with some of their own benefits and give them to the emperor and the nobles who initially supported him."

"Many grains of sand make a tower, and little by little, a great fortune is formed. If each nobleman contributes a little, the accumulated wealth will become enormous."

“Meyers will replace Fremin’s former position as the most powerful Grand Duke. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Meyers should enhance his prestige among the nobles and bring more nobles under his wing.”

"However, Volvo also needs to win over other nobles. All the nobles in the empire are his followers. He can make Grand Duke Meyers and the others gain more benefits, but he cannot let other nobles lose everything."

"What the emperor needs to do most is to balance the interests of the nobles."

"This is the same thing his father, the deceased Columbus III, did when he was crowned emperor."

"Volvo will not deviate from this path."

Within the Earl of Clayton's small circle, there were quite a few nobles, including two high nobles: the Earl of Clayton himself and Ryan's maternal grandfather, the Earl of Stirling. There were also quite a few viscounts, numbering fifteen, and even more barons, with over 80% coming from the Earl of Clayton's private reserve, the province of Calais.

"Lord Clayton, how should we protect our interests?"

One of the barons spoke up, but they didn't think that much about it; they simply didn't want the emperor to take their things away, that was all.

"Volvo's biggest rival is still Fleming. During the lifetime of His Majesty Columbus III, Fleming reaped enormous profits, and he will not target us specifically."

"So...we don't need to do anything."

The Earl of Clayton, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, said:

"We just need to wait and see what the new emperor does."

"Becoming the emperor is Volvo's final test."

"He either gains real power as emperor in the process, or he becomes an ally of Archduke Meyers; there is a difference."

"Moreover, Elector Freud has not yet left the capital city."

Count Clayton was, after all, a member of the Grand Duke Freming's faction. Although the two sides had parted ways due to the emergence of a new emperor, their relationship remained. The Countess even still had Freming's surname; she was the Grand Duke Freming's younger sister.

He knew what Grand Duke Freming had been doing lately and what his purpose was.

The next day arrived quickly amidst the busy activity of the nobles. Volvo Columbus, dressed in his finest attire, stood on the stage that the entire empire was watching, wearing the emperor's robes. Behind him stood nobles on one side and clergy from the Church of Light on the other.

Between royal power and divine power, the emperor of the empire does not need any crowning from others; he alone slowly picks up the scepter representing the highest power of the empire.

(End of this chapter)