The Garden of Stars fell completely silent for a time. Dani stood helplessly on the high platform, gently pressing a hand to the thin knife-cut left on her throat from the earlier hostage-taking. She looked like a frightened child, her pretty face taut as she hurried to Jacob’s side. Her large eyes brimmed with pitiful appeal, as though seeking comfort from her beloved.
Jacob quickly recovered his wits and lightly wrapped an arm around Dani’s shoulders, murmuring a few soothing words.
During this, many noticed that Prince Geller, who had been standing protectively beside Dani moments earlier, instinctively shuffled several steps away…
Jamil’s gruesome death caused Iraq, who had still been struggling fiercely, to surrender at once. It was unclear whether he gave up because he saw his comrade devoured and knew resistance was futile, or whether the sheer shock had simply robbed him of the will to fight. Sheral’s summoned divine-dragon phantom beast pinned him firmly in place while several black-armoured guards rushed forward and securely restrained him.
Iraq’s eyes remained fixed blankly on the platform, as though he could not believe his companion had been swallowed whole. Many others wore similar expressions. Sheral’s face was especially complicated. Jamil, clan leader of one of the Tide Empire’s twelve great clans, had just… ended like that?
The twelve phantom-beast clans varied in strength, or rather, each beast specialised in different aspects. Divine Dragon/Mad Dragon excelled in offence, Barbarian Bull in defence, while Shadow-Snake specialised in stealth, possessing concealment that surpassed any stealth magic. Stripped of that stealth, Jamil’s personal combat strength had never been particularly impressive. Thus Dani’s effortless killing of him could not entirely be credited to her alone.
Sheral glanced at Ye Chui, remembering how, back at the Anything Goes Magic Guild, Ye Chui had once mentioned a hidden long-haired man… So he had already detected Jamil even then.
Like the Apostle incident, this assassination plot against the new emperor had been twisted by Ye Chui into part of his own scheme. He knew of these hidden machinations yet allowed them to develop, letting them swell step by step until the moment they were about to explode, then crushed them utterly with overwhelming power.
Few present grasped the full picture immediately. Most were still marvelling at the stark contrast between the empress’s earlier ferocity and her current delicate, bird-like dependence. Foreign envoys knew little of Dani or the Anduin family, but the local nobility and guests of the imperial capital all remembered this princess as the laughing-stock of the capital: a foolish girl mocked and ridiculed behind her back by countless nobles and ladies. She often did ridiculously comical things yet remained blissfully proud of herself, her comedic trait maxed out…
And yet such a girl had quietly grown this formidable?
All hail the Empress!
After a moment, an attendant of the Morning Wind Empire envoy Lauren could not help exclaiming, “Even the empress of the Star Empire is this terrifying… though her mind seems a little unstable…”
“She spent some time running around with President Ye Chui,” someone replied lightly.
That single sentence perfectly dispelled everyone’s lingering doubts about Her Majesty’s apparent split personality.
“Ooooh…” A long, meaningful sigh rose from the crowd as they turned to look at Ye Chui.
Ye Chui heard it and instantly felt offended. Oi, what’s that supposed to mean!?
With the Barbarian Bull clan leader subdued, the Tide Empire delegation was thrown into chaos. Iraq had only been listed as a guard; the actual envoy was a withered old man who was now also firmly restrained by black-armoured guards. The elder had collapsed to the ground as though all strength had deserted him, gasping heavily.
Ye Chui regarded Iraq with cold eyes.
“You cannot kill me! I surrender!” Iraq shouted the moment he met Ye Chui’s gaze. “I demand fair treatment under royal privilege! You must not harm me. Afterwards my clan will ransom me with gold!”
Ye Chui’s brow creased slightly at those words.
Among the empires there existed an exceedingly irritating rule known as royal privilege. If a captured member of royalty actively surrendered, they could invoke this privilege to demand humane treatment and later be ransomed with gold or other benefits. The rule had endured for many years and was binding upon all imperial families.
War inevitably claimed lives. Common soldiers died and were forgotten, but royal bloodlines were considered precious. To prevent the extinction of noble lines through warfare, the royal players who orchestrated such conflicts had established this custom.
Of course, exceptions existed. Royal privilege was void if the captive had committed grave crimes or, after surrendering, attempted further violence.
Though Iraq had intended to assassinate the new emperor, he never had the chance to act, and his comrade had already been devoured on the spot. By the letter of the law, he was entitled to royal privilege.
The Tide Empire differed from others in having no strict imperial house, but the twelve phantom-beast clans were effectively royal bloodlines, so Iraq qualified.
Ye Chui naturally wanted nothing to do with this nonsense about royal privilege, but he noticed the expressions on the foreign envoys’ faces and knew he could not simply ignore the rule in front of them.
“Take him away,” Ye Chui ordered the black-armoured guards.
He had genuinely intended to kill Iraq moments earlier, and Iraq had felt it. Seeing Ye Chui now relent filled the captive with smug satisfaction. He laughed loudly several times, mocking as the guards cuffed his hands behind his back. “You dare not touch me! I am protected by royal privilege! President Ye, I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield one day. Next time I’ll let you personally taste the power of my Barbarian Bull charge!”
Classic tough talk from someone who just got beaten up but still needs to save face.
Ye Chui gave a cold “heh”, stepped aside to let the guards drag Iraq past, and then, just as Iraq’s burly frame brushed by, Ye Chui’s shoulder “accidentally” bumped into him.
The next instant Ye Chui staggered dramatically to the side as though gravely wounded, crying out theatrically, “Aiya, that hurts! Green, get him!”
Green, who had been standing behind clutching his vibranium brick and waiting impatiently, heard the president’s command and charged forward with a whoosh, swinging the brick in a full arc.
Iraq’s expression changed to horror. “Wait, just now I—”
BANG!
The brick connected solidly with Iraq’s forehead. Blood sprayed in several crimson blossoms. Iraq’s ox-like body convulsed once, then collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
Ye Chui rubbed his shoulder and announced loudly to the surrounding guests and envoys, “You all saw it, right? After invoking royal privilege he still tried to attack me. The rules clearly state that any aggression after surrender voids royal privilege, so my completely justified self-defence in no way violated the rules!”
Everyone: “…”
This is a major diplomatic incident. Could you not treat it like children playing pretend?
But you’re the strongest person here, so whatever you say goes…
“The Barbarian Bull clan leader of the Tide Empire is truly despicable. He had already surrendered yet still attempted to assault President Ye. President Ye’s actions did not breach royal privilege in the slightest. I can testify to that!” the Yellow Sand Empire envoy declared loudly.
“President Ye was merely defending himself!” added a president from a Star Empire chamber of commerce.
“Exactly. That brick was perfectly justified.”
“The Tide Empire was outrageously bold to attempt assassinating our new emperor. Royal privilege cannot save him!”
“The Barbarian Bull clan leader is twice President Ye’s size. His attack method is charging. That bump just now must have been extremely forceful!”
Others chimed in agreement. Even Prince Karl of North Ridge, now thoroughly terrified of Ye Chui’s crew, added a timid word of support.
And so the unconscious, bleeding Iraq was dragged away.
Prince Geller looked utterly exhausted. Just how many more surprises is this coronation going to throw at me before it ends? He waved a weary hand for the Grand Scholar to continue while casting Ye Chui a questioning glance: Are there any more troublemakers? Tell me now. These old bones can’t take much more…
Ye Chui smiled and gave Prince Geller a reassuring gesture.
Solemnity returned to the Garden of Stars. The trembling Grand Scholar shuffled forward clutching the sceptre and stood before Jacob.
Jacob knelt on one knee, ready to receive the symbol of imperial authority.
At that moment Ye Chui waved his hand. Radiant light suddenly bathed the entire area. Everyone looked up in astonishment to see an enormous screen of light that had appeared across the sky, displaying the very scene of Jacob about to accept the sceptre.
The screen was colossal, spanning almost half the heavens and covering the entire imperial capital. Countless citizens waiting outside the palace erupted into thunderous cheers.
Ye Chui was live-streaming the coronation.
Originally he had planned to broadcast the entire ceremony, but foreseeing possible incidents involving the Apostle and Jamil, he had settled on streaming only this final, most important moment.
Seeing the gigantic screen dominating the sky, countless people once again turned awed gazes upon Ye Chui. This was light-element magic. Many could project images onto light screens, but a screen of this scale, practically enveloping the entire capital, was beyond ordinary mages.
Truly worthy of the title Omnimagus!
