Karnak, Monarch of Death

Kallat City was the largest city in the western reaches of the Lacania Empire. Though flames of war had engulfed the empire on all sides, this city still stood firm. It was because the insurrections by the cultists had taken place in the east, south, and north, while the west had remained quiet.

Unlike other regions, the Cult of the Dark God held relatively little power in the western territories.

This was thanks to the efforts of the Saisha Order in the Grental County and the western Brigade of Purification. They had hunted down and punished Count Hudel, the leader of the cultists operating in the west, along with his followers. Afterwards, they continued to ferret out the cultists. As a result, the influence of the cult was significantly weakened here compared to elsewhere.

There was another reason for their lack of influence. At one point, the cultists operating in the west had distributed narcotics.

While the Cult of the Dark God now strictly forbade narcotics, in the early days, when their doctrines were not yet firmly established, many advocated for expanding their influence by any means necessary. The cultists operating in the western region of the empire had taken that approach, going as far as to justify drug use by attaching doctrinal interpretations to it.

It had certainly made things easier in the beginning. They had drawn in new believers with little effort. But as time passed, the side effects of drugs began to surface, and repulsion against the Cult of the Dark God only grew stronger.

With the people rejecting them, the cult's influence could not extend further, allowing the western regions of the empire to remain relatively safe compared to the rest. In other words, there was no stronger foothold for Gottfried II, who had lost Thea Krahan.

The emperor fled to Fort Harlan, located near Kallat City, and used it as a base to regroup the scattered imperial forces. With the addition of the seven goddesses' church and the Brigade of Purification, they managed to recover a substantial fighting force.

Yet, the emperor still found himself mired in deep sorrow.

"Why...?" No matter how well he handled matters, the future felt uncertain. "Why is all of this happening?"

He had believed he had ruled as emperor well enough until now. He prided himself on having governed the empire properly. He had never fallen into decadence or neglected state affairs, nor had he ruled as a tyrant.

Nor had he been naively idealistic. He had skillfully leveraged the power struggles among the nobility to steadily strengthen imperial authority. And yet, before he knew it, he had become a fugitive with no home, driven out from his own lands.

The situation was so incomprehensible that he couldn't even bring himself to feel betrayed by Diogres. It was during such a time that a man in robes came seeking the emperor.

"Your Majesty."

He was one of the mages from the Tower of Dawn. When the cultist forces of Giyen Ren had reached the capital, the imperial magic tower and the Kretas Knights had betrayed the empire almost immediately. It was one of the reasons the emperor had been forced to flee instead of defending the capital.

Ironically, it had been the mages of the Tower of Dawn who had risked their lives to save the emperor, and so, regardless of Diogres' betrayal, they were the only ones he could trust.

"What is it?"

The mage hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking. "A message has arrived from Diogres Kolon."

The emperor let out a bitter laugh. A message, now of all times? The emperor responded sarcastically. "What? Is he surrendering himself and offering up his head?"

The mage's expression grew even more peculiar as he took a letter from within his robes. "Well... It's quite strange."

A faint light leaked from the magical seal on the letter. The mage continued, "It carries the seal of Proof of the Master of the Tower of Dawn."

The emperor narrowed his eyes. It was a symbol he remembered. "He betrayed us and now sends the Proof of the Tower of Dawn? What is the meaning of this?"

"I do not know, Your Majesty." The mage cautiously asked, "I know it is presumptuous, but may I inspect the contents first?"

It was a letter imbued with the magic of a traitor, and it could not simply be handed to the emperor without caution. There was a risk of traps or curses hidden within.

"Go ahead."

The mage broke the seal and read the letter. Once he was done, the emperor pressed him. "Well, now that you've checked, tell me. What does it say?"

"It is ambiguous, Your Majesty," responded the mage.

"Ambiguous?"

Looking troubled, the mage handed the letter to the emperor. "I believe it would be best for you to read it yourself, Your Majesty. The letter itself poses no danger."

The emperor took the letter, and his expression soon mirrored the mage's. "It is indeed... ambiguous."

***

The letter sent to the emperor, stripped of the unnecessary formal flourishes required by palace etiquette, contained the following message.

The Diogres Kolon who had turned cultist was a fake, and the true Diogres, having lost his power, was currently in hiding under the protection of Karnak Zestrad, the Evil-Slaying Mage. He couldn't reveal all the details in the letter and was requesting to meet the emperor in person, alongside the Evil-Slaying Mage.

"Do you truly believe His Majesty will trust this?" Diogres still wore a doubtful expression. "If it were me, I would have my suspicions."

There could be no method easier than assassination if the cult wished to eliminate the emperor. Hadn't Desteran also kept his guard up against the child Diogres for much the same reason?

"The emperor will have to believe it." Karnak nodded his head. "Because there is more than one condition."

If Diogres alone sent the Proof of the Master of the Tower of Dawn and claimed, "I am the real one," it would not hold much persuasive power. Likewise, if Karnak alone sought an audience with the emperor, it would be the same. While his name as the Evil-Slaying Mage would ensure he was not suspected of being a cultist, at best, he would be seen as another pawn to be used.

That was why Karnak had always sought to meet the emperor through Diogres. Only in that way could he exert the proper influence. Both sides lacked a bit in terms of conditions on their own...

"But when these two conditions are combined, it gives the emperor enough reason to consider verifying it."

The Evil-Slaying Mage's renown would prove the authenticity of Diogres, and Diogres' influence would grant Karnak the voice he desired.

"It's only my hope, of course." Karnak let out a small laugh as he spoke. There was always the chance the emperor would simply send soldiers to arrest them immediately, calling them cultist spies.

"In the worst case, we might end up fighting the imperial army, then?" Serati glanced out the window, surveying the streets, preparing an escape route in case such a scenario truly occurred.

The place where Karnak's party was staying was an ordinary house on the outskirts of Fort Harlan. Regular inns weren't in service, so they had paid a decent premium to stay temporarily while they sought contact with the emperor.

"If it comes to that, we'll have to find another way. We can't let ourselves be captured so easily." Yet Karnak still wore a confident expression. "Honestly, this is the explanation that makes the most sense for the current situation, isn't it?"

Whether the emperor would believe it or not was something they would learn soon enough.

Serati continued, "For a moment, I thought you were about to persuade the emperor with your unique methods, Lord Karnak."

"There's no need for that in this situation." If the emperor did not trust Karnak, he would not grant them an audience to begin with, and so there would be no opportunity for him to persuade the emperor.

"If the emperor agrees to meet us, it will mean he has chosen to trust us. There would be no need for persuasion."

They waited another half-day. At last, a royal messenger arrived to find them. "Are you Lord Karnak?"

"That I am."

Normally, the messenger would have conveyed the emperor's summons with many more honorifics, proclaiming him the Guardian of the Empire, Ruler of the Continent, Protector of Humanity, the Great Emperor Gottfried, and so forth.

But given the times, the messenger delivered the message with simple brevity. "His Majesty wishes to see you."

***

Not all of Karnak's companions were granted permission to attend the audience. Since they were all powerful aura users, it would have been too dangerous to permit all of them in, regardless of how much suspicion had been cleared. Only Karnak, the Evil-Slaying Mage, and Diogres—now a young boy—were permitted to enter.

The residence of Gottfried II was located in the deepest part of Fort Harlan. Only after undergoing several searches were they finally led into the emperor's office.

When the doors opened, they found Gottfried II waiting alongside a sturdy man in his late forties, clad in the aura of a seasoned knight. It was Sir Chaplin, the commander of the imperial knights, and the strongest aura user remaining by the emperor's side as a silver knight.

He was maintaining vigilance, and his demeanor made it clear he did not yet fully trust the identities of Karnak and Diogres. Given all that had transpired, it was understandable.

Karnak was the first to bow and offer his greeting. "Karnak Zestrad of the Eustil Kingdom greets the sovereign of the empire."

The emperor welcomed him with a rough chuckle. "Why did you seek me out now?"

"How could a mere wanderer dare seek His Majesty without reason?"

"If the Evil-Slaying Mage claims he has come to find me, who would I be to refuse him?" The emperor's attitude was surprisingly warm, catching Karnak off guard. "It's often the case that one cannot recognize such things themselves."

With a knowing smile, the emperor turned his gaze to the young boy with dark blue hair, his expression curious. "So you are truly Master Diogres?"

"I am, Your Majesty."

"I had heard you had become a child, but..." The emperor looked Diogres up and down, then wore an odd expression. "I did not expect you to have become a little girl."

"I am a boy!"

"You are far too pretty for that, it seems."

"I only look this way because I haven't grown yet!"

Even the way he pouted and snapped back, his cheeks flushed red, made him look like a girl, but they let it pass.

Turning back to Karnak, the emperor asked, "If you have come to find me, it must mean you have a plan regarding this calamity?"

"That is correct, Your Majesty." He did indeed have a plan. "So long as I have Your Majesty's permission, that is."

***

Karnak informed the emperor about the existence of Tesranach as well. Of course, he only shared as much as he had told Desteran, carefully omitting his own story, but even that much was enough to convey the gravity of the current situation.

"So then, the Diogres on the other side is also Master Diogres?"

"That is correct."

"And Elezar and Dreltein, in truth, never betrayed the empire either?" The emperor let out a hollow laugh. "They say common sense shatters when necromancy is involved. This must be what they mean."

Yet it was a story that made sense. The gears of fragmented information that had been grinding awkwardly finally began to mesh and turn. At the same time, the emperor realized something. "Then, are you telling me the empire has no chance of victory?"

Most of the martial kings and archmages had been taken by the other side, the elves and dragons had also joined them, and the God of Death was on the verge of descending upon this world.

What, in this situation, could they possibly do? Karnak agreed. To annihilate the cultists and restore peace to the world? Such a thing was nothing more than a dream. It was impossible under the current circumstances.

"But we can prevent the descent of Tesranach."

The reason the cultists remained in the capital was that they intended to use the Shadow of Doom located there to summon their god. Conversely, if they could prevent that alone, the immediate crisis could be overcome.

"I intend to detonate the Shadow of Doom all at once and spread it across the continent," said Karnak.

At those words, Sir Chaplin, who had been quietly observing from the side, paled visibly. "Are you saying you will turn the entire empire into hell?!"

"I am saying we should turn it into a hell we can manage." Karnak quickly continued. "Before it becomes a hell we can no longer control."

The emperor nodded slowly. "Now I see why you did not seek me out immediately."

Had Karnak said such madness on his own, the emperor would never have accepted it. While he said the whole continent, given the location of Thea Krahan, the actual damage would be confined largely to the empire. The Seven Kingdoms and the territories of the elves would suffer little.

Given that Karnak was from the Seven Kingdoms Alliance, there was every reason to doubt his sincerity. But with Diogres alongside him, it was a different story. Besides, there were no other choices left now.

"I will permit it, Karnak Zestrad." Producing a pre-prepared imperial seal, Gottfried II spoke solemnly. "Move as you see fit to strike down those wicked forces. This is the command of the empire."

Karnak bowed deeply while accepting the seal. "Yes, Your Majesty."