Chapter 351 – Epilogue pt.1

– One Year Later –

The coronation was modest. Because a tragic event had just occurred, and many nobles had disappeared suddenly, it was impossible to hold a grand ceremony.

In some places, it was fortunate that there were heirs to inherit vacant titles, so the positions were filled without much problem. However, it became troublesome when the heirs were still young or there were none at all.

Julius decided to resolve these issues slowly. He took Dalia’s advice based on memories from a past life—they proved helpful.

With too many nobles enjoying excessive privileges, Julius took this opportunity to eliminate those without heirs altogether.

As Hamal had predicted, the emperor, who was nothing more than a puppet, passed away as soon as the antidote was administered. The emperor’s death led to the sudden loss of the right to the throne. It was devastating.

After a simple funeral, Julius became the interim emperor.

Even without the official right to the throne, the Kalhai Empire was already in disarray. There were no nobles left to oppose Julius’s becoming emperor. The remaining surviving nobles heeded Julius’s warning and did not attend the pre-ritual ball.

Despite the war, the unified small countries did not oppose it. This was because Julius had worked tirelessly for the people.

Since then, he had been struggling to deal with the aftermath of Exchetra’s actions.

The surviving elder nobles did not recognize him because he could not properly inherit the throne. Still, he did not mind being called a half-emperor.

After all, history wasn’t accurately passed down due to the long wars. Knowing the true history of the continent, thanks to the Suran Empire, he didn’t care about the royal traditions or what the former emperors stood for.

As Dalia would put it, it was all nonsense.

The Kalhai Empire needed to change, and Julius was the one to lead that change.

A year had passed since he made that resolution, but the fact that he had only managed to handle half of Exchetra’s chaos was not due to his lack of ability.

‘There’s no denying it. Sister… no, Exchetra was brilliant.’

It was astonishing how she had orchestrated such a widespread mess.

Just like the branches of a tree, the Momalhaut organization had spread systematically throughout the empire. Its roots were impossible to eradicate.

Even though they had captured Exchetra, the organization’s leader, there were too many individuals operating independently, largely because the organization was ancient.

Being a decentralized organization from the start, it was inevitable.

In addition to her evil deeds, the numerous political, economic, cultural, and welfare-related tasks she handled were equally astonishing.

It was overwhelming to think how she managed all this on her own.

Moreover, the whereabouts of Asta, Exchetra’s loyal subordinate who had been fatally wounded by Dalia, remained unknown.

A knight’s testimony that Asta had been found severely injured near the altar and presumed dead wasn’t very convincing.

It wasn’t just anyone; it was “Asta.”

Asta had been Exchetra’s right-hand man, committing and executing numerous atrocities alongside her over the years.

Most importantly, it was impossible for Exchetra to have handled all these tasks alone. Julius knew that Asta had been assisting her.

Asta was undoubtedly intelligent and highly capable. It was unfortunate that he ended up under the influence of the insane Exchetra, and he missed out on such a talent.

While Julius pursued the remnants of Momalhaut and tracked Asta’s whereabouts, he wasn’t confident they would find him.

Seeing Julius troubled, Dalia advised him.

“If Exchetra isn’t dead, he’ll definitely appear before us at least once. No matter what it takes. In the original story, he was a loyalist who never betrayed Exchetra and risked his life for her until the end.”

That fact was even more displeasing. The idea of such loyalty to a demonic woman was disturbing.

Their relationship was peculiar, but Exchetra never gave a clear answer about it.

They say there’s no cure for madness. Just thinking about it made Julius grit his teeth and brought a sharp pain to his head.

Julius had to spend the year sleeping fitfully.

“I can’t take it anymore.”

It felt like he was going to die.

The reason they couldn’t execute Exchetra, who was imprisoned in a magical prison created by Kaichen and Dalia’s magic—a prison no one on the continent could escape from—was precisely because of her terrifying capabilities.

Even though she was a demon responsible for a horrific massacre that killed millions, the Kalhai Empire had no nobles left to divide the work.

Following Dalia’s advice, they appointed commoners to handle smaller tasks, but it wasn’t enough.

Given time, things might settle down, but for now, Julius was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

Moreover, dealing decisively with Exchetra was difficult as she might plot something. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and occasionally ask her questions.

Even then, Exchetra would laugh maniacally and answer in a way that utterly crushed his spirits. Each time, Julius felt like he was chewing on dung.

“Da!mn it.”

The pile of documents on his desk was driving him crazy. As Dalia said, he needed a break.

He rummaged through the drawer and pulled out a scroll.

It was infuriating. Here he was, withering away while those two were leisurely raising cats and laughing blissfully.

If his aide knew, he’d probably weep and wail, but Julius tore the scroll without hesitation. As he felt the familiar wave of magic and looked around, he found himself under a willow tree he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Beneath the yellow-leaved willow was a pavilion, more beautiful and sturdy than the last time he saw it. A pair of ducks swam leisurely in the nearby pond. The scene alone was soothing to the soul.

A little further away, a two-story house was visible. The house Dalia had personally renovated was so charming it looked like something out of a fairy tale.

It was a testament to the talents of the former lord of Acrab. Of course, no lord of Acrab, a city of artisans, would typically have such skills, but Julius, who knew her secret, accepted it. It pained him to think of losing such talent.

Dalia had more skills and talents than even the archmage Kaichen and was someone Julius wanted to employ immediately in the royal palace.

Moreover, with her astonishing and innovative memories of a past life, he wanted to keep her by his side and have her work for him.

‘Ugh, the more I think about it, the more my stomach hurts.’

However, it was all just Julius’s greed. He already owed Kaichen and Dalia more than he could ever repay.

The debt was so great that he couldn’t even ask the two of them to stay.

He turned his head gloomily. Through the yellow rose bushes, he could see the yard and, peeking through, a vegetable garden. Judging by the green leaves, it looked like vegetables for cooking were planted there.

Beyond the rose bushes, the garden was filled with wildflowers. The small flowers blooming haphazardly made the place feel even more harmonious.

Among the wildflowers, a white cat lazily rolled around, meowing softly.

“Oh? What brings Your Highness, no, Your Majesty, here?”

Dalia, who had been crouching among the flowers like a dark lump, stood up and tilted her head.