The Prince Wants to Retire

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The Crown Prince Wishes to Retire

Side Story 7: Invasion of Other Dimensions?

After calming the Empress’s fury with the help of the summoned beings, I stayed by her side all evening to help her relax.

That night, for the first time since the god who had vanished begged a month or two of honeymoon bliss, I silently made my wish.

But I found out the next day that the god had truly vanished.

“Did you really have to report today?”

Seeing Kariel’s question, Talion turned his eyes away slightly, breaking into a cold sweat.

The next morning, Kariel, who had come to the Emperor’s Palace with the Empress, strolled through the garden. However, the urgent arrival of Talion soon had Aila’s mood sinking to rock bottom once more.

“…I’m sorry.”

Seeing the Empress’s expression, Talion managed to speak in a voice like a mouse’s.

From a distance, the Empress’s face watching Kariel was so cold it felt like I could hear her inner thoughts questioning, “Why did I marry this man?”

Her husband regularly vanished during their honeymoon, and when he returned, he seemed more interested in escaping to the outside world than enjoying their married life.

‘Hurry up and report, then scram.’

Glancing at Kariel’s lips, Talion urgently handed over the report.

“A giant special-grade gate has appeared in the southern region.”

Kariel’s expression hardened at Talion’s report.

“How big?”

“It’s as big as when the Demon King descended.”

Kariel bit his lips at those words.

Just one month.

All he wanted was a little break, yet fate had decided it would not be patient and had thrown a curveball.

“…Call the ministers.”

“Yes.”

Talion swiftly vanished upon hearing Kariel’s command. Aila, who had waited quietly for him to leave, quietly moved closer to Kariel.

“Is it serious?”

“Perhaps?”

As Kariel spoke, he grabbed Aila by both shoulders.

“We may have to assume the worst-case scenario.”

“…Is it that serious?”

Kariel nodded in response to Aila’s question.

“A Demon Lord Level Gate has appeared.”

“Ah…”

Knowing just how fiercely Kariel had battled the Demon King during the Great War, Aila’s eyes began to tremble.

“We might need to prepare for the worst.”

Seeing the serious expression on Kariel’s face, Aila nodded heavily.

Any small grudge she had against her husband’s frequent absences had long since vanished.

“If the worst comes to pass, we may need to retreat to safety. Be ready in your heart.”

Kariel’s words made Aila’s eyes shudder, but she could only nod silently.

Unlike others, Aila was weaker.

So, for her own sake, it was better to flee first and avoid becoming a burden.

“I’ll stop by tonight.”

“…Okay.”

With a small nod, Aila watched Kariel head toward the Grand Council Meeting.

At that moment, Surth, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up softly.

-You really lie well, don’t you?

“It’s not a lie.”

Kariel rebutted Surth’s comment.

If it was indeed a Demon Lord Level Gate, they had to be mindful that it could attack the capital at any moment.

The Demon King, who had been almost god-like, was undoubtedly a dreadful presence.

But would it truly be as challenging as during the past Great War?

-Tsk tsk! With the current Ignit, you probably don’t even need to go yourself; they’ll manage just fine.

Kariel merely smiled, not bothering to argue with Surth’s words.

Perhaps even without Glen or Marquis Sicario being deployed, they’d still hold their ground.

After all, he had contracted the remnants of the past for days like today, so together with Ignit’s main forces, they would have no problem handling it.

“Well… that may be true, but you never know.”

Eventually conceding, Kariel smiled as he headed towards the Grand Council Meeting.

*

Arriving at the Grand Council Meeting shortly after, Kariel took the highest seat.

“As you all have heard, the anticipated event has indeed occurred.”

At Kariel’s words, everyone nodded solemnly, their expressions grave.

“Seriel, what preparations have you made?”

“So far, we’ve concentrated most of the Southern Army near the gate.”

“And the contracted remnants?”

“They are gathering only in the southern region.”

Satisfied with Seriel’s actions, Kariel turned to Rufiel.

“Rufiel.”

“Yes! Your Majesty.”

“From now on, you will handle all my duties in my stead.”

“Pardon? However, Your Majesty…”

Rufiel looked at Kariel, stunned.

Yet, seeing no hint of jest on Kariel’s face, she fell silent.

“This is merely the beginning. We can’t know how many more gates will appear.”

“…”

“Glen, the Marquis Sicario, and I will remain on standby for emergencies from now on. So, Seriel.”

“Yes! Your Majesty.”

“Gather as much information as possible with Talion, and use us according to the situation.”

As Kariel requested them to utilize him, Seriel’s eyes widened in shock.

And it was the same for Rufiel and all the other ministers.

“From now on, think of me as merely a Master Class individual, not the Emperor.”

“However…”

“It’s not the time for indecision.”

Even in light of Kariel’s words, Seriel struggled to respond easily.

Acting carelessly with an Emperor, who was revered as a god, could lead to a backlash from the Empire Citizens.

“We must stabilize the Western Continent as quickly as possible.”

At his words, the others nodded slightly.

While the Eastern Continent was also attempting to contract with numerous remnants like Ignit to prepare for the invasion of other dimensions, they were vastly outmatched in force.

Although they had begun purchasing the latest weapons from Ignit recently, if such a massive gate were to open now, they couldn’t rule out being overwhelmed.

“After stabilizing the base, we will bring all the gates throughout the continent under our control.”

As Kariel stated his final goal, the ministers gulped nervously and bowed their heads.

Once stabilizing the base of operations in Ignit, they aimed to extend their influence throughout the continent, reaching the Southern Islands and the New Continent.

“I previously mentioned we should use the invasion of other dimensions not as a war, but rather as a stepping stone for humanity to advance to the next stage.”

As Kariel spoke, he gazed at Rufiel and Seriel.

“Let’s create a world so powerful that no dimension would dare to threaten us. That is our task.”

Ignit had already become the strongest nation in the continent, surpassing all others.

Though they thought they had achieved everything, the invasion of other dimensions created a compulsory new objective.

To protect the world and demonstrate that it could be defended even without a god.

“Do you think you can do it?”

“Yes!”

“Of course!”

At the cheerful responses of his two younger siblings, Kariel nodded with a smile.

“I believe you all can do well without my burden.”

With those words, Kariel rose from the throne and stepped down. He showed with his actions that he would live as an individual martial artist rather than as the Emperor for the duration of the war.

As Rufiel and Seriel bowed their heads and took their positions beside the throne, they prepared to tackle the invasion of other dimensions just as they had during the Great War, with each of them managing their respective responsibilities.

Rufiel led the ministers in discussing the details of the invasion methodology, and after organizing the most urgent matters, he brought up the final agenda.

“I propose we assemble a dedicated team to counter the detection of special-grade gates.”

Pausing, Rufiel looked at Kariel and the two Grand Masters standing before him.

“We will form a team centered around these three and send them into the most dangerous battlefields.”

This was a plan to deploy the strongest individuals at the front lines, a strategy that other nations would hoard for their final lines of defense.

In a time when the dark ages saw masters being held back while the enemy forces and bandit groups sullied their borders, Ignit had changed.

To have the highest-ranking members dedicated to the frontline, the Empire’s power above the Master Class would always be at the forefront.

And it was Kariel who had created that atmosphere.

As an Emperor, he had never shied away from dangerous battlefields.

Now, once again, he wished to head into the most perilous front lines for the sake of the Empire Citizens.

“The special-grade gate task force will consist of members above the Grand Master level, and it will become the Empire’s most honorable organization.”

All the ministers, as well as any organization within the Empire, stared in awe at the honorable designation.

They understood that it aimed to resurrect the group composed of the heroes who helped the founding during the time of the First Emperor.

“I wish to call this group ‘The Round Table.’”

Rufiel sought permission from Kariel.

Seeing his earnest expression, Kariel chuckled softly and nodded.

The Round Table, once created in the era of the First Emperor and long fallen into decay, was being born anew as a more honorable organization.

“With my authority, I will permit the resurrection of The Round Table.”

At the official declaration of its revival, those gathered in the Grand Council Meeting burst into applause.

Moreover, the Masters present looked at Kariel and the Grand Masters with envy in their eyes.

The conditions were simple.

“The condition for The Round Table is solely strength. If you wish to join, you must scale the walls.”

Having laid down the uncomplicated prerequisites, Kariel looked toward the Minister of Internal Affairs.

“I will reopen The Round Table’s palace. Prepare for it.”

“I will do as ordered.”

As the Minister of Internal Affairs bowed and exited the Grand Council Meeting, attendants followed closely behind.

They had to revitalize the aged and filthy building that had fallen to neglect after so much time had passed.

Thus, with the resurrection of the most honorable institution of the Empire, the war to thwart the invasion of other dimensions began in earnest.

*

「Invasion of Other Dimensions! The anticipated event has occurred!」

With many gates beginning to sprout to such an extent that even ordinary Empire Citizens could see them, the Empire decided to reveal everything without holding back.

「The invasion of other dimensions has commenced.」

A war that could be more terrifying than the Great War was now at hand.

“Has it really been so little time since the Great War ended…?”

“Can we endure it this time?”

Many people, having escaped from the brink of destruction, anxiously read the newspapers with worried expressions.

How many lives were lost during the Great War?

Moreover, how much suffering did they endure throughout its duration?

Before the pain had even begun to fade, a worldwide crisis had appeared in the form of the invasion of other dimensions.

Yet strangely, Ignit appeared largely unscathed by this invasion.

「A massive gate appeared in the south!」

「A gate created on the Empire’s western coast is disrupting logistics!」

「A gate occurred near the eastern railway!」

Clearly, the newspapers were reporting on multiple dangerous-grade gates sprouting up left and right.

However, the Empire Citizens felt little of the urgency.

“We have successfully sealed off 23 gates in the west.”

“Good.”

Seriel, who had sealed off the dozens of gates appearing in the west, gleamed with pride.

Though precarious, the Empire was almost perfectly aware of and sealed the gates on the Western Continent.

Thus, the Empire Citizens couldn’t easily determine whether they were at war or not. Some even entertained the notion that these gates might not pose much of a threat.

However, it would not take long for this misconception to rise to the surface.

「Two legions on the Eastern Continent! Defeated by a special-grade gate!」