Chapter 84 – The Foundation Declaration of the Northern Empire and the Beginning of the Night

“After returning to the capital of Clostova with Elfilia, I found myself in busy days.

‘Rhoban had summarised a considerable amount of work, so the workload was manageable…!’

Before making the founding declaration, there were many things to decide: the governance policy of Kamurakku, the selection of lords, the deployment of troops.

Also, we couldn’t neglect military preparations in the Alcarol region and the Katzbarie area to deter the Empire.

‘We won’t be launching any proactive offensives for a while…but that doesn’t mean we won’t fight.’

This was a time to strategize for victory focusing on strengthening the Northern Empire’s army and gathering intelligence.

With successive defeats of the Imperial Knights, they would likely adopt a more cautious approach towards us. Now that we’ve bought ourselves some time, we can’t let it go to waste.

“Legal organisation, management of territorial troops… It’ll take some time to settle down..”

Naturally, this wasn’t a job for me alone. So, I consulted with my distant relative and grandlord, Wolk-Jii-sama, repeatedly.

Indeed, being a grandlord, he had a decent pool of talent. He agreed to send over some people to support me in domestic affairs.

We needed plenty of personnel not just for military preparations but also for governance.

And once most of the preparations were done, I gathered the lords to finally declare the foundation of the Northern Zeltreich Empire.

Of course, there were lords who couldn’t come, like Diltrack, so they sent a lot of proxies. But I wasn’t particularly concerned about that.

We used the luxurious guesthouse in the capital of Clostova as the venue for the founding ceremony. I appeared before the gathered lords with my wives, Rina and Mayo, dressed in formal attire.

“Ooh…!”

“Vilgard-sama…!”

“Everyone, thank you for gathering during such busy times. Today, we’ve reached this momentous occasion thanks to the cooperation of everyone present. I want to express my gratitude once again.”

The hall was filled with quite a number of people. I was impressed with how well I had managed to unite this land in such a short period.

That aside, my two wives, dressed in their formal attire, looked stunning.

Rina’s outfit features a design that reveals her décolletage, emphasising her slender waist. On the other hand, Mayo’s attire is more conservative, showing less skin.

[a low neckline on a woman’s dress]

“I hereby declare the foundation of the Northern Zeltreich Empire!”

The hall erupted in loud cheers.

Finally, I’ve finally made it here. No… finally, it’s beginning. I’ll seize my empire and restore peace…!

Amidst the applause, Wolk stepped forward.

“Congratulations. Should I address you as『Your Majesty』 from now on?”

“…No, that will come after we reclaim the capital. My fight has just begun. It’s not over yet.”

Despite declaring the foundation of the empire, I couldn’t claim the title of Emperor. This declaration was to signify the collapse of the former Lords’ Alliance and the consolidation into a new unity, both internally and externally.

However, I had no intention of disregarding the former lords. I raised my hand to silence the applause.

“Now… as comrades who gather under the same nation, we will walk together. With that, I would like to introduce my new wife.”

Rumours must have already spread. Few were surprised by my announcement.

And with my signal, Elfilia, elegantly dressed, appeared from the door.

“Oh…!”

“How beautiful…”

“Who is she…?”

Elfilia appeared to be very quiet and exuded a modest demeanour, as her appearance suggested. She walked towards me, her outfit emphasising her slender waist.

I took her hand and said,

“Let me introduce you. This is my wife, Elfilia.”

“I am Elfilia Mardkrald. My mother is Egularia, the sister of Lord Lantis, the lord of Diltrack.”

“What…!?”

“The niece of Lord Lantis…!?”

The Mardkrald family sided with the Lords’ Alliance during the civil war. And Elfilia was also a relative of Grandlord Lantis.

With this, it would be clear to the former Lords’ Alliance nobles that I intended to strengthen our relationship.

“The Mardkrald territory, Elfilia’s homeland, is currently under the control of the villain Seazack. He will undoubtedly become an enemy as we strive for the Empire’s unification. I hereby declare to all of you once again that I will reclaim the capital and unify the entire Empire!”

“Oh…!”

“Ohhh…!!”

But Elfilia…she looks completely different in a dress… Wait, her…chest…is that big…? I didn’t notice at all in her usual attire…

I then outlined the basic governance policy.

Until the Empire is unified, I will personally command the use of military force. For the time being, the focus will be on military training and strengthening both military and domestic affairs.

Furthermore, while Clostova will serve as a temporary residence, I made it clear that I wouldn’t intervene in the detailed management of the territories.

“From now on, exchanges between territories and reports to me will be done promptly. Our elite unit, the Dorga tribe, may roam between territories. Their supply and support will take top priority.”

I had previously instructed to support the Dorga tribe wholeheartedly during our marches but from now on, they would be prioritised throughout the nation.

How we handle them would significantly impact our available options.

“As for military positions, they remain as previously discussed. Regarding administrative positions, we will continue to expand as needed. If anyone wishes to recommend capable individuals, I encourage you to do so. Please confirm the desired abilities and experiences each time.”

Thus, after the founding declaration and the official introduction of  Elfilia as my wife, the party began.

While the wedding ceremony was rather simplified, Elfilia herself said it was fine this way.

Many nobles came to greet us during the party. And when it was an appropriate time, the event came to a close.

■

This place is just a temporary residence until we reclaim the capital. Therefore, I don’t intend to build a residence specifically for myself. Besides, there was already plenty of space in the mansion and land.

Some say that former Godrick used one of the mansions as a sort of brothel, gathering women from various places.

Except for such dubious estates, I had designated the mansion where I would live.

While there weren’t many individual rooms, there were enough rooms on the second floor that could accommodate a large number of people. We would likely have many discussions here in the future.

The first floor had rooms for the servants and on the second floor, there were individual rooms for me and my three wives.

Today, as it was Elfilia’s introduction ceremony as my wife, Rina and Mayo were resting in their rooms. They had prioritised my time with Elfilia for some reason.

While I had spent the first night with Rina and the others altogether, and it wouldn’t have been a problem to have all four of us together today…

It seemed I was scolded for needing a bit more consideration for our first night together.

“Excuse me.”

“Come in.”

Elfilia entered the room. She was wearing a slightly loose-fitting dress rather than the one she had on earlier.

I looked at Elfilia again. Her shoulder-length, neatly trimmed light green hair looked glossy, perhaps from a recent bath. Her calm eyes and porcelain-like white skin gave off an impression of fragility but I knew better.

She was a skilled swordsman, and she had already taken lives. She was a beautiful woman with determination and resolve.

“Elfilia. Good work today… Would you like to have a drink?”

“…Thank you.”

Elfilia and I moved to the table and sat in chairs next to each other. We poured wine into the cups on the table.

“Well then…”

“Cheers.”

We lightly clinked our glasses and took a sip. For some reason, I started to feel nervous.

“Prince Vilgard…”

“Just call me Vyril. My full name is too long to say every time, right?”

“Fufu, you’re right. Hey, Vyril. Once the foundation of the Northern Empire is solidified…are we going to move to reclaim the capital first?”

That’s the plan. I intend to move forward with that and further preparations.

I do intend to gather information regarding our concerns, but considering Elfilia’s situation as well…

Actually, I have spies sent to Mardkrald as we speak.

“You mean the girl who stayed in Diltrack?”

Yes, she might look innocent but she’s quite skilled.

At the moment, we lack substantial information about the west. While our primary focus is on reclaiming the capital, depending on the information Shamia brings back, we might consider prioritising the recapture of Mardkrald .

However, the likelihood of that is quite low. While we could forcefully take Mardkrald  back, dealing with the aftermath would be troublesome. 

The reason why Diltrack has maintained a strong defence until now is largely due to its mountainous terrain. It’s like a natural fortress.

If we make Mardkrald our new front line, the defence costs would surpass even those of Diltrack.

If we were to take that territory, it would be wiser to secure the Imperial territories in the south of Diltrack first.

Moreover, if we were to take the southern territories of Diltrack before reclaiming the capital, it would put us in a situation where we’re bordered by two other factions, which we’d like to avoid.

“Did you think that marrying me would immediately help you reclaim your homeland?”

“Not immediately, but I do believe it could shorten the process. And that’s not entirely wrong… is it?”

Indeed.

At least the Mardkrald won’t disappear. And it’s true that my priority for Mardkrald has increased.

Had it not been for our marriage, I would have likely postponed addressing this matter consciously.

Elfilia seemed to be a bit intoxicated as she leaned her head on my shoulder. I embraced her shoulder gently.

“While our marriage was sought for mutual benefits, I will fulfil my responsibility asElfilia’s husband. As long as I live, I will loveElfilia and I will definitely take her back to her homeland.”

“……That’s the most charming proposal I could ever ask for.”

We leaned closer to each other, our cheeks touching lightly. Then, we faced each other, our eyes meeting intensely.

“Nnn…”

Feeling her soft breath, we gently pressed our lips together in a quiet, intimate moment.