Hate me, Miss Witch!

The Throne Room.

"In accordance with the covenant of the Crimson Blood and the Pure White Sword, I hereby appoint you, who bears the Twin Vulture Crown, as the new monarch of the Fresta Empire—"

"...Do you have the resolve?"

In the Throne Room, the white-haired, venerable elder bore a sickly visage yet carried an indescribable majesty.

He stared at his daughter, his eyes weary from illness, yet they held an undeniable gleam of undisguised contentment.

In terms of talent as a Beastmaster or skill in governing the realm, the current Emperor of the Empire could only be considered mediocre—or, to put it bluntly, subpar.

While he was no tyrant, that hardly improved matters.

As a consequence, under his rule, the Royal Family's authority was increasingly curtailed, and the Empire's strength weakened and became unstable.

Fortunately, he had a good daughter.

Since that banquet held by the Borgia family, the Sacred Sword had once again entered into a covenant after a thousand years.

In everyone's hearts, the choice for the Fresta Empire's new sovereign was already known.

「The next moment.」

Isadella's solemn vow echoed through the Throne Room.

"Heeding the name of Freysberg and the ancient covenant—"

"And for the peace of the Western Continent and the Empire's citizens."

"I vow to ascend to this Throne."

This was a vow that spanned a millennium.

A millennium ago, as the Knight King who bore everyone's hopes, she had ultimately betrayed her original promises and dreams—

In the Imaginary Zone, she had turned the Empire into a nation of the dead, shrouded by the Crimson Moon.

She should have borne this sin and, along with the Imaginary Zone, been buried by the Power of Historical Correction.

But fortunately, someone corrected her mistakes, and then, they gave her a chance to start anew.

The silver Twin Vulture Crown shone brilliantly under the light of the magictech lamp.

"Thus, the succession of the Throne is completed..."

「...」

The ritual of imperial succession was not the same as the founding ceremony held a thousand years ago.

One was a sacred ceremony for all imperial citizens, while the succession ritual was simplified due to the former sovereign's poor health.

This was an exchange of imperial power completed within the Throne Room, witnessed only by the Royal Family's elders, the envoys of the 8 Great Oath-Sworn Families, and the scant few descendants of the original Knights of the Round Table...

Once the ceremony was over, the former Emperor was quickly taken back to his chambers for treatment.

"What a delightful beef aroma."

Stepping out from the Throne Room, Dyres, who had been following Isadella throughout the ceremony as her attendant, couldn't help but remark.

"Lord Tarik, concerned that Your Majesty and the various envoys and Great Nobles witnessed the succession ceremony without dining, specially arranged this banquet in the side palace."

An attendant promptly stepped forward to explain.

"This banquet features several renowned chefs, currently in the Empire Capital for discussions and exchanges, who were specially invited to create a beef-themed menu. It will undoubtedly satisfy Your Majesty."

Tarik von Freysberg.

In terms of seniority, he was an elder from several generations before Isadella.

He was also the other remaining Legendary figure in the Empire's Royal Family, aside from Isadella.

Similarly, he was the teacher of the former Second Princess, now the Empress of the Empire.

Before Isadella truly came into her own, it was that old man who safeguarded everything for the Empire's Royal Family.

Upon hearing this, Isadella paused for a moment.

Then she nodded to the attendant. "I appreciate my teacher's concern. Please lead me there."

The few hundred meters between the Throne Room and the side palace were quickly traversed.

When Isadella pushed open the great doors of the side palace, she was greeted by rows of neatly arranged beef dishes.

And, clearly demarcated, were the oath-sworn families and Great Nobles on one side, and the descendants of the Knights of the Round Table on the other.

"Your Majesty."

As Isadella arrived, everyone present rose to greet her.

Regardless of their inner thoughts—be it loyalty to the Royal Family or the desire to kill the Empress before them and take her place—at least on the surface, they all showed sufficient respect to the Empire's new Queen.

This was due to her status and Isadella's strength as a Contractor of the Sacred Sword.

BOOM—

A faint commotion could be heard from the direction of the distant outer city.

The sound was faint, but all present were Transcendents and could hear it clearly.

Instantly, murmurs of discussion filled the side palace.

WHIRR—

The sound of a magictech crystal vibrating arose.

Dyres's expression changed. After checking the transmission in the magictech crystal, she leaned close to Isadella and whispered, "The secret cells of those infiltrating evil cults have begun their activities."

"Our people are suppressing them, but it will take time."

"Moreover, there seems to be some activity beyond our surveillance."

"To completely evade the Empire's surveillance network... the only explanation is that there are Legendaries among the infiltrators, or False Legendaries created using contaminants."

This was inevitable.

Whether it was the Military Department, the Jurisdiction Bureau, or even the newly formed Swordbearer Organization, their strongest members were at the 6-Ring rank.

Legendary Rank powerhouses, for any faction, were like a stabilizing force—a cornerstone supporting the nation's destiny—and would never act rashly.

However, this was not a concern for the evil cults.

Aided by the Power of Faith, numerous sacrificial rituals, and the enhancement of contaminants, it was not difficult for them to forcibly elevate a 6-Ring Transcendent to the Legendary Rank.