I Became the First Prince: Legend of Sword's Song

Millennium empire, millennium emperor (1)

For the Burgundy nobility, the authority of the imperial family was absolute.

The emperor’s words were the truth, and the imperial family’s actions were justice.

This was impossible to doubt or deny.

Since the founding of the empire, the absolute authority of the imperial family has never been shaken.

Until 400 years ago, when a small country was formed at the northernmost part of the continent.

The Leonberg Kingdom.

A country of outcasts founded by those who were alienated from the empire and those who were persecuted.

They did not recognize the authority of the emperor, and they brazenly trampled on the dragon, the symbol of Burgundy, choosing a roaring lion as their symbol.

It was an intolerable insult and challenge to the Burgundy imperial family.

As always, the empire tried to establish its authority through subjugation.

War broke out.

Countless sword masters loyal to the imperial family headed north. A large army numbering 100,000 also marched northward.

The result was a crushing defeat for the empire.

The masters of the Burgundy Empire were lined up and beheaded by the masters of the Leonberg Kingdom, and the knights they led were massacred by the Leonberg knights.

The army had been defeated every time without being able to overcome a single newly built fortress or wall.

This was a defeat unprecedented in the history of the empire, and it was the first failure suffered by Burgundy.

The emperor sent troops again.

It was a large army, including knights and elite corps under the direct control of the Burgundy royal family.

The result was the same.

The only difference was that they had burned a few useless forts and secluded villages.

In return, the empire lost countless knights and troops directly under the imperial family.

They had even experienced the humiliation of moving the imperial capital to the west after receiving a counterattack in the process.

Since then, the emperor had waged several wars to recover from the disgrace.

And they all ended in defeat.

The authority of the emperor had fallen, and the emperor’s omnipotence had been denied.

The ones who had been hiding their ambition began to rise up in revolt everywhere. The ones who had been waiting for an opportunity started to cross the empire’s borders.

But the emperor’s failure was only in the north.

The ambitious rebels were beheaded after enduring for only a few months, and the ones who invaded thinking it was an opportunity instead lost their own countries to the imperial army’s counterattack and died miserably as vagabonds.

Thus, Burgundy was able to recover from the terrible defeat they had suffered in the north.

Since then, numerous emperors have attempted to conquer the north.

Those, too, ended in complete failure.

For the Burgundy family, the Leonberg Kingdom was an indelible stigma of failure and a thorn in their eye that constantly reminded them of their shame.

300 years passed.

That was the amount of time it took for the Burgundy family to erase the stigma of failure, and it was also the time needed to end the history of disgrace.

Instead of destroying them, Burgundy chose to tie up the Leonberg Kingdom under its feet in the humiliating post-war negotiations.

Some said it was to make use of the presumptuous group as a barrier against monsters, and some said it was to warn those who wanted to challenge the empire.

The truth was only known to the emperor, but since he was silent, people could only speculate.

In any case, the emperor’s authority was reconsolidated, and the empire continued to prosper under the rule of its successive emperors.

However, now that 100 years had passed, and the age of prosperity came to an end under Emperor Ortega de Burgundy.

The empire lost its dignity due to its successive failed conquests, and it faced numerous challenges.

Inside the country, the vast southern region was lost to Hwaryong, and confusion reached its peak due to the rebellion of the 5th princeps and the northeastern nobility.

To make matters worse, the whole country suffered from hordes of unknown monsters.

At the center of it all was the Leonberg Kingdom

The massacre of the high nobles, which could be considered a major turning point in the conquest of the Dotrin Kingdom, had been carried out by the crown prince of the Leonberg Kingdom. The true face of the Veil Mercenary Corps, which had caused the empire to suffer humiliating defeats every time in its two conquests, was also the Leonberg Kingdom. It had been a small force led by the crown prince.

The rebellion of the northeastern nobles, led by Duke Briand, was also closely related to the Leonberg Kingdom.

Additionally, the Leonberg Kingdom was responsible for the death of the 1st princeps, who had been the most likely successor to the throne, and they were the leader of the Dawn Alliance which had united the western kingdoms to declare war, providing a decisive opportunity for the 5th princeps to start a rebellion.

In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that all of the problems the empire faced, except for Hwaryong and the monster rampage, were related to the Leonberg Kingdom.

Exactly the same as 400 years ago.

Just as the confusion experienced by the empire in the past began with the Leonberg Kingdom, so too did the chaos that the empire was currently facing.

Those who remembered that history said that the nightmare of the Burgundy family had returned.

Among them, there were even those who claimed that the crown prince of the Leonberg Kingdom was actually the reincarnation of the Dragon Slayer.

Rumors circulated that a pure white dragon had been spotted on the front lines.

The nobles of the empire clamored that the Dragon Slayer had returned to destroy the empire.

The hastier ones acted as if the empire had already been ruined.

All of this happened because of the emperor’s absence.

It had already been 3 years.

Since the last time the emperor had appeared.

People exchanged all kinds of assumptions about the emperor who did not reveal himself.

Some doubted whether the 3rd princeps had imprisoned the emperor, and other questioned whether or not he was still a man of this world.

As a result, several high-ranking nobles tried to visit the emperor and verify his safety, but they were unable to achieve their goal due to the imperial knights blocking their way each time.

In the midst of this, news continued to fly in from the frontlines.

They heard that Adrian Leonberger had destroyed a fortress somewhere this time.

It was said that the paladins who went out to defeat him, as well as a certain order of knights, had been annihilated.

“You bastard Adrian Leonberger! Adrian Leonberger! My ears are going to rot!”

The nobles of the empire felt disgusted.

Now, even in their sleep, if they heard the name of Adrian Leonberger they would start convulsing.

“Why is there no one in the empire!”

“Are the knights of the empire so incompetent that they can’t even handle a kid just over 20!”

Paladins and knights raised their spirits at the nobles’ roaring criticisms and headed towards the battlefront.

However, none of those who went to the front lines achieved their will.

Soon after they arrived, their names were added to the list of the deceased.

The cause was, of course, Adrian Leonberger.

“The knights are afraid to go out and fight, so they just crouch in the camp. No one can stop the Leonberg Kingdom’s army from rampaging everywhere!”

“As soon as they see a crouching golden lion, the soldiers throw down their weapons and run away!”

“If we don’t come up with countermeasures, it’ll only be a matter of time before the front line collapses!”

Never mind dealing with Adrian Leonberger, even maintaining the front lines was now in jeopardy.

“Are you saying he’s really the reincarnation of the Dragon Slayer!?”

No, even if the Dragon Slayer himself came back, it couldn’t be like this, the nobles burst out in anger.

Besides, their troubles didn’t end with just the Leonberg Kingdom.

The Wyvern Knights from Dotrin were also a nuisance.

Everything was meaningless before the knights flying through the skies.

“Ungrateful wizards, rebelling without realizing the favor of the imperial family!”

It was regrettable that the magic division, which had been their only means of keeping the Wyvern Knights in check, had joined the rebel camp.

The situation worsened day by day.

Even though the nobles held meetings and bashed their heads together every day, nothing came of it.

It was natural.

Although they were capable commanders, they did not know how to fight against a knight who could single-handedly destroy legions, or knights who could fly.

These enemies were outside the realm of known strategy and tactics. They were monsters beyond common sense.

It wasn’t that the empire didn’t also have such monsters.

It was not known to the general public, but the high-ranking nobles who had served the emperor for generations knew about it.

The hidden sword of the Burgundy family.

Five orders of knights following the emperor.

Even the high-ranking nobility did not know who they were or how many of them there were.

All they knew was that those knights were strong enough to be incomparable to others, and that their leaders were greater than monsters.

If it were them, both Adrian Leonberger, who ran around wildly like a thunderbolt, and the Wyvern Knights, who crossed the border freely as if it was their own backyard, could be dealt with.

The problem was that they only acted on orders of the emperor.

And the emperor who was supposed to give them orders didn’t reveal himself.

If something went wrong, the thousand year old empire would collapse without even properly resisting, but still the emperor remained unmoving.

Was it because he didn’t even care if the empire perished?

Of course not.

Above the Millennium Empire was the Millennium Emperor.

The prestige of an emperor was only worth having if there was an empire, so there was no way that the emperor really wished for the empire’s destruction.

Everyone was aware of this.

It was just stifling.

What was the will of the emperor, who still didn’t step out even when things have reached this point?

The suffocating atmosphere reached its peak and was on the verge of becoming a nervous breakdown.

Nevertheless, the high-ranking nobles waited for the emperor to reappear without moving rashly.

The emperor they knew had the ability to overturn the current crisis at once, so the empire would never perish unless the emperor wanted it to.

They did not doubt this.

And their enduring faith had finally been rewarded.

“His Majesty the Emperor orders all of his vassals to report to the royal palace!”

After a long 3 years, the emperor ended his seclusion and appeared.

The aristocrats forgot their composure and ran to the royal palace.

The emperor was there.

Although he appeared emaciated from his long confinement, he still gave off an intense presence as if he could control the world.

The emperor sank deeply into his towering throne and looked down at the nobles.

Finally, he opened his mouth.

“Everything will return to its original place.”

The aristocrats trembled with joy at the solemn voice resounding throughout the palace.

They firmly believed that the extreme chaos would now end, and that everything would return to normal, just as the emperor had said.

“But first, we’ll have to sort out the ugly principes who don’t even realize that their roots are dying.”

The end of the civil war was also something the nobility had hoped for.

They assumed that the emperor would send out the imperial army to subdue the 5th princeps.

But no.

The emperor did not send out an army, nor did he suppress the 5th princeps.

* * *

I had ridden my horse all day long in order to destroy the empire’s supply chain.

However, I was forced to return before even catching sight of the supply unit.

“His Majesty the King has issued an order to return quickly!”

It was because of the king’s messenger, who had risked his way deep into enemy territory to find me.

At the messenger’s insistence that retreat was required, I gave up on the supply unit and turned around.

And without stopping, I was able to reach the Briand Duchy, where the king and our main forces were located, before noon of the next day.

I went straight to the king.

Slam.

I opened the door roughly and entered the meeting room. The king, Vincent, and the heads of the kingdom including the grand marshal were all gathered in one place and waiting for me.

I had been thinking about turning the conference room over if it was a trivial matter because I had been called in after running through the battlefield with excitement, but I kept my mouth shut when I saw them.

The faces of the king and the top officials were extremely heavy like never before.

“Uh, um.”

My expression also hardened, and before I could ask the reason for the sudden summons, the king spoke.

“The civil war in the Empire has ended.”

I froze at the sudden words.

Seeing me like that, the king added another sentence.

The civil war had ended, and a new emperor had been crowned.