Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

He was smart, knowledgable and educated, good and fighting and a great warrior, and hardworking.

But he was still considered a young lad when his father passed away and he was forced to take his position as the next emperor. He was barely 20 at that time.

Still, he did a great job. He managed to take care of the empire’s work perfectly and ruled the nation as well as his father and his ancestors. He found trusted followers, strong guards, wise ministers, and close friends for himself. Among them were a few he could trust his life with and some he considered his family.

When he became the emperor was the first time he came across the object that was handed down from one emperor to the other. The thing they called Divine Crown. It was a mysterious item. A crown that could grant its true master a power beyond imagination. It was said that with the crown’s power, even the weakest people could defeat the strongest monsters easily.

However, the strange thing was that it was always told that one was not allowed to use the power of the Divine Crown. His elders strictly forbid him from even thinking about activating the power within the crown, his father always warned him before his death, his mother told stories of the outcome of using the Divine Crown, and he had read many documents that warned the emperors against using that crown.

He wasn’t worried about the crown though. He had no plans of using that power within it, and there was no need for it. It was because he had people to protect him and people to fight against their enemies instead of him. He had his 6 generals by his side. The people he trusted more than anyone else.

Being an emperor was hard and tiring, yet, he didn’t complain. Time flew by and he aged, but he was still the ruler that the people of the nation loved and followed. Things were fine for a few years. Being an emperor was hard and tiring, but he was happy that he could let his people live comfortably and in peace.

Things were fine for a few years. For only a few years.

.....

Despite all his hard work and dedication, the situation of the nation didn’t remain the same. Changes accrued, different ideas developed, and objections arose. Little by little, conflicts took form and small arguments turned into serious clashes. Strange stuff kept happening around the whole empire and mysterious incidents took place repeatedly.

And the core reason behind all these was just one thing. One group, one person. A religious group that looked harmless at first. A religion that had been in their empire for years, even before he became the empire. A mysterious and powerful figure leading that religion. It was all because of them, because of him. It took the emperor a long time to find out what they wanted to do, and by the time they understood the Holy Saint’s true intentions, it was late.

It was late for his nation to be saved, to be freed, to be rebuilt.

He was barely 30 at that time. The conflicts had long turned into battles and fights. The small disagreements in ideas turned into a huge rebellion against the emperor over the years. Different regions of his nation wanted independence, wanted to be separated from the empire, and didn’t get persuaded by anything that the emperor offered.

And the one who had created this chaos what none other than the Holy Saint, the seemingly pure and innocent man, the one who claimed to lead the spirits towards the true path.

The empire was in chaos. Small conflicts arose in every corner of the land for different reasons. Some wanted their rights to be given back to them, some wanted to create a kingdom for themselves, some wanted the emperor to be taken down, and some demanded the system to be changed.

“How is the situation in the south?”

“It’s not good.”

A tall man, with shoulder-length black hair tied in a ponytail and dark blue eyes, was sitting beside the emperor and answered his question as soon as the words left the man’s lips. He was keeping his head low as if he didn’t dare to raise his head, as if he was ashamed of making eye contact with the others around the table.

“I... I couldn’t convey your highness’s messages to them. I wanted to hand the letter you’d sent to their leader, but they didn’t even let me set foot on their land. They attacked me as soon as they spotted my figure...”

The man’s voice sank lower and lower as he talked.

“It’s not your fault, Beathan. We all expected them to have such reactions.”

“...I’m sorry, your highness!”

The man called Beathan clenched his fist. The old bracelet with mysterious carvings in it made a jingling sound as he moved his hands to his back and bowed his head even more towards the dark brown-haired and green-eyed emperor. Stefan knitted his brows before patting his general’s back.

“We’ll eventually find a way to solve it. There is no way we’ll give up on our people and let that evil bastard take over their control!”

Stefan didn’t wait for Beathan’s answer nor did he look at his face, which was covered with old and new scars. He instead turned his head towards someone else.

“What about the rebellions of the capital?”

This time, he was talking to another one of his generals. The blonde-haired, black-eyed Emil took a deep breath before starting to explain.

“I talked to their leader in a secret meeting I arranged. I conveyed your highness’s words to him, and asked about his claims,” Emil closed his mouth for a few seconds as if contemplating his words. “The way he behaved was... Strange. I had secretly applied a rule to him before the meeting started so I could understand if he was lying or not... And judging by his words, he was more than willing to accept your offer, but in the end, he declined it.”

“He wanted to accept it, but declined it?”

“Yes,” Emil nodded. “What I guess is that... He no longer has control over what he can accept and what he can not...”

Stefan raised an eyebrow. He tapped the edge of the table with his finger a few times before asking in a low voice.

“You mean, he is being controlled?”

“That’s likely the case, your highness.”

Silence descended in the meeting room. The king, and the other five people around the table, all had grim expressions on their faces. They were thinking about the same matter, but none of them spoke any word. The meeting room was silent for about five minutes when the sudden sound of approaching footsteps made them all raise their heads and look at the door.

“Ho, he is finally here!”

Someone commented.

“He is here when the meeting is halfway through. Tsk, that lazy ass bastard!”

Emil clicked his tongue, irritation clear in his tone.

“He might’ve faced some trouble on his way here...”

A young girl with long brown hair that was tied up neatly and amber eyes quietly mumbled under her lips, her cheeks a little bit flushed as she looked away from the others and ignored their piercing gazes.

“Yeah, Matilda! You can defend that lazy-ass bastard in front of us but can’t confess to him directly! Tsk! Where are those soldiers who go on and praise their strongest sword, greatest swordmaster, the blade of the emperor, the great general? Call them to come to look at their leader now!”

The mocker was another young woman with sharp facial expressions and short hair. She was making fun of her fellow general, but her scarlet eyes didn’t have any hints of hostility in them.

“Ahem!”

Matilda coughed awkwardly and lowered her head, even more, clasping her sweaty hands together under the table.

BAAAANGGG

The door of the meeting room was kicked open at that moment and a figure entered the other’s sight. The young man was standing at the door, panting and sweating while he looked to be about to burst from anger.

“...You could just knock on the door-”

“S-Stefan!”

The intruder not only cut off the emperor’s words, but also called him by his name without any honorifics, but no one seemed surprised about it, not even the emperor himself. The young man put his hand on the frame of the door and leaned on it, panting heavily for a few seconds. Once he managed to catch his breath, he finally raised his head, pulled back his golden hair, and stared at the emperor with his golden eyes angrily before suddenly yelling.

“Stefan! Stefan!”

“What’s it, Alan?”

“He... He!”

Alan rushed inside the room and threw something on the table. It was a note, a wet, bloodied, and half-torn note.

“He killed it!”

Alan punched the table with both hands.

“That bastard holy saint! He killed The Dragon of Frost!”