Kingdom Foundations (7)

"It is the word of my ancestors. The one who opens the doors of the Holy Land with blue light is the very Lord who will liberate and lead us. We have been guarding this place, waiting for the Lord to lead us with blue light! for generations, we've waited believing the line to have completely been broken." <Leman >

Hearing this, Yuri looked at me with a troubled face.

With her poker face broken, she looked more like a goddess, and the mountain tribesmen who lay prostrate before her looked like devotees.

I think the imperial guard brings out the beauty of Yuri.

"What are they doing now?" <Yuri >

Having come back from her own dazed state at realizing I was telling the truth before or at least partially was, she questioned

Having seen her state I decided to poke fun at her.

"It looks like you're being worshipped." <Julius >

"What?" <Yuri >

Yuri quietly hid behind me then she grabbed the hem of my clothes.

Whenever there's a battle, she always fights in front of me; it was unusual for her to hide behind me.

I left her fresh appearance behind and asked the Praet leader some questions.

"You mean you've been waiting for someone to open the door sealed in the mana formation?" <Julius >

"It was the final order we received from the emperor, not to guard the capital or his family but to disperse and protect strategic locations around the empire until the Heir apparent appeared to rule once again." <Leman >

Yuri, who was behind me, shouted angrily at Praet Leader Leman's answer.

"You mean Julius really is the lost Heir to the Empire!" <Yuri >

"What...? Well, then you are his mate, or rather Empress aren't you?" <Leman >

Leman made a crazy guess.

"No, that's not right...Hmm?" <Yuri >

Yuri immediately tried to deny it, but I covered her mouth with my hand.

"If she's my wife, will you listen to her too?" <Julius >

"We Praet serve the imperial family so of course the Lord Empress would have that right Milord. So, if you are the Lord's  Empress, I will listen to you. As will all my men Milady." <Leman >"

I see.

So that's how it is.

I gently took Yuri by the shoulders and pulled her towards me, in an almost lovers like embrace.

"She is indeed my Empress!" <Julius >

I made such an unapologetic claim, but of course there was a backlash from Yuri.

"Who's your wife!?" <Yuri >

Her face was fully flushed, and mouth flapping open and close like a fish out of water struggling to breathe.

"That's what I want them to think for now. We have to get the imperial guard to follow your orders. Plus it wouldn't hurt to have a group I can trust to protect you." <Julius >

Yuri's lips twitched slightly as she clasped her hands together and said.

"You're not even my type." <Yuri >

She blurted out in a whisper and raised her voice as she looked over at the still kneeling Guards.

"Yes, he is my husband." <Yuri >

"What?" <Julius >

I was surprised to hear her admit it so nonchalantly, so I asked her back.

"Isn't that what this is about?" <Yuri >

"No, well, yes, but..." <Julius >

"I don't care if it helps you. And..." <Yuri >

"And?" <Julius >

Stuck for words, Yuri narrowed her eyes and shook her head from side to side.

"Maybe I can learn to accept you, even if you are a pervert..." <Yuri >

With that, she turned her back on me and walked inside.

No, wait a minute; do you still think I'm a pervert?

Just because I employed a couple of kids as maids?

"Oh, come on, Yuri! I told you that was a misunderstanding!" <Julius >

Yuri pretended not to hear me and disappeared to look around inside.

The rest of them were staring at her back, but then I turned my gaze back to the Praet Guards.

I was going to go after her, but now I had to deal with them first.

"So... Anyways since we've staked claim to this vaults contents will your Praet return to service, or would you rather I provide lands wherein you can live comfortably in recognition of your endless devotion and service?" <Julius >

Leman, who had been watching us, opened his mouth with a look of satisfaction on his face.

"In a quarrel between husband and wife, the one who loses wins. Lord!" <Leman >

What the hell convinced you?

Why are you looking at me like I'm pathetic?

"Just answer the question, will you?"

"I will answer. Yes, we have been waiting for many years. And upon the Lords return we pledge to serve an undying oath of allegiance as the reborn guard to this new emperor." <Leman >

"What's the reason for your choice?" <Julius >

"The guard was nearly destroyed by the Bridget's almost 200 years ago. With our number dwindling we've tried to recoup or numbers through procreation and have continued to protect the mana formation in this land. But the locals do not like our chosen way of life so the prospective wives are limits resulting in our numbers stagnating or barely climbing in number rather than a return to our former glory." <Leman >

The mans people looked to be will to take either offer but the glory to be had serving as the unbroken line of Praetorian Guards taking up the protection of the new emperor was a dream they could not pass on.

"We are not like Bridget's people. Once a oath is done, it is never forgotten, no matter how many thousands of years passed!" <Leman >

Heh.

That's a cool thing to say.

My desire to make him my subordinate grew stronger and stronger.

The praet is proud of their mobility in the mountains developing guerrilla warfare for hundreds of years.

If they became my subordinates and were even loyal to me, I would be very lucky.

There were hints about the treasures of the Ancient Empire in his recount. They were not the only cohort of Praetorian's assigned a post to guard even after the fall of the empire, most likely many of these still exist with die hard guardians such as we found here still protecting them.

They had taken the treasures of the Ancient Empire that Bridget had kept and stored them here for the Praet to protect.

If that's the case, could there could be many more vaults than just the 12 of the Ancient Empire?

I have a hypothesis that the one who setup these mana formations left here and went to Roserun and gave the ring to the duke of that time as Roserun historically was very loyal to the Empire and fought even after it's fall.

I don't know why this court magician did that, though.

Still, there is a difference between having a hint and not having a hint.

"Hmmm...." <Julius >

Well, if I keep chasing secrets like this, something will appear.

"Sir! You're married to Her Royal Highness?" <Givens >

I was in deep thought when suddenly Givens came up to me and asked in surprise.

"What?" <Julius >

Giving Givens the look of someone who had heard the most outlandish statement in the world, Yusen sighed and shook his head, pulling him along with him.

Givens hadn't been able to say a word to Yuri all the way here.

Maybe he was overwhelmed by her beauty, or her status, or maybe both.

"So you're saying you were looking for a forgotten Emperor? The prophecy seems to be accurate. I'm the one who destroyed that Kingdom of Bridget who sought your destruction. I assure you that with me and Yuri, the Imperial Guards glory will be restored in time!" <Julius > 

"Is it true that Bridget Kingdom has been destroyed? Lord, is it true?" <Leman >

Leman asked back with a stunned expression.

It was natural that he had no information since he could not leave the mountain.

"The reason for the change of lords here at Berthaquin is because of the fall of Bridget. Though I only own a small part of the Kingdom itself as Lunan presently has conservatorship over the majority of the land... for now." <Julius >

Leman turned around and started to talk to the still kneeling guard in their language.

Which was actually a secret language known only to the Imperial Guard and the Imperials themselves allowing for secret communications to take place even in formal setting when around other nobles.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" <Praets >

Immediately, they once again got to their feet and let out a loud cheer.

Then they bowed their heads to me again and again.

"You're still doing that?" <Yuri >

When she came back, Yuri asked.

It was no longer a surprise now that she always appeared out of nowhere.

"How far have you been?" <Julius >

"It's very deep, apparently there's iron ore here, but I also found that thing at the entrance."

"Thing?" <Julius >

"The mana formation that increased our mana before." <Yuri >

"Oh." <Julius >

After all, the mana formation associated with the ancient empire has that function.

That was pretty good news.

We could raise our mana again.

"Yuri, do you by any chance know anything about the origin of that ring? Who gave it to you? or rather how it made it's way to the Kingdom of Roserun?" <Julius >

"No. My father never talked about it. In fact, he didn't even seem to care about it as anything other than a means to open the treasury." <Yuri >

What is the significance of these Vaults and treasures of the Ancient Empire?

"The mana formation you are to protect has been unsealed. From now on, you must follow me. That will be the future of the Praet hereby once more renamed as you once were as the Praetorian Guards." <Julius >

"That is what we praet or rather Praetorian's wish. If it is true that the Lord has destroyed Bridget, then we will obey you! In ruling these lands and reclaiming your birthright Milord." <Leman >

It would help if you did.

But anyway, what is important now is that there are many mountains on the continent.

With the power of the these experience veterans, who have tremendous mobility in those mountains, they would be of great help, and they can provide further training to my army to create the most experience Legionaries possible.

I also secured the iron.

With this iron, I planned to train an elite iron cavalry first.

They would be indispensable in the age of chaos that would come with the fall of Lunan.

And in my mind, there was only one captain to lead the Iron Cavalry.

Ninety-six (96) power level, seventy (70) intelligence, and ninety-two (92) command, a warrior with outstanding abilities, Hero Elheat.