Arestia Empire'S World Domination
Chapter 53: The Unglorious Emperor

...—Capital of Argen, Renacles— Empire...

...—1 February 1239—...

The room was dark, accompanied only by a peaceful silence. Sitting on a chair with a gold-carved table facing directly against the window where a bluish ray barged in, the slightly thick bearded man's figure held his head in pain.

Several times coughing up blood has come out of his throat. A white container that was on the other side of the parchment sheet before him was enough to prove his illness had worsened.

Wearing white pajamas, his large body seemed unable to bear the drowsiness emanating from his two eyes. Yellow hair tangled due to too often squeezed by the palm of the hand to witness where the man seemed not to let his two eyes fall asleep.

Carl IX, who has been the throne holder of the Renacles Empire for the past 37 years.

All circles, both from ordinary commoners to the title holder of the Holy Emperor also took offense. Not only because of the carelessness of his golden age that seemed firm and full of authority like a high-level aristocrat, military achievements and the growth of the country while in his grasp can not be underestimated.

The territory of the empire since it was under his rule had slowly expanded. Out of the hundreds of battles in which he was the supreme general of a military operation, the defeat of his troops could be counted on just a finger.

"Uhuk! Uhuk!"

However, as a result of the many battles he has been through, especially with the consumption of alcohol and various unhealthy foods, Carl now looks like a sick person.

At various angles his body has undergone several typical medieval surgical operations. The wounds from the dart that shot, the incision of the sword, to the stab of the spear can be seen clearly when he took off his pajamas.

His close gaze had faded, his face also looked aged. Having reached the age of more than half a century, Carl feels that death will pick him up soon.

Carl spits blood on the white container. For a moment, both of his eyes were fixed on the increasingly thickening reddish color before he placed it back down.

Leaning his back and looking at the light that was pouring in, Carl felt that this was his last chance, a chance to be remembered as one of the strongest emperors to ever lead the Renacles Empire.

Taps.

Behind his back, a cloaked figure with a black hood that revealed white hair suddenly appeared and immediately fell to his knees, waiting for the command Carl would give next.

"Are you really sure of your decision?" Carl's tone sounded calm, but anyone who heard could feel the pressure from him.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Code :0 without delay answered, the tone that was thrown out had no emotion at all, "All my regrets have been resolved."

"Uhuk." Carl once again coughed lightly, continuing in a weak-sounding tone, "What? I really can't understand."

Code :0 does not reply, just bowing in his head in gratitude for the help of Carl who has given the life of one of his elite subordinates—Code :9—for the achievement of the goals he has.

Code :0 responsibilities and regrets are over. Now, only Carl has any interest in Ares. Intending to take advantage of Ares's position and nature, Carl has no intention of letting his children grow up and inherit his position without any struggle.

Not that Carl is a loving father, not the slightest love engraved for his children. Carl is a pure nobleman, just thinking about how to make the most of everything around him.

He knew that even though Code :0 always completed commands accurately, Code :0 seemed to be held back by something. Therefore, he sacrificed Code :9 with cold hands so that Code :0 could be useful as it should be.

Carl finds out that one of the Carnwennan twin daggers that became Code :0's personal weapon is missing, though he is silent about it because Code :0 doesn't say a word about it.

"Go," Carl ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Code 0 instantly disappears without a trace, waiting until Carl gives him further orders.

Carl's eyes turned back to the corner of the table. A paper he had never seen before woke up his curiosity.

Carl does not know what the real purpose of Code :0 is to send Code :9 to Excelia by using Princess Sophia. To Carl, Carnwennan was just an ordinary twin dagger that became the personal weapon of his strongest subordinate.

Although the infiltration of Code : 9 into Excelia resulted in the murder of several of the Emperor's concubines, the purpose of Code :0 has been fulfilled, leaving one of his daggers in the capital very incomprehensible even to Carl himself.

Over the past few years, there has been an order prohibiting heirs from touching the west without his consent. Because of this, after hearing the news that his two children launched a sabotage operation on the western continent of— which he had actually known because it was the plan of Code : 0—Carl sentenced the Third Prince and First Princess Sophia to house arrest for ignoring his orders.

Slowly, with trembling hands, Carl took out a roll of paper bound to a red ribbon and unrolled it.

"It's..." The report travels Code: 0 over the past two months thoroughly, the contents of the report making Carl slowly make both eyes bulging.

Carl is inflamed, never imagined in the mind that Ares has economic development as fast as what Code: 0 reports. His pride was torn to shreds, having learned that less than five years old boy as corn— Carl's response to Ares—it could rule almost the entirety of the western continent which also greatly hurt his pride, Carl judged that Ares could not let him go any further.

Various export products from Hauzen City had entered the Holy Empire of Alven and the Kingdom of Holenstadt. Furthermore, even the price can compete with locally processed products which can also affect products derived from Renacles. Judging that the paper in his hand had a better value compared to parchment, it was not impossible that in the next few years, people would depend on their needs for products from Hauzen City.

"Uhuk! Uhuk!" Blood once again came out, this time unintentionally hitting Carl's white pajamas a little.

"No. can be left..." Holding his aching chest, Carl spoke weakly with a grudge that felt very thick.

Carl XIV, a figure who craves glory, at that time has decided. Against the parchment sheet that contained a map of the world in it, Carl's view turned to the Southern Isles, a region that was the main cause of the spread of influence that Ares had.

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