Then, a heavy sound broke through the commotion.

— Thud

“Attention everyone! His Majesty the Emperor will speak about the future of the Pergos Empire. Everyone listen quietly. His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

Adam Perron thrust his staff into the floor and slowly began descending the stairs. The Queen and Baningo Perron stood on his left and right.

“Ahem. Hmm. Finally, the Pergos Empire has achieved the great task of continental unification! There is no country more powerful than Pergos in this world, and this continent has been reborn as a land of peace without borders or war! Be proud to be citizens of the Pergos Empire!”

Adam struck his staff on the floor once more to focus the audience.

Simultaneously, a grand purple curtain hanging on one wall was gently drawn back.

Behind the curtain was a map of the Europe continent. The massive map filling an entire wall was divided into numerous regions and districts. The names of nobles and their territories were being written one by one, including the capital, ‘King’s City’.

“To commemorate this great achievement, I proclaim Prince Baningo Perron as Crown Prince! Crown Prince Baningo Perron shall be called the Guardian of Continental Peace! For the peace of the continent!”

— Waaah

A wave of cheers surged and subsided.

Adam sat on the golden throne placed under the continental map that had appeared from behind the purple curtain.

“Now let’s give rewards to our protagonists. I intend to entrust the land of the former Fabio Kingdom to the Minister of Military Greg, who led the war to victory in a short time with an elite few. Is there anyone who objects?”

“……”

The Crescent Moon Hall was as quiet as a grave.

“Kekeke. Seeing the silence, Minister of Military, you must have indeed accomplished a great feat. ‘Duke Greg Rufus,’ come forward and receive the imperial order.”

Greg came forward through the crowd.

He was slightly taller than Caleb but his physique was unimpressive in comparison, and while their hair color was identical, their eyes differed with his grayish hue.

Greg wore a gray suit that matched his eyes perfectly and knelt on one knee, reverently raising both hands.

“Greg Rufus…… So that’s why he came down personally. Knowing it would become his territory.”

Rudbeckia muttered quietly.

The precious imperial order was placed in Greg Rufus’s hands, so delicate it might crumble if touched or fly away if blown upon.

“Rufus…… a new place with a new family name, pfft. Why is there never any progress in what humans do?”

Rudbeckia recalled her birth father Diego, who had sacrificed his country to obtain a ducal position in the empire, and gave a cold smile.

The words ‘Fabio Kingdom’ were erased and ‘Rufus Duchy’ appeared.

As the letters were clearly engraved, she carefully observed Greg’s expression. His face was filled with joy.

She knew that face well. She had seen it at the young age of six but never forgotten it for a moment.

Even without her perfect memory, it was an expression she could never forget.

It was identical to the expression her birth father had shown when opening the city gates to welcome the Pergos army and when he loudly shouted the direction she and Adele were fleeing.

“But our sensitive Caleb is experiencing this situation for the first time……”

Rudbeckia turned her head this way and that, looking for Caleb among the people. She saw him behind Greg, his fist trembling so violently that the veins seemed about to burst.

His chest visibly rose and fell with his heartbeat. He must have realized it now.

‘My brother… really did betray Sanders just as Rud said!’

Strategy? Favor? Such things never existed in the first place. The truth was simply that he had abandoned his only blood relation to cling to Pergos and grasp a sliver of power.

He felt like his blood was boiling in reverse.

A moist, cunning voice rang in Caleb’s ear.

“I hear the commander who led this war to victory is your younger brother? Caleb Sanders… Sanders.”

“Yes. That is correct. It was only thanks to Your Majesty’s grace that we achieved victory.”

“Kekeke, Caleb, come forward.”

Caleb walked through the parting crowd and stood next to Greg in front of the low platform.

A glance. Just looking up to align himself with Greg made his anger explode.

“I entrust part of the northern Pergos Empire to ‘Marquis Caleb Finis.’ Is there anyone who objects!”

The north was the land of the former Glimm Kingdom. Among those lands, the place Adam pointed to was a location in the north called the abandoned land where snow never melted throughout the year.

The words ‘Marquis Caleb Finis’s Territory’ appeared on that site, surrounded by massive mountain ranges, unwelcome to anyone.

Following this, the words ‘Finis Castle’ appeared in a space so buried in snow that its very existence was questionable.

He thought how fitting it was that a place buried in snow resembled his own situation.

No one would object to giving away such a place.

“Your Majesty, may I make one request?”

“What is it?”

Adam responded indifferently to Caleb’s question, who was dumbfounded at the name change, looking at the word Finis.

“Since the Minister of Military has become Duke Rufus, I thought I would inherit the name Sanders.”

“Oh?”

“The weight of a new name like Marquis Finis is too heavy. I wish to remain as Sanders.”

“Denied.”

He felt a shock as if struck hard on the back of his head.

Sanders was the living spirit of chivalry that couldn’t be praised enough. A prestigious family that had produced famous heroes, and the only root and trace left to Caleb.

Crunch. He bit his lip hard.

“Your Majesty…!!”

“You were able to remain a Sanders because the Minister of Military, as the head of the family, paid the life price to maintain that name. As I understand it, you didn’t pay the life price during our Pergos unification war, correct?”

The Emperor continued speaking, narrowing his eyes as if looking at a worthless insect.

But Caleb pleaded once more. He didn’t care about land or titles. Just the name… he didn’t want it to disappear from this world.

“It seems to me that you’re not in a position to speak about the Sanders family, but am I wrong?”

“……No. However, since the Minister of Military has left to become Duke Rufus, according to succession principles, I should become the head of the family……”

“The Sanders family no longer exists! Sanders is the name of a defeated country! What insolence is this to bring up the name of a country that has already vanished into the past!!”

Emperor Adam suddenly raised his voice, and as his words continued, the murmurs in the banquet hall subsided.

Soon, not even the sound of fans could be heard.

“I have taken in all the citizens of the defeated countries. Especially for you, I recognized your merits and gave you a title and territory. But your behavior now… far from gratitude! You seem full of thoughts of betraying the country!”

At the word betrayal, Caleb glared at Greg and shouted as if making a last desperate attempt.

“I’m not referring to the name of a defeated country, but the family name passed down from my ancestors……”

“Choose. Will you be Caleb Sanders plotting treason, or Caleb Finis, a loyal subject of Pergos?”

“……How could you…!”

Adam cut off Caleb’s words and even brought up the word ‘treason,’ making no attempt to hide his determination to crush Caleb’s spirit by force if necessary.

— Shing

The imperial guards all drew their swords.

The air in the banquet hall turned icy cold, to the point where even breathing had to be suppressed.

‘Plotting treason as a Sanders……”

He slowly turned his head to look at Greg. Not content with erasing the Sanders name, treating the proud Sanders as something disgraceful… Greg wore an indifferent expression as if it had nothing to do with him.

He felt a humiliation so great that death seemed preferable. But Caleb quietly steadied his breathing while grinding his teeth. He had to live. Live to take revenge and repay this humiliation.

“……Caleb Finis. Following His Majesty the Emperor’s command, I will fulfill my duties as Marquis Finis.”

Seeing his expression stained with defeat, Adam laughed loudly, seemingly satisfied.