Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World as a Skeleton

Chapter 266 266: The Proclamation

Iron Fortress Territory, Central Plaza.

"What? The Empire was actually invaded?!"

"By the Gods! No wonder the Punishment Legion patrols have been so thin on the

ground these last few days!"

"I heard the enemy was millions strong! A literal apocalypse pouring out of a

rift from another world!"

"Well... did we win?"

"Are you simple? Of course we won! Why else would the Sovereign be hosting a

Grand Decoration Ceremony?!"

The plaza was a churning ocean of people. Residents from all walks of life were

shoulder-to-shoulder before the central bulletin boards, competing for a glimpse

of the official proclamation issued by the State Chancery.

The content was concise, yet every word struck the crowd like a lightning bolt.

[OFFICIAL DECREE OF THE EVERNIGHT EMPIRE]

Three days ago, hostile inter-planar undead forces utilized a Planar Array to

invade Gale City. The enemy host numbered three million, led by a Tier 7

Sovereign.

Under the direct tactical command of His Imperial Majesty, the Sovereign of

Evernight, the Seven Armies mobilized with total efficiency. The invading host

was completely liquidated upon the prairie battlefield.

Empire Casualties: Zero. Enemy Casualties: Total Annihilation.

To honor the valor of the vanguard and the steadfast spirit of the citizens of

Gale City, His Majesty shall host a Grand Decoration Ceremony in Gale City in

three days' time.

All participating residents are hereby granted the title of Honorary Citizen,

providing hereditary citizenship rights for three generations.

All participating soldiers shall receive immediate promotion and significant

financial commendation.

The Evernight Persists. The Empire is Eternal.

— The State Chancery

(Stamped with the Chibi Skeleton Seal of Absolute Authority)

As the words were read aloud by those at the front, a brief, heavy silence fell

over the crowd.

Then, the plaza exploded.

"LONG LIVE THE SOVEREIGN!" "GLORY TO THE EVERNIGHT!" "Three million enemies

erased? That's not a war, that's a cleanup!" "And zero casualties on our side?

Our Legions are statistically invincible!"

An Orc merchant was vibrating with such excitement his tusks were rattling. "Do

you realize the logistical implications? This means the Empire's borders are

expanding into the Void! We could be doing trade with other worlds soon! We are

a true Inter-Planar Empire!"

Beside him, an elderly Elven scholar adjusted his spectacles, his voice thick

with academic pride. "A Tier 7 Sovereign... those are beings of myth. In the Old

Era, a single Tier 7 could dictate the rise or fall of an entire race for a

thousand years. I believe only the Dragons ever birthed one. And our Master

extinguished him like a candle in a breeze."

In the corner of the square, a man who had once been a nameless refugee fell to

his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I knew it... I knew choosing the

Evernight was the right path. Here, we aren't trash to be discarded. We fight,

and we are rewarded like Kings! Coming to this Empire was the only correct

decision of my life!"

His sentiment rippled through the crowd. Countless souls who had once been

displaced by the wars of the Old World now felt a sense of belonging so fierce

it bordered on fanatical.

On the opposite side of the plaza, at a temporary kiosk for the Sunflower

Merchant Guild.

Hans was attempting to discuss quarterly margins with several associates when he

was suddenly swarmed by a mob of frenzied citizens.

"President Hans! Are you heading to Gale City for the Ceremony?" "Can we hitch a

ride? We have to see the Sovereign with our own eyes!" "This is going to be the

greatest festival in history! You have to take us!"

Hans felt a phantom headache coming on from the noise, but he maintained the

smooth, professional smile of a Kararagi-style merchant.

"Quiet down, everyone, please! The Sunflower Guild has already been coordinated

by the State Army. We will be assisting the Arcane Legion in providing 'Rapid

Transit' services to Gale City before the ceremony commences."

"The fee is a mere five silver coins for a direct array-jump to the Gale

sector."

"However, slots are limited. It is a first-come, first-served arrangement."

The crowd went into a total frenzy.

"Five silver? That's a steal!" "NIGERUNDAYO! Get in line! I'm first!" "Don't you

dare push me, I'll call a Berserker!"

Hans watched the chaos, his mind already running the numbers. At this level of

heat, the transit fees alone would fill the Guild's coffers for the next two

quarters. And that wasn't even counting the lodging, dining, and commemorative

merchandise sales in Gale City...

It was a monumental business opportunity.

However, Hans didn't feel entirely jubilant. He looked toward the horizon, a

shadow of concern in his eyes. Inter-planar invasion. Tier 7 powerhouses. Three

million dead.

Though the Empire won, it meant they were no longer a local secret. They were on

the radar of greater powers. The future would bring challenges that defied

common logic, and he had no idea what kind of monsters were lurking in the deep

Void.

"But..." Hans's mouth curved into a smirk. "As long as the Master is holding the

rod, everything is under control."

He turned back to his staff. "Commence the bookings. I want the arrays running

around the clock."

Iron Fortress, The Evernight Cathedral.

Father Anchi was currently "meditating" behind the massive skeleton statue,

which involved listening to an Audio Novel and slowly draining a bottle of

high-tier Vollachian red.

Sister Cecilia stood over him, hands on her hips, her face a mask of irritation.

"Do you have any concept of the fiscal reality?! The food budget for this month

has been vaporized by your 'sacred rituals'!"

"We're going to be eating watery gruel for two weeks! Is that your plan for the

Sisters?!"

Bishop Anchi didn't even open his eyes, merely shifting into a more comfortable

slouch against the stone. "Is the donation box not replenished daily?"

Cecilia stomped her foot. "That coin belongs to the faithful! It's for the

upkeep of the Cathedral, not your personal cellar!"

Before the argument could escalate into physical violence, Danica came sprinting

into the hall, nearly tripping over her own robes.

"Bishop Anchi! Sister Cecilia! It's happened! A total variable!"

Cecilia pivoted away from Anchi. "Report."

Danica panted, her face flushed with excitement. "A priority directive from the

State Chancery! Bishop Anchi is to depart for Gale City immediately!"

"The Sovereign is hosting a Grand Decoration Ceremony in three days! Attendance

by all high-ranking clergy is mandatory!"

Anchi's hand paused on his wine bottle. He tapped the pause rune on his audio

player and stood up with uncharacteristic speed.

"A Decoration Ceremony?"

Danica nodded frantically. "The Empire just crushed an inter-planar invasion!

Three million enemies! The Sovereign personally took the field and achieved a

zero-casualty victory!"

"The whole city is in a state of religious fervor! Half the population is trying

to buy transit tickets to Gale City!"

Cecilia froze. "Three million... inter-planar...?"

She murmured to herself, then snapped her gaze toward Anchi. "You knew, didn't

you?!"

"No wonder you've been polishing that statue for three days straight, muttering

about 'The shadow of the Lord covering all things'!"

Anchi's eye twitched. If I were that prophetic, I wouldn't have to steal from

the donation box for a drink. But he kept his face stoic, looking up at the

single-handed-jaw-propped skeleton statue with a practiced, profound depth.

"The Master's reach exceeds our narrow understanding," Anchi drawled. "This

war... is likely just the prologue."

He turned to Cecilia, waving a grand, dismissive hand. "Make the preparations.

We depart for Gale City at once."

Cecilia opened her mouth to argue, then gave a sharp nod. "Fine. But I'm packing

the bags."

As she and Danica turned to leave, Cecilia glanced back just in time to see

Anchi sneakily shove the half-empty wine bottle into the inner lining of his

bishop's robes.

Their eyes met. The atmosphere became professionally awkward. Danica stifled a

giggle.

"I saw that," Cecilia hissed.

"You saw nothing."

"I have 20/20 vision, you drunkard!"

"It was a visual hallucination brought on by hunger. Go eat some gruel."

"ANCHI!!!"

Danica watched them fall back into their daily bickering as they headed for the

carriage. Despite the noise, her heart was light. A Grand Decoration

Ceremony—the largest event since the Unification. To witness it would be the

memory of a lifetime.

The Succubus's Dream, Headquarters.

Scarlett sat at her mahogany desk, reviewing the latest financial returns from

the regional branches. Suddenly, the doors were slammed open.

Kura burst in, arms full of scrolls, her tiny horns literally glowing with

excitement.

"SCARLETT! BREAKING NEWS! A TOTAL SERVER-WIDE EVENT!"

Scarlett looked up, her brow knitting. "Kura, maintain decorum. What is it?"

Kura dumped the files onto the desk and leaned over, her face inches from

Scarlett's. "The Empire went to war! And we crushed them!"

"The Sovereign is hosting a Decoration Ceremony in Gale City! All participating

residents are getting Honorary Citizenship! Three generations of welfare,

Scarlett!"

Scarlett blinked. "War? Against whom?"

"Undead from another world! Three million strong! Led by a Tier 7 monster!"

"But the Sovereign stepped in and just... deleted them. Zero casualties! It was

a total wipe!" Kura was spitting in her excitement, her eyes full of worship.

Scarlett went silent for a long moment. She slowly stood up. "Three million...

Tier 7..."

She walked over to a display cabinet that held a single, battered, and broken

fishing rod. She traced the wood with a gentle finger, visualizing the back of a

man who preferred the riverbank to the throne.

"Finally... will I get to see you again, my Lord?" she whispered.

Kura nudged her arm. "Scarlett, should we head to Gale City too? Everyone is

going!"

"We might actually get a glimpse of the Sovereign on the dais!"

Scarlett turned back to Kura, a wide, ambitious smile breaking across her face.

She waved a hand grandly.

"Go? Of course we're going!"

"Notify Mona and the others—The Succubus's Dream is on a one-week mandatory paid

holiday! Pack the trunks! We're heading to the Gale sector!"

Kura let out a cheer, turning to bolt out the door, but Scarlett barked, "Wait!"

"Mmh?"

"Pack the latest promotional banners and the alchemical Dream-Projectors,"

Scarlett said, a sharp, mercantile glint in her eyes. "Tens of thousands of

people gathered in one city is a once-in-a-lifetime marketing variable."

"When we aren't at the ceremony, we'll open a pop-up experience center. Let's

show the border-dwellers what a real 'Dream' looks like."

Kura paused, then gave a thumbs-up. "Spoken like a true Secretary of State

candidate! I'm on it!"

Kura galloped out of the office. Scarlett sat back down, her gaze lingering on

her ledgers. I wonder if that man still remembers the first silver coin he gave

us...

The entire Empire was reaching a boiling point. Countless citizens were swamping

the teleportation arrays; merchants were loading wagons with every commodity

imaginable; scholars were writing frantically about the "Inter-planar Paradigm

Shift."

But the common folk? They just wanted to see the God who had ensured they

wouldn't have to die today.

☆☆☆

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