The witch thought I am a Demon God
Chapter 913 - 472: Capturing Alsace

Chapter 913: Chapter 472: Capturing Alsace

Seven days after Ivita left The Church, Oyo III was at the temporary camp in Walnut City of the Duchy of Huss. Inside the Emperor’s tent, adorned with lavish jewels, he learned that Jalen had stabilized the situation in Alsace and was very pleased.

Oyo III said to his brother, Earl Popkov, "It seems I underestimated this young man, Jalen. I initially thought that, following the fall of the head of the Imperial Guards and his father, he would be incapable of unifying his country’s affairs."

"Haha... he has given me a pleasant surprise. I quite like him. Previously, he was hindered by his own father, and now he can finally make his move."

"That kid Ivita has already dispatched his zombies, passing through Lower Burgundy, Balbe State, and the Earlship of Francon, to attack the Alsace Kingdom."

"They’ve already begun to fight. I now order Marquis Salz from within the Empire’s borders to lead his troops to support the Alsace Kingdom; I intend to rectify the chaos."

Oyo III straightened his back, his eyes deep and somber. "I’ve been on the Emperor’s throne for decades now. In all that time, most people would have firmly secured their position. And yet, there are still those who dare to question me! Do they not understand that they should fear the imperial power? When will these traitorous officials finally die off?"

"It infuriates me."

As Oyo III heard the sounds of cannon fire from the battle, along with meteor strikes and earthquakes summoned by the Witch Group, and the galloping hooves of charging knights, he deeply furrowed his brows.

In his eyes, Ivita was a traitorous official, and so were the people outside from the Duchy of Huss.

It seemed like every year, traitorous officials would boldly emerge, and they were endless; Oyo III himself couldn’t fathom why.

His brother, Earl Popkov, said, "I believe, time brings legitimacy to the throne."

"Please don’t worry about it."

Oyo III let a sly smile appear. Yes, even if you don’t accept it, time will eventually make everyone comply.

He sat on the Emperor’s throne, and thus, he was the legitimate Emperor.

Earl Popkov hesitated, then said to Oyo III, "Brother, I’ve heard that while Jalen managed to make most of the grand nobles of the country swear allegiance to him, there’s a big problem."

"He convened a national assembly of nobles in the capital but secretly mobilized troops into the Royal Capital, using military force to intimidate the members of the assembly."

"Only then did those grand nobles agree to pledge loyalty to him."

"But there are rumors that after leaving the meeting, those grand nobles went to the Metropolitan Archbishop of Alsace, who, in his presence, verified that their previous oaths were made under duress, and he wrote them a certificate of proof."

Oaths between the King and the grand nobles, once involving the Law and the God of All Things, have legal effect, but the document in the hands of the Archbishop of Alsace could annul their previous oaths.

This meant that Jalen’s regime harbored significant hidden issues; a slight misstep could lead to utter chaos.

But Oyo III didn’t care; he only needed Jalen to hold off Ivita’s assault temporarily. Once he had resolved the war with the Duchy of Huss, he could turn his full attention to dealing with Ivita.

Oyo III noticed the jealousy in his brother, Earl Popkov, clearly envious of Jalen—a young man who, merely by virtue of his father, became a King, unlike him, a middle-aged man, who was still just an Earl.

The imperial power waned, and his brother’s influence was not very significant.

Oyo III said to Earl Popkov, "Jalen certainly won’t be able to stabilize Alsace. He is like a drowning man, merely struggling to survive; unless he can quickly resolve the chaos and defeat Ivita, his end is definite, even if he eventually defeats Ivita."

Oyo III, understanding the entire situation, knew Jalen’s real predicament. He patted his brother’s shoulder and said, "Don’t worry, perhaps the Kingdom of Alsace may end up in your hands."

"After all, you are my brother."

The imperial princes are not suitable to help the Emperor rule the Alsace Kingdom, as the nobles within Alsace would ponder whether the Empire intends to annex their kingdom.

Earl Popkov’s lips curled up. "Brother, I have already done that for you. I have poisoned Germanicus. He managed to send a letter to Ivita before he died, sadly, I couldn’t intercept it."

Oyo III pondered slightly. "It’s merely a letter from a dead man."

"Since Ivita launched the attack on Alsace, Germanicus also wanted to usurp the throne; fortunately, I had placed my people among his guards, otherwise, he truly would have rebelled against me. These people always think bloodline is everything; there’s no such thing as a legitimate emperor or king. What is an emperor? The strongest and most powerful is the emperor."

"All other legal reasoning, all other laws are just ornaments. Germanicus was a rather promising young man; I even hesitated whether to let my son-in-law divorce my daughter and have her marry him, ensuring he could never have children, making him a eunuch for life. But since he wanted death, I had no choice but to act."

Oyo III, who had personally ordered the killing of an Emperor legitimized by Innocent II, felt profoundly conflicted.