Chapter 6 : Black Dragon Olivia (4)

“Therefore, the new Demon King, Olivia, declines the alliance with the Achaian Empire.”

Within the audience chamber of the Achaian Empire’s palace, Dante bowed respectfully to Emperor Mars, who sat regally upon his throne, legs crossed.

“What preposterous…!”

“How dare she ignore the Emperor’s generosity!”

“Such impudence! Typical uncivilized demon!”

“Disregarding the long-standing tradition between our empires! This is an insult to the Achaian Empire! A declaration of war!”

“You insolent wretch! You’ve grown too bold!!”

As expected, Dante’s words ignited a firestorm of outrage among the assembled courtiers.

‘Generosity? Tradition?’ Dante seethed inwardly, clenching his fists beneath his sleeves. ‘They call their forced extortion a tradition?’

His parents, now deceased, had toiled tirelessly on their farm, only to have two-thirds of their harvest seized by imperial soldiers as tribute. Dante’s family had lived in perpetual poverty. That’s why he was so driven, so obsessed with work. Peace wasn’t free; it came at a price.

He yearned to unleash a torrent of insults upon the emperor, but he was merely a citizen, a s*ave to Olivia’s will, an envoy delivering her message. He couldn’t afford to lose sight of his purpose. To remain composed, to fulfill his duties without personal bias—that was Dante’s way of life.

Lowering his head, he endured their accusations in silence, eyes closed. Then, Emperor Mars spoke.

“──It matters not.” He swirled the red wine in his goblet, his voice laced with nonchalance. “If they won’t offer it willingly, we’ll simply take it.”

“..!”

Mars smiled sharply. “My generosity has its limits. Even I, known for my magnanimity, cannot tolerate such blatant disrespect.”

──Demon.

Thump!

The atmosphere in the chamber shifted. A chilling aura filled the air, a heavy pressure bearing down on everyone.

“Ugh…” Dante groaned softly. Killing intent. Sharp, honed, like a blade. This was the power of the emperor, known as the God of War.

He bit his lip until he tasted blood. He couldn’t crumble here. Not for Olivia’s sake, not for the sake of the Leprechaun Empire.

‘Get a grip, Dante. You’re the pride of the Leprechaun Empire!’

He took slow, deep breaths, calming his trembling body. Finally regaining his composure, he raised his head…

Shing.

“…Huh?”

The chilling touch of a blade against his throat.

‘…So this is it.’

‘This is where I die.’

“Consider it an honor. Your insignificant life will serve as a sacrifice to mark the beginning of war.”

──A swift, painless death.

“In your next life, may you be born a citizen of the Achaian Empire.”

Just as the emperor raised his sword to strike…

Crack!

The entire palace ceiling was ripped away, torn apart by a massive, scaled, reptilian hand as easily as pulling hairs from a comb.

Chaos erupted. The courtiers, speechless with terror, gaped at the gaping hole above. Emperor Mars, his earlier bravado gone, paled. The slitted, crimson eyes visible through the opening darted around, searching…

Rip! Tear!!

Spotting Dante, the dragon impatiently tore away the remaining sections of the ceiling. The palace was now a roofless bowl. But the sunlight didn’t reach the interior. Something massive, covered in black scales from head to toe, blocked the sun with its enormous wings.

“No…”

“Dr…Dragon…”

Thud! Thud, thud!

One by one, the humans collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. Some fainted, others foamed at the mouth.

Clang!

“Why… Why is a dragon here…!!?” Even Emperor Mars dropped his sword and crumpled to his knees, legs trembling uncontrollably. Not a single person remained standing.

Except for Dante.

“Talk about terrible timing, Olivia…” he muttered.

Speak of the devil—or rather, the dragon.

Olivia, the fearsome Black Dragon, gazed down at him with a surprisingly gentle expression. She frantically checked him for injuries, but her eyes narrowed when she noticed a small cut on his neck, a parting gift from Mars’s sword.

Rooooaaaaar!

Olivia, the strongest of the Black Dragons, roared. She was really, really, ridiculously strong. The strongest dragon there was. And she roared.

“[Prepare to be amazed, you pathetic excuses for sentient beings!!!!]”

(TL Note : Dante Being a demon, has small horns.)