Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 733: The Imperial Guard Moves Out
TL: Rui88
The imperial capital of Gabella, the largest city in the empire, once again welcomed a brand-new dawn.
The pure white Scholars’ Tower stood tall, the rising sun plating its spire with a golden brilliance. Like the scholars who resided within, it watched over this pearl-like city forever with eyes of wisdom.
The streets gradually came to life, and soon they were bustling with carriages and horses, filled with the clamor of voices, a scene of prosperity.
But today was destined to be different from the usual. A dense and orderly sound of marching footsteps put everyone on alert.
It was a contingent of the Royal Imperial Guard in full armor, coming from the direction of the imperial palace, marching toward the southern part of the city with grim expressions.
Wherever they passed, the crowds scattered and hid, and doors and shutters were closed. The residents of the imperial capital still clearly remembered the last curfew caused by the prince’s rebellion. That time too, the Imperial Guard had been deployed, enforcing the alert on the streets and throwing anyone who dared to violate the curfew into prison.
Although no formal curfew had been declared today, anything that required the mobilization of the Imperial Guard was certainly not a good thing. Everyone thought it best to hide.
Prince Felix had once launched a “rebellion,” attempting to assassinate his own father to seize the highest power in the empire.
At the critical moment, another prince, Antonio, had stepped forward. He united those who were truly loyal to the empire and crushed his older brother’s conspiracy with lightning speed.
Emperor Bartley Griffin was so heartbroken by his eldest son’s betrayal that he fell ill and never recovered. He entrusted the affairs of the state to Prince Antonio and retired to the depths of the palace, no longer concerning himself with politics.
The above was the version known to the people of Gabella.
After the prince’s conspiracy was crushed, Antonio decisively took a series of measures to stabilize the situation in the imperial capital. However, in other parts of the empire far from the capital, Felix’s unrepentant accomplices continued to stir up rebellions. And in the even more distant north, the savage orcs from the plains took advantage of the empire’s instability to cross the great desert and raid southward, successively capturing several of the empire’s oasis vassal states.
Just as the orcs’ blades were about to reach the empire’s heartland, His Highness Antonio personally led troops to the north. After a series of fierce battles, the orcs suffered a huge setback. The might of the empire forced them to turn west and go cause trouble in Ordo instead.
Having temporarily stabilized the northern frontier, Antonio turned his attention to domestic affairs.
He first returned to the imperial capital to hold a grand coronation ceremony, placing the crown that symbolized the supreme power of the empire on his own head.
The crown was placed on his head by Bartley Griffin himself. When the old emperor, who had been in seclusion for a long time, reappeared in public, all those who knew Bartley’s face were greatly astonished. Once upon a time, the subjects of the empire had praised their emperor with the phrase “a face like a lion.” His broad chest, thick arms, and lustrous hair were all worthy of such praise. But now, what appeared before the people was only an old man with a weathered face and dry, withered hair. Only from his tall frame could one vaguely recognize him as the former supreme ruler of Gabella.
The betrayal of his eldest son had dealt too great a blow to His Majesty—many people felt deep pity for Bartley.
The old emperor took the crown from the tray held by an attendant and placed it steadily on the head of Antonio, who was kneeling before him on one knee. After his son stood up, he even examined it carefully to see if the crown on his son’s head was straight.
Bartley placed his hand on his shoulder, stroking it gently, and said, “I know you are destined to be an extraordinary person, but since this country has been… heh, passed into your hands, I still hope you can remember a few words from my heart.”
Antonio Griffin nodded. “Please speak, Father.”
Bartley Griffin’s expression seemed somewhat helpless, yet also somewhat sorrowful. He was, after all, a former emperor who had wielded immense power, yet he had to hand it over to another person while still alive. Even if it was his own son, it was natural to feel ill at ease—this was what most people who saw Bartley’s expression were guessing.
The old emperor said earnestly, “I have learned everything from Aldridge. If what he said is true, the weight of the responsibility you bear may be unparalleled in human history. However, many people will use the responsibility on their shoulders as a reason to wield their power wantonly. When their power causes harm to innocent people, they will gradually become accustomed to using the responsibility on their shoulders to absolve or numb themselves. In the past, you could only influence yourself and those behind you. Now you have become the emperor, and an entire nation of people is under your control. In the future, you may attain an even higher status, so…”
A trace of worry entered his tone. “As the monarch of the previous generation, I ask you—use the wisdom in your mind and the power in your hands with caution.”
Antonio Griffin nodded solemnly. “Father, I will remember your teachings.” He paused, then continued, “And I will walk unswervingly down the path guided by fate.”
Bartley Griffin let out a breath, as if relieved to have fulfilled his final duty. Then he grabbed Antonio’s hand and raised it high before the crowd.
“Long live the Emperor!”
A tremendous cheer instantly drowned the entire coronation ceremony grounds. The crowd celebrated loudly for the smooth transition of the country’s supreme power. At least, it was smooth within the imperial capital. Let the shadow cast by Felix’s rebellion disappear quickly.
With the public endorsement of the previous emperor, His Majesty Antonio gained an unparalleled bonus of legitimacy. Those privately circulated rumors of fratricide, forcing his father’s hand, and colluding with wizards all became as foul-smelling as garbage in a sewer—shameless rumors fabricated by the remnants of Felix’s faction to slander the sanctity of the new emperor.
After the new emperor was crowned, he immediately launched a series of campaigns with his deeply trusted generals—Siegfried, MacDonald, Ambolov, and others—to pacify the rebellions stirred up by Felix’s remnants throughout the empire.
People discovered that since Antonio took power, the combat effectiveness of the imperial army seemed to have been greatly enhanced. The soldiers were well-trained, their morale was high in every battle, and they fought bravely to kill the enemy. The equipment of some elite units had also been strengthened; their swords were sharper than the enemy’s, and their armor was sturdier.
Even more worthy of mention was a newly equipped ranged weapon. It was a firearm that could be fired from a distance, but compared to ballistae and trebuchets, its projectile would burst into flames when it reached the vicinity of the enemy, causing area-of-effect damage to the other side. It was terrifyingly effective.
It was said that this fearsome firearm originated in the Kingdom of Ordo to the west, but its original version could only fire iron cannonballs. Clever Gabellan craftsmen improved the manufacturing technology, allowing its projectile to explode, making it even more lethal. But the new weapon still inherited the name it brought from Ordo—Thunder Hammer.
Alas, the people of Ordo were always like this. After inventing something new, they would become complacent. To truly make something of it, you had to rely on us Gabellans—people always commented with such pride when they talked about it.
Under the suppression of the powerful imperial army, the overall situation finally stabilized within a few years. Merchant caravans resumed their travels, and the cities throughout the empire returned to their former prosperity.
Now, the reappearance of the Imperial Guard in large numbers on the streets seemed to portend something ominous. So much time had passed; could it be that Felix’s rebels had been discovered in the city again?
Amidst a wave of speculation, the Gabellan Imperial Guard approached the largest church in the imperial capital, which was also the residence of the Gabellan Church.
