– Report on the Northern Collapse Incident –

• A total of fifteen territories, including the Northern Count’s Domain, have been rendered uninhabitable and regressed to pre-expedition conditions due to destruction.

• The Northern Wall’s frontier house, Count Dvorzak’s family, suffered near-annihilation. The head, Balzac, and his first, second, and third sons all perished. Only the fourth daughter, Violet, survives and has taken to guerrilla resistance in the North.

• First Prince Decaron Ironia suffered a crushing defeat in the North. He returned in a coma, gravely wounded.

• A joint investigation by the Intelligence Department and the Inspectorate attributes the primary cause of collapse to division, concealment, and long-standing internal conflicts…

Within the Imperial Archives, there existed a room where major and minor incidents in the empire were analyzed and preserved. 

From historical events to predictions on the empire’s future, this room held compiled reports from the Intelligence Department, the Inspectorate, and others, rich in data, individuals, geography, and statistics, all distilled through collective genius.

Of course, few ever read them.

They were highly classified. And, more importantly, people generally didn’t enjoy cold, hard facts. After the tyrant had fallen and a new emperor took the throne … The imposter who had become emperor only to survive, went to the archives every single day and read those reports.

“Ugh, what a bunch of lunatics.”

And every time, he was astonished.

Nobles. Power-bearers. They were all insane. Buffoons who ignored practical solutions in favor of pride and loyalty. Fools who clung to honor and ties rather than reason.

Had they only been a little less self-indulgent, had their greed been just slightly less consuming, the empire might not have fallen so easily.

Another question often came to mind:

“Why the hell didn’t the former emperors stop it?”

Why did the emperors, having access to such brilliant reports, do nothing?

In the early days of rule, he couldn’t understand it. But as time passed, their circumstances became clear. Too many things were entangled for anything to be done.

The position of emperor, absolute, yet bound by the strictest chains. A mountain of duties. A torrent of whispering voices with twisted agendas.

“Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!”

Every attempt to enact a single decision brought hundreds of advisors objecting, agreeing, offering alternative ideas, an absolute storm of bureaucratic madness.

Eventually … 

“Do as you will, then.”

That kind of resignation became inevitable.

He had only managed to push forward decisively because he had been the tyrant’s proxy, with no background or ties. Even so, he grew weary. No matter how wise the advice, in a flood of nonsense, its light dimmed. At that time, as he watched the empire’s fate fade like a dying sunset, he had often thought:

If only I had become emperor sooner…

Could I have changed this irreparable reality?

It was a question with no answer, because he would never know. Still, he fought tooth and nail, if only to resist collapse. Back then, all his efforts had scattered like dust in the wind.

[Analyzing fate of location. You have delayed the arrival of a fierce snowstorm and the fate of death, destruction, chaos, savagery, cannibalism, ruin, and collapse attempting to breach the Northern Wall!]

But now, those efforts bore fruit under a new opportunity.

Many of the tragic fates poised to strike the North had been pushed back , if only for a while. 

The Eskimos must have been shaken upon seeing his flame. They must have thought the fire of the Iron Flame Emperor had long since extinguished, but it had reappeared. If the North had feared the Eskimos as legend for generations,
Then the Eskimos, too, must have whispered stories of the Iron Flame Emperor with fear.

He, on the other hand, felt no fear of the Eskimos, nor unfamiliarity with fire.          The white storms that robbed one of reason, the dark legends … they did not shake him.

His Mystery was too great, and the madness, cruelty, and arrogance swelling in his head were too fierce.

“Set the bonfire to full output.”

On the way back from the clash with the Yetis and Eskimos, he gave the command.

The bonfire’s managers jolted in alarm.

“Your Highness, raising the output recklessly may render us helpless when the true cold arrives.”

“Excessive heat may compromise the durability of the bonfire’s containment.”

They spoke with genuine concern.

“Would it not be best to raise it, but stop short of maximum output?”

“Yes, raise it, but reconsider going all the way.”

According to Alfred’s report, the remaining administrators had a genuine sense of duty.

He didn’t want to unleash his fury on such people.

“Full output.”

“Your Highness, please … once more …”

“Full output.”

“Your Highness, this is far too dangerous … ”

“Maximum output.”

“Your Highness, have mercy …”

“This is my final order. There is no mercy left. Max it out.”

At his chilling voice, the administrators exchanged uneasy glances.

One of them, determined, stepped forward, and so he struck first.

“If any of you so much as try the old ‘tread on my life’ speech … don’t. I will kill you. And don’t you dare think I’ll carry out your noble will after you’re dead.”

“…Ah.”

“If you try to stop me, I’ll kill every one of you and max it out myself.”

“Then… then what can we do? If we can’t stop you … what’s left?”

“Idiots.”

Their blank looks pushed him over the edge.

To ask something so obvious … unbearable. This is why people shouldn’t be trapped in one place too long. 

Their vision becomes so narrow.

“Just survive and stop the bonfire from overheating. That’s all. You’re not stopping me, you fools. What’s your duty? Stopping the prince’s tantrum?”

“No, sir.”

“Our duty is to manage the bonfire and preserve the station.”

“Exactly. Do you think the bonfire will always be safe? If a real crisis comes and all you’ve done is theorize, what then? Are you going to cry, ‘Please take my life!’ to the fire? Idiots.”

“……”

“Did I tell you to blow it up? Do you even know what its true limit is? Or are you just afraid of something you’ve never tested? Is this ignorance parading as caution?”

At his scathing remarks, the administrators lowered their heads, ashamed.          They were embarrassed by their own blind refusal.

Still, they deserved credit, for recognizing their faults and accepting criticism.

“So now test it. Figure it out. How far can the bonfire go? What’s missing from the records? Learn it. That’s your calling.”

As he spoke, flickers of surprise appeared on their faces.

“Pour out the full output. See how much of the Founding Emperor’s flame remains. Test if it’s still stable. Isn’t this the chance you’ve all dreamed of?
Didn’t you swear that if you became administrators, you’d purge the rot, fix the flaws, achieve greatness?”

At his cheeky jab, their expressions turned sheepish. Their feelings weren’t so different from his past self.

They must have fantasized countless times about what they would do if given the chance to intervene, unable to stand the reality they were stuck in.

He, too, had gained his opportunity from the empire’s downfall.

“So I’m giving you a chance. Selfish as it may be.”

Why shouldn’t they have theirs?

Ideally, this would be one of those times when no explanation is given in advance,
Only afterward would they say, “So that was His Highness’s intention all along!” with tears in their eyes.

But these weren’t people to back down until they were killed, the kind who had preserved their convictions even in a den of corruption.

So he laid his intentions bare. Less poetic, but necessary.

Their faces lit up with emotion. And he, in turn, grew irritable.

“Then get going. Back to that gloomy tower. Watch that fire like hawks. No mistakes. I let you live, so repay it through your work, you idiots.”

Grumbling, he hurled insults at them.

But the administrators, their faces dried and cracked from cold, now showed a warmth of purpose.

“We shall obey!”

“We’ll dedicate our lives to maintaining the bonfire!”

Just moments ago, they had been ready to die to oppose him. Now, they were practically glowing.

Their hurried footsteps as they raced back to the bonfire station were filled with anticipation and resolve.

“The Mage Corps … go assist them. Magical expertise and mana suppression will be crucial.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”