60 Emperor's Fight

"Take a rest, Yankee party." I said to the young dwarf Kvalinn. "My instincts tell me that the most difficult portion of the battle is about to begin."

"Thank you, your majesty." Kvalinn nodded and herded his party off the wall so that they could rest and drink any magic rejuvenation potions they might have had. Although for the dwarves their 'potions' would likely just be strong dwarven beer.

I smacked my lips as I longed for a taste of that divine ambrosia that was leagues above anything that human beer makers could make. Hopefully after the battle I could get some from King Grovrac as a thanks for coming to his aid.

"Heh, what weaklings." One of my Imperial Guards commented in a derisive manner. His name was Roderick if I remembered correctly, a rather recent addition to my guard who had only joined to fill up spots that had opened in the recent civil war. "This is why humans are superior to demihumans. We've been fighting for just as long and we don't need to take a break."

I bit back the remark that the Yankee party had been fighting on par with the rest of my guard, and even superior to some of them. Especially Roderick. The young dwarf Bekhi was particularly good. Perhaps she would accept an appointment to the Imperial Guard.

Dismissing the thoughts of the future as I cut down a pack of goblins with my sword, I glanced back at Roderick. "If you feel that demihumans are inferior, then why are you using their weapons?" I knew that Roderick's family was of the Human Supremacy Faction, and using dwarven made weapons would've been an anathema to them. "If you truly feel that they are inferior to us, then throw aside your weapon and take a common soldier's blade."

Roderick paled a little, he was evidently not an idiot then. He knew as well as I did that dwarven made weapons were the best of the best, and the common soldiery were provided with basically steel rods that were sharpened a little. Trading out a good weapon for a poor one at this stage of the fight would be suicidal.

"Sorry, your majesty." Roderick ducked his head, both in an apology and to dodge a crude arrow that some goblin fired at us.

"Apology accepted, Roderick." I said in the imperial magnanimous tone expected of an emperor. Gods above, I wish I didn't have to use that overly grandiose speaking manner. "Just remember. I am the emperor of all citizens of the Empire, not just the humans."

Speaking of humans, I realized that the two summoned heroes must have assumed I was talking to them when I said the Yankee party could take a break. They had spent more time with Kvalinn than with me, so it was understandable, but they would have to learn to look to me for guidance once they were officially Royal Wards.

Tatsuki and Miyata would both be worthy Royal Wards, they fought with honor and bravery, and I had no doubt that they would both serve the Empire admirably for many decades. As for Takamori, I cursed him under my breath for the thousandth time as an ignoble coward.

Ever since Takamori had appeared on the summoning circle in the Hero's Order's keep, he had been insufferable. Using his powers on anyone from the highest nobility to the lowest commoner. If we hadn't left Altenweil hours after summoning him then he might have caused a rebellion against me through his misdeeds. If I found him after this battle, then he would be spending the rest of his life in chains in the deepest, darkest dungeon. Unless I could arrange for the dwarves to dig a deeper and darker dungeon, then he would spend his life there. Abandoning the battle to hide after bragging for weeks that he was the summoned hero to save the world was the final straw.

"Aah!" One of my guards was knocked on his ass by a blow from an orc's club. 'Whakkas' is what I'm pretty sure they're called. The blow was to his center mass so he was just winded and knocked over, but the next swing would surely crush his skull, and unfortunately I was too busy with a troll to save him.

"Rest in the gods mercy, Otto." I mumbled under my breath. But before the fatal strike could be delivered, a cute battle cry rang out in the darkness.

"For Cookies!" The beastkin child Gerde jumped forward over Otto and cut down the orc, and the next one and the next one after that until she was in a groove of monster slaughter. Was she really only a few years old? My ancestors were either fools for driving out such a race, or extremely wise for attempting to enslave them. I could not decide which.

"For Freedom!" Next to rejoin the fray was the elf girl Delimira. Her battlecry was unusual to me, but I could understand the sentiment. She fought with a flaming sword that danced elegantly in the darkness. If I could get her as a Royal Ward, then she would be able to serve the Empire for generations. Or perhaps I could convince her to join the Imperial Guard. Anything to keep her working for the Empire.

"For the ancestors!" Ah, excellent, Bekhi's back. I was getting tired of being the only one on the offense against these monsters. The maelstrom of destruction returned to work with runed weapons that were worth an Imperial Guard each. I hadn't had the chance to have a practice match with her yet, but it was near the top of the list of things I wanted to do when I returned home. It would likely be a fight unlike anything I've ever experienced before.

One by one, the Yankee party returned to the fight. Their distinctive battle cries rocking the battlefield and providing immense support to my efforts to hold off the hordes of goblins. Perhaps all of them can be inducted into the Imperial Guard, they have certainly proven themselves by now.

My guards were of mixed feelings over the help of the Yankee's, the ones in the Human Supremacy Faction were incensed over demihumans being given the honor of defending me. While the rest just took umbrage over a commoner adventurer party fighting so close to me when all of them were of noble families.

I could sense that their pet peeves were affecting their fighting and putting them in danger, so I had to take action to not lose more of my guards. "Roderick, check on Duke Markholf. If his portion of the walls require more fighters than stay nearby and support him."

Roderick gave the imperial salute and dashed off. Over the next hour or so, I did the same with the rest of my surviving guards. Praying to the gods as they left that I would see them again. I had already lost too many friends and comrades over the past few years.

Growing up, I had basically lived among the Imperial Guard. I was the second son of my father so I never expected to be the Emperor, and had striven to achieve perfection in combat and eventually lead the Imperial Guard for the protection of my brother. Unfortunately he was lost to disease, and I was crowned emperor in his place. But I still spent most of my time with the guards. It was a much more straightforward environment, little affected by politics. Or at least it had been before the civil war.

In the recent civil war that was instigated by Alginall, I lost many of my guards to the war and their replacements all held politics over battle. Now less than half of my total number of guards remained unkilled by the goblins. It hurt me to my very soul to lose those who had supported me throughout my life, and hurt even more that I would have to replace them as part of my duties as emperor.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Pounding steps of an enormous monster came closer. Finally, the numbers of goblins and other monsters were thinning so they likely were either bringing forth their champions or it was the monster leaders themselves coming to fight in an all or nothing gamble to win the battle. It fortunately turned out to be the latter.

Several monsters dismounted from the beast. One of them was obviously the Goblin Lord. He was over ten feet tall, with a hideous visage that would haunt my nightmares for years, and would've caused children to scream in terror. (Not Gerde, obviously. She just growled like a wolf. Perhaps she would be a good companion/guard to my granddaughter.) Aside from the crude loincloth that all goblins were attired in, the Goblin Lord wore a large crown made of dwarven skulls, some of them were small enough to be children and infants. His giant club was also covered in skulls.

"So dis is da big human boss." The Goblin Lord spoke Imperial that was cruder than what the most uneducated peasant would use. "You ain't lookin so tough. You been given my boys some trouble though. So I'm gonna snuff you out myself, or my name ain't Knark Beardeata."

So that explains the monster's battle cries. Some of the more articulate ones had said something about "Beards for da Beardeata" before I killed them.

"I think you will find that killing me is much easier said than done." I said calmly. Projecting an air of control to my men. "You have given me your name, monster. Now I will give you mine. I am Emperor Wilhelm Kant, and by my authority as the emperor of the Throndian Empire. I will slay you for the glory of the empire!"

Ooh. I'm shakin' in my boots." Knark said in blatant sarcasm. "C'mon then. I'm gonna add your human skull to my crown while I snack on yer beard!"

The monster then charged at me with a primal shout. I was able to block the bone shattering blow with my shield, but the impact knocked me off the wall and onto the ground below.

"Thank the ancestors that the armor of the first emperor was passed down to me for today." I muttered to myself. My bones weren't broken by the fall, but I was bruised and sore. But I didn't have time to check in with the medics, I had to roll to the side as the Goblin Lord jumped down after me and dented the solid stone with his club where I had been seconds earlier.

"Da time of men is over, puny human." Knark said with a cruel grin. "It's da monster's time to live in da sun."

"What about the dwarves?" I asked as I dodged another earth shattering blow.

"Deir time is over too. Now stand still so dat I can kill you, puny boss human!"

A deadly game of whack-a-mole then commenced. Unfortunately I was the mole in this fight, and my attempts to kill the Goblin Lord only singed his skin as my blade bit into his flesh. This dwarven made sword was good, but not quite good enough. Although it could've just been that I was exhausted by the hours of fighting. I was over fifty years old now, and without any dwarven or elven ancestors I was nearing the end of my time on the Mortal Realm. I just hoped that I could defeat this monster wave so that my son could have peace for a few years at least.

I lost track of time in my fight with this monster. It was not skill against skill, the type of fight I admired and aspired to most, this fight pitted skill against pure brute strength and sturdiness. I had inflicted numerous small wounds on the Goblin Lord, and in return I had been battered and bruised by the debris thrown around by the beasts club.

"Gah! Just give up already, puny boss human!" Knark exclaimed in anger. "Give up and I'll let you live. I'll only make you watch half your kingdom get eated. I'll lock you up for the other half, and then I'll kill you."

"I'll never give up!" I replied, stabbing the monster in the ribs. Damn, it was stopped from sinking in by its ribs. "And even if you kill me, another will rise, and another, and another. Humanity will never fall victim to another race again. Whether that be elves or monsters!"

"Graah!" Knark swung his club again and flattened a solid stone building. Incidentally it was the last one standing in the vicinity after our fight.

Crap. I was down to the last of my magic. This dwarven made sword might have been superior to my usual blade in performance and magic usage, but it was still steadily draining my magic. Normal human made swords make use of magic stones that can be charged before the battle, and best ones have features that allow the replacement of magic stones so that fully charged ones can be slotted in. This sword had nothing like that.

The Goblin Lord's club was stuck under some rubble so I had time to down a potion to reinvigorate myself. Looking in my pouch, I realized I was down to my last one. The one that the Imperial Mages had warned me multiple times not to take since it could prove deadly to me at my age.

There was no other option though. Even if I died, if I could take the Goblin Lord down with me then my men could at least retreat without a solid mass of goblins chasing after them. The monsters would be too busy fighting each other for the position of Goblin Lord.

Popping the cap off the potion, I chugged it down with a grimace. It tasted worse than the healer's foulest concoctions, but it worked. I could feel the magic surge in my veins, and the strength of my youth returned to me as I gripped my blade.

"Glory to the Empire!" I cried out as the flames on my blade billowed out like a condensed bonfire. "Die foul beast, and let the gods know that the humans defeated you."

"Noooo!" Knark yelled in pain as my blade slowly but surely burned its way through his torso. "I'm Knark Beardeata. Da big god Choblynnod made me Goblin Lord! I can't die here!"

"And yet you will!" I shouted, driving my blade even deeper and twisting it in his charred guts. "This puny human defeated you, and I will do the same to any other Goblin Lord you foul beasts send. Humanity will never fall to the likes of you."

The Goblin Lord's only response was a few muttered swears in his abhorrent language and groans as he fell on his back with my blade stuck inside him. Slowly cooking him from the inside out and producing a foul stench.

I walked over to the goblin's head and took his skull crown. This would be an excellent addition to my battle trophy collection, albeit an excessively grisly one. At least this memento would be from a fight against monsters, instead of the usual ones from the past few years where I was forced to fight against my own citizens to preserve my empire.

"Ulrick's undies." I slipped into using a commoner swear as the potion's effects wore off and I was forced to take a knee. It felt as though all fifty three years of my life were crashing down onto my shoulders all at once with the weight of a hundred mountains.

"Your majesty!" I saw from the corner of my eyes that the entire Yankee Party was rushing to my aid. So they survived their fights with the other monster leaders, perhaps the Imperial Guard would be too low a position for them. They would be much more useful to me in much higher positions.