SSS Awakening: Rebirth of the Strongest Vampire God Chapter 712 I want to marry Blood God

The emperor reclined in his seat, exhaling a prolonged sigh. "Whenever you bring that up, half my court collapses in shock and the other half starts honing their blades."

Paying no heed to his words, Alzara went on with her upbeat demeanor. "Father, I wish to wed Blood God, and I want you to officially recognize him as the new Emperor of the Great Western Desert Empire."

Damon nearly did a double-take. She cut straight to the chase without any softening. He offered a helpless smile while observing the emperor's response.

The elderly ruler stiffened entirely. For an extended instant, he simply gazed at his daughter, seemingly pondering if he'd caught her words wrong. "…What?" he queried in a flat tone once more.

"I want to marry Blood God," Alzara restated serenely, like requesting another slice of bread. "And I want you to acknowledge him as the new Emperor of the Great Western Desert Empire."

The emperor gradually shifted his gaze, first toward Damon, then returning to Alzara. One eye twitched. Soon, the other followed suit. "You're telling me," he articulated cautiously, "to surrender my empire to a vampire… simply because you wish to wed him."

"Yes," Alzara affirmed, her smile radiant. "Precisely."

The emperor shut his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "You certainly didn't delay, huh?"

Alzara beamed widely. "You vowed it on your honor, Father. I'm merely aiding you in upholding that promise."

The emperor leaned in, placing both hands flat on the table. "Do you grasp the repercussions of such an action? How many would attempt to slay him?" he pressed. "How many would target you?"

Alzara showed no sign of wavering. "Yes."

"I mentioned I'd support him as an ally, but this goes beyond that. The whole empire would rise up! The entire light faction would go insane," the emperor pressed on, his voice escalating involuntarily. "The nobles, the temples, the ancient houses—each one will view this as utter lunacy. A Dark Faction vampire upon the throne? They won't merely object. They'll launch a full revolt."

"And?" Alzara inquired evenly.

The emperor faltered. "And?" he parroted. "That 'and' spells out a savage and ruthless war! They'll stop at nothing to topple him and drag our empire down with him!"

Alzara's cheerful air finally faded. She straightened up, her gaze intense. "Father, the empire teeters on the edge already. The secret societies were corroding it from within. The Light Faction stands divided, feigning solidarity while betraying one another in shadows. The Abyss lurks nearby. The Dark Faction advances into our territories. You recognize it all. You've been battling crises on all fronts."

The emperor gritted his teeth. "…That doesn't justify yielding my throne to a vampire."

"It demands selecting the mightiest defense before the tempest strikes," Alzara countered promptly. "Blood God doesn't ignite disorder. Disorder trails him since he concludes matters long overdue for an end."

She nodded faintly at Damon. "Rebellion will come, indeed. Assassination plots will unfold. Cries of tradition and sanctity will echo." Her stare grew steely. "Yet he will shatter them. Much like he shattered the secret societies you hesitated to confront."

A hush enveloped the table.

Damon spoke at last, his voice steady. "You owe me no crown," he stated. "But should I claim it, none shall wrest it away. Though you needn't fret, as I have no intention of keeping this one. I require it briefly for a purpose. Thereafter, I intend for my Queen here to govern these realms."

The emperor gaped at him, lips parted slightly.

"…Your Queen," he reiterated deliberately.

"Yes," Damon affirmed without pause.

Alzara made no effort to conceal her grin. She held herself taller, chin raised, embodying someone envisioning the crown already atop her brow.

The emperor emitted a parched, disbelieving chuckle. "So you're saying," he remarked, massaging his temple, "you aim to borrow my empire, wield it to smash every foe daring to oppose you, then return it to my daughter as a completed endeavor?"

"That's a rough phrasing," Damon responded composedly. "Yet correct."

The elder glanced at Alzara. "And you're content with that?"

"Not entirely. I'd rather remain at my husband's side, truth be told. Ruling holds little appeal for me. I'll likely request you to govern in my stead, Father." She offered a gentle smile.

The emperor eyed her as though she'd unleashed another thunderstrike upon him.

"Thus, should I truly grant you the throne… you'd prefer to shove it back toward me?" he questioned gradually.

Alzara assented shamelessly. "You're skilled at it. And you relish the documents. I don't."

The emperor sank back once more, fixing his stare on the ceiling like beseeching the skies for the sin from a prior existence that merited this dialogue.

Damon released a soft laugh, opting out of the exchange. This remained a matter for the father-daughter duo. He merely spectated the spectacle.

The emperor drew a hand across his visage. "Allow me to recap," he grumbled. "You seek to wed a vampire, enthrone him as emperor, employ him to pulverize every peril encircling the empire, then have me persist in ruling as you two pursue… whatever pursuits you fancy."

"Yes," Alzara declared vibrantly. "That captures it."

Silence ensued. Then, astonishing all, the emperor burst into laughter—a weary, astounded mirth laden with decades of strain. "I devote my existence to safeguarding a throne," he gasped amid breaths, "only for no one to truly desire the cursed seat in the finish."

"Your mother, in her time, maddened me endlessly. And now you," he went on, his chuckles waning into a gravelly sigh, "have eclipsed even her feats."

Alzara's grin mellowed. "Mother would have approved of him," she stated assuredly.

"Indeed," the emperor grinned. "She would. She thrived on turmoil in every form. Were she here… " The emperor bent forward anew, forearms upon the table, digits intertwined. "Consider this," he uttered measuredly, "should I consent, chronicles will depict me as the supreme idiot or the sole sovereign who glimpsed the gale approaching soon enough to respond."

Alzara locked eyes with him. "Have faith in me, Father. You won't rue this choice."

That drew a piercing glance, followed by a grudging smile. "It seems my daughter has resolved it already. What else remains for me to utter? My affection for her isn't hidden in this Empire. I treasure her beyond my own existence." "Even when the Umbra's Hand sought her harm, I shielded her relentlessly. Yet ultimately, I faltered repeatedly. Though the Umbra's Hand fell, I still couldn't safeguard her within these very walls."

"Like with her, I've steadily disappointed the Great Western Desert's folk over these years. I proved powerless against their torments."

"But you…" He proceeded softly, directing his look to Damon, "…you arrived and terminated legacies that plagued this realm for ages. What I endured from obligation, you eradicated without qualms." He expelled a breath akin to easing. "Perhaps these limbs have grown too aged."

Alzara furrowed her brow. "Father-"

He lifted a palm to halt her. "No. Allow me to conclude." His gaze stayed on Damon. "I passed my rule preserving equilibrium. Yield after yield. Clandestine pacts. Ignoring what I ought not." His mouth firmed. "That's no triumph. That's mere endurance."

He drew himself up a touch. "For the deserts to purify, they might require a sword over a barrier."

The emperor regarded his daughter once more, "You've selected your course," he murmured gently. "And your partner."

Alzara nodded promptly. "Yes."

He shut his eyes momentarily, then unveiled them with determination. "So be it," he declared. "I shan't announce this yet. Not before I ready the terrain and muzzle the most vocal serpents." A subtle, perilous grin emerged. "Yet from now onward, Blood God reigns as the new emperor of this splendid Empire! May you subdue our foes and grant our territory a destiny untainted by decay," he concluded with gravity.

Damon's eyes flared wide in astonishment. He'd awaited patiently for the parent and child to wrap their talk, ready to negotiate, yet never anticipated the elder's outright acceptance of it all.

A system alert even appeared to validate the man's declaration and purpose.

[Ding! You have been acknowledged as the Emperor of the Great Western Desert Empire. You have gained temporary control over all imperial territories, laws, and authority.]

Damon regarded the display mutely. "…You've got to be kidding me," he whispered beneath his breath. He then summoned the roster of domains under his command, and there sat the Great Western Desert Empire at the pinnacle.