Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: 47 Sinister Banquet (3)
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The King of the Free Isiria Kingdom, Sellion, had lost his life to rebel forces.
Since Raymond had already secured the list of nobles aligned with the rebels along with irrefutable evidence, he mobilized the Central Intelligence Agency to round them all up.
With the list and evidence so airtight, the other nobles of the Free Isiria Kingdom didn't dare utter a word about fabrication.
All those who had joined the rebellion were sentenced to hanging. They were the very ones who had shown hostility toward the Philius Empire, so no mercy was shown.
With every figure hostile to the Philius Empire having participated in this rebellion and met the gallows, the nobles remaining in the Free Isiria Kingdom were now those at least somewhat friendly toward the empire.
But Raymond couldn't afford to let his guard down. To manage what was now an occupied territory, he summoned Bishop Gustav—who oversaw administration—to the royal castle, which had been repurposed as the governor-general's office.
"Your Majesty. Bishop Gustav has arrived."
"Send him in."
When Marquis Blizzard of the Royal Guard reported, Raymond replied in a calm voice.
The doors soon opened, and Bishop Gustav approached with a devout expression, bowing his head in his neatly attired robes.
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
"You've come at the right time."
Raymond nodded with a satisfied smile at the bishop's ever-loyal cry of acclamation.
"I heard you summoned me, Your Majesty."
"Indeed. The Imperial Faith has work to do here in the Isiria occupied territory."
Raymond spoke without using the term "Free Isiria Kingdom" anymore—not even the word "kingdom." He had replaced it entirely with "occupied territory."
"Command me as you will."
"You've heard about the rebel uprising here not long ago."
"Of course, Your Majesty. Those fools, blind to your boundless grace, dared to take up arms. It's a tragedy that fills me with both sorrow and rage."
Bishop Gustav spoke through gritted teeth, genuine fury etched on his face.
To him, who lived solely for the Emperor of the Philius Empire, it was incomprehensible that the nobles of the Isiria occupied territory would plot rebellion.
"We crushed most of the rebels at the grand banquet hall, but the Central Intelligence Agency doesn't believe the threat has been fully eradicated from the territory. That's why I need your help—and the Imperial Faith's."
"If it serves Your Majesty, my Imperial Faith and I will gladly lay down our lives."
Bishop Gustav's voice rang with steely resolve. Raymond watched him with a pleased smile tugging at his lips.
"I place no limits on methods or means. Root out and exterminate anyone who dares harbor resentment toward the Philius Empire."
His chilling words echoed through the chamber. Bishop Gustav bowed his head gravely and replied.
"My Imperial Faith and I will do everything in our power for Your Majesty's safety and the prosperity of the Philius Empire."
From that day forward, the Imperial Faith sprang into action. True, they had quelled the rebels at the banquet hall in one fell swoop, but not everyone was without lingering discontent.
Even with all the evidence laid bare, some still harbored suspicions about King Sellion's death. And those became the Imperial Faith's prime targets.
"Arghhh!"
"P-Please, spare me!"
"These are His Majesty's orders! Seize them all!"
Whenever a secret gathering took place, the Imperial Faith appeared without fail. Bolstered by the ever-strengthening Central Intelligence Agency, they acted without restraint.
The Imperial Faith showed no mercy. The paths they trod were stained with blood. None who slandered the Emperor or bore ill will toward the Philius Empire survived. Normally, such ruthless suppression would spark backlash against a reign of terror, but the Imperial Faith were experts in this domain.
They crushed the rebels with iron force while ensuring their operations remained utterly concealed from the public eye.
In the shadows of the Isiria occupied territory, blood spilled ceaselessly day after day, yet on the surface, days of peace seemed to continue uninterrupted.
Who would know of the blood shed in secret while the Imperial Faith's machinations elevated Raymond's reputation and painted him as a sage ruler to the world?
By the time a few sharp-eyed individuals caught on to the Imperial Faith's brutal purges, the rebels had already been uprooted to the last.
"All rebel forces have been eradicated."
Bishop Gustav came to report. Raymond nodded in satisfaction.
The Central Intelligence Agency handled matters with excellence, but when it came to purging rebels, no one could match the Imperial Faith.
"Well done."
Raymond nodded and replied. According to the worldview of Empire of the Dead, the number slain by the Imperial Faith likely reached the hundreds, but he felt no particular emotion about it.
Had he not killed them, his own life might have been in jeopardy.
If I must walk a blood-soaked path to survive, I'll do so gladly.
Raymond's gaze toward the meaningless ceiling grew icy cold.
"You may withdraw."
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"
At the dismissal, Bishop Gustav cried out his loyalty, bowed, and quietly departed.
Raymond let out a short sigh and rose from the throne. Gestain, who had stood at his side, slowly approached.
"Alex. Isn't it about time?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. You should prepare now."
Squire Alex approached cautiously and replied.
The two were referring to the funeral of Sellion, the former King of the Free Isiria Kingdom.
Though the Isiria region was now fully under occupation, they couldn't neglect the funeral of its former king from the kingdom days.
Moreover, Count Denitz had suggested scaling up the state funeral to instill fear in enemies and achieve propaganda effects—a proposal that had been accepted.
"Are the robes prepared?"
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"I'll head to the office."
"I'll accompany you."
As Raymond took the first step, his escorts fell in behind. After changing in the office, he proceeded to the inner castle's grand plaza, where King Sellion's funeral procession was ready.
The plaza teemed with residents of Isiria's central city. They remembered Sellion as a king who wasn't exceptionally talented but far from incompetent. To avoid an intimidating atmosphere, only minimal guards were stationed in the plaza.
Raymond read the short speech script handed to him by Count Denitz before the crowd, then stepped aside.
Count Denitz's speech was highly effective. He was an expert agitator, wielding words that swayed hearts.
The address left the impression that Raymond truly cared for the Isiria residents, and when it ended, many in the crowd struggled to hide their moved expressions.
"You did splendidly, Your Majesty."
As Raymond descended from the podium, Count Denitz approached. Raymond nodded and turned his gaze right, catching sight of King Sellion's funeral procession setting off.
He watched its receding figure for a moment before looking away. There was no time for idle contemplation here.
Though they had toppled the Free Isiria Kingdom and seized its lands, the new tripartite alliance of the Edriger Kingdom, Lisbon Maritime Kingdom, and Jeyst Magic Kingdom eyed the expanded borders of the Philius Empire. This was no time for complacency.
The war was far from over.
The key nobles of the Jeyst Magic Kingdom had mostly been turned into puppets by Veris—high-ranking officer of the End Society and bearer of the moniker Puppeteer of Nihility—robbed of their free will.
Not every noble had fallen, however.
King Ludel's closest aides and a handful of nobles remained beyond Veris's reach, still vehemently opposing the war.
They soon noticed that the kingdom's nobles were acting strangely and began pursuing the shadowy figure behind it all.
Sensing the crisis, Veris requested reinforcements, and the End Society dispatched Abgard—another high-ranking officer known as the Lance Knight of Annihilation.
Abgard, a man with long silver hair tied back despite his gender, sought out Veris immediately upon arriving in the Jeyst Magic Kingdom.
"Lord Veris is expecting you."
Veris waited in the royal castle. He sent a subordinate to guide Abgard. Soon, Veris appeared before Abgard in one of the castle's reception rooms.
"Lord Veris?"
"Thank you for coming, Lord Abgard."
"I heard there was trouble."
"You could say that."
Veris gave a weary smile at Abgard's words. The once mild-mannered impression had sharpened amid constant threats.
"I got a verbal briefing, but I don't know the details. Can you explain?"
He had only arrived in the Jeyst Magic Kingdom a few days earlier after a brief oral report from a messenger.
"It feels like they've caught our tail."
"You mean your presence has been exposed in the Jeyst Magic Kingdom?"
Abgard frowned. Veris, the Puppeteer of Nihility, operated by manipulating puppets from the shadows. Exposure meant no guarantees of safety.
For all his status as a high-ranking End Society officer, his actual combat prowess was woefully inadequate.
That was why he had requested another high-ranking officer for protection.
Abgard excelled in combat over scheming, which had greatly relieved Veris upon hearing of his deployment.
"My personal location hasn't been exposed, but my existence certainly has."
"That's a relief, but still critical."
Abgard muttered gravely. Veris thrived in secrecy, lurking in the darkness. If his very existence was known, enemies would prepare countermeasures against the shadow manipulator and pursue him relentlessly. Personal exposure was only a matter of time.
"That's why I requested guards from the Society."
"I see. The puppets have their limits, then?"
"Issuing simple commands is one thing, but full control is far more difficult than you'd think, Lord Abgard."
"Now that I'm here, don't worry about your safety. So, what's the situation? Who are the ones chasing you?"
"The war opposition faction."
The Jeyst Magic Kingdom was currently split between pro-war and anti-war factions.
The pro-war side was led by nobles Veris had ensnared, while the opposition consisted of those he hadn't reached yet.
They were mostly absolutists sworn to the king, under tight protection, making brainwashing difficult.
"My brainwashed forces outnumber the opposition by far, but there's a limit to how many puppets I can control. I never expected them to counterattack like this while I held back."
"Lord Richard always said: If there's an enemy, uproot them completely."
"I agree. It's time to act."
"Planning to make a move?"
Abgard's eyes gleamed coldly, and Veris grinned, nodding as he replied.
"Even if it means sacrificing some puppets, I'm starting the purge."
"Purge... A fine word. Very well. I'll cooperate."
With the conversation concluded, Veris acted without hesitation. He issued commands to his puppets, and they moved to carry them out.
Once the puppets had left the office, Abgard posed a question to Veris.
"A purge? Or a rebellion?"
"Both... you could say. Even if the nobles clash in bloodshed, King Ludel lacks the power to stop it. As long as it stays within the inner castle."
Veris's eyes gleamed coldly. That day, his subordinates were stationed at every inner castle route leading to the royal palace. They slaughtered every visible member of the war opposition.
It wasn't the royal palace proper, but with dozens of nobles dying in the inner castle, objections arose aplenty—only to be dismissed by Veris's puppet pro-war nobles.
As things escalated, some fled to their estates, but End Society assassins claimed their lives.
One week. That was how long it took for Veris of the End Society to halve the pro-war nobles through this massive purge.
This grand cleansing made Veris's existence even clearer.
But with the opposition losing momentum and crumbling, his revealed presence paradoxically made him safer.