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The large-scale airstrike by the New Resistance was recorded as an event that brought a great shock to the Infractus Empire.

Although the Academy had already allowed several attacks, after the attacks, the security system was checked, and defenses were firmly established.

Recently, an inspection team dispatched from the Imperial Family even checked for any abnormalities, but the problem grew as 300 Colossal Mechs breached the security system and entered without bloodshed.

The Demia Empire Academy, being a gathering place for the Empire’s noble talents and resources, rebuilt its security system to be even higher than the Imperial Palace after the attack.

This was to prevent any unfortunate incidents like this from happening again.

However, despite these efforts, the New Resistance led 300 Colossal Mechs and turned the Academy into a wasteland. Quick initial actions were taken, but the casualties were significant.

Professors, cadets, servants, nobles, and commoners alike fell under relentless bombardment, unable to even recover their bodies, and closed their eyes.

Even the professors and cadets who fought back on Colossal Mechs were no different. Overwhelmed by the numerical disadvantage, they perished.

Thanks to their sacrifice, total annihilation was avoided, but that wasn’t the end. It was a situation where it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Academy had collapsed.

When the worst situation finally arrived, the Empire, which had been silent until now, began to take action. After news of the Demia Empire Academy’s fall reached the Imperial Palace, an emergency Imperial meeting was convened.

“Your Majesty, we cannot let these rebels go unchecked.”

“I know. I have no intention of leaving those traitors alone.”

The man who was the Empire’s great hero during the conquest wars as the Crown Prince and now the ruler of the Infractus Empire.

Emperor Julius Triumphus Infractus, despite his advanced age, looked around the gathered officials with eyes full of vigor.

The current Infractus Empire had a system where power was concentrated in Emperor Julius, based on strong imperial authority.

During the previous Emperor’s era, a relatively conciliatory policy was in place, dividing power between the Emperor’s faction and the noble faction. However, the situation changed when Crown Prince Julius became a war hero.

Already revered as a war hero, Julius began full-scale conquest wars as soon as he ascended the throne. From a war hero, he became a war lord, riding Colossal Mechs to dominate the continent, swallowing a significant portion of it.

Moreover, Emperor Julius was a man with innate political acumen. He used the war to purge the noble faction that had grown powerful during the previous Emperor’s reign.

He secretly fed them the sweet poison of war achievements and plotted cold-blooded schemes to ensure they died on the battlefield.

The Emperor’s secret plan to thoroughly prevent the noble faction’s rise was perfectly timed. The noble faction, blinded by war achievements, saw their power greatly weakened, while the Emperor’s faction grew stronger.

Of course, the noble faction wasn’t entirely gone. The Marquess of Germain, one of the founding contributors, still held significant influence in the Empire’s political arena.

But the Emperor didn’t go so far as to uproot the noble faction entirely. While he curbed their power, he also kept an eye on the Emperor’s faction nobles who might turn against him at any moment.

Even those nobles who claimed to be loyal to the Emperor could switch sides at any time, a fact the Emperor didn’t overlook.

After all, even the Emperor’s faction nobles were still nobles. If they gained the same power as the previous noble faction, they might harbor different intentions.

Thus, it was no exaggeration to say that the current political situation of the Infractus Imperial Family was created and maintained by the current Emperor.

“I ask you all. How should we deal with these traitors who dare to rebel against the Empire?”

“We must uproot them entirely. Even though we once suppressed the rebels, they have reappeared under the name of the New Resistance. If we don’t completely eradicate them this time, the same thing will happen again.”

“True. But that’s not what I’m asking. Suppressing the rebels is already planned. What I truly want to hear is the method.”

The Emperor’s sharp gaze turned to the nobles participating in the Imperial meeting. The Emperor, holding absolute power, had a gaze intense enough to kill with a look.

Among the nobles participating in the Imperial meeting, those with weaker political foundations avoided the Emperor’s gaze. They were central nobles with influence to enter the Imperial Palace but not high enough to have a voice in the Imperial meeting.

On the other hand, the nobles with a strong voice in the Imperial meeting didn’t avoid the Emperor’s gaze. This was both a task and an opportunity given by Emperor Julius.

The Emperor, who rarely let go of what he held, seldom asked for their opinions directly. He usually waited for them to voice their opinions and then made judgments.

But this time, he unusually asked for their opinions first.

What could this mean?

Having rolled through the icy political arena of the Empire for decades, they easily grasped the Emperor’s underlying message.

“May I speak, Your Majesty?”

“Permission granted.”

Marquess Reginald Russell Malchirab, one of the founding contributors of the Infractus Empire, gained the floor.

The Malchirab Marquessate was a long-standing noble family with a strong pro-Emperor stance. Particularly, Marquess Reginald, who showed the most pro-Emperor tendencies among the family heads, had roamed the battlefields alongside then-Crown Prince Julius during the conquest wars.

Marquess Reginald, who stood out even in the Malchirab family known for their swordsmanship talents, made remarkable achievements in the conquest wars and became Emperor Julius’s closest confidant.

Recently, with the added fame of being the father of Briana Tepeo Malchirab, a renowned Swordmaster, rumors abounded that he was the second most powerful figure in the Empire after the Emperor.

Although she had given up the family head position to become a professor at the Academy, she was still a member of the Malchirab family. With the family possessing the asymmetrical power of a Swordmaster, keeping Marquess Reginald close was a no-brainer for the Emperor.

“The rebel group called the Resistance has been rebelling against the Empire for quite some time. Using guerrilla tactics, they’ve shown themselves bit by bit, but recently, they’ve started bold attacks like the one on the Demia Empire Academy. Although the previous Resistance was personally suppressed by Her Highness Princess Seraphina, we failed to uproot them. As a result, the current New Resistance was born.”

Marquess Reginald calmly summarized the situation. Having spent his youth on the battlefield, he was concise and to the point.

“They desire the Empire to become a republic like the Respublika Republic. They are intoxicated by the facade of civilian rule, shouting about their so-called cause without considering how hollow it is and the social chaos it causes.”

Marquess Reginald’s words weren’t wrong. The history of the world before Gilbert’s possession proved it. While the ideals of democracy are worthy of admiration by the common people, the fact that hundreds of thousands of citizens were sacrificed for it cannot be overlooked.

There is no freedom without sacrifice, but the economic chaos it caused led to countless deaths from starvation and ushered in an era of anomie.

Moreover, the revolution wasn’t about granting equal rights to all citizens but was monopolized by bourgeois elite men of high social status.

Ultimately, even within that, there existed socially marginalized groups. The world is never fair to everyone, as revealed there.

“We cannot let this go on indefinitely. Since they’ve shown the capability to overthrow the Demia Empire Academy, we must demonstrate that the Empire remains strong. Therefore, I beseech Your Majesty, the Sun of the Empire, to uproot the rebel group and, at the same time, proceed with the long-delayed appointment of an heir.”

After finishing his speech, Marquess Reginald bowed his head. The ministers, who had been watching his cues, also bowed their heads in unison.

The Emperor silently observed the bowing officials and, maintaining a heavy atmosphere, spoke.

“All, raise your heads. I feel enlightened by Marquess Reginald’s loyal advice. His opinion is indeed correct. I have delayed the appointment of an heir, searching for the right person, but now I also feel the time has come.”

For a brief moment, the Emperor’s eyes met Marquess Reginald’s. It was a fleeting moment, unnoticed by most, but it was all orchestrated by the Emperor.

Emperor Julius had been in power for decades. With grown princes and princesses, he had delayed appointing an heir until now.

The reason was simple. He wanted to pass the throne to the child most like himself and had been testing and observing them all along. While there were princes and princesses who had caught his eye, he still felt they were lacking.

Given the peaceful atmosphere of the current continent, finding someone like him, a war lord, was difficult.

Thus, he planned to entrust the suppression of the Resistance entirely to his children. He judged that completely uprooting the rebels who dared to raise their blades against the Empire would serve as a benchmark.

This was also why he had a secret meeting with his closest confidant, Marquess Reginald, before the Imperial meeting. Naturally, the Marquess brought up the topic of appointing an heir, and the Emperor affirmed it.

It was an excellent groundwork for the appointment of an heir.

“I hereby proclaim. This suppression of the Resistance is not just about eradicating the rebel group. To the one who restores the Empire’s wounded honor by eliminating even the slightest possibility, I will appoint as my heir.”

“A wise choice, Your Majesty.”

The quick-witted nobles, realizing this was what the Emperor truly desired, bowed their heads once more.

Thus began the prelude to the throne succession war.

***

[Main Scenario: Throne Succession War Begins.]

Gilbert, seeing the sudden notification, realized once again that the scenario he knew had gone awry.

 

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