Another chapter after 1h.
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After this heartfelt speech, Long could clearly sense the hostile and murderous gazes from behind him. These gazes came from the so-called high-ranking officials and ministers.
Because he had exposed this window in front of the Empress, punctured the false prosperity they had painted for her, and touched their cake of interests. However, General Long was not afraid. He had the confidence of being the strongest ‘Relic User’ in this “strength is supreme” Dragon Nation.
In this “strength is supreme” Dragon Kingdom, any conspiracy or trickery was futile in the face of absolute power. So, no matter how dissatisfied those bureaucratic ministers were with him and how they gnashed their teeth, they all failed.
However, it was precisely because of the absolute belief in “strength is supreme” that slavery had been allowed to exist. It had led to the loss of basic protection for the weak, causing the current collapse of the nation. When General Long learned that the Empress had once again personally issued an order to launch a war against the Holy Kingdom, he was initially shocked and confused. However, he quickly realized that this was an opportunity to advise the Empress and prevent her from being blinded by malevolent people around her. It was a chance to save his beloved home!
“How dare you! Audacious! Your Majesty, I request that the Imperial Guards immediately drag General Long out of the Dragon Hall and behead him as a warning to others!”
“How can such a blind person hold such a high position? General Long, can’t you see the prosperity and grandeur of the Imperial Capital outside? Are the happy smiles on the faces of the people on the streets fake? Are the thriving businesses and shops also fake? Are they…”
Charl wanted to vehemently refute Long’s words, but he quickly stopped himself and shut his mouth, not daring to say another word. This was because the Empress had stopped tapping her fingers on the armrest of the Dragon Throne.
Everyone held their breath. These ministers and high-ranking officials who governed the Dragon Nation understood very well that every word the Empress uttered next would determine the future course of events and their own life or death. 𝘳𝑎.𝗇t
Finally.
The woman on the Dragon Throne spoke.
“I will not retract the declaration of war against Holy Kingdom.”
With these words, Charl and many of the ministers and officials in the rear of the hall breathed a sigh of relief and felt elated. They wanted war, and it seemed like they were going to get it.
However, before they could begin their fantasies about the war, the next words from the Empress sent a chill down their spines, like being doused in icy water.
“As for the reason… General Long, what if I told you that I possess something of utmost importance, but it appears that the Holy Kingdom has managed to seize it before us? What would you do?” .
“I, as your loyal servant, would personally lead the army to crush Holy Kingdom and retrieve that thing intact, to present it once again to Your Majesty!” Long replied without hesitation.
“Good.”
“As a reward, if you can truly accomplish this, then I will fulfill all the reforms you proposed. No one will be able to obstruct you. Is that acceptable?”
Excitement flickered in Long’s eyes, even though he was a middle-aged veteran. In this moment, he felt his blood boiling with enthusiasm.
Because with the Empress’s promise, this was the hope of the Dragon Nation. As long as he could win this war and recover the lost thing for the Empress, it would be equivalent to saving the Dragon Kingdom from its dire straits.
General Long silently apologized to Holy Kingdom and to those who could foresee the countless families that would be destroyed, the homeless, and the displaced due to the impending war.
He had previously rejected the war because he couldn’t see any hope and believed it would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. But now, the nature of the war had changed in his eyes. It had become the last straw for those drowning in despair.
“I shall not disappoint Your Majesty!”
“I will sweep through Holy Kingdom within a month!”
…
…..
– Imperial Capital, Charl’s Mansion.
This place is the residence of Charl, the Minister of Internal Affairs, a man of immense power and authority, second only to the Empress herself.
After the audience in the Dragon Hall concluded, everyone hurriedly left, not daring to delay. They were all preoccupied with thoughts on how to preserve their own interests and seize opportunities in the upcoming chaos, aiming to reap the greatest benefits from this era’s tumultuous waves.
“Father, do you think what the her Majesty said was true? What exactly did the Empress lose in the Holy Kingdom? Why are we so unaware of it all of a sudden?”
As soon as he returned home, Charl’s son, Tian, couldn’t hold back his curiosity. With his lower status and even lesser courage in the Dragon Hall, he was now eagerly questioning his influential father.
On the other hand, Charl, who was corpulent with layers of fat, making even the loosest clothes appear tight and stretched, shook his head. Despite his unimpressive physique and appearance, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and said:
“The Empress has no reason to deceive us. Even someone as stubborn as General Long isn’t significant enough to warrant her Majesty fabricating a reason to appease him. So it’s highly likely true. As for what her Majesty lost…”
This was what truly baffled Charl. Knowing the Empress well, this was the first time he had heard her use the word “important” to describe something, even preceding it with “extremely.”
‘This is quite unusual!’
You see, since three hundred years ago, it seemed as if the Empress had lost interest in everything in the world. She had almost entirely left the Dragon Nation to its own devices, entrusting all internal affairs to them. From then on, she began her seclusions in the Imperial Palace, lasting decades at a time. On the rare occasions she emerged, she would merely stare blankly at the sky before retreating back to her palace.
“Perhaps… it’s an extremely powerful ‘relic’?” Charl could only think of this possibility after careful consideration.
After all, the Empress had once been the personal guard of the “Great Emperor” and the only thing that could truly pique her interest and seriousness was likely a relic left by her “Great Emperor.”
Beside him, Tian’s small eyes immediately lit up when he heard his father’s words. Although he was young, his physique was already showing signs of deterioration due to his indulgent lifestyle. It was evident that he would soon follow in his father’s footsteps in terms of physique.
“If the Empress is interested in this relic, it must be incredibly powerful! Father, if we could secretly hide this ‘relic’ and then use it for ourselves when we find it in the Holy Kingdom…”
Tian began to fantasize.
After all, the Dragon Nation’s immense strength was built upon relics. In the two hundred years before its founding, the Empress had ordered the relentless plunder of relics left by the Great Emperor, collecting them from all corners of the world and bringing them into her Nation.
Later on, because of the large number of relics, even though the vast majority of people lacked the ability to use relics, there were always one or two people with extraordinary talents who could control relics. These peoples were granted the knowledge of using relics by the Empress and were called Relic Users.
Without exception, they were all incredibly powerful, and depending on the type of relic, they were granted various abilities.
So now Tian was fantasizing about obtaining this powerful relic and becoming a Relic User who could surpass even General Long.
This content is taken from 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜