The subjects kneeling before the Emperor.
With sincere voices, they pleaded with the Emperor in front of them.
“Your Majesty… We implore you with our lives. Please… revoke the decrees that discriminate against the heretics!”
“…What?”
The unexpected request from a devoted subject caused Emperor Sijip to instantaneously stiffen.
It was clear to see the Emperor’s displeasure.
However, despite that, the subjects bowed again and earnestly requested.
“The state of the Empire has worsened too much due to the wars until now. If this civil war continues and our national strength is exhausted, we are truly fearful of what may become of this country.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. We understand your intention to rectify the religion, but how long can this forceful approach continue? Now, it’s time to show mercy to those foolish ones!”
The subjects were pleading, even shedding tears.
In this moment, they were fully aware of how dangerous their words were.
They had effectively touched the Emperor’s reverse scale, and depending on the circumstances, they could face death.
Yet the subjects present had to voice their concerns.
Receiving reports about the state of affairs across the Empire, they well understood how serious the situation had become.
The lives of the people had become desperate due to successive wars and famines.
Moreover, as the Emperor openly discriminated against the church and the heretic forces, the citizens of the Empire became divided and even at this moment were slaughtering one another.
What would happen if this situation continued?
All that would remain would be an Empire crumbled to pieces, exhausted of its national strength, leaving only an empty shell behind.
Knowing this fact clearly, they risked their lives to express their opinions.
They saw this as the last chance to return the divided and weakened Empire to its former state.
And then.
The Emperor’s response to their life-risking counsel was…
“…Now that I see it, I have indeed made a grave mistake all this time…”
The Emperor’s words were filled with complexity.
The subjects began to harbor hopes that their sovereign might demonstrate broad-mindedness and embrace everything now.
Although the rebel forces centered around the Heretic Alliance were strong, ultimately, the core ideology guiding them was the freedom of religion.
After all, following the crushing defeat of Chris IV, the Empire had already undergone considerable turmoil, and if the Emperor were to acknowledge religious freedom and abolish the discrimination against heretics, there was a chance that they could bend a knee again and declare allegiance to the Emperor.
Even if that were not the case, the division among those who did not wish for war could weaken their forces.
However…
“Could it be that until this point, I did not recognize the traitors? I am truly pathetic.”
“Y-your Majesty?”
Unfortunately for them.
“To boldly defend the heretics before me… You dirty traitors!”
Emperor Sijip was absolutely unprepared to accept these loyal subjects’ final counsel.
“I finally understand why the heretics have been so brazen until now! It’s because scum like you are scattered throughout my royal court!”
“Your Majesty! That’s not true! We were thinking about the future of this country…”
“Shut up! Did you think I wouldn’t understand your shallow schemes? Just because my health hasn’t been good doesn’t mean my judgment has become clouded! To dare mock me and go against the Will of God!”
“Your Majesty!!”
“What are the royal guards doing? Immediately drag these filthy traitors out! I will clearly show the fate of those who defend heretics before me during this time of chaos!”
“Yes! Your Majesty!”
Following Emperor Sijip’s command, the soldiers sprang into action.
Immediately, they began dragging the subjects who had been kneeling before the Emperor out.
“Your Majesty! You mustn’t do this!”
“Please grant us this one request! This is our last chance!”
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!”
The subjects shouted desperately until the very end.
However, their voices never reached the Emperor’s ears.
Everyone could see the cold reality before them.
They had won the war, yet the Empire was crumbling from beneath their feet.
But only one person…
Emperor Sijip was oblivious to all of this.
He could only see the glorious victory before him…
And the stubbornness named faith had already completely blinded the Emperor.
Without even imagining what lay at the end of his path, the Emperor was simply clinging to the mirage in front of him, walking towards a cliff.
This was the current situation of the Emperor leading the massive Empire known as Sijip Fernandez…
As a result, the Sacred Empire lost its last remaining chance.
The opportunity to protect everything from collapsing…
A truly invaluable final chance…
*
As time passed until the echoes of victory faded, the Army of the Sacred Empire’s Emperor was busy preparing for war again.
In the center, Valenshtein, his aide Otto, and Hestia were having a serious discussion.
“It’s strange. Despite winning the war, things aren’t getting any better.”
“…Sigh… Indeed. I often think this, but while His Majesty possesses the ability to claim victory, it seems he doesn’t know how to use it.”
With Otto’s words, Valenshtein sighed in agreement.
Witnessing the two, Hestia quietly spoke.
“So, what should we do moving forward? Are we marching towards the Heretic Alliance like this? Under the current circumstances, that seems challenging for General Tilly.”
General Tilly’s forces had suffered considerable losses in the last battle.
Thanks to Valenshtein’s help, they weren’t completely decimated, but they hadn’t recovered from the severe losses they incurred.
The main reason was that the Emperor had stopped sending support due to the dire circumstances in the Empire.
Even in the surrounding areas, the sight of starving citizens could easily be seen due to famine, and in such a situation, there was no way taxes to support the army could be collected normally.
Moreover, the royal treasury was on the brink of collapse, forcing the Emperor to incur a huge debt to Valenshtein just to deal with urgent matters.
Despite these circumstances, the Emperor remained trapped in the delusion that he could completely eradicate the heretic forces and pressed for war.
And related to this,
Valenshtein and his group, who had effectively become the Empire’s last bastion, could not help but feel anxious about the future.
“I’ve heard that the Heretic Alliance and Bohemia are preparing to ally with the Lion King Gustav from the North.”
“On top of that, the Dragona Empire continues to support the Heretic Alliance. Given the situation, it’s hard for us to guarantee victory, isn’t it?”
Feeling increasingly trapped in a quagmire, Otto and Hestia expressed deep concerns.
Addressing this, Valenshtein shook his head slowly and spoke in a heavier voice.
“That’s not the issue. The real problem is that even if we win this war, the Empire’s future is extremely bleak. When viewed coldly, the only way at this point is to end the war…”
The problem was that given the Emperor’s temperament, there was no way he would accept such a conclusion, and in fact, things were indeed flowing that way.
The odds were slim, and even if they were to win, destruction would be all that remained in the aftermath of the war.
Concerning this, Valenshtein began to feel his head spinning…
“General… If that’s the case, might as well just…”
“…Hmm…”
Hestia cautiously began to speak to him.
Recognizing that the prime opportunity she had been eyeing had finally arrived.
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