"An emperor must be the most selfish person."
"This is because every action a sentient being makes, whether good or bad, is born out of that selfishness."
"But what the emperor needs always to remember."
"Is the difference between good selfishness and bad."
"For it is this will be the difference between them either becoming a righteous, benevolent ruler…."
"Or a hated tyrant."
Flavius Crestier, 2nd Emperor of The Chavarian Empire.
….
"How can you say your actions born from your selfishness were good?"
Then old Chavarian emperor asked what was unknown to Flavius was that his arguments had a profound effect on the emperor and that what he said next would decide whether he would gain the crown prince title he so converted or not.
"There were not! But I can recognise that! As long as I can become crown prince, I will channel my endless selfishness and greed into improving the country for its citizens, having someone who can recognise whether their selfishness is good or bad…."
"Is exactly the qualification needed for a future emperor!"
"Being able to restrain your own evil, selfish impulses and act on those that are good for the realm is precisely the person who should be emperor."
The old emperor dropped his sword, the sharp mithril blade clattering on the floor as he calmly returned to his throne.
"Very well! You can become crown prince and make House Aurellion pay for your crimes using your allies and pawns to destroy them utterly."
"But…."
"All those who were not threatened into joining you or wanted a good reward for service to your cause must be executed."
"Those parasites who dare to flout the law and kill a member of the royal family for their own gain."
"Must be eradicated to the root…."
The old emperor said ruthlessly in an ice-cold tone not seen since the great purge was enacted against those who killed Great General Drusus Dardinius.
"You understand no matter who broke the law in helping you do this terrible action, must be punished severely…."
"Less people think they can get away with doing something worse than killing a Prince whose duty is to die and serve his country and its citizens. If someone truly thinks you would be a better emperor for the citizens, then I can maybe let them off, but they would have to go through an interrogation by me."
"On top of this, you must preside over the execution of each of them and their family members for joining House Aurellion in this treason."
"Do you understand?"
"Killing those you are closest with and worked with for years…."
"Is the punishment for indulging in your bad selfishness to obtain the crown. Let it be a lesson engraved into your soul of the consequences of indulging it in the future."
The old Chavarian Emperor said coldly, giving down one of the most ruthless commands ever as, in one sentence, he has condemned hundreds to their deaths.
"Yes, Father! Your son understands and accepts your punishment and conditions!"
Flavius said seriously, his face becoming ruthless. He had killed his own brother, whom he even admired for the throne, so why would he not throw all those selfish bastards who tried to use him for their own gain under the bus? It is likely they may even become problems in the future as the 5th prince was serious; once he became crown prince, he would become the stellar benevolent crown prince that a fledgling empire needed.
"Commander Daemones Aventinus!"
The emperor said in a loud authoritative voice bringing about all the dignity that a monarch should have. As the imperial guard commander immediately kneeled down in front of the emperor whom he had served for the majority of his life, approaching 54 now, the old grandmaster had been protecting the royal family for over 30 years now his loyalty to his emperor and the imperial family rivalling that of Leon to Lucius and House Aurellion.
"Your loyal subject is here!"
"Take the imperial guard and go with Prince Flavius and arrest the family of the traitor Lucius Aurellion and drag them here for punishment. If they resist, kill them on sight! We cannot allow such disloyal miscreants to taint our good empire's name!"
The emperor announced with a slight regret in his voice as Lucius had been a pillar of support for him alongside the minister of war, but the emperor truly did not have much choice. As if Flavius truly did restrain his evil, selfish desires, then with the support he had already built up and with the eradication of problematic elements then, he could become one of the best rulers in the current world.
At the end of the day, what mattered most was the continuation of his dynasty's power and the country's prosperity above everything else. This was the unfortunate reality for NPCs and players alike. Even in the real world, the continued prosperity of one's family is the only way to ensure your descendants and loved ones live well in the world, whether real or virtual.
"Enact order 66 of article 60 on the traitorous Aurellion family!"
Hearing the merciless order of the emperor, even the imperial guard commander, one of the most loyal people to the empire and the imperial family, questioned an order that they had happily executed so many times before.
"Your majesty! Is it really necessary and suitable to do this to a loyal subject? He even protected your son with his life and helped to create our great empire, and you repay him with order 66?"
The imperial commander said, having doubts and worried that all of them may be expendable pawns which is not that far from the truth, but those who are loyal will usually have much more leeway than those with worse intentions. Unfortunately, Lucius was forcefully mixed up in a power struggle and happened to be a very convenient scapegoat.
Not only would the nobles who dislike the Marquis of Nalora be appeased, but his future crown prince could maintain his good reputation, but it would require the emperor to go all out against House Aurellion, one of his most ardent supporters.
"Since when did you become a traitor to Daemones?" Did I stutter?" Did you not hear me proclaim them guilty of treason?"
"Do you not understand the consequences of letting a house as powerful as House Aurellion live when they have a grudge against the future crown prince and emperor?"
Daemones just looked at the emperor with a questioning gaze turning his head to the side in confusion. While he was one of the best fighters in the empire, he was politically unaware, making him perfect for his role as commander of the imperial guard. But it also meant that he was terrible when it came to understanding the future and long-term consequences of his actions.
"House Aurellion holds great influence over the military, and someone must pay for the death of Victarion if we allow a noble house with that much power to stick around with a grudge against the imperial family and its successor without taking it out when we had the opportunity."
"Then it is likely that either the crown prince will die or the empire that has finally found peace will enter a series of civil wars and wars for independence as House Aurellion, even as loyal as they are…. They are not people who will take a loss like this without any form of retaliation!"
The emperor said in a cold but slightly shaky voice, even he, despite being the supreme ruler of Chavaria, at times, had to put the good of his kingdom over personal relationships as he had done so many times before.
"Do you really want to see the nation we have fought so hard to build? So hard to make it prosperous and safe, to fall into chaos! while it pains me to make such an order for the good of the citizens, we must do what is best for the country even if it hurts us! Even if we have to destroy our own hearts as part of the ruling class, we must do it as long as we keep the country and its citizens in mind!"
"Do you understand now, Daemones?"
"To prevent civil strife! To prevent hundreds of thousands from dying in war! We must kill a few thousand unjustly, as every Chavarian citizen's life is precious."
"Yes, your majesty, I will gather the men and arrest House Aurellion!"
The imperial guard commander said, gathering his resolve as he exited the throneroom to gather his men for another purge on the emperor's orders.
"Flavius, wait up."
"Your majesty?"
Flavius said respectfully to his father, bowing when he was called back.
"4 years!"
The old Chavarian emperor roared in a stern dignified voice, making the prince narrow his eyes.
"Your majesty?"
Flavius asked again, needing help understanding the meaning behind the emperor's words.
"Prove that you are worthy to be crown prince in 4 years if you cannot…."
"I will personally cut your head off and find myself another heir!"
"You understand!"
"Yes, your majesty, I will prove myself to you and not make you regret this decision!"
Flavius said before turning around and leaving and heading out to finish what he had started.
….
In one of the many barracks of the imperial guard where the swords of the emperor live and train, two men were meeting under the twin dragon banner of the imperial family. One was in a different armour than the rest, more gaudy and gilded with gold that shined in the torchlight and a special sliver-coloured plume extended from his helmet, denoting his high rank. While most imperial guards look the same, the guard's commander is different, allowing the emperor or members of the imperial family to find them quickly and act as a rallying point for nearby guards on the chaotic battlefield.
"Vice Commander Scorpius, are you sure you can execute this order? You did work and protect Lucius for several years, so you do not have to come if you feel conflicted."
The commander questioned his subordinate. He was very fond of this loyal vice commander who was close to becoming a grandmaster and whom he saw as his successor.
"I am a loyal subject of the emperor! His orders are absolute! Commander, I am acquainted with many of our soon-to-be enemies; it would be stupid to leave me behind. Please allow me to fulfil the emperor's will!"
Scorpius coldly said without hesitation, despite his liking for Lucius, he was always ready to kill him if the emperor commanded it. All notions of morals and feeling had long been wiped from the imperial guard, who now only saw an order of the emperor as correct no matter how cruel it may be.
"Good; you will accompany me alongside Zatak and Elnaril to arrest or execute the traitorous House of Aurellion. Order 66 has been issued. Do you understand what that means?"
"Yes, commander, every single member of House Aurellion, down to the smallest child, is now an enemy of the empire! Any person who helps or tries to help them will also be charged with treason, stripped of their titles, and executed alongside their family!"
"Good! It's good that you understand your duty!"
"We are the emperor's swords! We don't ask questions like is it right to do this! We just loyally obey the emperor's will, which is good for the county and its people without question!"
"Do you understand Scorpius?"
"Yes, Commander, I will try my best to execute the emperor's command!"
Scorpius said, putting aside any feelings that he may have and marching with his fellow brothers in arms. The aura emitted from this group of ruthless knights frightened even the most veteran soldiers.
….
It took nearly 6 hours for the imperial guard and nobles involved in the prince's conspiracy to catch up to the convoy of House Aurellion, which stayed together unless there was an emergency where they were severely outnumbered or outmatched. After the first nobles' elite soldiers were decimated by the Pelican Guard, apart from a few scouts who kept tabs on the convoy's location, no one dared approach them. The darkness that enveloped the bloody night casting a shadow over the Chavarian Empire was lifted by the bright light of dawn that signalled the beginning of a new day.
While riding and escaping from the Chavaria, Railius was confused as to why he had no notification that his dynasty was seen as a traitor by the Chavarian Empire as he had long expected to have some sort of notification that he had been declared traitor, but it had not happened making the young player doubt whether his assumption was correct.
Leon did not have the luxury of system notifications and did not have the same internal issues as Railius did. All he knew was that the emergency signal to escape the Chavarian capital had been given, so he needed to get far away and find a safe place to go before investigating the situation.
The ageing grandmaster used his inhuman senses to feel the approach of soldiers coming in from behind these. Unlike many of the scouts whom the grandmaster of loyalty had shot, these men had a different aura, one he had felt for 10 years.
'So, they are finally here, the Chavarian Imperial Guard.'
Leon thought he knew that because they had a carriage and a few other pieces of luggage, they would be unable to beat the speed of the legendary Chavarian Imperial Guard on their well-bred warhorses, the familiar black armoured knights who had conducted many a slaughter in war now faced them making Leon's blood boil his young masters worry that they would become traitors seemingly true.
'Time to see which one of us is better!'