"There were three men who came to prominence during the unification wars.
"One was the minister of war Amulius Lunaris, who helped the king to keep tight control of both the military and the royal court, coming up with plans from afar."
"One was Great General Drusus Dardanius, a military genius who was a political idiot but, alongside the minister of war, came up with many of the strategies that led to the Chavarians being able to create their empire."
"The last was the traitor Lucius Aurellion, both a skilled military leader and politician able to see through the political situation clearly and use it to his advantage."
"These three would become very close and, alongside a wise king, create a great empire."
Publius Pollius, a historian in the empire of Chavaria
….
A dark, ominous presence stalked the opulent, silent halls of the Chavarian Imperial Palace. Its cold, shadowy footsteps echoed through the halls while emitting an ice-cold killing intent that chilled the bones of the imperial guards on duty that day.
No one dared to stop this man who had ridden into the imperial palace without being stopped once, only casually showing the guards of the palace gates a golden tablet before riding through their blockade, which quickly made way for the black-haired man who had a short, well-groomed beard.
The Chavarian Imperial Palace was a fortress in itself, a last line of defence for the royal family in the event that the city was breached. However, if any foreign force had managed to get that far into the Chavarian Empire's capital, it was unlikely that the remaining imperial guards would be able to protect their ruler anyway from the hundreds of thousands that would descend on the home of the Crestier dynasty.
The defences were mainly to help prevent coups, as even if one managed to control the imperial capital patrols to sneak into the city, these defensive measures would allow the imperial guards to hold out for some time, allowing for help to arrive and rescue the besieged emperor from the rebels.
Another gate similar to the one that protected the capital stood with 2 enchanted steel portcullises and 2 sets of stout ironwood gates whose hinges were made of mithril and engraved with protective runes by a grandmaster-level dwarven smith. While the gateway into the capital had 5 gates, they did not have the enchantments or protective dragonlike runes that weaved into the very fabric of the palace gates, forming two beautiful dragons on the ironwood base to symbolise the gate's owners.
The walls were also 8 inches thick stone washed with a crimson-white sheen as a snow-white marble road leads from this gate further inside the palace complex, the wealth of this empire that dominates the Alendel Steppe on full display.
The twin-headed dragon banner of the imperial family fluttered freely in the wind from the ramparts of the palace, the sigil long becoming a representation of the empire's power.
Nothing less than a complete set of siege equipment would allow one to enter without the permission of the palace's owner or help from the inside, as a ram built by grandmaster engineers would be needed to break down the gates, forcing many without this scarce talent to go up ladders sacrificing countless men in their effort to overwhelm the steadfast imperial guard who was only slightly outmatched by House Aurellions own Pelican Guard in combat effectiveness.
This fortress-like palace perfectly fitted the Chavarian Empire, whose history lay in its ability to conquer lands with its ironclad disciplined armies while also acting as a symbol of oppression for the nobility of the empire who could not touch imperial families' power without infiltrating or overcoming this formidable.
But this daunting and imposing palace that put fear into the hearts of men was nothing in the eyes of this cold man who walked around it like he was in his own home, not needing a guide to find his way to his destination.
Even weaponless, the anger of this man, which made his old bones shake, provoked an unbridled sense of fear in the usually cold Imperial Guards, who didn't dare to move in the presence of this old man.
Only when he approached the throneroom of the palace, his intended destination, that anyone dared to stop him. The imperials guard loyalty to their emperor who resided inside, trumping their fear of the man's murderous air.
Wearing a purple flowing robe and a black felt officials hat, the legendary Chavarian minster of war walked calmly towards the throneroom, his face stoic, but his eyes could not hide the red flame of anger that flowed through his body as they gave off a heaven-defying killing intent.
"Minister Lunaris without his majesti-."
An imperial guard began before being interrupted by the old man whose bones were as hard as a rock.
"MOVE ASIDE!"
Minster Lunaris shouted in rage, his voice cold and ruthless as before the guard had time to react; the enraged minster of war had punched him in the gut, making the brave soldier fly into a wall of the luxurious audience chamber. As the unlucky imperial guard smashed into the wall, a sickening cracking noise emitted from the fallen man's arm while his steel armour, which made even nobles drool with envy at its strength, was dented by Minister Lunaris' blow, showing off the man's godlike strength.
The other imperial guards swallowed their saliva, not seeing when this black-haired, dark-skinned monster of a man had taken the fallen imperial guard's sword from its scabbard, with only Daemonus, the imperial guard commander, who stood like a protective shield in front of the emperor, being able to see through the move drawing his own weapon and looking directly into the old man's angry eyes.
The minister of war ignored Deamonus and instead talked to the aloof figure who sat calmly on a throne like a statue, his golden crown reflecting the light of the silver chandeliers that hung from the ceiling.
On his fingers were golden rings, each encrusted with a jewel of a different colour. The black dragon robe that clung to the emperor's body created a figure of a man full of splendour and power.
"Cassius! What the fuck is going on?"
The 55-year-old man said a few grey hairs mixed in with the sea of black, showing the man's age.
"Minister Lunaris, treat his majesty with the respect he deserves! It is not your place to question our emperor's actions!"
Daemonus shouted, not cowed in the slightest by the minister's show of power remaining between the emperor and his trusted minister.
Everyone knew about the strong relationship of brotherhood between the emperor and this minister of war. Even when Cassius was a prince, this talented genius was by his side, remaining the only person apart from the empress and members of the imperial family able to call the emperor by his first name and even in the cases of his wife and family, it was only under exceptional circumstances or at special occasions when this was tolerated.
"Explain your actions as well, commander."
"Since when did you do the fucking bidding of the empire's enemies?"
"Did someone manage to finally buy your loyalty from us?"
Minister Lunaris said, insulting Daemonus while walking closer to the imperial guard's commander to the point that only an inch separated the two men's noses. It was normal for these two pillars of the emperor's power to get into confrontations as the minister for war's behaviour was outrageous in his eyes.
Sparks seemed to fly between the two men who had a silent standoff with each other, not wanting to be the one to back down or show a sign of weakness.
"As long as I am here, you won't take one step closer to his majesty!"
The imperial commander said but only got a small smile in response from the minister who enraged him so much that if it were not for the emperor's order, he would have slain the insolent man long ago.
"If I wanted him dead, do you think your little band of fanatics can stop me from killing him!"
"Or did you forget who the best warrior of the empire is…."
"And need a reminder."
Minister Lunaris said in a calm, cold voice, fearlessly threatening the imperial guard commander whom so many feared and respected, gripping the handle of the sword in his hand tightly. This claim was not baseless as the two had fought secretly in the past, the imperial guard commander wanting to humble this brazen minister. However, the fight ended every time in the minster of war's overwhelming victory. The divine control this genius held over his weapon was matched only in the past by Drusus as the two men routinely sparred and played war games in secret, the emperor not wanting to reveal the minister of war who remained his hidden card in the shadows.
"Stand down, Daemonus!"
The emperor commanded in a dignified voice, breaking up the argument between his two most loyal subjects with a sigh wishing these two would get along as their loyalty to the emperor and the empire was equal, but they always seemed to butt heads.
"Give us the room."
The emperor then said, making Daemonus's eyes widen in surprise, but suppressing his frustration, he walked out of the throneroom alongside the other imperial guards, obeying his emperor's orders but staying firmly behind the closest door to the throne, ready to jump in a moment if the minster for war ever turned hostile towards his respected liege.
Unlike other rulers who could not deal with disrespectful subordinates as long as it was in private like this, then the old Emperor of Chavaria, known for his tolerance of talent, would allow it, allowing him to keep an informal and brother-like relationship with this genius and important minister.
It was even common after a particularly frustrating court session for the outspoken minister and ruler of Chavaria to vent to each other while diabolically scheming their next move.
"I had no choice Amulius."
The old emperor said, referring to his minister of war and friend by his first name, a clear indication of their close relationship and bond. As the emperor slowly gained in stature and rank, there was an increasing distance between him and his subjects and old friends due to the need for respect and court etiquette.
This is why he valued his old friend so much and even felt himself lucky, as this allowed him to avoid the loneliness that many rulers experience after getting to the top like this and becoming the ruler of a large empire.
"No choice?"
"NO FUCKING CHOICE YOU SAY?"
"YOU HAD THE FUCKING CHOICE NOT TO UNJUSTLY ACCUSE HOUSE AURELLION OF TREASON AND NOT IMPLIMENT ORDER 66!"
Minster Lunaris shouted angrily, spitting on the ground to show his anger at the emperor's decisions that he saw as impulsive and stupid after nodding towards the emperor, who cast a spell to ensure that prying ears did not overhear their conversation. The Chavarian minister of war did not shout until the spell was cast, or it was likely that a fight between him and Daemonus would really occur as the enraged commander of the imperial guards tried to kill Minister Lunaris for his disrespect.
"We were this close!
"This fucking close to having an armed rebellion on our hands!"
"You do understand that, don't you, Cassius?"'
The minister of war continued bringing up his hand to emphasise his point, as one should not underestimate the influence and loyalty that Lucius Aurellion had amongst the military.
"I do"
Cassius, the Chavarian emperor, said solemnly, knowing that his move would shake the trust that the nobility and his supporters had of him, which up until now had been implicitly strong, almost to the point of blind devotion.
"What about the other loyal subjects within the empire?" Do you know how much effort it took me to allay their fears of being thrown away, no matter how loyal they are? This is despite being the sort of people we need the most right now!"
The minister of war roared, as virtuous, loyal subjects with integrity like Lucius are what they need most right now, for while the Chavarian military managed to forge an empire out of the blood of their enemies, the empire lacked the human resources to govern it properly.
This means that many of the nobles and those in power in the newly conquered territories were primarily those whom they had fought against to conquer the Kingdoms of Plurus and Nadron in the first place.
Many were also directly or indirectly involved in many of the rebellions that occurred over the years since the empire's founding, as it would take the next generation, if not more, for any loyalty to be built up for the new regime.
While the benevolent policies made by the emperor has had some effect, but most of the people who were won over were those not genuinely loyal to the new empire, as in the fall of the Plurian capital Plutina, thanks to the sacrifice of the commander of the Plurian royal guards and the heroics of its crown prince who died surrounded by loyal men the youngest Plurian prince managed to escape with Bardornus who was ordered to go into hiding when the Plurians realised the situation was hopeless.
This means that a descendent of the previous royal family lived, and because of the massacre carried out by the Chavarians on Plurian prisoners of war in the past, which successfully lowered their military strength, allowing Chavaria to conquer the Kingdom of Pluerus, many of these noble families, held a grudge against the imperial family. After all, the emperor personally sent the order that sent hundreds of thousands of men to their deaths, including the descendants of many of these disgruntled noble families.
Some would expect that the Chavarians would ransom these nobles for money, which would usually be the case, but for the emperor, it was not wealth that he wanted but the kingdom itself.
The resulting consequence of this action, which killed many Plurian nobles, was chaos throughout the Kingdom of Pluerus, for some of the men executed were the heads or heirs of their noble houses. A player who only thinks of a nation in DO as one faction will be in for a rude awakening, as a country is comprised of many families that compete for dominance and must not forget the countless Ai-controlled factions in the world because, unlike in other video games, Ais were not soulless beings or chess pieces that one can expect to be absolutely loyal to them.
Each landed noble has its own faction, no matter how small it may be, meaning that factions can range from a few hundred for the lords of villages to thousands if not hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of people for dukes, though they usually would have many sub-factions under than that they can call up in times of war.
Even a single dynasty can create its own faction consisting only of its members. Most factions were built upon social contracts or oaths where a baron must accept the call to arms of a count and a count of a marquis or duke and so on. This is why loyalty and honour were such valued commodities in the world of DO.
As such, the noble families that were less stable fell into civil war as differing sons or dynasty members fought to become lord of the house while others fell into the hands of incompetent or young rulers.
This, combined with the death of many elite soldiers, was one of the main reasons why Bardornus could only lead 30,000 men and 5,000 knights in the Battle of Brunag.
"I understand the ramifications of my actions, Amulius."
The emperor said with another sigh, but his eyes remained steadfast and remorseless.
"If that is the case…."
"Why the fuck did you do it."
"Because right now, thanks to you, our military is now more fragile than it was during the bloody war for unification."
"And if it were not for the respect they have for this old bag of bones in front of you, then they would be in open rebellion!"