In the training ground of the military camp, over ten thousand Imperial soldiers stood in neat formations, awaiting General Najenda's inspection.
In front of the central platform, Najenda took a deep breath and asked her adjutant, "Is everything ready?"
Nodding slowly, the adjutant spoke seriously, "I've spoken with the squad leaders and captains. Most of them support your decision. Once you make your announcement, they'll stand up and back you."
This preparation was akin to hiring people to cheer for you when buying a house or a car—there had to be supporters to create momentum. Without backing, the atmosphere could easily fall flat.
Ideally, Najenda's command style would ensure that she had complete control over each squad, making the entire army move at her command. But there wasn't enough time.
Betraying the Empire was a serious matter, and Najenda wasn't fully confident. This kind of rebellion meant putting one's life on the line—could her reputation really make her troops follow her willingly?
With no other choice, Najenda resorted to something she had always despised in the military—favors and manipulation.
In a feudal army, once the nominal commander (the Grand General) and the figure of loyalty (the Emperor) were out of the picture, the greatest influence over the army lay with mid-level officers. Controlling and winning them over meant taking control of the whole force.
As for the common soldiers, they were considered the easiest to handle. Due to their low rank, lack of prestige, and absence of voice, they would be easily swept along by the crowd, even if they disagreed.
"Hmm..." Exhaling deeply again, Najenda walked slowly and heavily toward the central platform.
Looking down at the sea of soldiers, Najenda's gaze hardened. The opportunity was right in front of her, and she had to seize it!
As a general, she could no longer be a tool in Honest's hands, helping to perpetuate his evil. While the Revolutionary Army had its flaws, its ideals were closer to her own than the Empire's.
In the silence of the training ground, Najenda climbed the platform and began her speech through a loudspeaker:
"This is a decaying Empire."
With just the first sentence, shock rippled through the crowd of soldiers, and the quiet training ground quickly became noisy. It was only after the junior officers worked to calm the troops that order was restored.
"Yes, the borders have been stable for over a century, and the Empire's military strength is abundant. But… is that enough?!"
"Ever since I was promoted to general, I've understood that no matter how prosperous the Empire appears, it cannot hide the corruption festering within."
"A young Emperor, wicked ministers, a rotten court, corrupt local officials, and apathetic bureaucrats who sit in high positions doing nothing..."
"There's so much more. I haven't even had the chance to witness or record all of it, yet these evils rampage across this vast land with unchecked arrogance."
"Can this Empire really be saved?"
At this point, Revolutionary Army spies and officers who had been pre-informed began clapping for Najenda's impromptu, passionate speech.
Clap, clap, clap—
Thanks to these orchestrators, the crowd soon burst into applause.
After all, Najenda wasn't wrong. Honest's governance had indeed made him universally hated.
Raising her hand to silence the crowd, Najenda continued:
"I've asked myself this question countless times but never found a definitive answer."
"I once foolishly believed that after rising to a high position, I could change this situation. But even after earning great merit and being promoted to general, I remain lost, confused by what has happened."
"How ridiculous!"
"How many veteran generals, after decades of battlefield glory, cutting down enemies and earning honors, have ignored the slanderous whispers of petty, jealous men? Yet, when they return victorious from the frontiers, their reward is nothing but a death sentence!"
"They risked their lives countless times, teetering on the edge of death, only for the ignorant, young Emperor to believe a traitor's lies…"
...
"General Najenda certainly has a gift for speeches…" Chelsea thought to herself.
Najenda's official declaration of joining the Revolutionary Army would have widespread repercussions. It would give hope to those within the Empire who sought change and inspire them to join the revolution.
It would also expose the Empire's decay, drawing more hearts and minds to the Revolutionary Army. A ripple effect was already in motion.
Chelsea turned to the liaison officer wearing a metal mask beside her and asked, "Hmm? Aren't you going to act?"
"Waiting for the right moment... Hmm... It's time," the liaison officer nodded and pulled out a flute. His mask opened slightly as he began to play.
The tune was called Inspiration, a Teigu that played invigorating music. It was a sister weapon to another flute-based Teigu, Military Music Dream: Scream, though Inspiration had a different function. Unlike Military Music Dream: Scream, which could manipulate emotions, Inspiration emitted low-frequency sound waves that went unnoticed but could boost morale and energize troops.
Its advantage was its wide range, with no limit on the number of people it could affect. Its downside was that repeated exposure to the sound made listeners immune to its effects. Additionally, the strength of the sound waves was pitifully weak, having no effect on anyone with significant power within a ten-mile radius.
In short, it was one of the most useless Imperial Arms, but in this situation, it worked perfectly.
With the help of planted supporters and lower-ranking officers, combined with Najenda's generally positive reputation and the truth of her words, the Imperial Arm amplified the emotional atmosphere. The training ground soon buzzed with anger and shouts for justice, with soldiers yelling for the traitors to be executed.
If Selene had witnessed this, she would have given it a fair assessment—they're riled up.
As the camp grew more fervent in its rebellion, a group hidden in the nearby forest was observing everything with the new equipment generously provided by Selene.
Lowering his high-powered binoculars, Gozuki clenched his teeth. "Damn traitor! Najenda really is planning a rebellion!"
Cornelia put down her headphones, her face cold. "Najenda is rallying her troops, trying to drag them into her rebellion."
"That madwoman! If we storm in now to capture her, we'll likely get surrounded and suffer the same fate as before... Plus, Najenda is an Imperial Arm user, not easy to deal with. We need to plan carefully."
After thinking for a moment, Gozuki looked at Green. "Have the explosives provided by the Science Bureau been set?"
"Yes, under the cover of night, I managed to sneak into the camp and plant bombs in most key locations… but I didn't dare approach the central tent—it was too heavily guarded."
"That's fine. We don't need to kill Najenda with the bombs…"
Gozuki's face twisted with malice. "To avoid getting surrounded again, we need to take out her soldiers first... Even if some of them are still loyal to the Empire, it's just bad luck for them for having a traitor like Najenda as their commander."
Gozuki sheathed his blood-red blade and stood, facing his 'children.'
"This operation isn't just about completing the mission. More importantly, it's about avenging Najasho and Guy!"
"Green, detonate the explosives!"
"Yes, sir!"
Boom—!!!
...
Meanwhile, in the Northern Empire, at Schönbrunn Palace.
"Sebas, still no sign of it?"
"Apologies, Miss... We've searched the entire Great Northern Wall and found no trace of the super danger beast, Tyrant."
"Alright… Looks like the real danger beast paradise is beyond the Great Northern Wall… Sebas, take the map you previously scanned from the [World Chronicle] and distribute copies to every legion commander... Hmm?"
As she flipped through intelligence reports on the northern barbarians, Selene suddenly sensed a reaction from the Honkai energy particles in the explosives she had gifted to Gozuki's team.
"The explosives have detonated. It seems... it's begun." A smile crept across her face as she began humming, "Fight! Fight! Fight…"
After all, she never minded a little extra chaos.
"Miss, what's made you so happy?" Sebas asked, intrigued by Selene's sudden cheer.
"Indeed… it's a fun little farce. Oh, by the way, issue a formal Empire-wide decree: Najenda is a traitor. Strip her of all military ranks! Kill on sight!"
"Whoever takes her head will be rewarded with ten thousand gold, a noble title, a promotion by three ranks, and an Imperial Arm!"
Just adding fuel to the fire! How delightful!
"Yes, Miss."
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