While Ares rested his head against the frame of the helicopter to rest, Carrington was in an uproar. At precisely 10 AM, the Supreme Commander of House of Astralis, Allan Montgomery, made a shocking announcement live on the Royal Broadcast Network (RBN) during the Military Updates program. He declared that the Gods and Goddesses of War had been stripped of their military positions for commiting treason against His Imperial Highness.
He further stated that if not for their revered status and past heroic deeds for the nation, they wouldn't have just been stripped of their positions; they would have been prosecuted publicly in the heart of Carrington, the citadel of Justice.
This announcement quickly spread across Carrington through major news outlets like Carrington National News (CNN), Imperial News Service (INS), Carrington Daily News (CDN), and State News Network (SNN), along with numerous minor stations.
Within hours, the news had reached every corner of the country, with radio stations broadcasting it and even special editions of newspapers being printed to cover it.
The nerve-racking news had left every citizen and netizen who came across it in utter disbelief. The idea that the Gods and Goddesses of War would commit treason against the emperor seemed impossible, especially after they had just won the war.
People clung to the hope that it wasn't true, and Allan was just playing a prank on them, but that hope was shattered around 11 AM when the Imperatoris, the highest authority after the emperor and the emperor's spokesperson, went live on RBN.
He appeared on "The Emperor's Voice," a dedicated program for announcements and speeches from the Emperor and the Imperatoris, and confirmed Allan's words. After which, he conveyed the emperor's plea for calm, urging the populace not to protest or create any sort of chaos.
But how could the people listen to that plea when it was their revered Gods and Goddesses of War the announcements were about? The citizens didn't even care that these figures were being accused of treason against the emperor.
Almost immediately after the Imperatoris' appearance, the country was plunged into the very chaos the emperor tried so much to avoid.
The most hot-blooded citizens even went so far as to start a protest with the hashtag, "RESTORE THE POSITIONS OF OUR GODS AND GODDESSES OF WAR!"
It began in one province, and as the other provinces saw what was happening, they quickly joined in.
Soon, protests were sweeping through all twelve provinces. Just as the emperor had foreseen, the chaos was unlike anything the nation had ever experienced.
With no other option, House of Astralis, under the Supreme Commander's command, had to deploy soldiers from the headquarters to the provinces to maintain order and keep the people in check.
Meanwhile, while House of Astralis worked tirelessly to maintain order, they were unaware that the neighboring countries, which had waged war against them, had deployed military drones and infiltrated through the country's borders and defenses to clandestinely monitor the unfolding events. Reports of the chaos were swiftly transmitted back to those countries.
These nations, still reeling from their fresh defeat in the war, had kept a vigilant eye on Carrington, watching their every move like hawks. When Allan and the Imperatoris appeared live on RBN, the leaders of these countries watched with bated breath.
However, like the citizens of Carrington, they struggled to believe what they heard. The idea that the Gods and Goddesses of War—figures that had struck fear into their hearts and held the very foundation of the nation—would betray the emperor was beyond their comprehension. They were even more stubborn than the people of Carrington as they remained skeptical despite that the Imperatoris had confirmed the news.
This prompted them to deploy drones to confirm the news themselves.
At this moment, in one of these countries, known as Kaldoria, the military headquarters buzzed with activity.
In the grand meeting room, a screen projected live footage of the escalating crisis in Carrington. In the center of the grand chamber stood a formidable round table, surrounded by the most powerful figures in Kaldoria's military hierarchy.
Present were: Chief of Defense Staff: General Tiberius Voss.
Deputy Chief of Defense Staff: Lieutenant General Elara Finn.
Commander of the Army: Major General Cassian Rook.
Commander of the Navy: Admiral Isla Drake.
Commander of the Air Force: Air Marshal Quentin Vale.
Director of Intelligence: Colonel Silas Morn.
Head of Special Operations: Brigadier General Nina Voss.
Chief of Military Technology: Dr. Lena Ashford.
Civilian Representative: Minister Galen Thorne.
Foreign Affairs Advisor: Ambassador Leona Grey.
These figures were intensely focused, absorbing every detail unfolding before them.
After a tense silence, Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, Lieutenant General Elara Finn, broke the ice with a loud laugh, her voice cutting through the cold atmosphere. She glanced at the screen with a touch of mockery. "Who could have thought that Carrington, fresh off a war victory and supposedly in recovery mode, would be so reckless as to strip their revered Gods and Goddesses of War of their positions? How dumb is the emperor of that country?" She shook her head in amusement.
"Hmph!" Commander of the Army, Major General Cassian Rook, snorted. "They dared strip their Gods and Goddesses of War of their positions when those kids are the only reason the stupid country is still standing today. I've never seen any country more foolish!" He turned his attention to General Tiberius Voss. "General, this is our moment to strike again! With those kids out of the way, we can conquer Carrington this time! We must act quickly before the foolish emperor caves in to his people's pleas."
"Yes!"
"Exactly!" The rest of the figures agreed with him.
General Tiberius Voss remained silent, the silence stretching into what felt like an eternity. Finally, he tore his gaze from the screen and glanced around at the figures surrounding him. He shook his head, as if disappointed in their shortsightedness.
After another long pause, he spoke calmly, "Though formidable, who are the Gods and Goddesses of War without him? Do you ignorant lots truly believe they were the sole reason we lost the war, despite teaming up with other neighboring countries and even receiving help from Hrothgar?"