The silence in the room felt intense as Arkanos's question lingered in the air, each vassal feeling the chill of his gaze. They shifted uncomfortably, exchanging nervous glances, yet none dared to speak. The emperor's patience was wearing thin, and the threat in his tone weighed heavily on them.
Arkanos straightened his posture, his voice rising. "If any of you lack the competence or the integrity to serve this empire faithfully, I will not hesitate to find those who do. Your positions, your lands, and your titles are not guaranteed—nor are they immune from my scrutiny."
The room was silent again, the weight of Arkanos's words settling over them like a shroud. He took a step forward, his gaze never moving away from them.
"I ask one final time: Why?"
Finally, Lord Adrian Velmont, the youngest of the nobles, dared to break the silence.
"Your Majesty... it was... desperation."
Arkanos's eyes narrowed, his gaze turning icy as he focused on Lord Adrian. "Desperation?" he repeated.
"Desperation to do what, exactly?"
Lord Adrian swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he struggled to continue.
"We... feared that if we presented our situation without... emphasis, it might be overlooked amid the greater challenges the empire faces. Our lands and our people... we felt they were at risk of being neglected."
His voice grew steadier as he spoke, almost pleading. "The Akerian threat is real, Your Majesty, and we believed that only by amplifying the urgency could we secure the support we need."
Arkanos took a slow step toward him, his piercing gaze never leaving Lord Adrian's face. "So, you thought that deceiving your emperor was the only way to gain his attention?"
His tone was sharp as a blade. "You believed that, instead of serving the empire with loyalty and honesty, you would manipulate it for your own gain?"
Lord Adrian lowered his head, unable to meet Arkanos's eyes. "It was not... our intent to betray you, Your Majesty," he murmured. "Only to protect our people, by any means necessary."
Arkanos looked around the room, his gaze falling on each vassal, who now sat in silence, visibly shaken by the emperor's wrath. He took in their discomfort, their guilt, and their fear, letting the moment settle before he finally spoke.
"I may have not been prudent in the past, and perhaps I may have been negligent with my duties. But now, as I stand here before you, I crave a future of greatness."
"As I'm sure many of you have heard from the spies you must have had in my troops, I am a changed man, chosen by the goddess of justice and purity."
"And thus, I now have a grand vision."
"And to achieve that grand vision, I will be removing weeds... weeds that will hold me back."
"One after the other."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in, then continued, his voice cold but steady. "So let me make one thing clear: deception has no place in this empire. I have seen through your lies, and I will not tolerate this betrayal of trust."
He straightened, his gaze piercing. "Your actions have undermined the unity and strength we need to survive these times. If you cannot be honest with your emperor, then you have no right to sit at this table."
The vassals, each subdued by Arkanos's words, remained silent, their faces pale. The gravity of their actions, and the consequences that might follow, loomed heavily in the air.
After a beat of silence, Arkanos continued, his tone unyielding. "From here on, you are here to serve this empire and its people—not yourselves. Consider this your only warning. If I find any one of you misrepresenting the truth again, you will lose more than your titles."
"Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" they all echoed.
〘 ⋄ Notice: Arvel Rothenwald's loyalty increased to 43% ⋄ 〙
Arkanos's eyes fall on the notification but he quickly dismissed it.
Arkanos's gaze softened, yet his tone remained firm as he addressed the assembly.
"In the next two months, this empire will undertake a massive infrastructure project. We will rebuild our towns, erect new fortifications, and construct watchtowers across our borders."
"We will improve the roads, creating vital connections between settlements and strongholds, and establish a perfect communication network between each outpost. This network will ensure that our forces can respond swiftly and decisively to any threat."
He allowed his words to sink in, watching as the vassals exchanged cautious glances. "During this time, our military will be trained relentlessly, our weapons improved, and our ranks bolstered with fresh recruits. I will accept no weakness or unpreparedness in our defense."
As the vassals absorbed the enormity of his vision, Arvel Rothenwald stepped forward, clearing his throat hesitantly. "But my lord, my analysis suggests that we have less than one—"
Before he could finish, Arkanos cut him off. "Your intel is also false, but unlike some of the others here, yours was not deliberate."
〘 ⋄ System observation: Inaccurate report.
Akeria's forces are far weaker than reported. Their strategic position is poor, and their morale has suffered significantly from recent defeats in their battles with other nations. They will not be ready for another major strike for at least two months. ⋄ 〙
Arvel was taken by surprise, blinking in shock. "What?" he stammered.
Arkanos offered him a slight nod of reassurance. "Worry not, Arvel. Focus on your duties and serve the empire as best you can. That is all I require from you."
Arvel hesitated, then cautiously continued. "On that note, Your Majesty... I'm not certain we possess the necessary funds to carry out a project of such scale."
Arkanos smiled confidently as he gazed at Arvel.
"You underestimate me," he replied.
He then turned to Seraphine, his knight captain, who stood beside his throne. "Seraphine..."
"...bring down the map of the empire."
"Yes, my lord," she answered.
She turned, reaching up to the map displayed on the wall above the throne, and carefully removed it before bringing it to the table.
She laid it out before them, the empire's vast expanse marked with towns, roads, and borders.
Arkanos then turned his gaze to the Head Priestess Isode, seated among the nobles.
His tone softened as he addressed her. "Priestess Isode, I've noticed the church in the capital has seen better days. It's looking a bit… run-down, wouldn't you say?"
Isode met his gaze, her expression firm as she responded. "Indeed, Your Majesty. We have not received much funding from you for some time. The building itself has suffered, and the interior is in no better state. We've been managing through small donations from commoners and any help we can gather."
Arkanos's smile widened as he nodded. "Well, worry no more."
He looked around the room, as he spoke. "You are all about to witness a miracle," he proclaimed.
"And this will be only the first of many. Soon enough, you will grow used to it, as you will be seeing your emperor perform many miracles from now on."
A tense silence filled the air as the vassals absorbed his words, each watching him with a touch of confusion and fear, feeling the weight of a new era dawning.
Arknose gazed at the church on the map, In his thoughts, he called out to the system.
'System.'
'I want to upgrade the structure of the capital's church. Make it a grand cathedral, something that will show the power and devotion of our empire.'
A notification flickered across his vision.
〘 ⋄ System Notification: Upgrading the capital's church to a Cathedral-class structure will cost 30 upgrade points. Proceed? ⋄ 〙
Arkanos smiled as he responded, 'Yes.'