Chapter 259: The Situation in the Capital
While Aldrian was dealing with the Envy Devil, the situation in the capital grew increasingly chaotic. After discovering the underground base, they also found numerous artifacts belonging to various noble families from the northeast territory. The imperial family also found evidence of movements by members of these families within the capital.
All of these families were part of Grand Duke Gouvard’s faction, causing a massive commotion. From this, the imperial family realized that many members of these families were already lying in wait within the capital for something significant to happen.
From the imperial family’s perspective, this kind of trickery seemed more like an attempt by these families to initiate a coup. Martial law was finally declared as the situation grew more serious. The imperial soldiers were dispatched to every part of the capital to search for them. The sight of imperial knights moving back and forth caused panic among the city’s residents, who wondered what was happening in the capital.
Some of their questions were answered when commotion broke out as imperial soldiers arrested several individuals. These scenes occurred in many places across the city, and some even escalated into fights. The number of infiltrators from the noble families was quite large, reaching thousands. Not all of them could be arrested at once, creating time gaps that allowed some to escape.
Even though the imperial family had already closed off the city, they were not fast enough to cover such a large area instantly. The good news is that the imperial family discovered these infiltrators early, before they could finish their preparations, preventing the situation from reaching devastating proportions. Most of the clashes could only be seen as desperate struggles.
Some high-ranking cultivators from noble families were involved, but they were swiftly dealt with by the imperial army. They couldn’t withstand the imperial forces, who came fully prepared. Additionally, there was one individual personally overseeing the operation and even assisting the imperial army.
Emperor Durand observed everything from the skies above the city. His senses extended to their maximum, covering the entire city. He could feel the movements of his men as they maneuvered throughout the city. While his face remained expressionless, anger boiled within his heart. Never in his lifetime had something like this occurred, some nobles daring to think they could dethrone him with their power.
However, all of these events began to form a complete puzzle in his mind. His curse, the war, the poison, and now this bold effort by the nobles—all of them were interconnected. He imagined what would have happened if he were still under the curse. He would have had little choice, and his family might have collapsed, plunging the Doria Empire into a devastating civil war.
"Those traitorous bastards! Wait until I clean up this mess and set everything right in this empire," Emperor Durand thought.