Chapter 393: [391] Meeting
Night Raid's new base bustled with tense activity as everyone gathered for an urgent meeting. Sitting at the head of the table, Najenda wore a grave expression, her worry mirrored in the faces of those around her.
The cause of their unease? A seismic shift in the empire. A week ago, the Prime Minister had been executed, the young emperor had abdicated, and Esdeath had ascended to the throne as the new empress. This shocking news had spread like wildfire across the world.
Many, however, suspected a trap. If the Prime Minister had been so easily defeated, he wouldn't have ruled the capital unchecked for so many years. To most, this appeared to be yet another imperial scheme—a calculated ploy to lull their enemies into a false sense of opportunity amidst supposed chaos.
But the reality was far more brutal. The capital had undergone an unprecedented purge.
Esdeath wasted no time consolidating power, executing every single loyalist of the fallen Prime Minister. Day after day, blood flowed in the streets as countless nobles—those who had thrived under the old regime's corruption—were hunted down and eradicated.
Esdeath's iron-fisted policies left no room for negotiation. Her commands were absolute: obey, or die. Unlike the manipulative Prime Minister, she managed the empire as she led her armies—with merciless precision. This approach was a harsh cure for a diseased regime but one doomed to fail in the long term.
To August, however, the empire's future was irrelevant. To him, the clock was already ticking toward this world's inevitable collapse. The thousand-year-old empire was nothing more than a toy in his eyes, and no matter what Esdeath did, its ultimate fate was destruction.
"Everyone," Najenda began, breaking the silence, "the empire has changed hands overnight. Esdeath's reign has brought forth sweeping iron-blood policies. What's our next move?"
"Boss, I don't see the problem," said Leone with a shrug. "Look, all those corrupt officials who sided with the Prime Minister are gone now. Doesn't that mean the empire will finally be peaceful?"