Chapter 399: [397] The Gathering Storm
Morning sunlight filtered softly into the lavish chamber as Esdeath stirred from her slumber. A satisfied smile graced her lips as her eyes landed on the man beside her—August. The sight of him, so close and tangible, brought an unusual warmth to her usually cold demeanor.
It was almost unbelievable. The mere act of sharing such intimacy with this man not only brought her pleasure but also inexplicably strengthened her powers. This phenomenon defied all reason, yet it was undeniably real. As a result, Esdeath found herself clinging to August night after night, indulging in both pleasure and power—a perfect balance that suited her entirely.
Her movements roused August from his sleep. He opened his eyes to meet her gaze, a hint of exasperation flickering in his expression. Since Najenda had joined their ranks, she had thrown herself into her new role with abandon. However, upon learning that this world would meet its end in a year, Najenda had grown even more detached, shirking her responsibilities and leaving everything in Esdeath's hands.
Now, Najenda was buried in work, her workload so immense she likely wished she could split herself in two. The empire's affairs were in chaos following the purge of countless officials and nobles. Every vacant position required careful vetting and replacement—an arduous task that consumed considerable effort.
Adding to the strain, Esdeath had essentially declared herself a hands-off leader, exacerbating Najenda's already overwhelming burden. The latter had begun to question if she'd made a grave mistake aligning herself with them. No system should exploit its workforce to such extremes, she thought, and Esdeath's indifference to power only made matters worse.
Esdeath stretched languidly before addressing August. "How are the Revolutionary Army and the tribal alliance faring?"
"They're continuing to amass their forces. Reports indicate their numbers have swelled to about 1.3 million."
"Another hundred thousand?" she mused. "Where are they pulling these soldiers from?"
August offered a casual shrug. "No idea, likely conscripts from conquered territories."
A mischievous glint danced in Esdeath's eyes. "Tell me, if we were to slaughter all 1.3 million of them, how much would that benefit you?"
"Immeasurably," August replied without hesitation.