Chapter 459: The Script of Evil (2)
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Troops were mobilized across the Empire.
I led the Emperor beyond the walls of the imperial capital. Civil and military officials followed in our wake. We were all clad in resplendent garments, and my crimson cloak billowed as I walked. Hundreds of officials of every rank hurried after us at a brisk pace.
“Make way for His Excellency, the one and only sovereign of the Empire, blessed by all the gods and commanding the loyalty of all demons, the great Emperor of Habsburg!”
A vast plain stretched out beyond the city, and a raised platform had been erected there. A court herald spotted us and cried out in a booming voice. Magically amplified, the proclamation echoed across the plain, and some two hundred guards snapped to attention in unison.
A most unusual scene was unfolding here. I wasn’t riding a horse. Nor did I ascend a palanquin. Instead, I advanced with a limp, relying on my prosthetic leg and cane. The Emperor matched my pace, and as a result, the hundreds of people following behind us were forced to move just as slowly.
“…….”
It was a silent, unmistakable display of power.
Those unsightly, halting steps quietly demonstrated who truly held authority within the Empire. As I mounted the platform alongside the Emperor, the onlookers watched in solemn silence.