Game World: I Can Share Talents

In truth, Westheid’s words were a bit like a villain crying foul first.

True, the Lands of Order were inevitably doomed to collapse and descend into warlord conflicts in the future. But at this point in time, most people had no idea what had happened.

Only the highest echelons of the Realm of Order had noticed the sealing of the Supreme Heaven. Their first instinct would certainly be to lock down all information and prevent the terrible news from spreading.

After that, the central authorities of the realm would frantically search for a remedy. Only after all attempts had failed would they be forced to accept the cruel reality. It was then that all the ambitious opportunists, conspirators, and unlucky souls unable to resist the Chaos Corruption would pop up like mushrooms after the rain.

But all that was yet to come. For now, the Imperial government could still function on sheer inertia for a while longer. This power vacuum was Qinghui’s opportunity to make a preemptive strike.

Westheid said gravely:

"In such a time of crisis, as the Imperial Branch of Prosperity, and to ensure the security of our rear territories, I believe it is necessary to ’protect’ all the nearby Pioneer Territories."

’How does one prevent a backstab from the side of Order? By striking first, of course!’

"Are you... going to annex these Pioneer Territories?"

A Civil Servant asked weakly after a moment of silence, immediately earning a glare from Duke Qinghui:

"It’s protection!"

Westheid slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet, declaring:

"This comes from a place of pure helpfulness. It is precisely in such a critical moment that the Qinghui Territory, as an elder of the Borderland, must be filled with a spirit of mentorship and compassion to care for the less capable Pioneer Territories. Especially with Chaos about to run rampant, any Pioneer Territory that lacks the ability to protect itself will inevitably fall into turmoil."

"To prevent such a tragedy, how could I not prepare for a rainy day?"

Whether others believed him or not, that was Westheid’s story.

His words were not without reason. The Borderland, adjacent to the Chaos Domain, would bear the brunt of this catastrophe. The Qinghui Territory, with its Circle of Clear Skies covering the entire domain, would not have much of a problem, but the Pioneer Territories were not so lucky.

It was foreseeable that the Pioneer Territories would teeter on the brink of collapse from the impact of the Chaos tides.

Yolanda’s eyes lit up. Although Westheid hadn’t rehearsed this with her, the platinum-blonde girl still grasped her brother’s train of thought with perfect precision:

"That’s right! We’re doing this to save the people of the Pioneer Territories. Besides, we were the ones who bore the brunt of Chaos’s impact before, allowing the Imperial Pioneer Territories to develop in peace."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s our duty to help our neighbors through these hard times. Who else but the Qinghui Territory could possibly do it?"

The two members of the Qinghui Clan sang in perfect harmony, their words sounding noble and grand. But the underlying meaning made their subordinates’ and allies’ eyelids twitch uncontrollably.

’Fuck, the border garrison is rebelling!’

As a border Shubang, the Qinghui Territory’s expansion was severely restricted—in fact, it couldn’t expand at all. The size of its domain had remained unchanged since the day it was established as the Branch of Prosperity.

Although the Qinghui Territory was not small, the area of a single Province was clearly not enough to satisfy Duke Qinghui’s swelling appetite. Thus, he had long ago set his sights on the Imperial Pioneer Territories in the Borderland—just the right size for the Qinghui Territory to devour.

It’s just that it was never appropriate to do so before. While the Pioneer Territories weren’t true Imperial Provinces, they were still colonies established by Imperial Citizens, destined to join the Imperial state sooner or later.

What would it look like for you, the Branch of Prosperity, to just swoop in and steal them? One or two city-states might be overlooked, but annexing all of them would surely alarm the Imperial government.

"D-Duke Qinghui... isn’t this carving out your own domain?"

The young lady from the Shadow Flame Clan was too straightforward. Her flaming eyes widened as she stared at Westheid.

Shamuel clearly could not accept such an act. Her little face flushed red as she stammered:

"This... this is tantamount to splitting the Imperial state. Ack! It’s... unwise! And impertinent!"

’Tsk. Too conservative.’

’The Shadow Flame Clan really is... utterly hidebound. If the Shadow Flame Duke were here, he would have said the same thing. The Shadow Flame Clan are the staunchest supporters of the Branch of Prosperity system, perfectly content with their status as a Shubang.’

But Westheid scoffed at the notion.

’An Imperial state without a Celestial God has no majesty or sanctity to speak of. It has also lost the legitimate right to rule over all.’

One had to understand that the Imperial system was loose by nature. The only reason it appeared so unified was because of the faith in the Divine Ancestor.

If the Imperial central authorities could no longer contact the Divine Ancestor, then they had no right to command the followers of the Radiant Holy Tree. The divine right of kings... that wasn’t just a slogan.

’When the mandate of heaven changes, the Divine Artifacts change hands, and a person of virtue shall claim them!’

Seeing this, Westheid glanced around. Although he had done psychological prep work in various ways beforehand, it wasn’t so easy to make people who had lived peacefully under Imperial Law for millennia to instantly entertain thoughts of independence.

’The Divine Ancestor has just lost contact, and I’m already planning to seize independence by force? It smacks of disloyalty, impiety, inhumanity, injustice, impertinence, folly, and faithlessness.’

’So, I still have to put on a veneer of legitimacy? At least until the era of total collapse truly arrives, I should try to minimize any resistance.’

Besides, Westheid was also someone who cherished his reputation; he couldn’t appear too much like a parasite.

Westheid pondered for a moment, then said:

"Shamuel, you’re right. I was too hasty. But you’ve misunderstood my intentions. With the Divine Ancestor uncontactable, Chaos running rampant, and the Imperial state in turmoil, the central government will certainly focus its energy on the core provinces first."

"The vast Imperial territories are too large to be cared for in their entirety. Many lands—such as the Borderland—will inevitably be neglected. But this region is also part of the Imperial state. Are the people of the Pioneer Territories not people? Should the subjects in the Imperial border provinces be abandoned?"

"Obviously not!"

Westheid knocked his knuckles on the table and said:

"Therefore, I am preparing to send a letter to the Imperial Capital. I will petition His Royal Highness the Regent King and the Imperial elders for a position that grants me full command of military and political affairs, so that I may help the Imperial state stabilize the border situation and protect its lands and people."

Phrased this way, although the essence of the plan was the same, going through the proper legal channels made it much more palatable for everyone.

"So be it. Begin preparations immediately. Gather supplies, ready the army, while... the Star Gates are still operational."

Westheid waved his hand, ending the brief meeting. After his subordinates had all dispersed, the only ones left in the conference room were a few observers from the Ring of Clear Skies Allies.

Ailu’er went right up and hugged Westheid’s arm, smiling.

"Duke Qinghui... you predicted this day would come, didn’t you? No wonder you dared to study the forbidden art of Demonology. It seems you really don’t have a shred of loyalty to the Imperial state."

Westheid retorted sternly, "You can’t just say things like that. The Qinghui Territory has stood guard for a thousand years. Every generation of Patriarchs has fulfilled their duties to the letter. How is that not loyal to the Imperial state?"

’Reforming the administration to secure the borders... how could I possibly have any disloyal intentions?’