The war table's surface was covered with a massive map of the realm, including territories not yet under the Empires control, covering the entire south and West of the continent, from the Principality of Christendom, or Provincia Christi as it should be called now, all the way to the remaining unconquered regions of Francia to the Northwest.

The administrators who'd entered the room with the Emperor and future Empress were given a couple of whispered updates by Serena before they quickly got to work updating the map, to reflect the addition of Provincia Christi.

Meanwhile information coming in by carrier birds, from the frontlines, govenors, and root operatives were also being updated.

Red pins were spread evenly across the breadth of the map.

Indicating locations of enemy armies, rising civil disobedience, or targets for potential root assassinations.

Within Romanus proper, there was not a single Red pin, at worst there were some yellow once, but Greecia, Parthia, Carthago, Achae, Francia, and now Christi.

Julius sighed through his nose, pinching the bridge between his eyes.

As he stared at the map before him, eyes glancing towards the system map, before he moved to update and place new flags across the map.

His system could show him enemies, and as such he could pin down higher density locations that are opposed to Romanus rule, and law.

Francia was surprisingly more obedient than the newly added Christi region.

Large pockets of red dots littered the system map as Julius looked on.

'Surely these are the militant orders who prefer power over faith, no doubt declaring the fall of Peter III as the displacement of the true pope as the puppet Jesus returned, the orders were closely linked in the past to Peter so no doubt he'd altered the religious passages in this timeline to oust Jesus during his leave, possibly for his earthly relations rather than remaining pure for the lord. Regardless large parts of Christi are not aligned with the pontiff's decision.'

"Three legions,"

he said aloud.

"Fifteen thousand troops. No margin for error. With that being said, the best places for these legions to go..."

He scanned the map before him once more, before extending his arm to point out two locations.

"We'll have one each of the Iron Maiden's head to here and here, as for the praetorian legion we'll split it in half with one half going to each location to assist."

A scribe to the side was quick to jot down Julius's orders.

Unbenownst to them Julius had chosen two hotbed locations, and even though he didnt know it, he'd dispatched his three legions to two cities that housed four of the six total military orders of Christendom.

The legions would be there to sway public opinion to the idea of a union of the Pontiff and Imperial power, all while the Orders were likely to try and use religion to resist and divide the population, trying to kick off a religious civil war to replace Jesus as the pontiff and replace him with a more hardline stanced member of their own extreme faction.

then turning his gaze away from Christi, he next placed the order for the reinforcing legions that were yet to set out to join their brother in Francia.

Comparing his system map first Julius then pointed again.

"We'll send the 22nd to join up with the 13th here, then we'll have the 23rd head to this point from there the Legion commander can sweep the area like this before linking up with the 7th."

His fingers tracing the contours of the map, another scribe writing down his orders to ensure the legion commander could perform the emperors wishes without hesitation.

The staffers wrote before sealing the orders, but a linger thought remained, just why was the emperor sending his reinforcements in such a way, the expedition forces were spread pretty widely across Francia, and yet rather than actually reinforcing his existing positions he was instructing the new legions to furhter expand the deployment lines before eventually merging up with the field units.

"That's it for military matters... at least for now that is."

Sigh, the night was already dragging on, and sleep called but the emperors work was far from over.

With his say so, the majority of the administrators left the room until there was only Serena and one scribe remaining.

"Next."

Julius's visage darkened in an instant and the two women in the room instinctively straightened their backs as the hairs on their necks stood up with fright from Julius's released bloodlust.

"It seems those fools are making trouble once more... *Sigh* well no matter, inform the root that the speaker from roseruns candle runs dim, next we need to also..."

Coded order after coded order flew from his mouth and was recorded on paper by the scribe, in the span of minutes dozens of officials and nobles of conquered or vassalized lands were issue with a death sentence.

Yellow pins Julius could endure since with time they should disappear all on their own thanks to the Codex, but Red or black pins were a real threat to the empire as it stood right now, and threats needed to be removed.

It didnt matter if they were a govenor, or a lowly stall merchant.

Anyone the system deemed as an enemy was one that was capable of causing great harm to either Julius or his Empire.

And if that was possible they needed to be eliminated.

Never again would he allow something of his to be taken if he could help it.

For to long had he allowed dissidents to exist in the fringes, but no longer his control was deepening with each day his military might grew, and now with the aid of his liberated relics, the public sectors would be improved all on their own to lighten the load placed upon his military's shoulders.

Finally with the blacklist sent out, Julius gave Serena his queen a peck on the cheek, which caused the young lady to blush furiously while twisting this way and that, before he left to see comfort in his bed, which had gone from calling his name to outright screaming for his presence.

So ended another day in the life of the Empire, but the dawn brought with it a red sun rising, as new tides of blood were spilled.