CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER23-FRIGHTENED COURT OFFICIALS

Inside the grand Royal Council Hall,the atmosphere fell into a suffocating silence.

Not a sound was heard, as if the entire chamber had been sealed off from the world.Among the ministers present, Jacoff and Troy’s expressions immediately turned grave, their faces ashen.

Was this truly the same emperor they had always known?The timid, indecisive monarch who once recoiled from confrontation—why, after awakening from his recent slumber, had he become so merciless, so ruthlessly decisive?

Even William and Heimerdinger, long-standing leaders of the Royalist Party, were shaken to the core.They could scarcely believe their ears: before Nock’s skin was peeled from his body, he was not even permitted to die.Such cruelty—it was unimaginable.

Two soldiers of the Royal Guard quickly stepped forward, grabbing hold of Nock’s arms, preparing to drag him away.Yet before they could move further, Aurek’s cold, commanding voice rang through the hall.

"No need to take him outside. Carry out the execution here, in the Royal Council Hall.""Since everyone here despises him, then let us all watch as he meets his final end."

The emperor’s chilling decree made the gathered officials blanch.One of Troy’s subordinates, his voice trembling, stepped forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty, perhaps... should we not—"

Aurek’s eyes, glacial and sharp as blades, fell upon the man."What? Do you wish to do it yourself?"

That single glance was like the piercing strike of a predator.The official froze, his courage collapsing at once. Like a frightened rat, he shrank back, bowed his head low, and dared not utter another word—barely daring even to breathe.

At Aurek’s signal, the Royal Guard brought in crude instruments of torment: a heavy iron hammer and a sharp dagger.The hammer was for shattering bones; the dagger was for peeling away skin.

At the sight of these tools, a collective gasp swept through the council chamber.Even the seasoned William and Heimerdinger, normally confident in speaking their minds, fell silent. They dared not attempt persuasion any longer.

"Once everything is prepared, begin," Aurek commanded, his tone utterly devoid of warmth.

Several soldiers pressed Nock firmly to the cold stone floor.

"You damned bastard, Aurek!" Nock spat, his face contorted with rage and terror."You think you will enjoy your glory for long? Your end will be far more miserable than mine!"

The words had barely left his lips before a soldier hefted the iron hammer and brought it crashing down.

With a sickening crack, Nock’s thigh bone was pulverized into splinters.A scream tore from his lungs, raw and animalistic, echoing through the chamber and rattling the windows.

Many officials averted their eyes, their faces pale. They could not bear to witness such savagery.But the execution did not stop.Blow after merciless blow, the hammer descended, and Nock’s screams, once sharp and piercing, gradually weakened—fading into hoarse, pitiful wails.

This was the essence of a fate worse than death.

From the throne above, Aurek’s cold voice resounded again."What are you all so afraid of? Look carefully. Didn’t you all hate him so deeply? Then watch closely and see him brought low."

His words carried none of the softness or weakness they had once grown accustomed to.Instead, his tone now radiated an unshakable authority—domineering, commanding, absolute.

The officials’ bodies trembled involuntarily, as if the force of his will alone suppressed them.Across the chamber, Jacoff and Troy exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions grim.

They understood now.The emperor’s cruelty was not simply vengeance—it was a warning, directed squarely at them.

Aurek... so this is your true face. We had underestimated you all along.

The torture dragged on without reprieve.Two whole hours passed before Nock’s cries finally fell silent.

At last, Aurek spoke again, his voice steady and calm, as though nothing unusual had transpired."That will be all. Today’s council session is adjourned."

For the other officials, it was like a reprieve granted by heaven itself.One after another, they scrambled to their feet, bowing hastily before all but fleeing the hall, eager to escape the suffocating shadow of cruelty that lingered there.

The emperor they had thought weak and malleable—how had he transformed into someone so fearsome, so unflinching in brutality?

Among all those present, it was the sycophants of the Grand Marshal and the Minister of Police who felt the greatest terror.

For years, they had schemed, currying favor with their powerful patrons by sacrificing the empire’s welfare and undermining the throne.To them, the feeble emperor had always been an irrelevance, hardly worth acknowledgment.

But now...Now they realized with horror that their emperor was not only far from weak—he was a calculating and ruthless ruler, capable of terrifying cruelty.

Fear seeped into their bones.Whispers of betrayal and guilt haunted their minds.If Nock could fall so spectacularly, who would be next?

Among them was one particular official: Blake, a mid-ranking administrator within the Ministry of Police, in charge of interrogations.

Even after returning home, Blake could not shake his dread. His hands trembled as he tried to steady a cup of water; his face remained pale and expressionless.

He had seen much in his career. Torture, screams, broken bodies—he was no stranger to cruelty.Yet what he had witnessed today under the emperor’s order chilled him to his very soul.

The image of Nock’s skin being cut away, his anguished howls reverberating through the chamber, was carved into Blake’s mind. He could not drive it away.

And Nock’s last words still echoed—his insistence that it was the emperor himself who had destroyed his castle and slaughtered his household.

Could it truly have been Aurek?If so... then the emperor was more terrifying than Blake had ever imagined.

And if even an Expert Rank powerhouse like Butler Brown had perished in that same massacre—what chance did a mere functionary like Blake stand, should the emperor’s gaze fall upon him?

He tried to reason with himself, but unease gnawed at him.How had Aurek managed to cultivate such hidden strength without anyone’s knowledge?And why had he not denied the accusations today?

But perhaps denial had not been necessary.The emperor’s silence—his calm composure—was in itself the most terrifying answer.

Impossible to guess... truly impossible to fathom what His Majesty is thinking.

Meanwhile, outside Eryndor City, in a sprawling fortress of stone and steel,the Grand Marshal Jacoff sat in brooding silence.

He puffed irritably at his pipe, brows knitted in frustration.The events of the council session still played over in his mind.

Could it really have been Aurek who orchestrated the fall of Nock’s family?If so, how had he achieved it?

Jacoff knew better than most the true measure of the Royalist Party’s strength.He had battled against William and Heimerdinger for years, and though he respected their tenacity, he knew their faction lacked such power.

So if not them, then who?And if indeed it was the emperor—how could he have hidden such a force for so long?

One thing was certain: this mysterious power must be investigated.For the sake of the empire, and for his own survival, Jacoff had to uncover the truth.

He issued orders to his subordinates to expand the investigation further, then retreated to his study.There, he penned a letter in haste, sealed it with red wax, and dispatched it through trusted hands.

Elsewhere, in a secluded courtyard within Eryndor City,William, Heimerdinger, and the assembled ministers of the Royalist Party gathered in secret.

The atmosphere was tense, their voices low but urgent.

"Never would I have thought His Majesty could be so decisive.""Indeed, such resolve—I cannot recall him ever acting with such authority.""Perhaps we have all underestimated him."

As murmurs filled the air, William finally spoke, his tone deliberate.

"A few days ago, His Majesty instructed me to focus on cultivating more officials loyal to the Royalist Party.""Now that Minister of War Nock has been executed, I can assure you—this is no coincidence."

The others exchanged looks, realization dawning.The emperor’s actions were not only a punishment for Nock, but also a calculated move in a greater strategy.

"Still," one minister muttered, "the matter remains strange. Was it truly the emperor who orchestrated the massacre at Nock’s castle?""Not impossible," another replied. "Did you not see how certain Nock was in his accusations today? He must have known something."

Thus, whispers and doubts spread across the empire.Fear gripped the officials, suspicion festered among the factions, and beneath it all, the shadow of the emperor’s newfound ruthlessness loomed larger than ever.