CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER39-A NEW ITEM

Inside the Royal Council chamber, under William’s guidance, the assembly quickly moved to the next topic.

"Your Majesty, I’ve heard some rumors recently. They say that among our officials, many have been taking bribes, even colluding with one another."

The moment William said this, the hearts of the officials present all tightened.

With the Crossbridge Empire in its current state, who wouldn’t take the chance to line their own pockets, unless they were a fool?

What William mentioned was not an isolated case, but rather something everyone knew yet never spoke of.

No one had expected William to throw out such an explosive accusation during today’s Royal Council.

At the same time, Jacoff and Troy both sensed that something was amiss.

They wisely kept silent, waiting to see how the matter would unfold.

When Aurek heard those words, his face instantly darkened.

"Officials who betray the Empire by stealing from within—I, as emperor, will never tolerate such corruption!"

"In the Empire’s current situation, the most important matter is to root out these parasites. The best way is to execute a batch of them immediately."

Such killing intent in his tone made the officials’ faces turn pale.

At that moment, Aurek suddenly fixed his gaze on Troy.

"Troy, you are the Empire’s Minister of Police. Investigating corruption is your responsibility. So tell me—why has the Empire fallen to this state?"

Caught off guard by the emperor’s question, Troy hesitated for a moment.

But as an old fox of the political arena, he quickly came up with a reasonable excuse.

"Your Majesty, in recent years serious crimes have greatly increased, and the Ministry of Police has been overwhelmed with cases. We simply don’t have the manpower. So—"

His intention was to shift the blame onto William’s faction, implying it was their policies that had failed, resulting in the surge of crimes.

Yet to Troy’s surprise, Aurek did not become angry. Instead, he smiled faintly.

"Troy, you’ve truly worked hard during this time."

"Since the Ministry of Police cannot manage everything, I will have Heimerdinger take the lead in establishing a Procurator’s Office."

"From this day forward, the Procurator’s Office’s main duty will be to hunt down corrupt officials and bring them to justice."

Before Troy could respond, Aurek’s eyes turned sharply toward Heimerdinger, his tone firm.

"Heimerdinger, I am entrusting this matter to you."

"I will see it done, Your Majesty!" Heimerdinger answered immediately.

By the time Troy regained his senses, his face was already twisted in frustration.

Without realizing it, part of his power had been stripped away.

Supervising the officials had always been the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Police.

And now, without even asking for his consent, a portion of that authority had been handed elsewhere.

"Your Majesty, this doesn’t seem very appropriate..."

Aurek’s expression remained calm as he replied with a faint smile.

"There is nothing inappropriate. Just now, I asked you, and you admitted your Ministry could not handle everything."

"Right now, stamping out corruption is a top priority for the Empire. Allowing Heimerdinger to create the Procurator’s Office is simply helping you share the burden."

"But—"

Before Troy could continue arguing, Aurek’s face suddenly grew cold.

"Minister Troy, are you questioning my decision? Or is it that you have no desire to punish corrupt officials?"

Though his voice was quiet, it carried the full weight of imperial authority.

Troy immediately lowered his head.

"No, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean it that way."

"Good. Then this matter is settled."

Aurek’s icy gaze swept across the chamber.

"If you voluntarily return your ill-gotten wealth before being investigated, I will pardon you from the death penalty."

"But if you are caught—then I will show no mercy."

His words, heavy as stone, instantly broke the officials’ composure.

And so, with those final declarations, today’s Royal Council drew to a close.

Jacoff and Troy watched Aurek’s retreating figure, hatred smoldering in their eyes.

They quickly lowered their heads and left the chamber, their faction’s officials following close behind.

It was clear to all that this matter would not end peacefully.

The Royalist Party’s officials gathered together, their voices low in discussion.

"Is His Majesty preparing to move against them?"

"But I doubt it will be so simple."

"Even so, isn’t this exactly what we’ve been waiting for?"

Though opinions differed, they all agreed on one point: since the emperor had chosen to act, he must have the strength to back it up.

Perhaps it was time for the Royalist Party to take the initiative and strike.

Back in his residence, Aurek’s mood was at its peak.

Troy could never have imagined falling right into his trap, having his authority cut apart without lifting a finger.

Even more exciting for Aurek was the result of last night’s strike against the Unicorn Trading Guild—he had harvested 3,000 Emperor Points.

Now he was even considering establishing an intelligence and assassination bureau, staffed entirely with the Elemental Assassins.

These assassins were one hundred percent loyal, and their abilities were perfectly suited for intelligence work. They were the ideal choice for such an organization.

Without hesitation, Aurek exchanged for a [Special Unit Enhancement Potion] from the shop.

He ordered the Gold Assassin to drink it.

A violent surge of energy coursed through the air, and the Gold Assassin successfully advanced to Hero Rank lv9!

The strength it now radiated left Aurek deeply satisfied.

Even against Master Rank opponents, the Gold Assassin could hold its own.

At last, Aurek could set aside his immediate worries about the red-robed Archbishop Austin.

The remaining 1,900 Emperor Points he spent on upgrading the Emperor’s Scepter.

The benefits were obvious—upon reaching level 25, the scepter allowed him to summon fifty Elemental Assassins each day.

Not only that, their base strength had also risen.

Freshly summoned Elemental Assassins now started at Elite Rank lv9.

And those from the earliest batches had already reached Expert Rank lv1.

At that moment, Aurek noticed a message flashing in the shop interface: stock replenished.

He immediately opened it, and there, he saw a brand new item!

[Random Unit Summon Card]Price: 10,000 Emperor Points