CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER42-CONDITIONS FOR REBELLION? CONSPIRING TO DIVIDE THE EMPIRE

After Annie left Aurek’s chambers, her heart was filled with unease. From the very first moment she laid eyes on Aurek, she realized that this emperor was nothing like the rumors.

She had thought that by paying such a heavy price today, she would surely be able to extract some valuable information. But Aurek was far too fierce; she hadn’t even had many chances to probe him with questions.

Once Annie was gone, the figure of the Gold Assassin appeared before Aurek. Without wasting words, he spoke directly.

"Your Majesty, Jacoff and Troy—they are both preparing to rebel."

He then relayed every detail, word for word, including the schemes between Troy and Jacoff.

Hearing all of this, Aurek’s face showed a flicker of surprise.

"The Dark Order? If I recall, they’re a band of assassins... with a very high success rate for suicide missions. But... compared to the Elemental Assassins, they are nothing but children."

After pondering for a moment, Aurek gave a direct order.

"Go. Show them what a true assassin is."

The Gold Assassin’s expression lit with eagerness.

"Rest assured, my lord. I will arrange for this immediately. Since they dare harbor thoughts against you, we shall send them all to hell. Aside from that—should we also protect the others?"

Aurek understood who he meant—the members of the Royalist Party, including William and Heimerdinger. If Jacoff and Troy prepared to rebel, they would surely target the Royalists first. For safety’s sake, measures had to be taken.

"Assign three to five Elemental Assassins to each member of the Royalist Party. Beyond that, dedicate at least half your forces to defending the palace. As for the remainder, you will command them as you see fit."

Block soldiers with soldiers, counter water with earth. Now that Aurek knew their entire plan, the outcome of this farce was already determined. Of course, unforeseen variables could still occur, which was why Aurek’s strategy was to gather the Elemental Assassins over the next two days and keep them in reserve.

The final result would soon come to light. And since the Ordon Theocracy had chosen to remain neutral, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him.

Aurek immediately dispatched one Elemental Assassin with a secret imperial decree: instruct William to covertly recall part of the Imperial Knights and hide them in a secure location. The main force of the Imperial Knights, however, was to pin down the armies of Jacoff and Troy.

For Aurek, the battlefield was already transparent—every enemy deployment lay within his grasp.

"Since the cards are on the table, let us play this game properly."

This time, Aurek was determined to bring the entire empire under his control.

The Winston Family

William, upon reading Aurek’s intelligence, turned pale with rage.

"Those damned scoundrels! They actually dare to rebel? These parasites of the empire—everything they have came from the empire in the first place! Damn it, I will never forgive them."

After venting his anger, William’s expression gradually calmed. In his hands was the emperor’s latest decree. The most urgent task was to act swiftly and carry out every order.

Meanwhile, Heimerdinger received the same message.

He immediately realized what it meant—His Majesty was truly preparing to move against Jacoff and Troy. Heimerdinger had long suspected this day would come, but not so soon.

In truth, the Royalist Party did not consider Jacoff and Troy themselves a threat. The real trouble lay with the powers backing them: the Killer Guild and the Leap Mercenary Corps. Both factions had formidable experts in their ranks.

If the Crossbridge Empire were still strong, such forces would not have been a concern. But now, with the empire battered and riddled with holes, the involvement of these two factions was a grave problem.

Then suddenly, Heimerdinger noticed something peculiar.

In Aurek’s decree, the details of Jacoff and Troy’s plans were written out clearly—their strategies, even the deployment of their troops!

How was that possible?

Could it be that every move, every plot of theirs had been under the emperor’s watch all along?

The thought made Heimerdinger draw in a sharp breath.

Aurek was far too terrifying. So young, yet already such an outstanding emperor. Even a seasoned political veteran like Heimerdinger found the young sovereign unfathomable.

The Royalist Party itself had not known that Aurek commanded such a powerful hidden force.

Did it mean he didn’t trust them? Not necessarily. As emperor, Aurek could never reveal all his cards. Even within the Royalist Party, there might be traitors.

Truly, His Majesty was terrifying.

On the other side, William too had noticed the meticulous details within Aurek’s decree.

"His Majesty is truly terrifying..."

Like Heimerdinger, he could not help but sigh in awe. But once their astonishment passed, both William and Heimerdinger acted without delay. They were eager to see what plans and deployments the emperor truly had in store.

In the darkness

Jacoff sat quietly in his study, waiting.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, and a figure appeared before him—vague, shifting, neither real nor illusory. Not even Jacoff could discern its nature.

"Since you are here, let us talk properly."

The figure gradually solidified.

"Grand Marshal, state your terms. We of the Dark Order wish to see your sincerity."

As he spoke, several more figures materialized. In the blink of an eye, Jacoff realized he was surrounded on all sides.

The power of the Dark Order was overwhelming.

Though inwardly shaken, Jacoff maintained a calm facade.

"You already know my target."

The shadowy figure’s rasping voice replied:

"To kill Aurek, emperor of the Crossbridge Empire, will not be easy. We of the Dark Order would bear tremendous risk. Therefore, our price is this: in addition to a share of the empire, we demand five hundred thousand gold coins—and a parcel of independent, sovereign land."