CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 184: THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE SCENES

The Assassin Brotherhood conveyed their intelligence to Perfikot, who did not dismiss it. Although she didn’t need the Brotherhood to eliminate dissidents for her, she never wasted known information or ignored those opposing her.

This information was promptly handed over to Eldest Princess Annie and the Military Department, and simultaneously shared with Duke Glossiter.

The responses from the three parties varied, but it was evident none intended to let the matter slide.

The military’s reaction was the most direct and intense; after all, Perfikot had just helped them achieve a glorious victory in a national war.

To now suggest Perfikot was wrong would imply the military shouldn’t have won, or that you think the army suffered no casualties this time?

Whichever answer was chosen, it would thoroughly offend the military.

In particular, the military’s stance was not merely to publish some benign articles in the newspaper, but rather, they directly dispatched the Guard Army to shut down several newspapers that published articles criticizing Perfikot.

Such drastic measures would ordinarily draw the condemnation of the Noble Council and strong rebuke from the elected parliament.

However, in a bizarre twist, both the Noble Council and the elected parliament maintained an unusual silence on the military’s misdeeds.

Moreover, at the suggestion of the Royal Family, a news regulation law was submitted to the Noble Council for discussion and passed with an astonishingly swift process, even prompting only perfunctory amendments from the elected parliament before passing.

This efficiency made it one of the fastest-passed laws in Victory’s history, comparable only to the impulsive policy decrees of past emperors in the feudal era.

Since the establishment of the Noble Council and elected parliament, this marked the first time a law was unanimously passed and swiftly enacted.

This undeniably sent a signal to everyone, that the Noble Council, elected parliament, and the Royal Family all supported the military’s actions.

Furthermore, it signified that Perfikot had gained unified support from the Victory government, with the military serving as her solid backing.

Clearly, this left those secretly plotting behind the scenes dumbfounded; they were unable to comprehend why the Noble Council and elected parliament reacted so strongly to the incident.

Nevertheless, this did not exceed the expectations of the mastermind, as Perfikot had just won a war for Victory and the Northern Territory’s development involved massive interests, so her support was justified.

Precisely because of this consideration, the mastermind intended to start by tarnishing her reputation first.

They chose to target her from an angle that didn’t significantly affect her, rather than confronting her head-on from the beginning.

But they didn’t anticipate that even so, they would provoke such a strong reaction from the military and the two-tier parliament, leaving them momentarily unsure whether to continue or to pause and reconsider.

However, the mastermind quickly decided to persevere.

After all, Perfikot already had a vast reputation and support from various forces; if she were allowed to develop the Northern Territory further, her entanglement with various interests would deepen, making her even harder to target.

If she couldn’t be dealt with, she would become Eldest Princess Annie’s greatest ally in future royal succession matters.

After all, the title of Northern Guardian is vastly different from that of ordinary nobility. As a guardian, Perfikot not only has the right to maintain private soldiers, but she can mobilize them unimpeded.

While large-scale military actions are impossible, deploying one or two Knight Orders to support a royal succession bid cannot be obstructed under imperial law.

In the past, that wouldn’t have mattered; if you had a Knight Order, didn’t we all?

The Royal Guard Knight Order was created to prevent such situations, ensuring all its members are Grand Knights.

Moreover, each Royal Family member commands a Knight Order that is nominally under their command.

In times of real conflict, the support of a lord is indeed important, but one or two Knight Orders cannot be the decisive factor.

However, the situation has since changed; Perfikot commands a Knight Order of Steam Knights!

Five Steam Knights could smash a Guard Regiment; a Knight Order starting with at least sixty to eighty Steam Knights, or up to a full complement of one hundred and twenty in extreme cases, could directly overthrow an Army Group.

Especially since Perfikot is the inventor of the Steam Knight, arming her Knight Order is easier than anything else.

Currently, it’s only the industrial capacity of the Northern Territory that’s hindering her military expansion, with only forty Steam Knights visible this time.

However, Perfikot is now negotiating with the Minister of Industry to establish factories in the Northern Territory. If the Northern Territory gains sufficient industrial capacity, who can guarantee Perfikot won’t use hundreds of Steam Knights to seize all of Langton next time?

Bear in mind she possesses Flying Airships; with Flying Airships and Steam Knights, no fortress in this world can stand against her.

Thus, a few days later, at the doorsteps of the elected parliament building, the elderly Professor East stood angrily on a platform, loudly denouncing the government’s interference in free speech, criticizing Perfikot’s cruelty, condemning how thermobaric bombs turned war into slaughter, and arguing that the Empire’s victory this time was devoid of glory and that no woman should rely on achievements gained through slaughter to become the Imperial Academy President...

Due to Professor East’s status and the image of his elderly scholarly rigor, many uninformed citizens were swayed by him. Though not explicitly in support, they paused to listen to Professor East’s speech.

Consequently, a large crowd gathered in the plaza outside the elected parliament building.

Professor East’s speech was one aspect, while the henchmen of the mastermind within the crowd, inciting and agitating the public to express support for Professor East’s speech, led to widespread dissemination of the issue, making many citizens mistakenly believe Perfikot committed some disgraceful acts.

In such a situation, the military wasn’t in a position to directly intervene; raiding newspapers and dispersing crowds were entirely different matters.

Similarly, the Noble Council and the elected parliament found themselves unable to disperse the crowd or arrest Professor East, for his advanced age posed too great a risk. Were anything to happen, no one could bear the responsibility for the untimely death of a highly esteemed university professor.