CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER28-IMPERIAL KNIGHTS

Yule, along with the elders of House Tascher, were utterly stunned by what they had just heard.

Any faction worthy of being called a true power would have at least one Expert Rank master guarding it. That was the bare minimum for survival and influence. Such forces were usually courted by leaders like Jacoff and Troy, recruited and drawn into their orbit.

And yet now...

The Emperor himself had shown complete disregard for them.

Could this mean that His Majesty simply did not care for such forces at all?

But no—these groups all had Expert Rank powerhouses. Was the Emperor saying their strength was meaningless? Or was it rather that the forces under his control were already so overwhelming that he could afford to ignore them entirely?

Josephine’s eyes shone more brightly at that moment, as though a light had flickered awake inside her.

Aurek glanced at her, his tone calm and even."Josephine, give me a little time. I will show you that the Crossbridge Empire will not fall so easily."

"Perhaps no one else will believe me, but I do not care about that. All I ask is that you believe."

Something in his gaze touched her deeply. The sincerity in his eyes brushed against the softest part of her heart.

In truth, Aurek and Josephine had known each other since childhood. Their relationship had always been close. And apart from Josephine, Aurek once had another childhood friend as well, someone who had been by his side growing up.

He often longed to see that girl again. But when it was confirmed that Aurek would inherit the throne, she had quietly left the Crossbridge Empire. No one knew why. No one knew where she had gone.

But now, Josephine had chosen to trust him. And if she believed, then Aurek would stop at nothing to prove to her that her choice was not misplaced.

"Your Majesty," Josephine said firmly, "I am willing to believe in you. No matter what happens, I will not leave the capital."

Her words were solemn, her voice clear, and her gaze softened as it met his.

Yule and the other elders remained silent. They had watched Aurek grow up with their own eyes. They knew well the hardships he had endured through the years. Those very hardships had shaped him into a timid, cautious, even cowardly man.

And yet, the Aurek standing before them now seemed transformed into someone entirely different.

Still, even so, how could he hope to reverse the tide?

If he were in any other empire, perhaps Aurek could restore prosperity, perhaps he could make the nation flourish again.

But the one he had inherited was not just any nation—it was the Crossbridge Empire. A crumbling ruin of a state, riddled with corruption, fractured by factions, on the brink of collapse.

Even if Aurek had lived a thousand lives, could he ever hope to mend such a wreck?

After a long conversation, Aurek finally departed from House Tascher.

His retreating figure, however, left a deep impression. That back—the back of their Emperor—was no longer the same.

Josephine’s eyes lingered on him as he walked away. And in her mind resurfaced a memory from their childhood.

"If you feel tired being Emperor, why not just stop? Don’t force yourself. Don’t worry, I will protect you. You don’t need to bear it all alone."

"Josephine... I know you want to help me. But there are some responsibilities that I cannot escape. Some duties that fall to me, and me alone."

...

Inside the council chamber of House Tascher, Yule’s gaze swept over the elders gathered there. He sighed softly."From this day forward, House Tascher will stand with the royal family. We have no other choice."

"I only wonder... how much longer the empire can last."

One elder quickly spoke up."Patriarch, since things have come to this, we must prepare. We cannot put all our eggs into one basket. Our family is far too large to risk it all."

"In my view, whatever happens, we should thoroughly investigate the mysterious powers behind His Majesty. We must know their true strength."

"Only if we understand his capabilities fully can we decide our next steps."

...

When Aurek returned to Valoria Palace, he did not choose to rest. Instead, he turned to Angie, who stood silently awaiting his command.

"Go and summon William and Heimerdinger to the palace."

Angie bowed immediately and left to carry out his orders.

Aurek’s eyes shifted, his gaze hardening as it fell upon the thought of Troy.

The Minister of War, Nock, was little more than Troy’s puppet. Which meant Troy himself was Aurek’s next target.

The reason was not merely politics. Aurek needed to gather more Emperor Points. The more points he earned, the stronger he would grow.

But striking Troy would require time and precision.

In the meantime, Aurek gave orders to the Gold Assassin. Several Elemental Assassins were dispatched beyond the city walls, tasked with eliminating notorious gangs and criminal organizations.

At present, Aurek commanded ninety Elemental Assassins. There was no need to keep all of them by his side. Even if a portion were used to shadow Jacoff and Troy, many remained idle.

So why not put them to use?

Aurek’s logic was simple. If they were idle, better to have them hunt down the guilty, cleanse the surrounding regions, and earn Emperor Points in the process.

After all, each day Aurek could summon twenty more Elemental Assassins anew. There was no need for fear of depletion.

It was a straightforward philosophy: fight to feed the fight, grow stronger through battle.

This arrangement would not only stabilize the lands around the capital but also increase his Emperor Points—a perfect outcome.

Not long after, William and Heimerdinger arrived at Valoria Palace. They bowed low as they entered."We greet Your Majesty!"

Aurek nodded, his expression calm.

"You summoned us here, sire," William asked respectfully, "is there a new mission you wish to entrust to us?"

Aurek thought for a moment before speaking."There is indeed. I want you to mobilize the Imperial Knights. Station them around the capital, in the three cities closest to it."

The two men exchanged startled looks.

"Your Majesty," Heimerdinger said cautiously, "to redeploy the Imperial Knights on such a scale will surely provoke unease from the other two great houses. Should they choose to act recklessly, I fear it may bring danger to you."

Aurek, however, only let out a cold laugh. A flash of killing intent gleamed in his eyes."Yes. That is precisely what I want. I want to force them into desperation."

William and Heimerdinger were stunned, confusion plain upon their faces.

Aurek continued, his tone calm yet filled with steel."If I do not drive them into a corner, what reason will I have to eliminate them?"

At last, the two men understood.

This Emperor meant to strike directly at the Grand Marshal and the Minister of Police. He wanted them to act rashly, to reveal their hands.

And if the mysterious power that had destroyed the Minister of War’s faction truly lay in Aurek’s grasp, then this was the perfect strategy.

Push them until they could bear no more, force them to act, and then... crush them.

Before the Ordon Theocracy could fully withdraw its support, Aurek would strike first.

He would not wait for the storm to come—he would become the storm himself.