Ever since the emperor was assassinated, everyone knew that a storm was coming, but no one was sure how the storm would 'land' or who would be the first to suffer.
As for those people before? They weren't even considered casualties, just a bunch of unlucky people caught in the aftermath.
But no one, no matter how much they calculated, expected that the first person to get hit would be Honest!
Honest was personally promoted by the emperor. When he was a governor, he was only in his thirties. It was extremely rare for someone of that age to be a governor, let alone a minor noble. More than half a year ago, when he was exceptionally promoted to the Empire's Minister of Finance, it dropped a lot of jaws.
Although the Minister of Finance only manages finance, it is still one of the top-ranked positions in the empire's civil administration system, not to mention that Honest was not yet 50 at the time.
It can be said that not only the emperor, but in the eyes of most people, this man with a gentle attitude and excellent work ability was one of the strong contenders for the next minister, but all of this was ruined overnight!
His son was publicly beheaded, his mansion was raided, and he himself was wanted.
And if the sudden fall of this powerful official, who was highly favored by the emperor, was simply unexpected, then the annihilation of the 'Royal Fist Temple' made countless people wonder if the subordinate who came to deliver the news had gone mad.
The Royal Fist Temple has existed for a thousand years. It has been able to stand for a thousand years, so it naturally has its own unique qualities. The most widely known point is that it has countless disciples from noble families. It can be said that acting against the Royal Fist Temple means tearing up the facade with these interest groups.
The emperor is indeed the supreme ruler of this empire, but even so, he cannot do whatever he wants. So, the emperor's decision to annihilate the Royal Fist Temple with such a decisive order to Lancer was completely beyond everyone's expectations.
The nobles who had vested interests with the Royal Fist Temple were first shocked, then angry, but in the end, it turned into fear!
They understood the situation, so why didn't the emperor?
But the other party still made this decision despite knowing the situation, which is enough to show his determination. And although they could form a force that could influence the direction of the empire when gathered at the Royal Fist Temple, they are now leaderless. What can they do?
After all, no one wants to be the one to charge forward at this time, since the person who sticks their neck out will have no other option...
When Shira was beheaded, the entire Imperial Capital was discussing the matter, but in fact, the three people most related to this matter didn't care at all.
Honest, as Shira's father, had already treated him as an expendable, or rather, he never had too much hope for him from the beginning. Shira himself knew even less than Honest's few close subordinates.
And Lancer and the emperor, as the one who gave the order and the one who made the arrest, sat and stood silently, looking at the things in their hands.
"Budo, were all these things found in Honest's mansion?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"..."
Looking at the names, some familiar and some unfamiliar, the emperor didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Your Majesty..."
But at this moment, Lancer, who had also finished reading a document, suddenly spoke up.
"Lancer, did you find something?"
The emperor himself thought very highly of Lancer. The other party was strong and didn't have much of a desire for fame or wealth. According to Budo analysis, the other party was a natural-born 'warrior'. In addition, the plan to 'trick' Honest this time was also proposed by him. Although they didn't manage to catch the other party in the end, it did force Honest to expose himself earlier. It can be said that he is both brave and resourceful. The emperor himself was very optimistic about Lancer. Now that he suddenly spoke up, it couldn't help but make the emperor, who was in a gloomy mood, feel a little better.
After all, no matter what, he still had capable people by his side.
"Your Majesty, I believe that many of these things might be fake."
"Hmm? Why do you say that? Haven't many people already been confirmed?"
"It's precisely because of that that I'm suspicious, Your Majesty. Think about it carefully. How well did Honest hide himself before he showed his hand? Even in the end, he was only 'tricked' into revealing his identity. I didn't even find any concrete evidence of his crimes. How could a person with such a cautious and careful personality keep this kind of 'evidence' at home? I suspect that those confirmed individuals are likely 'expendables', and the real purpose of these exposed targets is to divert our attention! And besides that, the bigger purpose is to make Your Majesty suspicious of the ministers, right? After all, only your subject and the Great General were here to discuss this..."
Lancer words made the emperor, who had a hint of a smile, look grim again. But he wasn't angry with Lancer, as Lancer was only stating the facts.
Because of the Honest incident, he had already started to distrust the civil officials and was instead more trusting of the army.
"Continue."
"Yes! And although it might be presumptuous, if all these letters are real... Great General, do you think that criminal would have any chance of winning if he were to directly raise an army in rebellion?"
Lancer sudden question made Budo expression a bit grim.
"Your subjects will defend the Imperial Capital to the death! We will not let that criminal cross a single step! But I'm afraid the entire empire will be reignited with war..."
Budo words sounded okay, but they actually answered Lancer question. If all of this were true, then once Honest raised an army, the entire empire would not be spared. Even if they could defeat the other party in the end, it would probably not be an easy task.
"I never noticed it before, but that guy is not only good at finance, but I didn't expect him to have such a poisonous scheme!!"
In the end, the emperor's voice was filled with gritted teeth. But looking at the letters and documents in his hands, he kept frowning. The other party's continuous scheme was simply vicious. If it hadn't been discovered, the civil and military officials would probably have become even more divided because of the emperor's attitude. Only a balance based on the current situation is the right path.
And the most terrifying thing is that even if the other party's plan was discovered, it was useless. Once the seed of suspicion is planted, it's not that easy to remove. This is the most terrifying part of this move. It is still effective even if it is seen through.
"For now, secretly investigate these people. If it is confirmed that they are indeed involved with that man, then don't show any mercy! But there must be solid evidence! Secondly, the existence of these things must be kept secret! Otherwise, it will likely cause more trouble!"
"Yes!" x 2
Both Lancer and Budo bowed in response to the emperor's command. It seems that this turmoil won't be stopping so easily...