Chapter 466. Methods of Winning Hearts and Minds
「Despite killing the nobles and controlling the City Lord, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka still kept his forces concealed.」
「On the surface, nothing seemed wrong with the city; it remained under the control of the nobles and the City Lord, belonging to the Kingdom and obeying the orders of the King and the Second Princess. The traveling merchants coming and going never discovered anything amiss.」
「However, this led to many of his subordinates feeling indignant and finding the situation unbearable.」
「They simply didn't understand. They had already annihilated a fully equipped elite division of the Kingdom's army, killed the nobles, controlled the City Lord, and forced the city residents to join and prove their loyalty.」
「So why did everyone still have to tightly withdraw from the city and hide in nearby towns and villages? This wasn't right! Damn it, was the so-called Earth Emperor this gutless? This cowardly?」
「It was simply stifling!」
「...This displeasure was widespread. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka never expected these lower-class people of the Middle Ages to have any long-term vision or to understand the profound meaning behind his layout.」
「He had no intention of baring his soul to explain it clearly; his response was simple, crude, and violent.」
「"You useless curs can't even stand straight! Day after day, you consume so much of my grain, yet you lack the strength even to hold a weapon. With such embarrassing displays, what could you possibly go out and do? What honor could you fight for? You're nothing but a laughingstock!"」
「"I absolutely cannot afford to lose face like this. Am I supposed to tell the whole world that the subordinates of the Earth Emperor are these feminine, waste-of-space weaklings? Today I shall make it crystal clear: if you are not qualified for even one day, then for that day, don't even dream of war, you pieces of trash!"」
「His subordinates were displeased, but Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was even more furious. In his rage, his overbearing presence easily crushed all those whose loyalty was insufficient.」
「And once he finished playing the "Black Face" (the villain), someone had to play the "White Face" (the mediator).」
「Ayanokouji Kiyotaka left after his tirade. Then, the very next day, following a slight, careless hint from him, one of the five or six die-hard loyalists—the ones who had been blinded and then healed—understood his intent. This man took it upon himself to spread some "heretical theories."」
「This particular loyalist was one Ayanokouji had kept hidden. Unlike the other five, who had already been entrusted with heavy responsibilities and were well-known, this loyalist had no fame; no one recognized him.」
「"Do you think the Emperor really meant those words literally? Do you think the Emperor only values combat power? You lot are utterly stupid; no wonder he calls you curs!"」
「"Waa-yah——YEE!! Kid, what are you saying? Are you talking out of your ass?"」
「One of the hot-tempered subordinates, a tall and sturdy leader, stepped out in a rage and grabbed the loyalist by the collar. "No matter how the Earth Emperor insults us, we must take it, because the Emperor is invincible under heaven! The Emperor possesses that kind of power!"」
「"But you? You self-unaware brat! What right do you have to lecture people like the Emperor does? You're courting death! Kid, today I'm going to make sure even your backside isn't safe!"」
「The loyalist sneered. "Heh, what right do I have? Based on the fact that I understand the Earth Emperor's heart better than you do!"」
「The thousand-plus subordinates surrounding the loyalist were stunned for a moment, then burst into loud, mocking laughter. "Ha! Hahahaha!"」
「"Fine, fine! Since you're so confident, I'll give you this chance. Kid, if you can't give us a proper explanation, don't blame me for reporting you to the Emperor~"」
「They were no longer in a hurry to beat him, because they intended to deliver this guy to the Emperor with "just cause."」
「Compared to a simple death, falling into the hands of the Earth Emperor would be a fate worse than death—absolutely the most painful and satisfying outcome.」
「The loyalist spoke loudly: "If the Emperor did not have the ambition to swallow ten thousand miles, if the Emperor did not have the goal of unifying the world, how could he treat the Kingdom as if it were nothing? The Emperor cannot possibly retreat, cannot possibly compromise, and cannot possibly fear!"」
「"If that's the case, why would the Emperor give such an order? Shouldn't we have marched straight to the Royal Capital in one go?" someone countered.」
「"Heh, the Emperor is naturally invincible under heaven, but what about you?" The loyalist looked around, his eyes filled with contempt. "Compared to the Kingdom's most elite army, could you stinking lot beat them? Would you not die?"」
「"We might not be able to, but the Emperor is invincible!"」
「Hearing the former bandit speak like this, the loyalist glared fiercely, killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Then why does the Emperor need you? If he has to do everything himself, why did the Emperor give you positions, power, and money?"」
「"That's right, the Earth Emperor can sweep away everything, the Earth Emperor can do it all... but if the Emperor handles every single thing, how would you, who have no merit, be qualified to receive the Emperor's rewards?"」
「"Are you saying..." The leader had finally caught on. "The Emperor thinks highly of us? He wants to promote us, but our strength is insufficient. Therefore, for our sake, the Emperor issued such orders—to hide for a time and give us a chance to train."」
「"This way, we will have the strength to defeat the Kingdom's elite, and we can make the Emperor feel proud, living up to the high expectations he has for us!?"」
「He could have solved everything instantly, yet he stopped his pace for the sake of these good-for-nothing pieces of trash? Was the Emperor truly this gentle?」
「The loyalist tilted his head back arrogantly, sneering with disdain, and refused to answer.」
「But the answer was already out in the open. The thousand subordinates looked at each other; following this logic, the more they thought, the more they felt this must be the truth.」
「Yet not only did they fail to grasp the Earth Emperor's profound meaning, they actually dared to harbor slight doubts in their hearts?」
「"GUA—The Earth Emperor is so gentle! We are nothing but stinking, dim-witted trash! We don't have the qualification to follow the Emperor at all!"」
「The man who had just questioned the loyalist suddenly screamed, drew his blade, and stabbed himself in the stomach to commit suicide. No one would ever know that this was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's manipulation.」
「These hundreds of subordinates only knew that they were once again shocked by the Earth Emperor—deeply shocked, deeply impressed. Once again, the majesty, prestige, and power of the Earth Emperor were strengthened!」
「They untied the loyalist. No one dared to be disrespectful to him; they escorted him together to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's throne, kneeling in a massive wave to confess their sins in unison.」
「Ayanokouji Kiyotaka didn't even ask why they were apologizing; he simply nodded, further cultivating the persona of the Earth Emperor.」
「Just as he had dealt with the Ice Wolf Clan, he remained ambiguous. He didn't admit or say he was doing it for their sake, nor did he deny it—he simply didn't mention it.」
「From then on, under the guidance of the loyalist, these thousand subordinates became fiercely loyal, proactively dedicating themselves to training, becoming more disciplined and stronger by the day.」
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