The State of the Empire

At the Istaria Great Altar, hundreds of Imperial Court mages gathered together, raising their staffs in unison.

Accompanied by violent fluctuations, a massive Space Rift, hundreds of meters long, appeared at the top of the altar.

A huge and majestic red head emerged from it, followed by a thick neck, then broad wings and powerful forelimbs.

The supreme emperor of the Embers of the Burned Empire, the dragon who rules the Anzeta Great Wasteland — Keosius Klauberwu Norikesius —has arrived today in his loyal homeland, Istaria.

"Aww—"

Keosius slowly closed his eyes, savoring the long-lost feeling of being in control of everything within the Empire Domain, and let out a joyful whistle.

"Master, welcome back."

Lang Pu stood on the second-highest level of the altar, respectfully welcoming the return of the Red Dragon.

As the Prime Minister of the Empire, only he could stand in a unique position and be the first to greet the Emperor.

Behind him were Dukes Mezhuolash and Dolo, who led the Empire Elite Army and the Tiefling Guard respectively.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty!"

The hundreds of Court Mage behind him also spoke in unison.

The soldiers on the altar knelt down in unison, their rifles resting on the ground, making a crisp sound.

"Owner--"

The White Dragon rushed over from afar, running and flying. This time, she didn't dare to get too close. Instead, she excitedly lay down on the ground, her thick tail swaying.

The movement of her nearly twenty-meter-long body caused the ground to tremble slightly.

Keosius looked around and finally fixed his gaze on the Imperial Prime Minister, Lang Pu.

"Lang Pu, you should have received the news by now, about the Empire's colonies in the Fire Elemental Plane."

"Yes, Master. Congratulations on another great victory. I have already sent someone to record your deeds in the 《History of the Embers of the Burned Empire》."

The Ogre knelt on the ground, his tone growing increasingly agitated.

"You subdued the Fire Dwarf, defeated the Pasha of the Fire Giant Kingdom, and even persuaded the Sultan to sign a treaty with us, bringing immense benefits to the Empire. All citizens should remember your achievements and be grateful for your kindness! I will immediately erect a new monument."

That's not what I meant.

Keosius's lips twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but interrupt.

He simply gave a signal, and Mezhuolash whispered something to Dolo.

At their command, the surrounding soldiers, guards, and Court Mage withdrew in an orderly manner, leaving only a few high-ranking officials—and Tinia, who couldn't understand anything.

"Have you sent manpower and supplies to the colonies? The living conditions there are extremely harsh; ordinary clothes and food will soon be burned."

"Of course, Master."

Lang Pu quickly replied.

"We have sent a special envoy team composed of players from the Church of the Machine God to Brass Fortress, and they have also brought a lot of supplies with heat-resistant spells."

"In addition, the Ministry of the Technology Department is also working on weapons, clothing, and food for the special environment of the Fire Elemental Plane. It is expected that there will be preliminary results in about a month, which can greatly reduce the cost of spells. You don't need to worry at all."

"Very good."

Keosius nodded slightly.

"The Burning War is also a rare opportunity. I have appointed Serkan as the governor of the Fire Elemental Plane Colony. Tell him to make sure he can gain a foothold and profit from the chaos."

"In addition, specialized weapons targeting elemental creatures also need to be put on the agenda, as this war will last a long time."

Lang Pu grinned, revealing an ugly smile.

"You can rest assured then, Your Majesty. Those guys in the Military Industry Group are the most greedy. They've already tasted the sweetness of arms trafficking, and many of them have made a fortune. It's even created an atmosphere where they'll do anything to pursue profits."

Lang Pu chuckled.

"In this atmosphere, if there is any opportunity to make a profit, they will swarm in like a pack of hungry wolves and divide up all the Gold Coin."

However, as if remembering something, he frowned and said, "However, in order to reduce costs, some people have started to conceal the number of workers, exploit legal loopholes, and even fail to pay taxes as required."

Keosius's expression immediately turned serious—this was a bloodthirsty monster he had personally raised.

Now it has begun to show its true colors, revealing its despicable nature to the entire Feanso Continent.

Although there were individual forces supporting them, Keosius did not regard them as monstrous threats, but rather as vicious dogs that helped the empire expand outwards. However, he also had to prevent these monsters from turning into vermin that gnawed at the foundation of the empire.

Violent dogs need to be trained.

Not only should they be fed flesh and blood, but they should also be made to feel the power of the stick, lest these greedy creatures lose their sense of who their master is.

"It seems to have grown beyond just a budding stage."

Keosius narrowed his eyes and thought to himself.

"Lang Pu, have the Legal Department work overtime to quickly plug the loopholes, increase the severity of punishment, and bring a few typical cases to trial as an example to deter others. We absolutely cannot give them any chance to exploit loopholes."

"Yes, Master."

Seeing that the emperor took the matter very seriously, Lang Pu quickly bowed his head in agreement.

Keosius continued, "Remember the story I told you?"

"Of course, Master, even a thousand-mile-long dike can collapse because of a tiny ant hole."

Keosius nodded in satisfaction, then turned to look at Mezhuolash: "It seems that things have been too peaceful in the country lately, to the point that some people are starting to have their own little schemes."

"Let ' Nocturne ' see some blood; they haven't tasted fresh blood for many days."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Mezhuolash's expression remained unchanged; he simply knelt down decisively, offering a brief and forceful response.

"Alright, I've just returned from the Fire Elemental Plane. I need to go back to the palace to rest for a while."

"Remember, during this time, do not disturb me if anyone comes."

Keosius yawned, easily tore through the space in front of him with his forepaws, creating a huge Flame Teleportation Gate, and slipped through it, returning to the long-lost palace.

After several battles, he really needed to rest and digest his newly acquired power.

Meanwhile, a huge upheaval is about to unfold within the empire.

A month later, the 《Empire Corporate Law》 was solemnly promulgated, and it was retroactive, which immediately caused a huge uproar in the country.

But soon, several Dragon Blood Noble who led the violation of the rules were beheaded and their heads displayed in public, and some companies that were skirting the edge of the law were also greeted with "friendly" words by Nocturne.

Some "shrewd" players even had all their assets confiscated and were imprisoned for long periods of labor reform.

For a time, the empire fell silent. The trend of "breaking imperial laws for Gold Coin" was curbed and subsided, and instead, a wave of "abandoning humanity for Gold Coin" emerged.

In the eyes of the imperial authorities, the second point was merely a normal phenomenon, while the first point was unforgivable.

Soon, some people discovered that while they were subject to the law within Anzeta, where slavery, tax evasion, and exploitation to death were prohibited, the situation was not so simple in the south. Although they still had to pay taxes to the empire, they were much freer in certain unspeakable ways.

So they began contacting the Cleric of the Church of Waukeen who had "sold their souls for Gold Coin," and a massive expansion campaign targeting external forces began.