The Torumekian Empire, capital city Toras, royal palace.
This magnificent palace stands hundreds of meters above the ground, atop the ruins of an old civilization.
The exterior is decorated with white marble and intricate reliefs, making it resemble a divine palace floating in the clouds.
Outside the palace walls, the wind howled, but inside the palace, it was as warm as spring.
The thick cowhide carpet absorbed all footsteps, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of incense and ripe fruit.
"What? Kushana, she lost?"
A deep, resonant voice rang out, causing the minister kneeling at the door to involuntarily shrink back.
The two dwarf jesters who had been laughing and joking nearby immediately fell silent and shrank into a corner when they heard the King of Torumekia speak.
King of Torumekia lay on his side on a large velvet sofa, which made his enormous body appear even more bulky.
The notorious and ruthless emperor, as rumored, was actually a fat man whose waist was almost the same size as his height.
( The King of Torumekia, it seems, is genetically predisposed to being about the same size as his three biological sons.)
"Your Majesty, it wasn't a defeat... it was a mutual destruction; not a single soldier or civilian survived in the city."
The minister, his forehead pressed against the carpet, dared not lift his head, carefully correcting the man.
Where is she?
"Princess Kushana was fortunately rescued by the Northern Allied forces and should still be recuperating at the southeastern border camp."
King of Torumekia picked up a candied grape, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.
The capital city of Toras retains cultivation techniques from an ancient civilization far more advanced than those of the Eftal, and its cuisine is far more luxurious than that of the settlements on the edge of the Sea of Corruption.
After pondering for a long time, he finally spoke:
Let me explain in detail from the beginning.
The minister breathed a sigh of relief and quickly recounted the battle report.
"Yes, over the past four months, Her Highness Kushana led her troops eastward, capturing four rebel cities in succession. Two other cities, seeing the situation was unfavorable, surrendered voluntarily."
"Originally, the advance of the battle lines was going very smoothly, and the main force of the rebels and their leader, Brenna, had been forced to the southeastern border Gurak City."
King of Torumekia snorted coldly, subconsciously twirling his golden beard.
"That ungrateful woman! I spared her sister's life, thinking I'd gain some loyalty in return."
"It seems that none of these remnants of the previous dynasty can be trusted."
The minister dared not respond.
Over the past two decades, the old aristocracy has been purged wave after wave, and most of the power and resources have been taken over by the throne.
Those who still dare to raise their banners these days are either small lords in remote areas who have been misled and crippled, or powerful former officials like Brenna who hold military power and have deep roots in the government.
Each time, it brings a lot of trouble to the King of Torumekia.
"Go on."
King of Torumekia stood up, walked to the window and looked out; his fat body seemed to have no effect on his movements.
"Although the Gurak City resisted for many days, it was eventually breached with the support of its northern allies. His Highness personally led troops into the city to wipe out the remaining enemy forces."
"The intelligence from the accompanying staff ends here..." The minister paused for a moment, seemingly in silent mourning for someone.
"Follow-up intelligence came from the remnants of the ' Witch Legion ' stationed at the northern camp, as well as from the accounts of allied forces from the northern nations."
About an hour after the city fell, a blood-red light suddenly burst forth in the southern sky, and at the same time, a putrid stench, similar to the miasma of Sea of Corruption, spread out, which could be smelled from dozens of miles away.
"When the Allied forces went to scout, they discovered that the Gurak City and the surrounding wasteland were completely covered by a low-lying, scarlet fungus, but no giant insects were found; only a large number of pink butterflies were fluttering among the ruins."
"When Princess Kushana was found, she was alone and unconscious outside the city gate."
The report mentions that the Southeast Governor may have been secretly colluding with the Dorok, and the weapons used this time are extremely similar to the " Artificial Sea of Corruption " previously developed by the Dorok.
After listening, King of Torumekia remained standing by the French windows, silent for a long time once again.
"She's still alive after all that, she really is a witch..."
"Your Majesty," the minister raised his head and tentatively suggested, " Kushana has suffered heavy losses and made a grave mistake. Shouldn't she be recalled to the capital and dealt with accordingly?"
There are some things that King of Torumekia himself cannot say.
His role as a favorite of the emperor was simply to act as his mouthpiece.
Tens of thousands of people were wiped out, thousands of the empire's elite troops were wiped out, and a border fortress was also lost.
Even if the enemy used forbidden weapons, the commander-in-chief would still be held responsible for such losses.
Moreover, Kushana carries the blood of the late king.
The emperor finally shifted his gaze from the window and squinted at his minister.
"Why recall her? Cut off her head and tell the whole country that my daughter lost the battle and caused the deaths of countless soldiers, so I must put righteousness before family?"
The minister lowered his head. "Your subject dares not."
"You don't dare, but someone else does."
"Those rats hiding in the corners, they're just waiting for me to do this."
"Once Kushana dies, they can go around wailing and saying that I am cold-blooded and tyrannical, and unworthy to be king."
He walked back to the sofa and sat down again, the sofa creaking.
"Besides, Kushana is a very clever girl. All these years she's been winning people over and building her reputation, all to prepare for this day."
"She must have kept something on her—letters, testimonies, or some other incriminating evidence."
"As long as she dies by my hand, those things will be made public immediately, and I will never have peace."
When Kushana was mentioned, he wasn't angry at all; instead, he spoke with an appreciative tone.
This "youngest daughter" doesn't resemble her incompetent father; instead, she's more like herself, which is a good thing.
"Therefore, I not only cannot punish her, but I must also reward her."
The minister was stunned. "Your Majesty?"
"Drafting the imperial edict."
"A notice is issued to the entire army, praising Kushana for her loyalty and bravery in quelling the rebellion in the southeast and fighting to the last man."
"As for the reward, let's assign her a few more 'capable assistants,' plus the authority to mobilize troops from the northern allies."
"I... obey your order."
King of Torumekia glanced at him. "You have a question?"
"Although Princess Kushana is of royal blood, she has suffered heavy losses. Receiving further rewards might shake the morale of the army..."
"Morale of the army?" King of Torumekia shook his head.
This minister was adept at managing domestic affairs, but completely clueless about leading troops into battle.
"The survivors witnessed her crawl out of the sea of blood; they only saw the princess as a hero, a miracle."
"As for the dead... what morale can a dead man have?"
The minister was speechless.
"There's one more thing," King of Torumekia added, "Arrange for someone to spread the word through secret channels that this tragedy was actually caused by the Dorok secretly funding the rebels."
"Remember, the details must be realistic. How Brenna colluded with the Monk Council, how she smuggled in biological weapons, how she planned this suicide plot, the horrific state of the contaminated land... the more realistic, the better."
"Let the theaters stage a few new plays, something like ' The Elegy of the Blood City,' and take them on a national tour."
"Your Majesty," the minister's voice was hoarse, he suddenly understood the King of Torumekia's intention, "You... intend to take action against the Dorok Demon?"
Tolmekia and the Dorok face each other across the sea; one believes in steel and conquest, while the other is obsessed with religion and immortality.
The two countries covet each other's population, land, and technology, and friction has never ceased.
But going to war in full force is clearly not a wise decision.
Especially when the Dorok had just displayed their terrifying weapons, and the Empire's elite forces had suffered heavy losses.
King of Torumekia did not answer. He reached into his robes, pulled out a secret letter, and tossed it to his minister.
"Have a look."
The minister picked up the envelope with trembling hands and pulled out the letter.
His eyes widened as he scanned the densely packed words and seals on the paper, and his breathing became rapid.
" The Pejite are untrustworthy, but greedy enough," King of Torumekia leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest. "They won't turn down gold coins, so at least half of this intelligence is true."
"Your Majesty is wise! If we can control such a vital national treasure, the Dorok Monk Council no threat!"
Holding the newly issued imperial decree and secret order, the minister bowed and withdrew from the palace.
The King of Torumekia reopened his eyes, his gaze slowly shifting to the huge map hanging on the opposite wall.
The gaze crossed the empire's borders and landed on the northern desert near the Sea of Corruption.
Finally, the image settled on the largest red dot.
Pejite a small country that thrives by excavating remnants of an ancient civilization, managing to navigate between the Dorok and the empire.
There lies the ultimate weapon needed to realize his ambitions and even dominate this continent...
Giant God Warrior.