The Gendaya Royal Court.
At the top of the towering tower that pierces the clouds, a huge blood-red pupil, like the eye of a god, looks down upon all living beings, within which Blood Sea churns and an intense aura of Slaughter permeates the air.
At one moment, a massive and imposing aura, like a pillar rising from the ground, suddenly pierced through the clouds. Natural elements surged in, transforming into a seven-colored vortex, as if the heavens themselves were celebrating the birth of a Demigod.
In the distance, at the Buratino Royal Palace, Logo, seated high on his throne, looked up with a hint of joy at the location of the Eye of Gendaya. The Grand Elder, the Left Prime Minister, and others in the hall also turned to look, their faces beaming with delight.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Not only is the Queen safe and sound, but she has also broken through to the Demigod level in one fell swoop," the Left Prime Minister said Earth Dao a beaming smile.
Logo nodded slightly, not surprised by Qiya's breakthrough. With the White Wolf Kingdom destroyed, the immense Clan Hatred within Qiya would be completely transformed into her own power.
Breaking through the Demigod bottleneck is just the beginning. In the coming period, Qiya's strength will experience a major breakthrough.
Good fortune may be a harbinger of misfortune, and misfortune may be a harbinger of good fortune; this is the way of the world.
Lowering his head, Logo looked at the respectfully standing ministers below, his gaze finally settling on a middle-aged man clad in crimson armor, with fiery red hair, his entire being resembling a ball of flame. He smiled and said, "The Queen is fine, Grand Duke Fire Ash, continue your report!"
Grand Duke Fire Ash bowed his head hastily and responded, saying, "Your Majesty, the Winter Empire, led by Orc King Stark, with all five tribes mobilized, has brazenly broken the non-aggression pact signed with the Radiant Empire. Their army, passing through the Golden Sands Khanate, has entered the heart of the Radiant Empire without hindrance, winning battle after battle along the way and suffering no major defeats so far."
As soon as the words were spoken, genuine smiles appeared on the faces of the Royal Court's high-ranking officials. Some, not so reserved, even laughed out loud, their laughter filled with delight.
The arrogant and domineering Radiant Empire is now being repeatedly beaten. For the Gendaya People, who were once wantonly bullied by the Radiance, there is nothing more satisfying than this!
Logo smiled, but he was not surprised by the Winter Empire's fruitful results.
The reason is simple: the command structure of the Radiant Empire's army has major problems.
The root cause lies in the powerful internal crackdown launched by the current Pope, Anthony.
Following the "God Replacement Plan," rebellions erupted one after another within the Radiant Empire. A significant portion of the Geya People, who were steadfast in their faith in the God of Dawn, were extremely dissatisfied with Pope Anthony and secretly plotted a coup to overthrow Anthony's rule and welcome back the God of Dawn.
Needless to say, Pope Anthony, who commanded countless henchmen, easily crushed the rebels' ridiculous coup plan and began to further consolidate power, launching a purge centered on eliminating dissidents.
In the beginning, Pope Anthony controlled the intensity of the purge, removing disobedient elements while installing loyal and capable newcomers, gradually infusing the vast empire with fresh blood.
If he were to spend more than a decade completing this centralization of power, the cohesion of the Radiant Empire would increase dramatically, and its overall national strength would undergo a qualitative change.
Just like the current Royal Court, Logo is a man of his word, and with one unit of power, he achieves three units of effect.
Unfortunately, the world is wonderful precisely because it is full of unknown variables; no one knows what will happen next.
Just as the Winter Empire suddenly launched an attack on the Radiant Empire.
The original plan for a large-scale purge was forced to stop due to the attack by the Winter Empire.
In order to unite against external forces, Pope Anthony initially intended to use appeasement to calm the resistance and not pursue their responsibilities further. As long as they did not cause trouble, they could continue to enjoy their various rights normally.
As a result... the resistance forces also lost their minds.
They actually thought they had grasped the Pope's weakness, Winter Empire's attack as their own reliance.
The idea was this. "Hehe, if an enemy comes, you won't dare kill us, right?"
His sudden leaps and bounds caused Pope Anthony's suppressed killing intent to burst forth.
Pope Anthony, by nature, is an autocratic and intolerant of anyone who dares to challenge his authority.
You're being ungrateful, aren't you?
Then all of you should just die!
It is unknown what price Pope Anthony paid, but the Winter Empire, which had always been at war with the Radiant Empire, actually agreed to a ceasefire and signed a non-aggression pact.
This left the resistance forces dumbfounded.
The orcs, who are usually the least likely to compromise, are actually 'peaceful'?! Who can we reason with?
Ironically, on the very day the non-aggression pact was signed, all resistance forces in the Radiant Empire instantly fell silent.
It had a comical feel to it, like burying your head in the sand and muttering to yourself, "You can't see me." Your originally stiff body suddenly softened.
A magnanimous leader, upon witnessing this scene, would likely laugh it off and forgive them.
After all, the members of the resistance forces are not to be underestimated either. They are spread throughout every sector of the country and have an enormous influence. If we take action rashly, even if we win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory.
Unfortunately, Pope Anthony was the kind of ruthless person who would beat you harder the more you resisted, and the more you fought back the more fiercely he would beat you!
The country can be in chaos, but heretics must die!
Thus, due to the war with the Winter Empire, the long-suppressed purge erupted even more violently, several levels more intense than before.
From the political sphere to the business world, and then to the military... no level of the entire Radiant Empire could escape this massive internal storm.
Taking the military as an example, 70-80% of mid- to high-ranking officers are imprisoned, and countless others are executed after swift trials.
Many veteran marshals with outstanding military achievements passed away in the process, and the stars of generals faded away.
The large-scale layoffs of mid- to high-ranking officers have suddenly created vacancies in previously Radiance competitive senior military positions. There have even been bizarre cases of division commanders being promoted several ranks within two years, becoming army commanders.
That's right, I'm talking about Kuzov Yervis, the commander of the Radiant Empire's Third Army Group, who was utterly defeated by the First Legion of the Heavenly Eye Force led by the Grand Duke Black Mountain.
It would be truly strange if Kuzov could command well after being suddenly promoted from a division commander to the commander of a front army of three million.
His defeat is the normal outcome.
Examples like Kuzov are commonplace in the Radiant Empire's military, which explains the two instances where he was brutally attacked by the Gendaya Royal Court and the Winter Empire.
In fact, if the Radiant Empire had exercised restraint from the outset and had not rashly marched into the Rising Sun Peninsula, but instead stationed troops on the border, Logo would not have dared to provoke this behemoth.
From beginning to end, he never considered that a full-scale war would actually break out with the Radiant Empire.
When Logo formulated the "Continue the War" operation plan, the orders he gave to the Heavenly Eye Force were merely to hold off the Radiant Empire's army at all costs, without any intention of defeating them, let alone crushing them decisively...
Logo had even mentally prepared for the Heavenly Eye Force to be decimated, but... Little Knife pulled his butt and opened the Big Eye!
"Tell me, what should the Royal Court do next to maximize its gains?"
After listening to Grand Duke Fire Ash's report, Logo chuckled.
Grand Duke Lieyuan immediately stepped forward, radiating soaring fighting spirit, his eyes burning with passion. He said excitedly, "Your Majesty, what else is there to say? Just as the Orc King Stark said, the Radiant Empire is a dilapidated house, ready to collapse at any moment. At this critical juncture, the Royal Court should immediately send troops to advance along the Rising Sun Peninsula and conquer more territory..."
Without a doubt, Grand Duke Lieyuan was a staunch advocate of war.
His words also made some people in the hall show eager expressions, and they were very tempted, especially the original members of the Old Blood Faction, most of whom harbored deep hatred for the Radiant Empire. Simply Destruction the White Wolf Kingdom was not enough to wash away their hatred.
These guys are very interested in conquering the Radiant Empire, enslaving the Geya People, and plundering their resources.
Hearing the words of the Grand Duke Lieyuan, Logo nodded slightly, but did not immediately express his opinion. Instead, he glanced seemingly casually at the Left Prime Minister, Alex, standing to his left.
Having received the signal from Logo, the Left Chancellor, who had been somewhat unsure, immediately felt reassured and stepped forward to object, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that Grand Duke Lieyuan's suggestion is too hasty and should not be implemented as he has suggested."
Upon hearing this, the Grand Duke Lieyuan glared angrily at the Left Prime Minister, looking as if he were about to throw a punch at him. The other members of the Ancient Old Blood Faction also glared angrily.
The Left Prime Minister stood calmly and composed, showing no fear.
A dry cough was heard, Grand Duke Lieyuan and the others were startled. They immediately bowed, their expressions becoming more and more respectful, and completely from the bottom of their hearts.
The elder standing nearby was deeply moved by what he saw.
Unbeknownst to many, Logo's prestige had grown to such an extent that even the most unruly high-ranking military officers were like fanatics in his presence.
But upon closer reflection, it seems quite normal.
Logo helped the Old Blood Faction escape the shadow of the bloodline curse and led them to complete their Revenge. More importantly, Logo himself was also a member of the Old Blood Faction, giving him a strong sense of identity.
Each and every one of these things contributed to Logo's authority.
"Left Prime Minister, tell me your thoughts." With a nonchalant air, Logo suppressed the anger of Grand Duke Lieyuan and the others, and looked at the Left Prime Minister.
After bowing, the Left Prime Minister said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, although the Radiant Empire has lost cities and territories and been utterly defeated, their foundation remains intact. Their high-ranking leaders have not suffered significant losses. More importantly, due to the distance, the high-ranking officers of the space fleet were relatively unharmed during the Great Purge. This is not because the Pope did not want to, but because he was simply unable to intervene effectively."
"Although the major powers on Planet Oklo will not allow the Radiant Empire to deploy a large-scale space fleet into the planet, even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone a behemoth like the Radiant Empire!"
"Furthermore, while the Great Purge inflicted immense damage on the Radiant Empire, it also wiped out the Pope's internal enemies. Now, the core of the Radiant Empire is completely united around the Pope, making it indestructible and the Pope's authority unshakeable..."
At this point, everyone in the hall understood the Left Prime Minister's meaning.
In short, it's not the time to launch a major offensive against the Radiant Empire's homeland.
Grand Duke Lieyuan and the others calmed down, after all, the Left Prime Minister's analysis was indeed reasonable.
Logo listened, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, and a slight smile appearing on his lips. "So, what does the Left Prime Minister think we should do next? Are we just going to stand by and watch?"
"Of course not!" the Left Prime Minister said Earth Dao. "What I said before was simply to illustrate a point: we cannot launch a large-scale attack on the homeland of the Radiant Empire Radiant Empire, lest we over-provoke it and cause a lose-lose situation. But why don't we try a different approach and target the weak points of the Radiant Empire's rule?"
"For example?" Logo leaned forward, his gaze intense.
The Left Prime Minister raised his right hand, pointed northwest, and said, enunciating each word clearly. "The Light-Bathed Sea!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the expressions of the Grand Duke Lieyuan and the others, which had been gloomy, brightened up again. They didn't care whether they were fighting on the homeland of the Radiant Empire or not; as long as they could give these despicable Geya People a good beating, that was enough!
This time, Logo didn't hesitate any longer. After laughing heartily twice, he immediately agreed to the Left Prime Minister's suggestion.
"Very good, the Left Prime Minister's opinion is indeed wise and prudent. Here's what we'll do: after the court meeting, you immediately contact the forces friendly to the Royal Court, and we'll form a 'United Nations Force' to go to the Light-Bathed Sea and take advantage of the Radiant Empire!"
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree!" the Left Chancellor said, bowing his head, and then stepped aside.
Logo shifted his gaze, his smile vanished, and his expression suddenly turned cold, like spring turning to winter, as he looked at a young-looking soldier standing behind the Grand Duke Lieyuan.
This man carries three general stars on his shoulders, making him a true high-ranking figure in the Royal Court military.
"Demon Pattern!"
Logo's tone was heavy.
The Demon Pattern Grand Duke trembled slightly and quickly stepped forward, "Your Majesty!"
"I heard you condoned your subordinates' brutal killing of prisoners? It even caused a riot in the prisoner-of-war camp? Is that true?" Logo's eyes narrowed, sharp and intimidating like the edge of a knife.
The Demon Pattern Grand Duke, his face filled with sorrow, slowly knelt down without offering any rebuttal.
That was the truth, and he had nothing more to say. Moreover, the Demon Pattern Grand Duke dared not and did not want to deceive His Majesty.
Seeing this, Grand Duke Lieyuan's face flashed with pity, and he pleaded, "Your Majesty, please understand. Demon Pattern was too filled with resentment and couldn't suppress his desire for Revenge. That's why, under the instigation of his subordinates, he took it upon himself to kill the prisoner. Considering Demon Pattern's outstanding contributions this time, please spare him this time."
Before Logo could say anything, the Demon Pattern Grand Duke retorted, "Abyss Hunter, you don't need to shift the blame onto your subordinates. I ordered the prisoners to be tortured and killed. I will bear whatever punishment His Majesty deems appropriate. It has nothing to do with the other officers and soldiers."
"You..." Grand Duke Lieyuan's eyes widened, his fingers trembling.
Upon hearing the words of the Grand Demon Pattern Grand Duke, the Grand Duke Black Mountain, standing nearby, sensed something was amiss.
Demon Pattern's words sound like he cares for his subordinates and is taking responsibility, but he can't say that to His Majesty's face!
Where do you place His Majesty?
Does His Majesty not understand how to care for his officers and soldiers?
Should we punish you or let you go?
If a crime is to be committed, should the subordinates also be held accountable?
What might have been a minor reprimand turned into a confrontation with His Majesty, as the Demon Pattern's words effectively challenged His Majesty's authority.
What a politically ignorant idiot!
Upon realizing this, the Grand Duke Black Mountain immediately jumped out and righteously rebuked him. "You audacious Demon Pattern, you know how to care for the lower-ranking soldiers, but doesn't His Majesty care for them? Are you here pretending to be a good person? His Majesty is wise and powerful, and makes his own decisions. Why are you spouting nonsense here?! Admit your mistake!"
As he spoke, the Grand Duke Black Mountain secretly kicked the Demon Pattern Grand Duke who was kneeling beside him.
After being scolded by Black Mountain, the latter was first stunned, then kicked, and his previously confused mind instantly cleared. After cursing himself inwardly, he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was presumptuous. How to deal with this is entirely up to Your Majesty's discretion."
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Logo tapped the armrest of the throne lightly with his right index finger, his pupils deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.
Silence fell over the hall. Everyone below felt as if a mountain was pressing down on their shoulders, firmly suppressed by the overwhelming aura emanating from the throne. The Demon Pattern Grand Duke, in particular, trembled with fear, and even had fine beads of cold sweat on his forehead.
You must know that the Demon Pattern Grand Duke is the commander of the Heavenly Eye Force. He is a ruthless man who charges recklessly on the battlefield and has long since disregarded life and death. Yet, when faced with Logo's imposing presence, he was at a loss, as if he had returned to his childhood and was facing his father's stern face after doing something wrong.
After an unknown amount of time, the oppressive feeling receded like a tide, and the Demon Pattern Grand Duke was finally able to breathe deeply, his clothes already soaked with sweat.
"This time, considering your bravery and outstanding achievements in battle, I will not pursue your responsibility. But remember this: without the Royal Court's order, you are not allowed to indiscriminately kill prisoners, whether they are prisoners from the White Wolf Kingdom or the Radiant Empire, understand?" Logo's words fell lightly, and the Demon Pattern Grand Duke nodded hastily.
On the other side, the Left Prime Minister secretly regretted it. Such a good opportunity; if he could have overthrown the Demon Pattern, he could have found a way to push his own faction to the top.
"Alright, step aside. A general of the Royal Court shouldn't just know how to fight; learn something else too." Logo waved his hand impatiently.
"Your Majesty, I understand!" The Demon Pattern Grand Duke stammered, his throat bobbing. To be honest, he was quite frightened this time. His Majesty's majesty was terrifying, a shock that went straight to his soul.
Logo withdrew his gaze from the Demon Pattern Grand Duke and shook his head inwardly.
To be honest, he had anticipated the brutal killing of prisoners by the Royal Court troops even before the war.
They even issued a special prohibition order.
However, some things are difficult to stop if you're not there in person.
It wasn't that he lacked prestige, but rather that the hatred between the two sides was too deep-seated.
It should be noted that the Old Blood Faction of the Royal Court on the Rising Sun Peninsula was completely slaughtered, and the Holy See used the blood and souls of these people to set up a cursed sacrificial ritual, leaving the Gendaya People with a blood curse that has lasted for hundreds of years.
Every time they see other members of their own tribe, the curse within them erupts, turning them into something neither human nor ghost, deepening the Gendaya People's hatred for the Geya People and the White Wolf Kingdom.
Under such circumstances, the torture and killing of prisoners of war is all too common.
Therefore, Logo had no intention of punishing the Demon Pattern Grand Duke and his soldiers; he was only prepared to give them a few words of reprimand and that would be the end of it.
Unexpectedly, this fool actually thought he was going to punish him and even prepared to play the Champion and take the blame all by himself.
If it weren't for the Grand Duke Black Mountain's quick thinking and resourcefulness, the situation would have been very ugly.
As for the Left Prime Minister's little schemes, Logo saw right through them.
But Logo didn't care; there were no factions in the country, just all sorts of strange things.
The larger the power, the more complex its internal factions will inevitably be; this is unavoidable.
The key lies with the leader, whether he can maintain the situation in a state of struggle without breaking apart.
If the conflicts between these factions are properly utilized and they are kept in healthy competition, it will greatly promote the development of this faction.
Thinking of this, Logo looked at the Left Chancellor Alex, "Left Chancellor, what are your thoughts on how to deal with the prisoners?"
The Left Prime Minister was secretly pleased, knowing that this was His Majesty's subtle suppression of the Old Blood Faction. The Demon Pattern Grand Duke's actions would eventually come at a price; this was a political logic that was beyond human control.
If you do something wrong, you must accept the punishment.
"Your Majesty!" The Left Chancellor stepped forward once again, delivering a passionate speech.
With the example of the Demon Pattern Grand Duke and Logo's initial stance against killing prisoners, the idea was practically obvious.
With the shrewdness and competence of the Left Prime Minister Alex, setting the tone and coming up with concrete plans would be a fairly easy task.
A few minutes later, the Left Prime Minister finished his statement.
In short, the Left Prime Minister's strategy can be summarized in four words: "Calm them down with tranquility!"
What a pity to kill prisoners!
Whether they are used as laborers, brainwashed and used as cannon fodder, or sold directly to the slave market, it is much more cost-effective than killing them outright.
Especially the more than ten million prisoners of war from the Radiant Empire.
In the eyes of the Left Prime Minister, every Radiance prisoner of war is a walking banknote.
Wouldn't it be better to use it to trade with the Radiant Empire in exchange for various resources that the Royal Court desperately needs?
As for the prisoners of war from the White Wolf Kingdom, and the nearly one billion Gray-Eyed Blood Descendants, it's even simpler: after brainwashing and re-education, they can be gradually absorbed and integrated into the Royal Court.
To be honest, these ordinary people are just pitiful people who drift with the tide. It's really unfair and unnecessary to vent hatred on them.
Those fools in the Old Blood Faction mostly only know how to fight and are completely ignorant about governance. They may have been able to swagger around in the past, but if they continue like this, they will eventually be overtaken by the younger generation from the "Heavenly Eye Military Academy" and eventually be submerged in the tide of the Royal Court era.
Ironically, many of them are unaware of their own ignorance.
Times have changed!
"Hmm, the Left Prime Minister's strategy is quite good. Let's do it your way. I entrust this matter entirely to you. Don't let me down," Logo with a satisfied smile.
"Your Majesty, please wait and see," the Left Chancellor said confidently.