You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Chapter 68: Make your choice, Najenda!

Frankly speaking, whether it's overthrowing the empire and becoming emperor himself, or changing the system from top to bottom, it would be easy for Iori now, and history books have given him plenty of reference templates.

If you want to act quickly, you can seize power; if you want to act slowly, you can act like Cao Wei's Sima Yi; if you want to act at a moderate pace, you can act like Wang Mang usurping the Han throne. Of course, these are all real-world scenarios. However, given superior martial prowess, Iori can certainly pull off some less conventional maneuvers.

For example, hellish politics and stuff... it's kind of hilarious though~

Iori knew very well that there was no perfect country in the world, nor was there a true utopia. Societies maintained by force would mostly go to extremes, while groups united by interests would fight each other. Even the most perfect system would have loopholes, which would eventually turn into a tumor.

This is a bug in the very foundation of human thinking. Just look at the out-of-control AI brains in many science fiction works and you'll understand. Even without any constraints, humans cannot imagine what a "perfect system" would look like.

Therefore, Iori never intended to establish any earthly paradise from the beginning; his goal was simple:

End this chaotic era, establish achievements worthy of being elevated to legend, and make the entire "Akatsuki" game a stable dungeon world for you to farm art style points.

In this process, if he can bring the people a relatively normal society and a country where people can live in peace... then he can be said to have fulfilled a great mission while striving for his own success, and he can be proud of it.

Therefore, when Najenda fantasized about ending the war through peace talks between the various factions, Iori mercilessly shattered her beautiful vision.

"Ernest was undoubtedly a terrible regent. While he certainly played a part in the empire's decline to this point—you don't need to understand what 'accelerator' means, but you can't say that the country's ruin was entirely his fault."

Attributing all misfortune to one person and then killing them would solve all the problems, allowing everyone to sit down happily and create a better tomorrow.

That's the logic of religious texts and chivalric romances. Reality is far more complex, and you should understand that.

Najenda, even if I did as you say and killed Ernest, are you confident you can get the Revolutionary Army and the Empire to put aside their differences and sit at the same table?

Iori's words left Najenda speechless, and after a long pause, a look of regret and helplessness gradually appeared on her face.

She finally realized that she had been too impulsive and had lost her temper, making such an unrealistic suggestion:

Not to mention that the revolutionary army could not possibly believe in the sincerity of the imperial court, just as the imperial court could not possibly believe in the revolutionary army.

Even if the two sides can achieve basic mutual trust, the negotiation table will inevitably be tense, with both sides vying for various interests. Moreover, they will maintain the original size of their military and will never reduce their military strength to allow the people to recuperate and rebuild.

if not?

Put down your swords and hand over your territory? You're kidding me!

Even if Iori were to use his powerful abilities to act as a mediator and force the two sides to negotiate, it would only be a temporary ceasefire, and there would be no possibility of genuine mutual understanding.

Moreover, there are too many unstable factors here. For example, General Bude is a true heir to the throne and a staunch royalist. The young emperor can make him risk his life with just a word. So, the young emperor, who seems to be a puppet, actually has extremely powerful potential forces.

If a figurehead monarchy is unreliable, then tripartite governance is even more absurd...

This is just the high-level conflict. At the local level, among the people, and in the military, all sorts of unimaginable conflicts will emerge one by one. Even a god couldn't save us then!

"So... is war the only way to solve everything in the end?"

Najeta gripped her prosthetic right hand, her voice heavy: "I am a soldier, but I do not like war, because no matter the outcome, the cost will ultimately be borne by the people."

However, if there is no other choice…

"War comes in many forms, and all of them may bring misfortune, but we can try to minimize its damage."

"You mean..."

"I have an idea that, if all goes well, we should be able to end the war in the most efficient and rapid way, provided that all the contradictions are properly resolved."

But this undertaking cannot be accomplished by me alone, or rather, by force alone. I need someone with both ability and ideals to help me—like you, Najenda.”

"Me?" The short-haired female general's eyes showed a look of realization. "Are you trying to win me over?"

“I really want to say some nice things to fool you, but I know what kind of person you are, so I will be very honest and tell you ‘yes’.”

Iori said seriously, "I'm trying to win you over."

"...In the capacity of an Imperial General?"

"Identity is not important, and you probably won't be bound by formalities. As long as it can reduce the suffering of the people, you will agree without hesitation, won't you?"

Iori stared into her single eye: "Think it over carefully, Najenda."

"Do you want me to... betray the Revolutionary Army?" Najenda asked gravely.

But Iori easily countered, "What drove you to give up high-ranking positions and generous salaries to join the revolutionary army was better treatment or a higher rank? Since you have always been loyal to your conscience, how can you talk about betrayal?"

"You say you have a way to end this war and eliminate any future worries?"

Najenda stared intently at his mask: "Why should I believe you?"

"Because I could have unified the world by force, but I didn't."

Iori asked earnestly, "Isn't it very sincere that the tiger is willing to sit down and negotiate with the rabbit?"

“...That is true.” A sense of absurdity rose in Najenda’s mind, but she did dispel many of her doubts and began to believe Iori’s promise.

"So what do you plan to do? This is not an easy task. As you said before, both the Revolutionary Army and the Empire have many thorny issues hidden within them."

"Yeah, just thinking about it gives me a headache."

Iori spread her hands: "I don't have the mind to solve them one by one."

Najenda suddenly panicked: "Then you—"

"But if we change our perspective, wouldn't it be fine as long as we deal with the person who caused the problem?"

“………………Huh?” Najenda was taken aback.

"The situation may seem complicated, but to put it bluntly, it's just a power struggle among nobles, bureaucrats, powerful figures, and ambitious individuals, right?"

“Yes… but you can’t just kill them all!” Najenda thought this absurd idea flashed through her mind, and she quickly tried to persuade Iori, “If we wipe them all out, this country will definitely fall into great chaos!”

“Of course we won’t kill them all indiscriminately.” Iori smiled.

Although Huang Chao's chrysanthemum poems were very catchy, doing so would not only harm the privileged class, but also easily lead to a loss of control.

Iori's idea is more feasible and better suited to the extraordinary world:

"Najeta, there's one thing you need to understand first:"

The vast majority of powerful and wealthy people do not have the idea of ​​forming their own factions and going it alone. When faced with the tide of the times, their first reaction is to join a certain camp, or to be a fence-sitter between multiple camps at the same time.

What we need to do is to keep putting pressure on certain groups so that they will take the initiative to jump out, join a certain camp, or support a certain bigwig.

Just like when I took action against the local governors, many corrupt officials began to send letters to question Ernest, making it clear who was loyal and who was treacherous.

Then we can screen these people and selectively categorize them.

"This does not seem to be a simple matter."

Najenda murmured, "You need an extremely large intelligence network..."

"Ministers, the emperor, the leaders of the revolutionary army—they will help me collect them."

Iori smiled coldly: "I'm keeping them here so they can become lights, drawing out all the ghosts and demons hidden in this chaotic world!"

Najenda was shocked: Iori was confident that he could obtain the private documents of these three people at any time!

She had already tried her best to think highly of Iori, but she was still surprised time and time again...

"However, I can't do it alone; I need someone to help me."

Iori extended her hand to Najenda: "What's your answer?"

Chapter 69: Yes, he really is Death.

Ernest did not receive any reinforcements. His secret letter disappeared without a trace, and Esdeath did not respond. This plunged him into extreme anxiety.

Was it because the northern barbarians were preparing for a major attack and Esdeath was simply too busy to spare the time, or had that woman changed her mind and no longer wanted to cooperate with him?

But in any case, not even a reply is a bit too much...

Calm down! Calm down, Ernest!

You are the chief minister. Although the changing situation is unfavorable to you, as long as you still hold the young emperor in your hands, you don't need to be afraid of any storms.

—That being said, his son Sheila has become someone else's puppet, the Four Demon Rakshasa should have been killed, and now even Esdeath has abandoned him... The minister looked back and suddenly realized that his wings had withered to such an extent!

The young emperor is indeed a trump card. Strictly speaking, the Imperial Arms he inherited, the Supreme Throne, has the power to suppress all rebellions, and this Imperial Arm is essentially controlled indirectly by his ministers.

However, since it is called a trump card, it cannot be used casually. The young emperor himself is not mature enough, and activating the Imperial Arms requires a great deal of energy. Using the Supreme Throne to quell a small-scale rebellion is completely not worth the effort.

The correct way to use the Imperial Arms is to be stationed in the capital and, at the most critical moment, to wipe out the Revolutionary Army's elite forces with a massive, devastating attack.

The problem is here:

Ernest's hand consisted of a single Joker and a bunch of weak cards, putting him at a significant disadvantage compared to his opponents who held straights and bombs.

He keenly realized that he was in a very dangerous situation. Just as Najenda and Iori had analyzed, he, who originally relied on three legs to walk, had now lost two of them and was left with only a little emperor, in danger of collapsing at any moment.

However, a minister is a minister after all, and he still has the ability to adapt. He decisively went to the palace to "report" his son, Sheila, to the young emperor.

It is claimed that during Sheila's captivity by the Revolutionary Army, he was brainwashed and controlled by the enemy using cruel methods, and then sent back as an undercover agent. He secretly worked for the Revolutionary Army without her knowledge, and the "masked general Izo" was the Revolutionary Army's puppeteer!

The young emperor was both shocked and furious, but he believed Ernest without hesitation and announced throughout the country that Sheila and Izan should be stripped of all their positions, labeled as traitors, and called on the troops stationed in various places to suppress them!

In this way, the minister temporarily appeased the senior officials of his faction, making them believe that he had not instructed Sheila to do so, but that the revolutionary army was using his name to sow discord.

Although it would have a rather negative impact—some people would definitely question his ability to control the situation—he decisively chose to lose face rather than his life.

Then he began to conduct a large-scale conscription in the name of the emperor, selecting elite warriors and searching for hidden Imperial Arms users. He invited them to the capital to form a special police force directly under the emperor, using extremely generous treatment and promising futures as bait.

In addition, a large amount of wealth and supplies were sent to the northern border as a reward for Esdeath and the border troops.

He didn't dare to directly question Esdeath about her intentions, so he simply chose a very clever confidant as the official in charge of transporting supplies, and sent him to understand the local situation and Esdeath's personal attitude.

Finally, there was an attempt to transfer General Bude to quell the revolutionary rebellion, but General Bude refused, insisting on protecting the palace on the grounds of "duty"—he was not comfortable entrusting the entire capital to his ministers.

Within a few days, the ministers issued a series of decrees. Although they did not reverse the situation, they at least pulled themselves back from a precarious situation. They were quite capable in both politics and military affairs, and the advantage of holding the emperor hostage to command the princes was clearly revealed at this moment!

However, he wasn't the only one taking action:

Iori is now famous throughout the empire, and the arrest warrant personally issued by the young emperor has, in a sense, increased his fame and established a very vivid and concrete image in the minds of the people.

During this time, Iori continued to carry out purges in various places in an orderly manner. Especially after being labeled a "rebel," he made no attempt to hide his true intentions and used overwhelming force to clear away obstacles. Moreover, he was more thorough than before, targeting not only local governors and high-ranking officials, but also powerful landowners.

Of course, he did not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, only killing major villains with concrete evidence of their crimes, while showing leniency to officials and powerful figures with good reputations in the past.

After all, in chaotic times, while the majority of the powerful and wealthy are scoundrels, there are also relatively "normal" people who can be used to stabilize the region and appease the people.

It wasn't that no one tried to wipe him out, but all military operations against Iori proved futile, and anyone who dared to stand against him had to be prepared to have their head ripped off the next moment.

After witnessing the exaggerated scene of "taking the general's head from among ten thousand soldiers," soldiers often lose their will to fight... As the saying goes, what do the weak fight for?

Even though Iori only had a few hundred men under his command, he was completely unstoppable when operating within the Empire, and his marching routes were unimpeded!

The only thing that gave the minister some consolation was that Iori did not follow the revolutionary army's example of dividing his troops to station and seize territory, nor did he recruit soldiers locally to expand his army. He seemed to be just showing off his military power as he toured between the provinces...

Unable to understand his motives, the minister could only conclude that it was a sign of Iori's lack of ambition and political acumen.

The minister, overwhelmed with problems, failed to notice some inconspicuous intelligence. For example, wherever Iori went, the local Anning Road would gain many more believers, its overall size would increase significantly, and there was a trend of cooperation with local powerful families.

Unbeknownst to many, people began to connect the image of a certain deity in the Annyeongdo scriptures with the appearance of Iori in front of the public.

The priests of Anning Road would specifically tell people "not to make any assumptions," but they always seemed to want to say something but held back, making people unable to help but have all sorts of thoughts... The more they denied it, the more people wanted to explore it.

They are the guardians of the afterlife, the guides of souls, and the judges of all sins;

No one has ever seen his true face, because he always wears a dark mask that symbolizes eternal sleep;

Legend has it that he protects the peace of all the dead, but only pure souls can enter his realm. Those who committed grave sins in life will be burned by his wrath and cast into the desolate, boundless desert, where they will wander forever...

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[CG updated]

【Imperial General - Masked Reaper】

Art style value +6

Chapter 70: When Death Knocks on the Door

"Sir, that gentleman's letter has been placed in your study."

"You've worked hard, you can step down now."

"Yes~"

The elderly butler with silver hair respectfully took his leave, and the burly man in casual home clothes turned and walked towards his study.

The estate covers a vast area, and the mansion itself is quite magnificent, almost comparable to the residence of Lord Ernest, but the two are quite different in style.