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As everyone speculated about the situation, screams occasionally echoed from within the city, further unsettling the crowd.

"As I said," a Morvos Knight stepped forward, his towering figure and imposing presence intimidating the masses. He issued a warning with a menacing tone. "If you don\'t leave, we\'ll make you leave by force."

"My family is inside! What are you doing? They need me!"

"Yes! We have families in there! You can\'t do this!"

As the crowd erupted into chants of protest, the Morvos Knight merely grumbled. Then, with a gleaming motion, he unsheathed his sword and slammed it into the ground with a resounding thud. The crowd fell silent instantly; children began crying, but the knight ignored them.

Speaking with a firmer tone, he declared, "Soon, everything will be explained to you. Be patient, or accidents may happen."

The knight\'s mana began pressing down on the people, silencing any dissent. Then, pulling his sword from the ground, he stepped back, allowing the crowd to breathe more freely.

This was not limited to the city gates. Within the city, it was no different. Hundreds of Morvos Knights stormed homes, dragging out individuals in their grasp. All of these people were advisors, spies, and important figures close to King Wilhelm.

Anyone with ties to the royal family or government was seized from their homes and taken to the dungeons for execution. Seth had warned he would be ruthless, and he wasn\'t joking.

Indeed, he was determined to leave no trace of the previous rulers. While he might not be as brutal as the Soviets, if being like them was necessary to stabilize the kingdom, then Seth would act like them.

"Take them. And that one too," commanded a Morvos Knight Captain coldly. The knights shoved aside children and swiftly seized a 38-year-old man, dragging him by his arms.

"Let go of my father!"

The man\'s son shouted angrily, rushing toward the soldiers, but it was futile. A sharp slap from a knight sent the boy sprawling to the ground. The captain narrowed his eyes, watching as the mother embraced her crying son.

"Your husband is guilty of treason and practicing a forbidden religion. Do not resist," the captain stated mercilessly, showing no pity for the sobbing woman.

"My husband is innocent! What do you want from our family?"

Despite the woman\'s screams, the knights dragged the unconscious man out and departed. Outside, the captain oversaw the loading of the man onto a large cart already filled with at least 50 other detainees. Their faces were bruised and battered.

The streets were deserted, and Eden\'s lightly armored loyal soldiers patrolled on guard.

In summary, the entire city was under strict military control. The news of the lords\' deaths had not yet spread across the realm. Meanwhile, Seth had already dispatched specialized mages and Morvos Knights to take control of most of Drachenreich\'s cities. The lords\' armies had largely been disbanded.

Princes and princesses were executed, shipyards temporarily shuttered, and the lords\' barracks seized by Morvos forces.

The Church of Creation had already begun replacing local Light Church establishments. Simon was ready, having appointed priests, priestesses, and high priests. Urien accepted this transition and ascended to the rank of Pope.

Morringan, now adopting the name Morgana, was chosen as the General Leader, Saint, and Representative of the Divine for the Church of Creation. George became the Commander of the Holy Order, and Emily was appointed as the Commander of the Amazon Warriors, a specialized female unit.

Simon, expected to serve as Chancellor, Chief Minister, and Führer under the soon-to-be Empress Morringan, was already preparing for a prominent role in the new government. Once Morringan ascended to the throne, Simon would hold significant authority in the administration.

Seth now expected Simon to act seriously and behave like a leader. While Simon was intelligent and strong, he was also soft-hearted—a commendable trait but a dangerous weakness for a politician and leader.

Meanwhile, in the royal palace, Eden, Morringan, Richard, Thomas, and Rachel were gathered, reviewing the general situation.

Inside the king\'s chambers, Morringan sat while the others stood around a large table. On the table lay a political map of Drachenreich.

Morringan studied the map intently for a moment. Then, raising her head, she calmly turned to Princess Eden. "What\'s the status?"

Eden narrowed her crimson eyes, answering thoughtfully and without delay. "Berlen is under control, but the people are unaware of the situation. I believe they\'ll remain quiet for at least another week."

Eden responded calmly, "If we keep them in the dark for too long, I fear protests and rebellions will soon emerge."

Morringan grunted and fell into silent contemplation. A week was a decent timeframe—to implement reforms across the kingdom and appoint governors for each position.

There were 12 major cities; two were already loyal. The remaining ones could be subdued with appropriate governors and military presence. The only concerning matter was Lord Julgen, who was still alive and leading his armies.

In such an unstable situation, Julgen\'s actions could embolden rebels and damage Morringan\'s reputation.

"About Lord Julgen..."

At Morringan\'s words, all eyes turned to her. Everyone understood the gravity of the situation. Julgen posed the greatest obstacle to Morringan becoming Empress.

After a pause, Morringan turned her gaze to Thomas. "Thomas, I\'m entrusting this task to you. Kill Julgen, but remember—no one must see you."

Thomas smirked lightly, adjusted his glasses, and bowed respectfully. "As you command, my Lady."

As Thomas disappeared before them, Rachel smirked and grinned at Morringan. "So, you\'re going to be Empress. It feels strange, but also satisfying to see..."

Rachel\'s smile widened as she envisioned Morringan as a luxuriously dressed, powerful Empress. However, Richard intervened calmly.

"Unfortunately, we won\'t see it happen immediately," Richard remarked, his steady gaze resting on Morringan. "She can only become Empress once the kingdom is stabilized and the people come to support her."

Eden nodded in agreement. "Richard is right. If you ascend the throne too quickly, the people won\'t understand. Instead, we should allow a transition period of about a month to let them adapt and recognize you."

Though Rachel grumbled and frowned, Morringan found the suggestion reasonable and accepted it. "Very well. I\'ll allow the people to know me first."

Eden nodded in approval. "When people hear that Morgana has returned, they\'ll be astonished. If you ensure their prosperity, they will forget all your past mistakes."

"However, they\'ll also criticize you at the slightest opportunity," Richard added bluntly, his tone serious. Morringan\'s gaze then shifted to the map, settling on Berlen.

"And where will the ceremony take place? This city doesn\'t seem suitable," Morringan stated calmly. Eden, aware of the city\'s unsuitability for such a grand ceremony, silently agreed.

"If it\'s appropriate, we can expand the city to the other side of the river," Eden\'s index finger traced the map as she explained to Morringan. "At the same time, if we widen the city a bit, the capital\'s congested structure will ease, and there will be more suitable spaces for aesthetics."

Eden\'s idea was logical. Compared to other capitals, the city had extremely cramped streets. Unlike New Camelot, Berlen lacked aesthetic appeal. The architectural structures seemed haphazardly designed, with few parks. It looked more like it was built for urgent economic development rather than beauty.

"What\'s the royal treasury amount?"

"Thirteen billion gold."

"Then let\'s allocate one billion to restore the city," Morringan said calmly. Eden did not object. Morringan then spotted a location on the map and pointed it out with her finger. "Let\'s use this place for my coronation. I want to envision a grand and splendid Creation Church there."

"That\'s acceptable," Eden agreed without protest. After all, Morringan\'s coronation needed to be monumental.

"Then, everything is settled."

"Yes, finishing this quickly is a relief." Rachel calmly looked at Morringan. "But it seems you\'re forgetting something."

Morringan frowned, curious about Rachel\'s implication. "What do you mean?"

Rachel placed her hands on her hips and smiled slightly. "Since you\'re now ruling the country, you need someone to handle foreign affairs."

Rachel then smiled playfully, gesturing to herself. Her intention was clear. Before Morringan could respond, Richard interjected with a frown and a mocking tone.

"Sorry, Rachel, but you\'re the last person who should handle foreign affairs. I don\'t want to end up at war with the Holy Mary Kingdom because of you."

Rachel frowned and glared at Richard. "Don\'t be ridiculous, Richard. I would never do such a thing."

Morringan smirked slightly and looked at Rachel. "Your words don\'t inspire much confidence, Rachel."

Rachel pouted and sighed. Morringan continued, "I was joking. If you believe you can handle it, I\'d like to appoint you as the Minister of Foreign Affairs."

Rachel\'s smile grew as she laughed. Meanwhile, Morringan turned to Richard. "But you must take Richard as your deputy."

"Babysitting? Fine, I can do that." Rachel\'s expression was smug. Richard sighed but said nothing. After a brief discussion, Richard and Rachel left to learn about their new duties.

The only one remaining was Eden. She seemed as though she had something to say. Morringan noticed this and asked, "If you have something to say, you can tell me."

"I want the Morvos Knights to be less harsh," Eden expressed her thoughts with a serious look. "I know you want to eradicate the previous government, but there\'s no point in punishing them so severely."

Eden spoke earnestly, and Morringan sighed as she met Eden\'s gaze. "If we let them go, they might rebel against us. They\'ll start spreading news, and people will hate us even more."

"But if we continue to be this harsh, people will speak of you as a tyrant," Eden said calmly. "If that happens, rebellions will never cease. They\'ll only grow to hate you."

Morringan\'s eyes narrowed upon hearing Eden\'s words. She wasn\'t entirely sure what to do. All the plans and orders given to the Morvos Knights had been devised by Seth.

Without consulting Seth, she couldn\'t make such a decision. Pushing her thoughts aside, Morringan looked at Eden seriously. "Alright, I\'ll talk to Seth. If he agrees, I\'ll proceed with a gentler course of action. But if he doesn\'t, then don\'t expect anything else from me."

Hearing this, Eden looked at Morringan gratefully. "Thank you, My Lady. I won\'t forget this kindness."

Morringan nodded. Eden, not staying any longer, withdrew and left.