"This is it? The mansion on the list—Hirst's residence..."
"But seriously... is he an idiot? He could've lived peacefully as an Imperial official, yet he chose to cooperate with the rebel army. And those rebels too—so brazen that they actually dared to sneak into the Upper City of the Imperial Capital to gather intelligence. What, are the Imperial Guards all useless?!"
"Enough complaining. Break down the door! Arrest the traitor!"
"Yes, sir!" ×N
Outside a noble's mansion in the Upper City of the Imperial Capital, a squad of heavily armored soldiers in dark iron gear suddenly kicked the doors open. The elaborately carved wooden panels shattered instantly under the tremendous force, splinters flying so close they grazed the face of a terrified maid standing inside.
"Ah—!" The maid's shrill scream pierced the air.
"Everyone on the ground! Disobey and die!"
"Search the place!"
In moments, the soldiers began tearing through the rooms. Before long, they dragged out the mansion's owner—a civil official named Hirst—who had been hiding in panic. Struggling all the way, he shouted indignantly, "I'm an Imperial official! You have no right to arrest me! You—!"
But the Imperial Guards had no patience for his protests. One of them drove a heavy fist straight into Hirst's face.
"By order of Upper General Selene! You are hereby arrested for colluding with the southwestern barbarians!"
"This is revenge... revenge...!"
"Take him away! Next on the list—move!"
...
Hirst was neither the first nor the last. With Minister Honest's arrest warrant signed and Selene commanding the Imperial Guards to mobilize, the Imperial Capital was soon plunged into a storm of blood and steel.
Under Selene's orders, the Guards flooded into the Upper and Middle City districts. Countless officials were dismissed, imprisoned, or executed—accused of treason, of collusion with foreign tribes, or of other fabricated crimes.
Under the "friendly" persuasion of the Imperial Prison's interrogators, those thrown behind bars confessed to their so-called sins without resistance.
Soon, so many were executed that the paving stones of the execution grounds were stained a permanent dark red, soaked through with blood that filled the air with a suffocating stench.
Within just a few days, the growing mountain of corpses made it obvious to anyone with half a brain who was behind it all.
Every "traitorous" official named by the press had one thing in common—they were either members of the reformist faction who had criticized Selene before, or former allies of Minister Chouri's faction. The pattern was painfully clear.
Upper General Selene and Minister Honest were working together.
For a time, the entire Capital was gripped by fear.
But to Selene, it was deeply satisfying.
When she'd first heard from Sebas that some reformist officials had denounced her at court for excessive slaughter and lack of virtue, she had nearly laughed in fury.
Back when troops were being chosen to subdue the southwestern rebellion, every one of those self-righteous men had buried their heads like ostriches. Yet once she returned victorious, they suddenly found their voices again—those same cowards now spewing moral sermons, belittling her achievements with pompous rhetoric.
As if pacifying the southwest had been something that could be done with a few well-chosen words—that the rebels would surrender and the barbarians retreat merely because of their empty speeches.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. To endure was to suffer loss; patience only invited insult. Selene was no saint—revenge unserved was a debt unpaid.
Honestly, with my temper, she thought, if I don't wipe out your entire bloodline, I might as well take your surname!
...
"Great General Budo, you summoned me?"
Having avenged herself and swept her enemies aside, Selene walked into the Imperial Guard headquarters within the palace with a light heart.
"Upper General Selene," said Great General Budo from behind his desk. His tone was solemn as he picked up a file and handed it to her. His voice, however, carried an undercurrent of fury. "Take a look. This is the result of my full investigation into the Guard system!"
He slammed his fist down on the desk, shattering it with a deafening crack. "Disgraceful worms! Soldiers of the Empire who have the gall to violate Imperial law—and didn't even realize they'd been used by the rebel army?!"
"General, what do you—" Alarmed by the noise, several guards burst through the door, only to be shouted back out by Budo's thunderous roar.
"This..." Selene quickly scanned the file, her expression turning slightly awkward. She seemed to recall... accepting a few bribes herself, perhaps... maybe...
"This man, an Imperial general, has repeatedly accepted bribes from merchants—leaking classified information, granting them tax exemptions, and enriching himself through corruption."
Budo's voice grew darker by the second.
"If it were only that, it might be tolerable. But those merchants turned out to be rebel spies in disguise! Through this breach, they've already infiltrated the Capital with a massive network of intelligence operatives!"
"Is he a pig?! How could someone so sharp and brave on the battlefield fail to notice such an obvious manipulation..." After venting his fury, Budo let out a long, weary sigh and sank back into his chair.
"If not for Honest's purge of the court uncovering all these real spies, I might never have realized..."
The fact that such corruption had occurred within his own Imperial Guard ranks made Budo's blood boil. Scowling, he turned to Selene and asked, "Selene, what do you think should be done with him?"
Technically, as Great General, this matter was under Budo's direct jurisdiction—he could have handled it himself. Why ask her?
Then it struck Selene. As an Upper General—the second-highest authority in the Imperial Guard system—she did indeed hold the right to weigh in on internal disciplinary matters. The fact that Budo openly asked for her opinion on such an embarrassing issue only confirmed his rigid sense of justice.
Truly, the old man is as upright and inflexible as ever, she thought. Even when it comes to his own men, he insists on handling things by the book.
After a moment of consideration, Selene replied calmly, "This matter can be taken as minor or severe, depending on how you view it. He did take bribes, yes—but since the rebel infiltration hasn't caused any major harm yet, I'd suggest this: strip him of all rank and titles, demote him completely, and allow him to redeem himself through service."
She added evenly, "Of course, the final judgment rests with you, Great General."
For Selene, that was practically an act of mercy.
"If there's still any hesitation, I would also advise conducting a quiet internal investigation—perhaps even a purge—within the Imperial Guard system," she continued with measured tone.
"Understood..." Budo fell silent for a long while before responding. Then, narrowing his eyes, he added, "Speaking of which, Selene... you've certainly stirred up quite the storm in the Capital lately. You do remember—"
"Stop, stop, I know already. 'Soldiers must not meddle in politics'—you've said it so many times it's practically your catchphrase," Selene interrupted before he could launch into another lecture.
"Besides, they brought it upon themselves. I'm sure even you, Great General Budo, have no fondness for those reformist windbags who do nothing but talk, right?"
"By clearing them out this time, at least the military will have some peace and quiet."
"But the ancestral edict..." Budo hesitated, torn between principle and practicality.
Selene smiled faintly. "Honestly, I've never cared for politics. This time, they provoked me first. You can hardly blame me for fighting back."
"Now then, Great General, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Without waiting for a reply, Selene turned and strode out of the room.
Leaving the Imperial Guard headquarters behind, she did not return to her mansion in the Upper City. Instead, she made straight for the Imperial Palace.
After all, she hadn't forgotten one thing—the late Emperor's promised reward: one opportunity to choose from the Imperial Teigu Treasury!