...
{3rd Pov}
Across Lugunica, chaos had already begun to spread.
The sudden disappearance and now presumed deaths of the Wise Men had sent shockwaves through the entire political structure of the kingdom.
Without their authority to maintain order and direction, the nobles and influential figures of the nation reacted immediately.
They gathered at the Royal Castle, urgently until the order of Astros, the impromptu commander of the Royal Knights after Marcos' death.
Nobles from various territories, along with high-ranking officials and Royal Knights, rushed to the capital as quickly as possible.
The grand hall of Lugunica, usually a place of formal discussions and controlled debates, was now filled with tension, uncertainty, and barely contained confusion.
At the center of it all stood Astros, the current temporary vice-captain of the Royal Knights considering Heinkel Van Astrea has been unable to perform any of his duties as the Vice-Captain .
With the Wise Men and Marcos gone, the responsibility of managing the situation had fallen onto him, at least temporarily.
Now, the commander of the Royal Knights, he was the most authoritative figure present who could attempt to maintain some level of order.
Astros let out a heavy sigh as he looked across the hall.
Rows of nobles filled the space, their expressions ranging from confusion to annoyance, not knowing about the full crux of the matter.
The Royal Knights stood stationed along the sides, their presence meant to keep the situation from spiraling out of control.
"Is that everyone?" Astros asked, his voice rough and direct as it echoed through the hall.
A nearby soldier immediately stepped forward and saluted.
"We have also invited the Felt camp, sir," the soldier reported.
"They were already present within the Royal Capital, so word was sent to them as well."
Astros nodded slowly.
That made sense.
From his perspective, the current situation was already complicated enough.
As far as he knew, the incident involving Priscilla's camp had only been reported directly to the Wise Men and since they were now dead, that information had not spread further.
Which meant that, to everyone present here, the situation was still incomplete.
As far as Astros understood, both the Crusch camp and the Anastasia camp had recently departed to hunt the Black Serpent.
And now, with the Wise Men gone, there were far too many unanswered questions.
They were still waiting for news from the expedition.
No one in the hall had received any confirmation regarding the hunt for the Black Serpent and whether it had succeeded or failed remained completely unknown.
However, at this point, that uncertainty was no longer the most pressing issue.
What mattered now was stability.
The immediate goal was to gather all the remaining royal candidates and their camps in the Royal Capital.
With the Wise Men gone, the kingdom needed authority, structure, and support from every available faction.
To assist with communication, several Metia mirrors had been arranged throughout the hall.
They were placed at clear and visible positions so that even those who were not physically present could participate.
A few of the surviving Wise Men, who had been in different cities at the time of the incident, were now connected through these mirrors.
Their projected images flickered across the devices as they prepared to join the discussion remotely.
The atmosphere remained tense.
Then, after some time, the doors to the hall opened again.
The Felt Camp had arrived.
Felt walked in at the front, her posture as confident as ever.
Behind her stood Heinkel, Rom, Ezzo Cadner, and several other capable individuals who had become part of her growing faction.
Over the past year, the Felt Camp had undergone significant development.
They were no longer a small, loosely organized group.
Through a mix of strategy and bold action, they had formed alliances with various underworld gangs of the Lugunica.
At the same time, they had established complete control over the slums of the Royal Capital of Lugunica.
Their influence in that area was absolute.
In addition, Felt had gathered a number of strong and reliable members, effectively forming a militia of her own.
It was not a traditional noble army, but rather a force that operated with a more flexible, almost mercenary-like structure.
And now some people from that force stood ready behind her as she entered the hall.
Once the Felt Camp had fully entered and taken their positions within the hall, the atmosphere grew even heavier.
With all major parties now present, Astros decided there was no point in delaying any further.
He stepped forward.
"I understand that many of you are confused about why this sudden meeting has been arranged," Astros began, his voice firm as it carried across the hall.
"And perhaps even more confused as to why none of the Wise Men are physically present, aside from those who are communicating through the Metia mirrors."
His gaze briefly shifted toward the devices, where the surviving Wise Men were connected from distant locations.
Astros had already informed them of the situation beforehand.
The same could not be said for the nobles and the Royal Knights gathered in the hall.
For them, this was the first time they were about to hear what had truly happened.
The expressions of the Wise Men visible through the mirrors were already solemn.
They knew exactly what was about to be announced, and the weight of it showed clearly on their faces.
Astros took a slow breath.
"Unfortunately," he continued, "I must inform all of you that aside from the three Wise Men who were outside the Royal Capital the rest have… died alongside the former Commander of the Royal Knights, Marcos Gildark."
For a split second, the hall fell completely silent.
Then chaos followed.
Gasps, murmurs, and shocked voices erupted all at once.
The nobles stared at Astros in disbelief, some refusing to accept what they had just heard, while others showed clear fear at the implications of such a loss.
The Wise Men were not just advisors.
They were the backbone of the kingdom's governance after the death of the Royal Family.
And now, most of them were gone.
Not to mention it also explained the reason why Marcos was absent and Astros was overseeing this meeting!
Astros did not give them time to settle.
"The individuals responsible for this," he added, his tone hardening, "are suspected to be connected to the Emilia Camp."
That statement sent an even greater shock through the room.
Disbelief turned into outrage, confusion, and fear as the implications of his words began to sink in.
"Impossible! Big sis and big bro would never do something like that!" Felt was the first to speak up, her voice rising without hesitation as she immediately rejected the accusation.
There was no doubt in her tone as she refused to believe, even for a second, that the Emilia camp could be responsible for the murder of the Wise Men in the Royal Capital.
"Lady Felt, I request that you remain silent," Astros said firmly, his voice cutting through the noise with authority.
Before Felt could respond again, one of the surviving Wise Men, whose image flickered through a Metia mirror, spoke up.
"Sir Astros," the Wise Man said, his tone serious, "why don't you explain to everyone how these murders actually took place?"
The suggestion immediately drew attention.
"Yes! We need to know how this happened!" Heinkel stepped forward slightly, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
As someone who had once served the royal family with unwavering loyalty, and later the Wise Men after the royal line had fallen, he was among those most affected by this news.
His expression was filled with anger and frustration.
"Yes, we demand the truth!" another nobleman shouted, raising his voice above the growing chaos.
"This is completely unacceptable!" someone else added from the crowd.
"The murder of the Wise Men is no small matter! If the Emilia camp is truly responsible, then they must be disqualified from the Royal Selection immediately!"
Voices began overlapping with accusations, demands and anger of the crowd.
The hall quickly descended into disorder as more nobles began speaking at once, each one trying to make their stance clear.
The tension in the room rose sharply, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain control over the situation.
"Well," Astros began, raising his voice slightly to regain control of the room, "a maid from the Emilia camp requested an audience with the Wise Men. She asked for a private meeting, and we granted that request."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The meeting was conducted under the supervision of multiple Royal Knights. Not just ordinary guards, but some of our most capable personnel were stationed nearby to ensure security."
His expression hardened.
"However, when we returned approximately an hour later… all we found were corpses."
The hall grew quieter as people listened.
"The Wise Men were dead. The Royal Knights assigned to guard them were also dead. There was no sign of struggle outside the chamber… and no trace of the maid who had entered."
That statement sent a chill through many of those present.
Felt, however, was not convinced.
"This is ridiculous," she said immediately, crossing her arms as she stepped forward.
"So in simple terms, you have no actual proof that anyone from the Emilia camp was responsible."
Her tone turned sharper.
"And you expect us to believe that a single maid managed to kill multiple Royal Knights the elite fighters, by the way along with the Wise Men?"
She raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me the Royal Knights of Lugunica are so incompetent that they can't even handle one maid."
Her words landed heavily.
The expressions of several Wise Men flickering through the Metia mirrors darkened immediately.
Many of the nobles and especially Royal Knights present also reacted with visible displeasure, their faces turning stiff or outright hostile at the implication.
Even Heinkel visibly winced.
He brought a hand to his forehead, clearly frustrated.
Seeing Felt, his own lady defends another camp so strongly, especially one currently suspected of murdering more than two-thirds of the Council of Wise Men, was not something he had expected.
This was not a minor issue.
It was a crisis that threatened the very structure of the nation.
"Yes, I agree that this conclusion is being reached far too quickly without any concrete proof," one of the nobles spoke up, raising his voice just enough to be heard over the murmurs in the hall.
"What if this is a deliberate scheme? What if someone is trying to turn the Kingdom and the Emilia camp against each other?"
He looked around, making sure his point was understood.
"I am not saying that we should ignore the situation," he continued, "but we must at least consider the possibility that this is an attempt to frame the Emilia camp and create internal chaos within the Kingdom."
His words caused a shift in the atmosphere.
"Yes, I support that view," a Royal Knight added, stepping forward slightly.
"Sir Zero and the Emilia camp have recently eliminated major leaders of the Witch Cult and even taken down calamity-class beasts."
His tone carried conviction.
"I refuse to believe that the same group would suddenly carry out such a massacre without reason. If anything, this feels more like an attempt to destabilize Lugunica from within."
A number of people in the hall began to nod.
The perception of the Emilia camp had changed significantly over time.
They were no longer seen as weak or insignificant.
With the establishment of their new company, they now possessed strong financial backing.
In addition to that, they had powerful figures such as Red, the Sword Saint, and Zero aligned with them.
This combination made them one of the most influential camps in the entire kingdom whether it was Politically, in Militarily strength or financially.
Because of that, blindly accusing them without undeniable proof was not something everyone was willing to accept anymore.
Their reputation had reached an all-time high among common populance.
This was largely due to Zero's recent heroic actions, along with the new policies that had been introduced within his own territories and those under Roswaal's control.
Those reforms had already begun to shake the nation in noticeable ways, bringing both attention and support toward their faction.
At the moment, the Emilia camp was widely considered the strongest contender for the throne.
Because of that, many people found it difficult to believe that they would suddenly resort to murdering the Council of the Wise Men.
Such an act did not align with the image they had built or the direction they appeared to be taking.
"Yes, this accusation still feels far too weak," another noble spoke up, raising his voice in agreement.
"It is entirely possible that something happened to that maid, and someone else is now using the situation to frame the Emilia camp as the culprit."
His words added further weight to the growing doubt.
Hearing these arguments, even those nobles who personally disliked the Emilia camp or supported rival factions began to hesitate.
They no longer spoke as boldly as before.
The reason was simple.
The Emilia camp was currently the most powerful faction in the kingdom.
Their political influence was growing.
Their military strength was undeniable.
And their financial backing had become increasingly solid.
Opposing such a force without solid evidence was not a decision to be taken lightly.
The nobles present were not just reacting emotionally, they were calculating.
They needed to determine whether it was truly worth standing against a faction of that scale, especially when that faction had not yet directly threatened them.
For now, caution began to outweigh hostility.
However, while the discussion was still ongoing and the atmosphere remained tense but controlled, the doors to the hall suddenly burst open.
A Royal Knight rushed inside.
"Captain! I bring urgent news!" he shouted, his voice slightly out of breath.
"Please look at today's newspaper!"
His sudden intrusion startled nearly everyone present.
Several nobles frowned at the breach of decorum, but the knight's frantic expression made it clear that this was not something trivial.
Even Astros narrowed his eyes.
He could immediately tell that something serious had happened.
The knight quickly approached him and handed over a folded newspaper.
Astros took it without a word and began reading silently.
The newspaper itself was a relatively new development in Lugunica.
It had only recently been introduced, yet it had already gained widespread attention across the nation.
It provided updates on current events, political movements, and various developments happening throughout the kingdom.
Many people had initially been skeptical.
How could information from different parts of the country be gathered and published so quickly sometimes even before official reports arrived?
The most common assumption was that it relied on expensive Mirror Metias for communication.
However, even that explanation did not fully account for everything.
The sheer number of pages being printed daily, the level of detail included in each report, and the consistent accuracy of the information raised further questions.
On top of that, the language used was simple and accessible, making it easy for common people to understand.
That, in itself, was unusual.
Some had begun speculating that Zero might have developed a new type of Metia or a form of magic capable of copying and reproducing written content efficiently.
Others pointed out that the sheer volume of paper required for such distribution was already beyond what most organizations could sustain.
Because of these factors, even powerful entities like the Hoshin Company had chosen not to enter this field.
Competing in such a market would require resources and methods that were not easily matched.
Still, the newspapers themselves did not seem hostile.
They covered news related to all royal candidates and did not openly favor one camp over another.
Because of that, most factions had decided not to interfere with them.
At most, they simply reviewed the daily publication to stay informed.
But now as Astros looked at the contents of the newspaper in his hands, his expression began to change.
Then, within moments, it turned completely grim.
"Sir Astros… what exactly is written in that report?" one of the nobles asked, his voice filled with unease.
A thin layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead as he noticed the sudden shift in Astros' demeanor.
Astros did not answer immediately.
He slowly lowered the paper, his eyes scanning across everyone present in the hall as if measuring their reactions before speaking.
"It appears…" he began, his voice steady but noticeably heavy, "that the Emilia camp is indeed responsible for the deaths of the Wise Men."
The moment those words left his mouth, the tension in the hall spiked sharply once again.
Murmurs broke out almost instantly.
But Astros raised the paper slightly again, signaling that he was not finished.
"It is written here," he continued, his tone firm, "that the Emilia camp has officially declared war against what they are calling the 'corrupt government' of Lugunica."
That statement sent a visible ripple of shock through the entire hall.
Before anyone could fully react, he added the final part.
"And this declaration is backed by the withdrawal of the Crusch camp, the Anastasia camp, and the Priscilla camp… all of whom have now aligned themselves in support of Emilia."
For a brief moment everything stopped.
No one spoke anything or even thought of moving, the sheer shock had rooted them on their spots.
The hall was swallowed by complete silence.
The weight of those words pressed down on everyone present.
Several nobles stood frozen in place, their expressions blank with disbelief, while a few others finally staggered slightly as if their legs had momentarily lost strength.
"W-What?!" Heinkel's voice broke through the silence, filled with raw disbelief as he struggled to process what he had just heard.
His mind clearly refused to accept it.
Even Felt, who had been the most vocal just moments ago, was now completely still.
Her usual bold and confident expression had vanished.
She stood there, staring ahead, her thoughts unable to catch up with the reality of the situation as it unfolded before her.
"People of Lugunica—"
A voice suddenly echoed across the entire nation.
It did not come from any visible source nor did it travel through the air.
Instead, it appeared directly inside their minds.
For some, the voice was immediately recognizable.
Those who had encountered the speaker even once in their lives could not forget it.
It carried a distinct presence the calm, confident, and impossible to ignore tone of Zero.
There was no doubt.
It was him.
For many others, however, this was the first time they were hearing it so clearly.
They had never met him in person.
They only knew his name through stories, reports, and the songs sung by traveling musicians who spoke of his deeds.
And yet, even they understood who it was.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru," the voice continued, steady and clear.
"Though most of you know me as Zero."
A pause followed, as if allowing the weight of that name to settle.
"Yes the same person who slew the White Whale and the Great Rabbit. The one who killed the Sin Archbishops of Sloth, Lust, and Greed. The one you call the hero of the Emilia camp."
Across Lugunica, people froze.
Merchants in marketplaces.
Soldiers on patrol.
The remaining Nobles inside their estates.
Commoners walking through the streets.
Everyone heard it.
Many began looking around in confusion, trying to find the source of the voice.
Some called out to others, asking if they had heard it too, while others panicked, unsure of what was happening.
"Did you hear that?"
"Was that him?"
"Where is he?!"
The questions spread rapidly.
"You do not need to be alarmed," Subaru's voice continued, cutting through the rising confusion.
"This voice is being transmitted directly into your minds through one of my abilities."
That explanation only partially calmed the situation.
For many, it was still difficult to comprehend.
Then he continued.
"I am here to make an announcement."
His tone remained composed, but there was a clear sense of authority behind it.
"The Priscilla camp, the Anastasia camp, and the Crusch camp have officially withdrawn from the Royal Selection."
A brief pause followed.
"And they have now joined the cause of the Emilia camp."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire nation seemed to fall into stunned silence once again.
"As for what that cause is," Subaru's voice continued, now carrying a sharper edge, "we hereby declare war against the current rulers of this nation. The majority of the Wise Men have already been eliminated on the basis of their corruption and their involvement in immoral practices."
The announcement shook everyone who heard it.
"Ridiculous!" Astros shouted from within the hall, his voice filled with anger as veins visibly stood out on his forehead.
"Evil practices? If anyone here is evil, then it is you, Zero or should I call you Natsuki Subaru?!"
His voice echoed loudly, but unlike before, there was no physical response.
Instead, Subaru let out a light chuckle.
It was as if he had heard Astros clearly despite the distance.
"Oh? I see," Subaru's voice responded, calm yet unmistakably firm.
"Then let me make this absolutely clear for everyone."
There was a brief pause before he continued.
"For those who have committed no wrongdoing, or have not crossed a certain line, surrender will be accepted. They will be allowed to join us without punishment."
That part caused some confusion.
But what came next erased any sense of relief.
"However," Subaru continued, his tone turning colder, "those who have engaged in acts such as rape, corruption, abuse of power, exploitation, or human and demi-human trafficking…"
He did not hesitate.
"…will be executed. Regardless of whether they surrender or not."
The words landed heavily across the entire nation.
Many nobles felt their vision blur for a moment, some nearly collapsing where they stood as fear took hold of them.
The Royal Knights clenched their teeth, their expressions hardening as they processed the declaration.
But among all of them the merchants reacted the most strongly.
For many of them, those crimes were not distant accusations.
They were uncomfortably close to reality.
And now, for the first time, there was someone openly declaring that such actions would be punished without exception.
"And of course, this applies to both men and women," Subaru continued, his tone calm but carrying a sharp edge.
"While it is true that the number of men who have committed such crimes is significantly higher, that does not grant immunity to anyone else."
There was a brief pause.
"Anyone who believes they can be excused simply because they are a woman…" he added, letting out a light chuckle, "…should prepare themselves."
His voice grew slightly colder.
"Knock, knock."
Another pause.
"It's consequences."
"For all of you."
The words spread across the nation like a chilling wave.
In one part of Lugunica, inside a lavish estate, a woman sat comfortably at a finely decorated table.
She was dressed in an expensive gown, one clearly funded by excessive taxation imposed on the poor.
A tray of tea and cookies rested before her as she leisurely enjoyed herself.
Then she heard it.
Her hand froze.
The cup slipped.
It fell from her fingers and crashed onto the floor, shattering into multiple ceramic pieces as tea spilled across the polished surface.
Her expression twisted instantly.
The carefully applied makeup on her face could not hide the sudden shift in her features.
What had once been a composed, noble appearance turned into something far more unpleasant with fear, anger, and unease all mixed together.
Because she understood.
More than most.
She knew exactly what she had done.
The boys she had used for her own amusement.
The ones she had abused, discarded, and eventually silenced.
Her position, her power, her status that she had treated all of it as something natural.
Something she deserved simply because of her birth. In her mind, the world had always revolved around her.
And now for the first time there was a possibility that it would not.
In simple terms, she was nothing more than a distorted imitation of someone like Priscilla—without the strength, without the dignity, and without the presence to justify such arrogance.
Just a hollow version.
One that stood as an insult to what true nobility should represent.
Ahem.
To be continued...
(A/N: My webnovel was refusing to sign in, I thought it was some kind of glitch when I find out I was signed out for no reason from the browser itself, anyways here is the chap.
Also Powerstones are for your good, I promised upto 7 advance chaps. If you really want that bonus chaps, start throwing them at me. Though I know it is almost impossible for this fanfic to be number one. You guys can still get 2-3 advance chaps if you throw them at me.
Also I have been loving the GOD of War so much that my chaps on Patreon had been delayed though I covered it up with three chaps two days ago, now gotta publish two more chaps. Sigh, just going to play another round of God of War. Also thinking of buying the ragnarok, still there is 33% discount on Epic games. Should I get it? Like I can wait for a bigger discount on somewhere else, unfortunately game's not in GOG.com.
Also had to pirate Gta San Andreas for modding, I did not buy og games as I couldn't. They were removed by Ass-star studious for money grubbing for their defective edition games.
Still I brought the original game on mobile out of respect for the fun it gave me back on mobile and brought me into gta franchise, but I won't be giving those shitty asses any more money. They have me disappointed by removing the games.
Like if they hadn't I would have brought both original and definitive editions, but Nah- They did bad so I really don't give a fuck about them.
Till now I had played older gta games on mobile, let's see how PC will come up after modding. I really don't know anything about modding, so it will be helpful if anyone can help me in discord.
HERE IS DISCORD: Xb47VnFUpQ
Also don't forget to support me on Patreon if you are rich! This fanfic is continuing because of your support after all! Otherwise I would have long gone to write my 30th fanfic.
*COUGH* *COUGH*
patreon.com/AkrosZero)