Chapter 311: Let’s Be Clear – I’m Here to Train an Empress
Many nobles began to tremble, suddenly collapsing to the ground as their bodies became hollow. Putrid-smelling fissures silently emerged from their backs, as if carved from within, releasing waves of malevolence.
At that moment, the stench of decay and damp mold danced wildly through the space, accompanied by a blood-curdling hint of gore that sent chills down one's spine.
Under everyone's horrified gaze, churning flesh seeped out from their blackened bodies. Formless black dust flowed rapidly across their surfaces, constantly shifting like chaotic specters in the void.
During this transformation, their bodies instantly swelled into massive black mounds. Black mist rose swiftly from their fleshy husks, forming enormous croaking maws.
Those giant mouths uttered unclear mumbles. Listening carefully, one could make out several distinct human words:
"God...dess..."
"God...dess..."
"Monster! It's a monster!!!"
This scene left all the nobles present dumbfounded.
They fearfully dropped their wine glasses, the sound of shattering crystal and colliding objects echoing through this illusory universe.
Simultaneously, the banquet hall doors burst open as knights rushed in, immediately stepping into this chaos of swirling darkness.
The nobles desperately searched for exits, trying to escape from this filthy and chaotic atmosphere.
Amidst all this confusion, order was impossible to maintain.
Yet Viktor remained unmoved, simply gripping his staff as he spoke with calm authority:
"These are the cultists that the Empire has been working to eliminate."
These cultists had infiltrated the Empire, killing humans and parasitizing their husks, pretending to be human.
When the knights arrived, the nobles felt a sense of security.
After all, they had no reason to be afraid.
Not only were there many people here, but there were also countless mages and powerful individuals among the nobles.
The Empire's strongest person, Emperor Aubrey, was right in front of them.
How could he possibly stand by and watch these monsters appear in the middle of the banquet hall?
So the nobles could only think of one possibility.
Perhaps the Mage Council had already discovered these cultists within the Empire.
And chose to expose them at this banquet.
Thus, putting on a show.
Few who became nobles were fools - otherwise they wouldn't have maintained their positions so securely.
And the appearance of these cultists clearly indicated who was making a power play.
They already understood quite clearly.
Viktor's gaze was sharp as he stared at the cultists before him, crimson light flickering in his eyes.
"These cultists have taken root in the Empire, constantly seeking opportunities."
Whenever the Empire changes heirs, these cultists become restless.
During times of imperial instability, they use human husks to widely spread their twisted and obsessive doctrines.
"That's why His Majesty needs to determine the successor in advance, and this successor must command public support."
At the very least, they couldn't have a group causing chaos under their rule during their reign.
They would even need to divert energy to deal with them.
Everyone present understood this reasoning.
Whether the Crown Prince or Second Prince ascended the throne, there would always be nobles who would protest on behalf of the other.
After all, it truly involved their own interests.
If the Crown Prince ascended, nobles in the Second Prince's camp would naturally speak out in protest.
Why should it be him!?
While the Crown Prince did have the achievement of slaying a dragon, the Second Prince was no slouch either.
He had even led troops to investigate demons lurking in the Northern Territories and was wounded in the process.
Similarly, if the Second Prince ascended, the ministers and nobles supporting the Crown Prince would react the same way.
But regardless, the ministers were all nobles - while they had their own calculations, they couldn't be considered treacherous ministers.
Therefore, unless someone was particularly extreme, it would be impossible to deal with them secretly.
After all, everyone just wanted their own share of benefits.
Indeed, taking lethal action would be the most efficient method.
It could quickly eliminate opposing ministers and stabilize the foundation for the new emperor's ascension.
But this would only be superficial stability.
Once such actions were taken, ministers and civilians would completely lose faith in the Empire.
At that point, the Empire's collapse would only be a matter of time.
Even Aubrey couldn't force everyone into submission through military might.
He could only achieve submission through demonstrated strength.
Let ministers and civilians know he had absolute power to govern the country.
And to ensure the Empire wouldn't see another purge like decades ago,
They had to guarantee ministers wouldn't descend into chaos during the succession.
So since it was impossible to make everyone happy,
They could only make everyone equally unhappy.
So quite obviously,
The nobles present were all bewildered, and indeed couldn't be satisfied.
No one could accept such a hasty reason.
Just because of such a casual explanation, the Crown Prince and Second Prince's years of competition had become completely meaningless?
Just let all these nobles' efforts, years of carefully constructed plans,
Be completely burned down with one sentence.
Treated as brilliant fireworks prepared for the princess?
Naturally, no one could accept it.
What reasoning, what right and wrong?
They didn't care at all.
At this moment, they had even forgotten that those twisted black flesh forms were writhing closer to them.
Their terror and horror didn't amount to half as much as their own interests.
Even with these cultists present, so what?
These nobles were like treasure hunters gone mad with power in a dense forest.
Even at the most critical moment, they weren't worried about the beasts right behind them.
Their eyes were filled only with wealth and status.
After all, they just wanted their own piece of the pie, the bigger the better.
What did cultists have to do with nobles like them?
The Carenthia Empire wasn't theirs anyway.
In that instant, the evil thoughts in the nobles' hearts were like writhing maggots, crawling out of a cesspool all at once.
Evil was quickly magnified until it consumed them.
The vast majority of nobles couldn't stop these frenzied thoughts.
They absolutely could not accept this absurd yet equal reasoning.
Why!?
Why!?
No, I must win!
Must win!
Suddenly, a thunderous "BOOM!" exploded, scattering the nobles' frenzied thoughts. They looked toward the source of the sound.
Somehow, one of the chaotic cultists had now exploded into ash.
Along with flesh and ashes, it completely disappeared into this illusory flowing starry space.
The same thought arose in their minds:
Viktor had used magic.
The nobles turned back to look and saw Viktor extending his staff, aiming at the second chaotic cultist.
They thought Viktor was about to release some terrifying destructive magic.
To shatter that twisted abomination in this unbreakable space.
However, in the next second, everyone's eyes widened.
They saw Viktor swing his arm in a full circle, wielding his black staff to violently smash through space.
Carrying bits of void, it firmly embedded into the writhing, blurry flesh.
BOOM!
That cultist was like an inflated balloon, its entire hill-like body beginning to shake irregularly, and in the next second, the flesh instantly burst apart.
Accompanied by a violent explosion, black flesh disintegrated, countless still-twitching black tentacles fell completely onto the starry ground.
Like a final struggle, they twitched pat-pat a couple times before losing all response.
The giant mouth's teeth also shattered outward, the huge flesh body burst open releasing thick putrid air, like rotting fish deeply sunken in a swamp, extremely sticky.
One strike, then another.
Each of Viktor's strikes clearly hit the flesh.
But these nobles couldn't help but flinch.
Every time they heard a sound, their bodies that had been hunched with anger seemed to sink lower.
Fragile bones seemed about to shatter from the striking sounds, nearly unable to support their bodies filled with bloated evil thoughts.
It was as if the staff wasn't striking the cultists.
But their twisted hearts.
Perhaps at this moment, they were no different from those cultists.
The cultists, for the return of their goddess.
Spread evil throughout the world, then cleansed it with their extreme justice.
Perhaps this way, they could be at peace.
They could let the righteous goddesses see they had once again restored their righteous form, and return to the mortal realm to lead these foolish followers once more.
And them.
Similarly for their own interests.
They chose to embrace evil.
That staff representing justice, judged them again and again, purifying their polluted hearts.
It seemed even the evil that had been in their hearts was completely eliminated.
Until the final strike came crashing down.
The last mass of cultists also completely dispersed in this space.
Viktor picked up his staff again, weighing it in his hand.
Only after confirming there wasn't a trace of putrid residue on his staff did he place it back at his side, his expression still calm.
"What a pity, not very elegant."
He sighed softly, yet made those nobles' bodies tremble violently.
You call yourself a mage? You still count as a member of the Council?
What kind of mage swings their staff to hit people? How dare you call yourself a council member?
You should apologize to mages worldwide!
Viktor turned back around to face those nobles.
He merely straightened his back, yet seemed like a giant judging everything, carrying inerasable authority.
But his tone remained flat, as if considering all this insignificant.
"I know you will still be dissatisfied with electing the princess rather than the princes as ruler."
"I can still explain it to you."
As he said this, he reached out and made a slight grasping motion in mid-air.
The surrounding world seemed to be squeezed and crushed by invisible giant hands, the illusory starry sky suddenly compressed like a fragile piece of paper, beginning to collapse and shatter.
In the blink of an eye, the nobles seemed to return to that magnificent banquet hall.
The hall seemed to have been washed anew, becoming even cleaner.
The whiteness of the tablecloths seemed to become somewhat dazzling.
The nobles looked around and saw several withered corpses lying on the ground.
Their limbs seemed to be bound, a sense of tension instantly transmitted to their brains.
This proved one thing to them.
Everything that had just happened wasn't an illusion.
Viktor placed his staff beside him, as if announcing:
"Only we of the Mage Council possess the power to examine and eliminate cultists."
"And we of the Mage Council will unconditionally support Aurelianne Sol."
Hearing these words, countless nobles held their breath.
The moment the words fell, three councilors behind Viktor instantly erupted with shocking magical vortexes.
Various terrifying magic arrays quickly began to rotate, accompanied by buzzing disturbances, as if the air had been invaded by magical power, becoming chaotic.
Viktor stood at the forefront, somehow having donned that old black coat again.
Without wind, five differently colored patterns flickered.
Like an absolute ancient horror awakening, natural energy also began to surge.
He seemed to look down upon everyone, obsidian eyes hidden beneath the brilliance flashing with dazzling light:
"I apologize, but we are the strongest."
"So—"
"We can do whatever we want."
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