The entire hall understood the bitter truth Ray had dragged out from the ashes of the past; they understood perfectly how they had strangled that department with their own hands, and how they had turned it into a graveyard for honorable men. Yet none of them would dare admit it; innocence was the only shield they had left, so they would feign shock and wear masks of astonishment with the skill of professional actors.
"What a headache!" ...that silent cry echoed through the minds of most of them.
But did any of them have the luxury of objecting? Of course not. This pillar was not private property that they could simply give up. It was a fundamental pillar of the Empire itself, and standing against it meant openly rebelling against the state. Ray had not presented the matter for discussion, nor had he waited for a vote; he was simply placing them before an inevitable fate:
"This pillar will return, and it will be granted powers greater than it possessed even during its golden age."
All they could do was remain seated in their stiff chairs and watch Rei continue speaking with icy calm. The man with crimson eyes standing atop the platform carried an unusual presence, as though he were a being detached from the noise of humanity around him; a human machine that would not stop reciting the coming fate unless some suicidal fool dared interrupt him.
[I will now explain the hierarchy of authority within the Third Pillar, which will bear the name "Intelligence," as well as how it will be restructured and the authority entrusted to it.]
[At the top of the hierarchy stands the Commander of the Third Pillar, the Lord of National Security. He is directly responsible before the Emperor for the safety of the state. He possesses the authority to mobilize forces during extreme emergencies and oversees both the Intelligence and Defense branches.]
Rei paused, changed the page, and clarified an important point:
[The Commander of the Pillar possesses the right of direct delegation. This means that the Commander of Intelligence may issue orders to the army "in the Emperor's name" if communication with the throne is lost.]
A heavy silence fell over the hall, to the point that the sound of Rei turning the next page with provocative calm echoed through the chamber like sudden thunder.
The Duke of the North understood what was happening. The eyes that had previously been darkened by worry now widened in pure horror. Granting the Commander of the Pillar the authority to mobilize the army during emergencies shattered, in a single second, every dream of a coup that had been plotted in the shadows for years.
This system... must never see the light of day!
Regardless of the emotions that swept through the hall, Rei continued calmly, ignoring those hesitant eyes. At the very least, there were some who viewed the restructuring of this department as a good idea, among them the Duke of the East, who smiled faintly as he read the remaining information.
"So... the Commander of the Pillar determines who the enemy is and gathers information. After that, the Emperor decides how to deal with that enemy. Then coordination takes place with the Minister of Defense to ensure that the Emperor's orders are carried out on the ground. However, in extreme situations, he can issue orders directly to the Minister of Defense."
The Duke of the East muttered quietly, but even though his voice was low, his words echoed throughout the hall. Ray smiled and replied:
"Duke of the East, I see you understand the nature of this pillar."
"My apologies..." Realizing that his words had been heard, the Duke glanced around before composing himself and speaking calmly. "Only a little, Your Majesty. From this section, I understand the attempt to prevent a military coup, but I am curious about the difference between this and the Ministry of Defense."
Rei looked at Ray, wondering whether he should answer. Ray gave him a signal not to avoid the question, and Rei replied:
[The difference between them is the difference between sovereignty and planning, and administration and execution.]
He then continued explaining:
[To explain this in detail, it is necessary to mention the new administrative structure and the structure of the Second Pillar, because they are interconnected in the same way as the Ministry of Finance and the Pillar of Wealth. First, I will explain the hierarchy of authority within the Third Pillar.]
From there, Rei moved quickly to clarify the remaining levels.
[Second Level: The Intelligence Bureau (The Eye). Its mission is to maintain internal security and gather information. This organization is responsible for hunting spies, uncovering conspiracies, and monitoring any suspicious activity within the cities.]
[Third Level: The Border Guard and Fortification Command (External Security). Its duty is to oversee border fortresses, secure major trade routes from bandits and monsters, and coordinate with the army in the event of an invasion.]
[Fourth Level: The Military Police and Investigation Authority (Legal Discipline). Its function is to investigate major crimes that threaten state security and to ensure that soldiers and officers obey the Emperor's orders rather than the authority of local lords.]
Setting aside the third level, which meant that the nobles would no longer control who entered or left their territories because Intelligence now held the keys to the gates, what was wrong with the fourth level?
Did this not touch upon the authority of the lords?
Did this not mean that the soldier who obeyed the nobles out of fear or loyalty would now fear the Military Police that monitored him in the Emperor's name?
"Your Majesty..." The Duke's voice rang out hoarsely as he stepped forward, completely ignoring Rei and directing a sharp gaze at Ray. "We understand your desire to secure the Empire, but... Military Police? Investigating the loyalty of soldiers? This does not merely concern state security—it destroys the covenant of loyalty between a lord and his soldiers!"
Some failed to understand what the Duke meant, so the Duke of the West sighed and explained calmly:
"This means that the soldiers we raised with our money and fed with our resources will become spies against us."
"Is the Emperor trying to turn our armies into mere tools controlled by the Third Pillar?" one of them asked.
But another noble still failed to grasp the magnitude of the issue.
"But isn't their role merely to monitor and submit reports?"
Someone sighed and corrected him.
"Think about it. The Military Police belong to the Third Pillar, and they possess the authority to investigate soldiers and warriors. That means if any army commander or lord gives an order to his troops, the men of this pillar can intervene and arrest either the commander or the soldiers under the charge of violating the Emperor's orders."
Another added:
"This is called close oversight, and we will not be able to move the armies of our territories without fearing Intelligence reports."
Everyone understood the danger threatening them, and the hall began to boil.
In short, the Military Police were the knife that would sever the umbilical cord between them and their military power. The soldier who once obeyed the Duke without question would now stop and ask himself in fear:
"Will the men of this pillar drag me in for questioning if I carry out this order?"
And since the Commander of the Third Pillar possessed the authority to mobilize forces during emergencies and issue orders to the Ministry of Defense, the nobles viewed this as an encroachment upon their authority. Did this not mean that the Intelligence Pillar had become the mastermind directing their muscles—the soldiers—as it pleased?
Amid this storm, Ray remained seated in a relaxed posture, watching their outrage with chilling calm, as though he had been waiting for this exact moment. As for Rei, he stood atop the platform like a mountain. His crimson eyes gleamed with an icy light, and he did not move at all. He simply waited for a signal from his Emperor to respond to this verbal rebellion.
But Ray chose to answer himself.
A brief silence fell as Ray absorbed the heat of the hall without showing any emotion. His gaze was not hostile; it was calm, like the sea before dawn. He waited until the voices completely died down, then spoke in a composed tone—the tone of a man explaining, not threatening. He knew exactly what would happen if he took an aggressive stance now, especially against the four Dukes.
"It seems there has been a misunderstanding."
Ray leaned back in his chair and continued calmly.
"The Military Police are not here to question your loyalty. They are here to relieve you of the burden of investigations that consume your time and effort. You are leaders of war. Your rightful place is planning victories, not chasing after a soldier who stole supplies or an officer who might be a foreign spy."
His gaze swept across the audience as he continued.
"With this system, we are protecting the family name. If a soldier commits a crime within your territory, the Third Pillar will handle him as an individual, without tarnishing the reputation of the lord or accusing him of failing to control his men."
In other words:
"The Military Police are the shield that ensures your ranks remain pure, so that none of us are taken by surprise by a traitor when hardship arrives."
Then he turned toward the Duke who had objected and added calmly:
"Do you not agree, Duke, that the existence of a specialized organization ensuring military discipline under a unified law would spare you a great deal of administrative headaches? We are not changing the balance of power. We are merely organizing it so that the rights of the Empire are not lost, nor is your effort wasted managing minor matters."
The Duke frowned.
Was he threatening him this brazenly?
But aside from the Duke, the tension in many shoulders eased slightly. Ray's words had not openly stripped them of authority. Instead, he had framed the matter as an administrative service meant to lighten their burden, while keeping the oversight intact beneath that veil.
The Duke glanced behind him and realized that the seeds planted at the beginning of the meeting had already sprouted. The uncertainty that had gripped everyone after the break was now under this young man's control.
He had mixed poison into honey, and they were swallowing it without hesitation.
"Your Majesty—"
"Sit down, Duke."
Ray stopped smiling and looked calmly at the Duke of the North.
"If you have questions, let them wait until the framework of the system has been fully explained."
At that moment, the Duke felt as though countless gazes were piercing his back. He shuddered and looked behind him to find every noble staring at him strangely—even those who had been his allies before the meeting.
Whispers questioned him.
Whispers looked at him with contempt.
These pieces of trash who used to bark beneath his feet now dared look at him with such disdain.
Then Ray spoke words that made those whispers grow even louder.
"We are here to restore the remains of a crumbling Empire, not to bargain over fleeting interests. Have you still not realized the scale of the sacrifices that have been made, and those we will have to make in the future?"
He paused briefly before delivering his final words like a grim prophecy.
"The Black Winter is knocking on the doors, and the enemies beyond our borders will not wait for your pointless debates to end. They are merely waiting for our collapse. Those wolves who have endured the humiliation of this Empire's existence above them—what do you think will happen when we fall into their mercy?"
Ray smiled and followed with a question that shook the hall.
"Has everyone forgotten how the Holy Empire was founded?"
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End of Chapter
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[Historical Record: The Age of Chaos]
[In the era before the founding of the Aster Empire, the continent was nothing more than a vast battlefield known as the War of the Five Emperors, where fire consumed everything in its path. From those ashes emerged three great powers that brought an end to the chaos.]
[Aster: Led by the First Emperor, Amun Ray Clint, renowned for his wisdom, his establishment of sovereign administration, and the Silver Dragon Aster.]
[Selene: Led by the legendary founder Valeria Empress, the woman no man ever defeated, who established the laws of trade and the seas. Alongside the Water Dragon Selene.]
[Vargos: Led by the Rampaging Warrior Barkas, the unbreakable sword of the continent against the barbarians.]
[Under the shadow of these three powers, the continent enjoyed an entire century of absolute peace. However, this state did not last. The Empire of Barkas (the Vargos Empire) suffered an internal catastrophe. The Emperor, being a hybrid, was unable to produce an heir, and after his sudden and mysterious assassination, the state unraveled and fell into a pit of endless coups.]