"A few months ago, no one in the world even knew who Cerydra was. She was just a little girl traveling with a single 'retainer.'"
"Yet, it was this very girl who exploited our Revolutionary Army's assassination unit to eliminate Nusneck, the King of the North. She then seized the Crown Prince and purged the aristocracy... She unified the entire Northern Region in record time!"
The Vice Leader of the Revolutionary Army wore a look of helplessness. He slowly closed his eyes, as if mourning a missed opportunity.
Syura, representing the Empire, let out a boisterous laugh at the sight, nearly tearing up from his own amusement.
"Haha! What do you mean 'not on the same path'? 'Not companions'?"
"You can dress it up in high-sounding words all you want, but isn't it just because she moved your cheese?"
Before leaving the Royal Capital, Syura had done his homework. He understood the peculiar relationship between the Rebels and the Northern Empire.
An entity like the "Revolutionary Army" was, at its core, merely a reaction to the Empire. They were dissatisfied with the Empire's share of the spoils, so they planned to overthrow it and become the new Empire to claim everything for themselves.
In the end, the Rebels and the Empire were cut from the same cloth; there was no fundamental difference. They were only at each other's throats because of an uneven distribution of interests.
But the Northern Empire was entirely different!
While Cerydra was also a monarch who controlled the vast majority of her nation's wealth, the way she utilized that wealth was poles apart from both the Empire and the Rebels.
She built schools, libraries, and training grounds.
She reclaimed farmland, improved water conservancy, and focused on public welfare.
And most importantly... anti-corruption!
Good grief. You could explain away the rest, but what was that last one about?
Syura had been stunned when he learned of Cerydra's anti-corruption drive. The Empire had never done such a thing, and neither had the Rebels, because they knew that doing so would cause a mass exodus of members.
People have material needs. If those needs aren't met, why would they bother joining the Empire or the Rebels?
Therefore, even though the Empire was bloated with rot, Honest would never choose that path; heaven only knows when those subordinates would turn their rebellion toward his own head.
The Revolutionary Army was no better. Though they marched under the banner of opposing Imperial decay, they were essentially the same as the Empire and found it equally difficult to solve the problem.
And while the Empire and the Rebels were busy grappling with each other on the continent, a titan had suddenly emerged from the North!
It was cleaner, more efficient, more powerful, and far more... terrifying!
If Cerydra were allowed to continue, the Northern Empire would eventually become a colossal monster and march south!
The Empire would inevitably fall, and the Rebels would fare little better. While there were a few "clean" people among them, the majority were filthy. The Rebels might not be wiped out entirely, but they'd certainly be left more dead than alive.
Question: How do you get two hostile forces to reach an agreement?
Answer: Introduce an even more powerful third party!
"Say what you will, but our stance remains unchanged. The Northern Empire and Cerydra are our enemies, just like your Empire!"
The Vice Leader's eyes snapped open, sharp and piercing as he stared directly at Syura.
"Syura, son of the Minister, right?"
"Now that you know the situation, what will you do? And what will Honest do?"
Facing the Rebel's question, the expression on Syura's face vanished, replaced by a wanton, terrifying, and tyrannical grin.
"Is that even a question? Naturally, we'll use every means at our disposal to annihilate that enemy. Even if it means befriending a former foe, we won't hesitate!"
"Excellent!"
From Syura's attitude, the Vice Leader clearly felt the Empire's intent. In that case...
"Our alliance is officially formed!"
"By the way, here's a piece of intel for the Empire: we've already dispatched people to negotiate an alliance with the North... a fake one, of course."
"Haha! You're using the negotiators as pawns? You really are pieces of work!"
"Pot calling the kettle black. Your Empire is far more 'scummy' than we are!"
And so, on this night unknown to the world, the two powers unified their stance, intending to jointly resist the fierce momentum of the Northern Empire.
However...
"Since we've reached an agreement, shouldn't we shake hands or hold a banquet to celebrate?" Syura flashed a malicious smile at the black-cloaked figures across the river.
"Drop the act. Even if we are partners for now, the Revolutionary Army's desire to destroy the Empire has never changed, you oppressors!"
"Hah? Aren't you exactly the same, you hypocrites!"
Cerydra remained completely unaware of the dealings between the Empire and the Rebels. The plot had veered so far from the original source material that no one could accurately predict the future.
However, even if she did know about the alliance, she likely wouldn't care.
From the very beginning, Cerydra's goal had never changed.
Whether it was the Empire and the Rebels from the original story, or the Foreign Tribes from the West, South, or East that appeared in the background lore—none of them mattered to her.
If anyone dared to stand in Cerydra's way, they had better be prepared to face the Imperator!
After all, the System Mission required Cerydra to build a powerful empire, but she would define for herself exactly what that "power" looked like.
Because...
"I am the Law!"
When Cerydra said such things, she wasn't just joking.
But for now, Cerydra had some guests to receive...
"I didn't expect to see you all again. I'm truly happy for you!"
Looking at the four people bowing before her throne, Cerydra felt a rare flash of nostalgia. Though she hadn't been in this world long, they were, after all, the first group of people she had met.
The Revolutionary Army Assassination Society.
Barbara, Merraid, Taeko, and Chelsea... and standing behind them were others sent by the Rebels, including a silver-haired, purple-eyed older sister who made Cerydra do a double-take.
"We apologize for the intrusion, Your Highness..."
"Enough. Drop the flattery."
Cerydra waved a hand, cutting off whatever Barbara was about to say.
"We've just achieved a great victory and are preparing a banquet to wash away the exhaustion. Since you've arrived at such a perfect time, join us first. We can talk negotiations later."
"By the way..."
"This is a bathhouse banquet. So, get yourselves mentally prepared!"