Read Novel Full Chapter 985: The Outbreak of the Rebellion
Chapter 985: The Outbreak of the Rebellion
"Bad news?" Elina was startled.
She tried to think of every possible scenario but couldn’t come up with anything.
After composing herself, she looked toward the door and replied, "Come in, Rafine. The door isn’t locked."
Clack!
The door opened, and Rafine rushed in, her face pale.
"What happened?" Elina asked, her expression turning serious.
After taking a moment to calm herself, Rafine answered, "Elina, bad news has come from the capital! Several rebel forces have appeared in the southern region!"
Elina’s eyes widened.
"What did you say? Rebel forces?"
Rafine nodded frantically.
"I just received word from my father. Four rebel forces from different towns have appeared at the same time. They’ve already killed at least five hundred people."
The room fell silent. Elina’s expression darkened. She hadn’t expected the rebellion to break out so suddenly.
"Do you know why?" she asked.
Rafine shook her head.
"The situation isn’t clear yet. But according to the rumors, a powerful force is supporting the rebellion from behind the scenes."
"A powerful force behind the scenes, huh?"
Elina narrowed her eyes.
That was the most likely possibility. After all, a rebellion needed two key elements: support and opportunity.
The opportunity had arisen when her father, the emperor, fell ill. It created a temporary power vacuum, though her older sister, Seira, had already filled it.
And then there was the support. Who could be the powerful force behind all of this?
"Could it be the Holy Empire of Valtanir?" Elina speculated.
Rafine frowned. It was certainly a possibility. After all, the conflict between the two empires remained unresolved to this day.
"What are we going to do now?" Rafine asked hesitantly.
Elina remained silent for a moment before turning to Nolan.
"Don’t tell me you already knew?"
Rafine was taken aback.
"What do you mean?"
Elina then recounted what had just happened to her.
Rafine’s eyes widened in shock.
"How did you know, Nolan?"
Nolan shook his head.
"Neither of you needs to know. What matters most is what you do next—especially you, Elina."
"Me?" Elina pointed at herself.
"Act as if you don’t want to get involved. Let Seira handle it."
"But..."
"No ’buts.’"
Nolan cut her off.
"Follow my advice. I’m your advisor, aren’t I?"
Elina puffed out her cheeks. Rather than acting like her advisor, Nolan was more like an older brother.
Even so, she didn’t argue and simply nodded.
"I understand. I’ll do it."
...
Seira sat on the throne, listening to the ministers’ reports.
"Your Majesty, this matter cannot be ignored!"
The speaker was a stern-looking elderly man wearing a light green robe that gave him an air of authority.
His name was Fludel, the Minister of Social Affairs.
"This is a serious problem! The rebellion must be crushed! Otherwise, the people will feel unsafe, and the situation could develop into an even greater disaster," he declared.
"Wait, I disagree!"
A young man stepped forward.
Fludel turned toward him with a cold gaze.
"What do you mean, Ergar?"
Ergar, the Minister of Welfare, smiled slightly.
"I don’t think violence will solve anything. The rebels were once ordinary people. They only dared to take this step because they had grown fed up with everything."
His words silenced the other ministers—everyone except Fludel.
He was a loyal supporter of Ragan and had served him since the day he first ascended the throne.
Moreover, Fludel was a conservative man, both in his mindset and his opinions.
"Even so, they must be punished!" he declared firmly.
Turning toward Seira, he clasped his hands together and pleaded, "Your Majesty, you must take action against them!"
"Your Majesty, please think this through carefully. This matter cannot be resolved through violence alone!"
Caught between their conflicting opinions, Seira’s expression remained as calm as ever.
"Enough!" she snapped coldly.
Both ministers immediately stopped arguing.
Seira looked at them one after the other and said indifferently, "I understand your concerns. However, this matter requires further discussion. I cannot make a hasty decision."
Her response silenced them both, though their stubborn expressions made it clear that neither had changed his mind.
"Very well. You may leave for now. I will make an announcement later."
Fludel and Ergan clasped their hands together before turning to leave. The other ministers followed them out.
Once the throne room fell silent, Seira was the only one left.
"Orion," she called.
Whoosh!
Orion appeared beside her.
"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Seira rested the right side of her face against her right palm.
"Do you think there’s a major player behind this rebellion?"
Orion understood what she meant, but he didn’t dare answer immediately.
Seeing him remain silent, Seira narrowed her eyes and asked again, "Why are you so quiet? Tell me—do you have an answer?"
Orion took a deep breath before lowering his head.
"Most likely, the Holy Empire of Valtanir, Your Majesty."
"The Holy Empire of Valtanir, huh?"
Seira chuckled softly.
"They really are a pain."
Orion said nothing. After all, the Holy Empire of Valtanir was still Seira’s maternal homeland.
He was afraid that saying the wrong thing might offend her.
"I understand."
Seira nodded slightly.
"I understand your concern. In fact, I’m not very close to the Valtanir imperial family. If anything, I’m quite estranged from them. Our relationship isn’t very good, either."
Unlike Adalen, who was close to Dariel, Rebecca, Erald, and the Singularity of Light, Seira was not.
She didn’t know why, but she had always felt that they didn’t accept her. She also didn’t feel that the Holy Empire of Valtanir was her true homeland.
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Orion’s body relaxed. With Seira’s assurance, he no longer had to worry about mentioning the Holy Empire of Valtanir in front of her.
"By the way, could you explain the rebellion to me?"
Orion nodded and began recounting the events.
Seira listened carefully until she finally understood the situation.
"So, they’re a group of soldiers and barbarians living in a border town near the southern region, attacking the surrounding cities?"
"More or less. Even though they aren’t native citizens of the empire, the law still considers them part of our empire, Your Majesty. So..."
Orion smiled wryly.
"If we attack them on the grounds that they aren’t part of our empire, it would be considered a violation of imperial law. The ministers could use that against you."
Seira’s position was extremely difficult.
Her appointment as temporary empress had faced significant opposition, especially from those who had supported one of the princes.
Moreover, during Ragan’s reign, many of them had become deeply involved in corruption and feared that Seira would hold them accountable.
"I understand. Thank you for letting me know."
Seira nodded casually.
"The issue is more complicated than I thought. But do you think there are other parties pulling the strings behind the scenes, Orion?"
Orion tensed.
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
Seira twirled a strand of her hair and laughed.
"I mean... isn’t it obvious? A faction smaller than the Holy Empire of Valtanir, but one that wields considerable power in the southern regions."
Orion stiffened at her words. One family immediately came to mind.
The Malvain family...