Editing Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter5 (section)

===Part 3===

&mdash;While the celebration was taking place in the Theocracy...

A certain incident shook the imperial capital at Ordesia.

"...Did you say rebellion!?"

Woken from his sleep, Emperor Arneus roared angrily at his retainers.

The incident had happened several hours earlier.

After Arneus' ascension to the throne, at the Academy town which was under the Imperial Knights' control, the students and some of the teachers led an uprising.

Even though the principal cause of the rebellion was still under investigation, it was evident that the Imperial Knights' oppressive occupation of the Academy, whose cherished ideals included freedom and independent thinking, had elicited even more resistance.

In isolation, that would not have been too bad. After all, it was nothing rare for students to organize radical protests, and quelling them would be easy just by mobilizing the Imperial Knights' occupation force garrisoned in the Academy town.

However, the timing was terrible this time.

After his ascension, Arneus' policies had incurred dissatisfaction from the noble. Brutal oppression of nobles belonging to the anti-Arneus faction also caused resentment in the populace.

Reportedly, even the neutral nobles with seats in the imperial council had abandoned Arneus, secretly and frequently exchanging correspondence with the exiled second princess Fianna.

Under such circumstances, to think even a rebellion started.

This was like dropping a lighted match into a powder keg.

Left alone, all negative feeling against the Empire would explode all at once.

"Supporting the rebellion at the Academy town, Marquess Boderalume, all the houses of Haldery, and Earl Edelgart have mobilized their forces."

In charge of military matters, Duke Cygnus Fahrengart calmly reported.

"Even though it is not yet confirmed, there are rumors of movements in Margrave Laurenfrost's territories too&mdash;"

"Damn it, why!? Why won't they obey my orders, the emperor's orders!?"

Emperor Arneus anxiously threw a cup.

He had gone as far as to take the imperial throne with the Holy Kingdom's aid...

But the only ones who recognized him as emperor were the sycophantic retainers.

"Quell the rebellion at once! I allow the use of militarized spirits&mdash;"

"Using militarized spirits against students? The nobles will feel strongly against that."

Duke Fahrengart spoke calmly.

"I don't care. They need to be taught a lesson. I need people to know the consequences of defying me."

"Deployment of militarized spirits against the Academy requires authorization from the imperial council."

"...Shut up! These are emperor's orders!"

Arneus slammed the conference room table, instantly plunging his retainers into silence.

However, Duke Fahrengart remained completely unfazed, not even raising an eyebrow.

"The rebellion at the Academy town can be suppressed using the garrison force. However, nobles engaged in armed rebellion must be punished. A military force will be assembled immediately."

After speaking without any emotion, Duke Fahrengart excused himself.

"Damn it, why... why...!?"

After sending the retainers away, inside the military conference room&mdash;

Arneus began to drink sullenly alone.

Eliminating the emperor, framing his younger sister with the crime of attempted assassination, everything had gone so well.

But why?

"Why are you sighing, Your Majesty?"

Just then, having arrived without him noticing&mdash;

A girl was standing behind Arneus.

"Dame Millennia!?"

Jumping in surprise, Arneus stood up.

This girl was precisely the Holy Kingdom's cardinal who had incited him to ascend to the imperial throne.

"I shall personally pay the Academy town a visit."

"S-Say that again? But if the Holy Kingdom intervenes with military force, inevitably&mdash;"

If that were to happen, the imperial council would definitely hold him accountable.

"The Holy Kindom's forces will not be deployed. I intend to perform an experiment at that location."

"An experiment?"

"&mdash;Indeed. To erase the entire Academy town from the face of the earth."

<noinclude>
{{SeireiDance Nav|prev=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter4|next=Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance:Volume18 Chapter6}}</noinclude>