The State of the Empire

Atop the Grand Altar of Isdalia, over a hundred imperial court wizards gathered together, raising their staves in unison. Amid violent fluctuations, an enormous hundred-meter-long planar rift tore open atop the altar. A colossal, majestic red head emerged from within, followed by a thick neck, then broad wings and powerful forelimbs. The supreme emperor of the Cinder Empire, the great dragon who ruled the Great Anzetta Waste—Cassius Claubau Norixius—had arrived this day in his faithful Isdalia. "Roaaar—" Cassius slowly closed his eyes, savoring the long-lost sensation of supreme mastery within his Imperial Domain, and let out an exhilarated, low roar. "Welcome back, Master." Trump stood upon the second-highest tier of the altar, respectfully welcoming the red dragon's return. As prime minister of the empire, he alone occupied that singular vantage point, the very first to receive the imperial monarch. Behind him stood Duke Mezrolash and Duke Duoluo, who had led the Imperial Elite Army and the Tiefling Guard, respectively. "We welcome Your Majesty's return—" The hundred or so court wizards behind them called out in unison. Across the altar, the soldiers dropped to one knee in neat formation, their rifles resting against the ground with a crisp clatter. "Master—" The white dragon came bounding and fluttering over from afar. This time she dared not press too close, merely sprawling eagerly on the ground, her thick tail swishing back and forth. Yet the sheer momentum of her nearly twenty-meter-long body made the earth tremble beneath her. Cassius surveyed his surroundings before finally settling his gaze upon the imperial prime minister. "Trump, you should have received the word by now regarding the empire's colony on the Elemental Plane of Fire." "Yes, Master. Congratulations on achieving yet another glorious triumph! I have already dispatched scribes to record your great deeds into the annals of the Cinder Empire." The ogre knelt on the ground, his tone growing ever more fervent. "You subjugated the fire dwarves, vanquished a pasha of the efreet realm, and compelled that Sultan to sign a treaty with us, securing colossal benefits for the empire! Every citizen ought to etch your achievements into their heart and revere your benevolence! I shall immediately commission a new monument..." "That is not what I was referring to," Cassius interrupted, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. He merely shot a glance, and Mezrolash whispered something to Duoluo. At their command, the surrounding soldiers, guards, and court wizards withdrew in orderly fashion, leaving behind only a few key ministers—and Tinia, who understood none of it. "Have you dispatched personnel and funneled supplies to the colony? The living conditions there are extraordinarily harsh; ordinary clothing and provisions will be reduced to ash in no time." "Naturally, Master," Trump answered hastily. "We have already sent an envoy delegation composed of Machine Cult players to the Brass Fortress, bringing with them a substantial cache of supplies enchanted with heat-resistance magic. "Furthermore, personnel from the Department of Technology are developing weapons, clothing, and rations tailored specifically to the Elemental Plane of Fire's unique environment. They expect preliminary results in about a month, which will drastically cut magical expenditures. You have nothing to worry about." "Very good." Cassius nodded faintly. "The Burning War is a rare opportunity. I have appointed Serkan as governor of the colony on the Elemental Plane of Fire. Instruct him to secure his footing by all means necessary and reap profits amidst the chaos. "In addition, specialized weaponry designed for elemental creatures must be placed on the agenda. This war will drag on for a long time." Trump grinned, revealing an ugly smile. "You can rest even easier on that front, Your Majesty. Those fellows in the military-industrial complex are the greediest of all. Having tasted the sweet fruits of arms dealing, many have made fortunes beyond measure, and an atmosphere where profit is pursued at any cost has already begun to take hold." Trump chuckled slyly. "In such a climate, whenever an opportunity for profit arises, they will swarm like a pack of ravenous wolves to tear apart and divide every last gold coin." Yet as if suddenly recalling something, he frowned and added, "However, in order to drive down costs, certain individuals have begun concealing their worker counts, exploiting legal loopholes, and even failing to pay taxes according to regulations..." Cassius's expression grew solemn at once. This was a blood-soaked beast bred by his own hands. Now, it was beginning to bare its fangs, unveiling its hideous countenance to the entire Feanso Continent. Though backed by supreme individual might, Cassius did not regard it as an uncontrollable scourge, but rather as a vicious hound to aid the empire's outward expansion. Even so, he had to prevent these monsters from degenerating into parasites that gnawed at the empire's foundations. Vicious hounds required discipline. Not only did they need to be fed flesh and blood, but they also needed to feel the weight of the cudgel, lest these covetous curs forget who their master was. *It seems this has progressed far beyond a mere sprout...* Cassius thought, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Trump, have the Ministry of Justice work overtime to plug the loopholes immediately and ramp up penalties. Drag a few prime examples before the tribunal for a public show trial—kill the chicken to scare the monkeys. Under no circumstances must they be granted the slightest opening to exploit." "Yes, Master." Seeing the emperor take the matter so seriously, Trump bowed his head and complied at once. Cassius continued, "You remember that story I told you, don't you?" "Of course, Master. Even a dike a thousand li long can collapse from a tiny ant hole." Cassius nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward Mezrolash. "It seems things have been far too peaceful at home lately, so much so that certain people can no longer rein in their petty ambitions. "Let Nocturne draw some blood. It has been many days since they tasted fresh gore, hasn't it?" "Yes, Your Majesty." Mezrolash's expression remained inscrutable. He merely dropped to one knee crisply, offering a succinct and forceful reply. "Very well. Having just returned from the Elemental Plane of Fire, I require a period of rest in the palace. "Remember, no one is to disturb me during this time." Cassius yawned, casually tearing open the space before him with a foreclaw to forge an enormous fiery portal. He stepped through, returning to the palace he had departed so long ago. After several battles, he truly needed a moment of respite, as well as time to assimilate his newly acquired power. Meanwhile, within the empire, a tremendous tempest was about to break. ... A month later, the Imperial Corporate Law was formally promulgated, with retroactive effect, immediately igniting an uproar across the realm. Yet before long, several dragonblood nobles who had spearheaded the violations were beheaded in public, while certain enterprises dancing on the edge of the law received a "cordial" visit from Nocturne. Some of the more "clever" players even had all their assets confiscated, thrown into prison cells for extended periods of reform through labor. For a time, an oppressive silence fell over the empire. The trend of "flouting imperial law for the sake of gold" was curbed and suppressed, shifting instead into a wave of "abandoning humanity for the sake of gold." In the eyes of the imperial authorities, the second was merely normal behavior, whereas the first was utterly unforgivable. Soon, people realized that while within the borders of Anzeta they were bound by the rule of law—forbidden from holding slaves, evading taxes, or working people to death—the same did not necessarily apply to the south... Although they still had to pay taxes to the empire, they enjoyed vastly greater freedom in certain unspeakable matters. And so, they began reaching out to those clerics of the Church of Waukeen who had "sold their souls to gold," and a sweeping, aggressive campaign of outward expansion commenced.