Chapter 668 Eve of Battle
?"Of course not," Emperor Varan calmly replied, not surprised at all by his imperial guards' doubts.
After all, the Sacred Tirtha was a very large piece of land, even larger than the Delarosa Household by ten times, and possessed countless shamans and witch doctors. If every Shaman and Witch Doctor were an enemy of humanity, striking the Sacred Tirtha first would deal them a serious blow.
On the other hand, targeting the Delarosa Household first would only alarm the Sacred Tirtha and give it time to prepare itself.
Moreover, countless warriors across the empire were indebted to the Sacred Tirtha for its gracious healing and treatment. Thus, the rallying power of the Sacred Tirtha would be quite frightening if they suffered injustice and decided to retaliate against the imperial family for a righteous cause.
Nevertheless, that still depended on the basis that the Sacred Tirtha actually had a righteous cause. Otherwise, their rallying power to rebel against a seemingly tyrant ruler would disappear like scattered smoke.
"You must know that we have always had doubts about the Delarosa and Sacred Tirtha but never had any proof to validate them. Not only are they good at hiding things, but their true power should be even greater."
"This could be seen from how they were able to assassinate the first-seated heirs of major clans to incite greater conflict between the ducal factions. They had certainly kept their strength well hidden."
"Unfortunately for me, by the time I ascended the throne, this demon-affiliated group must have long established their roots. Their influence is immense, both on the surface and in the dark. Not only will attacking the Sacred Tirtha have a low chance of success, but we will even encounter fierce resistance from our own people – those who don't know any better."
"That's why we are gathering all our strength to take down the Delarosa Household first. The Delarosas founded the Sacred Tirtha, and all their direct family members have occupied high positions. The Delarosas must have a secret ledger that records everything they had secretly done in the past few hundred years."
"As long as we can take down the Delarosa Household and obtain that secret ledger, we can expose their sins and have a righteous cause for destroying them. This will minimize our losses."
After Emperor Varan finished explaining, most of his imperial guards were awed by his wisdom. Even so, a few remained unconvinced by his reasoning.
"Your Imperial Majesty, you are the emperor of the Great Ratholos Empire, and your imperial authority is absolute. Who would dare to rebel against you if you take action against the Sacred Tirtha?" one of the imperial guards questioned.
"That's right, Your Imperial Majesty," another one chimed in, adding, "It's not too late to give everyone an explanation after we find the evidence from their corpses. Thus, in my opinion, the result will still be the same even if we attack the Sacred Tirtha first."
"More importantly, the sooner we do so, the more advantageous it is for us. Since they have chosen to emerge from the shadows this time, it means they are up to no good. The longer their intentions remain unclear, the worse the situation will be."
"I am aware of that," Emperor Varan calmly acknowledged before helplessly shaking his head, "However, it's too late to change my plans now. The enemy has already been alerted by our actions."
"Furthermore, my imperial authority is not as inviolable as you think. My imperial authority might seem absolute, but it is based on the fact that everyone respects and fears me. If I don't have the heart of the people, my imperial throne will be a shaky one."
"History has proven tyrannical rulers have never had good endings," Emperor Varan stated.
"More importantly, you are all underestimating the strength of the Sacred Tirtha too much. They have been patiently hiding their true power all this time. What's stopping them from continuing to do so for another three hundred years?"
"Since they had chosen to expose themselves this time, it must mean they are sufficiently confident in their ability to overthrow me," Emperor Varan solemnly stated.
Very quickly, the few unconvinced imperial guards sweated as they recognized the error in their thinking.
They had grown too arrogant after obtaining their positions of power and serving their emperor. They were gravely mistaken for believing no power was greater than the emperor's
Weren't the Great Devils of Gehenna even greater than their emperor?
And the one standing behind the Sacred Tirtha may very well be one of these Great Devils.
That's why the emperor himself had personally arrived at the Delarosa Household. He had to ensure their mission was successful, as there was no room for failure. They couldn't afford it.
"In that case, shouldn't we have also requested Lord Wyvern Ancestor to assist us in taking down the Delarosas, Your Imperial Majesty?" an imperial guard asked.
"No," Emperor Varan coolly replied.
"Lord Wyvern Ancestor has finally broken free from the shackles of mortality and taken half a step into the divine. He is now at an important stage of consolidating his powerful physique. Thus, we cannot rely on him. The Red Wyvern Clan is also guarding him, so we can't rely on the wyverns either."
"However, you don't need to worry too much. It shouldn't take too long. I believe Lord Wyvern Ancestor and the Red Wyvern Clan will be with us when we storm the Sacred Tirtha."
Shortly after Emperor Varan's reassurance, a commander-
rank imperial soldier rushed forward to report, "The anti-
magic siege weapons are all set in place, and our troops are all ready, Your Imperial Majesty!"
"Good!" Emperor Varan exclaimed, saying, "It's time to confront the Delarosas."
Within moments, everyone outside and inside the Delarosa Household became aware of Emperor Varan's arrival as he boldly strode to the Delarosa's front gates.
"Listen up, Delarosas! You are all under suspicion of betraying humanity and serving one of the Great Devils of Gehenna! Quickly open your gates, and let us search your land to prove your innocence! Do not force me to use force!"
Emperor Varan's loud and majesty voice traveled far and wide, ensuring everyone within the Delarosa Household heard it.
However, Matriarch Laelana sneered when she did.
"With the imperial capital in turmoil and everyone at each other's throats, there's no telling if you have also come to embroil us in this great conflict! So, forgive me for refusing to grant you entry, Your Imperial Majesty!"
"We'll be more willing to open our gates once the situation outside has calmed down! Now, please pull your troops back!"
"So, you have chosen to take things the hard way, have you!? Don't you regret it now, Laelana Delarosa!" Emperor Varan growled with a darkened look.
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