The hundreds of elite imperial soldiers dispatched to Gias City continued to advance like an unforgiving juggernaut. Armed with the aura-detecting silver necklaces around their commanders' necks, they swept through every corner of the city.
Their mission was singular: to seek out, uncover, and execute the spies and traitors hiding within Gias City.
That morning, the city air was thick with the metallic stench of blood and the sounds of despair.
"I beg of you, spare my life... I was only following orders!"
"Help! I don't want to die here!"
"No! Don't kill me!"
Harrowing cries begging for mercy echoed continuously from various corners of the city. Those who had long enjoyed the wealth reaped from human trafficking and espionage could now only fall to their knees and plead for their lives.
However, those tears and pleas fell on deaf ears. The soldiers, having received absolute orders from the Emperor, showed not a shred of mercy. They immediately executed anyone possessing a yellow or black aura.
There was no clemency for the spies or traitors of the empire. The fundamental right to defend oneself no longer applied to such traitors and spies.
Although the scene appeared incredibly brutal and cruel, the entire populace of Gias City chose to keep their mouths shut and let the soldiers do what had to be done.
From behind half-open windows or from the heavily guarded sidewalks, the citizens watched the executions with complicated expressions. For the people living in the city, witnessing the mass execution of criminals who had long remained untouched by the law was far better than having to keep their heads bowed and live in constant terror.
This bloody decisiveness this morning was a painful surgical operation, yet an absolute necessity to ensure that everyone would no longer have to live under the shadow of kidnappings orchestrated by the slave-trading syndicate.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, Elara, who had arrived in Gias City using her teleportation magic, stood gracefully right in front of a massive building.
That building was the Gias City branch of the Adventurer's Guild.
However, Elara did not come alone.
To the Emperor's left stood a tall, burly man. His posture towered like a protective pillar, clad in silver armor that gleamed beneath the sunlight. In his right hand, he held a heavy spear with a black and gold shaft. That man was Vincent Larcsard, the shield-piercing spear, one of the five Army Generals of the Erthland Empire.
To the Emperor's right stood a woman of the elf race possessing extraordinary beauty. Her long, yellowish-green hair fluttered softly in the wind. In her right hand, she wielded a magic staff. That woman was Aesta Fartwood, one of the three Magic Corps Generals of the Erthland Empire.
"Let us go in!" Elara said in a calm tone, her eyes looking straight at the guild's main doors. "There is someone inside I must meet."
"We shall accompany you, Your Majesty." the two generals answered in unison. Their voices sounded highly respectful, yet radiated an intense level of vigilance.
With graceful, measured steps imbued with the absolute authority of a ruler, Elara walked forward, flanked by Vincent and Aesta on her left and right.
Inside the Adventurer's Guild, the atmosphere was no less tense than the streets outside. The lobby, usually filled with boisterous laughter, the clinking of beer mugs, and mission negotiations, was now steeped in a grim aura. Both the staff and the dozens of adventurers trapped inside were murmuring about the sudden lockdown and the on-the-spot executions being carried out by the imperial forces out there.
"How long is this military lockdown going to last? Damn it, I can't earn a single coin today!"
"And I was supposed to head to Sellon City today for a merchant caravan escort mission. If I cancel, my reputation will be ruined!"
"Don't be a fool! If you force your way out the gates right now, it won't just be your reputation that gets ruined, your head will be rolling on the ground!"
However, the creaking sound of the main wooden doors slowly opening drew everyone's attention. All the debates, complaints, and whispers filling the guild lobby were abruptly brought to a halt.
Every pair of eyes in the room instinctively turned toward the three figures who had just crossed the threshold.
The adventurers' breath hitched in their throats. The presence of the silver-armored man and the elven woman alone was enough to mentally suppress them. Yet, what truly made them freeze was the figure of the blonde woman walking right between those two monsters of strength.
Adorned in the grand attire of the empire, not a single adventurer or guild staff member ever expected that the Emperor herself would set foot in their guild lobby.
Nevertheless, Elara, who was now the center of everyone's attention, remained completely unfazed. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, parting the room.
Seeing the Emperor walking toward them, the adventurers blocking the path immediately scrambled to make as wide a path as possible. They bowed their heads, their faces deathly pale, not daring to look directly into the eyes of the supreme ruler of the Erthland Empire.
Elara continued her walk through the lobby until she finally arrived and stopped right in front of the main counter.
She gazed at the face of a young woman in a guild staff uniform, who was standing rigidly behind the wooden desk.
Feeling the authoritative gaze of the Emperor who was now standing directly opposite her, the young woman's legs trembled violently. Nevertheless, she hurriedly bowed her body deeply, offering a formal salute with both hands resting neatly over her stomach.
"G-Good morning, Your Majesty." the woman greeted. Her voice sounded slightly nervous and trembled, but she mustered all her courage to maintain her professional demeanor. "I-I am Milla... the receptionist on duty at this guild. I-Is there anything I can help you with, Your Majesty?"
Hearing the straightforward introduction from the receptionist, Elara felt slightly relieved, as she wouldn't have to bother asking around and wasting precious time looking for the woman she sought.
"So, you are the one named Milla?"
"Y-You are correct, Your Majesty. I am Milla." she replied as she straightened her posture slightly, though she dared not look into Elara's eyes for more than two seconds.
"In that case, I will get straight to the point!" Elara stated firmly, radiating the absolute authority of an emperor. "Are you willing to come with me to the capital and become the Minister of Finance for the Erthland Empire?"
The adventurers behind Elara exchanged glances, unable to believe what their ears had just heard.
The exact same reaction struck Milla.
The sudden offer thrown by the Emperor instantly made Milla gasp. Her eyes widened, her mouth hanging slightly ajar.
I... I was just offered a position as the Empire's Minister of Finance? By the Emperor herself?! Milla screamed in her heart, in sheer disbelief at the absurd situation unfolding. Tell me, am I asleep at my desk right now? Is this a dream?!
Seeing the facial expression of the woman before her, Elara completely understood her reaction.
For an ordinary commoner, hearing such an abrupt request from the emperor to occupy one of the most crucial ministerial seats at the center of power was an impossible.
Yet, Elara remained standing patiently, allowing Milla a few moments to process her thoughts before she gave an answer.