Was Richard acting on a whim?
Yes and no. After witnessing the uprising, he wasn't just 'standing there dumbly' as Libus thought. He was pondering several questions.
He was a military officer, a noble, and a Caster. But it was precisely this triple identity that allowed him to view the situation beyond the limitations of any single role.
He was well aware that the Empire Army was not as pure and flawless as those retired officers believed. Nor would turning the entire Empire into one big military camp solve society's current problems.
'What would happen if these people succeeded?'
The Empire Council and the civil servant system, led by the Prime Minister, would be suppressed by the Empire Army. The war effort might indeed become more effective afterward, but it would bring no happiness to the Empire's common people.
