Since the atrocities committed by the various noble factions were exposed, the unstable landscape of Ursus entered another season reminiscent of the legendary great purges. Hundreds of aristocrats were arrested and hauled off to Deity Grypherburg. The active suspects entangled in these interconnected trials numbered well into the tens of thousands, a clear indicator of just how deep the rot had spread.
Yet, this was far from the conclusion of the crisis. The high nobles, well aware that they and their lineages were facing absolute ruin, chose not to mount a desperate final resistance. When it came time to confess, their cooperation was incredibly smooth!
Driven by the spiteful mindset that if they were doomed to perish, their fair-weather friends shouldn't enjoy a peaceful existence either, these prisoners spilled every single secret they possessed. The list of implicated individuals grew longer by the hour.
The vast majority of these turncoats belonged to the traditionalist noble circles opposing the throne. These old houses had accumulated power and resources over generations, establishing a front capable of challenging the rising nobility and the Emperor himself.
Now, they had no choice but to mimic a cornered lizard, severing their own tails to preserve their foundational interests, while the vacant assets and territories they left behind were naturally devoured by the Emperor and his loyal followers.
The harvest was bountiful for everyone involved. As the count of noble prisoners delivered to Deity Grypherburg mounted, the mid-tier accomplices whose guilt was already documented weren't even brought to trial immediately. The Emperor had zero intention of executing them just yet, noting that their lives would serve a different utility later.
As the number of nobles swinging from the nooses within Deity Grypherburg multiplied, the administration was forced to shorten the traditional seven-day public display meant to deter future criminals. The execution squares simply ran out of space; they couldn't even find open ground to erect new scaffolds.
The capital hadn't witnessed such a chaotic spectacle in decades. The empire hadn't processed criminals whose sins were severe enough to warrant public execution since the officers targeted during the historical purge.
Fortunately, the authorities discovered a more practical alternative: the streetlights bordering the execution grounds. The area quickly came to resemble an assembly of ghouls, with suspended remains swaying in every direction as far as the eye could see.
The judicial departments of Ursus were forced to work around the clock conducting interrogations. The individual enjoying the chaos the most was Kashchey, who had explicitly requested this portfolio from the Emperor. The old serpent spent his days delivering endless mockery to the elites awaiting the noose.
He was finally extracting a heavy interest from the factions that had crossed him! Kashchey's mood was as festive as a new year celebration, determined to repay every ounce of suffering he had endured over the years upon these broken prisoners.
Because the ruling class was completely consumed by internal warfare, no one possessed the spare energy to deploy forces against the advancing vanguard of Reunion. The central factions simply chose to treat the unstoppable movement as nothing more than thin air.
The fighters were more than happy to advance through the wilderness undisturbed, utilizing the quiet season to integrate starving infected from the nearby settlements, along with a few uninfected citizens willing to join their ranks.
Regrettably, for the time being, the number of uninfected recruits remained quite small. Those who chose to march alongside the movement didn't do so out of a desire to coexist with the infected; their motivation stemmed entirely from the simple promise that Reunion provided meals.
The northern barrens were filled with countless souls on the verge of starvation, making Talulah's guarantee of basic rations an immense temptation—one well worth the hazard of joining an outlaw vanguard.
Still, this presented no major obstacle. Once these new members were integrated, regular interaction would gradually erode their deeply ingrained prejudices. After all, within this encampment, maintaining a strict distance from the infected was a logistical impossibility.
Later that afternoon, Jeanne noticed that something was off about Talulah. The Draco leader carried an expression that suggested she had just stumbled upon a fortune. Had something significant occurred without Jeanne's knowledge?
Driven by curiosity, Jeanne voiced the question casually, prompting the surrounding commanders to turn their attention toward Talulah as well, equally curious about her sudden cheerfulness.
"Ahem... it's nothing major. I simply received a missive from my sister. Let's discuss this over here," Talulah lied without batting an eye, quickly pulling Jeanne by the arm toward an isolated corner for a private exchange.
Hearing her explanation, the rest of the circle didn't press further. Most were simply stunned by the shocking revelation that Talulah actually possessed a sister, immediately wondering what sort of background their leader truly came from.
They had always guessed that Talulah's heritage was far from ordinary, but she had never shared details regarding her family history with the movement.
"Care to explain?" Jeanne asked once they were clear of the crowd, her gaze delivering a sharp hint.
A missive from your sister? Jeanne knew Ch'en's temperament all too well; if that Lung ever discovered Talulah's coordinates, she would likely drive a mobile vehicle straight through the snowdrifts to confront her in person.
"Kashchey informed me that the sheer volume of captured nobles has become a crisis. If the crown executes every single one of them, it will make the Emperor appear unnecessarily bloodthirsty. Therefore, a portion of those with lesser offenses will be recycled for public utility."
Talulah shared the latest updates she had gathered from the old serpent, still visibly amazed by the staggering number of aristocrats Ursus had managed to round up. The scale was truly historic!
Even the old purges hadn't generated an assembly of this magnitude. Furthermore, the Emperor held the moral high ground this time; he had already sworn an oath before the entire populace that anyone attempting to block the investigations would face immediate execution.
Jeanne understood the underlying strategy. The young sovereign was capitalizing on this disaster to cement his central authority. If he managed this purge flawlessly, the implementation of his future domestic policies would encounter far less friction.
"So... what does this recycling process entail?" Jeanne inquired, sensing that the fate awaiting the prisoners would be far from comfortable.
"The Emperor has issued a decree banishing these factions to the northern frontier! Those possessing martial talent will spend the remainder of their lives stationed along the northern defense lines to combat the demons. The rest will be deployed straight into the Originium mines as laborers!"
Talulah spoke with an undisguised sense of poetic justice, and the moment the news registered in Jeanne's mind, only one thought surfaced.
Retribution. This was proper retribution.
Forcing these elites—who usually held their noses so high they couldn't see the ground—to labor as miners and face the hazard of contracting Oripathy was a fate far more fitting than simply leaving them hanging from streetlights as a public display.
Furthermore, these individuals were now the public enemies of the Ursus populace. Jeanne could already foresee that the northern barrens were bound to become exceptionally lively in the coming seasons.
"You must instruct our rear guards to keep the personnel within the perimeter of the settlements for the time being. Large-scale deployments should be suspended until this initial wave of prisoners passes."
Jeanne focused on the immediate logistical hazard: the northern frontier was about to enter a season of intense friction, meaning the movements of their scouts would become significantly more dangerous.
"I am well aware of the hazard! Besides, it will take time before those noble prisoners are marched here to begin mining. The imperial courts still need to squeeze every bit of leverage out of their mouths first."
Talulah offered a look that suggested she had already calculated the risks, entirely missing the subtle shift in her companion's demeanor.
Seeing her casual attitude on such a fine day, Jeanne suddenly felt a strong urge to deliver a swift lesson. If the Draco leader didn't have an urgent assignment on her schedule, Jeanne was highly tempted to leave her unable to sit down comfortably for a week.
"Do you have any immediate duties this afternoon?" Jeanne inquired, her stiff transition failing to spark any alarm in Talulah, who remained too cheerful to notice the unusual tone.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have completely forgotten!" Talulah exclaimed, slapping her forehead in an apology for her own forgetfulness.
"A few days ago, a small scouting party of infected went into the neighboring valleys to search for displaced refugees. It has been several days without a single word from them. I intend to head out and locate their trail."
Talulah's expression shifted into one of intense gravity. She took the disappearance of her people very seriously, preferring to personally verify the situation on the ground.
Initially, Jeanne didn't find the report alarming. Perhaps the scouts had simply lost their bearings in a blizzard? A small group with zero hostile intent, merely seeking to rescue fellow outcasts, shouldn't have provoked an assault from the local villages.
Yet, a dark possibility remained. What if they had crossed paths with a wandering security detachment and been eliminated? With Talulah managing the search, the operation was in capable hands...
Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over Jeanne's mind. A subtle, ominous premonition flared in her thoughts, suggesting the scouts had encountered an exceptionally dark situation.
"I am coming with you," Jeanne stated plainly, guided by the internal warning.
"Huh? I recall you promised Fafnir you would spend the afternoon with her today. There is zero need to worry about my safety; I am more than capable of handling myself!" Talulah replied, puzzled by the sudden demand.
"It is settled. I will soothe Fafnir before we depart. Let me know the moment you are ready to move out," Jeanne countered, leaving no room for further argument as she turned to handle the young dragon companion first.