"Take my words as a warning, while you still have the chance. I suggest either putting your weapons down and repenting for what you did, as there might be so form of redemption and forgiveness in that. Or prepare to face the consequences of your actions. The consequences won’t just be limited to you, but also will be felt by your family."
In short, Aditya was making one thing very clear to everyone present. This was not just a war where only the head of a family would pay the price. Even if the head of the house died on the battlefield, the consequences of siding with the Emperor would not end there. The rest of the family would still have to bear the punishnt. Blood alone would not be enough to wash away betrayal.
In the worst-case scenario, it would not stop at the execution of the head of the house. The entire family would be wiped out. No exceptions. No survivors. Every na, every branch, every bloodline connected to that house would be erased as if they had never existed. That was the kind of outco waiting for those who chose the wrong side.
Even in what could be called a "normal" punishnt, the result would still be brutal. If the offence was not considered extre, the head of the family would still be executed, and the rest would be stripped of everything they once had. Their noble rank would be crushed down to that of a Baron, their lands reduced, their influence destroyed, and their rights taken away. And if they were fortunate enough to receive a lighter punishnt, they would still face demotion, loss of status, and the removal of privileges and resources that once defined their power. Either way, there was no escaping the fall.
Everyone felt scared of Aditya. Especially because of Harrington and Boris shielding him. Also, because the Goddess of War stood against the Emperor, as Aditya was her fiancé.
But still among the crowd, there was a woman who looked like she had been wanting to speak with him.
Just looking at her, anyone can tell that she looks kind of restless and wants to have an audience with his royal highness.
Athena noticed this and lightly tapped on his shoulder and pointed in the woman’s direction.
The woman walked in front of Aditya when he nodded his head to her, which was a signal for her to co forward to speak with him.
"Are you the Emperor of the Istarin Empire?" So Dukes imdiately stopped and looked at the won and Aditya.
Because of the rapid rise of the Istarin Empire, it was just impossible for them not to hear this na nowadays, even though the six continents and the main continent were separated in such a way that it wouldn’t be wrong to say that both places sat in different realms.
"Yes!" Aditya replied while looking unsure and confused about why this was a question that needed to be asked in this mont.
"I am the Ruler of the Istarin Empire." Many Dukes and duchesses were once again surprised by the Crown Prince. Because from the beginning, everyone thought that Aditya, who ruled the Istarin Empire and Aditya, who got exiled, were two different people. Because the na Aditya wasn’t so rare in this world.
The part that stood out the most to everyone was not just the long list of achievents Aditya had brought to his empire. What truly caught the attention of people across the Main Continent was the transformation he had led in such a short ti.
In just two and a half years, he had taken his empire through a level of change that most rulers could not achieve even in decades. That kind of growth was not normal, and it was not sothing that could be ignored.
At the sa ti, many of the neutral parties could not help but form their own opinions. In that mont, it beca clear to them that Aditya was by far the better choice to rule the empire. He had already proven that he had the ability to lead, to rebuild, and to transform an entire nation within a few short years. In contrast, his cousin had done the exact opposite.
In just six months after becoming Emperor, he had managed to destroy the peaceful balance between the powerful noble families and push the empire to the edge of a civil war. The difference between the two was no longer sothing that could be debated.
"I only wanted to express my sincere gratitude. My child was suffering from a rare disease that kept her in a constant state of sleep. As she grew older, her body beca weaker, and the condition only worsened. The hours she spent asleep each day kept increasing, to the point where even staying awake for two hours beca difficult for her."
"I truly cannot express how grateful I am. Because of the Goddess of Alchemy and the creation of that incredibly rare potion, I was able to save my child. Without it, I would have lost her."
Hearing this, Aditya understood why this woman felt so grateful towards him. Because his wife, Lara, also went through a similar problem. If not for the dragon grass, it would have been impossible to save Lara.
"It’s Alright. My wife loves to help others." Aditya could not fully describe just how proud he felt when he spoke about his wife. There was a different kind of warmth in his chest when he ntioned her, sothing deeper than simple satisfaction or achievent. It was not just pride in words, but a genuine feeling that ca from his heart.
Yes, Aditya was proud of everything he had achieved. He knew the struggles he had gone through, the hardships he had faced, and the battles he had fought to reach where he stood today. Every step of his journey was carved through effort and sacrifice, and that was why his own success ant so much to him.
But when it ca to his wife, the feeling was different. He felt just as proud of her achievents, if not more. Not because of what she had done, but because of how much she ant to him. His pride in her ca from pure love. It was not tied to struggle or effort. It was simply the natural feeling of seeing soone he loved shine.
Only then did the large crowd of n suddenly realise sothing they had completely overlooked. Aditya was surrounded by all seven Goddesses. The mont that thought settled in their minds, many of them felt a sharp wave of jealousy. For most people, even seeing a single Goddess in their lifeti was considered an extrely rare blessing. Yet the exiled Crown Prince stood there with six of them already confird as his future wives, and he also shared a close and aningful connection with the seventh.
He had first encountered the Goddess of Alchemy, then the Goddess of Wealth, followed by the Goddess of Nature, the Goddess of Lust, the Goddess of Music, the Goddess of Wisdom, and finally the Goddess of War. One by one, all seven of them had entered his life. All seven had signed a soul-binding contract to beco his fiancées and future wives. What made it even more unbelievable was that this had happened while he was in exile. It was not as if Aditya had been chasing after them or trying to win them over. Every decision he made, every path he chose, sohow led him to et them.
At this point, it no longer felt like a coincidence. It felt like sothing far greater was at work. The bond between them no longer seed like just a contract. It felt as if it had gone beyond that, as if it had beco the will of sothing divine.
"Your Majesty...!!" A man from the Emperor’s faction ca to Aditya.
Even the way people addressed him changed.
"My wife and I have been trying to have a baby for 3,461 years now. I heard that with the Blessings of the Goddess of Nature and the Goddess of Lust, the probability of getting pregnant increases."
The man was on the verge of crying.
"Please help ."
"My wife and I have been wanting to be parents for countless years." Aditya did not know what to say. His first thought was why should he help his enemy.
"If you help , then I will imdiately pledge my loyalty to you and fight for you in this civil war."
"Julia can make pills that can also slightly increase the fertility rate. I will give you all that as long as you take my side in this civil war." It was bizarre to see them negotiating in front of everyone. But then again, everyone here was fighting in this war for so kind of cause. For so, it was a noble act of protecting their holand. For so, it was a battle of profit and gains.
So out of blind loyaltiy.
So out of necessitiy.
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