Chapter 324 : Chapter 324

Chapter 324. The Purge in the Rainy Night

Before ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍he could clearly see the figures standing beside his bed, two powerful metal hands had already seized the collar of his expensive silk nightclothes.

Two ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Northern Territory soldiers wearing Second-Generation Standard-Issue Magitech Armor dragged him from the soft bed as though they were hauling up a fat chicken.

His ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍obese body slammed heavily onto the hard oak floor. His front teeth struck his lips on the spot, and warm blood mixed with saliva flowed straight into the folds of fat beneath his chin.

“What ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍are you doing?!” The Minister of Finance struggled to crawl up. Even though the fall had left him dazed and seeing stars, his first reaction was still to bring out his official authority. “I am the kingdom’s Minister of Finance! Who gave you the courage to break into my mansion? Tell your commanding officer to get out here and see me!”

An ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍ice-cold sheathed longsword struck him across the face without warning.

SMACK.

The crisp sound of metal striking flesh echoed through the bedroom. The Minister of Finance screamed as half his face swelled high. His nasal bridge fractured, and blood mixed with snot ran all over his face.

He covered his face and looked up in terror.

Sylvia stood before him, her silver-gray eyes looking down at him from above. There was no unnecessary emotion in them, only the indifference of someone looking at a dead object.

The Minister of Finance recognized that face. The fat all over his body began trembling uncontrollably, and all those fantasies of power in his mind shattered completely at that moment.

“Take him away.” Sylvia withdrew her scabbard and turned toward the door. “On to the next place.”

The two soldiers hoisted up the Minister of Finance, who had gone limp as mud, and dragged him out of the bedroom as though dragging a sack of inferior flour.

Similar scenes spread through every corner of the Royal Capital like a plague.

The Royal Magitech Communication Tower had been completely cut off. The entire Royal Capital had become an isolated island of information.

No distress signal could pierce this cold, rainy night.

The vast majority of the old nobles had no awareness of the impending catastrophe. They had completely fallen into a passive position.

In the south of the city, the Tulip Count’s Estate lay in deathly silence.

The heavy copper-bound doors were blasted into splinters by a shot from a magitech autocannon. The count was still dreaming on his warm velvet bed.

Before he could recover from the tremendous shock, several Northern Territory soldiers had already rushed into the bedroom like wolves and tigers. They roughly dragged him out from beneath his blankets.

Before he could mobilize even the slightest trace of mana to resist, his hands were locked in cold Anti-Magic Shackles.

He was taken down in one sweep, along with the smuggling ledgers he had not had time to destroy.

In the western district, another mansion met the same fate. A hereditary viscount, usually aloof and arrogant, woke with a start and tried to summon the private soldiers in his manor to resist.

Having lost their communication methods, they could not seek aid from the outside world, nor could they contact any other noble families, let alone form an organized defensive force.

The moment a few scattered glimmers of magic lit up in the courtyard, they were instantly suppressed by the absolute firepower of the Northern Territory armored infantry.

Before the viscount could even finish putting on his clothes, he tried to flee over the wall, only to be pressed down into the mud by the Shadow Guards lying in wait.

A cold short blade pressed against his fat neck, frightening him so badly that he lost control of his bladder on the spot.

On this long, cold, rainy night, the old nobles who had once claimed to be the pillars of the kingdom and acted as though no one could challenge them were ambushed in their sleep, completely caught off guard. They could only fight separately.

But before the fully armed and well-prepared Northern Territory elites, their panicked resistance was as fragile as fish on a chopping block.

The occasional terrified scream and desperate plea for mercy, as well as the dull roars of magitech armaments, were swiftly swallowed by the heavy curtain of rain.

Together, they became the funeral bell for the collapse of an old era.

When reports of successful arrests from various locations continued to converge through the special magitech communicator made by Logaris, Sylvia was riding a magnificent pure-black warhorse toward the Royal Treasury and archives.

In her plan, controlling money and archives was even higher in priority than entering the palace itself.

“Your Highness, the key peripheral nodes and the remaining nobles have basically been cleared.”

Personal Guard Captain Akash was reporting through the one-way communication crystal specially made by Logaris.

“Very good.” Sylvia nodded slightly. A trace of resolve flashed through her silver-gray eyes, and she flicked the reins. “All forces, turn. Target—the Royal Treasury and archives.”

Sylvia personally led her main force forward like an unstoppable steel torrent, advancing along the broad central avenue.

Their objective was clear. They were not heading straight for the throne in the Golden Rose Palace, but instead turning toward the Royal Treasury and archives, which stood next to the west side of the palace and were as solid as a fortress.

This place was Astrelia’s economic lifeline, as well as the foundation of its administrative legality.

If the treasury and the adjacent National Archives were burned or transferred in the chaos by desperate noble remnants, what Sylvia took over would be a bankrupt government riddled with holes, one that possessed a throne in name alone.

However, when the Northern Territory army passed through the long street and arrived at the open plaza before the treasury, their unstoppable march was forced to halt.

A stern steel defensive line blocked the only road leading to the treasury.

At the center of the plaza, the Seventh-Tier powerhouse and Commander of the Royal Capital Guard, Aureus, stood alone at the front of the formation like an unshakable iron tower, holding his iconic heavy sword.

Behind him, two thousand fully armed Royal Guards had already deployed the most rigorous defensive formation.

Spears stood like a forest, pointing toward the sky. Heavy shields connected tightly together, like a silver-white city wall, guarding the treasury gates so thoroughly that not even water could pass through.

As the highest commander of the Royal Capital garrison, Aureus had already noticed the abnormal mana fluctuations and large-scale troop movements in the city during his night patrol.

Under the strange circumstances of the communication network’s paralysis, he had made the correct judgment at the first possible moment: he led troops to take control of the two most crucial vital points of the kingdom, the treasury and the palace.

At that moment, the night wind stirred Aureus’s crimson cloak.

His gaze burned like torches as he stared fixedly at the well-equipped, killing-intent-filled Northern Territory army ahead, as well as Princess Sylvia, who sat on horseback with a cold expression.

Logically speaking, a provincial legion bringing troops into the capital late at night without a royal order, and even directing its blades toward a vital national site, had already completely broken the iron rules of the kingdom.

But first, after the old King’s death, the First Prince was gravely ill, and Sylvia was one of the only two remaining royal bloodlines in the kingdom with legal inheritance rights. Her status was noble, and she could not be moved against lightly.

Second, he knew very well the depth of this princess’s background. Her teacher was the Court Swordsmanship Grandmaster, a Seventh-Tier expert in the same realm as himself.

Before the situation became completely clear, rashly taking action would be no different from pushing all of Astrelia into an abyss of irredeemable civil war.

The Northern Territory’s marching formation stopped. Sylvia rode her warhorse to the front of the army.

“Your Highness.” Aureus suppressed the shock and suspicion in his heart and performed a standard knight’s salute, his gaze sharp as an eagle and filled with scrutiny.

“You have brought troops late at night to surround the Royal Treasury. You need to give me a reasonable explanation. Otherwise, the Royal Guard will never make way.”

“Commander Aureus, Moran’s remnants attacked Redleaf Manor tonight.” Sylvia stated the explanation she had prepared in advance,