Chapter 104: Chapter 103: Morgana is back (6/?)
Hearing the conversation between Morrigan and Eden, Seth frowned, narrowing his eyes. The paranoia within him spiraled out of control, convinced that Eden was confusing Morrigan.
Seth was the only one who could advise Morrigan. She was crucial to his plans, and those plans were already in motion. Eden's opinions were irrelevant, but even so, Seth despised her involvement.
Eden was a nobody, while Seth was someone. Morrigan had no reason to care about Eden's words. While Seth appreciated Eden's competence, his regard for her was limited to her role as a good subordinate.
Eden was not an ally; she was merely meant to follow orders. However, if she was starting to unsettle Morrigan's already chaotic mind, Seth would need to eliminate her.
Seth's thoughts were interrupted as Morrigan began praying to him. It seemed she was calling for him. Rising to his feet, Seth's body dissolved into shadows and swiftly moved to Morrigan's location.
Effortlessly slipping through the window, he reformed into his human shape in front of Morrigan. Seth looked at her with a faint smile. "Summoning me again? How delightful."
Morrigan rose from her chair and calmly looked at him. Despite the tranquil expression on Seth's face, the subtle vibration of his aura revealed he had overheard the conversation between her and Eden.
For a moment, Morrigan felt embarrassed. She had just spoken to Seth and made promises to him, yet here she was again, needing another discussion.
"It seems you have something to say to me," Seth said calmly. Morrigan quickly nodded in confirmation, avoiding his gaze. "I want to talk to you about something."
Seeing Seth's expression remain unchanged, Morrigan sighed and got straight to the point. "You must already know what Eden and I were talking about."
Seth nodded. "Yes, I heard everything. It seems the Princess is unsettled by my actions."
Morrigan lowered her head, unable to meet Seth's gaze. She instinctively thought he was angry, but to her surprise, he wasn't.
"If you think I'm angry at you, you're mistaken, Morrigan," Seth said softly, his tone gentle yet weary. "I'm not angry with you. I'm angry with Eden. How dare she attempt to manipulate you."
"Eden wasn't trying to manipulate me," Morrigan said firmly, meeting his eyes with sincerity. "She was being reasonable. If we go too far, people won't see me as a ruler but as a tyrant—and you as the God of Creation."
Seth frowned, staring at her intently. "There's nothing wrong with my plans, Morrigan. Our rise in this world is inevitable."
Morrigan bit her lip, her gaze dropping in disappointment. Seth sighed but remained resolute. "If we let them live, they'll speak ill of us and try to rebel. I won't allow that to happen."
"Then how many more people can we kill? How many should we kill?" Morrigan asked seriously. Seth answered without hesitation. "As many as necessary."
"Then there will be no humans left," Morrigan said calmly. "People will always resist tyranny. What will you do then? Kill them all? Tear children from their families out of fear they'll grow up hating us? Or exile them one by one?"
Seth's eyes narrowed, her words disrupting his thoughts. After a moment of consideration, he broke the silence. "Then I will leave it to you. Destroy or pardon the remnants of the old government. The decision is yours."
His gaze was unwavering. Morrigan straightened her back instinctively and nodded in agreement. "Thank you," she said gratefully.
Seth smiled faintly, nodded, and suddenly vanished into shadows, leaving the room. Alone, Morrigan sat back in her chair, her thoughts racing with fear of failure.
What if, as Seth warned, a rebellion grew quickly? Or what if her harsh actions branded her as a tyrant?
Most members of the old government had remained loyal to the king and were likely to rebel. They held critical knowledge of state affairs.
Many ministries were still intact, with key positions like Finance, Military, Education, Technology, and Transportation already occupied. Most concerning was that Adolf, the Intelligence Minister, had escaped. This deeply troubled Morrigan.
"So, kill the dangerous ones and spare the harmless ones," Morrigan murmured with a slight smile. She called for her new personal maid, Adriana.
The door opened, and a black-haired woman with glasses entered, wearing a simple maid's uniform. She bowed, trying to conceal her trembling.
Morrigan sighed, knowing Adriana's fear stemmed from mistaking her for Morgana.
"Can you fetch Simon for me?"
"Y-yes, my Lady."
The maid bowed again and hurried out. Morrigan organized the papers in front of her and waited for Simon's arrival.
Taking her pen, she began drafting the necessary documents and sealed them with her insignia. The door opened suddenly, and she looked up. "You're right on time."
"What is your command, Your Grace?" Simon asked respectfully, bowing slightly. Morrigan gestured for him to sit, and he obeyed, awaiting her instructions.
"I have a critical task for you," Morrigan said seriously. "I want you to form a government. Here's a list of ministries."
She handed Simon a document authorizing him to appoint ministers temporarily and granting him a budget of one billion gold coins.
Simon scanned the list carefully. George was already established as Commander-in-Chief and Minister of Defense. Emily's specialized women's archer unit was part of the Defense Ministry's army. Rachel was Minister of Foreign Affairs, with Richard as her deputy.
However, many positions remained vacant, and Simon knew this would be a daunting challenge.
"I've already chosen Thomas for the Intelligence Ministry. The rest is up to you," Morrigan said calmly. Simon nodded in acknowledgment, earning her approval. "One more thing."
"What is it, my Lady?"
"The military must be composed of loyal individuals," Morrigan said firmly. Simon sighed inwardly, realizing his task had grown even more complicated, but he dared not object.
"Additionally, our first official meeting will be held in the newly constructed Government Hall in two weeks. You should expedite the process."
"As you wish, my Lady."
With that, Simon rose and quietly left. As he was about to exit, Morrigan added, "And don't forget, the former Intelligence Minister is to be executed on sight."
Simon nodded gravely and departed. Morrigan leaned back in her chair, exhaustion and uncertainty weighing heavily on her mind.
"Seth expects me to be ruthless," she muttered thoughtfully. "Eden wants me to show mercy."
Logically, she should follow Seth's advice, but Eden's words were undeniably reasonable. This internal conflict plagued her until a sudden idea lit up her mind.
"If I want to eliminate someone, I don't need to take their life," Morrigan mused with a smile. Killing people without reason would make her a tyrant. She needed to accuse them of something instead.
"Thomas said these people are quite superstitious. Could they believe me?"
A cunning plan began to take shape in her mind. If she could convince people that those she arrested were demons, she wouldn't just gain their trust but also channel more faith toward the Church of Creation.
As the plan solidified, Morrigan's eyes sparkled with excitement. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it sooner.
But now, she had a plan—a very good one.
******
As the night slowly descended, Thomas darted swiftly through the trees, and before long, he arrived at Lichenfels, a city bathed in bright lights.
The city, with its radiant glow and cheerful people, was quite striking. Yet, to Thomas, it was meaningless. After all, he had come for one reason alone.
To kill.
Walking through the city, Thomas moved slowly, occasionally taking bites of food from the stalls he passed. He advanced toward Jürgen's palace, ensuring he remained unnoticed.
In no time, he disappeared from view again and progressed through the palace without anyone suspecting a thing. Even the guards had failed to notice him.
Thomas entered the palace with ease, as if nothing had happened. As he approached Jürgen's room, he heard faint moans coming from inside, prompting a sly smile to cross his lips.
"Interrupting a special moment, am I?" Thomas smirked lightly and, without a second thought, entered Jürgen's room.
The first sight that greeted him was a purple-haired woman lying on the bed, with a man on top of her. Thomas chuckled softly.
"Not quite what I was expecting. Perhaps a sexy woman?"
"Whoever you are, I must say, you're quite the handsome man," Jürgen said, as she continued to drain the life force out of the man on top of her. This act resulted in the man's death.
As the man's vitality faded entirely, Jürgen stretched and rose from the bed, casting a curious gaze at Thomas. "Who are you? Another admirer here to confess your love for me?"
Thomas frowned slightly, his expression laced with sarcasm as he looked at the succubus-like being. These were creatures Thomas had encountered before.
Genderless beings, capable of engaging in carnal acts with any living thing. While their offensive abilities were limited, Thomas found some of their powers quite appealing.
Especially the ability to drain life force.
"Succubus, I'm here to kill you on the Empress's orders," Thomas said calmly, adjusting his glasses. Jürgen smirked and grinned seductively. "So, the reason for the capital's eerie silence must be this Empress of yours."
Thomas didn't respond, merely smiled. Jürgen took that as confirmation. She then stood, revealing her ample chest and alluring figure.
"I surrender."
"What?" Thomas furrowed his brows. He hadn't expected things to be this easy. Jürgen noticed the expression on his face and laughed. "You don't need to look so surprised. I can feel your power. It's immense and extraordinary…"
For a moment, a blush appeared on Jürgen's face. "I decided to surrender the moment I sensed it."
As Thomas pondered his next move, he thought it best to leave the matter to Morrigan. "I'll take you to my Lady. She'll decide what to do with you."
Jürgen raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, a flirtatious smile playing on her lips. "Well then, I guess you're the boss now—"
Before Jürgen could finish her sentence, Thomas suddenly knocked her unconscious. As she fell, Thomas grabbed the succubus by the back of her neck like a cat and activated a one-time teleportation device.
"If you think I'm carrying you on my back, you're mistaken," Thomas said with a faint smirk. "You're being taken as a prisoner."
With that, a light enveloped Thomas and Jürgen's body, and the two disappeared from the room.