I play a Evil God in Otome Game

With the break of dawn, the entirety of Drachenreich awoke in shock. Armored soldiers relentlessly swept the streets, rounding up members of the Church of Light, dissidents, socialists, other organization members, and even street gangs. Fear gripped the populace once more.

It wasn't only the opposition that was targeted; intellectuals who still harbored anti-imperial sentiments within the Academies were also arrested.

Lord Wilfried mobilized security forces in the capital. Simultaneously, forces in twelve major cities acted at the same hour based on intelligence reports, swiftly asserting Imperial power.

As The Great Purge unfolded, nearly 10,000 radical anti-imperialists were executed within a short period. Newly established courts were directly overseen by Morringan.

Tens of thousands more were exiled from the cities and sent to labor camps. Citizens of the Aurelia Republic had their residency permits revoked and were deported to their homeland.

The harshest crackdown was directed at the Church of Light. Local churches were shut down, and nearly 8,000 priests were either executed or exiled. The church properties, including treasures, lands, investments, and minted coins, were seized and transferred to the Church of Creation.

All high-ranking bishops were executed. Most notably, nearly 100,000 Light believers were accused of espionage, treason, and other crimes with fabricated evidence. Consequently, they were all sent to labor camps.

Moreover, at the Berlen Royal Academy, many students lost their scholarships. Anyone affiliated with a political organization was exiled from Drachenreich.

Following Thomas's advice, Morringan increased patrols on rural trade and pedestrian routes. This ensured that those exiled or forced into banditry faced significant difficulties.

---

"What's the current situation?"

Morringan gazed calmly at Rachel, who was delivering a report. Rachel's furrowed brows and visible frustration were evident even from afar. She hesitated before responding.

"Not good," Rachel said with disappointment. "We're facing diplomatic issues with the Aurelions. The Hermonians haven't even bothered to reply. As for the Holy Mary Kingdom, I didn't even consider asking them."

Rachel knew that engaging with those nations under current circumstances was nearly impossible. Any envoy sent to the Kingdom would likely be captured upon entry.

"The only good news is that my father seems optimistic about forming an alliance with us," Rachel said calmly, though her tone held a hint of dissatisfaction. "Still, he mentioned it would take time to trust us, so for now, he only considers us a potential ally."

Morringan frowned and gazed thoughtfully at the floor. While she had successfully consolidated power in Drachenreich and formalized her government, gaining recognition from other nations remained challenging.

Achieving this required either a major war or strong diplomatic ties—both of which seemed nearly impossible for Morringan. Drachenreich was destined to become an empire, something no one wanted to see.

After all, the previous king had been a peace-loving, gentle man. Despite his eccentricities, he excelled in diplomacy.

Now, the tables had turned. Drachenreich's official government was strong and authoritarian, but diplomatically weak. Still, Morringan saw no cause for concern.

Aside from the Holy Mary Kingdom, she regarded all other kingdoms as insignificant. If the Wargans truly launched an attack, even the Church of Light would struggle to intervene.

The elves, being in distant lands, posed no immediate threat. The dwarves hated meddling in human politics, and as long as Morringan didn't intrude on their mountains, they wouldn't create issues.

---

Morringan sighed and dismissed the matter. "Very well, it's not worth pursuing. Let's focus on maintaining communication with the governors instead."

Rachel nodded and left. Shortly after, Veronica entered, prompting Morringan to smile slightly. "How are you, Veronica? It's good to see you."

Veronica beamed brightly. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your praise is an honor."

She handed Morringan a document and explained. "I've come to request a budget and approval for a project, Your Majesty."

"What project?"

"I've designed a major project to expand and improve roads leading to villages and towns," Veronica said softly, a hint of shyness in her tone. Morringan nodded encouragingly for her to continue.

"Although Drachenreich is an agricultural country, traders usually only visit villages near cities," Veronica said, pointing to a spot on the map on the desk. "This is because transportation is difficult. The roads are neglected and scarce. Traders struggle greatly to move their horses along these paths."

Veronica's demeanor grew serious. "If we build more efficient roads to connect villages and towns, people can interact with cities more easily."

Morringan nodded in agreement. Without much deliberation, she approved the project. Veronica's reasoning was sound; infrastructure, though seemingly simple, was crucial for economic growth.

"Very well. I'll allocate 200 million gold coins for this," Morringan said, easing Veronica's tension. "But I want the project completed in at least six months. We don't have much time."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Veronica replied with a joyful smile, bowing deeply before leaving the room. Morringan leaned back in her chair, feeling a wave of exhaustion.

"There's still the second trial…"

Having presided over the first trial, where nearly all local Church leaders were judged, Morringan felt a heavy mental fatigue—not physical, but psychological.

She occasionally wished that judging hundreds of people at once was easier, but it was a task she had to prioritize. The Church's influence had to be eradicated from her lands.

The fabricated evidence was ready. All Morringan needed to do was interrogate them one by one and corner them. Perhaps even force some confessions.

Before her thoughts could continue, a sudden knock at the door drew a sigh from her.

"Enter."

The door opened, and Lord Wilfried stepped in. Having spent the morning patrolling Berlen, he seemed slightly tired but remained composed thanks to years of experience.

"Your Majesty, you may want to take a look outside."

Lord Wilfried spoke seriously. Morringan frowned but didn't comment. Rising from her chair, she opened the window to her chamber.

"A protest?" Morringan asked coldly as she saw 3,000 people demonstrating outside the palace. "Socialist youths?"

"Yes," Wilfried confirmed, glancing at the slogan-chanting protesters. "I wanted to stop them, but it seems they ignored the soldiers and forced their way through the restrictions."

"We banned protests for a month," Morringan said calmly. "I won't allow this. Send the knights. Arrest these youths and send them, along with their families, to labor camps."

"This—" Wilfried hesitated, finding the decision harsh, but after some thought, he realized its merit. After all, royal loyalists still existed in this country.

While they didn't fully support the empire, they certainly despised the socialists, whom they considered a heretical ideology for years.

Morringan's actions would both discipline the socialists and gradually garner support from the conservative faction. Eventually, the royal loyalists would evolve into imperial loyalists.

People were predictable—they hated anything opposing their ideology but quickly adapted to something aligned with it.

"As you wish," Wilfried said calmly. Morringan nodded. "Good luck, Wilfried."

Wilfried bowed and left. Shortly after, the Morvos Knights arrested the youths and their families, swiftly loading them onto armored carriages.

Morringan withdrew. It was now time to attend the trial, and she headed there. The courtroom was, as usual, close to the Imperial Palace. Many state institutions had been built in the area known as the Palace District for faster processing.

Morringan set off in a carriage accompanied by Morvos Knights. Unlike yesterday, the streets were nearly empty. After all, the shock of the morning still lingered over the people.

In truth, Morringan would have been more surprised if everyone had been outside, laughing and cheerful.

"Her Majesty Morgana is here! Everyone, stand tall!"

The courthouse was enormous. Since there was no Ministry of Justice and Morringan herself was chosen as the head of the judiciary, there would be no minister appointed for the time being.

Morringan stepped out of the carriage slowly. When she saw a few people waiting on the sidelines just to catch a glimpse of her, she gave them a faint wave.

Naturally, their expressions turned into shock, panic, and sweat. Morringan sighed and thought it was probably best to keep her distance from the people for now.

She then entered the courthouse. As soon as Morringan stepped inside, she saw hundreds of high priests and members of the Church of Light.

They all looked battered, hungry, and exhausted. Their sacred religious symbols, once held in high esteem, were gone—burned by Morringan's orders.

Thus, they were left to wallow in tattered clothes. Some appeared despondent, emotionless, or frightened. These emotions became even more apparent as Morringan walked in.

"Demon! Witch! Justice will prevail one day—"

A priest shouted, his voice filled with rage and religious fanaticism. But his words were cut short when a soldier struck him hard on the head with the pommel of his sword, causing him to collapse unconscious.

"Silence! Even the sight of Empress Morgana is more important than your false goddess!"

A Morvos Knight spoke calmly but with a terrifying edge to his tone. "Be quiet and wait to be judged before justice."

Morringan ignored them all and finally arrived at the courtroom. She gave a slight nod to a Morvos Knight before entering.

Inside, there were a hundred more priests. They, too, trembled in fear, cursed under their breath, and emitted the same aura of despair. In recent days, Morringan's reputation had increasingly intertwined with Morgana's.

Some had even begun to believe she truly was Morgana—especially the local leaders of the Church of Light.

"It seems everything is ready," Morringan said calmly, her eyes locking onto an elderly man at the front who looked wounded, with a black eye and a sickly appearance. "You must be the Archbishop? Your name is Evan, correct?"

"My name means nothing to you," Evan replied, his voice tired yet resolute. Morringan took her seat on the judge's throne, narrowing her eyes as she gazed at him.

"Today, you stand trial for treason, establishing a covert organization within the state, espionage, perverting religious practices, banditry, insulting the Empress, money laundering, illegal trade, unauthorized preaching, disrespecting the sacred values of Drachenreich, and undermining territorial integrity."

Evan let out a dry laugh, as if finding genuine amusement in the situation. "How could I possibly fit so many crimes into one lifetime? I wouldn't know."

"No irrelevant remarks," Morringan said firmly. Evan cast a brief, disappointed glance at the floor, indifferent to her words. After all, he already knew the outcome of this trial. He couldn't even take it seriously.

"Say whatever you wish. It doesn't matter to me," Evan said wearily, bowing his head. "Even if you kill me, brave youths will rise in my place, and the name of the Goddess will once again echo in these heretical lands."

Morringan said nothing, narrowing her eyes as she stared at Evan. "That will not happen. If your goddess is truly powerful, let her reveal herself to me. I challenge her, and I will continue to defy her."

Evan merely laughed and fell silent. Morringan continued. "Now that the trial has begun, everyone's fate will soon be decided..."