With the coming of the dawn, so did the continuation of yesterday's work. Beginning with reading the financial reports of the tallied loot, which amounted to a little less than nine million Darr, nearly two third of what we gained in war reparations from the Luminous Empire in the last war, which greatly pleased me, knowing full well how starved for cash the empire was at the moment, after funding two large campaigns. After easing my worries about the now solved, possible future financial concerns of the nation, I turned my attention to Isaac's vast report. After yesterday's night long interrogation, the prisoners began to happily croon their little secrets like song birds in spring, spilling one sickening tale after another. The report then goes on to explain that much of the libraries worth of information we found in Zadkiel's office were also near done being catalogued, though apparently much of it still needs to be verified of it's authenticity. Read full story at 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 'Seems I underestimated how much the Shade Corps wished to wash itself of their shame.' I thought, surprised by their immense progress in such little time. And lastly, the final and shortest document left on my desk was a simple list of a hundred or so significant names, that were selected from the nearly one thousand prisoners we released yesterday from the Appethus dungeons. And these proud names were none other than those of the nobles who's lands were usurped and their children and grandchildren almost forced to marry their captors, that we found when we recaptured their forefathers' ancient keeps and castles. "Abraham." I called out. "Your orders, sire." He replied, opening the door and bowing. "Bring me the men and women on this list." I said, handing him the paper I was just reading. "Right away." He quickly answered, taking the paper from my hand and leaving again. I momentarily considered having Isaac handle this problem, but I doubt he has much lee way left in his schedule to handle this as well. Besides, it might foster better loyalty within them if I personally met with them instead of my subordinates. Still as efficient as ever, within minutes Abraham had brought them all before me. They were ragged, their previously well groomed hair dishevelled and matted, their once pristine skin now gaunt from lack of sunlight and proper nutrition, while marks of abuse, clearly visible from where their scant clothing failed to cover them, marred their bodies with lashings of popping purple, deep black and repulsive red. "Hail to the emperor." The two leading figures among them, an elderly man who seemed in his mid sixties, with a receding hairline of pure white, and a large unkempt beard, and the other being a beautiful woman, with dark brown hair and amber coloured eyes, spoke with an elegant bow, as the others quickly following their example. "It's good to see you two still alive, lord Hurr, lady Sajn. Even after everything that has happened." I said to the two leading members of my Imperial Faction in the eastern stretch of the empire, having heard about them from Darius before, as Lord Hurr was among the first to join my Imperial Faction after having previously been one of the few neutral lords in the east; while lady Sajn was the first to defect from Zadkiel's Noble Faction to my side, and then further contributing by remaining within the Noble Faction in the guise of an ambitious woman wanting to grasp more power, while secretly spying on them on our behalf. "Thank you, sire. And pardon my vernacular, my liege, but you and your men were a sight for sore eyes as well." The old man light heartedly said, his small smile genuine, without a hint of false flattery within them. "Tell me everything you know." I commanded, my eyes narrowing with a focused edge, while slightly leaning forward, as fingers interlocked in front of me. The freed nobles, like a flock of bullied children finally allowed to air out the complaints in their hearts, quickly said with indignant tears in their eyes and a barbed hate filled tone in their voice, that Zadkiel had sent a 'force of odd speaking men', as they described it, in the dead of the night and silently had each and every one of them arrested. Before then forcing them to write falsified letters back to us, under the threat of harming their families. "Odd speaking men?" I echoed, not understanding their meaning. "Yes, my liege." Horatio, Lord Hurr's first name, confidently affirmed, before explaining "They never referred to each other by name, only by numbers or brother, and they would constantly drone on and on about flocks, and sheep." He finished with an annoyed look to his face, as he realized how odd his words seemed, but that was truly all the snippets of conversation he'd managed to snatch from them, even after months of captivity. Lady Sajn, with a charming smile on her lips, that still looked radiant even with how haggard she currently was, quickly spoke up but with far more detail. "Pardon the interruption, my lords, but they would also keep muttering something about how they would create brighter tomorrows for the whole world, the pollution of false rulers and the purity of their so called ideal." The other nobles looked at her in shock, before a single thought surfaced in all their minds simultaneously 'I suppose even those heartless fanatics were not immune to Lady Sajn's charms, and stupidly let their guards down around her.' Which they wouldn't be faulted for thinking, since she was without a doubt a ravishing beauty, but I had no mind to think of that at the moment, as a single word captured my full attention 'The Heretics.' I quickly asked a few more questions, trying to see if their lips had slipped before anyone else, and though some spoke a few more words they heard, it was mostly useless. But from their words I was still able to ascertain and confirm at least, the roles of each of the main conspirators. The Luminous Empire, specifically speaking Marius Nerva, was the brains; the Sapphire Swallow Guild was the purse; the Mercenary Kingdom the muscle; The Heretics were the ones to handle all the dirty work, and poor old, foolish Zadkiel was the puppet. I was lost in thought for a moment, when the concerned, yet hesitant voice of the aforementioned Lady Sajn sounded out "Excuse me, my liege, but... could you perhaps tell us of the state of our lands and families?" Hearing her words I looked up, only to see them all staring at me with that same pleading gaze, that both yearned and dreaded the truth. I paused for a moment, remembering what I knew of their blood relatives, before I looked at her and truthfully answered "Your son and two daughters are alive, Lady Sajn. And the same applies for your own, Lord Hurr. All four of your sons, their wives and your six grandchildren have survived, I'm told. Though they were very weak when we found them." "...As long as they are alive, I have no complaints." They both said at the same time, easily noticing that I only reassured them of their survival and not their well being in general. As they could easily guess what manner of horror they experienced in their prolonged imprisonment, and suddenly the two's tired faces grew even more fatigued, with Horatio in particular looking as though he'd suddenly aged another ten years in that brief moment. "What about our families?" The others cried out, worry lacing their voices. But to their cry I could offer no solace, as I calmly shook my head saying "I am not sure, but if you wish to know, then you may go to my Grand Chamberlin Isaac in a few hours and question him, he will know." I did not lie to them, I memorized the reports on Lord Hurr's and Lady Sajm's families, because they were important and very useful pawn in the east, ones I would need to use far more exclusively in the coming months, but the rest were of no concern to me. "Thank you, my liege." They quickly bowed in gratitude, before then swiftly taking their leave. I had just finished my meeting with the nobles, when Abraham suddenly came through the door, announcing "Sire, the eastern admiral, lord Khairuddin has come to answer your summon." I blinked in surprise for a moment, before lambasting myself for forgetting that I had called for Khairuddin today. "Let the admiral in." I answered. Abraham bowed and vanished behind the door again, before a few seconds later it opened, with the infamously eccentric figure of the eastern admiral filling it's frame. He was dressed in loose fitting clothes of mismatched and contrasting hues of blue, red, green, and purple, that seemed two or three sizes too big for him. He was tall but not lanky looking, with strong looking muscles, clearly built from a life of difficulty. He had sun kissed skin, undoubtedly from all his time spent on the decks of ships, which only complemented his large deep bronze eyes and hair. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my emperor!" Khairuddin loudly spoke, his voice just as cheerful as I'd remembered it to be.