A few hours back______

“Your Majesty, may I inquire as to why we are lingering here?” Amber questioned, her face etched with confusion. They had been standing in that spot for hours now. Elevated on a mountainous perch, they had an expansive view. The closest city of the Northern Frost Dragon Empire, sitting right at the border, was clearly visible to them. Thanks to their status as cultivators, their eyes were like powerful telescopes, enabling them to perceive things at great distances, much further than an average human could see.

Aditya, stood on the top of the mountain with his hands crossed on his chest. His eyes were looking into the further distance. “We’re here because there will a spectacle that we cannot miss, a grand show that’s not to be missed,” As he said, there was a smile on his face as if he had planned something sinister. Seeing the smile on his face, Amber felt goosebumps. She felt terrified of this Aditya. This Aditya was cold, calculative, terrifying, and frightening.

Amber remained puzzled, unable to grasp the meaning behind Aditya’s mysterious words about a “grand show.” Aditya chose not to shed light on her confusion, keeping his thoughts to himself. Just minutes later, something extraordinary happened that captured everyone’s attention. A massive transparent screen, spanning 20 meters, materialized in the sky at the heart of the nearest Northern Frost Dragon City.

Upon witnessing this sudden appearance, the citizens of the city ceased their activities, their eyes lifted skyward, fixed on the ethereal screen. They were bewildered, unsure of what to make of it. Some among them, particularly those of a religious bent, even considered this supernatural occurrence a divine intervention, a celestial sign from the church they so faithfully followed.

But then, the scene that unfolded on the screen was something entirely unexpected. A gathering of eleven individuals came into view, all seated around a long, rectangular table. There were twelve chairs in total, but one remained conspicuously empty. Prominent figures from the church, including the Pope, were easily recognizable, seeing this the people were confused. Initially, many thought this might be an important proclamation from the church, perhaps a groundbreaking announcement that could shape their future. However, the reality that emerged was not at all what they had expected.

At this moment, the transparent screen had not just appeared in one city but in all major cities of the Northern Frost Dragon Empire. The transparent screen was also played in some major cities of the Istarin Empire territories in the Southern region.”We’ve successfully diverted all culpability onto the Istarin Empire, tarnishing their reputation while bolstering our own. The next step in our master plan involves finding a suitable candidate to ascend to the throne and finally quell this turbulent civil war.”

Hearing these words, the expressions of the every citizen who has been listening turned ugly. Seeing the expression on the Pope’s face, many could not believe at what they were seeing. The kind and gentle angel that they thought of the Pope to be turned out to be just a facade that he put to deceive people. Some citizens felt so shocked that their minds were frozen and they were unable to comprehend what was going on. The words reaction different types of reactions from the people; especially from those who were devoted followers of the church.

A knowing smile stretched across Aditya’s face. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a square-shaped crystal from his storage ring. Pouring a small trickle of mana into it, he activated the crystal. Almost instantly, the gem shimmered with a brilliant white light before conjuring a transparent screen, about 5 meters in size, hovering in the air above it.

“Check this out; it’s one of my latest creations,” Aditya said, his voice tinged with a self-satisfied smirk, as he noticed Amber’s puzzled expression. After his victory in the last war, he had claimed the riches of the Echo Nexus Empire. Among the treasures was the ‘All-Seeing Mirror,’ an artifact of immense power. After spending time studying the magical markings on the mirror, Aditya had managed to create an even more advanced artifact. This new item had the unique ability to broadcast events live. And these small, fist-sized square crystals, well, they could project a live feed onto a transparent screen with just a small infusion of mana.

“Ah, the beauty of manipulating public sentiment!” the Holy Knight exclaimed, his eyes filled with a blend of malice and satisfaction. “Should the Istarin Empire even think of waging war against us, they would have to face not just our armies, but also the hordes of common folk who revere us as messengers of the divine. Emperor Aditya clearly understands the weight of this reality; he can do nothing but wallow in the shame we’ve so skillfully imposed on him.”

“First and foremost, it is crucial to bring this disruptive civil war to a close. We must identify a easily figurehead to sit on the throne, someone who can be easily controlled to serve the interests of this esteemed institution,” he outlined, the veneer of sanctity overlaying the calculated scheming in his words. “Continued unrest will only stir suspicion among the populace. Our decades-long subterfuge could unravel if we overextend ourselves. As the old adage warns, ‘Do not bite off more than you can chew.”

“But rest assured, halting the civil war doesn’t imply that our revenue streams will dry up,” the Pope continued, his eyes narrowing and his lips curling into a sly grin. “After all, we still have our most precious asset at our disposal—the Drug. With it, our stranglehold over the empire, both in spirit and coin, will remain as strong as ever.”

As the meeting continued, one dark secret after another was revealed to the people watching. The pope talked openly about their money-making plans, how they were going to grow their drug business, and how much money they were making from big companies and rich people. These companies and wealthy folks were basically paying the church to keep their own shady dealings a secret.

The public got to see the ugly side of the church for what it really was. For instance, the church was secretly giving harmful drugs to people who were really into their faith. These drugs made people see things that weren’t real, and they thought it was some kind of divine sign. Even strong people known as cultivators got hooked on these drugs. The church grew these drugs in small villages where people didn’t know better. They were easy to trick with nice words.

The rich people who were in the church’s pocket also gave a lot of money, pretending it was a donation. It was so much money, in fact, that it was more than double, sometimes even triple, what the empire got from taxing people each year.

Then there were the businesses. Big or small, they all gave loads of money to the church to stay on their good side. If the church said something bad about a company, that company could go down the drain. The power of the church was that strong, and now, all these hidden truths were out in the open for everyone to see.

When all the church’s dark secrets spilled out for the world to see, the reactions were nothing short of explosive. Especially for the devout followers, those who had given their heart and soul to the church, the feeling was of utter betrayal.

“Oh no, this can’t be happening. I’ve given them my whole life!” Mary, a devout follower in her fifties, said, trembling as she clutched her rosary beads. Her face was as white as a sheet, her eyes wide with disbelief.

In a local tavern, men who usually talked about their faith over a pint of ale were now shouting angrily. “To think I sent my boy to serve them! Those liars! Those cheats!”

On the streets, people gathered in small groups, staring at the screen, sharing feelings of shock and fury. “Can you believe this? They took money from my own business! And for what? To drug us?”

Parents who had given up their children to the church felt their hearts sink. “Our Sarah…what have they done to her?” One mother cried, hugging her husband tightly as they watched the screen.

The shockwave was not limited to just one town or city; it spread like wildfire across the entire empire. People were so angry that they were organizing protests and demonstrations, demanding justice and an end to the church’s influence.

Youths who had looked up to the church felt their role models crumble before their eyes. “I was going to join the clergy next month,” said a young man named Tim, his voice choked with emotion. “Now what do I do? How can I serve a place that does such things?”

In homes, in public squares, and even in places of work, the topic was the same: the church’s betrayal. And the emotion was uniform: a mix of anger, shock, and a deep sense of being cheated by the church.

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