A Plan to Unmask

As the nobles walked toward the window, the fading moonlight bathed the city, and their eyes landed on a sight that left them in awe, some in fear.

The head priestess was truly amazed, her cheeks flushed with joy, her hands clasped together before her chest as she spoke, her eyes practically lit up with delight.

"It is a miracle," she said, her voice soft and breathless.

"A divine gift… bestowed upon us through the emperor!"

She swiftly turned to face him. "Your Majesty." Her hands rested against her chest, almost trembling as she bowed, looking up at him with devotion that bordered on adoration.

"The gods have truly chosen you to lead us. I… I am honored beyond words to serve under your blessed guidance."

She rose slowly, her eyes not leaving his, her expression lingering.

Arkanos allowed a slight smile, acknowledging her devotion with a nod.

Lady Marienne Ashford gasped. "By the gods... How can this be?" she whispered, her gaze locked on the magnificent structure. "What... what is this? How could such a thing appear out of nowhere?"

Lord Adrian Velmont, unable to tear his eyes away, muttered, "It's... like a dream. How did it appear from nothing?"

Grand Vizier Cedric Raine, who had been standing near the window, stumbled backward, his face paling. "Impossible... such a transformation cannot be. This... this defies all reason… it doesn't make any sense at all!" he stammered, his voice filled with a touch of fear and shock.

His eyes landed on the emperor, and he went pale, trying to regain his composure, but his hands trembled, showing his fear. Some of the other nobles shared similar reactions—tightened jaws, clenched fists—though they quickly masked it, suppressing their fear and controlling their expressions.

Arvel Rothenwald, the dutiful advisor, stood stiffly, his brow furrowed in thought, though his expression remained carefully neutral. 

His sharp eyes narrowing as he turned toward the emperor. "This... this could be the work of the gods themselves," he said cautiously. "But, Your Majesty... such power should not exist in mortal hands... How did you obtain this?" 

Arkanos then smiled as he thought, 'I've been waiting to hear that… and now for…'

'The hook.'

Arkanos inclined his head slightly. "You have a point, Arvel. Such feats are beyond mortal hands alone. But with the artifact I recently acquired from defeating Nythralis, and through divine enlightenment, I am able to wield this power."

The nobles exchanged curious glances. Arkanos watched them, a trace of satisfaction in his mind. 'That's it,' he thought, 'Yes, let your curiosity—and greed—drive you.' 

Grand Vizier Cedric, his eyes gleaming mischievously, stepped forward speaking  with his hand clasped over each other, rubbing them together, as though to show his eagerness. "Your Majesty, might we… see this artifact?"

With a calm nod, Arkanos reached into his robe and pulled out Yelaina's Hairpin. He placed it on the table. "This is an ancient elven artifact. Its power allowed me to improve the cathedral, but it requires holy energy to be wielded."

Arvel Rothenwald's eyes widened, clearly in awe. "Remarkable your magesty... such a relic is beyond anything we've encountered before." He said as he adjusted his monocle, leaning forward to get a better look at it. 

"Indeed." Arkanos replied. 

He then gestured toward the seats. "Now, let us return to our discussion. We have much to plan if we're to guide the empire toward greatness once more." He smiled at the end. 

... 

The meeting took a while, but it eventually came to an end. Arkanos had assigned each noble specific projects he wanted them to carry out within their territories. Although he could easily accomplish these tasks himself with the points at his disposal, now was not the time to play god.

He needed to root out the weeds!

Given a second chance at life, Arkanos had a limitless future ahead as an emperor. The last thing he needed was to be surrounded by traitors plotting against him.

But he couldn't simply execute them without cause, even though their loyalty values were nearly in the negatives. That would only fuel the rebellion brewing within his walls.

Instead, he would make them expose themselves, revealing their own disloyalty with their actions. With enough proof, and after he'd won the hearts of his people, their deaths could be justified as divine judgment.

And what better way to accomplish that than by making them directly target him—an emperor chosen by the Goddess of Justice and Purity?

Arkanos had a plan: he would bait these fools into moving against him sooner rather than later.

With news reaching them before his return that he was chosen by a goddess, they had to find a convincing reason to challenge his rule. 

Their strategy? Exaggerating their reports. They knew the empire didn't have enough resources to address massive crises across multiple territories, so they had planned to inflate their requests for aid.

If the emperor refused, they could accuse him of neglecting his people. Although their territories weren't truly in dire straits, they weren't thriving either, which would make their accusations plausible.

By submitting exaggerated reports and using certain artifacts to document the emperor's refusal, they could stir up resentment among their people and incite rebellion. They would present a one-sided story of a heartless tyrant.

And, of course, Grand Vizier Cedric was at the center of it all.

The plan seemed foolproof—until Arkanos saw through it. He shattered their lies, warned them, and sent them back to their territories, ordering them to use the resources they were hoarding to improve their lands or risk being branded as traitors. He even unveiled his grand vision and artifact before them.

In doing so, he forced them into a corner.

They all realized that if Arkanos continued on this path, he would win the hearts of the people, making rebellion impossible. So, they'd be driven to a last resort: an attempt on his life, hastened by their greed for his artifact.

Normally, with their exaggerated report plan foiled, they'd need time to come up with a new scheme. But now, having glimpsed his artifact and his grand ambition, they couldn't afford delays.

They had to act.