Book 6: Chapter 315: The Perilous Political Mess Of The Manasvir Empire
Book 6: Chapter 315: The Perilous Political Mess Of The Manasvir Empire
The Filomena Nobility Academy on the northern campus of Olsylvia Academy, inside Bella’s personal dorm building, the “Pure White Heaven”. After the incident the night before, Bella, along with the Puppet Master Elaine and Princess Pamela, finally managed to force the uncooperative President Isaman to return to the dorm with them.
After asking a few questions, Bella found out that those few princesses did not carry any personal weapons or military powers at all and were clearly “newbies” in politics. However, this was not their fault. None of the princesses of the Human empires had military authority. Bella, who was a duchess, was the rare exception who had more than ten thousand soldiers under her command.
If the Puppet Master Elaine and President Isaman were to let go of their inhibitions and transform into their original dark forms, they would most likely be able to summon a large demonic army, just like the Demonic Dragon Emperor Alisha and the others. However, this would be extremely difficult for the general public to accept. It was best not for the other races to get involved in Human politics.
Under the pretense of ensuring President Isaman’s safety, Bella finally got her way and brought her to her own dorm before the bet had been fulfilled. The “Pure White Heaven” was filled with important girls from all over Olsylvia Academy. Most of them were either from Euphemia Imperial Academy or Filomena Nobility Academy. The group was made up of princesses, young mistresses from notable families, and girls who held high ranks within the Radiant Church.
No matter how brazen those assassins were, they would not dare to create trouble at Bella’s “Pure White Heaven”. Most importantly, other than the Devastating Evil Dragon Emperor Lolita and the Devouring Holy Dragon Euphenisia, the Demon God Angel and the Great Evil God Mia from the World Destructor Camp were present as well. By this point, even the most tightly guarded areas within the entire Human Continent would seem like a joke compared to this building.
“President Isaman, you’re up early! Why, did you not sleep comfortably last night? Why don’t you come over to my room and join Elaine and the others? I’ve already saved the perfect spot for you.”
“Bella… enough with the president already. Just drop it and leave me alone! The rules of your dorm are too… Anyway, this is not good, the discipline within the dorm…”
“Oh, that! Isaman… Chief Natasha of the Disciplinary Committee does not mind this at all, why should you? Furthermore, all of us are girls. There’s nothing wrong with that right?”
President Isaman’s face turned pink. Last night, she had almost been pulled right into Bella’s dorm room. Fortunately for her, she managed to get away at the last minute. The girls inside this dorm, such as Lisha and Princess Kriss, had the habit of sleeping in the nude. President Isaman could not take it and had no choice but to find a single room to rest for the night as she did not feel comfortable joining any of Bella’s close friends in their rooms either.
Although the rest of the girls did not sleep naked, their choice of sleepwear was not any better. They were scantily clad in such light, chiffon-like, extremely sensual lingerie that it would have made no difference if they weren’t wearing anything at all. President Isaman was sorely tempted to tell them to be more reserved. However, she did not have a good excuse to convince them to do so. Everyone in this dorm was female and this was their private space. It did not reflect anything about their discipline or character if they only wore it inside their rooms.
Furthermore, even Chief Natasha of the Disciplinary Committee was on Bella’s side, which left President Isaman speechless. She finally realized that every single girl around her had already shared intimate relations with Bella in one way or another. Even President Maria, the heir of the Radiant Pope, whom she thought would never “turn bad”, had “defected” as well.
Bella casually strolled out while wearing a racy black lace set. Inside this “lily heaven”, she could even walk around naked if she wanted to. When she saw that President Isaman was wearing a conservative white cotton nightdress, Bella felt a little conflicted.
“Isaman, don’t torture yourself like this. You can wear a little less, you know. Treat this like your own home and be comfortable. It’s okay to be more casual. Do you want me to find you a few pieces…”
“Bella, could you please stop pushing my limits? If you continue to spout nonsense like this, I will.. I’ll move out.”
“Alright, alright… I’ll stop. However, you should not run around. I’ll feel better if you stay here.”
Tragically, President Isaman found out that there was nothing else she could do about Bella other than escaping and physically keeping a distance from her. Bella could no longer be restrained nor punished as Chief Natasha of the Disciplinary Committee was now in cahoots with her, along with the other student union presidents and Chief President Angelia. President Isaman was on her own now. If not for the fact that she had been brought here against her will, President Isaman would have hidden inside her office. There was no way that Bella had any influence there.
Shamelessly, Bella walked right up to President Isaman and held onto her hand as she put on a decent act under the pretense of discussing official matters with her. President Isaman desperately tried to push Bella’s hand away, but to no avail. Bella, that “corrupted girl”, had her special ways of holding onto a girl’s hands. Unless she let go of their hands of her own accord, any girl Bella held would not be able to get away that easily.
“Bella, you… let me go. Otherwise… otherwise I’ll…”
“Isaman, don’t be so nervous. It’s just holding hands! Come, let’s talk business. Don’t squirm or struggle, otherwise I will carry you instead!”
President Isaman was terrified at the thought that Bella would actually carry her against her will in broad daylight. If that were to happen, there was no way she could draw boundaries with Bella ever again. President Isaman had no choice but to silently go along with Bella’s actions. Previously, she had thought that Bella was not that powerful. However, right now, she did not think so anymore. If the two of them were to engage in a fight, Isaman suspected that she would not emerge victorious.
President Isaman still had her doubts about Earl Bartley’s secret message. She would not believe anything she heard unless she saw it for herself. After all, it would be too presumptuous for her to jump to a conclusion about the emperor of the Manasvir Empire being a fake based on the word of Earl Bartley. A man who had betrayed the empire and had been dead for more than ten years. If she could, President Isaman hoped that she could personally confirm the presence of those remains.
Earl Bartley had seen the remains after drinking and there was a possibility that he was seeing things while being in a drunken stupor. According to President Isaman, the Puppet Master Elaine, Princess Pamela, and herself had spent their lives outside the palace for many years and had not returned since they left. If the Emperor was truly a fake, it would not be wise to enter that palace anymore.
The Manasvir Empire’s royal family was different from the other four empires. The other empires often chose to send their princes out to the neighboring empires to gain more experience. For instance, Princess Felia’s home country, the Octavia Empire, also known as the Knight Kingdom, had sent many of their princes out to the warfront in the north that was constantly in battle with the Demon Race to allow them to have some training. On the other hand, the princesses would either remain behind inside the country or they would be sent out to various academies to further their studies.
The Manasvir Empire did things rather differently. They sent their princesses out to the academies while the princes remained inside the palace. Princes of the Manasvir were not allowed to train outside of the palace. These rules had been in place for more than a decade. Since the implementation of those rules, the princes of the Manasvir Empire could not expand their personal scope of influence and the power remained solely in the hands of the emperor.
In the last decade or so, the Manasvir Empire had maintained a rather cavalier attitude about the Human empires’ alliance to fight the war against the other races. They had sent out countless mercenaries as the Manasvir Empire’s reinforcements for the other empires. This reaction was far too dismissive. Previously, Bella had not paid much attention to the political climate around the Human Empires. After speaking to President Isaman, she finally realized that this seemingly united and prosperous empire only appeared this way on the surface. In reality, the Manasvir Empire had already secretly disintegrated.
The Manasvir Empire’s royal family came from a long line of businessmen. The other emperors had merely inherited their empire and their command and power within their army was absolute. On the other hand, the emperor of the Manasvir Empire was not well versed in war. Instead, the emperor should have the shrewd mind of a businessman and be familiar with economics. The military issues would be handled by their command of generals and admirals.
As time went by, the Manasvir Empire evolved into an empire with a flourishing economy, while the military powers continued to disintegrate. This was precisely the reason why there were so many different professions within the empire’s army. At the moment, the only area that was truly under the royal family’s control was the imperial city, which was the empire’s capital, Macnadix City, as well as the central region of the continent – the Olsylvia City. The other areas only belonged to the Manasvir Empire’s emperor in name. In reality, these areas had already been taken over by various warlords.
The eastern region of the Manasvir Empire was under the control of Marshal Edwin and the 1.5 million troops under his command. As an Imperial First Class General, he had not returned to the Imperial City after being transferred east more than ten years ago. Rumor has it, Marshal Edwin was secretly in constant contact with the Nation of Arcana, the Aldridge Empire. At this point, there was a possibility that his loyalties no longer lay with the Manasvir Empire.
The other regions were not being controlled by any allies at all. The northern region was under Prince Earnest’s command, whose army was made up of 1.2 million troops. His unofficial title, the “Northern Emperor”, was whispered throughout the region. He worshipped the current emperor of the Octavia Empire and believed that war was the only way to solve any problems. It was obvious that he was an ambitious and formidable hero who had a talent for leading rebellions and revolutions. If not for Marshal Edwin in the east, he would have led his command south and charged towards the Imperial City a long time ago.
The Grand Duke Yale in the south and Prince Bilberg in the west had around one million troops each. Prince Bilberg was a rebel hero who initially wanted to use the Kristoff Empire’s support to lead a revolution. However, after the Imperial Union had stepped in to mediate, Bilberg begrudgingly accepted the Manasvir Empire’s offer of amnesty and was given the title of a prince. However, there was nothing they could do to prevent another rebellion from eventually happening. After all, Bilberg was a rebel and it was only a matter of time before he would lead another revolution.
Among those four warlords, the only one whom Bella did not find distasteful was the Grand Duke Yale as he had climbed his way up from a local nobility to his current status. In his younger years, he had done his part for the empire and suppressed the rebels in the south, as well as caused severe losses to Prince Bilberg in the west who had been causing the empire a lot of trouble. If the emperor back then had not been weak and chose to offer amnesty at the last minute, Bilberg would have been suppressed much earlier.
Unfortunately, the Grand Duke Yale was getting older and he was no longer as strong as he used to be. Once he was gone, the various warlords in the south would be unstoppable. Other than the four main warlords, there were many smaller warlords who staked their claim on smaller territories.
After listening to President Isaman’s brief introduction of the entire political climate, Bella felt a little dizzy. This Manasvir Empire was a complete mess. Furthermore, the four main warlords did not obviously state their support for any prince in particular as the next emperor. For the past decade, the emperor had not announced an heir. An empire without anyone next in line as emperor was bound for an extremely worrying future.
“Ugh, this is why I do not like Humans. They’re always fighting and squabbling, forming alliances here and there. Unlike us, the underworld… ahem, forget I said anything. Bella, do not take it to heart!”
“Isaman, you… Nevermind, just let me hold your hand a little longer and I will pretend that I did not hear anything at all.”
President Isaman finally showed her true colors. Her accidental slip of the tongue had revealed that she might not be human at all. Bella heard every word, but she did not pursue the matter. She continued to hold Isaman’s hand, as though nothing had happened, and continued to discuss other serious matters.
The investigations on the Venus Naga Business District would commence the coming Monday. This time, Bella would participate in this operation with President Isaman and the Assassin Noreya. This was a covert operation where they would infiltrate the area in secret. Even on Mondays, the Venus Naga Business District was still as busy as it was on the weekends as they had many female customers.
Bella was smarter this time. She had arranged for many different batches of reinforcements in case anything unexpected happened. She would even dare to open fire in the middle of the district as Chief Natasha of the Disciplinary Committee and every single student union president was on her side, including President Isaman, who used to oppose her.
The main focus of this investigation was the Matilda Cosmetics Store. According to the information from trackers on the girls who wore the undergarments that President Isaman had secretly tampered with, they had stopped inside the shop for a long time. Then, they all mysteriously disappeared.
Those girls were present when the student attendance was taken on Monday morning. Other than seeming a little off, they did not appear any different at all. Considering how serious this problem could be, President Isaman had no choice but to work closely with Bella. Right now, the influence of Bella’s underground powers had grown dramatically and it was almost comparable with the president of the Fraternity and the chairman of the Ironblood Cross Society. As the true mastermind of the Rose Society, Bella’s authority had already been recognized by the leaders of many societies.
The female officers whom President Isaman had sent out previously had returned that morning as well. Isaman was about to speak to them before Bella covered her mouth with her hand. Somehow, Bella seemed to realize that something was wrong with those few female officers and quickly signaled for Isaman to retreat with her. She would then send someone to deal with this matter.
The Matilda Store was the direct merchant for the Manasvir Empire’s royalty. If there truly was an issue with the store, then there was a possibility that the emperor was an imposter as well. This time, Bella did not encounter the misty figure of the Phantom Princess Malvina. However, that timely reminder, telling her to “be careful of the perfume”, was firmly etched in Bella’s mind.
As Bella and her group made their move, her other team got to work as well. The four lolis, the Demon God Angel, the Great Evil God Mia, the Interdimensional Demon Noesha, and the “Poison Origin” Betty, were dressed in gothic maid costumes and strolled into President Isaman’s office.
“Can I help you? President Isaman is not here. This is…”
“Ah, you’re clearly not… this illusion is impeccable! What a shame that you can’t fool me…”
The Demon God Angel had a smile on her innocent face as she looked at those female student union officers. Beside her, Mia and Noesha had the expression of someone who had seen through an illusion. As for Betty, she was simply toying with the bottles of medicine in her hands, completely ignoring the female officers.
The few female student union officers looked at each other. They did not expect that these few little girls could see through their disguise. By the time they decided to react, they realized that they could not move a muscle. Noesha had her hands crossed in front of her chest. The entire office had been locked in place by her Time Space Shackles. Other than the few of them on her team who could still move freely, everything else inside the room was rooted to the spot.
“Damn it, who the hell are you…”
“Go peacefully. I really admire your superior… using such precious materials to do something like this… with my Touch of Darkness, dissolve and return to your original state!”
“You demonesses… God will never…”
The facial features of those fake female officers gradually began to lose definition and melt, as though they were made of mud. Countless evil spirits in the form of black shadows appeared around the Great Evil God Mia. The evil spirits swarmed towards the fake female officers and burrowed into their bodies. Those imposters began to melt into a sticky liquid that was a similar consistency with the Slime demonic beings and dripped onto the ground. Those molten droplets began to emit puffs of white smoke.
The “Poison Origin” Betty looked down and used tweezers to pick up a small sample of the sticky substance on the ground. Then, she took out a bottle of bright green medicine and poured it over the remains. Black smoke immediately appeared as those remains quickly disappeared, as though the bright green liquid had been an acid.
“I was right, it’s the Clay of Life, the basic ingredient that Creator Gods use to form every single being in existence. Unfortunately, this was not the creation of a Creator God from this dimension. It’s an imposter, so I dissolved them.”
“Betty, thank you for your effort. I knew it, the souls of those older sisters did not seem right at all! They were obviously not here… I get it now. Their original bodies have been trapped elsewhere and surrogates were used to impersonate them. How ingenious! This is a disguise that even the God of this world would not be able to see through.”
As Angel and the others cleared up the mess, they arranged for various souls to investigate further. If Bella had judged the situation correctly, many of the girls who had been to the Venus Naga Business District might have been swapped in a similar manner as well. According to the plan, President Maria had already organized the student priests from St. Louis Academy to participate in a prayer retreat. This meant that none of them would interfere or notice that the Demon God Angel had summoned large numbers of departed spirits to investigate the strange happenings within Olsylvia Academy.