Chapter 2858: Assembly

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, Headquarters

My entourage and I entered Meeting Room One. Aside from those from the Empire, it held all the leaders under my command, including Saintess Catherine.

They were clearly taken aback to see me walk in with the Three Mischiefs at my side. But the half-dead state of the Emissary of Light, carried in behind us, did more than enough to steady the room and keep them listening.

Henricks and the other captains of the Freedom Fighters, in particular, fell silent. They and their men had been preparing for a decisive fight to prove their worth in the Freedom Megalopolis—especially after I’d lit a fire under them for settling into complacency and living off the status quo at my expense.

The hostility toward Saintess Catherine in the room was impossible to miss.

Except for Henricks, Tess, and a handful of their stronger captains and elders, no one had escaped Sansa’s innate calamity. Their memories had been altered, leaving them projecting every crime and atrocity committed by the Emissary of Light on to Saintess Catherine instead. To them, her presence here made no sense—she should have been standing with Sansa and Karl, not among them.

More than a few cast wary, even hostile glances her way, quietly questioning what she was doing here at all.

Yet none of them spoke up as their leaders showed no such reaction. Henricks, Tess, and the others greeted her calmly, even with a measure of respect, treating her as one of their own. It didn’t add up, not with what they remembered—but that only made the unease sharper.

Still, they held their tongues. In a room like this, confusion wasn’t an excuse to step out of line.

Once I took the head seat at the oval table and everyone settled into place, Field Marshal Lorn stepped in to lead the assembly.

"As you might have already guessed, we’ve dealt with the threat looming over the city—and gained new allies along the way.

"I’ll keep this brief. The battle was brutal, but the victory was decisive, thanks to the contribution of every Card Apprentice who took part.

"Corey slew two devils summoned by Gideon Grim as reinforcements.

"Our lord defeated the Matron, the Supreme Leader, and Gideon Grim himself. All three have since chosen to join his criminal rehabilitation and reintegration program, and each played a role in securing our victory.

"Sansa Baylor and her Paw Clan neutralized the undead army led by the Supreme Leader, as well as the demigod-worshiping card apprentice forces commanded by the Emissary of Light.

"Gideon Grim has reversed his Origin Card’s effect, sparing all remaining victims.

"Karl Masters assisted in capturing the Emissary of Light and joined our lord and me in slaying a powerful devil—Konjur.

"As for the Emissary of Light... those of you who remember him should already understand what it took to bring him down. I won’t go into further detail.

"And lastly, please welcome Saintess Catherine S. Margaret of the Church of Demigod Michael Angelo Godson—and the ruler of the Empire. She has agreed to come under our lord’s banner as his servant and support his campaign with everything the Empire has to offer.

"I know there are past grievances between us and the Empire. Rest assured, those responsible have already been judged and dealt with. What stands before you now is not the same regime you remember.

"This is a reformed Empire—one that, from this moment on, stands as part of our lord’s dominion."

The Field Marshal paused as the room broke into suppressed mental discussion with a mix of awe and disbelief rippling across the room.

It was understandable. Something like this had never happened before. The Empire giving up its sovereignty, choosing to stand alongside non-believers—under the rule of a non-believer, no less—was unheard of.

Eyes drifted toward Saintess Catherine, many of them sharp with doubt, quietly questioning her sanity.

Even if their ruler had agreed to this, could the Empire’s people really accept it overnight? Faith like theirs wasn’t something that bent easily. And even if it did... was this the right move?

History hadn’t been kind to such ideas. Time and again, it had shown that the Empire’s zealots and the atheists of the five regions struggled to coexist without friction. The unease in the room wasn’t just disbelief—it was the weight of that history pressing down on them.

However, none of them spoke up. The leaders representing them had accepted it all without hesitation, without even a hint of doubt.

That alone said enough.

It slowly dawned on the rest that this wasn’t a discussion—it had already happened behind closed doors. Whatever questions they had now were late to the table.

This assembly was just the announcement. They could either get on board—or get run over by it.

"I know, considering our history with the Empire, you’ll have your misgivings about this merger. But please, rest assured—"

The expressions on the faces around the table told the Field Marshal everything she needed to know without prying into their thoughts and mental discussions. The doubt was there, plain and unhidden.

Just as she was about to continue, Saintess Catherine spoke, cutting in with calm certainty.

"Field Marshal Lorn, with your permission, I would like to address this matter myself."

Seeing the Field Marshal nod, the Saintess looked around the room with a gentle smile, meeting each gaze with quiet sincerity before she began.

"I know that, in the past, we haven’t been the best neighbors to one another. Yes, many of my people have tried to spread their doctrine and faith across the Five Regions. But the Five Regions are not without fault either—you have, at times, threatened the Empire’s sovereignty and encroached on its lands.

"These differences have led to repeated conflict between us. Lives have been lost, and families have been ruined on both sides.

"But I believe we can put an end to all that—if we choose to work together, with mutual respect. The Empire has taken the first step toward change. I hope you will join us and help us bring this change faster."

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