Dragon Monarch System

Chapter 1148: Chapter 1148:- A Wave of Earth Shaking Changes

“Hahahaha!” After listening to Shin and Mai recount everything that had happened in Axel City, Shinzo burst into laughter instead of showing any anger or dissatisfaction toward Aditya’s actions.

“I should have known this would happen.” His laughter gradually subsided, replaced by a faint smile mixed with a trace of regret.

Looking back, the outcome now seemed obvious. As the Head of the Fujiwara Household and someone with centuries of political experience, he should have been the first to realise how Aditya would react.

From the very beginning, Aditya had never hidden what kind of Emperor he intended to become. During every meeting and every discussion, he had consistently shown that he valued authority, merit, and efficiency above political convenience. He had never once given the impression that he was someone who could be pressured simply because several powerful nobles stood on the same side.

Yet despite recognising Aditya’s character, Shinzo had still made the same mistake as everyone else.

The temptation was simply too great.

The opportunity to strengthen an entire household for generations by creating Dragonians was something no noble family wanted to miss. Combined with the fear of falling behind the Harrington Faction, almost every Duke and Duchess had focused entirely on securing that opportunity for themselves.

But in doing so, they had unconsciously stopped looking at the situation from Aditya’s perspective.

That was where they had failed. They had approached the matter like politicians protecting the interests of their own households.

Aditya had looked at it as an Emperor protecting the authority of the Imperial Throne.

Those were two completely different viewpoints.

“In the end, greed and the fear of being left behind clouded our judgment.” Shinzo calmly admitted. “We became so focused on obtaining a share of this opportunity that we neglected the most important question of all.”

“How would the future Emperor view our actions?”

Instead of seeing loyal nobles preparing for the coming civil war, Aditya had seen thousands of soldiers gathering outside his residence, creating political pressure whether they intended to or not. From his perspective, allowing such behaviour to go unchallenged would have set a dangerous precedent before he had even ascended the throne.

Shinzo could not fault that reasoning. If anything, he found himself respecting Aditya even more for refusing to compromise.

The greatest loss, however, was not that none of the noble houses had managed to obtain additional Dragonians that day. It was the impression they had left on Aditya.

In a single afternoon, many of the Empire’s most influential noble houses had unintentionally demonstrated that when their own interests were involved, they were willing to collectively pressure the future Emperor. Whether that had been their intention or not no longer mattered.

That was the image they had created. And in politics, first impressions often lasted far longer than anyone expected.

‘I just hope His Majesty won’t punish us too harshly.’ Shinzo was far too experienced to believe that Aditya would simply forget what had happened today. Nor was he naive enough to think that there would be no consequences.

The Dragon Monarch had already made his stance perfectly clear. He disliked anyone attempting to influence his decisions through political pressure, and today’s gathering had crossed that line.

Even if Aditya chose not to punish any household directly, Shinzo was certain that some form of retribution would eventually come. It might not happen tomorrow or even next month, but sooner or later the consequences would appear.

Politics was rarely about immediate punishment.Sometimes the greatest punishment came from opportunities that were quietly given to someone else.

Including the Fujiwara Household, every noble family that had sent troops today had unknowingly damaged a portion of the trust Aditya had placed in them. Trust between an Emperor and his nobles was not something that could be measured with numbers, yet it influenced almost every important decision an Emperor made.

Whenever Aditya needed someone to command a crucial battlefield, negotiate with another kingdom, oversee an important reform, or govern newly conquered territories, he would naturally choose the people he trusted the most.

After today, the households that had gathered outside the Harrington Mansion would inevitably find themselves lower on that list.

That alone was a serious political loss.

An Emperor who trusted one household more than another would naturally rely on them more often. Greater trust led to greater responsibilities, greater influence, and more opportunities to distinguish themselves.

Over time, those opportunities translated into stronger political standing, greater prestige, and an even closer relationship with the Imperial Family. Losing even a portion of the Emperor’s confidence could therefore affect a noble household for generations without a single official punishment ever being announced.

Shinzo understood this better than most.

The Fujiwara Household had not lost land. They had not lost wealth. Nor had they lost soldiers. Yet today’s mistake might prove more costly than any of those things because they had slightly damaged something far more difficult to rebuild.

His Majesty’s trust. Fortunately, Shinzo also understood something else.

Trust that was earned through years of loyalty could also be restored through continued loyalty.

The mistake they had made today was serious, but it was not unforgivable. Aditya had warned them instead of punishing them, which meant he had deliberately left the door open for them to correct their mistake.

As long as the Fujiwara Household remained loyal throughout the civil war, carried out every order faithfully, contributed to the Empire without seeking personal advantage, and proved through their actions that they had truly understood today’s lesson, there was every chance that Aditya’s opinion of them could gradually recover.

Shinzo slowly smiled to himself. “Then we simply have to earn back what we lost.”

To him, that was the only sensible course of action. Complaining, making excuses, or trying to justify what had happened would only make matters worse. The future Emperor had already spoken.

Now it was the responsibility of the Fujiwara Household to prove, through their actions rather than their words, that they were worthy of standing among His Majesty’s most trusted supporters once again.

Shin and Mai remained standing in silence, both wearing awkward expressions. They had left the Fujiwara Household full of anticipation, believing they would return after meeting the future Emperor with good news for their family.

Instead, they had come back empty-handed, carrying nothing but disappointment and an uncomfortable lesson that neither of them had expected to learn.

“What should we do now, Father?” Shin finally asked. Even someone as composed as he was found himself at a loss. The events of the evening had unfolded so differently from what he had imagined that he no longer knew what the correct course of action was.

Shinzo looked at his son and daughter for a few moments before speaking in a calm voice.

“Listen, you two. I know what happened today will leave some bitterness in your hearts toward His Majesty.”

Neither Shin nor Mai denied it. Although they understood Aditya’s reasoning, it was impossible to completely ignore the disappointment they felt after returning with nothing despite all their expectations.

“I am telling you this now. Let go of that bitterness.”

Shinzo’s tone became slightly more serious as he continued. “If you allow yourself to hold a grudge against His Majesty, then you will never be able to sincerely serve him. Worse, your own judgment will gradually become clouded.”

He had witnessed countless political disputes throughout his life, and many of them had begun because people allowed resentment to shape their opinions.

“Once we begin seeing someone in a negative light, we naturally start focusing only on their flaws while ignoring their virtues.”

“Every decision they make appears wrong in our eyes simply because we have already convinced ourselves that they are wrong. That is a toxic mindset, especially for someone serving under an Emperor.”

His words were not merely directed at his children but also reflected his own philosophy after decades of navigating politics. Personal emotions could never be allowed to interfere with one’s judgment. Otherwise, loyalty would slowly give way to prejudice, and prejudice would eventually turn into distrust.

“I truly believe His Majesty is a wise ruler.” Shinzo said with complete sincerity.

“We made a mistake today, but a mistake does not define us forever. As long as we learn from it and continue proving through our actions where our loyalty truly lies, I believe we can regain His Majesty’s trust.”

Those words finally eased the heaviness in the siblings’ hearts. They understood that dwelling on disappointment would achieve nothing. If they genuinely wished to stand beside the future Emperor, then the only path forward was to demonstrate their loyalty through their actions rather than allowing resentment to take root.

Both Shin and Mai silently nodded in understanding.

“For now, we will focus entirely on preparing for the civil war.” Shinzo brought the discussion to an end. The events of tonight had already happened, and there was no point dwelling on them any longer. What truly mattered now was ensuring that the Fujiwara Household fulfilled its responsibilities once the war began.

“Our preparations are already complete, but there is no harm in being overprepared.”

That had always been Shinzo’s philosophy. Wars were rarely won by those who believed they had prepared enough. Unexpected situations always arose on the battlefield, and the household that prepared for every possibility usually suffered the fewest losses.

“For now, both of you should return and get some rest for the night.”

Shin and Mai respectfully acknowledged their father’s words before leaving the room. Although they were still disappointed by today’s outcome, they now understood that the only way to recover from this mistake was to continue serving the future Emperor with unwavering loyalty.

Similar conversations were taking place in noble households throughout the Celestial Dragon Empire. The heads of many families had reached almost identical conclusions after reflecting on the events outside the Harrington Mansion.

Regardless of their personal disappointment, opposing the future Emperor was never a realistic option. Holding a grudge against him over this incident would only push their households further away from the Imperial Family and gradually isolate them politically.

Every experienced noble understood that such a path would eventually lead to their own decline.

More importantly, tonight had revealed something far greater than the issue of Dragonians. It had revealed what kind of Emperor Aditya intended to become.

He would not allow the nobility to influence his decisions through collective pressure. He would reward loyalty and merit, but he would just as readily challenge traditions and political customs if they conflicted with his principles.

The old methods of negotiating with the Imperial Throne, relying on prestige, seniority, or the combined influence of several powerful households, would no longer produce the same results under his reign.

Many nobles suddenly realized that they would have to change alongside the Empire itself.

As Aditya’s ascension drew closer, they could already sense that a new political era was approaching. Once he officially sat upon the Throne of the Celestial Dragon Empire and wore the Royal Crown that rightfully belonged to him, the relationship between the Emperor and the nobility would inevitably be reshaped.

The foundations of the Empire would remain the same. But the rules by which its nobles survived and prospered were about to change forever.

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