Chapter 158: Calamity and Talent 2

Count Equus, a faithful lord of the Holy Imperium who strove to serve the Emperor and the Church while genuinely considering his subjects – a rarity among the Imperial lords. He found himself gripped by profound unease over the current situation.

“Hmm…”

“Do not worry, Your Majesty will surely provide us aid. Have we not meticulously explained the circumstances?”

“Well… yes, but…”

“All will be well. Is he not the one striving above all for the salvation of his subjects? He would never turn a blind eye to this situation.”

“I…I suppose so?”

Despite his vassal’s reassuring words, Count Equus could not dispel his lingering unease.

‘The Emperor does consider his subjects… but only within the confines of religious belief. I wonder if the notion of his people starving has truly registered in his mind…’

The situation in Count Equus’s territory was nothing short of dire.

Crop yields had plummeted beyond half, correspondingly crippling tax revenues.

In such circumstances, preparations for the impending war were out of the question – his immediate concern was preventing his subjects from starving outright. Thus, he desperately needed the Emperor’s support.

At the very least, aid sufficient for his people to subsist.

Though aware of the Emperor’s disposition, limiting his expectations would be unwise. Count Equus required assistance, whatever form it might take.

As the count anxiously passed his days, an envoy finally arrived bearing the Emperor’s decree.

Naturally, he harbored hopes tinged with an unsettling sense of foreboding.

‘Is this…aid for us? Yet it does not seem to bear that implication…’

There were no provisions suggestive of aid – merely an envoy bearing a single document.

Of course, if its contents detailed support measures, it would be a relief. However, Count Equus could not shake the premonition that this was not the case.

Addressing the uneasy count, the envoy began reading in measured tones:

“Hear me, Count Equus. Of late, pleas for my aid have echoed across the realm.

Excessive famine has left my subjects starving, and countless requests for food provisions have reached me.”

A natural state of affairs, considering other lords likely faced similar plights.

Count Equus silently listened, awaiting the Emperor’s proposed countermeasures.

“Naturally, as Emperor, I bear the duty to provide relief to my subjects. Yet regrettably, the present circumstances of the Imperium and the Imperial House preclude such measures. The vile machinations of heretical forces have strained our coffers greatly, necessitating the training of more troops to bolster our defenses – a burden we can ill afford. Thus, in these dire straits, providing aid to the multitude of lords across the realm is an impossibility. I have therefore resolved upon an alternative course to address this crisis.”

‘An alternative course?…’

In essence, a declaration that providing food aid was infeasible, necessitating other methods.

Count Equus felt a profound disappointment, coupled with a foreboding that this ‘alternative’ would only exacerbate the situation.

And unfortunately, his premonition was proven accurate through the envoy’s next words:

“As you are aware, the root of all the Holy Imperium’s current troubles lies with those who embrace heresy. We must thoroughly purge such elements from within our realm. They have plundered the rightful property of the faithful Church adherents, and this plight shall persist until they are eradicated. Though many have banded together under the vile moniker of the ‘Heretical Alliance’ to perpetuate their uprising, remnants of that heresy still fester like poisonous mushrooms across the Imperium, gnawing away at our nation. Thus, to overcome this famine-induced crisis while further fortifying the faith of our Imperial subjects, I hereby decree the confiscation of all property belonging to those who embrace heretical doctrines, effective immediately.”

“Wh…What? But…But what do you mean by that?”

The envoy’s words aligned with Count Equus’s dire premonitions, yet the proclamation itself was beyond his comprehension, eliciting an instinctive rebuttal born of utter bewilderment.

“To…To confiscate the property of heretics? Surely that is an unduly harsh measure!”

“Insolence, Count Equus! The Emperor’s decree is not yet complete! I am merely the messenger – if you have grievances, address them directly to His Majesty at a later time.”

“Kuh…”

Though the envoy’s rebuke left him reeling, the count could only seal his lips for the moment.

Addressing him once more, the envoy proceeded to read the remainder of the nearly concluded decree:

“This nation has no further need for the wicked seeds of heresy. Undoubtedly, the moment war with the heretics erupts, they will plunge daggers into our backs. Thus, we must resolutely eradicate them. Confiscate the ill-gotten wealth they have unjustly plundered, and restore the rightful property to the faithful adherents. Let all this be done in the names of the Lord and the Holy Virgin.”

So concluded the Emperor’s decree, culminating in exhortations to purge heresy through hatred.

Hearing it, Count Equus could only feel utterly dejected.

‘Such an edict… It has undoubtedly been disseminated across the entire Imperium, not just to me.’

He understood its full implications all too well.

Though currently embroiled in war against heretical forces, adherents of heretical doctrine still maintained a presence within the Imperium – even in Vienna under the Emperor’s direct rule.

Comprising approximately 30% of the population.

Though lacking the numbers to openly voice dissent within the Church’s domains, they had stubbornly clung to their heretical beliefs in silence, their presence tacitly tolerated even by Church-adhering lords.

From a lord’s perspective, they were still his subjects regardless. And though a minority, their presence within the territory could not be dismissed as insignificant. As long as they caused no overt disturbances, there was no need to needlessly provoke them.

However…

The Emperor’s latest decree shattered that tenuous coexistence within the Imperium.

With the populace already restive amid the severe famine, the Emperor had pointed to heresy as the root cause while sanctioning plunder under legal pretext.

He had effectively provided a sacrificial scapegoat to bear the brunt of the people’s rage over the present plight.

And the result…

Driven by hunger and fury, just as the Emperor intended, the people erupted in riots across the Imperium under the guise of purging heresy.

Countless individuals were massacred and dispossessed solely for adhering to heretical doctrines.

Even blameless Church adherents fell victim to false accusations of heresy, their losses dismissed as “necessary sacrifices to expunge evil” and summarily buried.

Amidst the ensuing chaos, the rioters’ voices rang out with a disturbing sense of self-righteousness:

“Let us purge evil by the will of God! Death to these wicked demons!”