The Decree of Distribution of Grace

The heavy rain lasted for three days and nights. Finally, on the third morning, as the morning sun rose, the endless dark clouds slowly dispersed.

Two days of rescue efforts had finally brought quiet back to Wuwang Town, and the people had been properly resettled.

Looking at the report in my hand, I felt a surge of relief.

"In Wuwang Town and the surrounding areas, a total of 32,271 people were affected. Among them, 222 are missing due to landslides and flash floods, and 1,778 are injured. Eleven thousand mu of farmland were destroyed. Of the 222 missing, 75 bodies have been recovered, leaving 147 still unaccounted for."

"The total cost for mobilizing clothing, food, and providing compensation is approximately 12,000 gold coins."

Spending the equivalent of 120 million to provide disaster relief seemed reasonable.

On average, that was about 3,000 small copper coins per person.

"Hmm, Weber and Rodney did well. My efforts to train them weren't wasted. To achieve this level of efficiency is quite impressive."

"Aside from Brilliant City, are there any other regions affected by the disaster?"

Communication with the Great Wall was currently severed. However, because the distance was short and there was a small northeastern town just outside the third wall, the communication equipment there could still reach Brilliant City.

Although there was a delay of two to three days, a messenger on a fast horse could bridge the gap in one.

Communication in other regions remained normal.

This storm was clearly no ordinary rain. In my view, it was a full-scale tempest.

There must have been massive typhoons in the distant regions; otherwise, it wouldn't have caused such widespread cloud cover.

The land in this world was much larger than the Earth I knew, and the energy gathered by such a storm would naturally be far greater.

"There are, but Your Highness, we simply cannot intervene in those areas right now."

Lola spoke calmly, which caused a flicker of irritation in my heart.

Those major cities and districts might follow the general decrees of Brilliant City on the surface, but in reality, they functioned like tiny independent nations within the country.

This situation was a massive headache.

"Lola, prepare to announce the Decree of Distribution of Grace."

"Your Highness, is this not a bit too hasty?"

Lola’s brow furrowed. She understood the true power of the Decree of Distribution of Grace.

And because she understood it, she knew exactly what kind of terrifying consequences it would bring.

"It doesn't matter. Just implement it."

We were currently in the middle of a demon invasion. The Eight Nations of the Holy Church, the southern kingdoms, the western Dwarven Kingdom, and the northern Beastmen Empire—almost every race on the continent was focused on the Kingdom of the Moon.

Yet the Kingdom of the Moon itself was terminally ill, beyond the reach of any remedy.

Outside, the demons watched like tigers stalking prey; inside, the Pope was sharpening his claws.

Nobles carved out their own lands, ruling as they pleased.

Officials were corrupt, and the people's livelihoods were in shambles.

When you pieced all this information together, the current Kingdom of the Moon was no longer fit to be called one of the Eight Nations of the Holy Church.

By all logic, such a country should have already fallen into civil war, with the monarchy overthrown and a new dynasty established.

But they couldn't do it.

The Kingdom of the Moon was dying, practically at its wits' end.

Yet because of this, I dared to boldly play my trump card: the Decree of Distribution of Grace.

The nobility would never agree to it and would surely find every possible way to avoid its consequences.

Some might even take the risk of flipping the table and choosing open rebellion.

But... that would only happen if there were no external enemies.

Now, with the demons lurking outside and the invasion already underway, these nobles could only huddle together to form a meager resistance.

Even then, they were powerless against the demon army. Once the demons truly invaded, their only option would be to run for their lives.

On the other hand, with the eyes of every race on the continent fixed on this spot due to the demon invasion...

Even if I forcibly implemented the Decree of Distribution of Grace, those nobles might practice passive resistance, but they would never dare to openly defy me.

Because of the demon invasion, the gaze of the Eight Nations of the Holy Church was focused right here.

No matter how bold those nobles were, they wouldn't dare risk universal condemnation by challenging me at this moment.

Doing so would only invite every nation on the continent to join forces and crush them.

Because the Kingdom of the Moon was the buffer zone and the defensive line for the entire continent. At such a critical juncture, other countries would never allow the Kingdom of the Moon to fall into internal chaos!

I was the Saintess of the Moon. My status was officially recognized. As long as I didn't actively betray God, my position as the Saintess was unshakeable.

In history, there had never been a precedent for a Saintess being deposed.

The Saintess could not be touched, especially when she was the one controlling the Kingdom of the Moon and holding back the demons.

Since they couldn't move against the Saintess, the leaders of all nations would do whatever it took to maintain stability on the front lines. The choice was obvious.

That was my leverage!

"I understand. Then, Your Highness, the specific details are all here."

Lola pulled a file from her briefcase. Apparently, she had prepared it long ago to be released at any moment and kept it close at hand.

"Read it to me."

"Yes."

Lola set the file down and, without even looking at it, began to report from memory.

"The Decree of Distribution of Grace. Out of mercy for the helpless children of the nobility, the Saintess of the Moon hereby enacts this law."

"Decree One: Effective immediately, when a noble family divides its estate, the rank and fief shall be distributed equally among all sons. Whether they are the primary heir, a concubine-born son, or an illegitimate child, they shall all be treated equally."

"Decree Two: Effective immediately, all sons who receive a portion of the fief and title may immediately take office. They shall no longer be under the jurisdiction of their original family or Marquess, but shall rule their territories independently."

"Decree Three: Effective immediately, those granted independent fiefs may recruit their own guards to maintain local security."

"Decree Four: No Marquess may hide the identity of any heir, concubine-born son, or illegitimate child. If discovered, their title and land shall be stripped immediately."

"Decree Five: All those ruling independently shall be under the protection of Brilliant City. No family head or Marquess may arbitrarily strip or abolish the titles and lands of their sons."

With these five decrees, the Kingdom of the Moon would be transformed instantly once they were issued.

Countless concubine-born sons and illegitimate children would support me unconditionally.

Because they were the direct beneficiaries of this law.

No one could resist such a temptation.

Once enacted, entire families would fracture from within.

Don't talk to me about it being a slow process. What mattered now was breaking the monolithic unity of the nobility.

As long as that wall was shattered, reclaiming the other cities would only be a matter of time given the strength of Brilliant City.

The remaining minor details didn't require my personal review; Lola alone was enough.

"Your Highness, Audis Von and Augus Di Clapham request an audience outside the hall."

How did those two end up together?

"Let them in. Prepare two chairs."

Nara quickly readied the chairs, and Audis and Augus—the old man and the young man—walked in from outside.

The two of them seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, chatting as they strode in.

Noticing me observing them, they reacted quickly and knelt on one knee.

"Your servant, Audis."

"Your servant, Augus."

"We offer our greetings to the Saintess."

Looking at the synchronized pair, I quickly raised my hand to gesture for them to rise.

"Rise, both of you. Take your seats."

I looked at Augus on the left and Audis on the right.

This pair was certainly interesting.

"Lord Audis, why have you come so early today?"

Audis was currently responsible for urban security. A portion of the infantry had been assigned to him, and he was managing things quite well.

"To answer Your Highness, I heard of the disaster outside the city and came to see if there was anything I could do to help."

"Bishop Lola has already handled everything. Weber and Rodney are busy on the front lines. Those two are capable talents and have handled the situation quite well."

"Oh? It’s already finished? Ah, this old servant thought Your Highness might be short on hands and was prepared to recommend a couple of people."

Audis sighed with a look of disappointment, but his words were clearly meant for my ears.

Even though I knew he was doing it on purpose, my interest was piqued instantly.

"Lord Audis has people to recommend? Who are they?"

Audis smiled slightly.

"In response to Your Highness, they are two young men. Hmm... while they lack experience, their talent is excellent. I thought they were decent enough to bring before Your Highness to test their skills with a task, but it seems... ah."

Audis feigned another sigh, though a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

He knew I was desperate for talent yet still chose to keep me in suspense. This old man was truly cunning.

However, seeing his aged face lit up with a youthful, mischievous smile, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Lord Audis, you know how much I need talented people, yet you still play these games. If you keep this up, I might actually get angry."

"Haha, I wouldn't dare. The two of them are just outside the hall. If Your Highness wishes to use them, you may call them in for an interview."

Audis laughed heartily, then pointed toward the hall entrance with an air of confidence.

Clearly, he had great faith in these two.

I was curious and couldn't help but ask.

"Lord Audis, these two... who are they?"

"To answer Your Highness, they are juniors from the Hanover and Anjou families. Neither is from a direct lineage, but their talent is good. I felt they were worth cultivating, so I brought them along."

Hanover and Anjou?

My heart skipped a beat when I heard those family names.

The four major noble families of the Kingdom of the Moon were the Garnet, Dressas, Alvin, and Cromwell families.

These four families were almost as old as the Kingdom of the Moon itself, deeply rooted in its history.

Below them were the seven intermediate families.

They were: Norman, Anjou, Lancaster, York, Stuart, Hanover, and Saxony.

As for the two families I currently relied on, Cavendish and Von, they were both small families. Cavendish, in particular, was a family that had only risen to prominence in the last two hundred years.

Previously, during the Garnet family rebellion, the Dressas family had provided secret support, while the Alvin and Cromwell families had looked the other way.

And those seven intermediate families had remained almost entirely silent.

It was obvious they had also given their tacit consent.

Now, before the ripples of that event had even settled, two of those families were already impatient to connect with the Von family?

No, this wasn't just a connection; they were placing their bets!

"Lord Audis, it seems I will have to leave matters of this nature to you in the future."

I looked at Audis Von with a smile, and the old fox grinned back.

"If the Saintess commands it, I would not dare refuse."

On one hand, this was like nursing a tiger that might cause trouble later, but on the other, it provided a bridge for those nobles to defect to my side.

It was better to guide the flow than to block it.

While I wanted to erase noble privileges, the nobility would certainly resist. Some among them would surely want to remain neutral or simply join me.

Therefore, I couldn't avoid using them, nor could I shut them out.

I had to provide a channel of communication for these people, especially for the concubine-born sons and illegitimate children.

It seemed Audis had already sensed something.

While I was still lost in thought, Audis suddenly glanced left and right.

"I ask Your Highness to dismiss the attendants."

Hearing this, my brow twitched slightly, and I glanced back at Nara.

Nara had done this many times before and was well-versed in the routine.

With a wave of her hand, the nuns in the hall withdrew and closed the doors behind them.

In an instant, only the five of us remained in the grand hall.

"Lord Audis, if you have something to say, speak."

"Your Highness, do you intend to move against the nobility?"

Audis’s expression shifted. His previous smile vanished, replaced by a look of grim seriousness.

"Lord Audis, how did you come to this conclusion?"

How did he know?

It was impossible. I had only just decided to act; how could he have received word already?

Were the nobles truly that terrifying?

"I did not hear it from elsewhere. I simply feel that we have reached a critical juncture. I surmised that if it were you, Your Highness, you would choose this moment to act."

Audis spoke with a smile.

Beside him, Augus nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, Your Highness. Right now is the moment when reinforcements from the other seven nations are about to arrive in Brilliant City. The military strength of the Kingdom of the Moon is about to peak."

"Currently, the Great Wall border seems stable, and foreign reinforcements are on the way. You have just acquired a dragon army, and the nobles, unsure of your full strength and fearing repercussions, will not dare to act. This is the best time to suppress them. If we miss this window, it will likely become much more difficult later."

He was right. I currently had the support of the dragon race. The nobles didn't know what kind of deal I had made with the Dragon King, but those two thousand skysoar dragons were a very real, very powerful force in my hands.

Furthermore, the [Dragon Rearing License] and [Dragon Breeding License] were enough to keep the nobility from acting rashly.

Combined with the impending arrival of foreign reinforcements, the Kingdom of the Moon was practically at its peak military strength.

I took a deep breath and turned to look at Audis.

"Lord Audis, since you know I intend to suppress the nobility, why are you helping me? Do not forget that you are also a noble."

The old man smiled faintly.

"I am indeed a noble, but I am also pragmatic."

That one sentence explained everything.

To put it simply, he believed that even if the nobles united, they wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure I could bring to bear.

Rather than going down with a sinking ship, it was better to find a new path.

And becoming my confidant was naturally the best path available.

This would indirectly ensure the continued prosperity of the Von family. Even if I crushed the nobility, he could ensure his own family remained untouched.

What a pragmatic man!

"Lola, tell them about the Decree of Distribution of Grace."

Lola adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her face composed.

"Yes, Your Highness."