The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 478: The Fate of the Nobles

Seeing Eleine cry, Aldrian hugged her again with tenderness. Eleine also embraced her young master, instinctively trying to hide her eyes against his body. He let her be and held her in silence, the quiet occasionally broken by her sniffles.

After a while, Eleine pulled away, having managed to stop her tears, though her eyes were still red and wet. She wiped them and, once she felt composed enough, bowed deeply to Aldrian.

"Thank you, Young Master, for thinking of me that way. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’m sorry I didn’t consider your perspective enough and ended up making you uncomfortable," she said.

"Good. Now that you understand, you don’t have to feel burdened anymore," Aldrian replied with a smile.

Eleine straightened her posture and nodded with a small smile. After that, she excused herself, leaving Aldrian and Baek Jimin, who continued their conversation about many things until the sun fully revealed itself to the people of the continent.

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In the afternoon, the emperor gathered the heads of all noble families from every faction involved in the civil war. However, not all of them could attend—some were already dead, so their families had to send representatives in their place. There were also noble houses that had vanished entirely, their bloodlines wiped out by Wilmar for opposing him.

As a result, the number of noble families was no longer what it used to be.

All of this had significantly weakened the empire’s power, which was deeply detrimental to its stability. Given the circumstances, Emperor Raymond would need to make several adjustments to the empire’s structure.

Emperor Raymond was already seated on his throne in the great hall—the same throne that Wilmar had seized for the past year. Standing behind him was Prince Ferdinand, looking refreshed and healthy. After being bedridden for over a year, he had regained his strength thanks to Aldrian’s healing. His physical condition had improved significantly.

With the help of Aldrian’s golden energy, both Emperor Raymond and Prince Ferdinand recovered quickly, allowing them to resume their duties almost immediately, despite having been confined to their rooms for so long.

Emperor Raymond’s eyes swept toward the left side of the hall, where the noble families who had supported Wilmar were gathered. They flinched slightly under his gaze, none of them daring to lift their heads to meet his eyes.

Tap, tap, tap.

The only sound in the hall was the steady tapping of the emperor’s fingers against the armrest, as if lost in thought. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense with each passing moment.

After a few minutes of silence, Emperor Raymond finally spoke.

"To be honest, I would prefer to execute every one of you for betraying me and bringing ruin to the empire by siding with that bastard. But after thinking it through, I cannot deny that your strength is still useful—and the timing of the prophecy is also weighing on my mind. So, I have made my decision about your fate from this day forward."

The bodies of the noble families who had supported Wilmar tensed as they awaited their judgment. Meanwhile, many of the noble heads from the opposing side watched them with cold eyes. They had suffered the most during the war, having been at a severe disadvantage before Aldrian’s arrival. Many had lost loved ones, and their forces had been reduced by more than half.

Some families were left with only two or three surviving high-ranking members, a devastating blow to their long-term survival.

"I have decided that all noble families who supported Wilmar will be demoted to the lowest rank of nobility. Your territories will be seized as compensation. In addition, each of you will be required to pay annual reparations for the next twenty years. The amount will depend on the size of your fortune and the extent of your involvement in the civil war."

"You will also surrender your family’s legacy technique to the imperial family, along with one of your family’s artifacts. I don’t care if it’s the only artifact your house has left."

After Emperor Raymond announced his decision, the heads of the noble families who had supported Wilmar felt their hearts tighten, and their faces turned pale. As for the opposing nobles, while a part of them remained dissatisfied because they had hoped for executions, the punishment was still undeniably severe.

Stripping them of their status and seizing their legacy techniques and artifacts was the same as taking away their strength and their way of life. With the enemies they had accumulated over the years, made worse by the civil war, this would lead to their slow collapse. The only thing left to protect them was their noble status, though it now stood at the lowest possible rank.

However, that noble status was merely a fragile shell, devoid of much influence. Many people would view these families with contempt and hatred. The imperial family’s treatment of them would also influence how the rest of the empire treated them, ensuring they would face humiliation even from commoners.

They would no longer be able to act recklessly, as they had in the past, because they no longer held the influence they once did. They would have to endure the hurdles and humiliations ahead on their own.

They also understood why the emperor spared their lives instead of executing them or their families. The reason went beyond political concerns; what the emperor still sought was their individual strength. The number of noble families that had supported Wilmar was large, and their combined strength was immense.

Some of these families were at the level of marquesses, with king-stage cultivators in their ranks, or even dukedoms with emperor-stage cultivators. In fact, two of the four grand dukes had supported Wilmar.

If the emperor had executed them, it would have been the same as crippling the empire’s overall power. So, how would the imperial family control them? The answer lay in keeping their nobility status, even if it was the lowest rank. With their noble status intact, they still held certain responsibilities and connections to the imperial family.

Basically, Emperor Raymond still had a leash around their necks, one he could tighten or loosen at will. It was a truly wise and clever decision on the emperor’s part, one that left the nobles here impressed by his cunning.

"Your Majesty, please—"

"Are you trying to question my decision, traitor?"

One of the noble heads from Wilmar’s faction attempted to speak, but the emperor cut him off. Emperor Raymond released the aura of a high emperor-stage cultivator and the pressure was so intense that the space around him began to wobble.

The person who attempted to speak was Grand Duke Volski, one of the four grand dukes of the Atria Empire. He and Grand Duke Donovan were key figures in Wilmar’s faction due to their status, but because Grand Duke Donovan was more influential and dominant, Grand Duke Volski often found himself overshadowed.

Emperor Raymond’s aura exerted immense pressure on Grand Duke Volski, and even his killing intent leaked slightly. Prince Ferdinand, though not the direct target of this killing intent, still felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were facing the Grim Reaper himself.

Everyone present felt the same sensation, but the worst of it was on Grand Duke Volski, the main target. It was as though he were standing directly beneath a guillotine, where the slightest movement could result in his execution. Yet, he knew that this was only an illusion caused by the intense killing intent from the emperor, a reminder that Emperor Raymond, too, had blood on his hands from the past.

"You should be thankful that I did not execute you or your family for your actions against me and this empire," Emperor Raymond said, his expression cold. "If you utter any pleas, I will choose a different punishment for you and your family."

Grand Duke Volski, overwhelmed by the pressure and feeling as if the eyes of a predator were upon him, sensed death looming. Without hesitation, he immediately bowed low.

"My apologies for my presumptuous actions. I will obey your Majesty’s decision," he finally said, before the emperor retracted his aura. The people in the hall were able to breathe a sigh of relief once again.

"As for the other nobles, I will raise their status one level higher as a reward for fighting against the traitors. You will also receive some of their treasure as compensation for the civil war. Those near the territories of these traitors will be given part of their land."

Hearing this, many noble heads from the opposition faction widened their eyes, unable to hide their bright expressions. At least they had gained something positive after all their losses in the civil war.

Afterward, the emperor spoke a few more words to the nobles before dismissing them, but then he made an exception.

"For the Rosalind family and the Weilmar family, stay here. I have something to discuss."