The Villain Princess survived the Imperial Riot

He roared, but his eyes swept over everyone present. Even though they were unable to move, the silent threat still made people terrified.

Hestia glanced at the implicated officers and offered a gentle smile. "While I trust you all, I understand your inexplicable connection to a scoundrel like Tingsen, who defies the monarchy. I also know you fear him and the power behind him. Please understand, I can do to you what Tingsen can do to you. What Tingsen cannot do, I will do even more ruthlessly. However, I am a forgiving princess. This opportunity to sever ties is here, and it only comes once."

She paused, then looked at Captain Neville, who had been diverted by Ralph Tinson, and asked kindly, "Captain, what did you want to say just now?"

Neville's pupils trembled, and he felt like fainting from the agony. But as a Knight of the Iron Throne, he had practically eliminated the possibility of feigning illness or madness. Seeing the princess pressing him, he could no longer bear it and confessed, "Your Highness, when that sorcerer team approached me, they simply said they wanted to plant two 'eyes' within the company to uncover evidence of the General, the Governor, and Your Highness abusing their power for personal gain and violating the laws and regulations of the Iron Army. I had no idea they would dare to assassinate Your Highness! I never imagined they would..."

"Very good, you successfully pulled your wife and daughter back from the brink of death," Hestia nodded and said, "Then who are 'they'?"

"I don't know... They used the Quartermaster-General's warrant..."

"You're talking nonsense!" Huynh Tingson was anxious. "Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness, this can't be me, this can't be me!!!"

"I understand. In that case, I will only chop off their hands and feet and strip them of their noble status." Hestia nodded and said to Neville.

Neville's body trembled again, and he glanced repeatedly at Ralph Tinson with a hesitant look.

"Your Highness, this matter may be instigated by Ralph Tinson." At this time, a taciturn officer came out, looking down at the tip of his shoes.

"So, you have a better story than Captain Neville, Captain Busey..." Hestia looked deeply at the officer before her. She knew him. He was trusted by Furman Ant and had even been invited to a party at Cloud Court Villa. Unexpectedly, he was also a two-faced person.

"I ordered it? You've done everything you can to frame me, Your Highness. You can even use any low-class person as a witness." Ralph Tinson stared at Busey, like a tiger choosing its prey.

Busey lowered his head even lower, avoiding the fierce gaze. Instead, he said, "I don't know the full story, so any analysis is entirely up to Your Highness's discretion... First, the two colonels' hostility toward you is not groundless. In March, probably shortly after Your Highness was attacked, Ralph Tinson hosted a private gathering at the Gun Club. I can give Your Highness a list of the attendees later."

"Captain Busey..." The pupil of Raffl Tinson's left eye gradually turned a violent blood red. "I'm afraid you can't bear the consequences of fabricating and accusing the Knight Commander."

"Don't be afraid. Even if he has to die, he will die before you." Hestia gave him an encouraging look.

Busey paused, then continued calmly, "The party mentioned the assassination. As for the specific person involved, it's likely that person is in your Highness's hands, so I won't speculate too much. But I still remember something that Lavril Tinson said that day. He said Hestia Lorraine Heberus would never have the life to fight for the throne. He also said that a powerful figure from the gods had come, and as long as the Imperial Parliament's impeachment passed, even if Fuman Ant still had some tricks up his sleeve, he wouldn't be able to turn the tables."

Hestia asked, "Is that so, Colonel?"

"What nonsense!"

"I guess that important figure is from the palace." Busey paused and added, "Since I'm in charge of intelligence at the General Staff, Raffl Tinson also asked me to find a reliable intermediary in the lower city who can handle overseas affairs."

"Middleman? What does he want to do?"

"I don't know." Busey shook his head. "But I'm looking for a ratman... Externally, because the Empire's foundation is still shallow, and those inferior heretics are unwilling to be used by the Empire, the military has no choice but to use these lowly species."

To some extent, the ubiquitous ratmen have become the empire's second set of eyes and ears. Although these lowly rats are despicable and cunning, they are still more trustworthy than goblins and heretical secret cultivators.

"Is that so?" Hestia looked at Ralph Tinson.

The latter stared at Busey without saying a word.

"Also, Your Highness, please understand one thing—the ratmen clans are diverse and chaotic, yet they are extremely adept at reproducing. After many military-trained ratmen established themselves in cities like Cloudtop, they spawned a large population of ratmen, free from military control, in just thirty years. Their versatility and pervasiveness allow them to be exploited by many. This is their advantage, but also a new source of trouble for the empire."

"trouble?"

"Besides the Empire, many ratmen also provide services to the Adventurer's Guild, the Arcane Guild, the Kingdom of Tyran, and even the Free Will Rebels." Busey took a deep breath and said, "I dare to speculate that Raffl Tinson avoided the military and sought an intermediary for some ulterior motive, such as assassinating Her Royal Highness..."

Busey avoided some sensitive topics, but his hints were already very obvious.

A big shot from the palace has come to the capital. He is the real mastermind behind Laful Tinson and is very likely to do something bad to the princess.

If the emperor did not have any opinions about Lorraine, then it could only be the line of the crown prince who had been flirting with the Tingsen family in recent years.

"Your Highness, I think Captain Busey is right..."

Another officer stepped forward. It didn't matter if it was a false accusation or not. If he didn't join in bullying the unfortunate guy now, he would be next!

"Ravel, is this true?" Hugh Tinson stared at his fellow tribesman in astonishment. He was torn, thinking about Ravel Tinson and the other charges of corruption and abuse of power, wondering if he should just sell them off altogether.

But it is unclear whether the princess is seeking justice for the murderer or taking advantage of the situation.

If the assassination had nothing to do with Lavr and was just a far-fetched attempt by the princess to eliminate her political enemies, then he would die in the end regardless of whether he threw dirty water on her or not.

His last name is also Tingsen, so the dirty water will eventually come back on his head.

"It's ridiculous that you actually believed this woman." Ralph Tinson sneered, "Do you think you can survive like this? Ignorant—"

"He did it!" Neville suddenly roared hysterically, "It was Ralph Tinson. He led that group of strange-looking warlocks here. No, not warlocks, but secret cultivators, those heretics who rebelled against the Tower! He forged the Quartermaster-General's order. He, he forced me to conceal the truth. I didn't want to, Your Highness. This has nothing to do with my family!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, trying his best to "frame" Lavr. In fact, he had already told everything he knew, but it was obviously not enough to satisfy the princess.

Seeing everyone turning against him, Neville felt that perhaps the truth was not important, but his attitude was important.

If he was a step slower, he would have no chance to cut!

"Nonsense!" Raffl Tinson roared. Though wounded, he still possessed the strength of a lion. Somehow, he was enraged, his blood boiling uncontrollably. "Those guys came looking for you with a warrant from the Quartermaster General. How could I possibly go out in person and do such a fuss?!"

"Oh—" Hestia let out a long tail sound.

Neville guessed wrong a little. To the princess, his attitude was important, but the truth was equally important.

Raffel Tinson blurted out, his face flushed, and he said in disbelief: "This is impossible..."

"You even tricked me!" Huen Tingsen's fear turned into anger. "You bastard, I have no grudge against you!"

At this time, Ralph Tinson became gloomy and said no more.

Hestia began loading her revolver and asked, "Let me ask you one last question: who are the people from the court?"

"..."

"You are quite capable, worthy of the position of Knight Commander," the princess said with a nonchalant smile. "I have always respected heroes. This is the tradition of the Iron Army and also my principle as a High Knight. So..." she said sincerely, "Please do not resist. This way you will die with dignity."

After saying that, he pointed the gun at Ralph Tinson.

The roar of the fire and the filling of alchemical smoke washed over Raffl Tinson's face, and the aftermath of the explosion stirred up a gust of wind.

Lavul's skin was burnt and eroded, but one of his eyes was still blood red, staring at the princess intently.

"It seems you don't like decency." Hestia smiled wryly.

The High Knight's blessing could only be broken by secret techniques. Unfortunately, she couldn't use the [Seal of Decomposition] in public to tear Raffl Tinson and his blessing apart.

However, Ralph Tinson had already been injured by Clara, so he didn't have to continue to fight. If he was shot a few more times, he would die eventually.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

Each shot sounded like the roar of a cannon. The princess's wrists were level, but the floor beneath her boots showed signs of friction as if she had retreated half an inch.

Another shot, and Ralph Tinson's skull finally shattered. With his hot brain splattering, he seemed to finally fall down.

However, under the "blessing" of the tower, his soul still clung to the shell like taffy.

This was the first time Hestia witnessed the death of a high knight of the Realm of Understanding.

When she faced Noel Tinson, Qiu Su's condition was even worse than Lavle's. She abandoned her physical body under the strangulation of the High Knight and the Chief Judge, choosing to resurrect from within Matildahl. While the path remained, only her soul and the husk of a young girl remained.

Lavr was too difficult to kill, and after a few shots, Hestia felt a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, all the officers were shocked by the princess's ruthlessness and brutality, and the fact that Lavel was still alive only made the scene even more shocking.

"boom!"

Another shot, and Ralph Tinson finally fell. His soul could no longer sustain his body, and he drifted away towards an elusive dream...

Finally, it was swallowed by the Witch Book.

Inside the cell, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Really killing?

Huynh Tinson was panicked.

Not all high knights are full of courage. He started his journey at a young age, but he still cannot defeat those knights of the same level who came later. His life experience of more than 30 years was all based on winning at the starting line, without any setbacks.

"Your Highness, it really wasn't me. You heard it. It really wasn't me..."

Hugh Tinson was a burly man, but years of neglect of training had made his cheeks look a little plump. When he wailed, it reminded Hestia of the fat man Adrian Hesse.

But the governor judged the situation better and was not only more inhumane than this guy, but also more decisive than him.

"Ignorance is not a crime." Hestia wiped the dust from the muzzle of the gun, the corrosive smoke leaving marks on her sleeve. She said indifferently, "But how do I know you are innocent?"

"I……"

"boom!"

A shot to split the skull.

Hestia already knew that Huynh Tinson was indeed unaware of the situation, but she still had no intention of letting him go.

After all, he is from the Tingson family. He is crying so hard now. Once he returns to his hometown and is safe, he will definitely be two-faced.

"Captain Neville, you disappoint me."

Hestia looked at the kneeling officer and shook her head slightly.

Seventy-five percent of the officers in the Yunling Military Region are nobles, and in the local legions, this proportion is as high as 90%.

Neville was born into a commoner family, which was rare in the empire. Unfortunately, he did not repay Freeman Ant's kindness.

However, when such commoners encounter powerful families and dragons fighting, they can only be crushed into pieces.

"Your Highness..." Neville's face was ashen. "I deserve death, but my family..."

No one dared to come forward to plead for mercy.

Hestia thought for a moment and said, "I can spare your life, but I'm not one to let bygones be bygones. The Wasteland Lizardmen are rebelling, and we're short of laborers. I think it would be wise to exile your entire family there to replenish the population."

Upon hearing this, all the officers felt sad and grief-stricken.

The wasteland is further south of the southern border of the empire, across the vast inland sea, spanning more than ten thousand miles.

If the Yunling Iron Army could still suppress the rebels, but was exhausted by the weeds that grew again in the spring breeze, then the Imperial Coalition Army in the Wasteland had already fallen to a point where they were evenly matched with the Lizardmen. The controlled area was retreated again and again, and now it has retreated from the Sehra Rainforest to the Wasteland Coast. Even the Governor was almost castrated and bled by the Lizardmen and sacrificed to the God Wupi.

This exile is tantamount to a life-or-death situation. It would be better to go abroad to seek gold.

"Yes... Your Highness." Only Neville, who survived the disaster, breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're not bad." Hestia looked at Captain Busey again and nodded. At that moment, a thought struck her, and she said, "Clean up the bodies. Regarding the two generals who were killed in the rebel attack, General Ant will personally commend their achievements later. You are all loyal and courageous people of the Empire. You will carry the coffins for the two generals, understand?"

She didn't care about the truth being revealed. It was just to disgust her secret enemies. She would selectively report everything that happened today to the emperor and give him 500,000 gold shields.

The battle still needed to be fought, and Hestia hoped the old emperor would last until she could ascend to mythical status. If the Empire failed in its expedition and was unable to recover, the Southern Council's feral, dog-like fighting power would be easily overwhelmed by the rebels.

After making some simple arrangements, Hestia came to the meditation room of Beeming Pass, sat cross-legged, and closed her eyes.

Aphra was sending her a message through her dreams.