Starting with the defeated female knight

Friction between families increased, and conflicts between schools of thought grew.

The church gradually changed color under the corrosive influence of bloodshed, and the atmosphere of the Adventurers' Guild became increasingly oppressive due to previous industrialization and the recent situation.

The crimson flames outside burned ever brighter, and the green buds hidden behind them, though sensing something was amiss, couldn't help but smile at the sight.

The powder keg was ready, and even the fuse had been pulled out; it was just a spark away from igniting it.

Although those who still possess reason are exercising restraint and even trying to find ways to alleviate the conflict.

But until the very end, before that Mars fell, no results were achieved.

When these highly educated individuals with distorted minds begin to interact and clash over their interests...

Even with the obstruction of other family members, he managed to restrain himself for a while.

But in the end, the interests of the entire family were severely damaged, and friction and conflict increased.

The chain called 'restraint' finally snapped.

A punch was thrown.

Accompanied by a sound that almost shook the entire capital.

A nobleman of high lineage was embedded in the ground, with a large hole in his chest.

After a brief struggle, it completely lost its breath.

Imperial Civil War.

And so the battle began.

------

P.S.: I went to bed too late yesterday and woke up late today, so the update is late. Sorry.

There will definitely be a second update. I'll try my best for the third. I'll grab a bite to eat first, and then I'll continue writing.

Volume 1: Chapter 102: There are no more humans left.

The Imperial Civil War has begun.

It may sound a bit abrupt, but in reality, let alone industrialization, even before Dawn City appeared, the capital was already shrouded in the shadow of civil war.

From the moment the old king's condition worsened and he lay on his sickbed, amidst the undercurrents of various undercurrents, the nobles had already begun to take sides.

At that time, the nobles did not know that even though the bishops had sentenced him to death and called him "a miracle that he is still alive," the old man's breath was incredibly weak.

After more than two hundred years of busy work and travel, with a lot of old injuries on his body and his lifespan reaching its limit.

Still, with that lingering attachment, he was able to maintain his already weakened heartbeat, and it has continued until now.

Even so, even if the old king is not dead yet.

However, the contradictions sparked by industrialization eventually made them unable to restrain themselves.

Finally, he threw a punch.

It fired the first shot in the Imperial Civil War.

However, although a civil war broke out, subsequent developments were somewhat different from what Tentacle had anticipated.

What is the concept of an imperial civil war?

The endless flames of war, the bloody and brutal battlefields, the various conspiracies and exchanges of interests, and the scheming individuals vying for that one and only throne.

This is the imperial civil war as depicted in Touch Impressions.

But in fact......

"Huh? Why would you think that?"

"How could someone of inferior bloodline possibly participate in a battle between people of superior bloodline? They'd probably be killed by the aftershocks just by watching from the sidelines, right?"

"Besides, the old king is still alive, and everyone's businesses are all in the capital. If we start a war there, who knows how many families we might offend if we accidentally make a mistake."

"And schemes and tricks? Schemes and tricks can be useful, but most of the time, no matter how much you scheme and plot, what if someone with a superior bloodline just takes you out with a single punch?"

"Most importantly, you don't really think any normal person can predict the thought process of those lunatics, do you?"

"They must have something wrong with their brains!"

Yes, the form of civil war in the Empire was completely different from what Tentacle had imagined.

There was no large-scale war, no conspiracies or intrigues, and its influence was limited to the area around the capital.

It was less of an imperial civil war and more of a no-holds-barred fighting tournament in the capital.

Strictly speaking, the casualties and impact of this 'civil war' were considerable, and may even have been greater than those of a normal civil war.

After all, in this world where extraordinary powers truly exist, a battle between two extraordinary athletes is nothing short of a human catastrophe for those of low to medium bloodlines.

If their bloodline were even higher, then with just two or three skills, they might not suffer much injury, but there would likely be no survivors around them.

Yes, even in the capital, there aren't many who can arm-wrestle with a certain village girl who used to be the chief knight and doesn't want to reveal her name.

However, quite a few of the next level, such as Elise's, can still be found.

—Don't underestimate Elise. Although she can't compare to a village girl, she usually doesn't make much noise in battle.

But in reality, due to her special skills, her fighting style is similar to that of an assassin, specializing in one-hit kills.

Moreover, because of his outstanding management skills, coupled with the fact that Green's side had no shortage of combat power, he ultimately didn't perform well.

As for the next level, their numbers are so numerous that they are difficult to count, and they are also the main force of each family.

Although their combat strength varies due to various issues arising from education, upbringing, and consanguineous marriage, their bloodline is undeniable. Even the most mentally challenged among them is no less capable than a medium-sized chimera, which is also the position held by the nobles of the original investigation team.

And this was even after the empire had declined for more than two hundred years.

However, the struggles among the nobles were different from what I had expected.

However, the struggle within the Mage Guild was closer to what Green perceived as the Imperial Civil War.

Intrigues, alliances, underhanded tactics, betrayals, pleas for mercy, and even inciting subordinates to test the waters and die first, and even launching large-scale conflicts and sectarian wars...

Even so, the intensity of the civil war among the mages was not as high as that of the group of extraordinary athletes.

After all, even if we don't talk about how powerful those lunatics with naturally top-tier bloodlines are, they haven't forgotten that in the highest chair of the Mage Association, there sits a rather restless, sickly nuclear bomb who could send everyone to their deaths.

And underground, in that building that once sealed away all ancient magical techniques and served as a testing ground for mages, what exactly is buried there...?

Who would dare to fight without restraint?

As for the church, although they did not participate in this struggle, they were not much better off.

After the nobles and mages clashed, a blue butterfly drifted into the capital.

As pairs of blue eyes opened, the resurrected spirits began to torture the church's clergy on both a physical and mental level.

But the old man in the church did not make any move.

It wasn't out of guilt, but because I knew that this kind of petty squabble was just someone venting their anger and causing trouble for the church...

Moreover, it's not just blue butterflies.

Outside the capital, the noble families had little interest in those of lower bloodlines and never intended to involve them, or rather, they did not believe they were qualified to set foot on this battlefield.

But with the families already at war, and a series of problems caused by industrialization, and now that restrictions have been lifted, they certainly can't just sit idly by.

Thus, shortly after the start of the unlimited fighting tournament in the capital, other nobles who received the news, as well as those of higher bloodlines in their territories, also began to take action.

Add to that the rapidly spreading crimson, and the green-eared creatures that, under the guise of helping the crimson, gradually infiltrate and enter.

In an instant, the entire empire was thrown into chaos.

Fighting is happening everywhere, fires are burning everywhere, and explosions are happening everywhere.

Blood flowed like rivers, corpses littered the ground, the upper class fought to the death, while the middle and lower classes fled for their lives, creating a vibrant scene of life bursting forth.

So what is our Mr. Tentacle doing amidst all this excitement?

Why are you still grabbing children?

Blue Butterfly looked at him in surprise.

"You were grabbing children as soon as you left, and you were grabbing children even when things were peaceful in the capital."

"You were arresting children when industrialization began, and now that the world is in such a state of chaos, you're still arresting children."

"You really don't have any special preferences?"

What do you know? This is called staying true to your original aspiration and remaining steadfast in your commitment!

The tentacles swayed in dissatisfaction.

[And I've said it so many times, that's not called kidnapping children, that's called breeding!]

Do you understand breeding?

"don't know."

Vanessa shook her head.

Well, she actually knew what was going on and that Green was doing legitimate things.

But given its form of expression and recent actions, even though she knew the tentacles were doing legitimate things, she couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

Especially when combined with what the blue butterfly saw and heard after it drifted to Dawn City.

That made her even more moved, thinking to herself that believers truly follow God.

It's no wonder those men in black robes acted strangely, because their god was even more outrageous than they appeared.

Are you thinking about something rude?

"No, I was just congratulating your child on their great harvest in my heart."

【Claws】

Although it was a joke, Vanessa was actually telling the truth.

After the unrestricted free-for-all began in the capital, everyone was fighting each other and many people died, so naturally there was less attention paid to the children.

Especially as the struggle progressed, the number of children who lost their parents and became orphans gradually increased.

And because of several months of development, especially the completion of the underground tentacle transportation network, the tentacles now 'transport goods' at an extremely fast speed.

In addition, there was the cooperation and help of the original 'good kids'.

Amidst the raging civil war in the capital, darkness is rapidly spreading in some unnoticed places.

Some disappeared suddenly while walking on the road, while others went to the shadows to avoid enemies, and were then dragged in by tentacles that covered their mouths.

Some were lured to dark places and disappeared by 'good kids' after their families had accidents, while others lost their parents or were even kidnapped from their homes while they were still at home.

Autumn is here.

Others can harvest delicious food.

[Isn't it normal for me to get a delicious baby?]

Of course, I was just kidding.

After all, the tentacles didn't bring them here to eat; they had something far more terrifying—

Today's class is math, math, and more math!

[After class, those who haven't learned it yet, stay behind for extra lessons.]

The words fell.

A scene of agonizing wailing.

Moreover, it wasn't just children from aristocratic families.

When it was time to harvest children, Green began to expand outwards, not even sparing the common people, or even the children in the slums.

but......

"It's not just about teaching, is it?"