The capital of the Sacred Empire, Vienna.

There, the newly crowned emperor, Sijip, was looking down at the vassals bowing their heads before him.

‘Finally… I have reached this position…’

Having defeated his competitors over the past few years, Sijip had now ascended to the highest seat.

At the age of 31, the heart of this young emperor was aflame with personal ambition and a burning faith towards the Church.

Sijip, who had spent his childhood under the strict teachings of the Church, believed that there were two crucial missions he must accomplish now that he was emperor.

One was to subdue all those vile heretics who were rampaging without understanding their place and dividing the nation’s opinion.

And the other was to restore the weakened imperial authority undermined by the powerful electors who had amassed strength over the years.

Just a century ago, during the reign of the great Karl the Great, there were no heretical doctrines existing in the world, and the emperor’s authority was undeniable.

Every ruler and lord had to bow their heads at the emperor’s command, and all salvation in the world could only be achieved through the Church and the Pope.

However… a hundred years have passed.

In this world, heretics proclaiming false doctrines were spreading like poison mushrooms.

Simultaneously, the allied electors were openly defying the emperor’s authority as they grew their own power.

Yet, the previous emperor, the weak Matthis, had turned a blind eye to these acts of rebellion.

His personality, which avoided creating problems and aimed to smooth everything over, only allowed heretical doctrines and the electors to gain further power.

And now that such a feeble man was dead, Sijip Ferdinand thought it was his duty as the new emperor to normalize everything.

‘From now on, everything will return to where it rightfully belongs. The subjects of the Sacred Empire need only one religion and one monarch. Everything else can simply be burned away for purification!’

With a clear resolve, the emperor looked at the ministers in front of him and spoke loudly.

“Listen up.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The ministers bowed their heads in response to his words.

To them, the emperor spoke the words he had contemplated long before ascending to the throne.

He wanted to declare something clearly.

“As the emperor who has ascended in accordance with all legal procedures and the sacred rights bestowed by God, I hereby declare clearly to you.”

The atmosphere surrounding the emperor was unusual from the start.

Consequently, anxiety appeared on the ministers’ faces, while some began to show expressions of ‘here it comes’.

It was already a fact sufficiently predicted even before his coronation…

There was no need to be surprised now, and for those perceptive enough, it was a common story to come prepared for the moment before arriving.

Simultaneously, the declaration that would undoubtedly shake the entire empire was…

“From this moment on, all heretics within the Sacred Empire are officially banned. This is the emperor’s official edict, and all lords and vassals must exert their utmost efforts in eradicating heretic forces!”

The emperor declared the complete eradication of heresy.

At first glance, this seemed like a mere religious statement, but looking deeper, it was far more than that.

In the current situation where the heretic forces had covered nearly half of the empire’s territory, declaring the eradication of heresy meant declaring war on the half of the imperial electors that stood in opposition to the emperor.

In other words, it was a declaration to finally commence the civil war between the southern and northern parts of the empire that the previous emperor, Matthis, had been trying to avoid for so long.

And the place where the flames of this civil war would surely start…

That place was Bohemia, where the heretic forces had staged a collective uprising just days ago.

*

The brief autumn, known as the golden autumn, was passing, and the cold chill was already starting to seep into the city.

In the center of that city… a person was quietly gazing out of the window.

Before him lay an endless stretch of buildings and countless people.

As he looked down at them, a gentle smile began to form on his face.

A sense of tranquility and abundance… and a smile that seemed to carry the weight of countless years.

With that smile still on his lips, the person slowly turned to look behind him.

He began to notice…

Countless individuals kneeling before him.

There were so many that he couldn’t even count them by hand, and everyone was bowing their heads towards him.

And to them, who seemed to be desperately hoping for something, he spoke in a calm voice.

“I cannot permit that.”

“B-but…”

The people spoke with desperation in response to his words.

However, he slowly shook his head and said, still soft spoken but with an unwavering strength behind it.

“I understand your concerns well. However, prohibiting the doctrine of heresy as state law is not something I can allow.”

“But… if we leave it as is, the entire nation may be engulfed in chaos!”

“Indeed. Right now, many nations, including the Sacred Empire, are suffering because of this. It would be wise to prevent it legislatively.”

The individuals, backing their claims with the clear present circumstances, spoke.

They understood very well the dangers that could arise.

The power of religion was potent, and it held the potential to split the nation like a bomb.

Therefore, they argued that it should be officially banned by law.

They shouldn’t allow the seeds of discontent to take root.

Yet, the man responded…

Considering his past, he was someone who would be particularly sensitive about such issues.

However, he merely continued to smile gently while stating his refusal.

“The state has no right to oppress individual faith. Not only is it impossible, but attempting to do so would trigger the very dangers you are concerned about.”

Those who listened to his resolute yet assured words hesitated.

Although they were countless in number, no one among them dared to refute the words of the person before them.

Observing them, he spoke in an incredibly calm voice.

Like a mother soothing her child, his tone was gentle.

“The foundation of this country began with the aim of embracing all races. If we can accommodate differences among races, there is no need to even mention religion. Surely, you are not denying this fundamental principle of our nation’s founding?”

“Umm…”

“Could… could that really be the case…”

“We merely wish to minimize any unnecessary noise in our country.”

The people replied in somewhat diminished voices.

Hearing that, he remained kind-hearted and, at the same time, spoke with a tone that seemed to carry an invisible sword of resolve.

“A nation without noise cannot accomplish anything. In this world, countless problems will inevitably arise, and to solve them, a diversity of voices is essential.”

With those words, he slowly extended his hands forward.

The people who had been prostrate on the ground began to rise slowly.

He added one final line to them.

“A river that does not flow will only become stagnant and rotten water where nothing can live. What you must do is not to block the flow of water but to help it flow in the right direction. I urge you to keep this in mind moving forward.”

As his words concluded, the people before him bowed their heads once more.

Watching them, the person with the crimson eyes nodded slowly with a satisfied expression.