Napoleon of Another World!

"The legions have returned to Rhodes. They will soon be sent to all the provinces to finish suppressing the last of the servile revolts."

General Theodore spoke as if he had just been told of the death of his firstborn, but the other participants in the meeting were not in a better mood either.

"The trade agreements have already gone into effect, and metal from the mines of Eirinn has begun to flow into our deposits again," Marcellus said.

Celleno was the only one who had welcomed the changes of the last few months with a certain relief: "The economy is also improving. The goldie is regaining value, and in some areas the franc is circulating freely without problems."

"And how did the Holy Father react?" asked Ademar

Archbishop Herman gritted his teeth. "To say he was resentful would be a polite understatement. On the other hand, it is inconceivable for the enlightened and devout Montgomery family to lead a nation of heretics, and so he was forced to lift the excommunication."

"I assume Haselworth's threat to make the Spear of Gaia incident public contributed to his choice, right? Apparently he even found correspondence between the old Archbishop of Eirinn and some people close to the Pope to keep the Spear's existence a secret. Until the Holy Father has cleaned up the Conclave, they won't be able to lift a finger against that boy. Does anyone know how the election went?"

"Exactly as you might expect," Marcellus replied grimly. "Even though they allowed the establishment of a party aligned with the Empire, outside of a few border villages, none of their representatives were elected to any office, and they garnered less than a tenth of the Assembly seats. Even candidates supported by the Grand Duchess Montgomery struggled to be elected. Basically, Daemon Haselworth is more powerful than ever."

Everyone looked down, wondering how it had come to this situation.

If the Empire had not lost its face completely, it was only thanks to the trade agreements and the end of tensions with the Union, which overshadowed the fact that for the second time in less than twenty years Saedonia had been forced to cede part of its territory at the end of a war.

"The first shipments of weapons have already arrived in the capital, and we have put our best craftsmen and scholars to work," Theodore said as if trying to find a piece of good news in that sea of ​​tears. "It's only a matter of time, sooner or later we will figure out how to replicate them."

"Your Majesty, if I may. Are you really going to establish this new office for the Senate? This Tribune of the Plebs?"

"As much as I do not share Senator Marcellus's pessimism, I too cannot help but feel a certain fear," said Celleno. "Since the Senate's inception, the Emperor has been the only one to hold the power of veto. Do you truly believe it is wise not only to grant this privilege to another person, but for that person to even be elected by the people?"

"We have discussed this before, my friends. The dial of time never moves backward. Daemon Haselworth has bodily brought us into a new era. If we are to survive, we must adapt to it."

Ademar paused, and a light that many of those present had not seen in many years suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"On ​​the other hand, if we cannot prevent the birth of a new world, we can ensure that it happens on our terms."

Just what everyone in the room wanted to hear.