Reincarnated as a boss tyrant in the game

Thus, in the days that followed, the attitude of the Temple's upper echelons towards Alicia subtly shifted.

In the past, some of her radical proposals, though met with disagreement, were mostly met with silent resentment due to her status as a Holy Maiden.

Now, however, some had begun to openly question the appropriateness of her decisions, and dissenting voices rose one after another in various meetings.

Alicia clearly felt that her words carried less weight than before; every time she wanted to push forward with the implementation of a plan,

she encountered numerous obstacles, as if trapped in an invisible net from which she couldn't break free.

Soron stood high in the palace, overlooking the imperial capital, and upon hearing the news from the Temple, a subtle smile crept onto his lips.

He knew that this move of his had been the right one, using the potion to sow discord between Alicia and the Temple's upper echelons, causing her to gradually lose support within the Temple.

But he also knew that Alicia was not one to give up easily, and that more intense counterattacks were bound to follow.

This power game was still full of variables, and only by continuing to lay out his plans, step by step, could he completely eliminate the hidden dangers.

"But for now, it's enough to keep Alicia quiet for a while." As Soron spoke, he frowned slightly and rubbed his temples; the days of open and covert struggles with Alicia had really taken a toll on his energy.

Although he had temporarily gained the upper hand, his tense nerves were still difficult to relax.

However, before he could recover from this brief respite, another bombshell news story was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up terrifying waves.

News had been rushed back from the front lines that the Eighteen Route Border Kings had completed their assembly, a full two million troops, now advancing like a steel torrent, mightily towards the Van Elk Province.

The dust kicked up by the horses' hooves blotted out the sky, and the dull sound of the army's advance seemed to herald a storm about to engulf the land, shrouding the entire empire in an atmosphere of tension.

At first glance, the two million troops gathered by the Eighteen Route Border Kings this time did not seem as large in scale as the army led by the Northwest Prince back then, but a true understanding of its composition would reveal the terrifying nature of this army.

You should know that although the Northwest Prince's army was numerous, its soldiers varied in strength, and there were not a few mixed and inferior elements.

However, the situation was completely different with the two million troops under the command of the Eighteen Route Border Kings.

The weakest of their soldiers was actually a First-Order Transcendent.

In this world, Transcendants have already transcended the realm of ordinary people, possessing power, speed, and various magical abilities beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Although a First-Order Transcendent is still only at the entry level of Transcendants, they are vastly different from ordinary soldiers.

Ordinary soldiers can only rely on simple weapons and basic combat skills to fight on the battlefield; when facing powerful enemies, they are often overwhelmed and can easily lose their lives.

Two million troops, all of them First-Order Transcendants, meant that when they gathered together, the power they formed was like a surging tsunami, capable of easily sweeping away and destroying everything in its path.

Soron was well aware of the seriousness of this war; his brow furrowed, and his deep eyes were full of solemnity.

"Now we have to fully prepare for war as well; it seems I need to see my father." He murmured to himself, knowing that he must discuss countermeasures with his father at this moment, and integrate all the forces of the empire in order to have a chance of survival in this upcoming war.

With that said, Soron straightened his robes and strode out of the palace.

Along the way, the palace guards, seeing the crown prince's hurried expression, dared not say much, and respectfully saluted.

Soron's pace was firm, his mind constantly pondering various possible strategic layouts, from troop deployment to grain and grass preparation, from the appointment of generals to the coordination of various forces; every link was crucial and could not tolerate the slightest carelessness.

Arriving outside the imperial study where his father was, Soron took a deep breath to calm his slightly anxious mood,

before signaling the attendant to announce his arrival.

Soron stood up straight, his gaze firmly fixed on Gustav, and then slowly opened his mouth, recounting the many thoughts he had been pondering along the way regarding troop deployment, material preparation, and how to unite various forces to resist the enemy together.

When Soron was detailing the situation on the front lines to his father, he emphasized this point, his words full of concern: "Father, the two million troops of these Eighteen Route Border Kings, all First-Order Transcendants, are truly a formidable enemy the empire has never faced before.

Conventional warfare methods may be difficult to cope with; we must come up with some unconventional strategies, gather the advantages of all parties, and then we will have a chance of winning."

After listening, Gustav's face became even more solemn; he knew that the difficulty of this war had already exceeded expectations,

and after pondering for a long time, he slowly opened his mouth and said: "I also understand that this matter is thorny; you should discuss it carefully with the ministers and generals to see if you can get some good ideas from them; you must not take it lightly; I will personally arrange things for Prince Ottolav."

Soron accepted the order and left; he understood that at this moment, the fate of the entire empire seemed to hang by a thread; every decision, every action must be carefully considered, and only by mobilizing all available resources and stimulating the wisdom and strength of everyone could they possibly protect the empire's peace in this upcoming terrifying storm.

This war between the Central Provinces and the Border Provinces, after a long period of undercurrents and accumulated conflicts,

was finally about to begin.

This was by no means an ordinary war; it concerned the division of the empire's territory, the ownership of power, and the life and death of countless people.

Once the war started, the entire country would be engulfed in the flames of war, the people would be displaced, and the towns would be turned into ruins,

and the tragic scene alone was enough to make people shudder.

Emperor Gustav entrusted the matter of responding to the invasion of the Eighteen Route Border Kings' army to Soron, a decision that actually revealed many helplessness and hidden worries.

Gustav's health had been deteriorating recently, and his energy was becoming increasingly exhausted; the once spirited and capable ruler who could handle the empire's affairs day and night was now unable to resist the erosion of time and the wear and tear of heavy political affairs.

Faced with such a severe border crisis, he didn't even show much reaction, if the crown prince wasn't his son.

Soron would have suspected that he would just give up.