In a corner of the study stood the Silver Hand, while Princess Helen sat at the desk, her eyes closed in deep thought. In front of her lay a document outlining the preliminary financial losses following the recent flood.

Secondary to the other damages, the most pressing need was for food. In just a week, the price of grain in the imperial capital had soared by fifty percent, affecting not just the refugees but also the city's poor, many of whom were struggling to find enough to eat.

The imperial treasury's grain reserves were insufficient to last until the next spring. The recent riot among the refugees was sparked by a shortage of relief food.

"How long can we sustain with the gold in the treasury, after setting aside the military expenses?" Princess Helen asked, picking up a quill to tally the enormous figures on the document. After a moment, she looked up at the Silver Hand, who stood respectfully at her side.

"One and a half months," the Silver Hand pondered, then added, "If grain prices continue to rise, we can last at most another month."

"And the grain transported from other provinces?" inquired Princess Helen, frowning slightly.

A look of difficulty crossed the Silver Hand's face. In truth, ever since the news of Emperor Jupiter's death spread, many local nobles had become strangely elusive.

They might remember that there was a Princess Helen in the Titans royal family, but they certainly held no awe for a princess exiled by Emperor Jupiter to the seaside for nearly a decade.

In fact, aside from the Fairmuth family of Ellisitan City, who had actually sent grain, other local nobles seemed more interested in watching the drama unfold.

The Titans Empire, a military powerhouse, had expanded its territory by conquering other nations and peoples. After the news of Emperor Jupiter's death, there were already signs of unrest, with troops in over three provinces moving suspiciously, hinting at possible secession. However, the Silver Hand had not yet had the chance to inform Princess Helen of this grim news.

This ever-expanding empire had accumulated too many contradictions.

Often, before it could fully integrate a conquered land, it was already embarking on another conquest! This was especially true during Emperor Jupiter's reign, with every military campaign since the great victory at the Vulture Plains resulting in annexation of neighboring duchies into the Titans Empire within the last decade.

Now, with Emperor Jupiter gone and the crown prince in a coma, it was natural for the minor dukes, unsure of Princess Helen's authority, to consider independence.

Upon seeing the Silver Hand's expression, Princess Helen knew there was no point in pursuing that line of thought. She picked up the document, silent for a moment, then said firmly, "Open the granaries and stabilize the market grain prices."

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At her words, the Silver Hand, his scarred face hesitant, knew that following Princess Helen's orders would quickly deplete the treasury's grain reserves.

Once the reserves were gone, grain prices, driven up by the profiteers and magnates, would rebound even higher. Profiteering during a national crisis was an unavoidable reality of every era.

There was still plenty of grain in the capital to last until the next harvest, but it was not in the royal granaries. Instead, it was controlled by local nobles and wealthy merchants.

The royal family had called on the nobility to donate part of their wealth to help the refugees, but to little effect. Even when the officials offered to buy their grain at fair prices, they were largely ignored.

"Bring me the list of merchants who are hoarding grain and inflating prices, and also a list of nobles unwilling to provide resources for the disaster relief," commanded Princess Helen, lifting her head.

At her words, the Silver Hand paused briefly, then quickly left the study for the archives. Shortly, he returned with two sealed parchment scrolls to Princess Helen's study, placing them on the desk before resuming his statue-like stance near the door.

Princess Helen picked up the scrolls and, seeing the densely packed names, her delicate brows furrowed tightly. Dipping a quill in bright red ink, she began striking through names on the parchment. Within minutes, nearly half of the names were crossed out.

After completing this task, she handed the scrolls back to the Silver Hand and ordered coldly, "Deploy the Shadow Hand in full force!"

"What are the charges?" The sight of so many names scratched out made the Silver Hand's heart skip a beat.

He had anticipated that Princess Helen would make an example out of some, but not that she would spare only half. If the list were to be followed exactly, it meant executing at least seventy percent of the capital's grain merchants, including the name of an earl he spotted.

"Treason," replied Princess Helen, her expression calm as still water. She sat back down to review the mountain of documents on her desk and added icily, "Show no mercy."

"Understood." Although the Silver Hand knew such a massacre might lead to unrest in the capital, he nodded and turned to leave. This bloody method was undoubtedly the quickest solution to the grain crisis and the best way to deter the profiteers.

"Release the news about the Saturn Empire's troops amassing at the border," Princess Helen called out just as the Silver Hand was about to step out of the room.

The Silver Hand paused, understanding Princess Helen's intent after a brief contemplation. In fact, the Saturn Empire's forces had been gathering at the border since the flood, but he had thought Princess Helen wanted the news suppressed to avoid panic. Now, it seemed she had another purpose for it.

The first day, news of the Saturn Empire's military buildup at the border spread throughout the capital.

The second day, more than thirty noble and wealthy families in the central parts of the empire were executed by the Shadow Hand for treason. Their assets were confiscated and added to the national treasury. This was a message that made people ponder and speculate.

With the Saturn Empire's military presence at the border, the Titans royal family had swiftly and fiercely purged the profiteering merchants and stingy nobles.

It was precisely because of the rumors about the Saturn Empire's military maneuvers that public opinion turned against the merchants and nobles executed for treason, and surprisingly, the Titans royal family was revered for their decisive actions.

The vast majority believed that, with a formidable enemy at the gates, those executed for treason deserved their fate.

Meanwhile, the relationship between the Titans royal family and the local nobility had become increasingly tense...