Arcane Empire, Earth, the Imperial Palace:
Edward sat in a chair with a screen in front of him. Just like the lucky few of the Fer race, he was also watching the live broadcast of the bombing. He watched as the fire devastated everything in its path.
From women to children, to the elderly. He could hear their final scream before dying, echoing inside his mind–all 23 billion of them. Although he was countless light-years away, the sound was very vivid to him, like he was in a front-row seat at a concert.
Before making the final decision, he thought of many excuses to justify his actions. For example, the Fer race had committed many atrocities and this could be considered punishment for their previous actions.
He convinced himself that this was a necessary action for the future of the Empire. That his decision today will prevent countless suffering in the future. He even went as far as telling himself that he was not the one who push the final button, so all the blame cannot be placed on himself.
However, in the end, he could not lie to himself. His decision was a calculated one.
His journey as Emperor will lead to a path of countless wars. By then, a mere planet being destroyed will be inconsequential. By then, galaxies and even universes will be at stake.
If he cannot accept this now, then he should step down from his position.
Did he regret the decision he made today? Yes.
Would he still do it again given another chance? The answer is still yes.
Edward has already made one of his main goals to spread the Arcane Empire throughout the entire universe, and spread the pursuit of knowledge and truths to all races in the cosmos.
To develop a civilization based on power and knowledge.
That way, magic can develop at an unprecedented speed and to an unimaginable height by gathering the wisdom of thousands of races, which in turn allow him to reach the pinnacle of magic and discord its essence, its roots.
Of course, one can make the argument that no one asked Edward to do this; no one asked him to spread civilization. And the reason he is doing this is because of his God Complex.
And to these people, Edward would say that they were right. But he would still not change his mind since he was already determined to walk down that path.
"Just like the purple mad Titan said: 'The hardest choices require the strongest will.'" muttered Edward. He then remembered his aunt's warning to him that he should not become numb to these kinds of things; to the death of countless living creatures.
He decided to keep these words to mind; to act as a constant reminder in the future.
He waved his hand and a bottle of alcohol appeared on his hand. Without hesitation, he jugged the entire thing down his throat. Once he was done, another one appeared before repeating the process.
Meanwhile, outside his room, all his wives stood outside the door with worried looks on their faces.
"He never drinks but now he is finishing bottles like they were water. Obviously, he's not fine," said Fleur.
"Then, what should we do? Should we go see him?" asked Bellatrix.
"No, let him vent for tonight," replied Rowena. "Knowing him, tomorrow morning, he will regain his normal self–at least on the surface."
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"There should be something more we can do?" asked Luna.
"Edward is a very open person when it comes to his feeling. Give him a few days, then we can ask him and he will tell us," replied Olivier who secretly left the army to come here.
Although she is the last one to become his wife, she has spent the most time with him back in her world. Even the time Rowena spent in the different timeline with Edward cannot be compared to her.
So, she knew him best. So, the others nodded after hearing her proposition.
Black Wood Star System:
After watching the live broadcast, Commander Cisco's hand on his chair trembled. He clenched his hands really hard to focus, hoping the pain would calm him down, but it did not.
At some point, his breathing was a little more difficult to control. A memory suddenly flashed inside his mind. It was when he was at the Marine Academy and learning about history.
More specifically, the history of the Old Age. It was about the creator of the Atomic Bomb and how he regretted his action later on. When reading that part, Cisco always had a look of disdain towards Oppenheimer, thinking that he was a weak will man.
However, today, Cisco could understand how he felt. Thinking about all the lives that die under his action, he instantly felt like he was about to have a panic attack.
Nevertheless, Cisco was still an elite properly trained. So, he instantly cast a Mechanized Mind Spell on himself, thus entering an emotionless and logical state of mind.
He then ordered his men to once again broadcast his face to the Fer people. With a calm voice, Cisco said:
"As you can all see, this is the repercussions of your decisions. According to the law of the Empire, a second chance will be granted to your species. Surrender of face extinction."
This time, the Fer council did not hesitate to surrender. In front of such a powerful force, they were simply incapable of resisting. The next day, Edward dressed luxuriously, wore his crown, and headed to Black Wood Star System to meet the delegates of the Fer race and sign their surrendering treaty.
As he sat on a golden throne, looking at the Fer King and a few council members, he briefly read their minds. He could feel their fear, hatred, and disgust for him. And some of them were even thinking of the possibility of taking this opportunity to either kill him or take him as a prisoner.
Edward suddenly used the Spiritual Pressure spell, releasing a powerful pressure that not only prevented all of these people from moving, breathing, and even thinking.
Immediately afterward, they removed the little rebellion thoughts that they had in their minds.
"For starting this war and your resistance, your species will be classified as Second-Class Citizen, with limited rights and powers," said Edward calmly. "However, everything is not hopeless. As long as you served in the military and earn enough merit for the Empire, all of you will eventually become regular citizens.
"By then, you will get access to education, magic, long lifespan, great healthcare, and many more."
The Fer Council was a little surprised by this decision; they were all prepared to become slaves for their entire lives, just like they did to the conquered races of their star system.
Of course, they also knew that their lives from now on will not be easy. Fortunately, they now had hoped. Although they did not know whether this Arcane Emperor would keep his words, it was better than nothing.
Truth be told, Edward never planned to enslaved the Fer race. He knew that it was very difficult to enslave any intelligent race as they would eventually rebel. No matter how long it took, no matter whether it succeeded, it would eventually happen.
The only way to enslave another intelligent race is to systematically change their way of thinking and make them believe that it was their honor to be enslaved, to served their conqueror–just like the house-elves.
Another method would be to use a powerful Bloodline Curse to enslave them. However, this kind of method is not absolute as there is a high chance for such magic to have problems over time.
Not to mention the possibility of some genius being born in the Fer race and finding a way to remove the said curse.
So, Edward decided to use another approach. First, made the Fer race suffer a little, have them work hard for their freedom so that they can appreciate it.
While working for their freedom, slowly instill a yearning for the life of real citizens by showing them all the benefits and advantages. Finally, when they gain their freedom, slowly forge their identity as people of the Empire and integrate into it.
Although the process will be long and slow, it is the best method that will lead to fewer issues in the future.
(AN; I know that every time I try to give Edward any form of weakness, display of emotions or character growth, or generally trying to add some complexity to his character, a lot of people began to complain that he is acting out of character.
(So, I usually try to stay away from these kinds of moments. But recently, I realized how bland of a character he was and decided to add a little human touch to him.
(Additionally, the new world is coming in like the next chapter or 2. I am a little disappointed with the War Arc in general but still satisfied with the end."