“It is extremely unlikely for any choice to have no detractors at all. The measure of a ruler is partly decided by how they handle these detractors, whether it was to convert them to supporters one way or another, or to directly remove them by hook or by crook. Good rulers typically know how to use both approaches as necessary.” - Andreas Gigantis Rewune, retired minister from the Clangeddin Empire, circa 519 VA.

Despite the “easy” victory, the way Estelle chose to deal with the Southern Coalition army caused its own repercussions.

Specifically, the faction formed by the former nobles – the one Leonid de Kars used to lead – had great reactions over it. Some were thoroughly intimidated by the display of cruelty that Estelle had shown she was capable of – while the plan and setup were done by the Free Lances, Estelle still personally made the call – and chose to submit wholeheartedly to the council.

Others were either infuriated or disgusted by what they perceived as an act of throwing away all the gentlemanly rules that governed society, and had rebellious thoughts in their minds. They even made plans with each other about a possible insurrection or breakaway from the Free City as a whole. That said, they were unaware that not everyone they discussed the matter with was truly of the same opinion.

A few nobles felt that the plans their compatriots made were too radical and were more likely to hurt them all rather than benefit them. Some of those joined the faction that chose to stay neutral and watch where the wind blows, but one of them in particular sent a trusted retainer of his to deliver a letter directly to Estelle herself, where he leaked the discussion that had been brewing amongst some of the noble faction of late.

All this happened during the first three days of the army’s travels back to Levain. Estelle was angered when she read the letter, but she had expected something of that nature to happen when she decided to throw away all pretenses back in the prairie. The noble faction also made a fatal mistake in that they were found out while still on the road.

The army had just started to enter territories that were inhabited around then, and some of the nobles split up from the main army as they led their men towards their home territories. It was an opportunity Estelle immediately pounced on as she had a short discussion with Reinhardt about her intentions. Sure enough, the Free Lances immediately went to work.

Two of the nobles who were part of the faction that wanted to rebel passed away from what was thought to be natural causes on their journey back to their home territory. This drew little suspicion, as those nobles weren’t young anymore, and marching with an army might have taxed their declining physique. Even if some of their family members were more suspicious and demanded an autopsy, it was doubtful that any healer in their territory would recognize the substance that caused the two old nobles to perish from heart attacks anyway.

After all, Fatimah and her people hailed from the Southern Continent and had their own ways, which included poisons those in the northern continent were completely unfamiliar with.

As for the remaining five nobles who were part of the scheme, they reached their home territories safely, only to pass away one after another under various circumstances. One fell off his horse while hunting and broke his neck. Another was found poisoned by his wife who turned out to have a lover outside. Their attempt to claim his riches failed, while both the wife and the lover were arrested and destined for the gallows.

A third noble from that group drowned while swimming in a lake, as was his habit. Nobody had expected the noble – who was a skilled swimmer – to drown like that. Yet another was killed when his carriage’s wheels broke off while they were traveling at a high speed, the resultant crash instantly killing the nobleman.

By that point of time, the last remaining nobleman who had been part of the scheme had turned extremely paranoid. He had a good idea what happened. Someone must have betrayed the group and told the council about what they were planning. He did not believe that the deaths of the other six nobles were from natural causes or accidents, as he thought it was more likely that the council decided to get rid of them.

Unfortunately, he was in his home territory, so he couldn’t even denounce the council’s dirty move. After the noble sequestered himself in his mansion for three months, he was removed from his post in the council due to prolonged and unexcused absence, with a messenger sent to his territory to inform the people that they needed to elect a new representative.

When the nobleman attempted to stop the people under him from doing so, the commoners revolted. They had lived under the Free City’s rule for over a decade and had seen how other commoners in other territories lived, and as such, no longer feared nobles as much as they used to. The revolt quickly overwhelmed the nobleman’s limited military forces and soon reached the gate of his mansion.

At his wit’s end and with no way out, the nobleman took his own life in the end, before the angry commoners could get to him.

Naturally, the Free Lances – and particularly Fatimah’s platoon – were rewarded with a sizable bonus for their work. The remnants of the Order of Niśācāra might be skilled assassins, but that doesn’t mean that they only know how to use violence. The deaths of those seven nobles were something they had plotted out on Estelle’s and Reinhardt’s behest, and they pursued nothing short of perfection in their work.

Needless to say, the noble faction that loved to play opposition in the council chamber was far more restrained and quiet after those “incidents”. Reinhardt had also struck out most of the names in the list given to him by Bernd Adenauer when he took the job back then, with the remaining few hopefully smart enough to behave themselves.

Otherwise, they could join their compatriots under the soil.