Back in the castle's underground, the five people sitting at the table trembled as their bodies began to expel a thick layer of filth. The prime force improved their foundation, eliminating any illness or disability, and nurtured their consciousnesses.
A dark purple crystal appeared in each of their foreheads as their auras skyrocketed and overcame the limits of Rank 0 life forms.
For someone like Myriad, a Rank 7 life form who controlled that dark purple lightning-fire prime force, Rank 1 was nothing. If he was willing to overexert himself, he could push them to Rank 6.
He did not do that for two reasons. The goal was that these people help him gain raw forces, not drain them, and the other was that he did not trust them.
Jork was shocked by the sudden events and did not understand what was happening. He could not see the karma threads, and there was no way a mortal could feel Myriad's aura.
However, the knight's perception that he had honed in the battlefield warned him that the five became extremely dangerous.
A strange light appeared in Jork's eyes as he focused on the Princess, but it vanished almost immediately as the people regained consciousness and stopped trembling.
Gladys looked at the rest of The Church of the Purple Sun's higher-ups and could see the shock and awe that ȧssaulted her heart in their eyes.
Not even the wise Princess, who managed to see the truth of the Gods without any help, had ever imagined that something like that could be possible.
Immortal life and the strength to crush suns with your bȧrė hands. Who could remain serene after knowing you could achieve that.
"Incredible, incredible, incredible!" Munro, the ill older man, was the one who roared those words as he stood up.
That wheelchair had bound him for his entire life due to a strange illness, but not anymore. Tears fell from his eyes as strength filled his body.
"PRAISE THE PURPLE SUN!" He roared those words before kneeling on the ground.
Although some would consider the reaction of Munro over the top, the other higher-ups did not say anything, as their joy and bliss were equally high. Not even in their wildest dreams did they imagine that the Purple Sun would repay their devotion so handsomely.
Jork's eyes widened when he saw Munro stand up, and his ears bleed since the man's shout carried too much force for a simple mortal. His heartbeat started to accelerate, and all kinds of thoughts crossed his mind.
"What is the matter, my faithful servant? Why do I feel so much fear coming from you?"
Those words surprised everybody, and they saw Gladys staring at Jork with cold eyes.
Jork's eyes narrowed when he saw the way Gladys looked at him and immediately kneeled before lowering his head.
"I am sorry for my shameful behavior, your Highness. I was afraid that an evil spirit possessed you."
When the higher-ups heard Jork's explanation, they nodded. In mortal kingdoms' culture, people considered evil spirits and the likes as real things and the reason for many inexplicable events.
"Oh, so that is why. Dumb me, I believed that you were having a hard time figuring out how to explain to the Crown Prince what just happened here."
Jork's trembled, and he felt cold sweat running through his back. He jumped backward and took out his sword with great skill before focusing on Gladys.
"Since when did you..."
"I have known it for many years, but I was too weak and could not let the Crown Prince think I was a threat since that would have ended my life, so I tolerated you. If everything went according to plan, you would have told my brother what happened here, and then I would have taken advantage of the misinformation to defeat him. However, now that the Purple Sun answered our prayers, there is no need for tricks anymore."
Gladys' voice was calm and lacked any form of ill will, but the coldness in her eyes showed how much she loathed the man.
All this time, she had to act kind, lovely, and gentle with a man that betrayed her and who would not hesitate to kill her. If anything, the girl's mental fortitude was remarkable to have kept the charade for so long.
His muscles tensed as he saw the previously frail Munro look at him with wrath and walk in his direction.
The older man who once could bȧrėly gather the strength to raise his fists now looked like a mighty dragon to the knight.
However, before Munro could get to the knight, Gladys signaled him to stop.
Munro showed some apprehension when he saw the Princess approaching the knight. He understood the power they gained and knew that Jork was not a threat at any level.
He acted to spare the girl from the unpleasant task, but after seeing the resolution in her face, he took a step back.
Jork's heartbeat increased more and more as the girl approached him before he finally could not take it anymore and struck with his sword.
That sword strike could have cut a horse in half, but as it touched the girl's neck, Jork felt he attacked the hardest metal in the world.
The knight was a mortal, while Gladys was already a Rank 1 life form with a body tempered by the dark purple lightning-fire prime force.
She could have easily dodged the sword but allowed it to land, and as she expected, it could not even cut her skin.
"Die," Gladys spoke that word before flashing forward and firing a punch that pierced Jork's ċhėst and destroyed his heart.
When the other higher-ups saw that, they looked at each other before nodding and bending their knees toward the girl. She had already proven her kindness and wisdom, but now she showed them that she could be merciless if needed.
In her, they saw a true leader, someone they could follow, to bring light and get rid of the darkness in their kingdom and the world.
The Princess stared at the four. With the blood still wet in her hands, she signaled them to raise before detailing her plan.
"Rally your troops. They must be ready to march and secure public safety at once. We will use our power to kill all the fanatics and eliminate the garbage that thinks they can prey on the weak. Everybody else can either side with us and enjoy the power of the Purple Sun or lose their political and military power forever."
"Leader, about the killing..." Emily spoke respectfully toward Gladys, and although she did not finish her sentence, everybody understood what she wanted to say.
"Don't worry. The Purple Sun told us that we could not do bad things, but it is clear that he doesn't have a problem with killing immoral and evil people, and those are precisely our targets. A bloodless coup will generate countless problems in the future. We kill a few hundred to save millions."
Gladys' words made perfect sense, and the five made one final prayer to the Purple Sun before leaving the castle and gathering their troops.
That night, the people of this tiny kingdom experienced an upheaval. Thousands of soldiers flooded the city, enforcing a curfew and ensuring that nothing disturbed the peace.
The soldiers taking control of the city were not those of the Royal Family, and their actions amounted to betrayal, but no one stopped them. Even the other great families and clans remained silent.
After the night passed, the first ray of light marked the rise of The Church of the Purple Sun.
