The Infallible Monarch

"For the first time in the last thousand years, I shall re-establish a Church; The Church of Amanael."

Boom!

Looks of shock, fear, and bewilderment were plastered in the faces of the ministers within. Even the composed Archduke had his eyes wide open, of course, only due to intrigue. "Isn't this blasphemy to the Goddess Espherel? Not to mention the Sevian and Borbian Empires and the Holy State together with the kingdoms under her, just the believers in the Empire alone would cause havoc throughout our lands! Even in the military, there are devout believers of the Goddess who sees her as the absolute. If you declare another as a deity, you would be antagonizing the entire continent!" One of the ministers yelled in exasperation. "You must reconsider, Your Majesty!" The others knelt and begged.

"Your Majesty, I, too, urge you to reconsider." The Empress beside him uttered with a serious expression, "Although I will stay in your side even if you decide to continue with this, the Empire might not. It doesn't matter if you're the Infallible Emperor in the eyes of your people. You will be brandished as a demon of darkness if you continue in your path, giving the enemy ample reasons to join forces and lay waste to Asturas."

"Whatever you say, Your Majesty." Differing from the panicking ministers, the Archduke quickly regained his lost composure and shrugged, "Worst comes to worst, we'll just die." He also knows of the consequences of what Reynald is about to do, but being someone that already stands at the pinnacle of the Magi Arts, he cares less what happens to his life. He had already achieved all that can be achieved.

Suddenly, to the shock of all, Reynald raised his palm up and, from his hand, a huge, 33-meter tall marble statue of a humanoid-being suddenly appeared in the middle of the hall. The statue was portraying a deity with four furled wings behind his back, holding a sword thrusted into its platform yet was still half his height with two hands holding its hilt. It donned a white yet golden-glowing toga that extended down to the ground. Its glowing eyes radiated a feeling of supremacy and authority as it gazed down on the people below it, with a laurel crown sitting on its head.

Seeing the humongous statue, everyone— the ministers, the archduke, the Empress and her kin, and the general— subconsciously knelt down. They didn't know if it was fear or reverence taking over their soul. Even the powerful Archduke Tuberios couldn't control himself and knelt down in front of its glorious image.

"W-What is this? Is this… the Emperor's deity, Amanael?" the ministers muttered in absolute shock.

In a timely manner, the blue panel of his system appeared on the side of his sight, where the details about the deity Amanael was written. "The Deity Amanael is a sibling in-spirit of the Goddess Espherel. When the Pure Mother created humanity, the Glorious Lord Amanael taught them how to rule over the creatures. He is the god of authority and power, the deity of the old Empire of Asturas."

As he reached to the bottom, even he couldn't believe what he was reading out loud, yet he kept continuing, "A thousand years ago, the Empire of Asturas fell because of the Holy State's instigation that was given order by the Daemon Lord of War and Deception… Aparthanum."

"Impossible! Blasphemy!" After what he last said, everyone was sent into chaos and madness. What he just said would have caused his head to fly off if he was not the Emperor. "Take back what you said, Reynald!" The respect that the ministers had were soon lost, only to be replaced by anger at their own monarch that they once viewed as the wisest. Even the Empress was looking worriedly at him, fearing his safety despite being inside the confines of their own residence.

Thinking quickly, Reynald shouted with his deep and empowering will as the ruler of the Empire, "Listen and understand!"

Boom! His voice echoed not just within the hall but throughout the Empire's lands. "The Goddess Espherel wouldn't just lead a crusade that would waste millions of lives just to end an Empire that was under her compatriot! Did you not notice the acts of the Holy State throughout the last thousand years? Their tyranny? The bribing and manipulations that they are doing to puppet the entire continent? That is not the works of the Goddess, isn't it?"

Everyone was silenced by his sacrilegious yet dawning words. The wives that were cooking their families' lunch, the training soldiers within the military barracks, the people tending to their livestock, the children who were playing, everyone stopped what they were doing. All of the devotees of the Khalian Church that's inside even wanted to just besiege the Suncrown Palace and burn the Emperor alive for his blasphemous speech and severe wrongdoings.

Within the palace hall, Reynald continued, "I am not against the Goddess, and my people can worship any deity they wish, as long as they are abiding the laws of the Empire and its constituent realms. The believers of the Goddess Espherel can believe in the Lady Espherel, and the believers that would be blessed by Lord Amanael shall believe in Lord Amanael. What I am against is the deceitful men who are using the name of the Goddess to act their desires that does not befit her."

Suddenly, the hall's closed gates were pushed open as a guard entered. After bowing to the Emperor and the ministers, he informed them of what's happening outside. "Lords and Ladies, Your Majesties, the Emperor's words are currently being heard by all the people within the capital. We are informed that even some merchants who are only about to enter the city could hear what the Emperor said about the church. It is entirely possible that the entire Empire has heard it."

Speechless.

Even Reynald was bewildered by what he had just heard. He didn't know what was happening. Suddenly, a voice spoke in his mind, "It is an ability under the Emperor Title currently in effect. Named 'Imperial Edict', it allows your voice to reach every single one of your Empire's subjects whenever you want to establish an announcement, edict, speech, or law. It is a passive ability, which means it will automatically be in effect on such occasions."