(Planet Gaia- Imperial Complex)
(Royal Conference Room)
The emperor was the symbolic ruler of the human sector of the Earth Federation but the practical matters of running the empire was left to the ministers in parliament.
Emperors in the past had played active roles in personally overseeing the growth of their empire but the current king was content to waste away his days with whores and drinks.
In his absence, the minsters from the various noble factions begun to get bolder and bolder as more power fell within their grasp.
Important meetings were held in the royal conference room that was designed with breathtaking magnificence.
Thick golden pillars held up a luxurious roof adorned with rare jewels and metals.
The floor was made of a rare mineral called jade that was mined from ancient earth centuries ago.
Various paintings of dragons and phoenixes were carefully sketched on the walls of the conference room and every chair was made of a specially designed high-class memory foam.
The number of chairs in the hall were enough for the select crowd of five thousand nobles who represented the upper nobility.
These five thousand men and women came from various star systems conquered by the Federation but to gain a seat in parliament required at minimum the status of Count.
It was currently the once in thirty years meeting by the parliament to renew and discuss the budget for the various branches of government.
One might expect this group of high-class nobles to be discussing these financial matters with dignity and calm befitting their positions, but the furious yelling told a different story.
"The funds allocated to the education sector are way too high!"
"We need another two trillion Enas to expand the current military"
"So those war mongering bastards can pocket some extra cash?"
"That's rich coming from the man who 'lost' funds during the last terraforming project"
Clashes were common as the nobles desperately fought one another in order to reap the maximum benefits for their faction.
The military faction wanted greater investments to fund their current war against both the Unova Syndicate and the Insectoids while the scientific faction wanted more resources in their ongoing projects.
Other factions including the art, commerce, education, security, and blood purity each had different goals in mind.
However, there was one group of younger nobles who sat in the middle of the chaos quite calmly as the angry voices continued to rise.
An extremely handsome man who looked as though he was in his late thirties was cheerfully sipping on some fine wine and checking his communicator.
He was well-built with a toned body and powerful muscles that were clearly visible beneath the white shirt that he wore.
His eyes were a deep shade of blue and his face resembled that of a movie star with a chiseled jawline and soft beard.
Several of the single noblewomen were shooting him amorous gazes but the man seemed preoccupied by an important matter.
"Why hasn't my darling Sophie called me yet," Rokan frowned to himself as he scrolled through the chat logs.
"Hmm…. maybe I should send one more message."
Poor Sophie would find out much later that her communicator would have several missed calls and messages from her worried father.
It was unlikely that a resolution would be reached at least for the next couple of days, so the duke planned to just relax and unwind.
Although Rokan had retired from the military, he still retained his popularity among the officers who had previously served under him.
Combined with his easy-going personality and charismatic charm, he had somehow drawn a small group of younger nobles to his side.
Of course, they still could not compete with the noble factions with thousands of years of history behind them but Rokan's faction had grown to a size that could not be ignored.
The empire in recent years had only gotten more divisive under the rulership of a weak king and the different factions no longer had any interest in compromising and working together.
Every policy and bill was debated endlessly until it became a rarity for any law to reach the emperor's desk.
Rokan's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the greedy expressions on the faces of the nobles intent on carving out a piece of the budget for themselves.
Perhaps the Insectoids were not humanity's greatest enemy…...
The Earth Federation had long been slowly rotting from the inside.
And it pissed him off.
Without any hesitation, Rokan gently placed down his wineglass and spat out a few words,
"Stop talking so much nonsense."
A powerful coercion swept over the members of parliament that brought the weaker ones to their knees.
Silence.
The might of a god stage cultivator demanded respect and the man speaking was the youngest in the history of humanity.
"You should be ashamed of yourself…. squabbling like children," Rokan felt the unfriendly glares directed at him but continued on.
"Have you all forgotten the principles of noblesse oblige? We are granted this strength and positions of power in order to forge a shining dynasty that will spread the glory of humanity."
"Instead all I see are a bunch of money hungry rats quarreling for scraps to line your pockets."
"Do you think that an upstart duke like yourself can insult us like this? You overestimate your own ability child," the minister of defence got up from his chair with a sneer.
He immediately released his own aura that also belonged to the god stage and stood proudly with his arms crossed.
The nobles of his faction cheered him on with several words of support.
"Show this upstart his place!"
"Praise the fearsome Blood sword warrior!"
"Our leader is so handsome!"
"Sit down clown," Rokan growled darkly.
Boom!
Cough! Cough!
The man immediately staggered backwards in shock as blood slowly dripped out of his ears and nose.
Rokan knew not to go too far so he held back on his strength otherwise the Minister would not have been able to withstand his spiritual pressure.
The Minister of Defense may be a powerful god stage cultivator... but his foundations were shaky.
He was far weaker than a certain Arachnais woman.
Rokan's words and actions during the meeting may have seemed incendiary and would undoubtedly gather some hatred.
But it would also drastically increase his popularity with the righteous ministers who still believed in the original goals of the Federation.
There was not much time left.
Rokan knew that the blood purity faction was gaining strength by the day and he was obviously a thorn in their side.
God stage cultivators were powerful but even they would not stand a chance against any member of the Ascension warriors.
The Blood Purity faction would not stand idly by as a man who supported hybrid rights reached such levels of strength.
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