From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 829 The world changed when I woke up.
After the storm, the sky over Saint-Sonière was exceptionally clear.

In the following days, the political landscape of the entire Star Dragon Empire was being reshaped at an unprecedented pace.

With the cooperation of Amber, Jacques Cole, and Natalia, the nobles who were stripped of their privileges at this meeting were placed under house arrest, and their vast assets would be taken over and audited by the Imperial Treasury.

Meanwhile, an inspection team composed of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Imperial Tax Bureau began to purge the private armies and administrative systems of these nobles throughout the empire.

At the same time, all generals and officials within the Star Dragon Empire's military and political system who were associated with Soren and Duke Duke were replaced without exception.

A top-down power reshuffle is underway, proceeding efficiently and ruthlessly.

Amber, the mastermind behind all of this, washed his hands of the most difficult part and then focused all his energy on another more important thing—the Survivors' Alliance.

Franklin of the New Federation sent a telegram of condolence and full support immediately after the Star Dragon Empire publicly exposed the crimes of the two dukes.

This move is seen by many analysts and the public from both major human powers as a signal that the New Federation and the Star Dragon Empire are ending their long-standing conflict and entering a relatively peaceful phase.

Phoenix King Enarion finally regained his composure and, with the help of Elenita and other elves, began to reconnect with the various star systems within the Thousand Star Empire, which were currently in chaos.

A new alliance, with the Atlas Group as its core for technological development, the New Federation and the Star Dragon Empire as its industrial bases, and the Elves providing psionic technology sharing and intelligence support, is beginning to take shape.
That day, Amber arrived at the special intensive care unit in the medical ward as usual.

Inside the life support pod, Agnes's vital signs had already returned to normal levels. According to Lilith, she should theoretically wake up in the next few days, but for some reason, she hasn't woken up yet.

Just as Amber was staring at the data panel, her eyes, which had been closed for a long time, trembled slightly and then opened.

After an initial moment of confusion, the golden pupils quickly focused, reflecting Amber's image.

"Amber?"

Her voice was still a little weak, but she was fully conscious.

Natalia, who was standing by, exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward.

Amber was also taken aback for a moment, then immediately signaled the medical robot to open the life support pod.

Agnes sat up with Natalia's help. She rubbed her throbbing forehead, looked around, and quickly realized that she was in the medical area, and most likely on the Crowned Fortress.

“How long was I unconscious? What happened to Aldaram?” she asked anxiously.

"You've been unconscious for some time now. As for Eldalam..."

Amber didn't hide anything or embellish anything; she simply recounted everything that had happened in the past few days calmly and objectively.

From the destruction of Eldaram to the complete activation of the home beacon, followed by the fleet's emergency evacuation.

From the conspiracy between Soren and Duke of Duke, to fair and just voting in the Imperial Diet, to the civil war on track, the execution of traitors, and the current purge of the entire aristocratic class.

Agnes listened quietly, her expression shifting from shock to solemnity, then to disbelief, and finally settling into a complex silence.

Natalia, listening nearby, was terrified. She had repeatedly tried to remind Amber that Agnes had only just woken up, and hearing this series of events might be too much for her.
Fortunately, the empress had a strong mental fortitude and did not faint or lose consciousness.

Agnes remained silent for a long time.

She raised her head and looked deeply into Amber's eyes with her golden gaze.

She was not angry, nor did she reprimand Amber for overstepping her bounds.

Because she knew better than anyone else that if she had been in that situation, she would never have been as decisive and thorough as Amber.

The rules of the empire, the dignity of the royal family, and the entrenched interests would all become shackles binding her.

Amber, on the other hand, simply flipped the table.

He used the most barbaric and unreasonable methods to accomplish what she had always wanted to do but had never been able to since her ascension to the throne—to eradicate the malignant tumors clinging to the empire.

This man not only saved her life while she slept, but also saved her empire and reshaped it into the form she had always dreamed of.

A mixture of gratitude, awe, lingering fear, and a strange emotion that she herself was unaware of quietly began to grow in her heart.

At this moment, her relationship with him underwent a subtle yet profound change.

He was no longer just a powerful ally, a man she admired.

He was someone who could truly stand shoulder to shoulder with her, or even walk in front of her.

"Thank you, Amber."

Agnes's voice was a little hoarse, but incredibly sincere.

Amber simply smiled and then sent an electronic document to Agnes's personal terminal.

"Now that His Majesty has awakened, let's take a look at this. There are still quite a few things to attend to."

Agnes opened the file, which was titled "Supreme Agreement of the Survivor Civilization Alliance".

She read it carefully, word by word.

Intelligence sharing, technology sharing, resource integration, and unified command
The terms of the agreement are clear and pragmatic, with each clause addressing the core issues.

The Atlas Group and the Thousand Star Empire export the most cutting-edge technology, while the Star Dragon Empire and the New Federation contribute massive industrial capacity and manpower.

She understood that this was no longer a draft document that required her to negotiate.

This is reality, and it's the only option.

At the end of the document, she saw three signed names: Amber, Franklin, and Einarion.

Now, only her signature remains.

Without the slightest hesitation, Agnes imprinted her electronic seal onto the document.

The moment she confirmed it, this military alliance, spanning the three major human powers and the remnants of the elven race, was officially established.

“Very good.” Amber nodded.

He projected a holographic star map using his personal terminal and rapidly zoomed in, eventually magnifying a galaxy marked in scarlet to the center.

That place was Eldaram.

The internal strife within the empire has been brought to a bloody end.

"Now that the house is clean..."

Amber's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power.

"Now, it's time to prepare to welcome our uninvited 'guests'."
-
The news of Agnes's return spread throughout the Star Dragon Empire within twelve hours via Saint-Sonière's official channel.

In the image, she stands on the terrace of the newly renovated Grand Palace, dressed in a deep gold gown symbolizing royal power. Although her face still bears a trace of post-illness pallor, her golden pupils burn with an unprecedented light.

Behind her, Natalia and a group of Imperial Guard generals stood solemnly.

Next came the empire's old prime minister and newly promoted cabinet members.

Amber, on the other hand, stood in an inconspicuous position, yet was captured by all the cameras, just like the legendary 'shadow prime minister'.

His very existence is a silent warning to all potential opponents.

This turmoil came to a complete end with the Queen's public appearance.

No one dared to question the legitimacy of the purge, nor did anyone dare to criticize the fate of the two dukes. The old order was bloodily buried, and a new order was swiftly established under an iron fist.

The macro-management system provided by the Atlas Group was eventually agreed to by Agnes after Amber's all-night persuasion, and was subsequently quickly integrated into the Empire's administrative center.

The galactic resource survey and audit, which used to take years to complete, was completed in less than a few days with the help of this management system and the Atlas Group's data center, yielding accurate results that could not be tampered with.

Countless instances of corruption and embezzlement hidden beneath the accounts were exposed to the light of day, leading to a broader purge of personnel.

The entire empire's bureaucracy, like an old machine that had been rusted for many years, had all its redundant and rotten parts removed and replaced with brand new, efficient gears, and started running again at an unprecedented speed.

Meanwhile, the Dukes of Hastings and Artesia, the two most loyal supporters of the Queen, finally led a compliant escort fleet back to Saint-Sonières.

The moment they stepped into the palace and saw Agnes, the two powerful dukes, whose mere stomp of their feet could cause an earthquake in their respective territories, almost simultaneously knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty! We are too late to your rescue and deserve to die!"

Although they were both staunch supporters of Agnes, they were still genuinely shaken.

From receiving the secret letter about the Queen's coma, to Soren and Duke launching a political offensive, to the civil war breaking out on the tracks, and finally to the bloody yet highly efficient parliamentary purge.
This series of events happened so fast that they barely had time to react.

By the time they had assembled their fleet and arrived, everything had already been settled.

“Please rise, both of you. I have never doubted your loyalty.” Agnes personally helped them up.

Looking at these two allies of the family, Agnes felt a mix of emotions. Instead of directly mentioning the matter of stripping them of their privileges, she handed them a report.

The report contains a detailed intelligence analysis of the 'Return Beacon' and the 'Forerunner Civilization'.

The more the two dukes looked, the more solemn their expressions became, and cold sweat gradually seeped from their foreheads.

"This..." Duke Hastings' voice was somewhat hoarse, "Your Majesty, is this intelligence true?"

“One hundred percent.” Agnes interrupted him. “The Phoenix King of the Elves proved its truth to us all by destroying the entire capital planet.”

Duke Artesia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She finally understood why Agnes had tacitly allowed Amber to use such extreme methods to carry out this cleansing.

Faced with a cosmic catastrophe capable of destroying an entire civilization, the so-called political struggles and aristocratic dignity within the empire became laughable child's play.

The two remained silent, knowing that they alone could not reverse the situation and could only lower their heads and await Agnes's final decision.

Agnes looked at them, and a smile finally appeared on her face.

"I need your strength, your family's industrial system and military power, to fully shift to wartime production. The Empire and the Atlas Group will send specialized supervisors and technical personnel to ensure that all production tasks are completed on time and to a high standard."

To their surprise, Agnes did not take the opportunity to weaken their power, but instead issued this strange order.

But at times like these, they also know that it's best not to ask questions they shouldn't.

The two dukes exchanged a glance, and then there was no more hesitation.

"I will obey Your Majesty's command!"

As the internal order of the Star Dragon Empire and the New Federation gradually returned to normal under powerful measures, the two largest economies in the human world began to unleash astonishing vitality.

Under the leadership of both governments, a series of large-scale "work-for-relief" projects were quickly launched.

Countless people who lost their jobs due to war and turmoil have found new employment.

New factories sprang up and abandoned starports were put back into operation. Society seemed to be recovering rapidly from its trauma in a thriving atmosphere.

But soon, some astute observers noticed something was amiss.

Almost without exception, these projects all point to the military industry.

In newly built factories, armor plates for new warships flow along production lines; in reopened starports, massive fleets undergoing modernization are docked at their berths; even the development of many civilian technologies is required to prioritize meeting the derivative needs of military standards.

In the public media, the official line is "strengthening defense to deal with interstellar pirates and unknown threats."

But new questions began to emerge in many private forums and encrypted channels.

"Damn it, who are we preparing to fight? Haven't the New Federation and the Empire already started normal communication?"

"I've only ever seen this level of preparation in history textbooks, no, I've never even seen it in textbooks!"

“My uncle works at the deep space shipyard back home. He said they’re building a brand new battlecruiser. The blueprints don’t even have a name on it. He said the structure of that thing is something I’ve never seen on any warship, whether it’s the Empire or the Federation!”

However, despite these discussions, panic did not spread because everyone had a job and a salary, and social order remained intact.

But a heavy sense of uncertainty, hanging over everyone's head, began to envelop everyone's heart.

They didn't know who the enemy was, or when the war would break out.

All they knew was that the world was frantically preparing for some kind of catastrophe in a way they couldn't comprehend.

Most people are completely unaware of this; they are simply grateful that they have jobs again and can support their families.

However, some astute observers sensed something unusual beneath this calm surface.

New Amsterdam, headquarters of the New Federal News Network.

Reporter Emily Shaw is compiling a report on the “federal economic recovery miracle.”

But as she looked at the official, seemingly positive data on the screen, her brow furrowed even more.

Too fast, everything happened too fast.

It's faster than anyone could have imagined.

She opened an encrypted file sent by an anonymous informant.

The file contained a candid photo taken at an orbital dock on an industrial planet.

The photo shows the keel of a warship, enormous beyond imagination, being surrounded by countless engineering drones.

That is not any of the warships currently in service with the New Federation.

She closed the file, leaned back in her chair, and looked out at the busy airport.

Rumors about a dramatic change in the capital of the Thousand Star Empire have begun to circulate in the human world, but the truth remains firmly sealed off by the higher-ups.

The bloody purge of the nobility within the Star Dragon Empire was characterized as 'suppressing internal strife'.

Everything seemed so logical.

But those giant ships secretly under construction, the military factories controlled by the Atlas Group that span both major powers, and the army that is expanding rapidly once again...
These all tell a completely different story.

Emily's fingertips hovered over the keyboard for a long time.

In the end, she deleted the draft of the eulogistic report and typed out a new title.

Beneath the Prosperity, Where Are Our Enemies?

(End of this chapter)