[System detection: Human Hero Candice has joined the host's faction. Character profile as follows:
Age: 233
Morality: 120
Level: 21
Combat Class: Mage
Faction: Elasia and Iron Empire (Doomsday Defense Line)
Special Skill: Political Specialization]
Oh, this.
So my aunt is already over 200 years old? (๑• . •๑)
The game didn't set detailed ages for each character.
After all, the game's progression spans only a few decades in the storyline, and humans whose bodies have been modified through fighting energy or magic have greatly enhanced lifespans, almost eliminating concerns about aging.
After Candice left, Elashia dismissed the harem beauties captured by the old emperor, and those unwilling to leave were given jobs by Candice.
Including the emperor's servants and others, she cut all positions that could be eliminated.
After all, what Elasia would lack most in the coming days was money.
Of course, just doing a few things would absolutely not save Elasia.
In the game, the ending of every storyline was invariably the destruction of the world.
Even after Elashia played through all the endings, a conclusion where humanity survived never appeared.
So she still needed to do many things, major things, to have even the slightest chance of survival.
And doing major things required spending major money.
However, just a few hours earlier, Elashia had cut the agricultural tax, the empire's largest economic pillar.
Now it was truly a matter of saving whatever could be saved.
[System detection: Host has completed the initial task. System has been fully opened]
[This system is divided into two core modules: Long-term Task Module and Short-term Task Module]
[For you, the host, the most important module is the Short-term Task Module. Completing tasks in the Short-term Task Module will provide rewards]
[Task Module has been automatically activated]
[Now issuing Long-term Task for the host: Protect humanity from the Undead Calamity]
Task Description: As the new emperor of the Elasia Empire, to consolidate national strength against the almost invincible enemy ahead, you need to gradually rewrite humanity's predetermined fate. Success will be rewarded, failure will be punished!
Provision 1: When you accomplish something that can change humanity's fate, you will receive a great gift from the system (currency and food)
Provision 2: When the Undead Calamity is completely resolved, you will receive an item that allows you to travel back and forth between this world and your world.
Provision 3: When more than half of the population sincerely despises you, you will be eliminated!
Provision 4: When 10% of Elasia's population is killed or injured due to the Undead Calamity, you will be eliminated!]
It seemed this was her main task in this world. Elashia pondered her strategy for completing this world in the silent great hall.
First, she must stop collecting agricultural tax for a long time. Farmers made up more than 80% of Elasia's total population. If she started collecting agricultural tax again, she feared she would be eliminated on the spot. (>_<)
So where would the money come from?
In the early stages, she could barely sustain by selling items from the palace and confiscating assets from wealthy people who Elashia knew would rebel or defect later. But what about after that?
These methods could only solve immediate problems, but eventually the money would run out!
"System, do system rewards include gold and other assets?"
[Yes, host]
The system's answer was very brief, but it undoubtedly gave Elashia a shot of confidence.
At least there was some hope. ^-^
[Main quest issued]
[Quest: Cecilia's Return]
[Detailed Quest: While Cecilia was out of the city executing a mission with the First Imperial Guard, you launched a coup. Now, she is about to return to the imperial capital with Elasia's strongest army. Please handle this properly]
[Quest Option One: Just go for it! "The First Imperial Guard is only 3,000 strong, while I now have nine Imperial Guard units, with nine times her numbers! Watch me destroy her in one strike!" Quest Reward: God-Slaying Sword (Item)]
[Quest Option Two: Go out to welcome her, arrange her work normally, and give her complete military control of the entire empire. Quest Reward: Dead Wood Comes to Life (Skill)]
[Quest Option Three: Just surrender. Lead a sheep out of the city, kneel before Cecilia and beg for her forgiveness. "Voluntarily" accept exile from the Elasia Empire. Quest Reward: Doomsday Judgment (Skill)]
Goodness, these three options looked increasingly outrageous.
One meant death, one meant giving up power, and one meant exile.
But Elashia wasn't worried at all.
Because she understood Cecilia too well.
Cecilia was one of Elashia's favorite characters in the game.
She came from a small town far from the Elasia Empire, and since childhood, she had dreamed like other children of coming to the imperial capital to become a knight. Heaven wasn't unkind to her—her talent as a knight was truly once in a millennium.
At a young age, she became the strongest in the country and was promoted by the emperor two reigns ago to become the commander of the Empire's First Imperial Guard.
Then, well, after experiencing much of society's and the imperial capital's darkness, she gave up. ╮(╯▽╰)╭
She gradually changed from a principled, passionate knight to a tool that only obeyed the emperor's orders.
The woman who once dreamed of protecting the common people gradually turned her weapons against civilians as her sister was held hostage by the old emperor.
She continued living in a daze until the arrival of the Undead Calamity.
Afterward, through a legendary story, during the battle for Elasia's survival, her burning faith was ultimately recognized by the Undead Lord, who decided to grant her the greatest honor—a 1v1 duel with the Undead Lord.
In the end, Cecilia sacrificed herself heroically in the duel with the Undead Lord.
In the game, if Elashia chose to oppose the Undead Lord, she had to obtain this woman's help, otherwise she couldn't even pass the prologue.
Because the combat power disparity in the Elasia army was extremely severe.
Ordinary Imperial Guard soldiers were around level 5, captain-level soldiers were only around levels 7-8, and knights, the highest fighting force at the basic level, were only around level 10. Above them, all Imperial Guard commanders except Cecilia were ordinary people with no combat ability.
But the First Imperial Guard Commander, Guardian Knight Cecilia, was already over level 30 before the arrival of the Undead Calamity.
It could almost be said that Elasia's army consisted of two parts.
One part was Cecilia herself.
The other part was everyone else in Elasia's military personnel except Cecilia.
So if Elashia wanted to survive, she must make good use of the Elasia Empire's strongest knight.
"I choose Quest Option Two."
[Very well.]