"And afterward?"
"We'll use the attack as justification to accuse the tribal leaders of violating the peace accord. This will allow us to delay their release indefinitely."
Oswald hesitated. "But won't I be held responsible for this as well?"
"Claim it's a consequence of the emperor's absence," Michael replied smoothly. "Promise to restore order by returning to the empire and stabilizing the government. Once you're securely on the throne, proceed as planned."
As Michael's words sank in, Oswald's expression darkened with awe and fear. He had known Michael to be a shrewd strategist, but this level of cunning was terrifying.
Though Oswald had little regard for human life, the idea of orchestrating such an elaborate ruse to justify massacring innocent subjects left him uneasy. To garner public outrage, a few serf deaths wouldn't suffice—it would take hundreds of lives. The fact that Michael, lauded as a hero, could devise such a plan unsettled him deeply.
