Reincarnated with the Country System

The Hall of Divine Dominion was eerily silent—too silent. The remnants of the Day of Divine Veneration had dissipated, leaving only the faint scent of incense hanging in the air like spectral remnants of the prayers that had been offered. Yet, the atmosphere within the grand chamber had grown heavier, laden with something far more perilous than reverence.

Politics.

Seated upon his obsidian throne, Emperor Yadav of the Indiana Empire allowed the silence to linger. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the golden armrest, a subtle yet deliberate cadence. Below him, his ministers and generals stood rigid, their faces obscured by the flickering light of the crystal lamps. At the center of attention stood the officer from the Imperial Intelligence Department, his head bowed in deference as he awaited the emperor's response to his report.

Yadav's voice, when it finally broke the silence, was soft but razor-sharp.

"A hidden empire?"

The words sent a palpable shiver through the hall. The officer visibly flinched.

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty," the man replied, his voice measured and controlled. "The Bernard Empire has risen from the ashes of the Latvian Kingdom. They defeated Latvia decisively and completely. Within mere weeks, they secured all of Ostra's major territories, including Jimland and Amazonia. Their strength is undeniable."

A collective gasp rippled through the assembly. The ministers exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and apprehension.

A superpower, concealed all this time? Impossible.

Yadav's lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile—more a ghost of amusement than anything else.

"A phantom empire…" he mused, leaning forward slightly. "And now they stand in our path."

The tension in the room thickened, suffocating and oppressive.

Prime Minister Keshav, a seasoned statesman who had weathered the brutal civil war during Yadav's ascent, cleared his throat. His voice, though aged, carried the weight of experience.

"Your Majesty, if this Bernard Empire is as formidable as they appear, we must proceed with caution. Another protracted war is not something we can afford."

"Caution?"

The voice that interrupted Keshav's counsel belonged to General Rudra, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army. A man as battle-scarred as he was feared, Rudra leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with predatory intensity.

"With all due respect, Prime Minister, cowards proceed with caution. We are the Indiana Empire. We do not yield to shadows." He spat the last word, his deep voice laced with disdain. "If these Bernards believe they can obstruct our ambitions in Ostra, we should annihilate them before they even comprehend the true nature of war."

A murmur of agreement rose from the military officials, their nods of approval barely perceptible. Yet, Yadav remained silent, his gaze fixed on Rudra.

Rudra turned to the emperor, his expression resolute. "Grant me permission, Your Majesty, and I will lead the Southern Army into Ostra. Let us test their mettle."

Silence.

Then, Yadav let out a low, dangerous chuckle—a sound that sent a chill through the seasoned ministers.

"Test their strength?" he repeated slowly, savoring each word. "As we tested the Mung Dynasty's strength in the Golden Mountains?"

The room froze.

The reference was not lost on anyone. The proxy war in the Golden Mountains had been a costly miscalculation, a humbling reminder of the consequences of underestimating an adversary.

Rudra's jaw tightened, but he remained silent.

Yadav's dark eyes swept across the assembly, calculating and assessing.

"We do not repeat our mistakes," he declared, his voice smooth yet unyielding. "Not when the future of our empire hangs in the balance."

He rose from his throne, his long robes whispering against the marble floor as he descended. His movements were deliberate, his presence commanding and suffocating.

"Tell me," he said, addressing the intelligence officer once more. "What else do we know about them?"

The officer swallowed hard before responding. "Very little, Your Majesty. Their ruling system remains a mystery. Their military structure is unknown. Their true strength is uncertain." He paused, then added, "We do not even know the name of their emperor."

Yadav halted mid-step.

The entire hall seemed to hold its breath.

Then, a soft, venomous laugh escaped him.

"UNKNOWN"

He turned to face his ministers, his expression as unyielding as stone.

"This is not an adversary we can confront blindly," he stated. "We know nothing. That is unacceptable."

Keshav inclined his head respectfully. "Then, Your Majesty, shall we dispatch envoys?"

Rudra scoffed loudly. "Diplomacy? With a hidden empire? They will perceive it as weakness."

Yadav's piercing gaze locked onto the general.

"You speak of war so readily, General," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Tell me—do you plan to wage this battle with your fists alone? Because, as I recall, soldiers require supplies. War demands resources. And both of these necessitate information."

Rudra's jaw clenched, but he offered no retort.

Yadav turned away from him and addressed Keshav. "No envoys. Not yet. First, we need intelligence—real intelligence."

Keshav nodded. "Then we must deploy spies."

A faint smile touched Yadav's lips. "Now that, Prime Minister, is a suggestion worth considering."

He turned back to the intelligence officer.

"Send our finest operatives. I want infiltrators in Ostra—in Bernard's occupied territories, their military, their government. I want to understand their thoughts, their strategies, their vulnerabilities."

The officer bowed deeply. "It will be done, Your Majesty."

Yadav exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting toward the towering windows of the hall. Beyond them, the golden rooftops of the capital stretched into the distance, the flickering lanterns of the city below glowing like dying embers.

"The Bernard Empire may believe itself invincible," he murmured, more to himself than to the assembly. "But even the mightiest empire has a weakness."

He turned back to his court, his voice sharp and commanding.

"Find it."

The ministers bowed in unison. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Yadav's smile returned—slow, cruel, and devoid of warmth.

"Let us see how well these ghosts fare in the game of emperors."

The hall fell silent once more, the weight of the emperor's words hanging heavy in the air. The Indiana Empire had faced countless challenges before, but this—this was different.