Perfikot's speech had an unprecedented impact.

For these ordinary lower-class people, they couldn't understand grand theories.

But if you tell them someone plans to take their homes, sleep with their wives, beat their children, and force them into servitude, they naturally understand your point quite well.

Perfikot did just that, and the people of the Northern Territory comprehended her message well.

Although the evening celebration continued, it was palpable that a different emotion was brewing among the people as they began self-screening, identifying suspicious figures around them.

Even if some merely aired grievances when frustrated and weren't genuine Independents or other suspicious elements, they were still reported, with a few even beaten beforehand.

Before long, the prison in Chernobyl, the Northern Territory's capital, was the first to operate at full capacity soon after the completion ceremony.

Originally, there wasn't a plan to detain many people, so the prison in Chernobyl was built small, meant to house a few hundred under normal circumstances.

After all, how big is Chernobyl, and how much of a population does it have? A prison capable of holding a few hundred, along with occasional deaths inside, wouldn't usually be completely occupied.

However, the prison, designed for five hundred, had been forcibly packed with over a thousand people.

Although about two-thirds of them didn't actually belong to the Independents and even lacked understanding about the independence movement, it didn't prevent them from being tossed out of the celebration for various reasons and into the prison today.

Still, they need not be too pessimistic, since most were reported merely for airing complaints or grievances, so they could be released after only a few days of detention.

Their incarceration was simply a lesson to prevent further reckless talk, rather than due to any truly illicit activity warranting imprisonment and severe interrogation.

Except for them, that small group of genuine Independents wasn't as fortunate.

Though Western medieval torture was unmatched by Eastern ones in the original world, the prison still had various methods to make anyone speak.

Despite lacking four burly guards, the remaining jailers were experienced and skilled, sufficient to turn anyone in their grasp from steel to soft noodles.

The stronger the will, the harsher the treatment.

This is because they rely on strong willpower to resist physical pain, believing they can conquer their foes, enduring everything for the future struggle.

Such mental strength is terrifying, even enabling a youth who's never felt pain to endure tortures beyond what heroes could withstand.

Yet, the stronger the spirit, the greater the suffering.

These Independents endured rather brutal torture, with most unable to withstand it. Not everyone possessed unwavering determination to face torture beyond the human limit while steadfastly upholding their beliefs and remaining silent.

The confessions from those who couldn't endure were swiftly compiled into evidential chains and lists, guiding the Northern Territory's intelligence personnel to deploy the Guard Army for arrests based on these leads.

Of course, this had nothing to do with the banquet being held at the Lord's mansion.

These events didn't even affect the city's celebration, proceeding smoothly while the banquet at the Lord's mansion mostly saw guests discussing Perfikot with concern rather than dwelling on the events.

After all, the assassination attempt had targeted the Lord of the Northern Territory, so how could the guests pass up the opportunity to connect with her?

Perfikot didn't immediately make her presence known at the start of the banquet, instead dealing with Eldest Princess Annie's worried and disgruntled criticism in a small reception room at the Lord's mansion.

"Little Perfikot, you're really gambling dangerously!" Eldest Princess Annie criticized Perfikot with concern in her voice: "As the lord of the North, knowing these rebels were planning an assassination, why didn't you apprehend them ahead of time?

Even if you wanted to lure them out and catch them all, more attention should have been paid to your safety!

If you've arranged a double, you shouldn't appear in person, nor should you reveal this double's existence in public!

Despite Eldest Princess Annie's concern, Perfikot kept a calm smile, seemingly finding no fault in her actions.

It wasn't until Eldest Princess Annie finished harping that Perfikot snapped her fingers, opening a small door from which two doubles emerged, surprising Eldest Princess Annie.

She incredulously asked Perfikot, "You prepared two doubles? Were they all doubles?"

"Yes, I wouldn't be silly enough to show up in dangerous situations when I have doubles." Perfikot confidently answered Eldest Princess Annie, then approached the doubles, removing the face of one to reveal the machinery underneath: "Moreover, they aren't human but my Alchemy Puppets, making any claims that I've been killed and the survivor is a double entirely baseless."

Perfikot was careful not to make the mistake of having doubles become the real persona; from the start, she hadn't planned to use humans as doubles.

On one hand, due to loyalty concerns, on the other is the issue mentioned: if the enemy claimed the deceased was real and the survivor a double, how could she prove otherwise?

Even if she could ignore all this, the morale and public sentiment's impact from such claims would bring her numerous troubles.

Better to use Alchemy Puppets as doubles from the outset, cost-effective and functional without any annoying concerns.

"But how did you make the Alchemy Puppets look so real? Didn't you once tell me that due to material limitations, their skin couldn't look lifelike, only imitate dolls?" Eldest Princess Annie asked with an expression of confusion.

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