It’s fine, I don’t really mind.
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Regarding what keep the barbarians in check: Ludian martial might, the looming threat of Ogai, building up Wulfhide and yourself as their savior figure, and a few clever diplomacy and subterfuge play to ensure only by the two of us can their own unity be maintained.
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As an apology for me diverting the conversation into off-topic territory, I shall share another rather funny event this chapter (told you there were quite a few).
If you have Julia as a lover and you have Augusta go down the Paragon path, the following scene can happen after the council:
“Oh, MC, thank you for your concern. insert wholesome scene”
A few moments later
“Oh, you also teach my daughter nonsense. Tsk tsk. Know your place. If you don’t stop I will make sure you never see her again.” she says in the coldest tone possible
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Thanks for pointing that out, I might go and adjust the variables so you only get the former scene when she’s not upset at you.
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My loyalist ass playing dumb as to why Augusta is opposing Julia trying to beat her high score at the burning thing.
“I have no idea where she picked that up from, I blame the senate…” Sweats profusely remembering saving Tristitia’s life.
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Meanwhile me:
"I hope she doesn’t find out that I’m flirting with the Consentia and Ceto.major internal panic
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This can be a whole Loyal Prefect playthrough
Julia:“Prefect, go do (insert morally questionable act)”
Prefect:“Okay.” Proceeds to do a less morally questionable act
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Iudian martial might is to large extent based on the Holy Fire which you’re about to spend on the campaign, and on barbarian forces whose loyalty is tenuous at best and which you’re about to increase by bringing more barbarians. The threat of Uzin is aimed at Iudia and not the barbarians, they’re a third party who can very much see the Witch King as a better potential partner than Iudia which has warred with them for decades if not centuries. A barbarian sellout and imperial lapdog aren’t going to be seen as “savior figures” when you’ve pressed the tribes into your service under threat of annihilation, should they refuse.
From barbarians’ point of view, it may be far more pragmatic to use the year bought by scorching their old lands to backstab, subjugate and loot their weakened would-be masters, then either strike a deal with Uzin or get the heck out of his way, to provinces he won’t care about in his march on Kyro. And there’s very little that could dissuade them from this.
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Forgive me for diving into your work, however I found a section of code that may or may not have been the desired effect. After the initial dinner with the Empress and Titus, if you chose to walk Augusta to her room and hug her (as her parent), then it leads to a decrease in her strength.
Was this intentional? I hope there are not more instances of being a caring parent causing the child to grow weaker 
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Pretty sure it’s intentional, “strength” reflects Augusta’s ability to stand on her own two feet, as opposed to seeking assistance from others.
(it’s also not a big deal, as 2 points on 100 point scale isn’t anything to write home about)
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Don’t change it, please keep it this way it’s more fun
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My amoral social climber Prefect thinks she’s chosen the right horse to back more and more. Positioning as the Barbarian’s friend who always backs their interests.
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I fundamentally disagree. The child has been mostly neglected by her official parents, I find the notion of a real, parental figure stepping up would only allow for a child to grow that much more into a confident person.
As for the 2 points, it is small here, but you’d be surprised to see how those can make or break when compounded with other decisions and variable changes.
Nevertheless, I await the author’s input on the decision and how the narrative of being an attentive parental figure will be told in the future.
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I guess doesn’t make much difference at the end of the day whether one is serving as Prefect to Julia or Amalrik. :v
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Oh man, I saw that when I didn’t follow Augusta after the council. That was rough.
She should be careful alienating her strongest supporter in the Imperial governance machinery…
Me: “I blame the Senate” (said proudly)
Look, the empress told us to ensure good relations with the Senate. I cannot be faulted for being too literal.
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That’s a fragment from when I had a different idea of the willfulness stat, I’ll adjust accordingly.
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The Ogai has been as much a menace to the barbarians as they are to us, and the personal grievances of the khan is not of public knowledge. The biblical desolation that is about to take place will position the earliest hand reached out the undisputed savior of this people, a position we are the best positioned to be assuming we have strategic coordination with Julia.
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Whole mindset is “Julia is about to die and a child ruler will be weak. As a former Prefect of Collection I’ll always be personally unpopular and need to find someone strong as a new patron”
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No, they aren’t. In fact one of concerns over Julia’s proposed tactic is that it may cause barbarians to join hands with Uzin. The personal grievances (or simply the goal of the campaign) are very much something the Witch King may choose to make known to the barbarians through his envoys, in order not to have to fight them or maybe even sway them to his side.
Again, people who you’ve threatened into servitude are not going to see you as any sort of a savior. If a slave trader points a gun at you and tells you “either i kill you or you become my slave”, will you really think they’re your personal savior and someone you own any gratitude to? Because that’s the perspective of these people.
The “biblical desolation” is something your Empire is orchestrating. It’s not some natural disaster with no one responsible for it.
edit: there’s also one more potential snag with this plan – if you’re going to try to convince the barbarians you want to do them a “favor” by subjugating them, you kind of have to reveal your hand, i.e. that you’re going to scorch their lands. At which points you lose the element of surprise and the barbarians can very well go, “thanks for the heads up, we’ll just make sure that fire raid of yours doesn’t get anywhere”.
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If Julia can be assassinated before implementing this plan, I think everyone but the sorceresses will breathe a sigh of relief.