The rods are used for flogging, the axe for capital punishment.
When the dictator inspected the nation, local officials had to submit unresolved cases to the dictator's judgment. If the crime was not death-worthy, they would choose rods of varying thickness according to the severity of the crime to beat the offender.
If the crime was extremely heinous, the axe would be used to chop off the offender's head.
In that era, the bundle of rods was also called 'Fasces,' symbolizing power, violence, and terror rule.
Holding the Dictator's Rod was equivalent to obtaining the highest dictatorial authority, which could be used to behead a foolish monarch or execute rebellious subjects.
What's more important is that when the ancient Silver Empire fell, every nation in the Old Continent claimed to be the rightful successor to the Empire!
This included cultural customs, and the continental legal system still followed by various countries also originated from the Silver Empire.
