“...Let’s meet them, Bina….I wanted to hear their side of the story…before we dealt with these excessive criminals in our holdings…”.“I will see to that being done, Master…”.(Grand General Bina)Bina called her men to prepped all the survivors to meet with me, as we just head to the small field buildings that were set up at the side of the prison edge. I supposed it was all thanks to the Wizard that we were able to just erect a temporary buildings anywhere we wanted, and thus made it easier to to some fortification on the spot. This place were like a small military base right now, all the buildings were naturally made out of mud, as it was manipulated by magic, but it sure does do it’s job perfectly. Thanks to this I don’t have to spend a lot of money to developed a lot on the mobile bases technology.“...It seems that we would be needing more Wizard Division recruit in the future, Bina….”.“I can see that seems to be the case in the future, but as of now…the numbers were just right…
“.…Master..Master!..”..(Grand General Bina)“Oh…yeah, what is it?…”.Thinking about the Wizards in my head has gotten me off tangent a little bit, that Bina had to called me twice. Snapping out of my little mind wandering, I noticed that there were about dozens of people behind her, just right outside the building that we were in, all of them were wearing the prisoners jumpsuit, it was the white and black strip. I brought the Earth old fashion just for them, so that it would be easier for everyone to know the status of those that wears them.“They were here…waiting for you…”..(Grand General Bina)“Alright…thank you, Bina…”.Getting up from my chair, I walked out of the building and as soon as I got out, the group of Prisoners, just instantly kneel on the ground. All of them just simply just kneel on the ground and solemnly welcomed me, and at the front line of all these people, were Old Marlo, which is now looking rather haggard that what he used to looked before. We both locked eyes
“Your Majesty, His Highness President Kaiser Mies….Long Live The President, and May Glory be eternal….”.(Old Marlo & Everyone all together)Following Old Marlo greeting words at me, everyone else also repeated the same words to me, and surprisingly everyone else also carries the same relief, and happy expression as Marlo. I looked at Bina, and she just shrugged her shoulders, meaning that they all truly felt these way.“Stand up, Old Marlo…..”.“T..thank you, Your highness….”.(Old Marlo)I let them all do their greetings first, as it was the tradition and the proper protocol, after a few second I have everyone stands up, and which all of them were smiling wide. As I went a talked straight to old Marlo, his eyes were widened for a second, as he is visibly choking on his words and got watery eyed, possibly touched that I actually know his name.“It has been quite some time, Marlo….the last time I saw you….you were a bit fuller….and have two legs…it seems a lot had happened…To you….and t
“It has been quite some time, Marlo….the last time I saw you….you were a bit fuller….and have two legs…it seems a lot had happened…To you….and to all of you….it seems like the time has been rather cruel to all of you….”.“Hahahaha…..I just got down a few size, Your Highness…but….sure….a lot had happened since then, your Highness……….”(Old Marlo)Noticing that I just joke a little bit at their state, everyone got a chuckle or two, not to be inconsiderate or anything, but currently the atmosphere were just too depressing and from the way that they all looked at me, it seems that they might think that I am disappointed at all of them and just blaming them for everything that had happened on these region. Not that I can blame them that they have that kind of mindset and thought lean to that way, but truthfully speak, in Fantasma, when ever shit happens, it is never the blame of the King or Queens, it is always someone else, accountability is not something that those that were in the leader
“YES!!…that’s right!…you Apprentices!!….how did an Aeternum officials as all of you, gave up and let go of your sworn duties?!!…YOU!…did you rendered you services and intelligence to that degenerate Baron??!!!..”.(Holgun Iron Horn)“NO!!…Never, Sir!!….I..we refused!..to served nor aid that degenerate Baron from the very start!!….we are loyal as we ever did!!…”.(Old Marlo)Suddenly, Holgun who has been silent the entire time, decided to step forward with his giant Axe in his hand, fuming in anger, looking at Old Marlo and the others like they were a traitor. I forgot that this one, do still have that old medieval mentality, and I have to reeled him in.“Hold up. Holgun…stop that…”.“Huh?….But, Sire President!…”.(Holgun Iron Horn)“It is fine, Holgun…Stand Down soldier…”.“YES, SIR!!!”.(Holgun Iron Horn)Holgun are definitely were about too hack these people to pieces if I were let him do as he wanted, but making him stand in his place were not that hard for me, after all he listened,“
“It’s all happened too fast, Sir President…one night we were all just doing out job, and the next morning all of us were kicked out of our office and being hunted down like an animal….”.(Old Marlo)“.…Hmmm….no wonder you all fall that easily…..the enemy knew your significance in the region administration…..and to paralyze the entire region…they took our you all first….and the reason they took you all out at the same time…is to make sure none of you can contact me……wow….this is a long thought out planning…..that Crown Prince is quite smart…”.“Sire….it is not that Crown Prince that is smart….but it was The Yulga Family…he had help from Duke Yulga, of which promised by the Prince…that the Alemia River…will be given to him..as the price…”.(Old Marlo)Now that is a name that I was surprised to hear, funny enough, that name was already crossed out. Duke Yulga has already fallen before I come over to Alemia Nation, it seems that unknowingly, I have just eliminated the third player in Alemia
“.….Thanks for filling in the blanks, Old Marlo…..”.“It is my duty to serve, Your Highness President…”.(Old Marlo)“You know, you are pardoned now….you can head back home if you wanted to….but at the same time, I wanted to ask…..do you want to work for Aeternum again?…”.“Huh?….”.(Old Marlo)Old Marlo were visibly shock as I ask this proposition to him, in all honesty, these people haven’t done anything wrong at all. Their falls were not at all a failure, as initially me and Aeternum were already abandoned them as we left the Alemia Nation, and set them to be used by the Alemia Nation government so that the nation can be ruled much more nicely. So with that in mind, I do feel a little pity on them and also responsible for their current situations, and if I could I would want to rectify that.“I am asking…do you want to once again, come to work under my government….because, I promise you….unlike the last time…..this time, Aeternum wont leave, this land ever again…..as we would be topp
“By the way, tell your colleague as well….this offers also available for all of them…okay?..”.“Yes, Your highness…surely everyone would be delighted with your graciousness…I will make sure that they all chose to served our great nation!!…”.(Old Marlo)“Y..yeah…just don’t force them if they don’t want to…”.“YES!…SIR!!!…”.(Old Marlo)I turned to Old Marlo and talked to him in a lower voice, there are a lot of Apprentices here, and surely not all of them can hear me talking to Marlo. Naturally he was more than enthusiast about the whole thing, which also made me a little bit worried that he might forced others to say yes to my offer. Of which, if he did that, that would be his own prerogative, but I just hope that he doesn’t go to the extreme with it. Sometimes, the people around me, used to just go to the extreme to what I wanted them to do, still most of the time, when they did it, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it isn’t ideal.Once our small talking session ended, I let Old Ma
Mrs. Jamey blinked. “Pardon?”The Queen’s proposal was gentle but clear. “Our kingdom—Lirya—is small, yes. But we have abundant cotton, some of the finest silk-spinning traditions in our mountain region, and a rising population of tailors looking for stable work. Nicole’s… would be cherished there.”It wasn’t long before other leaders joined the conversation. Prince Thelric spoke of his nation’s dye-producing forests. A dwarven delegate mentioned an offer to help forge enchanted weaving machines. Everyone wanted to be the first to secure Nicole’s expansion.Mr. Jamey chuckled, both overwhelmed and humbled. “We always thought expansion meant bigger cities in Aeternum. But… I suppose we’ve been looking too closely. Nicole’s could mean something far more if we carry her name into the world.”By the time the sun began to set, the Jameys had exchanged contact crystals with six different representatives. Nicole’s might soon go international.And Nicole’s was just the beginning. Across New C
“It is said that if knowledge was water,” said their guide, a half-elf librarian named Vestra, “then Aeternum’s library is the ocean.”In a grand central chamber, they passed under a dome showing a starmap that changed with real-time sky positions. Every known nation had a section—yes, even the smallest and poorest. Aeternum had made it a point of pride to gather the history of every people in the continent, even those now forgotten by time.“This is… our old crest,” Queen Inariel whispered, her fingertips trembling as she reached toward an illuminated tome. “From three centuries ago… when our land was still one forest, before the wars divided it…”“We thought this was lost,” murmured Thelric as he came upon a scroll written in his kingdom’s ancient language, long dead and unspoken.Their tour grew quiet. There was no mocking here, no pompous declarations of Aeternum’s superiority. Only quiet reverence. A nation this strong, this secure, chose to preserve—not dominate. It guarded the
A knock at the door interrupted the quiet hum.It was Director Kwak Lum, again dressed in his signature dark blue robes, his draconic features smiling as he entered.“Honored guests,” he said, bowing respectfully. “Allow me to welcome you, on behalf of the Aeternum Crown and President Mies Sai. You are the first stars to light the Summit’s sky, and we are honored by your presence.”The gathered leaders rose and bowed in return.“We will ensure your time here is not just comfortable,” Kwak Lum continued, “but fruitful. Tours of the city have been arranged. Economic delegates will arrive within days for pre-summit discussions. And the Four-Leaf’s hot springs are now fully prepared—though I dare say our chefs may be the true stars of the Resort.”Laughter rippled through the room.As Kwak Lum left, Queen Inariel turned to the others. “Let them come in airships. Let them come with fanfare and marching bands. We came with purpose.”“And humility,” Brogath added.“Let’s make sure the world
Ambassador Roland cleared his throat. “Director Kwak… if I may speak freely?”“Always, Ambassador Roland.”He stood, brushing a hand across his waistcoat. “We are humbled. To house our people in such a place… it is more than any of us expected. We… we feared being seen as the weaker voices among the UNA.”Kwak Lum’s smile broadened, his eyes gleaming like starlight. “We do not see you as weak. We see you as family.”The moment lingered in silence, the kind that needs no words. Roland sat down; cheeks slightly flushed but heart a little lighter.Outside, beyond the floor-to-ceiling window, the sprawling city continued its dance of preparation. Massive floral displays were being installed at the roundabout leading to the Summit Plaza. Colorful banners were raised in quick succession, displaying the names of each arriving nation. Already, the delegation from the Dukedom of Angela had arrived in a train of shimmering glass carriages. The Republic of Telvinia’s airship hovered just beyond
“Attention citizens of the Free Nation,” a cheerful voice echoed across cobblestone streets, “this is an international broadcast. In four weeks’, time, the UNA Summit will commence in New City, Aeternum. Thirty-one proud nations will stand together under one flag of progress, cooperation, and shared security. We celebrate an era of peace—an age of unity…”The words echoed like thunder in the council chamber.Outside, people paused to listen. While many among the elite scowled and turned away, others in the lower districts paused, curious. Some even smiled. The promise of unity, safety, and growth was seductive—especially to the common folk, burdened by Triangle Guild’s centuries of unchecked power and exorbitant fees.Kennedy noticed it. “Look at them… even our own people are considering it.”“They’re weak,” Carn muttered. “They don’t understand what’s at stake.”Alphonse’s brow furrowed. “Or maybe they do. Maybe they’re tired of being bled dry by guild taxes and levies. Aeternum gave
In New City, President Kaiser Mies Sai met with his advisors. The room buzzed with discussions about the upcoming summit and the potential threats from dissenting nations.Advisor Elena: "Mr. President, intelligence reports suggest increased propaganda from the Principality. They aim to discredit the summit and our initiatives."President Mies: "We anticipated resistance. Our focus remains on unity and progress. Let their words be drowned by the chorus of cooperation and shared prosperity."The President's resolve was clear. The UNA would not be deterred by the dissent of those clinging to outdated and oppressive ideologies.As the summit drew nearer, the world watched with bated breath. Supporters of the UNA saw it as a beacon of hope and collaboration, while detractors viewed it as a threat to their traditional power structures.In the Principality of Light, the Church intensified its rhetoric, urging its followers to resist the UNA's influence. Yet, whispers of dissent emerged even
The Ministry of Infrastructure has begun preparations to reroute major traffic corridors to accommodate the anticipated diplomatic convoys and foreign delegates. The Ministry of Culture is also curating a week-long cultural exposition to showcase Aeternum’s diversity and progress.President Mies’ spokesperson confirmed that multiple major policy announcements are expected during the summit’s plenary sessions, including topics rumored to include:Official designation of the Aeternum Credit as the UNA’s preferred trade currency. Establishment of the UNA Education Oversight Bureau. Expansion of continental transport infrastructure, and. Strengthened defense cooperation under UNA guidelinesNo foreign media has yet been granted interview access to the President ahead of the summit, but sources within the Black House suggest the upcoming event is being viewed as “a generational turning point.”"The world is watching. The people are ready. And in five weeks’ time, New City will become more
Aeternum would continue to offer education, security, and infrastructure assistance—but always in a way that ensured we maintained our lead.We would teach them how to build schools, but we would own the publishing rights to the most advanced textbooks. We would help them create local militias, but they would still call for Aeternum troops when true threats loomed.We would help them modernize, industrialize, prosper—but they would know, always know, that Aeternum had already blazed the trail further ahead. I didn’t want vassals. I wanted allies who could never quite catch up—because they didn’t need to. They needed us to lead.I rose from my chair and walked toward the window. New City stretched into the horizon, its shining towers and clean streets proof of what discipline and vision could achieve.If left alone, the world would fall back into darkness. If left to their own devices, these medieval kings and nobles would tear each other apart again. The future needed guardians. The U
I knew what was at stake. We had to uphold this example. We had to show, beyond doubt, that the age of “Human First” was over.That the only supremacy left was the supremacy of character. Wisdom. Unity. Vision. And if we could carve that truth into the very soul of the UNA—if we could bury the old hatreds under libraries, not graves—then maybe, just maybe, this world could finally, finally leave its chains behind.I stood up from my chair, moving to the window. Out there, the city pulsed—an endless, living testament to what was possible when walls were torn down, not built higher. I closed my eyes for a moment. I didn’t want to be remembered as the conqueror of nations. I wanted to be remembered as the architect of a new era.One where no child was born inferior. One where no citizen was condemned by the shape of their ears or the color of their skin or the tail on their back. One where power didn’t mean oppression—but opportunity.Aeternum would be the beacon. And the UNA? The vessel