Chapter 240
Translator: Pai_
When an organization is newly established, everything is inevitably a mess.
This applies to small clubs, military groups, and even to merchant unions, cities, and noble houses.
No one expected that the reconstruction of a nation that had not existed for thousands of years would function as easily as it sounded.
However, the New Empire led by Emperor Turan, contrary to many concerns, extended its influence without significant trial and error.
This was thanks to having absorbed Earth's social culture in advance and appropriately modifying and reflecting it to suit their world.
Moreover, with rapidly advancing technology and the military power of the new noble class born from the Ascension Altar, the Empire’s influence quickly spread across the world.
"Magical Beast over there!"
“Surround it!”
Rumble, at a noble’s signal, a rock rose up and blocked the path of the lizard magical beast that had been running away desperately.
Along with it, a wizard moving as if flying through the trees- no, actually flying, fired a gun and pierced the beast’s leg, stripping it of mobility.
Soon after, other pursuing wizards fired in succession, and before long, the magical beast, now riddled with bullets, collapsed in a heap.
“This is the one, right?”
“Yeah. Geren's man-eating lizard. Mission complete.”
“Hmph, back when I was a knight, I wouldn't have dared to even go near a bastard like this.”
“You should say you're a 4th-tier wizard, not a knight.”
After the Empire was established, the hierarchy of wizards, which had been split between nobles and knights, was reorganized.
Now, those who did not possess a type of ability, what was formerly called a bloodline ability, and who had previously been known as knights, became 4th-tier wizards.
Those with one type of ability were 3rd-tier, two types made 2nd-tier, and three types made 1st-tier.
Of course, as in the past, many wizards remained at the 4th tier, but now, more people had stepped into the realm of the 3rd tier- that is, the noble class, than ever before.
That was because the conditions to obtain the first ability type, one of the tasks presented by the Ascension Altar, were not as difficult as expected.
Even among the wizards here now, most had once been knights and had been promoted in the past few years.
Of course, acquiring two abilities and becoming a 2nd-tier wizard was still incredibly difficult, except for those who had inherited great noble house bloodlines in the past, and those who had three abilities, becoming 1st-tier wizards qualified as lords, were still extremely rare even years after the Empire's founding.
Naturally, those above the ranks who possessed four abilities, Special-tier wizards, were still so few they could be counted on one hand and still have fingers left.
"I just can't get used to calling it that."
“Want me to keep calling you that until it sticks? 3rd-tier wizard Adrick.”
“Damn... that's just perfect!”
As they chuckled among themselves, they turned their heads at the sound of flesh being cut with a blade.
A girl, likely in her late teens, was silently carving out a part of the lizard magical beast suitable as proof.
She was the very one who had flown through the sky just moments ago and shot the lizard’s leg, robbing it of its mobility.
“Mila, let us do it.”
“Yeah. You worked hard, so take it easy. If the MVP does everything, what are we supposed to do?”
The fact that men around thirty or forty were acting so affectionately toward Mila wasn’t just because she was a pretty young girl.
It was because, even at her young age, her magical skill was visibly exceptional to others.
In the past, before the rules of the world changed, even with outstanding magical talent, one would have hit the limit of magic power, but now it was an era where such talent directly translated into high proficiency.
Trying to curry favor with a future 2nd-tier wizard was a natural instinct.
“This wasn’t all that hard, really.”
The girl called Mila responded to the men's offer with a smile as she finished the harvesting.
Afterward, the group of wizards who had completed the hunt rode a steam-powered automobile back to the city and submitted the evidence.
A city hall official accepted it with a smile and said,
“Thank you for your efforts. It’s been recorded, so you may leave now.”
Then the official, as if just remembering something, let out a small “Ah” and called out to Mila, who was standing to the side of the hunting party.
“Miss Mila? A moment, please.”
“Yes?”
The civil servant glanced at the hunting party standing a bit farther away, then whispered in a low voice.
“You’ve now accumulated all the merits required for promotion through the Distinguished Contributor route. If you wish, you can attempt promotion to 2nd-tier wizard immediately.”
“Ah.”
Since the founding of the Empire, the Ascension Altar, which had originally allocated usage rights to each wizard family, had changed to a system where only wizards who had earned merits could access it.
There were several ways to accumulate merits.
Like them, by forming a hunting party and subjugating magical beasts in uncivilized areas, or by serving the Empire in various public duties such as military or civil engineering roles.
Among those, people like her, whose relatives had sacrificed their lives for the Empire, received even higher merit weights.
Like Mila, the daughter of the knight Erba, once called the Barrel Knight, who died in the War of Varaha Liberation.
She glanced at her companions and whispered,
“...I feel like I still lack the skill to be promoted, so... is it okay if I don’t apply right away?”
“Of course. I just wanted to inform you.”
“Thank you.”
Being promoted and wielding more powerful abilities was the dream of every wizard, but she still wanted to spend more time with her current companions.
And the thought that she wasn’t yet ready to become a 2nd-tier wizard wasn’t just an excuse, it was the truth.
When she returned after finishing her conversation, the hunting party members didn’t ask what was said.
If someone was called aside like that, it was surely a personal matter.
“Alright, dinner’s on me tonight! Mila, you’re coming too, right?”
“I’m still a student. If I don’t get home soon, my mom and younger sibling will worry.”
“You idiot, don’t you know it’s illegal for anyone under 18 to drink under Imperial law now?”
“No, shouldn’t there be an exception for wizards? It’s not like we get drunk anyway!”
As she laughed along with her companions' banter, Mila recalled the day her father died.
Her mother, pregnant with her younger sibling, screamed as if the world had ended, and in an instant, their family collapsed.
It was only because the head of House Parsha, who would later become Emperor, took responsibility for supporting her family that the current 3rd-tier wizard Mila existed.
And he hadn’t saved only her.
That laborer far in the distance, returning to his family with bread, the young boys and girls riding bicycles through alleyways, the elderly woman walking proudly without fear under the lights that brightly illuminated the streets even as the sun was setting.
All of them were beneficiaries of the newly changed world and, in a way, Mila’s companions as well.
A sense of gratitude welled up within her once again, directed far away, toward the master of the world.
***
“Development is going quite smoothly, Your Majesty.”
Kalamaf, the Imperial Capital, Great Council Hall of the Emperor’s Palace.
At Chancellor Ashiz’s playful report, Turan gave a small chuckle and received the document.
It contained a long and detailed report about how the New Empire, referred to simply as the Empire by the people of the Cradle World, was successfully bringing the entire world under its control.
Seeing the date written at the bottom, he murmured with a renewed feeling.
“Year 7 of the Imperial Calendar.”
“To avoid confusion with the old calendar, proclaiming it exactly on January 1st, that’s an idea I never would’ve imagined.”
“Thanks to that, organizing documents became easier, didn’t it?”
“Well, yes... but usually no one goes that far in planning when founding a nation.”
Even while engaging in casual talk, Turan’s eyes quickly skimmed over the document.
According to the report, the current number of wizards within the Empire totaled 51,425.
This number had been reached thanks to the inclusion of not only former nobles and knights belonging to wizard families in the ten effectively controlled regions, but also wanderers who had originally belonged to no family.
Additionally, the increase in individuals discovering their magical talent after the world’s rules changed also contributed significantly.
Even those born with weak magic power, who wouldn’t have been able to manifest abilities even at the level of knights, could now steadily train and develop to grow stronger.
“Out of fifty thousand wizards, the number of nobles, that is, 3rd-tier wizards, has increased to 12,422.”
“That’s certainly a high ratio. Compared to the past, at least.”
Empress of the Empire and Lord of Aravion, Meisa, nodded in agreement.
Even during the peak of the great noble houses of Aravion and Zahar in the past, the combined forces of the two houses only consisted of around 150 nobles and about 3,000 knights.
Even taking into account the damages from wars and the return of the New Era, the total number of wizards hadn't changed significantly, but the proportion of powerful wizards had increased tremendously.
“But isn't it a bad thing if so many powerful wizards are increasing? The more power they gain, the more the total essence gets lost, right?”
The one who abruptly cut in was Solif, Lord of Varaha.
As he said, the increase in powerful wizards meant that the amount of magic power each individual possessed had also increased.
Since magic power was a degraded form of essence, the more power humans on the surface wielded, the less essence circulated in the world for Turan to control.
However, Turan shook his head at the objection.
“That’s true, but this is essentially an investment. And it’s already starting to yield returns.”
“To that extent?”
“In the past few years, the total amount of essence present in this world has increased massively. Even after sharing power with you and absorbing the loss from the growing number of wizards, there’s still a surplus.”
Over the past few years, the Empire had expanded by targeting magical beasts occupying regions devastated by frequent conflicts, while simultaneously focusing on internal development.
They built schools for wizards and civilians, constructed bridges, and produced and distributed all sorts of advanced cultural goods.
On top of that, as hygiene and medical issues were resolved, the infant mortality rate after birth decreased, and the population literally exploded.
And the increase in sentient beings led to the generation of more essence, created through the complex emotions they experienced and the information produced from them.
At this rate of population growth, there were even terrifying reports suggesting that by the time the first generation born after the Empire's founding passed away, the global population would increase tenfold, perhaps even a hundredfold.
Hearing this, Solif clicked his tongue and said,
“At this rate, we might have to start imposing birth control someday...”
“We’re not even at a hundred million yet, so what’s the problem? If we manage it well, we should be able to handle up to ten billion without trouble.”
As Meisa said, their world was not yet at a point where overpopulation was a real concern.
From the western edge to the eastern edge, from north to south, the physical world of the Cradle spanned tens of thousands of kilometers, its landmass comparable to that of Earth.
Of course, this was the impression of those who had visited Earth a few times. For those who had only seen tens of millions living across this vast land their whole lives, it was an almost incomprehensible idea.
Ten billion people? If that many were born, wouldn't the ground itself sink under the weight?
“In any case, make sure administrative management is reinforced to respond to the growing population. Don’t forget welfare policies for the sick and the poor either. Hatred born from misfortune does serve as a source of power, but happiness tends to be more beneficial.”
“We shall obey, Your Majesty.”
“Please observe proper decorum during the meeting, Lord of Varaha.”
Osel, attending the meeting as the Lord of Lavitas, cleared his throat at Solif’s joking tone.
Though he had now ascended as the Silver Sun by acquiring the fourth ability type, Healer, he was older, and even Turan held a certain respect for him, so he couldn’t be treated lightly.
“Lord of Zahar, Lord of Carmine, and Lord of Ruvan as well, I expect proper management from you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Once again, he emphasized welfare to the three Lords who still held their seats, as no suitable replacements had been found.
And the final agenda was the matter of the Imperial Church.
The emerging religion that worshipped Turan Parsha, Emperor of the Empire, as a god.
“There wasn’t originally even a concept of an organized church, right?”
“There were a few times in the past when strange heretical sects formed groups. We wiped them all out, though.”
From the elemental spirit worship practiced by the elves to the deification of other races, these kinds of heretical faiths had existed in quite a variety over time.
“What will you do, Your Majesty?”
At Osel’s question, Turan let out a soft hum and thought for a moment before speaking.
“Let’s just make it the official state religion.”
“Oh?”
Solif wore a confused expression at Turan’s uncharacteristically self-indulgent stance, given how cautious he usually was about narcissism.
But there was a reason behind it.
“If we try to suppress it, they’ll just go underground and end up twisted in strange ways. Weak people need someone to believe in and rely on. It’s better for the state to control it directly and keep it from going astray.”
And as a bonus, letting them worship him as a god allowed Turan to draw in a supply of presence.
In the end, though he had never taken the initiative to create such a thing, as he was uncomfortable being worshipped as a god when he was once just a mere human, it was better to make use of it if it had naturally arisen.
After wrapping up a few more agenda items and ending the meeting, Turan was walking out with Meisa when Luska came running down the hall from the opposite side.
“Father! Mother!”
“Luska.”
Now eight years old, Luska grinned at the sight of Turan and leapt up, landing on his back.
This young boy was one of the very few in the world who had the privilege of being irreverent toward the greatest wizard in existence and the living god.
“You’ve finished your studies before coming out, right?”
“Of course…”
At the sight of his son averting his gaze and trailing off, Turan stared at him silently for a moment before grinning and ruffling his hair roughly with his hand.
“Don’t skip it next time.”
“Of course not! More importantly, you remember you promised we’d go out together after your meeting today, right?”
“Well, since you broke your promise, doesn’t that mean we don’t have to keep ours either?”
“Ah...”
As Meisa teasingly peeled Luska off Turan’s back, the boy’s face fell into a pout.
"So really don't skip next time."
“Got it!”
Only then did Luska realize his mother was teasing him, and he shouted in annoyed expression.
A short while later, the three of them took off from a section of the palace, dressed in ordinary clothes.
Luska looked down at the palace spread out across the land beneath them and exclaimed in wonder.
“Wow…”
“Still amazed even though you live there every day?”
“Seeing it from outside like this, it feels like a different place.”
The Imperial Palace in Kalamaf had been built by Turan and Meisa together at the founding of the Empire.
Its architecture borrowed styles from famous classical buildings on Earth, such as the Palace of Versailles, and its beauty was beyond compare to anything else in the Cradle world.
It was practically a sacred relic itself, nearly indestructible like the old structures of the Preah God Tribe. Internally, it was equipped with all kinds of anti-espionage measures, from concealment and tracking spells, to eavesdropping detection via wind manipulation, and clairvoyance through light manipulation.
After arriving on the outskirts of Kalamaf, the three of them removed their concealment and strolled through the streets like a normal family, enjoying everyday life.
Sometimes they entered theaters to watch plays where wizard actors performed with dazzling effects, and they also enjoyed street concerts featuring various instruments and sheet music brought from Earth.
They even ate food like skewers sold by street vendors.
If those vendors had known they were selling food to the imperial couple and crown prince, they might have fainted on the spot.
As Turan enjoyed these simple moments, he could clearly feel how happy Luska was.
Even without the Zahar bloodline ability of sensing emotions through scent, his son's beaming face made it more than obvious.
“Are you having fun, Luska?”
“Yes!”
"You don't like living in the palace?"
“It’s not that I hate it… but to be honest, studying isn’t very fun, and it gets lonely without kids my age to play with.”
At his son’s honest response, Turan let out a quiet hum.
Both Turan and Meisa knew all too well how lonely it was to grow up without friends their own age.
Turan had lived as a shepherd in a foreign land with his mother, who was from another world, while Meisa, as heir to Aravion and a prospective host for Monarch, had lived in isolation from a young age.
“It’d be nice if I had a little sibling.”
“Well, we try a lot… it just hasn’t worked out.”
At Turan’s words, Meisa jabbed him lightly in the side with a slightly embarrassed look.
Even though they had made love thousands of times despite their busy lives after founding the Empire, no new child had come.
Just as it was difficult for noble bloodlines to conceive easily, the two of them had become biologically too exalted to reproduce readily.
Solif too, despite an active marital life, had not yet had a child. So if Luska were to wait for a sibling, he might be looking at a hundred years or more.
In that sense, having had Luska back when their strength was still moderate might have been a fortunate thing.
With that thought briefly crossing his mind, Turan quietly took Luska’s hand and spoke softly.
“Let’s put the sibling idea on hold for now. Then, how about we do a little educational training today to give you more motivation to study?”
“Training?”
There was a spark of anticipation in Luska’s eyes as he repeated the word.
He remembered well that whenever Turan said he would give special training, something exciting always followed.
Like riding a massive horse across the faraway Grassy Plains, or flying through the air on Bije’s back over the ocean, exhilarating experiences one could never normally have.
But it wasn’t just about fun. It was a kind of natural field study, teaching him how vast the world was and how many different natural environments existed.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m thinking of showing him the Boundary.”
“Already? Isn’t that still a bit too early?”
“I don’t think knowing early is a bad thing. He is our son, and he’s a bit precocious, isn’t he?”
Though Luska had not yet awakened his magic power, he was physically and mentally mature for his age.
The scholars teaching him weren’t being dramatic just because he was the crown prince, Turan could see the truth with the Eye of Truth.
The only issue was Luska’s somewhat low motivation to study, and Turan figured that giving him a bit of a shock might be just the motivation he needed.
After a moment’s hesitation, Meisa also nodded, and Turan grabbed Luska under the arms and lifted him up.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Oka- uwaaaah!”
Luska screamed because the surroundings changed in an instant.
He had experienced spatial transfer many times with his father, but this one felt different.
A world filled entirely with blinding white.
The violently overstimulating sensations that assaulted all five senses sent a shiver through the boy, and it took several minutes before he could fully regain his composure.
“A-Aah...”
“You back with me?”
“Yes… where are we, Dad?”
The fact that he instinctively called him “Dad” instead of “Father” showed just how shocking the experience had been.
Turan smiled as he began to explain the structure of the world to his child.
“Wow...”
Essence and information were far too complex for a seven-year-old to fully grasp, so Luska didn’t completely understand. Still, it seemed he had at least comprehended the larger concepts.
That his father and mother were not simply rulers of a nation, but in truth, were akin to gods of this world.
And that he himself would one day have to rise to that same position.
“Even if it seems like the studies you're doing now are pointless, they're all useful for that. A ruler doesn’t need to be an expert in every field, but he needs to know enough to recognize when an expert is talking nonsense for their own benefit.”
"Ah......."
“Of course, I do have the ability to see the truth, but even truth can be used to tell lies sometimes.”
Instead of scolding, Turan spoke to Luska gently, explaining the necessity of studying, and the weight he would have to bear in the future.
In a sense, he was playing the role of the father he himself had once needed.
How long had he been explaining like that?
Just as he was about to show Luska how the damned suffer in hell, he was stopped by Meisa. Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Turan suddenly turned his head sharply.
“Meisa.”
"What? I'm telling you, it's really not time to show him hell—"
“Take Luska back to the surface. Go with Solif.”
At his hardened tone, she finally realized this wasn't a joke and quickly took Luska into her arms.
“My son, go on back for now, okay? We’ll be right behind you.”
“Huh? But I want to go with you and-”
Turan watched them vanish from sight, and only then did he feel slightly more at ease as he turned his gaze beyond the world’s boundary, toward the far side of the void.
The alarm he had set had not yet gone off, but thanks to being here, he could sense it.
Something was approaching, from over a dozen gray branches stretching out to the opposite side of Earth.
The alien invasion he had long suspected would come someday, had begun.
*****
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