Chapter 135: News from the Eastern Continents
Following the historic announcement at Saint Jarden’s Cathedral, Allan de Frederek was granted permission to return to the Frederek Barony for three days.
It was a brief, cherished reprieve to bid farewell to his former life and prepare his family for their unprecedented elevation.
He did not travel alone.
General Trojan personally assigned an elite vanguard unit of twenty high-tier special-forces legionnaires to accompany the young sovereign.
Dressed in reinforced Varanium armor, their presence ensured absolute security for the newly chosen monarch as he journeyed across the province.
Back in the Imperial Capital, the machinery of statecraft moved at a breathless pace.
With the official coronation set to take place in exactly seven days, the grand preparations fell upon the shoulders of the Supreme Assembly.
At the center of these logistics sat the newly constructed Royal Castle.
Erected over a sprawling ten-hectare estate within the pristine western district of the Holy City, the fortress was a triumph of modern engineering.
Designed using Roy’s advanced blueprints, its soaring towers were carved from high-density white Varanite, reinforced with spatial barrier runes, and surrounded by sprawling gardens and immaculate parade grounds fit for an empire’s heart.
Simultaneously, news rippled from the northern borders that the administrative framework of the Duchy of Fenrir had undergone a massive restructuring.
Duchess Eurenia could not allow the ancestral home of the supreme monarch to remain a minor, low-tier border domain.
By ducal decree, House Frederek was officially elevated to a County, inheriting vast fertile lands and several trade conduits.
To balance the mandatory structural limit of two Counties per Duchy, another regional house was quietly demoted to a Viscounty—a swift, necessary political sacrifice that no noble dared protest.
Inside the high chamber of the Supreme Assembly, the atmosphere was charged with intense, calculating energy.
Roy sat at the head of the long obsidian table, flanked by the six ruling Dukes and Duchesses.
The primary agenda of the summit was simple: establishing the precise boundaries of royal power before the crown was placed upon Allan’s head.
Grand Chancellor Manuses cleared his throat, leaning forward with his hands neatly folded over a stack of constitutional drafts.
"Lord Jarden," Manuses began smoothly, his sharp eyes reflecting the faint ambient light of the room. "Regarding the six core Cabinet Ministerial positions... given the young King’s lack of administrative experience, the Supreme Assembly suggests that our council retain the authority to vet, appoint, and dismiss these ministers to ensure the kingdom’s operational stability."
Roy’s gold-flecked eyes narrowed slightly.
He didn’t raise his voice, yet his response cut through the air with absolute finality.
"No," Roy stated plainly. "The Cabinet Ministerial posts shall be selected, controlled, and dismissed strictly by the King.
The Supreme Assembly will not dictate his executive team."
Manuses stiffened slightly, but Roy continued before any further counterarguments could be raised, cleanly delineating the division of power:
"Grand Chancellor, your office regulates the Senatorial Committee and the Judicial Department.
Even the Kingdom’s overarching Ministerial Body falls under your administrative purview. However, the King possesses supreme Executive Authority.
He holds the absolute power to enact, modify, or repeal laws through executive decrees."
Roy leaned back, sweeping his gaze across the rest of the seated Dukes.
"The King commands the helm. You provide the framework."
Acknowledging the boundary, Manuses bowed his head respectfully.
"Understood, Lord Jarden."
The discussion shifted next to the status of the nascent Royal Lineage.
While House Frederek had been elevated to a County, they remained a minor bloodline without deep structural roots.
"Before his coronation," Duke Attaris Etho noted, adjusting his dark feather-mantle, "the King must formally break away from County Frederek and establish the Royal House of Varania.
Furthermore, to solidify political cohesion across the realm, he should select his primary Queen from among the ninety established noble houses."
Roy nodded in agreement. "A logical necessity. The marriage alliance will anchor the crown securely to the nobility."
High Priest Croak then raised a heavy, clawed hand, his deep voice rumbling through the stone chamber. "There is also the matter of His Majesty’s physical standing, Lord Jarden.
Allan is currently a mundane mortal without significant martial cultivation. For a sovereign to command the respect of battle-tested generals and high-tier cultivators, he must possess personal strength.
He must achieve the Martial Warrior realm at minimum before the crown touches his brow."
"Leave his cultivation to me," Roy replied calmly. "I will ensure he reaches the Martial Warrior realm well before the coronation ceremony."
With that guarantee secured, Roy steered the council back to finalizing the explicit duties of the six Cabinet Ministers, ensuring every Duke understood the weight of the positions Allan would soon fill:
• The Prime Minister: Serves as the supreme representative and official spokesman for the King. Possesses authority second only to the monarch and must be treated with the highest diplomatic regard across all Duchies.
• The Defense Minister: Works directly alongside the Grand General of the Kingdom, overseeing military logistics, defensive infrastructure, and strategic deployment.
• The Minister for Foreign Affairs: Holds complete jurisdiction over the Immigration Department, international trade treaties, and formal diplomatic channels with external foreign powers.
• The Minister of the Holy City: Acts as the absolute Governor of the Imperial Capital. Holds the highest administrative and civil authority within the city walls, answerable only to the King, the Prime Minister, and the Grand Chancellor.
• The Finance Minister: Commands the central Finance Department, regulating all national trade, auditing financial ledgers, and acting as the final deciding authority on state budget allocations distributed to the six Duchies.
• The Minister for State Affairs: Operates as the King’s trusted left hand. Responsible for managing daily internal policy, briefing the sovereign on regional matters, and acting as royal regent whenever both the King and Prime Minister are absent.
As the detailed breakdown concluded, a heavy silence settled over the chamber.
The Dukes stared at the organizational blueprint with newfound reverence.
The administrative system of the Varanial Region was no longer a crude tribal council—it had evolved into a sophisticated, ironclad state engine.
"The King shall choose his cabinet," Roy reiterated, rising from his seat. "And no one else shall make that choice for him."
The Dukes stood in unison, bowing deeply as the meeting officially adjourned.
Roy was the first to step out of the grand assembly hall, his heavy crimson cloak sweeping behind him as he traversed the polished stone corridor.
Duchess Alisa quickly fell into step half a pace behind him, her posture taut.
Roy didn’t slow his stride as he spoke over his shoulder. "You stayed silent throughout the summit, Alisa. What news has your intelligence network brought?"
"My Lord," Alisa began in a low, solemn tone, her blue eyes flashing with sharp concern. "I have just received the condensed intelligence reports from the covert scout cells I deployed into the Eastern Continents."
Roy stopped in his tracks, turning his head slightly to look at her. "And?"
Alisa leaned in, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper.
"The situation over there... it looks dire. For all beastkind, it is an absolute hell."