Starting Out As The God of Beasts

The map of the continent was being redrawn not by delicate ink, but by iron, dust, and the unstoppable march of an expanding empire.

Following the divine clash in the desert, the Kingdom of Varania transformed from a isolated sanctuary into a sprawling realm of stone and steel.

The borders flared outward like a surging tide, swallowing hundreds of miles of arid wilderness, ancient trade routes, and the broken remnants of rival city-states.

At the center of this territorial explosion lay Yeren City.

Where once stood the imposing, obsidian-reinforced ramparts that had kept Yeren isolated for decades, the air now rang with the rhythmic, deafening thunder of heavy iron sledges and seismic magic.

Varanian legionnaires, working shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of local laborers, were methodically tearing down the old city walls.

Block by block, the old regime’s isolationist fortifications were shattered into gravel.

In their place, the grand engineering vision of Roy began to take physical shape.

Utilizing the advanced structural blueprints designed by Roy before the war, Varanian engineers laid the foundations for the new outer perimeter.

These were not mere stone barricades; they were built using massive, interlocked blocks of high-density Varanite—a specialized, enchanted concrete-stone compound that was both lightweight and nearly impervious to high-tier martial strikes.

Through the heart of the newly annexed territory, wide, modern arterial roads paved in smooth Varanite blocks stretched as far as the eye could see.

These highways were designed with multi-lane conduits for trade caravans, rapid military transport, and subterranean drainage systems that stunned the local population, who had never witnessed urban planning of such grand scale and efficiency.

Over the central administrative keep of what used to be Yeren City, a new banner was hoisted to the desert wind.

The crest of House Ryodor, led by Grand Chancellor Manuses, unfurled alongside the royal emblem of the God of Beasts.

By imperial decree, the core city of Yeren was formally transformed into the personal Duchy of House Ryodor.

Meanwhile, the vast, fertile outer plains surrounding the city—stretching across hundreds of miles of strategic trade routes—were officially carved out and granted as the Duchy of House Pjador.

Where Yeren saw rapid, seamless integration, the construction efforts in the fallen domain of Norona were a far more brutal, rugged affair.

The divine battle between Roy and the True God Damascus had fundamentally shattered the geography of the region.

Entire mountain ranges had been ground to fine glass; deep, jagged abysses tore through the earth, and the subterranean water tables had been baked dry by divine heat.

The terrain was literally flipped upside down, turning civil engineering into a nightmare.

To build roads through this apocalyptic wasteland, the logistics core had to consume triple the amount of Varanite blocks compared to Yeren.

Deep spatial chasms had to be bridged with reinforced stone arches, and superheated glass plains had to be blasted away before foundations could be laid.

Yet, despite the hellish conditions, the work never stopped.

The ruined expanse of Norona City proper was officially claimed as the Duchy of House Mydar.

Directly adjacent to their land, spanning the rugged mountain passes and desert fringes, the territory was christened as the Duchy of House Fenrir.

Only one major house remained without a physical territory:

House May, led by Duchess Alisa.

This was not an act of marginalization or punishment. Rather, it was a strategic necessity.

The Duchy of House May was slated to inherit the lands of Raksha City—the final major power in the Hudeii region.

Until Raksha was formally absorbed, Alisa’s house remained floating, quietly preparing for its eventual assignment.

With four of the five Ducal Families established, a massive socio-economic shift swept through the kingdom.

News of the safety, prosperity, and supernatural infrastructure of Varania spread like wildfire across the desert.

Hundreds and thousands of refugees, wandering nomads, and former serfs flocked to the borders, eager to volunteer as laborers, craftsmen, and servants for the newly minted Duchies.

They sought only one thing: to become legal citizens and live freely under the protection of the Duchy houses within the magnificent cities rising from the dust.

At the heart of this expanding network sat The Holy City.

No longer just a religious sanctuary, the Holy City was officially declared the Imperial Capital of the Kingdom of Varania.

It became the administrative brain of the realm and the supreme headquarters for Varania’s central Military Force.

To maintain internal stability across such vast distances, Roy instituted a landmark decree in the newly drafted Varanian Constitution:

The Right of Ducal Levies.

Roy granted permission for the five Duchy Families to recruit, equip, and maintain their own private armies.

However, his legal framework contained an ironclad, unyielding condition written in gold ink at the very top of the charter:

"All private forces, levies, and regional guards are sworn servants of the Crown and the Kingdom of Varania first, and servants of their respective Ducal Houses second. Upon the call of the King or the God’s Apostle, all regional banners shall immediately submit to the Central Command, overriding the authority of their individual Dukes."

This constitutional clause ensured that while the Dukes possessed the military power required to secure their lands, no single house could ever mount a rebellion without their own troops legally bound to turn against them.

Furthermore, to structure the governance of these massive territories, Roy established the strict hierarchy of nobility.

Under the new Varanian law, a single Duchy was required to contain exactly two Counties, four Viscounties, and eight Baronies.

This mandate required the immediate creation of new noble lineages from the ranks of battle-tested commanders and loyal administrators.

The four former Governors of Yeren City, who had wisely surrendered and assisted in the integration, were granted the prestigious titles of Counts.

They were divided equitably among the established Duchies, providing experienced administrative power to the ruling Dukes.

In the Duchy of House Ryodor, Grand Chancellor Manuses made a historic move.

To honor the legendary military contributions of the vanguard, Manuses officially elevated the eldest son of General Trojan to the noble rank of Count.

A brand-new noble house was forged under the young man’s name, binding the military elite directly into the noble bloodlines of the kingdom.

Meanwhile, despite possessing no physical land yet, Duchess Alisa was far from idle. Within the capital, House May was rapidly building its private military force.

Selecting the most elite veterans from the war and equipping them with high-tier gear, Alisa forged a razor-sharp legion ready to march the moment Raksha City fell into place.

The wait would not be long.

Exactly twelve days after the fall of Norona, under the blazing midday sun, the tall iron gates of the Holy City creaked open.

A magnificent, highly guarded diplomatic procession emerged from the horizon, kicking up fine white sand.

Banners bearing the crest of the final desert power fluttered heavily in the hot wind.

The official delegation of Raksha City had finally arrived at the doorstep of the empire.