To all the Allied nation leaders, whether they really knows about it or not, all of them got the feeling that thanks to these meeting and also the gimmick that Aeternum had pulled off, by showing their nation the content of the meetings, has somehow benefited them a lot, more than they would’ve thought. The reasons as to why they got these lingering feelings is that, during the duration of the meeting, it can be said that their loved ones and also their subordinates has been contacted them at all times. Alerting them about their own people reactions on the meetings and telling them whether they should agreed to something or not.It was a rare occasion to be able to figure out what your people thought about you, that fast. That is what all the leaders appreciates, so that none of them will attract any infamy from their own people, though all of them doesn’t really felt fair thanks to the Broadcast, though they have already being informed days before. Only now they knew just how effecti
In short the entire meetings when it comes business deals and perks, almost all of them is a request by the allied nation for Aeternum to share their brilliance and accommodate all the Allied nations. Although it was clearly shameless of them to do so, but all the time, as they were careful on asking for favour from Aeternum, there has not a single time where Aeternum went ahead and boasted and made fun of anyone. Instead, Aeternum took the lead and acted as a mature ones and a leaders tries to made every single request appropriate and fair to everyone in the room.In the Span of 3 days of the meetings, millions of people were witnessing the Allied Nation Conference Broadcast, even the citizen of the nation that weren’t in the alliance actually travelled to all the closest Allied nation to watched the Broadcast. In that short spans of times, thanks to the broadcast, all the allied nations and Aeternum were in the middle of spotlight in the entire Central Continent, and the content of
Naturally the meetings doesn’t just about Aeternum become the providers for everything that all the allied nations desires. In returned for the allied nation request, Aeternum also have some profits too, for examples, one of the major ways is that, Aeternum will be ships that would be traversing the rivers systems, after the water ways were secured, will not be taxed by any nation at all, these is in returned for Aeternum contributions of leading the front line of the operations. Another incentives that Aeternum would obtained is that for the Associations, the allied nation will only be able to imposed only 5% tax income on all the associations.Even at 5% everyone already thought that that were more than enough for them, after all, one of the notice that Aeternum gave out is that all the Associations transactions will all be done and using, Aeternum Credits. And by now, everyone knows that Aeternum currency is much more expensive than the Central Continent universal currency. Little
At Fridays after the International Allied Conference ended, Aeternum had gone back to it’s previous life flows. The Aeternum national mega projects were still in progress so naturally everyone got back to resume their duties as usual, thanks to the Conference were considered as a national events, the Government has made the last day of the conference as the National holiday, enable every single Aeternum attend the final days of the conference to watched the conclusions of the meetings. Naturally for such occasions Aeternum not only learned and took notice of the essentials matters from the meeting, but they also celebrated the days and enjoyed their free times as much as they can.For Aeternum that already get used to Aeternum semi modern lifestyle in these current medieval era, rather than continues to being fascinated too much at the marvel of the Broadcasting technology, for Aeternums they viewed the new broadcasting technology as an achievements for Aeternum. And a sign that Aeter
I am Currently at the Black House inside my Presidential Office, compared to the work that I have before, recently after conference, thanks to it, I have to work for another day. Personally in my opinion the meeting were a successful ones, be it on the display side or the relationship side, so I am quite satisfied with the overall result. What even made me extremely happy is that thanks to that meetings, all the allied nation has unintentionally revolved around Aeternum for every single thing that they asked for. Also, clearly the display of Aeternum Navy might has made all of them think carefully.Thanks to these meeting, Aeternum has become a fully acknowledge power to all of them. I enjoyed the looks on their faces when I told the that Aeternum has basically secured the entire water routes in my country. And when they saw the snippet of that actions, they immediately fold, from then on, all of them knew and already learned that from now on, they could never again think of anything
After a few hours of business at the Black House, dealing with everything that I supposed to do and approved before I set off to the Wasteland tomorrow, with Yvone. It can be said that it was great, each hours the Black House received reports from all the Associations troops that were sent out to all the allied nation, saying that they have arrived safely and already started on the constructions of the Association base on their designated locations. And at the same time, the Guilds elimination task force also has gotten connections with the Allied nation Royal Palace and already make a moves against all the Guilds that were existed on those country.Though it was only on day one of the operation, the Associations Troops already over performed themselves ahead of the scheduled. Truthfully, I have never asked or gave them any sort of indications or scheduled for them to proceed as they arrived at their destinations, all of those kind of things I delegated them to the Leader of the Troop
As the Adventurer Association have Claire Valkary on it’s helm, for the Mercenary Association on the other hand, it has the stout and also famed Orthum Bronzehammer as it’s Head Director, one of the famous hero of the Dwarven races of these times. Orthum Bronzehammer, is actually one of the first generation liberated slaves that were brought to Aeternum by me. At that time, no knows about his tales. According to his story he is actually apart of a resistance organization that went around the Central Continent, with the band of his brothers, moved from place to place to liberated oppressed slaves from tyrannical rulers.His campaign is quite successful at that times, that he managed to become a wanted person on over 20 countries at that time. Sadly on one occasions, he and his band of brothers were entrapped in a scheme of betrayal, of which destroyed his resistance groups, made him cast away his identity and finally being captured as a war slaves, of which coincidentally were bought
As for the Merchant Association, the appointment of the positions of the Head Director, to me is quite hard to find the candidates at first. Compared to the 2 Association Head Directors that were quite famous already in their field, I was having a hard time to find the correct candidates, to the point where it actually took me 2 days to deals with it. Surprisingly, the candidates that are now already appointed to the positions were actually being recommended by 2 rare figures in Aeternum, one is Aeternum loveliest daughter Yggdrasil and another one is Aeternum hidden guardian, The Earth Ancient Dragon that resides at the New City Mountain parks, Griksu’um.As I were slaving away in my office finding a suitable candidates, Griksu’Um visited my office with Yggdrasil and a Dragon-kin behind his back. Although he can just transformed himself into a humanoid form, the Ancient Dragon decided to just come to the Black House in his original form, which actually created chaos on that day. Luck
The project would take time—perhaps years—but its impact would begin in weeks.“Once the roads are in place,” Merrica said, entering her chamber with a report in hand, “we’ll be able to move goods faster, respond to crises quicker, and prepare for the second phase: economic zone development.”Helen took the report with a tired, but satisfied smile. “This… this they will see. This they will believe.”“And when they do,” Merrica said, “they’ll follow.”Late that night, as the wind howled against the palace windows, Helen stood in her private study, gazing out at the flickering torches lining the city streets. In her hand was a smooth, curved stone from the first road pile—just a plain stone, but to her, it was the beginning of a foundation.Her fingers closed around it as she whispered to herself, “Let this road lead us to a better kingdom.” And with that, the first steps into a new Hallerus had begun.The throne room had seen war plans, council betrayals, and royal declarations. But on
The ministers eagerly pointed out their favorite places from their student years.“Over there—that café served synthetic ice cream you have to try.”“That’s the district where I first saw a holographic opera.”“This is where I spent hours in the central library—eight floors of pure knowledge.”Helen listened with quiet amusement and growing wonder. These weren’t just stories. This was the future.They stopped first at a shopping promenade, where modern boutiques lined the plaza. Aeternum fashion—streamlined, elegant, tailored for form and comfort—was on full display.Helen tried on a pale blue dress lined with iridescent threads that shifted color slightly under different lighting. She admired herself in the mirror. Regal, yet free. She hadn’t felt this light in years.Merrica chuckled as she twirled slightly. “Careful. You’ll make the palace tailors obsolete.”Next came the Aeternum cuisine district. The aroma of spices, imported meats, baked delicacies and exotic fruit blends filled
Meerkat sipped from his flask; eyes gleaming. “Monster cores alone could offset our collective energy reliance on Aeternum’s hybrid reactors. If those dungeons are stabilized and regulated under UNA protocols, we’re looking at a resource boom.”Angela arched an eyebrow. “All that assumes stability. A kingdom can’t regulate dungeons if they can’t regulate their own court.”“Well,” Meerkat said with a shrug, “that’s what Merrica’s for, isn’t it?”They all laughed lightly—because it was true. The man’s reputation preceded him. Hallerus may have signed with a queen, but Merrica had built the bridge.Kaneda leaned forward. “It’s risky, but it’s a calculated risk. We’re not signing blind loyalty here. We’re watching. Evaluating. But make no mistake—if this works, Hallerus becomes the keystone of continental connectivity.”Redwall drummed his fingers on his knee. “I suppose that’s why we’re here. Not to clap at the signing. But to see if the queen is truly changed.”“She is,” Angela said qui
“And now, a major announcement: With the signing complete, Hallerus Kingdom is formally inducted into the United Nation Alliance as its thirty-first member. This marks a turning point—not only for Hallerus, but for the entire Central Continent.”“The UNA, now composed of thirty-one sovereign nations, officially becomes the largest unified alliance in the world’s history—its reach, economic power, and strategic cooperation unmatched by any prior coalition.”“Following this event, Aeternum has confirmed it will begin a nationwide rollout of its Super Stores, factories, and humanitarian infrastructure in Hallerus territory. In exchange, Hallerus will provide critical resources and cultural integration into the alliance structure.”“Public reaction is already beginning to surface—here in New City, spontaneous celebrations have begun in the multicultural districts where former Hallerians live. Meanwhile, markets across the UNA are surging in response to the stability this alliance signifie
“I don’t forget betrayal easily,” I said. “And Aeternum doesn’t forget pain lightly. What happened between us—it scarred people. People who trusted Hallerus. Soldiers who bled for your freedom. Civilians who saw us pulled out overnight.”“I know,” Helen said. “And I accept the cost.”“But,” I said, letting the word hang before softening my tone, “I do respect accountability.”Her eyes met mine. “Then we start again?”“We do,” I said, extending a hand.She took it. Her grip was firm.“We bury the hatchet,” I added. “But let’s be clear—this is not a return to old friendship. This is a new foundation. One built on lessons learned.”Helen nodded. “Agreed.”Merrica exhaled, satisfied. “It’s what both sides need.”I looked at Helen, voice calm. “You have a second chance now. Few leaders get that. Don’t waste it.”She nodded again, quietly this time. “I won’t.”“Good,” I said. “Because your people need you more than ever. Rule wisely. Rule well. Let this alliance be your legacy.”For the fir
“We’ll export more to Hallerus—especially food. You’ll need it. In return, we’ll import more raw ore and minerals. Your mining sector’s still decent, right?”“It is.”“Then let’s grow that. More volume, more jobs, more imports on both sides.”He beamed. “Thank you, my friend.”I smiled back. “You’ll find I don’t just use the whip.”“A carrot, then?”“Always. A balanced hand is how you keep control. Too much punishment, and you push people away. Too much reward, and they forget who they owe.”Merrica nodded slowly. “You’ve become a real ruler.”I stood, offering my hand again. “I became what this world needed.”He shook it. “And I’ll make sure Hallerus becomes what Aeternum can trust.”We stood in silence for a moment longer. The sound of cheering still floated in faintly from the streets below. Somewhere out there, Queen Helen was being paraded through New City—through a modern marvel built from vision and precision. Through a world she couldn’t have imagined a year ago.And now, she’
“They’re… happy to see us?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.Duke Merrica gave her a half-smile. “Some of them, yes. The others are watching. Judging. As they should.”One young woman in the crowd, her hair wrapped in Aeternum’s signature style, waved a small Hallerus flag and called out, “Welcome back! My family’s from Archenport—we’re with you!”Helen felt a warmth rise in her chest. Her lips curled, hesitant, but sincere. She lifted a gloved hand and waved back.Her ministers behind her smiled with relief. The people hadn’t forgotten them. Or maybe… maybe Aeternum’s citizens were willing to forgive, even if their leaders were not.Still, with each new marvel the city revealed, her pride took another small wound.Digital traffic signs shifted in real-time. Elevated walkways moved gently above the streets. Tall towers bore solar glass and climate control systems beyond her comprehension. Everything was clean. Efficient. Vibrant.Hallerus, by contrast, was still struggling to clear
“But that’s not all,” he said. “We’re not just building stores. We’re buying land.”Elijah’s eyes narrowed. “Land?”Andrea arched a brow. “Personal Aeternum-controlled territory?”“Exactly,” Mies said. “We’ll negotiate the purchase and designation of sovereign Aeternum land within Hallerus. Locations where we will build permanent structures—embassies, farms, factories. Property they can’t touch. Not legally. Not politically.”Andrea crossed her arms. “You want to turn this alliance into territorial leverage.”“I want security,” Mies said. “We trusted them once. And they betrayed us. This time, we own the pieces on the board. If they want access to food and prosperity, they give us something real in return. Soil.”Elijah nodded. “No oversight from their monarchy. No interference. Full extraterritorial jurisdiction.”Mies smiled. “Exactly. We build an Aeternum that lives inside their walls. One they can’t tear down without declaring war.”Andrea added, “And when we build those farms and
“We’re proud Aeternians now,” said one local organizer. “But we remember where we came from. If we can help fix the old home while serving the new one, why not?”In university lecture halls, students debated passionately.“Strategically, re-integrating Hallerus into Aeternum’s economic sphere is a no-brainer,” one economics major argued. “We’ll be able to shape their policies from within.”“But trust is a currency too,” another replied. “If we spend it on the wrong partner again, we might pay more than we think.”In a small park in the east district, a group of Aeternum veterans sat on a bench, medals on their coats, eyes on the screens showing news footage of Andrea’s visit.“You remember that street?” one said, pointing.“I remember clearing it house by house,” another replied. “They cheered us one day. Chased us out the next.”The youngest of them, silent until now, finally spoke.“We gave them peace once. Maybe it’s time to give them a future.”Silence followed. No one disagreed.