Basically the first round of introduction is just all of us throwing compliment at each others. But in the case for the Mudswan Tribe, I meant it when I said that I wanted to see their craft with my own eyes. Because I have heard about their craftsmanship even from outside the Wasteland, in fact, I know for a fact that the Mudswan tribe didn’t know at all their crafts is actually a well sought and also quite famous in all parts of the Central Continent. In fact one of their famous Leather Armour is actually being sold in New City market, and it attract my interest so much that I began to buy them for research purpose, in order to create a new design for Aeternum Military use tactical combat armor.When I bought the armor in bulk from one of the Merchant group back in New City, I have the A.C.I.A investigate who is the one that created these master piece. And it’s turned out that, almost all major Merchant Groups actually bought them from a suppliers that trades these leather armor fro
I am rather surprise to see that in the Agreement papers, instead of all 4 of them being an individual recipient on the agreement. Instead in these paper they have decided to be group together as one single recipient, father than it was a 5 way trade agreement, it has turned into just 2 side agreements with all 4 of them has merged into a single coalition. Which is rather shocking to see them willing to go to such length in order to make these deal go through, with just these, it was clear that they have put Aeternum at a much higher perspective and status than them.“Ah…about that, I hope these doesn’t offend you in any way, Your Highness…it is just, for us…after we have sat down and discussed everything…we found out that…it seems that compared to Aeternum that has a lot to offer…we at the Wasteland has nothing much to offer to you aside from the Cheaper prices of meat produce..”. (Louis Stammler)“So…in pooling your resource together..it would at least be a balancing prospect for Ae
In another words, even if I put the price at 10% discount, it is still much cheaper compared to the outside market, that is just how bad that these people has been scammed of their money. Those Merchant Groups and Guilds has actually made the purchase price of the Wasteland Products at only 50% of the market price in the common market. A lot of products that were manufactured and sold by the wasteland is all at much higher quality from a lot of products in the market, yet they were swindled so much for such a long time that, these evil people were getting over confident that they can exploit them even the wasteland people even more.Thus when I decided to lighten their pain, by just setting the discounted price at 15% that is more than enough to make all of them felt touched by these gestures and furthermore instill the positive image of Aeternum in their minds. Just with these gesture alone, I wanted to somehow made them think that With them lowering their pride, Aeternum are not so
Another shocking proposal that comes from me that were accepted wholeheartedly by all the lords. The happy meeting has become rather a celebrations thanks to me, surely in their mind that they have never thought that things would turned out these way. I know for a fact the second I established that Aeternum is a better force than anything they have ever known, it would made it easier for them to follow my leads. The reason as to why they agreed instantly to Aeternum being their only buyer for all their produce is because, I know that from their sons and daughter, surely they have tell the tale of Aeternum Super Store to their parents.That just how many Stores that has been opened in many countries that they have passed through before arriving at the New City, that alone has shown them just who profitable it is to be allied with the nation that own the only Super Store in the world. Also the fact that they have been treated badly by these Merchant Groups and Merchant Guilds also help
When the altered Agreement clause were being finished made copies off ans distributed to all the lords including me. At that time too,the Trade and Alliance Agreements were signed by all of us, with a smiles on our faces. After all for the Wasteland coalitions these signed agreements will be the end of their suffering and also perhaps the beginning of a new prosperous era for the entire wasteland. As for me, with the signed of these Agreement, thus these will officially starts Aeternum expansion is the Wasteland, these will marked the moment in Aeternum history where I will created my true looks of Aeternum.If the current Aeternum were the face of the kingdom then, the Aeternum Territory in the Wasteland will be it’s body. These place is suitable to be turned into an essential parts of Aeternum itself. These is the place categorized at the end of the Continent itself, there is nothing behind, under and up of the Great Southern Wasteland. A perfect places to developed my ideal strong
The ballroom festivities mode, suddenly come to an halt, as Reqkin Rivgog the Lord of the Antfolis City noticed, a rather complicated looks on the Aeternum President after he was being whispered by the Well known Aeternum representative beside him, Agent Smith. After all they just signed a big cooperation and in a good mood, what has made the friendly President looks so serious all of a sudden and also seems to be in a little bit troubled. At these point for all the Lords, no matter what, the mood of the President of Aeternum should not and cannot turned sour, if there is any issues especially when it was related to the wasteland, they all need to solved it, to make sure that the President and also Aeternum constantly happy with them.“Oh…it is nothing much I supposed…don’t worry about it..”.Actually the me being frowned is actually just a ploy from me, I already planned with Agent Smith to do such plays. After all, inside these room I know everything about the Wasteland Situation th
Everyone were shocked to hear that news comes from me, to hear that the disaster that they thought happened to the entire world were actually maybe just happened to them. And when I were the one that said such things it was natural for them immediately catch up with it. After all nowadays it was already well known that Aeternum is not some small time traders in the Central Continent, but in fact one of the largest traders that can compared to even the Merchants Guilds itself, and they all knew these facts already. Therefore, Louis Stammler shocked were just limited to him but everybody else in the room.“What do you mean that there is no Famine or even shortage of supplies, Your Highness?..because for over years now..the Merchant Groups and even the Merchant Guilds that were in our city and traded with us said the same thing…The reason as to why the quality of the foods was low and the price were high is because everywhere else the situations were more or less the same…”. (Reqkin Rivg
As everyone were talking amongst themselves, I already instructed the A.C.I.A agents to locked down the entire mansion secretly. The order were simple prevented any sort of leak information from these secret meeting and also captured anyone that is suspicious that is about to come out of the mansion to make their reports. Agent Smith has slightly include the 4 Young Representative in the plans, but rather than just revealing the information that the Guilds and the Merchant Groups were the one that is responsible for the whole disaster, Instead they were told that there were some sinister forces that tried to stop the Signing of the Agreements and they were after the President lives.With that knowledge, naturally the 4 representative were more that happy to let all the A.C.I.A agents that were known to them as a normal Aeternum soldiers to do their work and even went as far as to help them do anything and accommodate them, for these 4 representative they wanted more than anything is t
I took another sip of tea, letting the warmth spread through me.Because here’s the delicious irony: by copying our education system, they didn’t just adopt our books and schedules.They were adopting our mindset.Every child who learned using our curriculum. Every teacher trained by our methods. Every official who quoted Aeternum textbooks. They were all little seeds planted deep within foreign soil.In ten years?Those nations would think like us.In twenty?They would be like us. All without a single sword being drawn. I leaned back in my chair, utterly content.Without armies, without bloodshed, we were gaining soft political power over thirty-one nations.Real power.The kind that shaped futures. Mina clinked her cup lightly against mine in a silent toast, her green eyes sparkling.“To the future?” she teased.I smiled, lifting my cup.“To the future we’re writing,” I said.And out there, beneath the quiet, darkening sky, the seeds of a new world had already begun to bloom.The n
In New City, the public watched it all unfold on massive news screens and digital displays.A young woman in a coffee shop blinked back tears.“My mother couldn’t even sign her name,” she said. “Now, she’s going to school at sixty. Can you imagine?”A factory worker on break raised his can of iced tea. “They used to mock us for thinking machines would replace us. Now? My kid’s learning to design them.”Later that evening, President Mies stood at his office window in the Black House, overlooking a city glowing with lights and ambition.Minister Myers entered, holding the finalized signed charter.“It’s done,” he said quietly. “They all agreed. The future begins today.”Mies nodded. “We’ve unified their borders, their defense, and their markets,” he said. “Now, we unify their minds.”A long silence followed. Then, just a single line: “History will remember this moment.” And across the continent, it already had.The evening air was soft, almost languid, as I sat back in my chair, savorin
As the documents were sealed, cameras flashed and live broadcasts streamed the images of rulers shaking hands with President Mies—smiles genuine, eyes alight with purpose.The message to the world was unmistakable:Aeternum does not just lead with power—it leads with knowledge.Later, in a private conversation, Jonathan Myers turned to Mies.“This is more than we hoped.”Mies looked out the window of his office, where the UNA flags fluttered in a perfect row.“No,” he said. “This is exactly what I planned.”Jonathan raised a brow. “And what next?”Mies smiled faintly. “We teach the world… to think like us.”The central assembly hall of New Concordia UNA Headquarters—a gleaming white dome adorned with banners of thirty-one nations—had never been so full.Delegates filled every seat. National flags stood in perfect rows. The giant LED display behind the stage glowed with the symbol of the United Nation Alliance, now framed by a new banner in golden letters:"Education for All – A Future
Outside the palace gates, the citizens of Hallerus City buzzed with excitement. News traveled fast: another king had come, and he, too, had seen the truth.And far beyond the city walls, whispers began in other UNA courts:“Perhaps we should ask Queen Helen for assistance.”“Maybe Aeternum’s model isn’t just for them.”“Could we build this future too?”In the Black House of New City, when President Mies received the report of King Leopold’s visit, he simply closed the folder and smiled slightly."One seed sows a thousand trees," he murmured.And in the fields of Fantasma, the seeds of knowledge had already begun to sprout.The towering skyline of New City shimmered beneath a clear morning sky. It was a perfect day for diplomacy—and a historic one.Within the great glass-paneled east wing of the Black House, Aeternum’s political nerve center, a long oval table had been prepared. Security was tight, the air dignified, yet the atmosphere was distinctly welcoming. For today, President Mie
That evening, Queen Helen hosted a quiet reception for the UNA visitors. Modest food, strong Hallerian tea, and conversation flowed freely.“We’re not pretending it’s perfect,” Helen told them. “But we’re not pretending it’s impossible, either.”One observer raised a hand, smiling. “Would you be open to helping other nations start similar programs?”Helen looked to Merrica, then back to them.“Of course,” she said. “We’ve taken help. It would be wrong not to offer it.”It was the kind of answer that made diplomats take notes. And so, Hallerus—once a fractured kingdom cast in shadow—began to shine in a new light. Not as a symbol of power. But as a model of transformation. And as the scholars walked the streets of Hallerus City, alongside teachers and curious children, they quietly realized: The future wasn’t just being forged in Aeternum anymore. It was spreading.The scent of blooming gardenias filled the royal courtyard of Hallerus Royal Palace. The sun hung high above the battlement
“It’s… beautiful,” she said.Jonathan smiled. “It’s sure is,.”The first major step was the immediate conversion of six major city libraries into public education centers. Then came the pilot schools—one for each major region of the kingdom. Each staffed with a blend of local teachers (newly trained) and educational experts from Aeternum who came to oversee implementation.Within a month, Hallerus Elementary Schools opened their doors for the first time. Children from farming villages and mining towns, who had never once held a book of their own, were now reading stories about space, science, and society. They learned arithmetic on digital chalkboards and watched recorded lectures from Aeternum instructors. Classrooms were modest, but organized. Desks were salvaged, but steady.The change was jarring. But it was real. Queen Helen visited one of these pilot schools in the outskirts of Archenport. There, she saw barefoot children reciting alphabet lines. She watched a young girl raise h
Outside in the streets of New City, a mural was already being painted on the wall of a youth center—depicting two children, one Aeternian and one Hallerian, sitting together at a shared desk beneath the words:"Wisdom Unites What War Divides."The mural was uncommission—but no one was taking it down. From within the homes, classrooms, and council chambers of Aeternum, the message was clear: the world was learning, and they were learning from Aeternum.And that made the people walk taller.Because every road rebuilt in Hallerus, every classroom opened, every young mind taught in their system—was a quiet victory for Aeternum’s vision. The age of empires was ending. The age of influence had begun.The great hall of Hallerus Royal Palace hadn’t hosted a summit like this in over a generation. Not for war. Not for taxation. But for education.Long tables stretched beneath arched stone windows, newly adorned with fresh flags representing each province of the Hallerus Kingdom. The air smelled
Contracts were awarded to the newly established Hallerus Road Commission, overseen by both local talent and advisory engineers from Aeternum. Bright orange marker flags began appearing all over the kingdom, outlining future road paths. Caravans brought in equipment, gravel, construction tools—and, notably, several transport trucks from Aeternum carrying the first batch of reinforced roadstone, a durable blend sourced from the Stone Ring mountains.Helen personally visited the first construction site just outside the capital—a winding, broken stretch leading to a key trade town in the east.She knelt beside the workers, running her fingers through the packed dirt and gravel. “This path,” she said to a nearby foreman, “will be the spine of our kingdom.”He blinked, surprised at her presence, then bowed. “Then we’ll make sure it’s strong, Your Majesty.”As roadwork began, the kingdom watched. Villages previously isolated by floods or rough terrain saw the first signs of inclusion. Mercha
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