“It has been quite some time, Marlo….the last time I saw you….you were a bit fuller….and have two legs…it seems a lot had happened…To you….and to all of you….it seems like the time has been rather cruel to all of you….”.“Hahahaha…..I just got down a few size, Your Highness…but….sure….a lot had happened since then, your Highness……….”(Old Marlo)Noticing that I just joke a little bit at their state, everyone got a chuckle or two, not to be inconsiderate or anything, but currently the atmosphere were just too depressing and from the way that they all looked at me, it seems that they might think that I am disappointed at all of them and just blaming them for everything that had happened on these region. Not that I can blame them that they have that kind of mindset and thought lean to that way, but truthfully speak, in Fantasma, when ever shit happens, it is never the blame of the King or Queens, it is always someone else, accountability is not something that those that were in the leader
“YES!!…that’s right!…you Apprentices!!….how did an Aeternum officials as all of you, gave up and let go of your sworn duties?!!…YOU!…did you rendered you services and intelligence to that degenerate Baron??!!!..”.(Holgun Iron Horn)“NO!!…Never, Sir!!….I..we refused!..to served nor aid that degenerate Baron from the very start!!….we are loyal as we ever did!!…”.(Old Marlo)Suddenly, Holgun who has been silent the entire time, decided to step forward with his giant Axe in his hand, fuming in anger, looking at Old Marlo and the others like they were a traitor. I forgot that this one, do still have that old medieval mentality, and I have to reeled him in.“Hold up. Holgun…stop that…”.“Huh?….But, Sire President!…”.(Holgun Iron Horn)“It is fine, Holgun…Stand Down soldier…”.“YES, SIR!!!”.(Holgun Iron Horn)Holgun are definitely were about too hack these people to pieces if I were let him do as he wanted, but making him stand in his place were not that hard for me, after all he listened,“
“It’s all happened too fast, Sir President…one night we were all just doing out job, and the next morning all of us were kicked out of our office and being hunted down like an animal….”.(Old Marlo)“.…Hmmm….no wonder you all fall that easily…..the enemy knew your significance in the region administration…..and to paralyze the entire region…they took our you all first….and the reason they took you all out at the same time…is to make sure none of you can contact me……wow….this is a long thought out planning…..that Crown Prince is quite smart…”.“Sire….it is not that Crown Prince that is smart….but it was The Yulga Family…he had help from Duke Yulga, of which promised by the Prince…that the Alemia River…will be given to him..as the price…”.(Old Marlo)Now that is a name that I was surprised to hear, funny enough, that name was already crossed out. Duke Yulga has already fallen before I come over to Alemia Nation, it seems that unknowingly, I have just eliminated the third player in Alemia
“.….Thanks for filling in the blanks, Old Marlo…..”.“It is my duty to serve, Your Highness President…”.(Old Marlo)“You know, you are pardoned now….you can head back home if you wanted to….but at the same time, I wanted to ask…..do you want to work for Aeternum again?…”.“Huh?….”.(Old Marlo)Old Marlo were visibly shock as I ask this proposition to him, in all honesty, these people haven’t done anything wrong at all. Their falls were not at all a failure, as initially me and Aeternum were already abandoned them as we left the Alemia Nation, and set them to be used by the Alemia Nation government so that the nation can be ruled much more nicely. So with that in mind, I do feel a little pity on them and also responsible for their current situations, and if I could I would want to rectify that.“I am asking…do you want to once again, come to work under my government….because, I promise you….unlike the last time…..this time, Aeternum wont leave, this land ever again…..as we would be topp
“By the way, tell your colleague as well….this offers also available for all of them…okay?..”.“Yes, Your highness…surely everyone would be delighted with your graciousness…I will make sure that they all chose to served our great nation!!…”.(Old Marlo)“Y..yeah…just don’t force them if they don’t want to…”.“YES!…SIR!!!…”.(Old Marlo)I turned to Old Marlo and talked to him in a lower voice, there are a lot of Apprentices here, and surely not all of them can hear me talking to Marlo. Naturally he was more than enthusiast about the whole thing, which also made me a little bit worried that he might forced others to say yes to my offer. Of which, if he did that, that would be his own prerogative, but I just hope that he doesn’t go to the extreme with it. Sometimes, the people around me, used to just go to the extreme to what I wanted them to do, still most of the time, when they did it, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it isn’t ideal.Once our small talking session ended, I let Old Ma
At the moment, we are all brainstorming the idea of how to deal with the Prisoners in the Prison camps, truth to be told, if this situation were not being dealt swiftly, it would soon snowballed into a much major issues. At this moment, the Riverside Village Prison were already at it’s maxed capacity, and there were also another Prison at the Southern Alemia Region of which is already controlled by one of the forces there. So at the moment, there are already 2 prison working at the same time, and the situation were more or less the same on both places. And me personally, I hate to have this problem persist as the war going to move on.Then again, these influx of Prisoners, were something that I have not fully expected to have it blown to such proportions. I do expect that there would be prisoners of war that would be captured, but not to his extend, I expected these people would never surrender or just have some fiery fights in them that they would surely be killed before they surrend
Personally, I to didn’t have the guilt if I were to just vanquish all of them, but at these moment, such action would surely be something that can be a causes to possibly future controversy regarding public perception on Aeternum government, the level of ‘punishing’ that we were talking here is around the ranged of possibly tens of thousand of people, and personally that amount of blood will taint Aeternum history for a long time. And as I know, even back on Earth, this kind of news and secret would always find it’s way to come out.If we were to kill these people in the heat of war and battle, that would be a whole different story, but to do such things after we have captured them and imprisoned them, that is not good at all. So in all, sure we can go towards the execution options but that is not entirely the option that we should take, there has to be something that must be done, so we can lighten the scrutiny a little bit.“If we were to just execute the lot of them…those that woul
“.….Hmm….I think I got a solution for this……but, it might be a bit unsettling…..But..if we do it…then is justifiable action from us…”.(Grand General Bina)“There is no need to hold back, Bina….you can just speak up your mind and thoughts….this is a discussion here not something so serious….go ahead…”.Bina seems a little bit more careful as she tried to say something as I noticed very clearly that she is looking over at me multiple times as she is holding her sentences. I know from the way that she is doing at the moment, she finds it hard to say and obviously more concerned of my reaction, so I had to speak up a little bit to eased her up so she can speak freely.“...I Suggest…that….we can just transfer all the excess…to our allied nation….Dukedom of Angela are looking for labour and they are very much comfortable with it….there is a limit to how much we can kill..right?..”.(Grand General Bina)“Sound like a good proposal, to me….”.(Holgun Iron Horn)In Short, letting the hardened an
“Then Mies will destroy Hallerus.”Helen turned sharply toward him. “You think he would go that far?”Merrica didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”Helen stared at him, searching for a lie. A hint of hesitation. But there was none.“He will not give you mercy a second time, Helen,” Merrica said. “If those nobles push for war, if they even dare to challenge Aeternum—you will lose.”He took another step forward, his voice heavy. “And I will not be able to protect you.”For the first time in their conversation, Helen looked away. Merrica saw it. The fear. The realization.She already knew everything he was saying was true. She had just been too proud—too trapped—to admit it.Silence hung between them. Then, at last, Helen spoke.“…What do you want me to do?”Merrica finally allowed himself a small sigh of relief.“You already know what must be done, Helen,” he said gently. “You must take back your court.”Helen slowly nodded, though her expression remained grim. “Those nobles will not leave peace
“Merrica understands that if Hallerus moves against Aeternum, we won’t hold back.”Kasuma gave a knowing smirk. “And you won’t hesitate to destroy them.”I met her gaze, unblinking.“No.”A heavy silence fell between us.Kasuma leaned forward, her voice softer but firm. “You don’t want war with Hallerus.”“No, I don’t,” I admitted. “The people of Hallerus don’t deserve to suffer for their queen’s mistakes. Merrica doesn’t deserve to be put in that position.”Kasuma studied me for a moment before sighing. “Then let’s hope Duke Merrica succeeds.”I ran a hand through my hair, my thoughts swirling. Visma was controlled. Chaos was their prison, and we held the keys. Hallerus, however, was different.It was once an ally, a friend, a brother. But betrayal had shattered that bond. Still… I didn’t want to be the one to crush it completely. I drummed my fingers on my desk. If Helen could be saved, then perhaps—A knock interrupted my thoughts.“Enter,” I called.An ACIA officer stepped in, bowi
The Merchant Guild Leader, Darvio Vinn, who had profited the most from blocking Aeternum trade. His warehouses stored inferior goods at premium prices, keeping the economy strangled in his grip.The General of the Royal Army, Lionel Ferin, who had bled the treasury dry with excessive military spending, preaching about “independence” while weakening their forces with outdated tactics.They had to be removed. One by one, quietly, without causing suspicion. But how? Merrica could not simply accuse them—Helen trusted them. If he moved too boldly, she would see him as the enemy.No, he had to be careful. He had to play the game. Merrica stood, pouring himself another glass of wine. He would begin by exposing the corruption—turning the people against the parasites that fed on Hallerus.The merchants would learn how Darvio Vinn had been overpricing basic goods. The military officers would see how General Lionel Ferin had been wasting funds on obsolete strategies. The court would hear whisper
At a local tavern, I overheard a group of soldiers drunkenly complaining."Our weapons are old.""Our rations taste like pig slop.""Did you hear? Even Alemia is receiving Aeternum goods now.""We should have never broken ties."I smirked. They knew. Their queen had failed them, and their nation was falling behind while the rest of the world thrived under Aeternum’s soft power. The people of Hallerus were not fools. They saw the rising prosperity of the allied nations, the luxurious goods, the technological marvels, the entertainment, the food. They could only watch in envy.At sunset, I met with Duke Merrica Murrs at his estate. His once-proud posture had been replaced with exhaustion. His eyes, which once held confidence, now carried deep regret.We sat in his grand study, the silence stretching between us. Finally, he spoke."I should have stopped her."I said nothing."I vouched for her. I believed in her." He exhaled, shaking his head. "And now, my people suffer because of my mis
Meanwhile, in Yulga, Maria sat comfortably in her study, reading the latest reports.Lysander stood beside her, amused. "Another assassin failed. This is getting predictable."Maria smirked. "Vismal thinks he’s playing chess, but he’s only moving pawns."She set down her glass, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Let him keep trying. Let him think he has control.""And when he finally realizes he doesn’t?" Lysander asked.Maria leaned back, exhaling softly. "By then, he won’t be king anymore."While King Vismal wasted his energy plotting assassinations, he failed to see the true danger.His nobles squabbled over the black market. His people secretly craved Aeternum goods. His own soldiers whispered of defecting.Visma was rotting from the inside out. And Maria? She simply watched it happen. She wasn’t just controlling the black market. She was controlling Visma’s fate. One failed assassination at a time.King Vismal III believed he could eliminate Maria Yulga. He believed he could take
"Oi, you got the stuff?""Yeah, yeah, keep it down!"A merchant nervously looked around before handing over a carefully wrapped package."This is the good stuff—straight from Aeternum. Papa Pizza’s special cheese blend. Got it from a merchant who knows a guy who knows a guy."The buyer, a Visma noble in disguise, snatched it eagerly."Finally! I’ve been dying to try this! You have no idea how boring Visma’s food is compared to Aeternum’s cuisine!""Yeah, yeah, pay up first.""Fine, fine—how much?""Two hundred gold pieces."The noble nearly choked. "T-Two hundred?! That’s robbery!"The merchant smirked. "And yet, you’re still going to pay it, aren’t you?"The noble gritted his teeth, but handed over the money anyway. Aeternum’s products were so desirable that people were willing to spend fortunes just to get a taste.And that was exactly what ACIA wanted. By controlling the underground economy, Aeternum achieved multiple goals:Economic Control – Even though Visma banned Aeternum’s pr
The people were asking too many questions. The smugglers were getting bolder. Even their own guards and soldiers were caught listening to Aeternum’s broadcasts in secret. A revolution wasn’t just coming—it was being broadcast live.In an attempt to regain control, the non-allied nations did the only thing they knew how to do—They cracked down. Massive raids were conducted in the dead of night. Entire villages were searched. Merchants were arrested. Radios were smashed in public squares.But no matter how many products they confiscated, no matter how many smugglers they punished, it didn’t stop. Aeternum’s influence was already too deep. The people had tasted the forbidden fruit—and they weren’t about to let go of it.What made matters worse was that not everyone in power was loyal to the cause. Behind closed doors, even high-ranking nobles were secretly buying Aeternum’s products for themselves. Some were sneaking off to allied territories under the guise of “diplomatic visits” just s
Aeternum had always been known for its technological marvels and superior products, but with easy transportation, its goods became more accessible than ever before.From freshly preserved gourmet food to luxurious household items, Aeternum’s influence began to seep into every aspect of daily life across the continent. And the people? They loved it. Why eat old, stale bread when you could have Aeternum’s fresh-baked soft rolls that lasted for weeks without losing their taste?Why wear itchy, poorly-made foreign garments when you could buy Aeternum’s finely woven, stain-resistant fabrics? Even Aeternum’s entertainment industry was making waves. With their crystal-powered moving pictures, stories from Aeternum began flooding into neighboring lands, captivating audiences with rich tales of adventure, romance, and heroism.It wasn’t just about selling goods anymore. Aeternum was selling a way of life. And everyone wanted in.But not everyone was pleased. The non-allied nations watched in d
world devoured slice after slice, their faces twisted in expressions of pure bliss."Mmmh!""What is this?! It’s… It’s so simple yet… SO PERFECT!""The flavors! The balance! The texture! This is divine!"Even the most arrogant food critic, who prided himself on hating everything, took a bite and nearly fell out of his chair. Jean-Pierre trembled. His masterpiece—the dish he had poured his entire soul into—was being ignored. Instead, these noble fools were eating fast food.Like commoners. He couldn’t accept it. But the judges had already decided. With a deep breath, the royal head judge stood up and declared:"By unanimous decision… The winner is—Papa Pizza!"The room erupted in thunderous applause. Jean-Pierre, the once undefeated culinary master, stood frozen in place. His hands trembled. His pride shattered. And then, with his head lowered, he fell to his knees.The duel’s outcome shook the world. Jean-Pierre Gaston, the Imperial Chef, had lost to a simple pizza. Nobles who once l