“Aside from the sitting Queen….he sure does have a hard time…he had to sacrifice a lot of his influence to keep his niece on the throne…and with us backing away from him and his territory..it was safe to say that they just got back to their dark time…”.(Elijah)Duke Merrica is one cool dude, but unfortunately we fell out of favour, with him standing beside his niece who is now a queen and the entire nation policy is against me, we had to backed away from him, his territory. His territory is sure his one big customer for Aeternum merchandise and service. It was quite a sizeable loss for Aeternum, but since we were already on this path, there no turning back anymore, each of us had to chose our side and our own ways.“It’s not like we don’t warn them about the repercussion to go against us…..so they deserved this treatment from us…..anyway, when will the meeting start?..”.“at 9 in the morning, about 2 hours from now…Everyone are already here…even our latest Governor already arrived wit
At this point, I kinda of lazy enough to just get these cabinet meeting about the current state of the war, since there barely any new news for it. Sure people may know something new, but not for me.also I wanted to avoid doing another state address, that thing is quite tiring.“Thanks, Elijah…”.“Sure…I’m leaving for now and handle everything before the meeting….everyone are coming in right now…so when you ready, just come in…”.(Elijah)“Alright…thanks…”.Elijah left my office and leaving me in the confine of my own company. I still have a little bit of time for myself before the Cabinet Meeting started, and right now it is still quite early.“T.A.S….should we scheme against the Hallerus Kingdom right now?…”.“[It was unnecessary for us to do so, Master…they are already falling…Even now, Queen Helen and Duke Merrica were in a pinch and their only saviour is you….by the way, I have already confirmed..that they planned to rely on you…via common moves in these age….]”.(T.A.S)“Common m
“T.A.S….should we scheme against the Hallerus Kingdom right now?…”.“[It was unnecessary for us to do so, Master…they are already falling…Even now, Queen Helen and Duke Merrica were in a pinch and their only saviour is you….by the way, I have already confirmed..that they planned to rely on you…via common moves in these age….]”.(T.A.S)“Common moves….hmm…like political marriage?…Surely not, right..that is just too pathetic…”.“[Pathetic it is, but unfortunately for them not at all,…they are proud to use, the common troupe that drama always use….they are just that desperate…]”.(T.A.S)“I see….served them right….but who suggested this moves?…”.“[Queen Helen and Duchess Marriane Murr….whilst Duke Merrica just sat to the side and be ashamed...I already collect all information about this and talked a bit with Duke Merrica himself, recently…and he understand that we won’t fall for their tricks….so I suggest to him an alternative….]”.(T.A.S)“And what is this alternative you suggested?…”.“
“And what is this alternative you suggested?…”.“[A simple one…Surrender and be subjected as a vassal to Aeternum…]”.(T.A.S)“You said that?…”.“[Yes, I did….it is pointless to be gentle with him anymore, he had use your relationship with him as a bargain chip…and we already established that path as already been used….So, it is time for him to understand that we owed him nothing anymore, and if he wanted to have something from us…he had to pay something to us….]”.(T.A.S)“I guess that is logical and appropriate..”.Me and Aeternum helping in the Kingdom of Hallerus problem and also crowning Queen Helen on her throne IS the clean slate that I aim for with Duke Merrica Murr, who had helped established Aeternum at it’s initial phase. So now we are all standing on the same stage, and naturally since T.A.S will also move in my best interest and that is to simply secure the best deal we will make.“[But since we are busy with the Alemia nation…I suggest we can strike a secret pact with Duke
“[But since we are busy with the Alemia nation…I suggest we can strike a secret pact with Dukedom of Angela in regards of the Kingdom of Hallerus…Queen Duchess really eager to own the east side of the Kingdom for herself…]”.(T.A.S)“Really?…why is she that eager for that?..”.“[It seems that it was related to the Dukedom History itself….that land were theirs originally..]”.(T.A.S)“Really?….ah..I heard about that from the Queen Duchess herself…”.There’s a lore about the eastern side of Hallerus Kingdom which is once originally belonged to Dukedom of Angela. The story goes that once before the Previous Queen Duchess loss a war against at that time King of Hallerus and that region were the war loot and offering of peace from the Dukedom to Hallerus Kingdom. And that land were also the main reason as to why the Dukedom of Angela were slightly weaker to Hallerus Kingdom in power.“That is a really old tale….did the Queen Duchess still hung up on that?…”.“[Apparently she is….for generati
“That is a really old tale….did the Queen Duchess still hung up on that?…”.“[Apparently she is….for generation, each Queen Duchess were tasked to work…to claim back that lost land…saying by having that land, and only by that will the Dukedom of Angela be whole once again….naturally Queen Duchess Angela also inherited that task as well…Although at these age and Era..that task has already seems too tall and became a rather side task…but looking at how Queen Duchess Angela were doing…she seemed to take this task rather seriously…]”.(T.A.S)“Knowing her….she certainly will do it…”.Queen Duchess Angela is someone that is really opportunistic and also very thorough person, and she really take her duty seriously. Right now although Dukedom of Angela can be considered a strong nation with strong powers, they were still being looked at as weaker than the Kingdom of Hallerus. Queen Duchess Angela really hated that perceptions from people and she wanted to change that, the Dukedom Of Angela Ri
“[She would do it with a 100% certainty..and I am sure her meeting with you, she will bring this up.]”.(T.A.S)“She will bring it up for sure…she is aware of the situation in Hallerus….she are already ready to free herself…and should she able to up the Dukedom prestige even more…that would served her greatly…”.“[That’s right….I even got an information that she had already got tired and had enough of her husband infidelity and incompetence….recently she have kicked him out of the palace and already confined him in a separate compound…]”.(T.A.S)“That is getting worse….then again, Her husband were just there for the sake of keeping the Duchess institute face…..and if she gain these new prestige aspect…I am sure she would be able to free herself from that shackle..”.“[That man sure is a shackle for her…..it seems that Queen Duchess action does appeased you…]”.(T.A.S)“Of course, it did…”.Ever since we have our secret relationship, I can say for certain that Queen Duchess Angela were a
“That is getting worse….then again, Her husband were just there for the sake of keeping the Duchess institute face…..and if she gain these new prestige aspect…I am sure she would be able to free herself from that shackle..”.“[That man sure is a shackle for her…..it seems that Queen Duchess action does appeased you…]”.(T.A.S)“Of course, it did…”.Ever since we have our secret relationship, I can say for certain that Queen Duchess Angela were already mine, and she also thought the same way as well. Her marriage were just a simple political moves to strengthen the Duchess family prestige and by now that goal has already been achieved, hence that marriage has bore nothing beneficial at all. But naturally as a person and as a woman, Queen Duchess Angela has her needs and the one that can fulfilled that side of hers Is just me. And from her enthusiasm on this matter, I know for certain that she wanted this not just for her nation, but also to free herself from all of the limitation and sh
Meanwhile, inside the Alemia Royal Palace, which had now been converted into a central command hub, President Mies Sai listened intently to a military briefing.Across from him sat Department Vice-Director Nathaniel Grant of the Department of Resource & Infrastructure, his face alight with enthusiasm.“Sir, the employment program is exceeding expectations. We posted 5,000 positions for public kitchen chefs, and they were filled within a single day.”Mies Sai smirked. “I’m not surprised. The people have been desperate for stability.”Vice-Director Grant nodded. “Indeed. And now, with the cleaning and rebuilding project launching, we’re expecting a flood of applications. 100,000 slots may not even be enough.”General Lucas, seated nearby, chuckled.“We’ll need to start thinking ahead, then.” He tapped a report on the table. “Alemia isn’t just a city of civilians. We still have thousands of unemployed former soldiers from both the Queen’s and the Prince’s factions. Many of them aren’t cr
“I agree with implementing the employment program,” I said, voice firm. “But we’ll need to make several adjustments before we proceed.”Ramon nodded attentively. “What kind of adjustments, sir?”I leaned back slightly in my chair.“First, work hours need to be reduced. Given how many of the surviving population are either elderly or women, we can’t expect them to handle the same level of physical labor as a normal workforce.”Ramon took notes, his expression serious. “Understood.”“Second, child labor is absolutely forbidden. If anyone attempts to exploit children for work, they will face immediate punishment.”“Of course, sir. Aeternum law is clear on that.”I nodded. “Third, we’ll have to create alternative jobs that suit the city’s current demographic. Many of the women and elderly might not be able to do construction work, but they can handle administrative work, small-scale industry, and trade. We need to get creative.”Ramon grinned, impressed. “You’ve already thought several st
“Did the Queen know about this?” I asked, though deep down, I already knew the answer.Selie didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she reached into her bag, pulling out a single sheet of parchment. She laid it on my desk with a deliberate movement.It was an official decree, signed and stamped with Queen Romella’s royal seal. A decree authorizing the so-called “punishment” of nobles appointed by Aeternum.I closed my eyes briefly, suppressing the urge to slam my fist onto the table. The Queen knew, she had known all along. And she did nothing, or she were too consumed with all the power and luxuries that she just signed everything that come to her table, and now I had to clean everything back.Across the chamber, Duke Oliver Gust—or rather, Governor Oliver Gust, as he was now officially titled—stood near one of the balconies, observing the organized chaos with a look of deep contemplation. After taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I rose from my seat and walked over to him.“Quite
For years, Alemia’s people had been accustomed to fear—to being harassed, abused, and treated like pawns by the nobility and military alike.But today, as they walked through the clean streets, there was no shouting.No random arrests. No public executions. There was only order.And above them, in the vast blue sky, the Aeternum airships loomed—their massive steel frames gliding through the heavens, a symbol of dominance, protection, and change.For many, it was their first time seeing such technology up close.An elderly baker, standing at the entrance of his shop, shielded his eyes as he gazed upward."The Iron Birds…" he whispered, awestruck.Beside him, a young girl tugged at his sleeve."Grandpa, are they… protecting us?"A pause. Then, the old man smiled for the first time in years."Yes. I believe they are."Unlike the old regime, Aeternum’s governance was swift and efficient.Knowing that the city had suffered extreme shortages due to the war, Aeternum immediately opened publi
"I refuse to be treated like some common criminal! I am Count Malik! Minister of Finance! I have funded half of this war!"His voice echoed, but no one moved. No one spoke in his defense.Malik gritted his teeth and jerked violently, managing to break free from the grip of the young Aeternum private restraining him.With a twisted smirk, he raised his hand and struck the soldier across the face.A loud crack rang through the hall.For a moment, everything stood still.Then—BANG.A gunshot pierced the air, and Malik’s scream followed a split second later as he collapsed onto the floor, clutching his now bloodied knee.Standing over him, his pistol still smoking, was Sergeant Falkner.The seasoned Aeternum officer towered over the fallen noble, his expression one of absolute indifference."That was for touching my soldier," Falkner said, his voice as sharp as a blade.Malik writhed, his cries of agony mixing with gasps of horror from the other captives.Falkner bent down, his boot press
“I request a duel.”A murmur ran through both sides. Bina merely raised a single eyebrow.“A duel? Against me?” she said, tilting her head slightly, almost as if she hadn’t heard him correctly.Anton stood his ground.“If I win, you and your soldiers do not enter this palace.”Bina exhaled, her lips curving into something that wasn’t quite a smile.“And if you lose?”Anton’s jaw tightened.“Then my men will surrender peacefully.”A moment of silence passed between them.And then, Bina laughed.A deep, almost booming sound, filled with something akin to amusement… and disappointment.“You are either the bravest or the most foolish knight I have ever met, Captain Anton.” She rested her hand on the haft of her war axe, her fingers tightening around the weapon’s familiar grip.Anton did not flinch. Bina’s amusement faded. She gave him a firm nod. Both of them knew, this is actually a heartfelt plea from Anton, he wanted Grand General Bine to allow his men to live, this I his earnest beg.
At precisely 10 AM, just as the dust from the explosions had barely begun to settle, a deep echoing voice rang across the battlefield.“To the soldiers and citizens of Alemia!”It was him.The President of Aeternum.His voice carried through the winds, reverberating through the ruined streets, projected through Aeternum’s massive military speakers for all to hear.“Your war is over. Lay down your arms. Submit to the governance of Aeternum, and you will be spared.”His words hung in the air like a final judgment.And then, like a descending storm, the Aeternum Army finally began to move.It was a terrifyingly unified march.Thousands upon thousands of troops moved in perfect synchronicity, their steel boots pounding against the earth like a drum of war. Tanks rolled forward, massive military vehicles flanking the advancing battalions, gunships and airships circling the skies like mechanical reapers.At that moment, the people of Alemia saw it—the unstoppable tide of Aeternum’s might de
“Then let’s make history. Order the Navy Fleet 01 to launch three additional Type-1 Missiles. Targets: The East, North, and West gates of the capital.”The entire command bridge fell into stunned silence.Every officer, every technician, every strategist momentarily froze. Their eyes flickered with a mix of shock and anxiety as they processed my command. Even the seasoned veterans among them seemed momentarily taken aback.It was one thing to deploy a single missile.But three at once?That wasn’t just warfare—it was an annihilation order.Bina, Lucas, and Eliza, who had been following the situation via video conference, immediately reacted. Their holographic images flickered on the massive display before me, each one expressing their own unique emotions.Bina, ever the stoic and composed tactician, furrowed her brows, tapping her fingers against the table.“Mr. President… I assume you understand the full implications of this move?”I met her gaze without hesitation.“I do. This is th
At 6:45 AM, the order was given. Admiral Duchess Kolarova, commanding the Navy Fleet from the southern front, initiated the launch sequence. The missile streaked across the sky like a comet, its white trail a harbinger of devastation.From the Dragon One, I stood on the bridge, watching intently as the missile’s trajectory was displayed on the holographic screens. My officers around me held their breath, anticipation thick in the air.A few moments later, the missile hit its mark. The explosion that followed was nothing short of spectacular. The Alemia Capital City gates were obliterated, along with the surrounding walls and everything within a 100-meter radius. Dust and debris rose into the sky like a dark mushroom cloud, blotting out the early morning sun.The impact was beyond what any of us had anticipated. The "lowest-grade" missile had proven to be anything but low-grade.The news of the missile strike spread like wildfire through the Aeternum ranks. Soldiers, commanders, and of