“Severus, bring Miss Shiroko inside the middle tower, on the main room. She needs to rest and digest the information she just got. Everyone else, feel free to walk around the fortress but please don’t do anything that might aggravate the relation between us and your clan. My people shall do the same.” → Ryu
Ryu said with a calm tone but firm enough to be heard by everyone inside the cafeteria.
“Yes sir!”
Everyone from Ryu’s group exclaimed in one voice while getting up and hitting their chest with their right fist.
“Good. Tomorrow I’m going to raise our flag, I wish for every resident of this stronghold and future kingdom to get in front of the middle tower, I’ll announce our future’s kingdom at rising! Be sure to be present, I’ll show to everyone under what banner they’ll reside from tomorrow on!” → Ryu
“HOAAAAAAAH!”
Ryu announced, making every resident shout with cheers and make the players dumbfounded.
“Future Kingdom…? What?!”
“Is he serious?”
“N-no way… How does this stronghold will become an entire kingdom?”
The players were looking incredulous at Ryu, but the imposing aura and strong spirit of the people made them rethink the possibility of it turning into a kingdom.
Ryu and his group, together with the 10 leaders walked towards the meeting room. Gregor then opened his mouth, his face troubled.
“I have more questions, but first, why did you show everything to that leader? Do you believe her that much?” → Gregor
“No way.” → Ryu
Ryu said plainly while waving his hand in negation. He then looked at Bonny and sighed a little bit tired.
“But I do trust Bonny. She said the leader is a wise person so I gave her a chance. By giving her such information, I’m also giving her a test to see if she’s a trusted person and a future ally, or just another name on our blacklist.” → Ryu
Ryu said while sitting down and taking some papers with the plans of the buildings. He wished to make a new wall around the stronghold, widening their actual territory and building a wide training ground for the younger generations. He wished to transform the stronghold into a city with actual buildings and not just some wooden or dirt huts.
Afterward, Gregor asked other questions of which answers he already thought of.
“What happens if she passes the test?” → Gregor
“We’ll invite her group in our kingdom.” → Ryu
“And if she fails?” → Gregor
“Dead.” → Ryu
Everyone trembled at Ryu’s decisive answer while Gregor sighed lightly. No one expected for such a straightforward answer with the exception of Gregor, who was also thinking of this answer as the best one there is.
“R-Ryu…” → Bonny
Bonny was afraid that Ryu might kill her former leader so she grabbed her arm tightly.
“…Haah … Alright. Then I’ll search for a way to erase her memories. But if I fail in doing so, I might turn her into a retard, making no difference from killing her. Are you still okay with that?” → Ryu
“…I understood…” → Ryu
Bonny said with a sad face. Now she felt more nervous for her former leader, having some guilt for talking so highly of her and making Ryu have expectations. Afterward, Gregor continued asking his questions with the same serious face.
“…Alright, now my next question. Why are you letting the players run around the stronghold with no restrictions?” → Gregor
“Yes, about this, I wanted to talk with Andrew and Lilia.” → Ryu
Ryu then looked at the human and demon leaders.
“I wish for your groups to spy the players and film them with the recording crystals. When they are up to no good, record them from the start then take action after you got enough proofs. If they try to steal then break one arm, if they try to rape then break one ball, if they’re simply up to no good with the other people then just beat them up good. If anything else happens then I’ll let it for you to decide what to do. Be sure to film their faces as well while they’re doing the deeds.” → Ryu
Ryu said with a serious and ruthless face.
“Everyone leaves their weapons in front of their doors so when danger arrives they can take it out immediately. This will be a good test to see who can control themselves and who is just another thief, good for nothing.” → Ryu
“Ah.” → Andrew
Andrew answered with his usual indifferent face.
“Yes.” → Lilia
While the demon named Lilia answered with cold eyes.
After that they left the room, doing what they were assigned to do. The others looked a Ryu, surprised for thinking about such a plan.
“Has this answered to your question?” → Ryu
Ryu asked with a smiling face while drinking his tea and looking at the papers.
“Sigh~ Yes. Now that the problem with this clan is more or less resolved, let me ask you something I wished to do so right from day one.” → Gregor
“What is it?” → Ryu
“Why did you choose this place to build the kingdom?” → Gregor
It was indeed a question which everyone wished to know the answer of.
“Shen told me that this place is a “power zone” with a “different space”.” → Ryu
Ryu said calmly but making everyone look at him even more confused.
“Huh? What does that mean?” → Gregor
“I don’t really know myself. When we were deciding on a place for our fortress, Shen took out a map with the 2 continents and a good part of Eihwaz. He stretched it on the table then took out a pendulum made from quartz and silver chain he brought from the Snow Village. He lifted the pendulum over the map and started to focus. I didn’t really know what he tried to do at that time, but he moved the pendulum slowly on the map, like searching for something. After the pendulum moved over the places where the empires were built, it would start spinning. More different places spun like that but Shen continued to look on the map. He then moved the pendulum till it reached this exact point where it started to spin just like where the empires were shown on the map, actually, it spun even stronger, looking as if it would fly from his hand. After that, Shen told me that this place is a “power zone” and also has a “different space”. If we can build a kingdom here, the kingdom would fall only from inside and never from outside. The only way to destroy it would be to self destruct.” → Ryu
Ryu explained what Shen told him. He was amazed that he knew so many weird things and he thought that he might really need to read a book or two of his.
At this explanation, everyone looked with wide-open eyes. Bernard opened his mouth first.
“I never heard of such a way to find a good spot for building a kingdom and never heard for a spot to have such heavenly effects. Shen is truly from another world.” → Bernard
He said with amazement while shaking his head.
“Yeah, but I don’t know if we’re from the same world like him.” → Ronald
Ronald said with a dumbfounded face. Bonny, Marina and Gregor could only agree with him. Shen knew way too many weird things to say he was from the same world as them.
“Haha~ I agree on this as well. He also said that the only way to activate the power zone is to choose a word of power as the trigger, which he wishes to make it the kingdom’s name. As for the different space, he said he’ll research it on his own when he’ll get some more time.” → Ryu
“Why use the triggering power-word as the name of the kingdom?” → Bonny
“So the energy from the power zone could focus on the respective kingdom. He said that, with its help, the buildings will become sturdier, the terrain easier to change and the walls with the towers would emanate strong spiritual energy, making for a natural barrier around them and also for the best place in which we can raise our spiritual power.” → Ryu
Ryu explained everything while having a ridiculous feeling about such an explanation himself.
God damn! You said those books were your great-grandmother’s? What kind of family members do you have, man?! → Ryu
“…Haah … I can’t… getting any more surprised by Shen’s weird knowledge would already be stupid. I think I got used by now…nothing surprises me anymore.” → Gregor
Gregor felt his brain numb, he couldn’t even joke about this. It was simply ridiculous how many things a 19-year-old kid could know about things that were so useful in another world while he never even heard about them.
“Agreed.”
Everyone else nodded, their faces already plain. At this sight, Ryu laughed then asked.
“Haha~, anymore questions?” → Ryu
“Yeah.” → Tara
This time Tara was the one who wished to ask.
“You said you needed a power-word for the kingdom’s name, is it something like my Dhavala name?” → Tara
“Yes. It might be Sanskrit again. But I won’t say the name until tomorrow~.” → Ryu
Ryu said while putting his index in front of his lips, while smiling lightly.
“If you wish, I can show you the banner, though. Afterward, tell me your first thoughts about it!” → Ryu
Ryu took out a banner from inside a chest, then fully showing it to everyone to see.
“OOhhh~!”
When everyone saw the banner, they opened their mouth from surprise. They were surprised but in the same time, the flag described exactly how Shen and Ryu did things up till now.
“Knowledge and power…” → Tara
The little fairy said while dazed.
“Wisdom and Discipline.” → Dragoon
The dragoon was just as surprised.
“Decisive and firm, indeed.” → Bernard
Bernard said with a smile.
“Warmth and coldness!” → Severus
Severus said with a surprised voice.
“Mercy for my people and wrath to my enemies, Is it?” → Sara
Sara said with a knowing smile.
“Enters who wants-” → Maru
The pig-man named Maru, said with a smile.
“And stays who can.” → Fiora
Then Fiora continued.
“Truly, a befitting banner for the kingdom made by young master Ryu and young master Shen.” → Mingzhi
The old mice named Mingzhi, said with tears in his eyes from emotions.
“I’m happy you all like it. Please be present tomorrow in front of the middle tower.” → Ryu
“Yes!”
Everyone shouted with a strong voice.
The next day in the morning, the once open space in front of the middle tower was now full with people from all kind of races, they looked restless waiting for the announcement of the kingdom’s name to be heard and for the banner to be shown.
“Hey, is the leader alright? I heard she woke up but won’t get out from her room.”
In the crowd, some players were present, talking between themselves about the latest news.
“Actually, right after she woke up, she rushed inside the middle tower to search for that guy Ryu. Right now she must be inside the tower talking with him.”
“ Eh? Really? Think we’ll get out from here in a peaceful way?”
“I don’t think so. Last night, some of our people were caught stealing weapons or forcing themselves on the pretty girls around here. They were punished by getting one arm broken while the ones who tried to rape… Let’s not talk about what those idiots got as punishment, it hurts only thinking.”
The player was covering his lower part with a pale face. He was asked by some of them to go for a “hunt” in the night but he refused. He didn’t like to force people when doing this. Now his masculinity got saved by his righteous mentality.
“…That’s fearsome.”
The other player said with his face whitening, covering his lower part instinctively.
While everyone talked and whispered between themselves, the doors to the middle tower finally opened, showing Ryu and his group together with Shiroko. On their faces, calm smiles were visible for everyone to see.
“…It seems the leader was able to do something…?”
The players were dumbfounded by their appearances, as if nothing even happened the night before today.
“Ahem.” → Ryu
Ryu tried to imbue mana in his neck chakra so he could be heard by everyone present.
“Thank you everyone for being present on this special day. Today will mark the birth of a new Kingdom and also the beginning of a new era!” → Ryu
His voice boomed, but still, it was covered by everyone’s cheers.
“Hahaha~ I’m happy everyone feels just the same I do, but before I show the symbol of our future kingdom, let me make an important announcement.” → Ryu
Everyone was confused but still listened intently, not even hushing to each other.
“The biggest clan from the Southern parts of Nostrung wishes to unite with our kingdom! From now on, the clan Fire Wing will be a part of our family, and its members our people! Please welcome them nicely for they will now become one of the pillars of our kingdom!” → Ryu
The residents were pleasantly surprised by the news, cheering and applauding while the players were confused and thunderstruck, some were even irritated.
“What does that mean?!”
A player stepped forward and screamed at Ryu.
“What do you mean ”part of our family”?! Leader! How could’ve you make such a decision without asking us? What kind of leader are you?!”
The warrior asked with a face as if he were betrayed.
“I’m sorry but that was the best option for our survival. If we tried what I said, we would’ve been killed before even getting to the empire’s gates.” → Shiroko
Shiroko said with a bitter smile.
“What do you mean?! Aren’t we the heroes who will free the kingdoms of these continents from under the empires? Why are you suddenly giving up?!”
“Be realistic! What heroes? We are nothing more but another kind or residents of this world now! Everyone from this world can use the power we use, and even more so. Besides… Let’s say we succeed in freeing the kingdoms, you know what will happen after that? Wars even more brutal and merciless will break out all over the globe, the kingdoms fighting between themselves for supremacy and turning every land of this world into a bloody valley of misery and death! I don’t wish to be the cause of a massacre that might become the worst nightmare in history. Uniting with Ryu’s kingdom is the best decision, making the life-span of our clan even longer.” → Shiroko
Shiroko said all this with a calm voice, her eyes deep. She saw everything, the cruelty of the players from the vision, the war that almost broke down on Sario because of the demons and elves, the disaster they dodged without even knowing. Everything was digested by her in that night, making her think about all these and not letting her close an eye.
“Y-you…Were you brainwashed by this bastard?! How could you simply give up on your dream?! I’ll kill this bastard right now!”
The warrior took out his sword and slashed at Ryu with everything he got.
His sword was stopped by Ryu’s bare hand, holding it with his fingers. Black scales appeared on his palm, making the sword stop on them, while huge sparks shoot out from the collision.
“I brainwashed nobody, I just showed her the truth and waited to see if she was able to accept it. She accepted it with no problems yet her own people can’t trust her simply because she changed her mind. How laughable.” → Ryu
Ryu made a dark smile, his golden eyes dragon-like.
“Y-you monster!”
The warrior was terrified by Ryu’s eyes and he tried to put even more pressure on the sword.
“I might be one~ but you trashes are even worse than me.” → Ryu
Ryu said while feeling no pressure then he grabbed the huge sword and broke it, making the warrior fall on his butt.
“I made my people record you lot to see if you’re really not corrupted by the powers you have, the results? As expected, from the 300 people, 20 tried to rape, 60 tried to steal and more than 70 tried to do things like vandalism, drunk-fighting or make troubles with my people, all of this in just one night, impressive. Of course, I can see you being one of them, you’re still blue from the beating you got. The ones who were recorded this night can be exiled from the Clan, Shiroko gave her approval about this so you guys have no say in this.”. → Ryu
