Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 110

6. Preparing for the Founding of a Nation

1

President Vladimir, having issued an ultimatum to Dark Moon, awaited Johas’s response.

However, the reply came from an unexpected source.

“What? Marquis Luke contacted us through a secret line?”

“Yes, Your Excellency. He’s requesting a meeting to resolve the Dark Moon issue.”

The President frowned at his aide’s words.

“How did he find out about our secret line…”

“Wouldn’t he have acquired the treaty when he took over the Milton Kingdom?”

As the aide pointed out, the treaty contained the coordinates for a secret magical communication line established for urgent matters between the two nations.

The President was aware of this.

However, he hadn’t expected the treaty to fall directly into Luke’s hands.

‘Damn those Milton bastards! Even if they were handing over the country, they should have destroyed classified documents! Why did they leave them behind?’

The President was furious, but the only people who knew about the secret agreement between the two nations were the deceased King Myers, Count Bazo, Baron Mazer, and a few of the Royal Knights.

That was why the treaty had survived without being burned.

“Anyway, shouldn’t we send a reply?”

“Hmph, if he wants a meeting, tell him to come here on his own two feet.”

There were several uncomfortable issues between Marquis Luke and the Republic.

First, Luke, then commander of the Tolude Fortress, had played a crucial role in stopping the Republic’s surprise invasion a few years ago.

Moreover, he was romantically involved with Reina, the last royal of the old Volga Kingdom, and many Volga loyalists and refugees had settled in his territory.

And that wasn’t all.

He had somehow lured Dark Moon, the core force of the Volga Republic, to his territory.

Furthermore, he had cunningly hidden this fact for years.

Naturally, the President couldn’t help but grumble.

“But that’s a demand they’ll find difficult to accept, wouldn’t you say?”

As the aide said, the distance between Volga and the Milton Kingdom was quite far, and the hostile Baroque Empire was in between.

Moreover, the two sides were on such bad terms that they could start a war at any moment.

Asking Luke to come here was like asking him to walk into a dragon’s mouth.

“If they can’t accept such a request, there’s no need to talk. And since they requested the meeting first, they should have considered this much.”

President Vladimir wasn’t demanding Luke’s visit solely out of emotion.

He also wanted to resolve the Dark Moon issue through dialogue rather than force.

However, he had no intention of bowing his head first, so he wanted to negotiate from the advantageous position of his own territory.

Not long after sending the reply, Luke sent word that he would accept the Volga Republic’s request.

In response, President Vladimir informed him of the date, time, and location of the meeting and prepared to receive Luke.

The meeting place was a secluded mountain fortress on the southern border of the Volga Republic.

The President had stationed a special forces unit there, originally intended to attack Dark Moon.

The special forces unit, commanded by Duke Dimitri, included 30 Knight-class Gigants [large, humanoid war machines] and 150 Expert-level or higher knights.

In addition, there were 30 War Mages led by Marquis Tyron, and 5,000 elite cavalry, artillery, and infantry.

On the day of the meeting, the President visited the fortress and smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the deployed special forces.

‘Marquis Luke may be skilled, but he’ll be intimidated by this much military power.’

Moreover, his escort for the meeting was Duke Dimitri, who had become a perfect Sword Sage [a master swordsman].

He judged that no matter how much Luke prepared, it wouldn’t compare to the forces he had assembled.

“Your Excellency, Marquis Luke has arrived.”

“Hmm, he’s right on time.”

Upon hearing his aide’s report, Vladimir rose from his seat to greet Luke.

The President was dumbfounded when he saw Luke and his entourage entering through the wide-open fortress gate.

‘What? Only five?’

As the President saw, Luke had brought only five escorts.

They were Philip, Erewine, and Sebastian and Belfar, who were disguised as humans.

Seeing the special forces spread out inside the fortress, Philip involuntarily clicked his tongue and joked.

“That’s terrifying. It looks like all the best knights and mages in Volga are gathered here?”

“They’re definitely trying to intimidate us before the negotiations.”

Luke nodded as if agreeing with Erewine’s words.

However, he interpreted it differently.

‘They must be so wary of us that they feel the need to intimidate us.’

They were undoubtedly on guard and afraid, even if they didn’t show it.

It was understandable.

The Rakan March had won the war against the Milton Kingdom and annexed it.

Moreover, they had even defeated the Grenada Navy, which was considered the strongest on the continent.

The power of the Rakan territory was now absolutely comparable to that of the Volga Republic.

Anyway, Luke, with his escorts, passed through the ranks of knights with spears and swords and faced President Vladimir.

“I am Vladimir Lecov. It’s a pleasure to meet the descendant of a renowned hero.”

“I am Luke de Rakan. Thank you for the grand welcome.”

The words of the two men, who shook hands with smiling faces, were laced with barbs.

The President’s words contained criticism of Rakan’s descendant associating with dark mages, and Luke’s words contained sarcasm about being greeted with spears and swords by a distant guest.

“The sun is nice today, so I’ve prepared a place outside. If it’s uncomfortable, we can move inside.”

“No, there’s no need for that. People need to bask in the sun to stay healthy.”

The place Vladimir had prepared was in the middle of the garden, surrounded by layers of special forces.

It was like sitting on pins and needles due to the knights’ sharp fighting spirit, but Luke sat down without any concern.

‘He’s indeed a formidable man. There was a reason why my dream last night was unusual.’

Vladimir, who had the ability to have precognitive dreams, had dreamt of a silver giant fighting last night.

Usually, his precognitive dreams were vague or unclear, as if shrouded in fog, but yesterday was different.

The silver giant’s battle scene was so vivid.

The giant, holding swords of light and darkness in both hands, did not flinch or retreat even when struck by flames and lightning falling from the gray clouds.

Rather, it split the clouds and flew into the sky, wearing a brilliant golden crown that absorbed the light of the sun.

‘If that giant represents Marquis Luke, who has seized the throne of Milton…?’

The President, lost in thought for a moment, spoke to Luke, who was staring at him.

“I’ve heard of your valor before. You’ve done many things that are troublesome for us. But we’ve decided to overlook the past.”

“I don’t believe I provoked anything first?”

The forces that invaded the Baroque Empire and fought at the Tolude Fortress, as well as the fairies who tried to kidnap Reina, were all part of the Volga Republic’s intelligence agency.

However, the President ignored Luke’s point and continued his story.

“But this time, it’s hard to just let it go.”

“Does that mean you won’t give up on Dark Moon?”

“Of course not. They’ve been our comrades since the revolution. And recently, they’ve developed a Hero-class Gigant with the hard-earned taxes of the Republic’s citizens. How can we let someone else take that fruit?”

Luke chuckled at the President’s words.

If a third party who didn’t know the situation heard it, the President’s words would seem reasonable.

But his words were missing the truth.

“Your Excellency, do you know how Orion was developed?”

“Well, Dark Moon spent years of hard work…”

“Orion was created based on the blueprints I provided. Those blueprints are from the Veritas Magic Tower’s new Hero-class Gigant, Atlas.”

At Luke’s words, Vladimir, as well as Marquis Tyron, who was listening from behind, widened their eyes.

They had never heard such a story before.

“That’s absurd! It hasn’t been long since the Veritas Magic Tower fell. How could you have obtained the blueprints for a new Hero-class?”

Even if the blueprints were leaked, the Baroque Imperial Family, who had destroyed the Magic Tower, would have taken them.

“I obtained them before Veritas fell. Of course, I can’t tell you through what means.”

“That makes it even harder to believe.”

“You’ll believe it even if you don’t want to. You’ll see when you see the actual Orion.”

According to Johas’s explanation, the Volga Republic had captured an Atlas that was damaged during the last war.

Naturally, the Republic’s Magic Tower would have studied it by taking it apart.

In other words, if they saw Orion, they would know that it was a sibling machine made with the same design as Atlas.

Vladimir’s eyes flashed at Luke’s words.

“You’ll show us Orion? Does that mean you’ll hand over the new Hero-class Gigant to us?”

“If you pay the right price, there’s no reason not to sell it. It’s clear that part of the development cost was the Republic’s citizens’ taxes. But…”

Luke, who had paused mid-sentence, clearly stated his intention in a strong and clear tone to the President, who was staring at him.

“I absolutely cannot hand over Dark Moon.”

2

Whoosh!

With Luke’s bombshell declaration, the atmosphere in the meeting room changed.

As the President’s face turned cold, the already sharp fighting spirit surged as if trying to tear flesh.

However, Luke and his escorts were not weak enough to succumb to this level of pressure.

‘Hmph, they underestimated us.’

Philip was a Sword Master, Erewine was a 7th Circle mage, and Belfar and Sebastian were demons.

Naturally, they were skilled enough to easily withstand the fighting spirit emanating from the knights and mages.

However, there was one thing.

There was someone who had been catching Luke’s eye since a while ago.

It was a young knight with a sturdy build standing to the President’s right, but no fighting spirit or bloodlust could be felt from his body.

He was just looking at Luke’s group with a curious expression, as if he had come to this place for fun.

However, Luke knew that he was no ordinary man. His eyes were very similar to those of Grand Duke Gregory of the Holy Empire, and the aura he exuded was extraordinary.

‘A Sword Sage. Then is this man Duke Dimitri, who is said to be the strongest knight in the Volga Republic?’

During the republican rebellion… or rather, the civil war that the republic called the republican revolution, there was a swordsman who betrayed the royal family and sided with the republicans.

It was Dimitri, who was praised as the second strongest in the Volga Kingdom after Kamarov, the commander of the Royal Knights at the time.

Many of the Royal Knights were killed due to his betrayal, and it seemed he had reached the level of Sword Sage [a master swordsman].

‘If I had brought Commander Belic, there would have been a sword fight right away. They had a bad history in the past.’

As Luke smiled faintly at this thought, President Vladimir spoke coldly to him.

“Did you just say you can’t hand them over?”

“That’s right. They’re not objects, so it’s not like I can decide whether to hand them over or not. I asked them, and they said they don’t want to go back. I believe their intentions are clear. Isn’t that why you sent an ultimatum, Mr. President?”

“Of course, but…”

“Have you ever considered why they decided to leave the Volga Republic?”

Vladimir frowned at Luke’s question, which interrupted him, but he couldn’t say anything.

It was because Luke continued to speak, seizing the initiative.

“The amount of support the Volga Republic provided to the Dark Moon was ridiculously small. And even when more support was needed, you conscripted mages every time there was a war.”

The conscription continued even when the Dark Moon Magic Tower was severely damaged by Arsen’s attack.

However, despite taking so much, the republican government did not actively pursue the culprit who attacked the Dark Moon.

It was because they were worried about suffering damage if they intervened.

“I learned about the situation from a dark mage of the Dark Moon whom I captured as a prisoner when I was at the Tolud Fortress. So, I offered them to come under my command.”

At Luke’s explanation, Vladimir asked with a puzzled look.

“Why did the Dark Moon join hands with you? Aren’t you a descendant of Rakan, who killed Seimon, the founder of the Dark Moon?”

“Hah, it’s the current trend for yesterday’s enemy to become today’s ally. What’s the point of dwelling on a grudge from 500 years ago?”

After saying that, Luke looked at Marquis Tyron, whom he already knew, and said.

“And I think you know what kind of person I am from someone who had a hard time at the Tolud Fortress.”

“Kuh… !”

Marquis Tyron, remembering how he was deceived and defeated by Luke’s cunning tongue in the past, was so enraged that he gripped his staff so hard it nearly broke.

Regardless of what he did, Luke spoke calmly.

“I have no intention of relying on the name and reputation of my ancestors. I am willing to join hands with the devil if it means restoring my territory and avenging the Baroque Imperial Family that has oppressed my family for generations.”

“So, you stole the Dark Moon?”

“Yes, I gave them generous support so that they wouldn’t feel resentful. Not only funds but also the blueprints for a hero-class Gigant [a powerful, large war machine].”

Vladimir clenched his fist at Luke’s words.

He was annoyed by Luke’s brazen remarks, but he was also angry at himself and the surrounding officials.

The Dark Moon was an ally that helped them succeed in the republican revolution.

Nevertheless, they had subtly discriminated against them because they were a group of dark mages.

The result was this situation.

“As I mentioned before, I intend to sell Orion to the Volga Republic. Although I have obtained the Miltan Kingdom, it will take time to stabilize it, and I need more power to confront the Baroque Empire.”

“So, you’re saying you’ll use us as tools to defeat the Baroque Empire?”

“Yes, it doesn’t matter if the Volga Republic sees us as the same kind of tool.”

Vladimir chuckled at Luke’s words.

“Your proposal for an alliance sounds very plausible. But we can’t trust you.”

“Why is that?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? You have the remnants of the Volga royal family, and you’ve taken the Dark Moon. On top of that, you’ve even won over the leaders of the fairy race, haven’t you?”

They had been aware that the fairies’ movements were unusual for some time, but they only learned that they were supporting Luke the day before the meeting.

Brat, the leader of the elves, Amur, the leader of the Lycans [werewolves], and Fairy Queen Ariete had come to them knowing about this.

They requested the republican government to refrain from taking strong action and defended the Dark Moon and the Rakan territory.

“You’ve taken the pillars of our house, and now you’re trying to be generous? Do you think we’re fools? Did we look that easy to you!”

Bang!

The president slammed his fist on the table and jumped up from his seat.

As he became enraged, Dimitri, who had been sitting idly until now, widened his eyes and emitted fighting spirit.

Whoosh- Crack!

Suddenly, a wind blew around the negotiation table, and small and large sparks flew everywhere.

The mana around them was reacting violently to Dimitri’s intense fighting spirit as a Sword Sage.

Luke’s escorts, who had maintained their composure until now, looked bewildered by the terrifying pressure.

‘Oh my god, this is no joke?’

‘Oh no, if this turns into a fight…’

Philip and Erewine, as well as the demons Sebastian and Belfar, were sweating profusely.

The only person who was not shaken was Luke.

Even though Dimitri was focusing most of his fighting spirit on him, he was not flustered but rather wore a cold smile.

“Hahaha. I don’t know who’s treating whom like a fool.”

‘No!’

Dimitri’s expression changed as he glared sharply at Luke.

The moment Luke rose from his seat, a fierce energy like a flame erupted from him.

Whoosh!

“Did I look that easy to you?”

Luke returned the president’s words verbatim.

The fierce energy he emitted was so intense that it instantly evaporated other fighting spirits.

The intensity made the republican knights feel like they were seeing a giant as big as a mountain.

“H-Heok!”

“T-This is like a monster… !”

The only person who managed to hold his ground was Dimitri.

Now in the opposite position from before, he tried to push back Luke’s energy that was pouring down on him and the president by releasing his fighting spirit to the maximum.

However, it was not easy to cope with.

It was evident from the fact that the president was trembling like he had malaria and sweating profusely.

‘W-Why? I have reached the level of Sword Sage. I should be at the same level as Grand Duke Gregory or Rudolf, who are said to be the strongest on the continent, so how…’

Dimitri could not understand this situation.

But reality was different from what he knew.

Even though they were both Sword Sages, Gregory was much stronger than him, and Rudolf had stepped into the realm of Sword Emperor, which was one level higher.

Luke had faced both of them and even fought them.

In addition, he had fought against strong individuals such as the Draconian Shaikhan, the mad Taoist Guigokja, and the Lich Arsen.

Compared to the fighting spirit they emitted, Dimitri’s was at an ordinary level.

Moreover, Luke’s skills had improved even further recently as he mastered the late stage of Gold Aura [a powerful energy technique], so he could not be pushed back by Dimitri even if he wanted to.

‘Kuh, I can’t lose. Even if he is a descendant of Rakan!’

Dimitri gritted his teeth and reached for the sword at his waist.

The moment he took a stance to draw his sword, his fighting spirit turned into a Thunder Blade and flew towards Luke.

Kwarururung-!

“Die, Marquis Luke!”

The fighting spirit, reacting to Dimitri’s intense will, surged in like lightning.

A Thunder Blade that seemed capable of splitting a mountain in one go.

However, just as it reached near Luke, it was devoured by a fierce sword strike of a giant that fell from the sky, tearing through the air.

The sword strike, which instantly erased the Thunder Blade, flew straight towards Duke Dimitri and beheaded him.

“Keok!”

Dimitri grabbed his neck and fell backward.

However, there was not a single drop of blood on his hand. Luke had not even touched the hilt of his sword, let alone swung it.

In fact, the Thunder Blade of Dimitri and the late stage of Luke’s Gold Sword a moment ago were illusions created by the two men’s minds.

If they had actually unfolded, the surroundings would have been devastated the moment the two swordsmanship collided.

However, one absurd thing was that the power of the illusion created through the mind was higher than when Luke directly unfolded the late stage of the Gold Sword.

It was almost equal to the late stage of the Gold Sword that Yeon Garam had unfolded.

‘Well, it’s an illusion, so it could be like that.’

Thinking so, Luke looked at President Vladimir and Duke Dimitri, who had bewildered expressions, and said.

“Before you get upset about someone taking the pillars of your house, think about how well you managed your own pillars. And if I had looked down on you or thought you were insignificant, I wouldn’t have come here myself.”

“Hmm…”

The president’s expression calmed down a bit at Luke’s words that he had come not because he looked down on the Volga Republic, but because he thought they were worth making an alliance with.

“And like me, Reina has no intention of overthrowing the republic. She just wants the people of Volga to live peacefully.”

“How can we believe that?”

Unlike before, when the president asked with a somewhat respectful tone, Luke smiled faintly and replied.

“You must know that Reina has become the Pope of the Holy Artenia Empire. But even though she ignored the republic, has she shown any hostile attitude?”

“No, she hasn’t.”

Sylvia’s letter contained shocking information that Pope Veronica III of the Holy Empire was indeed Princess Reina.

It was also because she was busy with reforms within the Holy Empire, but as Luke said, she had never been hostile to the Volga Republic.

Rather, she had created a law for the relief of the poor, fairly selected talented individuals, and improved the tax system, which was consistent with the reform proposals that the republicans had been advocating.

“The only person who would be happy if we fought is Emperor Rudolf, President Vladimir. I believe that unlike Myers, you are not someone who would ruin the country for your own greed.”

As Luke said, the president had no desire for conquest.

The attack on the Baroque Empire was also to avoid being invaded first.

That was why he needed a hero-class Gigant, and he was furious at Luke for taking the Dark Moon, which was developing it.

“If you believe that, then I have nothing to say. If you, as the successor to the Miltan Kingdom, keep the secret agreement of mutual defense and sell the hero-class Gigant at a low price, I won’t make any more noise.”

“Of course, I will definitely keep those terms.”

The two sides, which had been in a tense confrontation for a while, reached a smooth agreement and settled the matter for now.

The detailed items will be decided later when the working-level officials of both sides meet in detail.

President Vladimir, who came out to see Luke off, muttered to himself as he watched Luke’s departing figure in the distance.

“Luke de Rakan… he’s not fit to be a king.”

“Not fit to be a king?”

Duke Dimitri tilted his head.

In his eyes, Luke had more than enough ability and courage to be crowned king of a nation.

However, the president seemed to think differently.

“He’s fit to be an emperor. There was a reason why he appeared as a giant in my dream.”

Perhaps another empire would be established on the continent within a few years.

President Vladimir was certain of it.

3

Luke, having resolved the Dark Moon issue, returned to his state affairs.

Thanks to his tireless efforts, the entire Miltan Kingdom came under his control without any major problems.

“Commander Rogers, how is the military reorganization progressing?”

At Luke’s question during the state affairs meeting, Baron Rogers answered.

“First, we plan to create a new knight order, mainly from the former Iron Fist Knights and the Miltan Royal Guard. We also plan to add about 20,000 more soldiers through conscription.”

Some of the former Miltan Kingdom knights refused to convert and left, but most accepted Luke as their new lord.

Some were disappointed by Myers’ remarks, but most were impressed by Luke’s tolerant actions and chose to join him.

Rogers intended to carefully select them for the military.

There was no other way to quickly increase military power.

“So, our regular army will consist of a total of four knight orders and 60,000 soldiers?”

“That’s correct, including the territory of Albertville.”

“Hmm, that’s not a small number. It seems like it will cost more than I thought.”

The military is a group that only consumes resources without producing anything.

However, it could not be arbitrarily reduced or disbanded. If military power is weak, it would be immediately devoured by surrounding forces.

This was especially true in the current chaotic times.

As the Baroque Empire was torn apart by civil war, those with power could now seize surrounding territories at will.

Fortunately, the war with the Miltan Kingdom ended quickly, so the Rakan Marquisate’s production capacity was hardly damaged.

The southern trade, which had been suspended, was also resumed after defeating the Grenada navy.

“Baron Rogers, ensure that the new troops are thoroughly armed and trained.”

“Understood, Lord!”

With that, the report on important matters was concluded.

However, the vassals did not leave and were just cautiously watching him.

“Is there anything else to say?”

“Ahem, well…”

Hans spoke on behalf of the hesitant vassals at Luke’s question.

“Lord, isn’t it time for you to ascend to the throne?”

At his words, the vassals in the great hall nodded in agreement.

Their faces were filled with longing.

Already, the kingdoms of Livia and Miltan had declared their independence, breaking away from the influence of the Baroque Empire.

The Rakan Marquisate, which had conquered the Miltan Kingdom, had sufficient power, territory, and justification to declare the founding of a nation.

“In the last war, the Baroque Empire did not provide any assistance to our territory. This is a violation of the contract between lord and vassal.”

In the feudal lord system, the contract between lord and vassal was very important.

The king or emperor had the duty to protect the territories of the lords in exchange for military power and taxes.

However, Emperor Rudolf did not provide any assistance during the war with the Miltan Kingdom.

Of course, he was busy suppressing the Kingdom of Livia and keeping the Volga Republic and the Holy Empire in check, so he did not have the capacity to help the Rakan Marquisate.

However, despite having other options besides military action, such as protesting and pressuring the Kingdom of Grenada diplomatically, he completely ignored them.

He probably wanted the Rakan Marquisate to fall… or rather, he wanted both Rakan and Miltan to weaken due to the war.

“Moreover, the Baroque Imperial Family has maintained a long relationship with the Veritas Magic Tower, which secretly researched black magic. Isn’t it likely that the reason why the past heads of the family and their successors died unexpectedly or prematurely was because of their machinations?”

“That’s right. They must have cast a curse with black magic!”

Luke chuckled at Hans and the vassals’ words.

Indeed, he was cursed.

And he had confirmed through Hydra, who had become his familiar, and the imperial intelligence agents that the Baroque Imperial Family had cursed the Rakan family.

However, he could not make it public because the information channels were not legitimate.

However, it was enough to use Hans’s speculation as justification.

It was true that the Veritas Magic Tower had researched black magic and that the Baroque Imperial Family had a close relationship with them.

“There is no reason or need to serve the Baroque Imperial Family any longer. I believe you should ascend to the throne as soon as possible and sever the past ill-fated relationship.”

When the nobles of Miltan surrendered and offered the crown, Luke had considered independence.

However, he had been too busy annexing and stabilizing the kingdom, so he had forgotten about it for a while. Now, his vassals were bringing it up first.

Reading the longing in their faces, Luke nodded and opened his mouth.

“Yes, I think so too. Now is the time. But before that, there is something I want to make clear. That is the issue of the new national name and the relocation of the capital.”

“A new national name and relocation of the capital?”

The vassals quickly became noisy.

Luke quieted them down and continued to speak.

“In the current territory, the Rakan territory is biased to the southwest. In order to challenge the Baroque Empire in the future, we must move the capital, which will serve as a base, to the north.”

If the capital was too biased to one side, there would be many inconveniences in the development of the country.

The movement of troops and the spread of logistics would be difficult, which would not be good for the balanced development of the territory.

At Luke’s point, Bentley, the finance officer, raised an issue.

“Do you have a specific place in mind? Relocating the capital will cost a lot of money.”

“That would be the case if we were to build a new city. But if we use an existing major city, I don’t think there will be any problems.”

“Then, let’s keep the city of Brenden as the capital. Brenden is five times larger than the Rakan Lord’s Castle, and all the conditions are well established.”

“It’s also a suitable location for aiming for the north.”

At Bentley and Rogers’ words, the vassals all seemed to agree.

Luke had also decided to make Brenden the capital, so he did not object.

“But, is there really a need to change the national name?”

Marquis Volant, who could be called the representative of the former Miltan nobles, stood up and expressed his doubts.

“Of course, there is. The name Miltan Kingdom was given because it was the successor to the former Miltan Duchy. But that lineage has been severed, and the current territory of the kingdom has exceeded the area of the former Miltan Duchy. Therefore, I believe we need a new national name that everyone can agree on.”

Many of the leaders and people of the Rakan Marquisate had no connection to the Miltan Duchy.

Therefore, Luke wanted to create a new name that was more suitable for the new territory than the Miltan Duchy.

At Luke’s logical rebuttal, Volant and the other former Miltan nobles, who had secretly wanted to continue using the name of the Miltan Kingdom, could no longer argue.

“Then, will you name it the Rakan Kingdom after your family name?”

At one vassal’s question, Luke shook his head.

“I wish I could, but I want to use a name that everyone can agree on and that embodies the ideals of the nation.”

In fact, the talk about agreement and ideals was just an excuse.

Until now, it had been unavoidable, but from now on, he wanted to avoid the name Rakan being mentioned as much as possible.

No matter what, Rakan was just an enemy who had killed his past self.

“It’s very difficult to find such a national name…”

“It’s worth it as much as it’s difficult. Personally, I would like it to be called ‘Symphonia,’ but what do you all think?”

At Luke’s suggestion, the vassals’ eyes sparkled.

“Symphonia… I know it’s an ancient word that means harmony or unity.”

At Bentley’s question, Luke nodded.

“That’s right. Why? Do you dislike it?”

“It’s not that. Rather, considering that Rakan, Miltan, and other territories will unite to become one nation, it seems like an appropriate name.”

As most of the vassals showed signs of agreement, unlike what he had expected, Luke smiled in satisfaction.

In fact, Symphonia was the name of a small country that existed in the southern part of the Rodisia continent at the end of the ancient magic civilization.

Uniquely, this country had no classes such as slaves or nobles, and did not distinguish between humans and elves.

Regardless of race, all citizens were considered equal and had the right to be happy.

Symphonia, which had a different system and ideology from the magic empire Avalon, which was the strongest power at the time, lasted for quite a long time even after the collapse of the magic civilization.

‘The fact that the country was able to withstand the extreme chaos and invasions at the end of the magic civilization was, paradoxically, due to the harmony and unity of its members. This is something I definitely need to keep in mind.’

Luke learned about the existence of Symphonia from documents he obtained while excavating ancient ruins during his time as Simon.

He was impressed by it and intended to reflect Symphonia’s system and policies in reality when the opportunity arose.

Now was that opportunity, and he intended to start by naming the country Symphonia.

Fortunately, the new national name was accepted without much opposition.

There would be those who would object when they learned about the future policies, but Luke had no intention of making them public right now.

Too rapid changes would obviously cause chaos, so he planned to change them slowly.

‘This is why an academy is needed.’

Education is a project to nurture the new sprouts that will become the future leaders.

If new ideas and systems were spread through such a project, the world could be changed much more easily.

Thinking so, Luke gave instructions to his vassals.

“Anyway, let’s proceed with the work, considering it not just a simple coronation ceremony but the founding of a nation. The country’s finances are tight due to post-war reconstruction, so let’s try to save as much money as possible.”

“Yes, Lord… no, Your Majesty!”

The vassals all bowed their heads.

Tears of emotion were flowing in the eyes of the vassals who had served the Rakan Marquisate for a long time.

“Lord Hans, I will appoint you as the chairman of the nation-founding preparation committee. So, please make all the necessary preparations.”

“I will do my best, Your Majesty!”

Hans, who knelt respectfully before Luke, shouted in an emotional voice.

Appointing him as the chairman of the nation-founding preparation committee meant that he was the most trusted among the many vassals.

With this, Luke de Rakan, the marquis of the Baroque Empire, no longer existed.

Instead, the name of Luke, the king of Symphonia, spread throughout the continent.