Chapter 566: Star Expeditionary Force

The new round of discussions endured for a full half-month, and after repeated consultations, the first draft of the framework was finally established.

In the final analysis, whether they directly chose a new model of nobility or agreed to multiple children sharing inheritance rights under the old system, they were all seeking their own maximum benefit under the rules formulated by Ronin.

In early October, less than a month after the founding of the Kingdom of Stars, plans for the inception of the empire were already underway.

It was ultimately agreed that once the final inch of the Kingdom of Tricia was occupied by Ronin, all nobles and officials would gather at Mist Castle to hold the imperial grand ceremony.

As the future imperial capital, Mist City was already slated for the construction of a new palace, following deliberations between the Ministry of Works and other departments.

Everything was unfolding along the path Ronin had envisioned.

After becoming king, Ronin grew increasingly busy; this was his own country, and there were many areas that required his personal redesign.

Though the steps of reform could not be taken too hastily, a plan was nevertheless essential.

Over the past two years and more, various books drafted and published by the Ministry of Rites would be made available for sale, and the method of selecting talent through examinations would be gradually implemented, along with new prospects such as structural planning and promotion rules within the army.

Sometimes when caught in the tide of work, Ronin would go entire nights without sleep, though fortunately with his current strength, sleep was merely a habit, and going without it seemed of little consequence.

As for his personal situation.

Since becoming king, he had first completed the world-renowned achievement, earning fifty thousand attribute points;

Secondly, the reward multiplier for signing in had increased to six times the original, meaning the attribute points and energy essences obtained through monthly sign-ins had risen to 834 and 690 points respectively.

On the first of October, Ronin consumed all of his accumulated attribute points and energy essences.

He himself did not break through, as the progress for a hundred and twenty thousand magi required far too many attribute points.

However, the more than one hundred and thirty thousand energy essences not only raised the strength of Maken and Elrond to the peak of the ninth rank and allowed Rydal to break through to become a sage, but also left a remainder of 8,699 points.

Once Ronin became emperor and the Northern Crow Fief became a mega-city to earn two hundred thousand energy essences, he would be able to help Maken and Elrond break through.

By then, he would possess one sage, two legends, and a legendary dragon under his command.

And he himself would merge the fire of the soul with his physical body into an immortal form, stepping into the realm of the Great Sage.

This time would not be long.

In Ronin’s view, even if Phoenix arrived in person, he would have nothing to fear.

It was only a pity that Phoenix would not brave the Storm Sea to cross over here, risking the loss of balance between the human and demon races on the Crescent Continent.

Having learned through an incarnation that a sage existed on the Continent of Stars, Phoenix contacted the other two lords, Salonas and Seres, and after consulting the soon-to-awaken Nightmare Fiend King, initiated an assault on the human race.

The situation of minor skirmishes over the past years could no longer be maintained.

They prepared to launch large-scale, fierce operations against the Human Alliance entrenched in the Dawn Woodlands and the Desolate Lands before the strength of the new sage could reach the Crescent Continent.

Meanwhile, even as Ronin transformed the nation, he actively promoted industrialization; iron warships, agricultural fertilizers, potions, mechanical looms, internal combustion engines, and new building materials were already drawn upon the blueprint of his five-year and ten-year plans.

In November of the Imperial Year 975, the Kingdom of Tricia officially collapsed, every inch of its territory occupied by Ronin’s army, and every noble loyal to Tricia was either reduced to a commoner or placed by Ronin into civil or military groups as ordinary citizens to redeem themselves through service.

In May of the Imperial Year 976, as the King of the Kingdom of Stars and witnessed by numerous nobles, civil servants, and knights including Grand Duke Ibn, Grand Duke Vargis, Duke Rulans, and Duke Rydal, Ronin became the common sovereign of all, the Guardian of the Realm of the Continent of Stars, and the First Emperor of the Star Empire!

Sitting upon the high throne, Ronin looked down at the vast hall filled with figures, unable to help but feel a momentary sigh of nostalgia.

When he had first crossed into this world, he was merely the eldest son of a family stripped of inheritance rights, a minor baron of the northernmost Mountain Town in the Black Mountain Fief.

At that time, he was still fretting over gold coins, worrying about hostile neighbors, acting with utmost caution everywhere, as if walking on thin ice.

Relying on the strategy of hoarding grain widely and delaying the claim to kingship, he grew stronger step by step, never expecting that in just nine years, he would sit upon the throne as the common sovereign of the continent.

Now, having become the First Emperor of the Star Empire, Ronin no longer had a great desire for power; what he wanted more was to reshape this world into the world he desired.

Design and realization were, to certain people, a form of pleasure.

Of course, he also knew that while no one on the Continent of Stars could threaten his rule, the powerful enemies of the Crescent Continent remained a constant threat as long as they were not eliminated.

Thus, in the years that followed, besides the development of the empire, he had Simon actively deploy the production of warships;

He had Rydal, Maken, and others maintain high-intensity training to cultivate more transcendent beings;

He had Elrond, Sophia, and others accelerate the output and variety of magical potions.

Aside from this, he also needed to impart his thoughts and vision to his growing son Roland, as well as to his grandfather Rulans and his wife Blanche.

This was so that his departure would not hinder the operation of the empire.

In April of the Imperial Year 990, Northern Crow Port.

Although Mist Castle was the imperial capital, the status of Northern Crow City had always remained at the forefront of all cities in the empire.

As an important port connecting Northern Crow City to the outside world, Northern Crow Port had undergone several rounds of expansion over the past decade, and had long since become the sole mega-port of the Star Empire.

On ordinary days, massive steamships would berth at the wharves of Northern Crow Port, the smoke rising from their funnels intertwining with the busy scenes of loading and unloading, symbolizing the smooth progress of Ronin’s industrialization.

Today, however, all cargo ships remained anchored on the sea far from the harbor, and berthed at the port wharves was an imperial fleet composed of dozens of iron warships.

This was the force Ronin had assembled over many years, determined to rush to the Crescent Continent, and named by him the "Star Expeditionary Force."

Beneath the hundred-meter-long flagship stood crowds of people seeing them off.

"Very well, Blanche, with my current strength, crossing the ocean is an easy matter. And with my speed, as long as conditions permit, I can return at any time."

Ronin embraced Blanche, gently patting her shoulder.

Now forty years old, Ronin’s appearance showed no change, and facing his warm family at this moment, he carried no particular imperial aura, appearing exceedingly gentle.

Blanche nodded slightly, her eyes rimmed with red, doing her best to keep her tears from falling.

Today, by virtue of her own talent and the assistance of the Book of the Dead, she had already stepped into the realm of a Grand Mage.

Beside the two stood Ronin’s eldest son Roland, his eldest daughter Rosa, and his ten-year-old second son Roger.

Ronin patted the shoulder of Roland, who was nearly as tall as he was, "After I leave, you must help your mother raise your sister and brother well. Furthermore, learn more about state affairs from your great-grandfather."

Roland was quite modest, and under the tutelage of Ronin and various teachers, he was a fitting successor.

However, Ronin had not abdicated yet; his departure was merely giving Roland time to gain experience.

"Rest assured, Father, I will work hard!"

Ronin then bid farewell to Rosa, Roger, Rulans, and the others, before leading his team onto the warship.

Soon, waving his hand, he departed from the port amidst a sea of watching eyes.

For this march, Ronin’s lineup was exceptionally powerful.

At the pinnacle of strength, besides himself as a Great Sage, Rydal and Elrond were both Sages, Maken had reached the mid-stage of Legend, and there was the miniature legendary dragon Carlos.

Beneath the Sages and Legends were Sun Knights such as Duke Ibn, Count Nison and Marquis Gushan from the Principality of Gistana, and Silver Moon Knight Patrich.

As for the magi, besides Elrond, there were Grand Magi Belora and Sophia, Archmage Irene, and a magical squad composed of more than thirty high-level magi and above.

Not counting ordinary troops and logistics, there were a full eight hundred transcendent individuals alone, all well-trained elites.

Of course, despite drawing away so many elites, Ronin had still ensured the security of the empire.

First, Rulans and the remaining Simon had both successively stepped into the Sun rank;

Secondly, Karada, Melonica, Broll, and Hamon, four men trusted by Ronin, had all become Silver Moon Knights.

In addition, the imperial legions were left to Joffrey and others who had followed Ronin all the way up, leaving no crisis of trust.

Furthermore, Blanche herself was a Grand Mage who commanded the Book of the Dead, and her personal combat capability was comparable to a Sun knight.

"Ronin, thank you for your assistance!"

On the ship's bow, Sophia spoke gratefully; her heart, like those of Anya and Petro, trembled with emotion.

The five-member squad had spent nearly twenty years on the Continent of Stars—now, at last, they were returning home.

Most crucially, they brought back an ally of unparalleled significance—an immeasurable gift to the human race of Crescent Continent.

Pushing aside a faint melancholy of leaving behind what had become familiar, Roland smiled. "Defending against the evil demonic race is our shared duty. There is no need to thank me."

He turned toward the direction of Crescent Continent, his voice low and resolute: "May this war between humanity and demons end in a perfect victory for humankind!" (End of Chapter)