Park led everyone into the royal city, without the warm welcome of the allied forces when they liberated Paris, only empty streets and refugees who had no idea if the war was over.
For me, the emperor's throne of Kingdom Inslay seemed within reach, but I didn't care for it. To put it nicely, I wasn't interested, but in reality, I didn't have the ability to govern a country. Not to mention whether I could restore the paralyzed economy, but first and foremost, I didn't have the leadership qualities. Perhaps to outsiders, Wolfrang, Leya, Park, the orc lord, and others all obeyed my commands, and on the surface, I was the leader of the coalition forces. However, the few of us understand that Chen Raul was merely a man willing to share the same hardships as his brothers.
Everyone chose me, and I would responsibly respond to everyone's expectations. Regardless of how high my prestige would be in the end, I would still be an outsider, and that couldn't be changed in just one or two years.
The kingdom's defeat left behind countless messes, including many once well-off magicians. I also thoroughly understood the position of magicians within the kingdom.
Human magic first appeared more than four hundred and seventy years ago, back when the kingdom's development direction was still focused on science, and magic was only at the level of making handkerchiefs float in the air. Magic truly began to demonstrate its power due to the trade between black merchants and monsters. The gemstone that could amplify magic changed hands from monsters to humans, and more and more people began to study magic.
At that time, magic was like playing golf, belonging to a strange form of advanced entertainment, especially as the price of gemstones became more and more expensive, only nobles could afford to learn and perform magic tricks.
One hundred years later came the great war. The cause of the war was the plundering of magical resources. In the kingdom's historical records, I found many anecdotes. For example, there was a small humanoid monster that was skilled at climbing trees and lived in treetops. They would hide marvelous stones and strange plant flowers in their nests. When the nobles found out, they wanted to defeat and subjugate them. When their attempts failed, they exterminated them, looting the precious magic stones and flowers.
There was also a record about Medusa. The nobles believed that Medusa's eyes could also be used as materials to amplify magic, so they summoned death warriors to deplete Medusa's magic through attrition tactics. They actually captured a solitary Medusa, but when they dug out its eyes, they found they couldn't be used for magic research and gave up. Of course, the Medusa I rescued wasn't the one mentioned in the history books.
The horns on succubi's heads, the feathers of thunderbirds, and other parts of monsters were also used as materials for magic research, showing the frenzy of magic research at that time.
I couldn't help but find it funny and pathetic, and it reminded me of the story of blood buns.
And finally, I saw through the true nature of that war. It was more like trying every means to obtain magic-related resources from those monsters. To delve deeper, it was the nobles who weren't satisfied with the resources brought by the black merchants and hoped to gain more through violence.
The historical records didn't mention how many lives were sacrificed, but only talked about the abundant results of that operation. Magic spells like Cracked Flame and Dark Extinguishing Spear were the prototypes of that era.
Magic had finally risen from entertainment to a formidable ability.
Later, magic became the standard for ranking people. The higher the magical power, the more magic one could master, and the higher the status. Various privileges began to surpass ordinary humans. It seemed reasonable since technology was for popularizing among the masses while magic couldn't be popularized just by wanting to. However, magicians overlooked one thing: the ability to use magic didn't mean the ability to scientifically manage a country.
Counting back a hundred years from now, the kingdom's technology has almost stagnated, and the production process for rifles has not changed in over fifty years. The Magic Council probably used all their resources on cruel experiments like the Catherine siblings...
The likes of General Bo and other military leaders are dissatisfied with all this, but they dare not speak up.
Currently, we have several hundred surrendered magicians on our hands. Who should we hand them over to? And what should we arrange for them to do? I'm really struggling with this decision.
It took me a while to find Borkin, who had already been demoted, with my wife. Without the Magic Council and the emperor, he still had some popularity, even when the regular army of the kingdom was cowering in their barracks, giving up resistance.
"Borkin, your hair has turned white."
"Raul, should I thank you for that?"
"Saying thank you doesn't seem appropriate."
"Then should I call you Your Majesty?"
"Don't say that, I'm a poor man who can't even afford cream."
I've said before that General Bo and I would meet again, but not on the battlefield. The soldiers watched in amazement as Bo and I shook hands, knowing that the burden of the kingdom's revival would fall on this former general.
Since his defeat in battle, Bo has been reflecting on what I once said to him. He has his own ideas, but they differ from my original intentions. Bo believes that I will completely destroy the Magic Council, then take the position of emperor and make him a true general, free from having to consider the wishes of the Magic Council. At the same time, I will bring advanced knowledge and ideas to the kingdom. So when he heard about the army's major defeat, Bo wasn't worried at all, he was rather happy.
But my plans are not as grand as Bo thinks. I used to be just an ordinary citizen, and now I just want to be an ordinary citizen. I don't understand advanced ideas, and I'm not a politician. The kingdom cannot be ruled by a puppet emperor, nor by monsters or outsiders. Even if Simmon were still alive, he would be a hundred times better than me as emperor.
After much thought, I offered the magicians the most humane treatment. Apart from stripping them of some unreasonable privileges, they can continue their magical research and live their lives as they did before, but under the direct supervision of General Bo.
Magic itself is not guilty, only those who use magic for their own selfish desires are.
In addition, I thoroughly investigated inhumane experiments similar to those of the Catherine siblings. Several key individuals were executed, and the dark secrets of the Magic Council were exposed to the public.
If you ask me what the greatest gift I have given to the people of the kingdom is, it would be making them abandon the outrageous Bright Church and redirect their energy towards production in industry and agriculture. Why did they decisively abandon their religious beliefs, which had lasted for about three hundred years? It's simple, because the Bright Church couldn't protect them from artillery shells, while we and the monsters are helping them rebuild their damaged homes.
"Raul, I still don't understand why you are helping us rebuild."
"The war is over. As participants in the war, it is our responsibility to restore everything."
As I answered Bo's question, Sasa and I knocked down the broken bricks and placed new ones in the gaps of the damaged walls. The werewolves and the brothers of Night Fall Town were also doing similar things, and the orcs wanted to help too, but I sent them away. Letting a group of guys who build huts with hemp ropes and wooden sticks repair brick and tile houses, who knows what they will end up with, but I could clearly see that the orc lord was very interested in these sturdy buildings.
All the monsters maintain minimal communication and follow my orders. The best way for someone to show their attitude is not by shouting slogans, but by doing more. Even if I go down the street with a loudspeaker shouting, "Monsters don't want to harm you!" the people of the kingdom would not believe it. Only through practical actions can we prove it. This process takes time, but it will be quick.
On the third day, when Sasa and I saw a woman timidly thank a werewolf who helped her carry wood, we knew that we had truly changed this world, just the two of us.
During the reconstruction process, some humans developed blind admiration for me. They were the rebels who had fought against the Royal Guard at that time. It couldn't be helped; I did come across as a bit arrogant. They followed me and Sasa around all day, and even gave me weird "titles" that I didn't understand, such as "Dark King"...
As it was turning into a cult, I quickly made it clear to them. I fully explained to them that I have no magic and that I am just an ordinary human who bleeds when cut. I earnestly persuaded them to fully dedicate themselves to the development and construction of the kingdom. Although I managed to persuade them to leave, my reputation remained, and they would still come up to me to flatter me...
A week later, some monsters withdrew, and the leaders of various factions remained in the royal capital to discuss future plans. The twenty-one members of the Magic Council were used as a conference table, and my wife and I sat in the position representing the rulers, negotiating with the representatives of the Allied Forces and the kingdom. It goes without saying that the representatives of the Allied Forces were present, and on the kingdom side, there was the Chief of Staff, the head of the Exchange, the representative of the adventurers, the representative of the wizards, a renowned scholar, and a humble farmer.
There was no fierce confrontation in this negotiation. No one spoke about conditions or voiced their needs. The kingdom, being in a position similar to the defeated side, did not dare to demand anything. As for the Allied Forces, apart from the orc lord wanting to build houses for his people, the others did not have many demands for the kingdom's resources. What everyone wanted most was already achieved, and that was peace.
"Since no one is saying anything, then we will." My eyes met with Sasa's, and we spoke our common thought.
"Restore the black market as usual."
Everyone present was stunned, as they seemed not to understand our intention.
Gray was the first to react and immediately expressed his agreement. This simplest request could actually fulfill the needs of all of us. From now on, the black market no longer needed to secretly sell magic materials or ore to the kingdom. Humans and monsters would become true trading partners. Whether it was technology or resources, they could be shared to the fullest extent.
After some explanation, everyone thought it was a good idea. Although Gray hoped that both sides would sign some written agreements, I believed it wasn't necessary. The more things were stipulated in words, the more people would feel constrained. The peace and friendship between monsters and humans cannot be determined by a piece of paper.
Adventurers had new goals in this new era. They would become the Columbus and Magellan of the kingdom, venturing to further places and exploring more unknowns. I believe that this world is not just the country of Inslay.
Finally, the Chief of Staff still hoped that I could lead this small country, which was actually very significant to the world but personally large to me. But I still refused. The reason why I believe Borkin can find the way to revive the country is because I see two advantages in him. First, Boerke truly loves his homeland. During the Battle of the Southern Plains, even though he knew his army would suffer heavy losses, he still chose to march without receiving much magical assistance. He embodies the will of the nation and will not betray it. Second, Boerke is able to assess the situation and make the most suitable decisions for himself and the kingdom, based on my simple words. The destiny of the country should be in the hands of such a person.
"I'll leave it to you, after all, you are the one from this country, I'm just passing by."
"But Raul, don't you really want to become the emperor?"
"Haha, Marshal Borkin, do you love your country?"
"Of course!"
"So, you love your homeland, and I love my Medusa. Goodbye."
At this moment, Marshal Borkin's eyes should be fixated on the sweet sight of me, with my right hand around Sasa's waist. There are still many things for us, as a couple, to do, those things we had planned before.
