Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 648 - 647: Empire

Entering the study carpeted with deep blue velvet, Victoria felt a sense of the world turning upside down, as if everything had changed.

The first time she entered here was with her father, led by the previous Duke of the North. Here she saw Francis II in his prime and the young Wales Moen. At that time, she was still a slightly naïve girl, and the country was running steadily and monotonously as it had for centuries, seemingly never to change.

The last time she came here was on the eve of her departure for the Gigantic Tree Path Entrance. Sitting behind the desk was Wales Moen, who had returned to Silver Castle. The kingdom was in the process of splitting apart, and an unexpected and terrifying crisis was brewing on the Plains of the Holy Spirits.

Now, having survived a life-and-death crisis, she faced a turning point in the nation’s fate. The owner here had become that resurrected Duke, and she vaguely sensed that history was gradually focusing on this room, and she... was witnessing it all.

"Please sit down, make yourself comfortable," Gawain stood by the desk, watching the two Protectorate Dukes enter the room and the Attendant closing the door and leaving. Gawain spoke in a relaxed tone, "We need to talk about the future of this country."

"Yes... Duke," Baldwin nodded, found a seat and sat down. He continued to address Gawain as "Duke" since Gawain had yet to be crowned or officially confirm and announce the future framework of the country, so for now, he could only address him as Duke.

"Please wait a moment, there is another participant," Gawain pressed his right hand down slightly, indicating for the two Guardian Dukes to wait, while his gaze fell on the newly placed Magic Web Terminal on the desk, "She is establishing the connection... The Magic Web here is not very stable, and it’s under adjustment."

The two Guardian Dukes simultaneously turned their gaze to the magic machinery with a triangular metal base and crystal core that was flickering faintly. Victoria had seen a Magic Web Terminal before, but Duke Baldwin had never seen it in person, only having encountered its description in some reports and sketches. The Duke of the West stared intently, not concealing his curiosity in the least: "Is this the magical device that can make the communication spell inexpensive?"

Gawain nodded: "You could say that, but in fact, it’s much more efficient than the communication spell—although it relies on a complex infrastructure to operate, its scalability and unit cost far surpass those of the communication spell."

"I once imagined how to expand the range of the communication spell and lower its casting requirements, which would be beneficial for both the economy and the military, but research hadn’t made much progress," Baldwin couldn’t help but lean in towards the device as if wanting to understand its principles carefully, "...it’s a completely different approach..."

"Bzzz—"

As they spoke, the Magic Web Terminal suddenly emitted a buzzing sound, and the projection crystal at its core instantly lit up. Duke Baldwin stepped back half a step in slight surprise, seeing a holographic projection of a beautiful lady dressed elegantly and gracefully appear above the crystal.

"Ancestor, good afternoon," Aunt Heidi first greeted Gawain, then turned her gaze to the two dukes, "Grand Duke Franklin, Duchess Wilder, good afternoon."

She hadn’t met Duke Baldwin, but she had seen records of nearly all the high-level aristocrats of the kingdom. Much of the fundamental knowledge about the Anzu Kingdom was actually part of the Cecil Academy’s curriculum. People in the southern borders were not unfamiliar with the nation’s top aristocrats.

"Good afternoon," Baldwin returned the greeting, hesitating momentarily before matching the figure before him to the data in his mind, "Ms. Heidi Cecil, you are as beautiful as the rumors say."

"Thank you for your compliment."

"We have already entered Silver Castle," Gawain said from beside them, "The detailed information should have reached you by now."

"Yes, communication with the Administrative Office and the frontline is smooth," Heidi nodded, her expression carrying a visible, relaxed smile, "I’m pleased to know your campaign is going well—the extra supplies and civilian personnel sent to the north have already set sail from Pompeii City aboard a fast mechanical vessel."

Gawain exhaled slightly: having a reliable and competent descendant like Aunt Heidi was truly relieving. He hardly needed to worry about logistics and domestic order—aside from being unable to get married, crafting spells along the margins, and pretending to be sick to get a day off for dark circles, Aunt Heidi had no weaknesses in his eyes...

He sat down behind the desk, with the two Guardian Dukes seated on two high-backed chairs beside him, and together with Aunt Heidi’s holographic projection, they began a remote meeting—an uncommon occurrence for this era.

"Anzu’s history is over. The evaluation of this kingdom, the merits and faults of the kings, the end itself, these will be debated by historians. What we need to consider now is how to ensure social stability, the survival of the people after this disaster, and how to quickly bring an end to the state’s chaos," Gawain looked at Baldwin and Victoria, "The feudal lords’ system, though outdated, has at least one advantage at this point—each fiefdom operates independently, to some extent like countless self-sufficient, self-sustaining small kingdoms. The end of Anzu’s monarchy does not immediately lead to the collapse of these territories’ order, providing us with some operational time."

"Yes, Victoria and I have discussed this," Baldwin nodded, "We both still hold influence among the old national aristocracy. During this process, we’ll do our utmost to cooperate with you, minimizing regional backlash, ensuring the stability of the national restructuring process."

Heidi also nodded: "The southern border is ready. A task force composed of Governors and officials from various levels of the Administrative Office and the security forces are on standby at rocky ridges Fortress, ready to head north and rebuild order at any time."

"Rebuilding the northern order to some extent requires cooperation from local forces; the Intelligence Agency has extensive experience in this area, and I’ll have Amber assist alongside," Gawain said, "Additionally, the two Guardian Dukes will provide assistance during this process."

He paused, then added: "At the moment, southern manpower is limited, and the governance system’s absorption capacity is also limited, so we can’t take on the entire Anzu all at once—priority will be given to reorganizing and rebuilding the Plains of the Holy Spirits area, first restoring national core production capacity. The West and the North... I’ll leave to Baldwin and Victoria with the assistance of administrative officials. No issues, correct?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, the two Guardian Dukes responded: "No issues."

"During this process, all former aristocrats must sign to comply with the new laws, including the two of you. Meanwhile, the military power of both regions will be transferred to the Supreme Political Affairs Hall Military Department, and the original Mountain Corps and West Frontier Corps will need to be reorganized. Both regions will also need to accept the garrison from the Supreme Political Affairs Hall," Gawain stated one by one, "Economics, military, politics... all must be unified. The feudal system will be abolished, to be replaced by Cecil’s laws and order. Resistance is bound to occur, perhaps even regionally or intermittently, but I hope everyone at least understands this point: a new era has arrived, its advancement is unavoidable, obstacles may appear, but they must ultimately be eliminated."

His gaze swept over Victoria and Baldwin, with one Guardian Duke maintaining a serene expression while the other wore a carefree look.

"The era of the Moen Royal Family has ended, the aristocratic system of the Plains of the Holy Spirits has collapsed. If there is anything left in this country qualified to pose as an obstacle, it’s the two of us," Baldwin said with a smile. "We choose to support you, so the remaining aristocrats don’t have the qualification to be obstacles— in this regard, I have some confidence."

"The Mountain Legion is crippled, but the Wilder Clan still holds deterrence over the northern mountain range," Victoria added briefly.

"Very well. Afterward, I will use the Cecil Principality’s system as a foundational template, making certain adaptive improvements before promoting it nationwide. I plan to use the Supreme Administration Office in the capital as the center, dividing Anzu into several provinces, each with a Governor for the province. Further down, based on major cities, we’ll establish city administrative offices, appointing city governors...

"I will personally be the supreme ruler of the nation, but I will also adhere to legal constraints, and my governance will be executed through the administrative office system. Below me, I will appoint a Grand Governor as the head of the Supreme Administration Office. The current Grand Governor is Heidi, but I propose to add two more, to be held by the two Guardian Dukes... henceforth, a trio of Grand Governors will be the norm until the system becomes unsuitable or necessitates change...

"The Grand Governors will execute my will and oversee the specific management of the Supreme Administration Office, but should also provide timely suggestions to me based on their judgment...

"The specific implementation method, the Supreme Administration Office of the Cecil Principality has accumulated quite a lot of experience, and besides referencing it, discussions can also be held with officials from the southern borders..."

Gawain articulated his vision piece by piece, with Aunt Heidi continuously supplementing it. Gradually, Baldwin and Victoria adapted to the rhythm, turning from one-sided listening to a fruitful exchange. In this study that once belonged to Francis II and Wales Moen, they discussed how to restore the nation’s order, how to rebuild the production activities damaged by disaster, and how to establish a new national framework...

During the discussion, Gawain’s vision gradually took shape—many of his ideas were broad frameworks, often with deficiencies and overly idealistic elements. But the greatest value of these ideas lay in their inspirational perspective; under his inspiration, Baldwin and Victoria proposed a series of valuable advisory inputs, gradually filling the framework Gawain created.

Even so, the discussions they engaged in today were bound to be preliminary and framework-oriented, with many improvements still needed to fit reality. Moreover, even with a well-structured framework, significant trial-and-error, adjustments, and adaptations would be required in later implementation, faced with repeated setbacks and difficulties... The last King of Anzu tried his best to clear the path for reform, but obstacles will never completely disappear, as they ultimately require time, manpower, and material resources to be slowly resolved.

Gawain understood this very well and was mentally prepared for it.

Their discussions continued for a long time, long enough that everyone seemed to forget the passage of time. It wasn’t until the sun set outside the window and lights lit up the castle area that the discussions came to a halt, and Duke Baldwin Franklin finally exhaled deeply, asking, "Then, we should give a name to this emerging nation."

"The eras of the King and the leader have come to an end, it is not a kingdom," Gawain said slowly, "It is an Empire."

Pausing for two or three seconds, he pronounced each word deliberately: "Cecil Empire."

He chose to name the nascent Empire after his current surname, to make a complete distinction from the former "Anzu Kingdom."

He would entomb the bygone Anzu, and the once ancient and glorious kingdom would become history, alongside its name becoming history. Both symbolically and practically, the new Empire must separate itself from the word "Anzu," a measure that would also diminish the influence of the old powers.

In the name of the new Empire, he also intended to project his authority, indirectly ensuring centralized and efficient power operation— to confront upcoming challenges and the imminent crises, he must choose a method of centralized power to enhance societal operational efficiency and quickly prepare for crisis management.

The study was momentarily enveloped in solemnity, before Victoria softly said, "From this point onward, regardless of merits or faults, you must bear them."

"I was prepared for this when I chose to lead the army to the north."

"Then," Baldwin rose from his chair, "to the Cecil Empire."

Victoria was next to rise: "To the Cecil Empire."

"To the Cecil Empire," Heidi also said.

Gawain glanced at the three of them and exhaled softly.

"It will be worthy of your salute."