Chapter 456: So this is my emperor’s home?

It didn’t take long for GoldenShield to start filling up with people.

Loaded wagons creaked down the roads and entire families arrived in a steady stream. Little by little, the hustle and bustle of life took over the city streets.

The Third Legion took temporary control of GoldenShield, while two others—the Seventh and the Eighth—were still being trained in Goldenveil.

In a month, their training would be complete, right after they passed through the Hell Soldier’s Portal.

Only then would the ten thousand soldiers be stationed in GoldenShield, taking on permanent responsibility for the city’s protection.

Meanwhile, with the help of the Third Legion, the residents formed a small militia of their own to assist in the defense.

Ordinary people, still without much training, but willing to protect their own homes.

The trains connecting the two cities made the trip in about thirty minutes, and a fixed route was set up that same day.

New police officers began their training, and the city’s central police station was up and running by the very next day.

Lucius GoldenShield, the city’s Lord, was a fourth-stage specialist. Powerful, loyal, and honorable—as well as extremely intelligent.

For that reason, Ethan didn’t have to worry much. He left the city in Lucius’s hands and returned to the capital.

Upon arriving at his palace, he sank into his chair with a long sigh, stretching out his legs and letting his shoulders relax for the first time in days.

Only then did he open the Goldenveil status screen.

[Name: Sacred City of Goldenveil

Type: Large City

Population: 182,032

Population Loyalty: 88%

Houses: 60,000 (43,751 occupied)

Prosperity: Extremely Prosperous

Attractiveness: Extremely Attractive

Population Growth: +580/Week (Increase attractiveness and prosperity to gain more residents)

Lord: Ethan Goldenveil

Orders: 2

Knights: 650 (500 Golden Roses + 150 Silver Wings)

Average Level: 40

Stationed Army: 10,000 Soldiers

Average Level: 40

Guard Loyalty: 96%

’The Divine Wall of Goldenveil’ Status: 3,120,990/3,120,990

Treasury: 22,157,000 gold coins (-180,500 per month)

Upgrade Requirements: 60,000/50,000 houses, 182,032/250,000 inhabitants, 1,000,000 gold coins, Lord at Count level or higher]

[Name: County of Goldenveil

Territory: 10,500 square kilometers (Build and further develop your territory to continue expanding.)

Population: 512,530

Capital: Goldenveil

Cities Under Command: 4/3 (Warning: The number of cities exceeds the limit; control may be lost!)

Villages Under Command: 0/20

Fortresses Under Command: 1/10 (Only external fortresses count.)

Knight Orders: 3

Knights: 1,753 (1,003 from the Order of the Green Sentinels + 250 from the Order of the Silver Wings + 500 from the Order of the Golden Roses)

Average Knight Level: 53

Army: 30,000 infantry soldiers + 2,500 cavalry soldiers (32,500 soldiers total)

Average Army Level: 38

Defense Level: Acceptable

Control: 62%

Regional Loyalty: Extremely High

Stability: Acceptable

Natural Resources: Extremely Rich

Monthly Regional Revenue: -323,000

Treasury: 0 (A national treasury must be created. National treasuries are available at the kingdom level and above.)

Taxes Received from Settlements Under Control: -79,670

Upgrade Requirements for the Duchy Level: 1 capital at the large city level or higher, a regional population of 500,000 or higher, 1,000,000 gold coins, and a Lord with the title of Duke or higher.]

Ethan calmly scanned the numbers.

What made him happiest was that he could finally elevate Goldenveil to a duchy. Still, aside from that, a lot had changed in the last month.

Evelyn had run another round of recruitment for the Order of the Golden Roses, his family’s private guard. There were now five hundred women in its ranks, all of them trained and already put through the Hell Soldier’s Portal.

He still hadn’t found the time to take them all as concubines. The workload of the past few days had been overwhelming, but he would take care of that soon enough.

Ophelia had also raised the number of maids to two hundred. Stunning, untouched beauties, every one of them waiting for him.

And then there were his stepmothers, his half-sisters, and, of course, the paladins of the Order of the Silver Wings in Windmere.

Together, they would give him not only a great deal of pleasure but also hundreds, perhaps thousands, of premium gacha tickets.

"Ah... so much to do... Well, at least I’ll slow down a bit this winter. It’ll do me good..."

Ethan smiled to himself, leaning his head back against the chair. But the smile didn’t last long.

A system notification appeared before him. And not just for him. For every Golden Lord scattered across the world.

[Attention, Golden Lords. Congratulations on your constant progress!

There are 745/999 of you remaining.

With 25% of all Golden Lords eliminated, it is time to begin Phase Two of Planetary Integration.

In five years, all Golden Lords will be able to see the exact locations of each other’s territories, and the phase of Territorial Domination will begin.

In fifteen years, Golden Lords unable to establish territories of Kingdom Rank or higher will be exterminated.

May the Nine be with you.]

Ethan stood up, reading the notification with a cold gaze. The silence in the room seemed to grow heavier.

Five years...

He already had a good idea of where some of the other Golden Lords in the Eternal Forest were located, mainly thanks to the many scouts he’d scattered throughout the region, along with the information Ophelia had given him.

He knew that many of them were no match for him. But there were still some powerful ones out there, especially those who had started out in far richer regions, with cities much more prosperous than Goldenveil.

Ophelia had even told him about one who had started in a city of over a million inhabitants, with an already established army—all under the protection of a sixth-stage mage!

Each starting point was based on the potential the gacha system saw in the individual, a bit of luck, and, of course, destiny.

Ethan still wasn’t quite sure what that destiny meant, but he had an idea.

It had to do with the legendary figures of Earth.

The woman Ophelia had spoken of bore the last name Pendragon. She came from a wealthy British family and, apparently, had inherited the destiny of King Arthur of Camelot, along with his power and authority.

That kind of information was hard to come by, obviously. Ophelia only knew about the young woman because her organization back on Earth had very close ties to some powerful figures in the Pendragon family.

Even so, she knew there were other great heirs out there, tied to Chinese, Indian, African, Japanese, Scandinavian, American, Greek, and many other legends from around the world.

It was this destiny that determined how glorious or mediocre each of their beginnings would be. And, of course, their endings as well.

Ethan knew full well that he didn’t need to worry about any Golden Lords other than those who bore such grand destinies.

With a sigh, the handsome young man slumped back into his chair once more, running a hand through his hair.

This world was vast, and, honestly, he was excited to meet the other Golden Lords and discover what each of them represented.

Of course, he also thought about how much he’d gain if, say, he used the Eternal Pervert Phoenix Emperor’s Altar of Territorial Evolution on that Pendragon heiress.

A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth just imagining it.

Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts aside and got back to work. There was still a pile of things waiting for him.

His eyes fell on the status screen for the County of Goldenveil, and he clicked to upgrade it to a duchy.

***

Unbeknownst to Ethan, a figure was approaching Goldenveil.

Summer was already drawing to a close, and tiny snowflakes drifted down onto the city’s basalt roads. The air carried the cold scent of the approaching winter.

The flakes didn’t last long there. The heating system embedded in the stone melted each one within seconds, leaving only a damp glint on the dark basalt.

A few third-stage mages were repairing the arrays along the road, runes glowing beneath their fingers.

They were so focused on their work that they didn’t even turn their heads when a woman walked past them.

She carried a wide, tall parasol in red, black, and white, gold threads running through its frame. She twirled the handle slowly between her fingers as she walked.

She was an elegant woman, with blood-red eyes, lips like glossy cherries, and hair of a deep golden hue.

The tight fabric of her dress hugged her huge breasts, which rose and fell slightly with every step she took. Even pinned in place by the bodice, they were far too heavy to stay still, the pale upper swells giving a faint, slow wobble each time a heel met the stone.

An aristocratic white feather, as delicate as a rose petal, rested over her cleavage.

The long Victorian dress concealed the rest of her curves from prying eyes. Even so, it couldn’t hide the gentle sway of her hips with each unhurried step, the heavy skirt swinging softly from side to side over the fullness beneath, nor the thin waist the fabric cinched so tightly.

Her heels tapped against the basalt in a calm, steady rhythm, carrying her ever closer to Goldenveil.

Then she stopped.

Her eyes took in the city rising before her, the enormous wall stretching as far as the eye could see. Her blood-red lips curved slowly, revealing a pair of sharp, delicate fangs.

"Hmm... so this is my Emperor’s home?" She felt the ring between her slender, pale fingers tremble faintly.

"Fufufu~ this is going to be interesting." Her smile widened, and she continued on her way.

No guard stopped her. No one on the streets so much as glanced her way.

It was as if she didn’t even exist—nothing but the loud clicks of her heels echoing off the basalt.