章節 39: Kingdom Unification
In the grand dining hall of the castle, Maximus sat at the head of a long oak table with his family. The soft clinking of silverware against porcelain echoed as they indulged in their sumptuous meal.
The aroma of exquisite dishes, infused with savory spices, enveloped their senses as they ate.
As he took a sip of wine, his mind reflected on the events of the past few months. The report on the annexation of Maple Leaf City had made him realize the urgency of the matter.
The death of Harington, the leader of the noble alliance, became the final straw that shattered the fragile noble alliance. Without guidance, chaos ensued as everyone sought petty profits and revenge.
While some wise individuals prepared for their escape upon knowing he was a Nascent Mage.
With the disolution of the noble alliance a power vacuum left the common people severely affected.
In the Faerie Kingdom, due to severe food shortages, Aetheria Market somewhat became the life-saving straw for most of the cities. It provided enough food for survival, but the nobles who provided money and manpower for the supplies were too preoccupied with fighting and fleeing for themselves, neglecting the plight of these poor people who faced hunger and despair.
He realized that attacking cities individually was an inefficient strategy. Therefore, he devised a plan to send envoys to different locations, informing them of a decree, that if they were willing to surrender to him, he would provide food and assistance.
This proved to be successful as the envoys sent by him reached various cities and regions in the kingdom. The envoys spread the message of his decree, emphasizing the benefits of surrendering to his rule.
In response, the hungry and excited people banded together to attack anyone who considered the idea revolting or those who had guts to stop them from getting the benefits provided for those who surrendered.
They desperately needed food, and such a decree was like a godsend, alleviating their misery. To their delight, the food and various promised benefits arrived in shipments within a few days.
Maximus also appointed at least one capable individual to maintain law and order, awaiting further instructions.
As more cities surrendered and began to recover and stabilize, neighboring regions witnessed a positive transformation. Even cities far away voted for representatives to take initiative, as they couldn't wait any longer without risking death from hunger.
This created a ripple effect as more territories recognized the advantages of surrendering. They saw themselves being saved or at least having enough to eat to rebuild their shattered societies.
Maximus' reputation grew, catching the attention of the neighboring kingdom. Originally, they planned to seize the opportunity once the noble alliance and the dukes had exhausted their strength. However, before they could take action, Maximus appeared with his Tier 3 nascent mage strength, cutting the idea of them attacking the Faerie Kingdom.
Thinking that Maximus was merely engaging in some kingdom-building games for a while before heading to the central continent. So the neighboring kingdom abandoned their plans.
While there were still pockets of resistance due to some ignorant and fearless nobles, that quickly calmed down, not due to Maximus' army, but because of the very people they ruled, whom they called peasants who quickly put them into their place.
As for the dukes, they were long gone. Escaping from who knows where. Upon realizing Maximus' power, like the neighboring kingdom, they had no intention of resisting and promptly fled with their wealth and loyal soldiers.
...
As Maximus savored the lavish feast, his attention turned to his newly wedded wife, Irene. They had been married just a month ago, with the teasing from his wives, and Irene's shyness which was really cute. He gave in to his heart and married her.
"How are you finding life in the castle, Irene?" he asked, cutting into a steak.
Irene's eyes sparkled, and her lips formed a shy smile. "Oh, it's okay," she replied softly, avoiding delving further into the topic.
Not minding her lack of response, Maximus continued to eat.
His wives and concubines engaged in lively conversations about their daily lives like the new food they discovered in the streets of the city.
They also playfully competed to see who could feed the two newborn babies first. Though it wasn't ideal for few-month-old babies to eat processed food, there was no need to worry, as they were consuming a magical fluid substance that was beneficial for them. The two babies were named Sam and Luke.
While they played, one of the babies cooed in Irene's arms, oblivious to the world around him, even then his eyes fixated on the food, eagerly waiting to be fed.
The other children, like Lyla and Lydia, who were already a year old, couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy.
"Mommy, feed me too," Lyla exclaimed as she climbed out on her chair, walking towards Luna for a hug.
"Alright, alright, sweetie," Luna said, fetching a plate of food and feeding her. Lyla smiled happily as if she had just tasted the sweetest thing.
Witnessing this scene, Lydia couldn't resist approaching her mother, Livia, but being shy, she could only walk silently up to her mother and gazed into her eyes with a pleading look, as if tears could pour out in her eyes.
Livia chuckled and said, "Here you are," as she spoon-fed her a mouthful of food, causing Lydia to blush in shyness.
Meanwhile, Lily, who observed it all, silently ate her food, reminding herself, "You're already three years old, you need to be more mature."
However, her eyes kept darting toward her parents, hoping to gain their attention. Unfortunately, they didn't notice her "pet me" expression, which quickly dampened her mood.
...
As for the boys, they were simply eating and conversing with their brothers.
"How is your training, brother?" Max and Nathan huddled around their older brother, Liam, eager to talk about his training.
Apparently, Liam had just started his training a few days ago because he had nagged Maximus about wanting to become strong. Being a loving father, Maximus agreed to his son's request.
"Hey, you should've seen me earlier! I can already do cool moves with Dad. Unfortunately, you were sleeping in your little tummies," Liam coolly said with a fake expression of regret, forgetting that he had stumbled and even tripped into the dirt while attempting some clumsy moves.
"Wow, Brother, you're so cool! Can we start training too?" Max asked, his voice filled with excitement, imagining all the moves they could do, like flying, firing fireballs, or striking a super cool pose.
Nathan nodded vigorously, eager to join in on the action. "Yeah, yeah! We want to be strong like you, Liam!"
Liam, satisfied with their attention, he puffed out his chest proudly. "Well, guys, training is not easy. You have to be strong like me, and more importantly, you're still too young. Unlike me, I'm three years old, already an adult."
Max and Nathan's expressions quickly turned disappointed as they glanced at their small bodies, then back at their brother Liam, who was barely taller than them.
"We can do it too, Brother! Look, in just a few days, we can catch up to your height," Max said as he stood next to Liam, comparing their heights with his little arms.
Liam chuckled, somewhat embarrassed, as he ruffled Max's hair. "No, you still need a year to start training, according to Dad."
Lily, who saw all of this, rolled her eyes as she had witnessed Liam tumble and fall earlier in the morning, attempting what he thought was a cool move.
"Idiots," she murmured to herself, still feeling upset about her parents not paying attention to her.
As the dining continued, the grand hall resounded with laughter and cheerful chatter. Witnessing it all brought a smile to Maximus' face.
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