[You have imprisoned the nineteenth Supreme Guardian, Bronya Rand, in the Guardian's Residence, leaving her to keep Cocolia Rand company.]
[Tonight is destined to be an extraordinary night. Standing at a crossroads of history, you are momentarily lost in thought—]
[A new chapter in Belobog's history is about to be written. You are stirring the tides of an era, but in which direction will this colossal wave surge?]
[Please choose—]
[1. Establish the Jarilo-VI First Empire.
Ron's suggestion constantly echoes in your ears. It is time to put it into practice.
(By selecting this option, you will become the Emperor of the Empire, supported by the Wildfire Guard and Silvermane Guards under Ron's control.)]
[2. Ascend to the position of Supreme Guardian of Belobog.
Belobog has endured in the snow and ice for seven hundred years, and so it shall continue to endure. Radical change does not guarantee success and is more likely to bring ruin.
(By selecting this option, you will become the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, supported by the Wildfire Guard and Silvermane Guards under Ron's control.)]
Looking at the options on the light screen, Seele did not hesitate.
Since she had already made up her mind, there was no need to hide her sharp edge.
It's just a simulation, after all... No matter how extreme, I have to see it through.
She tapped the first option on the screen. The choice box disappeared, and a new scene materialized:
[Belobog has been stubbornly resistant to change for too long. You have decided to shatter these corrupt and ancient rules and place the crown of absolute power upon your own head.]
[Following your will, Ron leads an elite squad, melting into the night.]
[On this night, the citizens of Belobog do not sleep soundly.]
[The next day, you make a provisional announcement to all: in three days, you will hold an oath ceremony and, under the witness of the Everwinter Monument, establish the Jarilo-VI First Empire.]
[All of Belobog erupts into a frenzy at your declaration.]
The text on the light screen faded, and a new scene appeared:
On the screen, the sky over Belobog was clear of its usual gloom, a rare sight. Under the warm sun, a sea of people had gathered before Qlipoth Fort. Nearly every citizen of Belobog had rushed from their homes, standing here craning their necks in anticipation of this historic moment.
Upon the simple, high platform erected before the Everwinter Monument, a young figure slowly walked out—
It was Seele, wearing a crown of Geo-Marrow and holding the Lance of Preservation as a scepter.
The Seele of this moment was vastly different from the Seele of before—
She had changed out of her usual attire. That outfit was far too revealing and, though she personally liked it, it was unsuitable for the ruler of the Jarilo-VI First Empire.
The Emperor must possess sufficient majesty... but time for preparation was short. Seele had only managed to hastily modify her spoils of war—the Supreme Guardian's uniform confiscated from Bronya and Cocolia.
She had trimmed away many of the cumbersome adornments and discarded most of the superfluous medals, leaving only a single Architect's insignia, creating a more sleek and stately look.
She also tied a red ribbon to her arm, adding a splash of bright color to the somber uniform.
For the Emperor of an empire, wearing someone else's old clothes was indeed a bit shabby.
But that shabbiness could not conceal Seele's aura in the slightest. She gazed indifferently at the sea of people below the platform and calmly declared a fact—
"On February 17th, year 701 of the Fortification Era, the Jarilo-VI First Empire is established."
"I shall become its Emperor and guard this city until the dawn of this world arrives."
But a voice of discontent rose from the crowd:
"Guard? Look at what you've 'guarded'!"
Someone hidden within the crowd roared in fury:
"Using the might of the army to slaughter all the powerful ministers who disagreed with you, issuing draconian decrees to exploit us, the people—do you even know what you're doing?!"
"Relying on such bloody methods to satisfy your selfish desires, with no respect for human rights, your crimes are too numerous to count!"
The crowd grew chaotic, stirred by the incitement.
But as Seele looked down upon the turmoil, her eyes were as calm as an ancient well.
"Draconian? Human rights? Too numerous to count?"
"As per Ron's teachings, I can only say..."
Seele pondered for a moment before stating seriously:
"Erasing all dissent against the Empire within the city, bringing everyone under our control—in your eyes, this may be an inhumane political crime..."
She said this and gave a scornful smile.
"We call it efficiency."
The tide of people below the platform fell silent.
The expressions on their faces were different from before.
Whether it was fear, shock, or something else... it no longer mattered.
They had become obedient and quiet under the weight of Seele's words, and that was enough.
And so, dressed in the old uniform left behind by Belobog's Supreme Guardians, standing on a temporarily erected platform, she announced the founding of the Jarilo-VI First Empire and loftily mocked the naivety of her detractors—
Yet no one could challenge her authority.
In the shadows at the edge of the square, Ron, along with the bound Cocolia and Bronya, witnessed the entire event.
They were not pleased with the birth of the Empire... but they were powerless to do anything.
The scene on the light screen faded, and new text appeared:
[The people of the Overworld, unaccustomed to change, hoped someone would stop all this.]
[But on the day the Empire was founded, everyone discovered to their horror that all those who should have stepped forward to prevent it had lost their ability to speak.]
[The Elders Council? The wealthy merchant families who monopolized the market? Belobog's officials?]
[All powerful figures who held objections to the Empire's establishment were swallowed by the darkness of the night, vanishing into Belobog's shadows, and swept clean into the dustbin of history.]
[No one can stop the wheels of history from moving forward.]
[The Empire has been formally established by you. You are now the Emperor of the Jarilo-VI First Empire.]
Many quantified attribute values appeared on the screen, representing the statistics of the [Jarilo-VI First Empire] faction as a whole.
Compared to the previous Belobog Underworld, all stats had seen a massive boost. Only the Stability rating was significantly lower, but that was simply because the Empire had just been founded.
New text appeared on the screen once more:
[You have successfully created the faction [Jarilo-VI First Empire]. A new page of history has been turned.]
[As the first ruler of the Empire, please choose its development direction—]
[1. Military Focus.
You know the threat of the apocalypse is imminent. Only sufficient strength can prevent its arrival.
(Selecting this option, the Empire will focus its efforts on military development. The growth rate of the Empire's Combat Power Index will increase by 50%.)]
[2. Livelihood Focus.
The people of the Underworld have suffered for too long. Now, the dream of everyone having a full stomach is within reach.
(Selecting this option, the Empire will focus its efforts on developing the people's livelihood. The growth rate of the Empire's Development Index will increase by 50%.)]
[3. Balanced Approach.
Extremes represent weakness on the other end. The Empire needs balanced development. Perhaps this is the most stable path to the future.
(Selecting this option, the Empire will develop in a balanced manner. The growth rate of all the Empire's indices will increase by 10%.)]
A development direction, huh...
Seele looked at the options with some hesitation. For her, the second option was the most tempting.
After all, her dream was to save the Underworld and ensure its people never went hungry again...
But this was a simulation... If she were the Seele of this simulation, what would she choose?
Ron once said that saving the world was no easy task, and every last bit of power had to be seized.
For the sake of salvation, everything could be used as a bargaining chip.
Faced with the Stellaron and the Anti-Matter Legion, simply having full stomachs would be useless...
After a moment of deliberation, she ultimately chose the first option.
The text on the screen faded, and a new story entry appeared:
[After careful consideration, you choose to vigorously develop the military.]
[You implement numerous decrees, raising taxes to train new armies.]
[Ron offers you a suggestion. You follow his advice without hesitation and decide to build even stronger city walls for Belobog.]
[You raise taxes once again and even implement conscripted labor, beginning the construction of walls for all of Belobog.]
[The anger of Belobog's people toward you increases. The Empire's Stability decreases, triggering several revolts.]
[However, their resistance creates no significant waves, being swiftly suppressed by the guard.]
[Daily administrative affairs are overwhelming, and the people's emotional backlash is fierce. Your Stress value increases dramatically.]
[But due to your "Cold-Blooded Reformer" trait, your Stress value remains stable.]
[Time gradually passes. Just as you feel the Empire's strength is sufficient to begin researching the Stellaron and you start assembling a research team...]
[An eerie voice from the Stellaron surfaces in your ears.]
[This is the fate of every ruler of Belobog.]