31 Geopolitical Situation

Derrick had delayed his growth to prioritize his expansionist plans because he knew that going alone against an Empire was beyond stupid.

With the foundation set, it was time to resume.

However, his new adventures would have to wait until tomorrow.

The meeting had stretched into the evening, and he was tired. He immediately fell asleep the moment he touched his bed.

***

After having a sumptuous breakfast prepared by Lacha, he left the house to see the reactions from his announcement.

It blew out his expectations.

Everywhere he went, people bowed and profusely thanked him, saying that he was their savior and that they would be willing to follow him for the rest of their lives. It was to the point where he got confused, so he asked the busy Jack for some insight.

"Your Highness, even though people were unhappy about the salaries and soldier mobilization, it was nullified by the broad access to education. In big cities, nobility is the only one with access to teachers, and the fact that you're giving it away for free improved your image by a large amount. The forge is also a major point, as it'll improve their quality of life. Overall, you're hailed as a hero and almost venerated like a God. Their trust in you is now sky-high. Congratulations!"

Jack slightly bowed and left, leaving behind a stunned Derrick. He had... succeeded?

He then started laughing like a mad man. This was quite unexpected!

"System, show me the empire tab and my stats"

[Akata Village]

[Level : 2]

[Population : 1498]

[Soldiers : 160]

[Funds : 0 gold]

[Tax : 0%]

[Institutions : Forge (In progress), Military Quarters (In progress), School (In progress)]

[Mood : 90/10]

[Derrick Tarlin, 16 years old (Body) & 37 years old (Mind) — Human]

[Class : Necromancer]

[Strength : 10.2]

[Agility : 8.5]

[Endurance : 10.8]

[Vitality : 7.2]

[Magic Power : 15.5]

[Spells : Banshee's Cry, Reaper's Blade, Veil of Darkness] (NEW!)

[Enslaved Subordinates : Eloise Tornomi (General - Human), William Enceworth (Scholar - Human), Fomamli Trollfall (Blacksmith - Dwarf)] (NEW!)

[Traits : Enhanced Body, Enhanced Vision, Death's Valet, Gluttony, Aphrodite's Blessing, Language Guru (Language Database)]

[Skills : Superior Appraisal, Potentus, Contract (3/3), Summoning (2/2), Master Craftsman, Submission, Death Warrior (42/100), Empire Professionals (3/10) *Encompasses  the Scholars (1/2), Blacksmiths (1/2), Researchers (0/2), Generals (1/2) and Ministers (0/2)*]

Everything had changed, and tons of ground had been made.

On the other hand, his funds made him wince, and it was a situation that had to be addressed quickly.

Other than that, everything else trended in the right direction!

With a light step, Derrick headed to William's quarters before knocking on his door.

With a haggard expression, the scholar answered and was stunned to find his master waiting.

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon.

"Master, what brings you here today?"

"I need a history lesson on the continent's state of affairs"

William was startled by the request. Wasn't he someone well-educated?

Seeing the visible surprise in his subordinate's face, Derrick could only scratch his nose in shame.

He had been an avid reader during most of his life, but he hated politics and couldn't be bothered with history unless it was told by an Elder. Vivid recollections were always more entertaining than boring political books.

After getting over his amazement, the groggy William invited him in.

He then led him to his living room, where a roughly made table stood as the centerpiece. Its quality was shabby because every house was hurriedly built to accommodate the immense flow of immigrants that Derrick had brought in.

"What would you like to know, Master?"

"Everything, from past to present"

"Then I hope you're ready for a long session. It'll probably take the entire day"

"I'm in no hurry"

"Then I'll make us a cup of tea before we begin"

After a few moments, William came back from the kitchen with two small wooden cups and placed them on the table.

After a long sip that seemed to soothe his throat, he began.

"Let's start at the very beginning. The continent we live on is an island that's hundreds of millions of square kilometers big. I know it's incredible to hear, but it's the truth. It has been verified by explorers who discovered the coasts while searching for new lands to claim. No one knows how everyone got here in the first place, but it wasn't worth looking into. Anyway, the sea surrounding our land was named the Boundless Sea, as we couldn't and still can't see anything beyond its blue horizon. Many ships have tried to cross, with none ever coming back. Expeditions were then mostly abandoned, except for the few desperate souls who had nothing else to lose. When Empires learned that there was no more land to expand to, they turned their ravenous eyes towards each other and launched an era of war and conflict. It started a thousand years ago, and it still rages on to this day. There are four major Empires. The first one is to our right, which is the Krakow Empire. Its official race is Human, and it doesn't recognize others as their equals, which is why you'll only see them sold as slaves. Its Emperor, although brilliant, is a despot who loves committing atrocities and using underhanded schemes to achieve his goals. His name is Garo Krakow The Fifth. He is fair to his subjects, but to everyone else, he is the devil incarnate. In its last known census, Krakow counted 5.2 billion subjects and boasted an army of 700 million soldiers. To our left, there is the second Empire, called Serichi. It has been waging war against Krakow since its inception, and there exists a deep rift of hatred between them that cannot be mended. Its official race is Mixed, meaning it accepts everyone who's willing to lend them their assistance. Its Emperor is a female High-Elf. As they welcome every race, their Emperor isn't decided by succession, but by elections held every ten years. The current one has been in power for five years, leaving her five more to complete her term. She is also known as the two-faced Moon. A bright side that is calm and gentle, and a dark side that is ruthless and cruel. It is said that even the other three Emperors dread her mood swings. Her name is Bellaluna Ballynn. In its last known census, Serichi counted 7 billion subjects and touted an army of 800 million soldiers"

William took a breather before adding another tidbit of information.

"If Master wasn't aware before, you are very lucky to have found Akata in this place, as it is the buffer zone between the two Empires. They do not dare encroach it, as it would lead to a conflict of grand scale and leave their flanks vulnerable"

Derrick was dumbstruck when hearing of the amount of people his two neighbors contained. The map had given him a sense of scale, but he hadn't realized how massive they really were.

And an island? That was crazy in and of itself.

When he heard of the buffer zone, a huge grin had come on his face. This meant that he wouldn't have to face direct interference from the two Empires until he became a threat worth their time.

However, he wasn't naive enough to believe that they would leave him completely alone, especially the Krakow Emperor. The fellow seemed like a formidable opponent, and when Derrick's existence would come to his attention, he would need to have enough strength to resist his underhanded tactics.

"These two Empires respectively occupy the South East and South West quadrants. To the north of the Krakow Empire is the Argok Empire. Its official race is Dwarf, but it welcomes everyone, although they are often subjected to oppressive behavior. Their relation with the Krakow Empire is also very strained, but still salvageable. Its Emperor is a dwarf, hailed as a genius inventor who contributed immensely to the advancement of his race. His name is Reizod Argok, and he is loved by his people. In its last known census, Argok counted 5.3 billion subjects and 400 million soldiers. The reason why no one has dared to invade them is that their technology is the most advanced of the four Empires. As for the last one located north of Serichi, it's the Uzul Empire. Its official race is Orc, and it doesn't allow anyone else in. It is the most secluded and mysterious Empire. They barely have any relations with their neighbors, and the ones they do are purely business. Its Emperor is lauded as the strongest fighter, and legend says that he went alone against an army of 10 000 and won. His name is Dubok Uzul. In its last known and frankly unreliable census, Uzul counted 4 billion subjects and boasted an army of 600 million soldiers. Everybody knows that they are a warrior race, meaning nobody messes with them"

Taking another sip of his tea, William observed Derrick to see if he was correctly assimilating the massive amount of data.

To his surprise, he saw that Derrick was smiling like a dumb kid who had just received a big bag of sweets.

"You can continue, I'm all ears"

There's no glory if it's too easy. That's all Derrick could think about. If anyone had been able to see his mind, they would have locked him up in his home because they'd think he was mentally ill.

After getting back his composure, the scholar continued.

"Now that you know the generalities, I'll be diving more in-depth in their inner-workings. Let's begin with the size of their territories. The Krakow Empire controls 20% of the island and specializes in innovation and army formations. After all, the human mind and its creativity are wonderful things. Next is the Serichi Empire. It controls 30% and its specialty lies in the magical domain. Every elf on the continent basically lives there, and they are known for their magic prowess. Their army also excels in magic strategies. As for the Argok and Uzul Empires, they split the remaining territory evenly, controlling 25% each. The former is known for its legendary weapons and the latter, for its base strength. The Argok armies excel in logistics and the Uzul armies excel in war tactics. All the lands, except perhaps those in the Uzul Empire, are divided in the following way : State, divided in 5 Provinces, which are subdivided in 25 Counties, which are then finally subdivided into 50 City Territories. Let's take the Krakow Empire as an example. It is divided in 5 States, meaning it contains 25 provinces, 625 counties and 31 250 city territories. All these territories need a governing body that follows a certain hierarchy. At the top is the Empire Capital, followed by the State Capitals, Province Capitals, County Capitals and City Capitals. There is only one true official in each city to avoid clogging the entire system. The city where you bought us, Terra, is a City Capital. That's the extent of my knowledge, Master. I hope I could enlighten you"

Derrick nodded and thanked William.

He had marveled at the sight of Terra, but how beautiful would the higher capitals be? It would probably shake his very core. He promised to gather a large collection of books, so the scholar could continue learning.

When Derrick left the house, it was already night. But he wasn't going to sleep. Now that he knew that Akata had a relatively long period of development ahead, it was time to focus on getting stronger rapidly.

The Uzul Emperor's legend had lit a fire of determination under Derrick.