A massive convoy stretched endlessly across the dirt road, kicking up a long, dusty trail that resembled a dragon of smoke. This migration of nearly ten thousand people was lively and bustling, yet beneath the vibrant chatter, there was an undercurrent of unease.
Nobles seated atop luxurious carriages, adorned in ornate garments, wore expressions tinged with reluctance and trepidation.
Leaving behind the land their ancestors had cultivated and protected for generations—land their families had called home for close to a millennium—was no easy feat. Each of them felt the sting of departure, mixed with the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
But they had no choice. The heads of their families had made the decision. The domestic situation had grown untenable for them.
To maintain their noble titles and privileges under the new laws, they would have to earn their keep on the battlefield. Such a prospect was absurd to them. Why should they risk their lives in war to preserve the fortunes their ancestors had already secured through bloodshed?
Even the option to retain their titles by earning merely a fraction of the merit their forebears had once achieved was unacceptable. Their ancestors had paid their dues on the battlefield; why should they be subjected to the same trials?
The enormous convoy moved forward steadily, its collective presence forming a grand procession. But just as they approached a bend in the road, they encountered an organized military formation that blocked their path.
At the forefront of the army sat a towering giant, his skin a steely gray as though cast from iron. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, his expression betrayed nothing but boredom.
The convoy ground to a halt. Though tension gripped the travelers as they eyed the imposing figure and the soldiers behind him, they noticed that neither the giant nor the army seemed intent on attacking. This realization brought them a small measure of relief.
Moments later, the leader of the convoy—a grand noble riding a beast that resembled a tiger crossed with a leopard—led a small entourage forward to confront the giant.
"Were you sent by the king to intercept us?" the noble asked, his tone edged with defiance but his eyes betraying unease.
"You're overthinking it," the giant replied with a mocking grin. "I was sent here to intercept, yes, but not for the reasons you think."
"Then what is your purpose?" The noble's brows furrowed deeply, his initial suspicion giving way to confusion. He had thought the young king had sent soldiers to drag him back to the capital for daring to leave the kingdom.
"The king said you nobles are free to leave whenever you wish. But you must leave behind anything that doesn't belong to you."
The noble's frown deepened. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Take a wild guess," the giant said with a smirk, gesturing toward the numerous servants surrounding the convoy. "You may go, but these people stay."
"These are the servants of my family!" the noble snapped, his face flushing with anger. To rebuild his family's influence in a foreign land, manpower was essential. Without these servants, it would be nearly impossible.
"They were citizens of Gai before they were your servants," the giant retorted coolly. "Now that your family is leaving Gai, they will remain here where they belong."
"And what if I insist on taking them with me?" the noble demanded, his voice quivering with rage.
"Feel free to try," the giant said, rising slowly to his feet. His towering frame loomed over the noble, exuding a menacing presence.
"You…" The noble's beast mount instinctively backed away, growling nervously. Its sharp instincts told it that the giant before them was not to be trifled with.
"You and your family are free to leave. But everything you've gained here in Gai stays behind."
As the giant spoke, his body began to glow faintly with a metallic gray light. A suffocating aura of oppression emanated from him, spreading across the convoy like a tangible force. Horses neighed in panic, and carts creaked as the convoy descended into chaos.
The noble clenched his fists, his eyes glowing faintly green. Though the giant before him was powerful—a six-times-awakened warrior, no less—his family's extensive resources and heritage meant they were not without means to resist.
"Why waste time playing with them? Just deal with them quickly and let's go," came a voice from the sky above.
The clouds shifted, swirling into the form of a massive female figure. Her ethereal presence hung above the convoy, her voice carrying an air of impatience.
"I just wanted to see if they had the guts to try something," the giant replied with a chuckle, turning his gaze toward the noble. "After all, they claim to come from 'great' families with long and noble lineages."
The noble's faint green glow faded as he heard the giant's words. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he let out a cold snort. "Fine. Let's go."
He issued a series of curt orders to his entourage, instructing them to release the family's servants.
In a matter of hours, the convoy—now reduced to a fraction of its original size—departed along the road, its members humiliated and despondent.
Similar scenes played out across Gai over the following weeks.
Nobles who could not accept the new king's reforms and policies chose to leave the kingdom. Muria allowed them to go but barred them from taking any of Gai's resources or citizens with them. Those who wanted to leave had to do so empty-handed.
…
"Three months," Muria said, leaning back on his throne with a satisfied smile. "At last, it's done. There's no longer any dissenting voice within the kingdom."
"But look at the cost," Fernand, shrouded in a veil of black mist, said with a sigh. "Your purge has severely weakened Gai's strength. In these chaotic times, this will only invite our neighbors to set their sights on us."
He looked at his son with a mix of worry and exasperation. Watching Muria dismantle the old order of Gai was painful for him as a former king, no matter how much he trusted his son's vision.
"You're only looking at what we've lost," Muria said, his expression calm. "But you've failed to see what we've gained. My edict to recruit talent has brought strong warriors to our banner."
"And if our neighbors think Gai is weak and invade, all the better. A war is exactly what I need right now to cement the new system of military meritocracy. It will establish the crown's credibility once and for all."
"That's all well and good," Fernand replied. "But what if we lose? What will you grant your soldiers then? Empty titles? A king who can't deliver on his promises will lose his people's loyalty."
"Lose?" Muria chuckled. "As long as I'm here, there's no chance of that. Besides, I've prepared plenty of rewards for the soldiers. Land, wealth—it's all ready to be distributed."
Fernand remained skeptical but said nothing further.
…
Just as Fernand had predicted, Gai's internal upheaval did not go unnoticed by its neighbors.
To the kingdoms surrounding Gai, the exodus of nobles and the apparent chaos within the kingdom made it appear ripe for conquest—a once-mighty realm now vulnerable and weak.
Three neighboring nations launched simultaneous invasions without warning, deploying their main armies in a coordinated attack. Their goal was clear: carve up Gai and claim its riches for themselves.
Four other nations, though equally eager, remained on the sidelines for the moment, observing the situation closely.
If the initial invaders succeeded in plundering Gai, it would only be a matter of time before the others joined the fray.
With the mightiest nation on the plain, Yars, still mired in its internal power struggle, every kingdom in the region understood that now was the time to act—to expand, to grow, to secure their place in history.
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