"End all wars before spring planting begins."
While Gai Kingdom's armies were locked in fierce battles on the front lines, Muria, stationed in the rear and overseeing grain logistics, issued this definitive directive.
After Muria set this deadline, the battles on the front became even more intense. Nearly every officer and soldier understood the underlying meaning of Muria's order:
"If you can't do it, I will!"
Gai Kingdom's military leadership had learned the consequences of failing their king's expectations. If the army couldn't meet Muria's timeline, the king himself would step in. A year ago, such an announcement might have inspired joy and relief. But after seeing Muria intervene twice, the sentiment had changed.
When Muria entered the battlefield, all the glory of victory inevitably became his alone. To the public, the soldiers' efforts became insignificant, mere decorations for their king's triumph. Among other nations, Gai Kingdom's army was dismissed as a force that could only win under Muria's leadership.
This reputation was intolerable to the proud generals and soldiers of Gai Kingdom. Now desperate to prove their worth, they fought even harder, leading to a rapid increase in casualties. However, the ferocity of their efforts also dramatically sped up their territorial gains.
With the assistance of the powerful individuals Muria had nurtured for the army, the kingdom succeeded in toppling the second of the three nations that had previously invaded them.
Meanwhile, Muria himself had already acted against the third nation. Anticipating its inevitable defeat, this nation had tried to launch a desperate preemptive strike while Gai Kingdom's forces were occupied with their neighbor. Muria singlehandedly stopped their attack and crushed their ruling class.
After this decisive campaign, Muria halted the war to prepare for spring planting. His victories left the entire Ymir Plain in a brief state of uneasy calm.
The scale of Muria's achievements—destroying three nations in a single war—was simply too astonishing. Even the once-dominant Yas Kingdom had never accomplished such a feat. As a result, all the nations of the plain scrambled to gather intelligence on Gai Kingdom.
Unsurprisingly, much of their focus centered on Muria himself. Among the three defeated nations, Muria had personally destroyed the ruling classes of two. As neighboring rulers learned more about Muria—particularly his youth—they were filled with disbelief. None of them had ever heard of such a young and powerful king.
These nations ultimately attributed the fall of the three kingdoms entirely to Muria's extraordinary strength. They speculated that his power stemmed from a unique inheritance of Gai Kingdom's royal line and his own unparalleled talents. However, they also convinced themselves that Muria's strength was not sustainable. If he were truly capable of wiping out nations singlehandedly, they reasoned, he would have already conquered the entire Ymir Plain.
In truth, these rulers underestimated Muria's patience as an immortal. He understood that Gai Kingdom lacked the infrastructure and stability needed for rapid expansion. That was why he had limited his campaign to just three nations.
As neighboring nations investigated Muria's every move, the king turned his attention to internal development. Gai Kingdom had expanded to five times its original size, and Muria shifted the nation into a period of recuperation and growth.
For Gai Kingdom, annexing three nations in one war was akin to a snake swallowing an elephant—it was too much, too fast. This imbalance was a source of frustration for Muria. Despite his overwhelming strength, he was forced to pause and wait for the kingdom to catch up to his ambitions.
Muria declared a complete cessation of hostilities. However, "peace" didn't mean idleness. The kingdom resumed its previous policies: digging canals, building reservoirs, and constructing roads. In the occupied territories, these projects were accompanied by efforts to eradicate local cultures. Native languages, customs, and traditions were systematically replaced with those of Gai Kingdom.
"Learn from the mistakes of others," Muria muttered to himself. "I'll build canals and roads, not grand monuments. My laws are strict but not oppressive, and taxes remain within what the people can bear. I refuse to let this fail."
He glanced around his throne room, which was shrouded in eerie ghostly mist. At night, his court was filled with undead officials—former nobles and ministers he had turned into ghouls—diligently managing the kingdom's affairs.
"And unlike some rulers, I don't have eunuchs meddling in my court," Muria remarked dryly. "Besides, I'm immortal."
He clenched his fist, confident that he would live long enough to unify this world. However, even as an immortal, he had no intention of staying in this world forever. Once he resolved the underlying chaos and extracted the world's source energy, he planned to leave with Mikaela.
But that brought him to another issue—succession.
"A successor..." Muria rubbed his temples in frustration at the thought.
"Arnold, have you thought this through?" Fernand's voice interrupted his thoughts. The undead figure emerged from a swirl of black mist, his expression stern. "Under your rule, Gai Kingdom is stronger and more prosperous than ever. With the war over and your ministers handling state affairs, isn't it time you addressed your personal matters?"
"My personal matters? What personal matters?" Muria asked, feigning ignorance.
"Don't play dumb. I know you're powerful and have high standards, but that's no excuse. Your marriage isn't just your business—it's a matter of national importance."
Fernand's tone was sharp. This wasn't the first time he had confronted Muria about this. To his shock, he had discovered that his son seemed to harbor a strong aversion to marriage.
For any kingdom, the king was paramount. But the queen—the king's consort—was almost as important. When Muria had ascended the throne, his youth had excused the lack of a queen. But after five years of rule and the conquest of three nations, ministers began urging him to marry.
Muria had immediately rejected the idea, forbidding anyone from raising the issue again. But such a decree was impossible to enforce. The court continued to push for a queen, and Fernand became increasingly vocal in his private conversations with his son.
As a father, Fernand was alarmed to realize that Muria seemed uninterested in women.
"You're a king! How can you not have a queen? Who's going to inherit your throne?" Fernand demanded.
"I know, but now isn't the right time," Muria replied with a sigh.
"If not now, then when? Muria, even if you conquer vast territories, what's the point without an heir? Are you planning to pass everything you've built to your brothers and nephews? Would you really be okay with that?"
"Of course not," Muria said, his headache worsening. "Don't worry. I'll choose a queen eventually, but not now."
In previous worlds, Muria had avoided romantic entanglements despite the lack of supervision. Now, with Mikaela accompanying him, he was even more cautious. He couldn't risk fueling rumors or making decisions that might create complications later.
Fernand, however, dismissed Muria's reasoning as mere excuses. To him, it was clear: his son didn't want to marry or take a queen. And that could only mean one thing.
"Do you prefer men?" Fernand asked cautiously.
"Absolutely not! What nonsense are you spouting?" Muria's face darkened instantly.
"If you're not attracted to men, then why are you so opposed to marriage?" Fernand pressed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "At your level of power, there shouldn't be any... physical issues."
"Can you leave? I have things to do. Stop bothering me," Muria said, his tone icy.
"What could you possibly have to do? Don't you leave everything to them?" Fernand gestured at the ghouls silently working on state affairs.
"..." Muria fell silent.
"Today, you're not getting rid of me unless you give me a real reason," Fernand insisted.
"I want to find the right person at the right time and spend my life with them," Muria finally said, making up an excuse. In truth, he desperately wished to locate Mikaela. If he could find her, the issue of choosing a queen would resolve itself.
"A king longing for love? What a laughable waste of time," Fernand scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.
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