[Inside the Federal Council Hall, the President of the United States of Columbia, Mark Max, stared dead at the red arrow on the tactical map that was advancing with irresistible force.]
[The recordings from the intelligence department still echoed in his ears. The Ursus Empire, that colossal behemoth they had placed such high hopes on—expecting it to drag Leithanien into a quagmire of war for years—had turned to ash and smoke in less than a week.]
[The True Lung of Yan received the same battle report and remained silent for a long time.]
[In the original projection, Leithanien was supposed to be bogged down in a multi-front war, allowing Columbia to seize the opportunity to deploy troops to Bolívar, while Yan would sit back and reap the benefits. This script was thoroughly shattered by Lacey in a manner bordering on brute force.]
[This forced both nations to readjust their strategies to cope with future moves Leithanien might make.]
[You are already well aware of the reactions of these two countries, but your current focus is not on them.]
[You dispatched the surrendered Ursus old noble—Grand Duke Vanya—carrying the Empire's latest communication equipment and a handwritten letter from you, to the Northern Border of Ursus.]
[There, Ursus's most elite unit, the 'Emperor's Blade,' was still in a standoff with certain entities.]
[They felt bewildered by the news of their motherland's destruction within a week. The commander of the Emperor's Blades, a mysterious warrior whose entire body was shrouded in a black combat suit, stated their position: they were loyal only to the Empire, not to Fyodor.]
[Through remote encrypted communication, you conversed with this commander.]
[You acknowledged their sacrifice, praised their perseverance, and told them that true Imperial honor lies in guarding the northern barrier of this continent.]
[You promised that the New Empire would give them unprecedented support to fight against those indescribable, true enemies.]
[Finally, after confirming that the new regime would reinforce rather than abandon the northern defense line, the commander accepted your appointment.]
[From then on, the 'Emperor's Blade' ceased to exist; replacing it was the 'Imperial Northern Border Garrison'.]
[Thereafter, following two years of integration, the vast frozen earth of Ursus and the industrial heart of Leithanien had preliminarily merged into one.]
[You believed the time was ripe. Thus, at your command, the Black Empress Herlinmarte Hildegard led the Victoria Legion and the Imperial Standing Army to launch an offensive toward the West, the spearhead pointing directly at Columbia.]
[Columbia's neighbor, Bolívar, was ruled by the Singas Dynasty, which was already a puppet supported by Leithanien; they almost lined the streets to welcome the army.]
[And before Leithanien's unrivaled army, Columbia's defense line held out for a mere four days.]
[After witnessing the real-time footage of Herlinmarte single-handedly breaching the capital's fire net and cleaving the United Industrial Headquarters building in two with a single sword strike, President Mark Max wisely chose to surrender.]
[To preserve Columbia's industrial lifeline and its populace, he accepted all the conditions you proposed: disarmament, acceptance of Imperial military and economic control, but retention of partial local autonomy.]
[Faced with Leithanien's overwhelming power, major Terra nations like Yan and Iberia sent envoys.]
[In Trullinczentyr, they signed the 'Treaty of Permanent Peace and Common Development of Terra' with you, acknowledging Leithanien's absolute rule over the central and western parts of Terra, opening all trade barriers, and joining the common defense system led by Leithanien.]
[Thus, in all of Terra, there were no longer any rivals... or were there?]
The third year after Ursus was incorporated into Leithanien, Spring, Trullinczentyr.
This ancient Imperial Capital had never been so lively. From the Central Square to the Golden Hall, representatives from all over Terra—whether former enemies or allies—gathered here to witness the opening of a new epoch: the Terra Unification Celebration.
Empress Vina, dressed in a graceful gown, stood by Lacey's side. Her gaze swept over the crowd in the square below, which stretched beyond the visible horizon. Victorians, Ursusians, Kazimierzian, Siracusans...
They held portraits of Lacey high, their faces overflowing with heartfelt fanaticism and hope. From annexing Siracusa to conquering Kazimierz, then Victoria, Ursus, Columbia... In just over a decade, this man had forcefully kneaded nation after nation together.
Her heart remained complex, but mostly, she felt a sense of awe at being swept up in the torrent of history.
Serafina stood in the front row of the officials, tears glistening in her eyes. She thought of her youth, that cold winter in Saint Petersburg, and those children shivering in hunger.
But now, the children of Ursus could study the Leithanien language in warm classrooms, and their fathers had been allocated land, smiles returning to their faces. Everything she had hoped for, Lacey had achieved, and even more.
Maenner Templight stood expressionless in the corner, resembling a statue. But if one observed carefully, they would find his clenched fists had slightly relaxed.
Kazimierz was unified. The honor of the Templight family was no longer a bargaining chip for the Commercial Federation, but a merit of guarding the Empire. His niece, Margarete, was now one of the Empire's youngest Army Group Commanders. Standing valiantly in the queue of generals, her gaze followed the figure on the high platform, filled with undisguised adoration.
Meklen and Leinia, the two helmsmen of the Empire's economy and finance, were conversing in low tones. Their dialogue was filled with staggering figures—Ursus's minerals, Victoria's industrial output, Columbia's financial integration...
In their eyes, this celebration was like the most successful annual company meeting in history, and their CEO was preparing to deliver the annual summary.
Under the gaze of millions, Lacey walked to the microphone. The square instantly fell silent; the eyes of millions focused on him alone.
"Many years ago, I was just a nobody from a border town. I witnessed the division of Leithanien and felt the cruelty of war."
"I saw Ursus serfs freezing to death in the wind and snow, while their nobles enjoyed fine food by the warm hearth; I heard of Kazimierz knights killing each other for vain names, while their people struggled in suffering; I witnessed the great industry of Victoria imprisoned by the arrogance and shortsightedness of the nobles."
"People ask me, what brought you to this day? Was it hatred? Was it ambition?"
Lacey shook his head slightly.
"It was neither. I simply had a very simple wish—I hoped that my mother, an ordinary factory worker, could have a decent dinner after a day of hard labor, instead of being scolded by a foreman."
"I hoped that my father, a township teacher, could teach children knowledge and music with peace of mind, without worrying about being knocked down by a noble's carriage and receiving not even a single apology."
"I hoped that every ordinary person living on this land, regardless of their race, regardless of whether they are infected with Oripathy, could use their own hands to create their own value and win their own dignity."
"Rather than being treated like livestock, branded with a family's mark, bound to rigid land, and dominated by the will of the so-called highborn."
On the square, countless soldiers, workers, and farmers of common birth felt their eyes grow moist. In these words, they heard the voice of their own hearts.
"Today, we stand here not to celebrate a conquest, but to announce the beginning of a new era!" Lacey's tone gradually rose.
"From this day forth, Terra will no longer distinguish between Leithaniens, Ursusians, or Victorians! We have only one common name—Terrans!"
"We will use a unified standard of weights and measures to measure the future we build together!"
"We will use a common language to exchange our thoughts and emotions!"
"We will use a just code of law to guard the rights and dignity of every citizen!"
"I promise you, the sword of the Empire will forever point only at those enemies who attempt to divide us, enslave us, and drag us back into the dark ages!"
"The plow of the Empire will till every piece of fertile land, ensuring that no one ever cries from hunger again!"
"The pen of the Empire will write down a brilliant and resplendent civilization that belongs to all of us!"
He spread his arms, as if to embrace the whole world.
"We have ended an era of mutual slaughter! Now, let us together open an era of mutual exploration and creation!"
"Our journey is the sea of stars!"
"Long live Terra!"
"Long live the People!"
A response like a mountain tsunami erupted from every corner of the square, converging into a torrent that shook the heavens and the earth.
People raised their right hands one after another.
"Long live Terra!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
The clamor of the celebration lasted for three full days.
Three days later, in the dead of night, inside the study of the Throne Room.
Lacey stood alone before the map. On the map, the red color representing Leithanien had already covered the vast majority of the regions, with only the Great Yan in the East and some remote areas retaining their original colors.
He did not turn on the lights. Moonlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting chiaroscuro shadows on his face. The boundless radiance of the day had faded, and only now did a deep fatigue and solemnity surface from the depths of his eyes.
"Your Majesty."
Gertrude appeared silently behind him. She seemed to forever be wearing that crisp men's uniform, her gray-black long hair meticulous.
"Are the matters in Ursus handled?" Lacey did not look back.
"The last sparks of resistance from the old nobles were extinguished before they could even make a splash, faced with organizations spontaneously established by the populace," Gertrude said with a tone of mockery. "They support you more than anyone now."
"As for those exiles, neither Columbia nor Victoria has any place for them, and Great Yan does not seem to welcome these losers either."
"Very good."
"There is one more thing." Gertrude handed over a document. "An emergency report from the Sami Northern Border Outpost. Encryption level: Highest."
Lacey took the document. By the moonlight, he took only one glance, and his pupils constricted slightly.
The document contained only a few words and a hand-drawn sketch.
"Border Observation Post No. 7 lost contact. Last message before loss of contact: 'Stars... flowing on the ground.'"
"Patrol team discovered incomprehensible construct at the outpost's former site. Observation team members exhibited collective cognitive disorders."
"Attached: Sketch of Collapsal form."
On the sketch was a twisted humanoid silhouette. Its face was covered by a void, and in the center of the void was a black dot that seemed capable of swallowing all light, like an eye.
Lacey's finger gently stroked that "eye"...
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