Tetrelta, capital of the Veskayan Empire, was dominated by a few noble houses. House Destarter was arguably the weakest major house, but their power was very spread out across the empire. Their patriarch was known for his own personal power.

  Djenshaun Destarter was both a Platinum Core cultivator, and a 4th circle mage. Not counting the countless alchemical enhancements he had taken or the legendary equipment he used. A harsh and cold man, he cared for only two things in the world.

  His son, Dante, and the powerful house he had built. The two were intertwined, as Dante was his heir. When he received Dante’s head in a box, he’d killed the messenger. When it turned out the messenger had no family, he’d torched a random block of slums in the city.

  Hovering above the flames and watching the people scramble about like ants did little to soothe his fury. He didn’t know who’d done this, but they had enraged one of the few Platinum Cores in the entire empire.

  There were less than a thousand Platinum core cultivators globally, as cultivation was the slowest method of empowerment known to mortals. Most preferred to refine mana in a mage core or to sign a contract to any one of many supernatural powers.

  But cultivation was strong in a way the other powers couldn’t be. Every cell of a cultivators body was enhanced to an absurd degree, as well as their ability to handle the colors of mana on an instinctual level rather than using skill like mages or spiritcallers.

  Whoever had done this would face the wrath of one of the strongest men in the empire.

  ————

  Kyle walked up to the adventurers guild accompanied by Bariyon. In the past, the monster infested frontier was in desperate need of adventurers to protect the farming villages and clear nests. However, Kyle had put in a new system. Rather than passively relying on an external force to kill monsters, Kyle had created a report system. Every single village had a simple radio set. They could report anything suspicious or any known monster nests to the central military command in New Brasilia. A large squad of soldiers would then simply go and kill the monsters. If they were too powerful, the tank would shell them to oblivion. Already, tens of nests and hundreds of monsters of countless species had been slaughtered by the standing army he had built.

  With the immediate decrease in demand, every single adventurer with the means to do so left to travel north on the teleportation lines. Only the most delusional beginner adventurers still hung around the now de-staffed guild hall, waiting for a job that would never arrive. Every day more went back to their villages and families, abandoning their childish dreams of grandeur.

  Kyle had pushed to dismantle nearly every guild across the entire Pechemvar province. Uncontrolled proto-capitalism had no place in the centrally planned economy he was building. The Waggoners guild had also been dismantled, as trade with him was too lucrative for most merchants to pay the Waggoners a cut.

  While 10% of profits was usually accepted, Kyle’s steelworks were so advanced that most merchants just bought their own wagons and horses just to trade with him in full. With most merchants going independent, the guild had basically collapsed. Kyle had been able to poach most of their clerks and administrators for his own growing government.

  They were making so much money that Kyle was out of things to do with it. He started ordering massive amounts of rune-engraved equipment so that Bariyon could copy it. Bariyon was still an expert in magic, although magic was an ever changing thing. 700 years spent in a cave was a long time for the runes to change and advance.

  ———

  He had been watching the former Chandlers guild hall be dismantled when a messenger came for him. “M’lord Jessek, Lord Losus wants to talk to you.” “Mm. I trust it’s important. Thank you for telling me.” “Just doing my duty, M’lord.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  Kyle strolled down the newly-paved streets of Altrai. The many storefronts now carried industrial goods. Everything from the mould-pressed candles that had put the Chandlers out of business to cheap clothes made on an assembly line could be seen behind the windows.

  Ahh… visual confirmation of my progress. Splendid.

  The guards, now equipped with double-barrel rifled pistols rather than spears, let him in at the gate to Losus’ manor. Losus was sitting at the same desk Kyle had first met him at, reading a letter. He looked significantly healthier, having lost some 20 pounds of fat.

  “You called?” Losus didn’t respond, but simply passed the letter he was reading over the desk. “What.. a summons to the Imperial Grand Congress? I assume this is mandatory.” Losus nodded. “Yes, we have to attend. They might accuse us of treason otherwise. As the de-facto governor of Pechemvar, you should really be there, but only nobility are allowed. Here’s how we get around that: I’m going to adopt you.”

  “So I become part of house Caltagar. Yes, this should work. You have the paperwork?” “Right here.” Losus slapped a few sheets of paper onto the desk. “Just sign a couple things, and you should be let in.”

  —————

  Month 4 of the Two Year Plan

  The trip to the capital was short, now that Kyle wasn’t just a rich traveler but actually had a noble to pass him through. As they passed through the frontline, no one tried to conscript him like the last time he’d made this trip. Rather than a week, this trip took only two days of constant travel.

  The plaza for arriving teleportees was significantly emptier, and many more guards were present. Kyle of course brought his armor, although he’d ditched the railgun and left it under Carkh’s watchful eye in the manor. This time, rather than walking,a carriage was waiting to take them to the Gesscetar Memorial Congressional Building.

  The GMCB was the main congressional building of the Veskayan empire, and was where the emperor would deliver his judgement onto the assembled provincial governors. Losus was the official governor of Pechemvar, but he was allowed a plus one as an advisor, and Kyle would be that one.

  The building was massive and looked a bit like the Colosseum, but a huge Byzantine-style dome covered the top rather than an open ceiling. At the entrance, hulking guards in full plate armor equipped with glowing spears checked their papers before allowing them in.

  The Imperial Grand Congress was separate from the senate, as it consisted of the governor of every province rather than the actual senators. Walking up through a large stairway in the out ring, Kyle and Losus found their seats.

  Traditionally, the seats were ordered by distance to the capital, but that system had fallen out of favor. Pechemvar was still insignificant and little-known, so their seat was far from the main floor of the GMCB.

  Among the other governors present, Kyle saw some interesting cultures on display. Two old men with fiery orange hair wearing plaid capes caught his eye immediately. Another pair wore spiked black plate armor with a red eye on their chestplates. A pair of women wore golden laurels on their heads and white togas.

  Most were just humans wearing a plethora of basic “fancy noble clothes”. Once the last of the governors had filtered into their seats, a man with a horn stepped onto the central platform. He blew into it, producing a light and soft toot. “Announcing the 88th meeting of the grand congress.” He walked off the stage again.

  Immediately after, he walked back on. “Announcing the Emperor of Light, Humanity’s Shield, the Son of the Gods, the King of Vespaquia, the Conqueror of Tulsa, and the Ruler of Innumerable Lands, your lord, Annasar Septremevros XIX!”

  Descending from the ceiling on a pillar of wavy hardened air, the emperor of Veskaya revealed himself.

  He was a middle-aged man with a full head of black hair. His face brooked no questioning, and looked utterly authoritative. He wore a shining suit of golden scale-mail, and carried a rapier at his hip.

  From what little research Kyle had done, he had been chosen at birth as Avatar of the God of the Wind on the Plains, Pharosso. He had been able to manipulate air on a molecular level his entire life as a result.

  As the skylight slowly closed behind him, he seamlessly landed on the golden throne at one end of the hall. In a surprisingly normal if throaty voice he announced, “Let the 88th congressional meeting begin. I have called this event as I am considering our next conquest.”

  His eyes swept the gathered governors. When they crossed Kyle’s armored visage, they widened a tiny fraction before flicking on to the next governor. Ha! I saw that, you bum!

  “Let us begin…”