101: Coronation

Victory reports spread like wildfire!

Through the communication network precisely controlled by Spirit Eye, news reached every corner of the Dawn Continent at an unprecedented speed.

However,

Unlike the 'nationwide jubilation' depicted in official propaganda, the reactions sparked by the news in various regions were far more complex.

In the northern front and central regions, the celebration among the populace and the army was genuine.

They had personally experienced or closely felt the threat of the orcs.

Commander Brian's victory brought them an unprecedented sense of security.

His prestige soared.

But in the distant south,

Especially among the noble circles whose interests were harmed and the local garrison forces who did not directly participate in the war.

The reactions were more of shock, doubt,

and even fear!

"Three days! Just three days! Seven hundred thousand orcs lay dead beneath the city walls... And our losses, supposedly, were negligible?"

An reclusive old general from the Valen Kingdom looked at the battle report, his fingers trembling slightly.

"This isn't war, this is... slaughter. The person who wields such power, who will his next target be?"

In a secret salon in the Feiori Kingdom's capital, several nobles were filled with worry.

"Our King and Commander seem to have completely sided with that savior. Hand over military command? What's next, will we have to hand over tax and legislative powers?"

"This is a glorious but unsettling victory!"

"His Iron Soldiers are indeed effective against orcs, but who can guarantee they won't one day turn their guns on us?"

It was on this complex ground, interwoven with victory, fear, and doubt, that carefully planned Mental Seeds began to sprout.

First, in Military City,

at a high-ranking generals' meeting 'spontaneously' convened by Commander Adrian.

Franco, the commander of Blizzard Fortress—a fierce general deeply beloved by his subordinates, known for his bravery and straightforwardness—

slammed his hand on the table, his voice like a booming bell, during a discussion on how to respond to a potential orc resurgence:

"What defense strategies are we still discussing? Commander Brian... no, Your Majesty! He led us and those iron fellows to slaughter seven hundred thousand orcs in three days! Such power, such a victory, is unprecedented in a thousand years!"

"I say, only His Majesty can truly lead our human race to prosperity! This loose confederation of kingdoms should have been relegated to the dustbin of history long ago. We should enthrone His Majesty and establish a truly unified empire!"

"Who's in favor?"

"Who's against?"

His bell-like eyes swept across the room. Generals touched by his gaze, especially those from the northern faction, many excitedly echoed his sentiments.

Commander Adrian then intervened at an opportune moment.

With a 'cautious but understanding' attitude,

he recorded this 'strong voice from the military grassroots'.

And stated that it would be 'given serious consideration'.

Almost simultaneously,

in the capital of the Aurora Kingdom, Clemence, the Quartermaster General of the Allied Forces, while reporting to the royal family and parliament on the outstanding efficiency of wartime material allocation, proposed in a calculating, pragmatic tone:

"Gentlemen, data does not lie. Under Commander Brian's unified command, our material transport efficiency has tripled, and losses have been reduced by half."

"Facing future challenges, whether it's clearing out remaining orc forces or other potential threats, an efficient, unified imperial system is far more capable of ensuring our security and prosperity than seven independent systems."

"From a purely cost-benefit perspective, I believe that accepting and promoting a more cohesive political structure is a choice that serves the interests of all of us."

These voices, seemingly from different fields and with different motivations,

were cleverly amplified and interconnected through the information network controlled by Spirit Eye.

Eventually, they converged into a political proposal that appeared to be bottom-up and formed by the collective will of all parties—

To enthrone Brian as Emperor!

To establish the Dawn Empire!

However, in the distant south, an undercurrent of resistance also began its final struggle.

In the southern part of the Valen Kingdom,

three powerful dukes secretly assembled approximately fifty thousand private troops.

They attempted to defy orders with military force, under the guise of opposing military dictatorship.

At the same time, they contacted some equally discontented nobles within the Feiori Kingdom, attempting to form an alliance.

"We cannot sit idly by and watch an empire built on an iron fist and puppets come into being! This is a trampling of our traditions and freedoms!"

They spoke passionately in a secret chamber.

However!

All their actions were transparent in the face of the omnipresent surveillance of the sky patrollers and an intelligence system already infiltrated by the Divine Revelation Secret Art.

Brian did not even mobilize the main robot legions from the front lines.

First!

Spirit Eye launched a propaganda war, slandering the three dukes as 'traitors who colluded with orc remnants and undermined human unity,' completely isolating them morally.

Immediately following!

Five thousand newly deployed annihilator robots, in urgent need of combat testing, guided by the sky patrollers,

launched a precise decapitation strike on the castles and military command centers of the three dukes on a moonless, windy night!

Overnight.

The core leadership was physically eliminated!

The next morning.

One hundred thousand human allied forces, originally stationed in the central region and having completed ideological unification (mixed with a small number of instructor robots and Sanctuary personnel),

marched into the south under Commander Adrian's command and accepted the leaderless rebels.

The spark of resistance was extinguished before it could fully ignite.

It also demonstrated to all potential opponents the precision of Brian's intelligence and the ruthlessness of his methods.

The largest internal resistance force was silently crushed.

The immense success of human-machine collaboration on the front lines and extremely low casualties,

spread by word of mouth from returning soldiers,

completely destroyed the last glimmer of hope among the southern nobles.

Continued resistance

meant political isolation and physical annihilation.

Under the public initiative of Adrian, Franco, and others (deeply influenced by Spiritual Seeds),

and at the 'voluntary' and 'sincere' request of the southern nobles,

the representatives of the seven kingdoms quickly reached a consensus.

The cry for coronation!

finally spread from the north to the south, from the military to the imperial court.

What began as genuine support from a few became a political statement that everyone had to make.

A coronation ceremony, seemingly universally desired,

but actually forged by absolute power and meticulous planning,

was thus put on the agenda.

A few days later,

in the majestic Military City, under the fervent gaze of countless human soldiers and civilians, and guarded by the formidable Iron Legion, an unprecedented coronation ceremony was grandly held.

Brian, clad in imperial robes symbolizing supreme authority,

accepted the scepter and crown presented by the representatives of the seven kingdoms.

"I, Brian I, hereby declare that the Dawn Empire is established today!"

His voice, amplified by magic, spread in all directions, clearly resounding in everyone's ears,

"The old era has ended, and a new epoch is ushered in by me! The will of the Empire is my will! The territory of the Empire is the land I protect! The enemies of the Empire are the targets I shall destroy!"

"Long live! Emperor Brian! Long live! The Dawn Empire!"

Cheers, like mountains and tsunamis, soared into the sky, symbolizing that the human forces of the Dawn Continent were completely united under one banner.

After the coronation ceremony, Brian stood atop the command headquarters, overlooking his empire and army.

Spirit Eye stood silently beside him.

"Spirit Eye."

"Yes, Master!"

"The plan to annihilate the orcs can now be formulated."

Brian's gaze swept past Blizzard Fortress, towards that vast and primitive land.

"It's time to begin the final steps!"

"Understood, Master!" Spirit Eye's voice also showed a hint of excitement.

She had been with Brian in this plane for over half a year,

and now it was finally almost time to go home!

Then she could buy so many clothes,

so many accessories!

So many shoes!

So much food!