Bringing Manu and Mingge along, Rhett once again initiated a simulation of the world.
[Please select the starting time of the simulation world.]
"One thousand years ago!"
[Please select the participants.]
"Me!"
[Each day of the simulation world consumes 1 point of Destiny Value. Would you like to begin immediately?]
"Yes!"
However, as swiftly as it began, the simulation quickly ended.
As the radiant, twisting colors coalesced into a world and just as quickly dispersed, Rhett found himself standing in the void, his expression shifting between uncertainty and frustration.
Moments ago, he had once again chosen to inhabit Veras, the Chief Saint Mage of the royal family of the Ream Kingdom, starting just like the last time—both sides, him and the Tower Master of the Circle Tower, suffering mutual injuries.
But this time, he directly sought out the Shadow Demon Didara to inquire about Mingge's identity and origins.
Unexpectedly, even Didara was completely unfamiliar with Mingge. It knew nothing and didn't even associate Mingge with a Blood Demon fragment!
With no answers found, Rhett had no choice but to end the simulation.
"Sigh, I suppose I'll just let things take their course. Even if I can't uncover Lan's secret, it won't affect the overall trajectory of the world's development..." Rhett mused for a moment, trying to comfort himself.
He then turned to Manu. "I'll leave the research on the Blood Source Core to you. I need to go. The war has just ended, and there are still many matters in reality waiting for me to handle."
Manu nodded politely and said, "Take your time. If possible, when you meet the Saint Alchemist Hypaste in person to exchange alchemical knowledge, please grant me listening access. This would greatly aid in the research and improvement of the Blood Source Core and its alchemical elixirs."
Rhett thought for a moment and replied, "That's a good idea. Rest assured, I'll be heading to the Circle Tower in a few days."
"Thank you!" Manu said with a respectful bow.
After a brief conversation, Rhett left the simulation world.
Upon returning to reality, he found Rilai and Tucker in the hall on the fifth floor, both with their eyes closed, feeling the newfound power they had gained.
"It's incredible. I'm a water mage, yet I've also mastered the mystery of fire!" Rilai exclaimed, opening his eyes. In one hand, he conjured a flame, while in the other, a mist of water, effortlessly switching between the two.
Tucker, filled with envy, suddenly remembered that he hadn't yet seen his wife and children. He hastily said, "Father, I'll go check on Vanessa and Dick!"
"Go ahead," Rhett waved him off but added, "Don't forget what I asked you to do."
"What was that?" Tucker had already turned to leave but paused, scratching his head in confusion. Catching Rilai's awkward glance, he suddenly remembered, blurted out a hurried goodbye, and quickly fled.
Rilai coughed and said, somewhat embarrassed, "Father, there are also some matters in Dark Eagle City I need to attend to. I'll head over and return by this evening."
Rhett thought for a moment and said, "Don't rush. There's something I need you to handle first."
"What is it? Please, tell me, Father," Rilai straightened up.
"The news of the founding of the Green Kingdom needs to spread across the entire territory of Dark Eagle City as soon as possible. The kingdom is newly established and in urgent need of talent. We need to quickly determine how many are willing to follow us," Rhett said, his eyes filled with depth.
"No problem. I'll start gathering that information as soon as I arrive," Rilai responded, understanding. Then, as if realizing something, he asked, "By the way, Father, I've been meaning to ask—has the territory of our kingdom been confirmed?"
"Of course, it's right here on this map!"
As he spoke, Rhett summoned a map from thin air. It was a map he had casually obtained from Hypaste after the war, marking the boundaries of the new territories.
Rilai's eyes sparkled as he watched the intricately detailed map unfurl in his father's hands. His gaze locked onto a radiant, sun-shaped area in the center of the continent. "So this is the Green Kingdom's territory… It's huge!"
Rhett smiled contentedly as he admired the map alongside his son.
"But managing such a vast area won't be easy," Rilai mused. "Building towns, infrastructure, and other essential facilities will require a massive amount of time, manpower, and resources. And such a large territory will need a significant population to sustain it."
"There's no need to rush the population aspect. With the Beastmen gone, the world's resources are now more than sufficient, perhaps even in excess. We can patiently wait for people to migrate here," Rhett explained. "As for building the royal capital, both King Jinlun and Hypaste have already sent a team of alchemical architects. Constructing the capital will be easy, and the major cities across the nation will be similarly taken care of. Only the smaller, scattered villages and towns will require our attention later."
"That makes sense," Rilai nodded. Then, as if recalling something, he asked, "Father, have you decided who will be among the first batch of nobles? And which lands will you grant them?"
Rhett's expression shifted slightly, and he smiled mysteriously. "Regarding the system… I have something else in mind…"
Rilai perked up, curious.
"You see, I don't think the Green Kingdom needs to follow the noble system used by other kingdoms."
"Not adopt the noble system? What do you mean?" Rilai asked, somewhat surprised.
"We need to evolve with the times, move forward. The noble system has become outdated and doesn't contribute to the unity of the kingdom. Instead, we need a system that better ensures the kingdom's 'security,'" Rhett explained, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.
Rilai, sensing the weight behind his father's words, was startled. "Are you planning to weaken the power of the nobles? Perhaps reduce their fiefs?"
"No," Rhett shook his head. "I intend to abolish the noble system entirely and establish a centralized authority. Departments will be set up to oversee various industries, with subordinate institutions and officials in each town. The central authority will hold unconditional decision-making power over all localities."
This idea had been in Rhett's mind for a long time. After all, how could a king who divided his lands among nobles compare in power to a ruler with centralized authority?
Now that he had the opportunity to establish a new kingdom, why not go all out and declare that all land and power belong to the king?
"Gasp"
Rilai inhaled sharply.
His father's idea was bold, to say the least. In this world, no kingdom had ever attempted something like this.
Seeing Rilai's reaction, Rhett chuckled softly. "Don't be too surprised. Think of it as managing a larger territory. Fundamentally, it's not much different from how you govern Dark Eagle City. It's just that the scale and complexity are much greater."
"That's true, but what departments should we establish under a centralized system? What will be the duties and responsibilities of the officials? How should we divide administrative regions? These are areas where we have no experience. If we abandon the noble system, we'll be venturing into uncharted territory, and any unforeseen problems could lead to public dissatisfaction…" Rilai said, his face clouded with concern.
Rilai's questions were valid.
However, Rhett had already anticipated these challenges long before he knew he would be founding a kingdom.
In his past life, Rhett had never been a president or high-ranking official. Although he had a general understanding of governance systems, he wasn't an expert who could build an entire government structure from scratch.
But… while he lacked experience, Manu certainly didn't!
Manu had lived for millennia, governing countless planets and nearly conquering an entire universe. His experience in ruling a nation was unparalleled.
Thus, Rhett had privately consulted Manu on these matters.
Together, they had carefully crafted a centralized governance structure tailored to an extraordinary world!
This system included departments for every aspect of governance, as well as administrative divisions and positions. Even if problems arose during the implementation, Rhett's supreme power would easily suppress any opposition. With Manu's guidance, any flaws in the system could be quickly addressed.
After all, no country's government was flawless from the start. Every system had evolved, addressing various issues along the way.
"As I said, no need to worry. Manu, whom you've met in our homeworld, has extensive experience in this area. I've already consulted him. This blueprint I'm giving you outlines the structure of our kingdom's future governance. Take a good look at it, and if you have any questions, come to me," Rhett said, handing Rilai a set of documents.
Rilai, surprised by the extensive preparations, took the blueprint from his father's hands. He couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious background of Grandpa Manu. What did Father mean by "extensive experience"? Could Manu have been a king in the past?
Unfolding the blueprint, Rilai quickly scanned through it. The document was filled with intricate terms and detailed descriptions of various positions. Though some of the concepts were entirely new to him, they were remarkably insightful, and Rilai found himself admiring Manu's vast knowledge.
After studying the blueprint, Rilai had some lingering questions about specific terms. He expressed his doubts to Rhett.
Rhett nodded. "Not a problem. Manu is still in the homeworld. I'll likely conduct another simulation in a few days. Gather your questions, and you can ask him directly then."
"Understood, Father," Rilai nodded, though his curiosity piqued as he remembered overhearing a mention of going back to ten thousand years ago. "Earlier, you mentioned going back ten thousand years? Something about finding an alchemist?"
"Yes, I recently learned of a brilliant alchemist who lived ten thousand years ago, though his talents and accomplishments were lost to history. Manu and I plan to locate him and exchange insights," Rhett explained.
"Oh, that sounds fascinating. You should probably bring Taylors along too. If he hears about this and realizes he wasn't invited, he'll probably lose sleep over it," Rilai joked.
Rhett chuckled warmly, patting Rilai on the shoulder. "Of course. I'm planning to visit the Circle Tower tomorrow to bring Taylors along. But tonight, I'll be hosting a banquet at the castle. I'd like to invite all of our friends. Could you head to Dark Eagle City and inform everyone?"
"Leave it to me, Father. I'll head over now."
"There's no need to rush."
"Oh, but White Hat Mentor has plans for an outdoor sketching session this afternoon. If I don't hurry, I might miss him," Rilai said with a shrug, waving goodbye to his father as he left.
At the mention of White Hat, Rhett's interest was piqued. He casually asked, "How is Orla doing in Dark Eagle City? Has she settled down since Lawrence has been away these past few months? Has she been behaving while studying under White Hat?"
"Well, things were going smoothly… until a few days ago," Rilai sighed. "But two days ago, Orla somehow heard about Lawrence's past relationship with Younika, and she got incredibly jealous."
"Oh? And what happened? Did Lady Orla's noble temperament prevent her from doing anything rash?" Rhett asked, intrigued.
"That's what I thought too. Normally, she wouldn't cause trouble for Younika," Rilai sighed again. "But things took an unexpected turn. Just half a month ago, your friend Lilith, who owns the tavern, benefitted from the world's evolving origin. Her top-tier bartender created a new kind of extraordinary drink, one potent enough to get even extraordinary individuals drunk. Apparently, it involved… um… yes, blood energy. That's what Grandpa Manu mentioned earlier. Anyway, it seems like Orla had her first taste of it and drank herself into a stupor at the Rattlesnake Tavern. That's when the trouble started—she ended up confronting and attacking Younika!"
"Fortunately, your other friend, Wardelger, intervened in time and stopped things from escalating further," Rilai added with a wry smile.
"Really? That's quite the story," Rhett said, surprised. He couldn't help but marvel at the intricacies of life. The evolution of the world's origin had sparked a series of fascinating developments, even leading to a breakthrough in alchemical beverages.
Although the potential impact of this evolution on alchemy was still unclear, its effects in the realm of mixology were already making waves.