In a world teeming with kingdoms, trying to count exactly how many existed was exhausting and pointless. There was simply no need.
As long as you accomplished great enough deeds, you could establish a nation with the Fae's acknowledgment and authorization.
All nations, regardless of territory size, prosperity, military strength, or historical legacy, were uniformly called kingdoms.
The ancient Elven homeland of Darkfold was a kingdom, and the newly established Kingdom of Aurum, barely decades old, was also a kingdom. Everyone's status was equal, at least on paper.
The only exception was the Empire. While other nations called each other kingdoms, it could openly call itself an Empire, a tier above the rest.
What's that? You're wondering why the Empire was so special?
Well, naturally it was because the founding ancestor's achievements ran too deep.
The first emperor of the Empire was a dragon slayer.
Among all deeds that could be called heroic, dragon slaying was undoubtedly top tier. If you limited it to the mortal realm, nothing really surpassed it.
The evil dragon that ravaged earth and sky, turning half the world to scorched earth, was hunted down and slain by the Empire's founder.
With such an achievement, the Empire's founder could make a wish to the Fae.
"Great and noble Fae, grant me a thousand-year Empire. Let its glory never fade, shining like the sun."
The Fae granted his request, and so the Empire was established from the ruins. This was the Radiant Dynasty, now eight hundred years old.
The Fae who granted the nation's founding became an extremely rare Guardian Fae, protecting the Radiant Dynasty as it rose and grew stronger step by step.
Over these eight hundred years, the Empire expanded without restraint, unstoppable in offense, undefeated in battle, creating a staggering colossus.
Of course there were upheavals, setbacks, and dark times, but no matter what, the Empire overcame them all, standing firm.
Because this was a nation authorized by the divine, the Empire's conquest and rule was unquestionably manifest destiny!
Of course, the Fae weren't gods, but to mortals, they might as well have been. Most nations worshipped the Fae as gods, even though it was completely pointless.
At least until the Empire completed its thousand-year mission, its survival was guaranteed.
This made those who had been crushed beneath the Empire's iron heel feel deep despair. No matter how bitter they were, they could only lie low and wait for the right moment.
Free People, endure!
They thought they'd have to endure another two hundred years, but no one expected that the world conqueror they'd placed all their hopes in, the thousand-year Radiant Dynasty, would implode.
The Guardian Fae that should have protected the Empire actually turned into a dragon.
The earth-shattering news stunned the entire Empire. No one had imagined such an absurd calamity.
And what caught everyone even more off guard was that the imperial center didn't immediately move to suppress the traitorous Guardian Fae.
Instead, the imperial center split apart.
Some of the royal family, after their initial shock, mobilized troops and prepared to recreate their ancestor's great achievement.
Though the Guardian Fae had always been the Empire's patron deity, the object of their long-standing reverence, now that it had turned dragon, its contributions had to be wiped clean. They had to draw a clear line and righteously eliminate this traitor!
But another faction of the imperial family brazenly sided with the fallen Fae!
Humans following a true dragon was genuinely rare.
The Radiant Dynasty split because of this. In an Empire where royal authority trumped everything, a tear in the center meant a tear in the Empire itself. An unprecedented civil war erupted immediately.
All of the Empire's main legions were recalled from the borders and began a bloody civil war on home soil.
It was in this chaos that provinces that had long harbored rebellious thoughts declared independence one after another.
The Kingdom of Aurum was one of them. The Empire simply had no power to suppress the constant uprisings and could only let them break away from its rule.
The Empire's civil war lasted for decades, causing the once mighty nation that had nearly ruled most of the known world to lose nearly half its territory.
Even then, the civil war produced no victor, merely reaching a stalemate.
Now, the Empire was completely split in two.
The forces within the Radiant Dynasty loyal to humanity, sworn to slay the dragon, were at a disadvantage, forced to withdraw from the imperial capital's territory.
The faction following the dragon called itself the Second Empire.
Even though they occupied the capital, their actions were so contrary to human nature that the outside world would never recognize them as legitimate.
Both sides divided the land along a river and hadn't ceased hostilities, just temporarily become unable to fight.
At least with their own national strength alone, they really couldn't keep fighting, so both the Radiant orthodox faction and the Second Empire actively began seeking external aid.
Of course, the human faction held an absolute diplomatic advantage, because no one would have the slightest goodwill toward a nation ruled by a dragon.
So the current situation was that the Radiant Dynasty's dragon-slaying faction was working overtime to build an encirclement network.
As someone with ambitions to compete for the world, Faust naturally paid attention to this international crisis.
"Well, well. Though I'd thought about joining this party, I never imagined I'd be joining not the punitive army, but the side getting punished."
Faust rubbed his chin and laughed, shaking his head.
This wasn't right, was it? According to a normal conquest script, he should be joining the eighteen allied lords right about now, racking up serious reputation for his future rise.
Wait, I'm supposed to guard Tiger Trap Pass?
With the Kingdom of Aurum's meager strength, wouldn't one touch on the imperial battlefield mean annihilation?
[You certainly can't help much right now, so it's just making contact.
Lotus's situation is still okay. At least you don't need to worry in the short term. You can focus on development in peace. But there's one thing you need to know in advance]
Mephisto's tone became unprecedentedly serious:
[Once you're set on helping me turn dragon, it means embarking on a path against fate.
Successful cases of defying destiny can be counted on one hand. Most just luckily slipped through the cracks of fate's wheel. But the Fae's fall, our rebellion, absolutely cannot be permitted]
[Even without taking the path of becoming an evil dragon, driven by fate's wheel, the whole world will be your enemy. Your chances of victory are slim]
[So, what do you say? It's still not too late to turn back now. Actually, your most realistic way to achieve great conquest is dragon slaying.
If you can slay a dragon, you'll receive unimaginably generous gifts from fate]
Mephisto didn't doubt Faust's resolve, but still couldn't help wanting to speak some tempting words to shake his will.
He was curious about what kind of answer his contractor would give.
"Isn't this perfect? I love dragons."
Yet in the Fae's eyes, Faust showed no hesitation at all. Instead, he sighed meaningfully:
"Dragons are the mark of an emperor, after all."
[Hm?]
"Mephisto, some jokes are fine to make, but don't say things like that again. It hurts our relationship."
Faust rolled up his sleeve, revealing the crimson curse mark, and laughed boldly:
"We've already made a pact, only breakable by death. Either we walk the path of glory together, or we're buried together in infamy. There's no other way!"