Prologue

Rebirth of the Lord's Legend

Prologue

Higua hung high in the sky, as always, casting its warmth upon the streets and alleys.

The colossal statue of Higua, the Sun God, God of Light, and God of War, gleamed under the sunlight, making the magnificent Higua Temple even more resplendent.

This was Molent City, the capital of the Forde Commercial Alliance, the largest commercial and port city on the continent of Galintea.

It boasted the most temples on the continent of Galintea, dedicated to numerous deities, earning it the moniker "City of Temples."

It also housed the most academies on the continent of Galintea, with seven of the top ten located here, hence its reputation as the "City of Academies."

This was the most populous metropolis on the continent of Galintea, with a permanent resident population of nearly 800,000.

Commerce thrived here, with a constant flow of people and vehicles. Millions of various gold coins circulated in the market daily. Countless mercenaries, swordsmen, adventurers, artisans, traveling merchants, and common slaves, each with their own purpose, headed here and then departed...

In the songs of the bards, it was a land blessed by the gods, a fertile land where wealth converged...

The Silver River, the second-largest river system on the continent of Galintea, quietly nourished the Malichu Plains, eventually flowing into the sea west of Molent City. The tranquil Silver River brought Molent City a prosperous Golden Bay and a powerful naval fleet.

The vast and fertile Malichu Plains, bathed in sunlight and flowing with honey, supported the continuous expansion and growth of Molent City year after year with its abundant harvests.

One hundred and sixty-seven years ago, Grand Duke Forde Molent of the former Duchy of Malichu abruptly announced reforms, abolishing the hereditary feudal lord system and replacing it with a citizen representative council system. The serf system was abolished, freeing nearly 400,000 serfs. This move shocked the nations of the continent.

Grand Duke Forde Molent also declared the establishment of a nation based on commerce, uniting the six largest merchant guilds on the continent of Galintea to establish the Forde Commercial Alliance, which conducted commercial activities with various countries, relying on the Malichu Plains. This was the historically renowned Molent Reforms.

The nascent Forde Commercial Alliance became known throughout Galintea for its freedom and openness, continuously attracting countless people yearning for freedom and pursuing wealth, while also drawing the greedy gaze of powerful neighbors.

The Krissen Empire, the foremost of the three great empires on Galintea, located north of the Malichu Plains, declared the reforms of Grand Duke Forde Molent illegal and brazenly invaded the Malichu Plains, igniting a curtain of over a hundred years of bloody conflict.

The fledgling Forde Commercial Alliance did not yield. Under the banner of fighting for freedom, countless people unwilling to be slaves took to the battlefield, advancing wave after wave. For over a hundred years, blood stained the Malichu Plains.

On the Malichu Plains, by the Silver River, and beneath Molent City, two emperors of the Krissen Empire, over a dozen dukes, and countless elite soldiers and generals fell. The blue flag of the Forde Commercial Alliance still fluttered high above Molent City.

Throughout the long years of war, the Forde Commercial Alliance grew stronger with each battle. In the last battle, which involved over 100,000 combatants, a cunning strategy was employed, leading to the demise of the Krissen Empire's only Sword Saint on the battlefield. This not only bought the alliance nearly twenty years of respite but also set the Krissen Empire on a path of decline.

As the last old emperor of the Krissen Empire lay dying, his three princes began a fierce struggle for the throne. The Forde Commercial Alliance finally escaped the threat from the north and rapidly developed into prosperity. Twenty years of peace propelled the Forde Commercial Alliance to become the leading power in northern Galintea, a behemoth whose commercial tentacles spread across the entire continent.

This was Molent City, an unyielding city-state, a free alliance. Molent City was originally named Hope Sea Fortress, but it was later renamed Molent City in memory of Grand Duke Forde Molent, who sacrificed his life in the war of resistance against the Krissen Empire's invasion. The city originally had only twelve districts, but twenty years of peace led to Molent City's extremely rapid expansion. To accommodate the needs of commercial development, the Forde Commercial Alliance invested heavily to add thirty-six districts outside the city walls, constructing a new city wall. From then on, Molent City was divided into an inner city and an outer city.

However, the people of Molent did not refer to them that way. They called the inner city the Upper City and the Central District. The western part of the outer city was called the Academy District, where nearly twenty academies of various sizes were gathered. The northwest was the Fleet District, the Dock District, followed by the Commercial Trade District, which occupied the largest area, the Slum District with the largest influx of outsiders, the City Defense Army Barracks District located in the northeast, and the remaining southern and eastern parts were residential districts.

Although Molent City was the capital of the Forde Commercial Alliance, the Alliance Council, the highest organ of power of the commercial alliance, was not responsible for the management of Molent City. The daily administrative affairs of Molent were handled by the Municipal Hall located in the Central District. Its head was appointed by the Alliance Council for a five-year term. At the end of the term, a review was conducted by the City Council, composed of representatives elected from each district, and the results were reported to the Alliance Council, which then decided whether to reappoint or dismiss him.

When the Forde Commercial Alliance was first established, it was plagued by rampant underground forces within the city and enormous administrative expenses. To prevent corruption and streamline administrative personnel, a peculiar policy was implemented from a merchant's perspective: the legalization of underground criminal organizations. The security, taxation, sanitation, and other administrative management of each district were contracted out to the leaders of various underground criminal organizations. This served three purposes: first, to divide and prevent the unified growth of underground criminal organizations; second, to reduce the city's administrative expenses and human resources; and third, once legalized, underground criminal organizations became easier to manage. For example, through an annual review, if residents of a certain district complained incessantly about the criminal organization responsible for it, the Municipal Hall would disband that organization and launch a targeted crackdown. This measure would also enlist the assistance of other criminal organizations in neighboring districts.

When this policy was first implemented, no one was optimistic about it. Two years later, its cleverness became apparent. Not only did the public security situation greatly improve, with few violent crimes occurring, but the Municipal Hall also received substantial tax revenue, enabling it to invest more in public services and further improve the city's living environment.

This outcome greatly surprised those who had previously mocked the Forde Commercial Alliance for not understanding urban management. Many kingdoms and duchies even sent people to inspect it. One grand duke, after his inspection, lamented, "The noble officials of the kingdom are not as incorrupt and efficient as the members of the underground criminal organizations; it is truly shameful."

This was Molent City, a city of merchants, a place full of vitality and ingenious ideas. Some regarded it as paradise, while others denounced it as a place of sin where the devil tempted humanity.

During the day, the cries of street vendors mingled with the prayers from the temples. At night, the city was alive with dazzling lights, intoxicating music, and passionate singing. This was the sleepless city of Molent.