"Abandon that meaningless crown and offer me your loyalty."
"You will gain the chance to attain true freedom in the new era."
As king, Yarogluk still knew some of the inside details.
"Vigia will gain true peace and strength under the new order."
"And you, Yarogluk Grace, will continue to protect this land and your people as the Grand Duke of Vigia."
"How could being a king possibly be better than following me?"
Grand Duke! Yarogluk's heart jolted violently.
Trading a crown for a ducal coronet might seem like a demotion, but with the kingdom existing in name only and powerful enemies surrounding it, this was almost the only dignified way to preserve the Grace family bloodline and continue their rule.
More importantly, Zong Shen had mentioned a new era!
That matched certain ancient legends left behind by his ancestors.
Just as the king's heart was locked in a fierce struggle between hesitation and unwillingness, Zong Shen's consciousness had already silently connected with the core of the Lord System.
An invisible force of [Loyalty], born from supreme rules, began to spread.
Like unseen threads, it Entangled the souls of Yarogluk and the core royal guards at his side.
This was not mind control, but the forced implantation of a framework based on rules and the pressure of reality.
It magnified the reasonableness of submission, suppressed the urge to resist, and deeply branded the cold logic of "follow the strong to survive."
[Do you wish to forcibly incorporate target unit "Yarogluk Grace" (King of Vigia) into the lord privilege "Loyalty System"?]
[Warning: The target possesses a special identity (kingdom monarch). Incorporation will consume an enormous amount of reputation and may trigger unknown chain reactions.]
[Reputation Cost: 500000 points]
[Confirm/Cancel]
So reputation had a use like this too.
But now it seemed