Leo himself never imagined that less than four months ago, he was an insignificant ant struggling for survival, no one caring about his life or death. A single zombie or mutated beast could wipe him and his sister out of the world. When hungry, even a sip of milk or half a loaf of bread was a luxury. And four months later, he had reached the pinnacle, commanding a million-strong army, controlling a vast territory of over six million square kilometers, becoming the revitalized emperor of the ancient Alania Empire.
Looking back, it all seems like a dream.
No, for this boy who was just beginning to understand the survival rules of this cruel world, it was even more bizarre than a dream.
He knew that all of this was a gift from his master, Alexander [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ].
He knew all too well that if he wanted to hold onto this hot potato of a throne and remain there indefinitely, the only people he could truly rely on were not the old nobles and wealthy merchants who fawned over him and offered him beautiful women and treasures, nor the newly emerging officials who shouted "Long live the Emperor!" and were respectful to him, nor even the military leaders who controlled the army and nominally put him on the throne, but his nominal master, who could only be the [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ] King of Chambord.
So, on the very first day of his coronation, the young Emperor Leo made a series of decisions—
He declared Sun Fei as the 'Father of the Nation,' a position of unparalleled prestige, akin to an emperor emeritus. Although he held no real power, he was still able to mobilize everything within the new Alania Empire. He also announced an alliance with the Zenit Empire and sent envoys in a grand manner to present various gifts to the Zenit Empire.
At the same time, the Black-Robed Holy Temple, a newly emerging religious sect that had won the unanimous support of the common people of Alania, quickly became the largest—and arguably the only—faith sect in this emerging empire. Emperor Leo even declared that the Black-Robed Holy Temple would become the state religion of the Alania Empire, the only officially supported branch of the Holy Church.
The young emperor's orders passed quickly through the new regime with virtually no obstacles.
Even a fool would understand that the newly established Alania Empire is not so stable. If it wants to survive in this chaotic world, it must form an alliance with the strong. Both the [ Human Emperor of the Northern Region ] and the Zenit Empire are truly strong powers worth relying on.
Of course, transforming from a homeless orphan into an emperor is an extremely difficult process.
For Leo, the tedious royal etiquette and even more tedious political affairs quickly cooled his initial excitement at becoming emperor, and he felt overwhelmed. Fortunately, Sun Fei had already discussed this point, so on the third day of the new emperor's ascension, he used a [ Ultra-Long-Distance Simple Teleport Magic Array ] to invite royal etiquette experts carefully selected and trained by the old nobleman Best from Chambord City. Together with some Old Man Alania who were knowledgeable about the customs, geography, and ancient traditions of Alania, they formed a unique 'imperial crash course' in the history of the Northern Region to help the young emperor complete the transformation from a crude vagabond to a noble monarch in a short period of time.
At the same time, as the founding father of the newly established Alania Empire, Sun Fei did not disappoint those who admired and praised his benevolence, and appropriately demonstrated his generosity.
His King generously donated funds to help the newly established Alania Empire build eight comprehensive schools and a specialized military academy. He also provided initial teaching staff free of charge, using the Chambord model to help the Alania people cultivate outstanding warriors, officers, martial artists, blacksmiths, mages, engineers, bards, diplomats, and other talents in various fields.
The power of Chambord City has spread throughout the Northern Region. The Chambord model of talent cultivation is already famous in the Northern Region. For the Alania Empire, which is in dire need of reconstruction, this is nothing short of a lifeline. In particular, the fact that commoners can apply for admission, the generous scholarship system, and the opportunity for outstanding talents to study abroad in Chambord City are all unprecedented benefits for Alania people. As a result, the schools established in Chambord City have received a frenzy of popularity.
It is said that on the first day of school, the eight universities and the military academy named after Alexander were almost bursting at the seams with students from all over.
Due to various matters concerning the newly established empire, Sun Fei also had to devote his energy to helping his disciples with some matters. Therefore, the Chambord Army's expeditionary efforts were temporarily halted, and they had been stationed in Didikaka City for more than half a month.
Every day, all sorts of people linger at the gates of the Chambord Army camp, hoping to catch a glimpse of the "Father of the Nation." Even a casual greeting or a polite smile from the "Father of the Nation" would be enough for them to boast about for a long time. In recent times, the young emperor's reliance on Sun Fei has made many opportunistic individuals realize that in an empire where the distribution of power is currently largely vacant, the "Father of the Nation's" appreciation is even more useful than the emperor's decree.
Unfortunately, Sun Fei had absolutely no interest in these trivial matters.
His Majesty the King showed no mercy to these opportunistic individuals, refusing to receive them all.
In these days, the only people who could see Sun Fei, besides the young Emperor Leo and the two innocent and adorable imperial princesses Jili and Dili, were his old acquaintances— Charles Adam, the former Resist leader, was now the commander of the Central Guard of the Alania Empire [ Vengeance Legion ], second only to the emperor; while the hot female warrior Anna and the mercenary warrior Edward were also rising stars of the empire, confidants of the young emperor, wielding immense power and becoming objects of fawning and adulation.
Not to mention these few people, most of the young people in the original team of over a hundred survivors who had contact with Emperor Leo, practiced martial arts alongside Sun Fei, and received guidance from His Majesty the 'Father of the Nation' have now become the backbone of the Imperial Army's officers.
However, these people were indeed quite clever.
No matter how busy he was on weekdays, every day when the sunset painted the sky red, Adam would invite Anna and Edward to the Chambord Army, where they would greet each other with smiles and practice a move or two with Sun Fei.
Perhaps for them at this point, the pursuit of martial arts is no longer as fervent as it once was. With average talent and having missed the best period for cultivation, it is almost hopeless for them to make further breakthroughs in martial arts. The reason they do this is because they understand that as long as they can stay by His Majesty the 'Father of the Nation' for even a second longer, their titles and future prospects in the new Alania Empire will be even broader and more glorious.
Sun Fei had long understood what these people were thinking, but he didn't say anything. He simply abandoned his plan to guide them in their martial arts cultivation.
That's life. You only get one chance to make a choice, and you have to walk your own path. Since Adam, Anna, and the others have chosen worldly riches, Sun Fei will let them have their way. After all, they've walked together for a while, and these people aren't bad people. Sun Fei is willing to give them some wealth and help them out.
First update