Golden Star.
A year has passed since the King of Ashes, Diorus, was severely wounded and driven back.
After this battle, Logo's prestige reached its peak, and he was finally able to legitimately unite the various forces on Golden Star into a true collective.
Throughout the year, Logo quelled all opposition on the Golden Star and today convened a founding conference to discuss a series of matters related to the establishment of the nation.
Inside the council chamber, dozens of powerful figures surrounded the table. Logo sat in the main seat, with Lancelot to his left and the Orc King of the Winter Empire to his right.
Compared to the bustling meeting in the adjacent Great Hall, where tens of thousands gathered, the atmosphere in the council chamber was much quieter, with fewer than thirty people present. Yet, everyone knew that decisions made here would have the highest authority.
"Now that everyone is gathered here, I shall, on behalf of His Majesty, declare the meeting open." The Orc King spoke after surveying the room with a broad smile on his rugged face.
The other high-ranking officials glanced at him but did not object. In reality, their thoughts were quite complicated. More than one of them regretted not being the first to pledge their loyalty when the Pioneer Island. One careless move and a brute had ridden over them and gotten the biggest benefits. It was simply outrageous.
"The first issue is the national system. In my personal opinion, we should continue the imperial system of the Royal Court. Your Majesty, having ascended to the throne as Emperor, is the supreme and sole master of the empire, possessing the power to make decisions on all matters and the absolute power of life and death over all living beings..."
The Orc King's words echoed in the council hall, and the reactions of those present varied. Some objected, some agreed, but some lowered their heads and remained silent.
A heated discussion quickly ensued.
After a year of getting to know each other, everyone had a basic understanding of Logo's personality. His Majesty was very open-minded, and as long as it didn't involve crimes like treason or rebellion, he wouldn't be held accountable for expressing any opinions on national policies.
In short, he was an enlightened, confident, enterprising, intelligent, and broad-minded monarch. To be honest, if it weren't for the deeply entrenched interest groups behind him, everyone present would have already wholeheartedly pledged allegiance to him.
Do you really think that sheer strength alone is enough to make the Orc King so willingly become a die-hard fan?
Orcs are known for their volatile and straightforward nature; they wouldn't be so obedient unless they were truly subdued and won over from the bottom of their hearts.
After a while, the discussion gradually subsided. After intense debate among all parties, a mutually acceptable national system was proposed: the imperial system.
It is a combination of imperialism and confederation.
Regarding the imperial system.
As the supreme leader of the nation, Logo will be addressed as His Majesty the Supreme Emperor, enjoying absolute leadership over the army, government, and parliament. He can dismiss any official at will, interfere in any matter, and is free from any restrictions.
In other words, in the nascent empire, Logo possessed power to do whatever he pleased.
Regarding Federation.
The various forces that currently make up the Golden Star will be simply split and reorganized into administrative regions. Each administrative region will have independent legislative and executive powers, and can also form an army and police force, but will be subject to the leadership of the central government and will swear absolute loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor.
The central government has the right to send auditors and supervisors to conduct legitimate reviews of the economic, political, and military affairs of various administrative regions, but it must not interfere excessively or abuse its central power.
Only His Majesty the Emperor has the authority to command the various administrative regions at will, and the latter must not defy his orders, but may offer suggestions.
Whether the suggestion will be accepted depends entirely on Logo's own opinion.
The central government appoints one prime minister, who, with the emperor's approval, can convene Cabinet Council and appoint cabinet ministers.
The number of cabinet ministers is determined by the prime minister, but cannot exceed 12.
Under normal circumstances, the Prime Minister of the Empire is responsible to the Parliament. His Majesty the Emperor does not directly deal with the Prime Minister; at least at the legislative level, the process must go through the Parliament.
Under this national system, the emperor, Logo, enjoys supreme power, the prime minister is the second most powerful person, the speaker of parliament is the third most powerful person, and the leaders of the major administrative regions are regional governors with great autonomy. They can formulate corresponding laws according to the special circumstances of their own ethnic groups, and as long as they do not conflict with the constitution, they will generally be passed.
"Since no one has any objections, let's submit this proposal to the consultative conference for a vote."
After everyone nodded in agreement, the Orc King continued, "Now, let's move on to the second item on the agenda: the army..."
Two parallel founding conferences, one large and one small, were in full swing.
The consultative assembly required a vote of 10,000 people, which was very slow. The smaller meetings in the council chamber, on the other hand, ended quickly, submitting hundreds of proposals to the consultative assembly for a symbolic vote.
After the meeting, just as everyone was about to leave, one person stood up, attracting everyone's attention.
"Sebawen, what do you want?" The Orc King's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked directly.
"His Majesty!"
Sebawen bowed slightly. "Please allow me to continue spreading the teachings of Dawn among the Geya People."
"Um?!!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the high-ranking officials present changed simultaneously, and they all cast subtle glances toward Logo, who was sitting in the main seat.
"Can!"
After a few seconds, Logo slowly nodded.
Before Sebawen could even breathe a sigh of relief, Logo continued, "However, before proselytizing, Sebawen Faith must undergo review by the religious affairs management department; this process cannot be omitted."
"Yes... I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"
Faced with the emperor's majesty, Sebawen slowly lowered his head. Although he was a saint, only after death could he ascend to the Divine Kingdom of the God of Dawn, bathe in divine grace, and possess immense divine Transcendent potential.
Before this, Sebawen was just an ordinary High-Rank Demigod, and he had no room for negotiation with Logo.
Logo's words reached everyone's ears clearly and loudly, and they immediately understood his meaning: the belief in gods was not forbidden, but it must be within the constraints of the national system.
In fact, Logo himself understood that completely banning faith in the Astral Realm was simply impossible.
Besides the obstacles posed by the gods themselves, the fear and exploration of the unknown by living beings are also important reasons.
When faced with things they cannot explain, living beings always attribute them to some unknowable being in a higher dimension, and over time, this gave rise to the earliest forms of faith.
On the Golden Star, there are tens of thousands of miscellaneous beliefs, but very few can truly be traced back to the source of the True God. Most religions are merely a form of spiritual sustenance.
The more you value something, the more likely it is to cause problems; taking it less seriously can actually solve the problem.
After everyone else left, only Lancelot and Logo remained in the meeting room.
"When are you planning to go to the Divine Realm?" Logo asked, turning his head.
Lancelot chuckled, "After your coronation."
"That works too. At that time, the core should be more active, which should be more helpful to you."
Two weeks later.
Nine hundred kilometers east of the Golden King.
A towering altar that seems to pierce the sky stands tall.
A cold wind howled past, carrying a chilling aura.
Banners fluttered in the wind, and a dense array of elite warriors stood around the altar. Among them were members of the Heavenly Eye Force of the Gendaya Royal Court, guards under the various lords of the An Alliance, orcs from the Winter Empire, giants and elves from the Corte Alliance, spellcasters, Mechanics... Every Transcendent that existed on Golden Star could be found here.
They were fully armed, wielding weapons unique to their profession, their eyes fixed straight ahead, their pupils filled with excitement.
In mid-air, rows of war fortresses of various shapes and sizes were neatly arranged, their large cannons slightly raised, and their armored surfaces were covered with imposing warriors standing tall against the wind, exuding a sense of bravery.
On the steps of the altar, a long line of former high-ranking members of various powerful forces stretched as far as the eye could see. Their expressions varied: some were smug, some were proud, and some had sorrow in their eyes.
After all, everyone understood that the establishment of a new nation meant the destruction of the old one, and in a sense, they were all people of a vanquished country.
At the forefront of the court was Tarlov, who had been elected Prime Minister of the Empire, and not far behind him was Balielunduo, who served as the Chief Steward of the Palace.
Once the head of the four chief stewards of Sunset Jungle, he has now become the chief steward of Logo's court. This leap in status can be described as a meteoric rise.
Even now, Balielunduo was still in a daze. His promotion had been far too fast. Although it's said that when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs rise to heaven, he was a wolf. Of course, if he could, being a dog wouldn't be so bad.
Besides the assembled courtiers, there was another group of people in the Core Zone of the altar.
These people can be collectively referred to as Logo's supporters.
Lancelot, Qiya, Crassus, Caesar, Annabelle, Tiffany and Sherlock, the Sunset Lord...
The ministers, including Tarlov, were carefully observing each member of the entourage, memorizing their faces and auras, determined not to offend them in the future.
Although some members of the inner circle did not wield significant power, their ability to directly contact His Majesty the Emperor was terrifying.
Throughout history, those who have the power to reach the highest levels of government are not to be trifled with, because you can never be sure what kind of past relationship they have with your top leader, or how deep their bond is. If you make a mistake, losing your position is the least of your worries; you might lose your life in the next second.
Amidst the undercurrents and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Logo, dressed in a specially made robe and wearing King's Crown, strode towards the top of the altar with his head slightly raised.
The officials in charge of etiquette hurriedly followed, and whenever Logo passed a specific place, they would take out the corresponding ceremonial objects and perform complex operations.
Any regime that can last for a long time has strict rules for order. Etiquette is part of this order. Through complex etiquette, not only can the hierarchy be determined, but the leader's authority can also be enhanced.
After completing all the ritual procedures, Logo stood at the center of the altar, looking down at his subjects and people.
The head of the etiquette officers then took out a book and began to read aloud.
"A message to the Plane Will and to all citizens."
"Since the resurgence of the Divine Power, the dimensional order has been disrupted, the international situation has been turbulent, until the great chaos erupted and all nations were destroyed by the demonic calamity."
"At this critical juncture, the Plane Will sent down World Savior, opening a sanctuary to shelter countless lives, repelling the invading evil god, severely wounding it, and deterring it from attacking again..."
The master of ceremonies read aloud, his voice carried on the wind, reaching every corner of Golden Star and the ears of every living being.
After Logo finished recounting all his achievements, the people who had previously harbored objections to the establishment of a new nation, or felt resentful, all lowered their heads and voluntarily knelt on the ground.
Buzz!!
Inside the star's core, the primordial core vibrated. At the same time, golden clouds appeared above Logo's head, layer upon layer, seemingly extending to the end of space. Below the clouds, white light illuminated the entire altar, and a magnificent, selfless, and desireless will descended with a thunderous roar.
A golden crown descended, merging with the King's Crown atop Logo's head.
"The Plane Will has acknowledged Your Majesty's status; no emperor has ever been able to do this before..."
The ministers were shocked by what they saw. As the leading prime minister, Tarlov, fell to the ground, like Duomi falling, almost all the living beings around the altar knelt down.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The cannons fired in unison, their thunderous roar echoing across the sky.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The soldiers of the Heavenly Eye Force were the first to shout wildly, raising their weapons and roaring as if their throats were being torn apart.
The sound waves surged and rolled like a tide.
Logo opened his arms, and although his voice wasn't loud, it immediately drowned out all the other noises.
"From this day forward, the Golden Empire is officially established! You are all subjects of this empire. Let us work together to build our nation!"
After a brief silence, cheers that soared into the sky erupted once again, lasting for a long time.
Logo descended the steps and strolled among the crowd, passing through the ranks of the warriors. His face was calm, but his heart was in turmoil.
After the coronation ceremony, a group of high-ranking officials followed Logo back to the Golden King —no, it should now be called the Golden Imperial Palace.
Gazing at the magnificent palace shrouded in a hazy golden glow, Logo's eyes were deep, and many thoughts surged within him.
Gold, the art of alchemy, the origin of alchemy.
Golden Star, a sanctuary for all beings in the plane, a place where civilizations are reborn Nirvana the ashes.
Logo did not continue the Gendaya Royal Court, but instead adopted "Gold" as its name, mainly for the two reasons mentioned above.
He wanted to build a great nation with alchemy as its cultural foundation and inclusiveness, progress, and hope as its core spirit, not just a nation for the Gendaya people, which would be far too narrow.
The Astral Realm is boundless, with hundreds of millions of races and powerful individuals vying for supremacy, countless ideas exchanging and colliding, and a vast array of development paths. There is no absolute right or wrong. If one had to choose one, Logo would say it is—greatness lies in tolerance!